Tag Archives: North Clare

WHILE flooding has been reported to have receded somewhat in parts of North and West Clare this Saturday morning, severe overnight flooding was reported in Miltown Malbay, Liscannor, Mullagh, Quilty and Lisdeen near Kilkee. Many other roads, while passable, were in a dangerous condition, including the Kilrush – Kildysart road, R473. Fire service units from Ennistymon were called to a severe incident of flooding in Miltown Malbay, on the Lahinch Road and Church Road, where up to 20 houses were affected. Nearby manhole covers had burst due to the incessant rainfall. Meanwhile two people were helped to safety from a car on the road between Liscannor village and the Cliffs on Moher on Friday night. Ennistymon fire service also attended that incident when the car became stranded as the road flooded. Fire service units also attended a flooding incident in Mullagh, while several instances of cars being caught in floods, throughout West Clare, have emerged. An Orange rainfall alert had …

Gardai in North Clare are investigating a series of burglaries in Bellharbour, Ballyvaughan, Tubber and Crusheen during the past week. Between 12.15amand 7am last Saturday a shed was broken into in Turlough, Bellharbour by breaking the lock. A garden strimmer was stolen but was subsequently recovered dumped in a nearby ditch. The car that was parked nearby had its rear window smashed and a chainsaw stolen from the boot. Last weekend also, a shed in Muckinish, Ballyvaughan was also entered by breaking the lock. Stolen were a Netlfix Alto power washer, an MS 180 chainsaw, a pole saw and a pick axe. Earlier in the week a shed was broken into in Turloghmore in Boston, Tubber. Stolen in this burglary were a variety of wrenches and a Stihl orange-colured chainsaw. A double axle trailer was stolen from Clare County Council’s storage yard at Crusheen over the weekend. Between 4pm last Friday and 8am on Monday, the council yard in Clonmoney …

North Clare jockey Ian Queally  cemented his position as one of the top young flat jockeys around, when he earned a place in the final of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship (IFAHR). The Ballydoyle-based Fanore man partnered Qatari-owned Karar to glory at Sandown Park on Friday. The win meant he secured the fifth spot in the grand final of the competition, which will take place in Abu Dhabi in November. The 19-year-old is delighted with the win. “I cannot wait to go over. I have never been in that part of the world before so it will be a great experience,” he said. “Getting to the final is a very big deal. The prize money is very big out there so, hopefully, I’ll be on a horse that has a good chance of winning,” he added. Ian flew to the UK for the race at Sandown on Friday morning after an impressive win in Killarney on …

Investment is needed if Lisdoonvarna’s Spa Wells is to become “a much bigger attraction” and drive tourism in North Clare during the off-peak season, according to a Clare TD. Members of Lisdoonvarna Fáilte highlighted their plans for the historic Spa Wells to Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin, at a meeting organised by Labour TD Michael McNamara. The minister met with the community group on his recent visit to Clare to officially open Doolin Pier. “Minister Howlin was very impressed with the Spa Wells in Lisdoonvarna and the work done to date to re-open these Victorian wells. He visited the pump house to see for himself the work done to date,” said Deputy McNamara. “The minister is now looking forward to receiving a feasibility study outlying plans to develop the Spa Wells in Lisdoonvarna further, at which point I am confident he will give serious consideration to investing in the project,” he added. “The Victorian Spa Wells are …

THE newly appointed Kilrush Division Garda Superintendent, Martin McGonnell is still coming to terms with the geographical size of his new beat. Yet the Monaghan man, who served for 13 years in Donnybrook before moving on to promotion to West Clare, feels that similar policing principles apply in rural and urban settings. “I think I was in Clare once previously, which a lot of people find surprising considering that it’s such a scenic area. Compared to Dublin, where you might have a lot more incidents but in a much more confined space, it’s a big change. “To go from Kilrush to Ennistymon is a round trip of around 120km and 140km up to Lisdoonvarna. The distances are huge. It’s a stretch from Loop Head right up to Ballyvaughan. It’s going to take a bit of time and patience to get used to it,” Superintendent McGonnell told The Clare Champion. “In the Donnybrook area you have 34 embassies, including the British, …

A North Clare woman wowed judges on the hit television programme, The Voice UK at the weekend. More than nine million people tuned in as Burren resident, Sharon Murphy sang Bob Dylan’s Forever Young in the show’s blind auditions broadcast on BBC 1 on Saturday. “To be honest, I have done gigs here and done gigs in other countries but I was not prepared for my nerves. It is very surreal because you are dealing with cameras. I normally play the guitar but this time I decided to focus on my voice because that is the show,” she explained. “I got on the stage and there were two Xs on the ground. You do the rehearsal and there is one X and then, when I went out, there were two so I didn’t know which one to stand on and then, on the very last note, I thought, this might not happen for me,” she added. Throughout the performance it …

The renaming of the Clare Tourism Forum as Clare Tourism is one of a number outcomes of a structural and operational review of the group responsible for the tourism marketing and promotion of the Banner County. Clare Tourism is to engage with the wider tourism sector, including the establishment of a steering group featuring representatives of five geographical areas; namely Ennis, West Clare, North Clare, East Clare and South Clare. Among the actions outlined in its Structure & Implementation Plan is the distribution of a Festival & Events Guide and the removal of membership fees and greater engagement with key stakeholders. The series of measures and the nomination process for the proposed new steering group will be confirmed at a Clare Tourism Networking Event in Treacy’s West County Hotel Ennis this Thursday. “The goal of Clare Tourism is to create and implement an integrated tourism marketing strategy that will develop a positive and sustainable brand for County Clare and deliver …

THERE was major Garda activity in West and North Clare earlier today (Tuesday) with gardaí carrying out drugs searches in Carrigaholt, Kilkee, Kilrush, Kilmihil, Cree, Miltown Malbay and Ennistymon. Three people were arrested in an search operation targeting the supply of heroin and cannabis in the region. Two of the arrests were in Kilrush and one in Ennistymon. Those detained are being questioned under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Searches started at 6am on Tuesday morning and have continued throughout the day.