Tag Archives: Spanish point

LOW-BUDGET tourism was debated by the council’s Rural Committee this week when members heard that some visitors are going so far as to dispose of the contents of campervan sewage tanks in public toilets. Councillor Cillian Murphy said one particular blog had advice on travelling the Wild Atlantic Way without spending a penny. “This includes a guide on how to dump the contents of a sewage box,” he said. “It talks about walking into a shopping centre with a bag in order to do so. Explain to me the economic value of that.” The Fianna Fáil member made his remarks when asked by Councillor Pat Burke about the experience in West Clare last summer. It followed a presentation to the Rural Committee of The County Clare Tourism Strategy 2030. Councillor Burke welcomed positive tourism developments for East Clare, but raised concerns about the restriction of services due to the pandemic. “We had a number of campers arrive at Dromaan Harbour …

AHEAD of the May Bank Holiday Weekend, Clare County Council is urging the people of Clare to maintain their efforts to suppress Covid-19. “The sacrifices that people have made, combined with the rollout of the vaccination programme, are having an impact, but we all need to continue doing the things that protect us from Covid-19. This will help to reduce the chance of outbreaks in healthcare settings, workplaces, our homes, and schools,” said Pat Dowling, Chief Executive of Clare County Council. “We have cause for cautious optimism as we look to the future. This is a reflection on the truly commendable commitment that the people of Clare have shown. I understand that many people feel fatigued. The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has advised that adherence with public health advice, combined with the vaccination programme, is key to exiting this pandemic in the coming months. That prospect gives us huge motivation to move forward. “As we look ahead to …

NEW Clare County Council byelaws would see the use of jetskis prohibited at White Strand in Miltown Malbay, White Strand in Doonbeg, at Ballycuggeran Lake in Killaloe and Ballyalla Lake in Ennis. The move towards a ban is being criticised by Peter Conroy, the Miltown-based chairman of the Irish Tow Surf Rescue Club, who says it is regressive, and will limit the club’s ability to carry out the training it requires to provide rescue services. He says the club was founded after it became apparent there was a need for safety services. Mr Conroy said, “It was set up about 12 years ago when we started tow surfing at the Cliffs of Moher, that big wave underneath there. “We started surfing there and we started realising that the Coast Guard couldn’t help us if we got in trouble in certain areas, so we started to get professionals over to train us up in jetski rescue and certain medical procedures. Basically …

THERE is widespread disappointment with the return of swimming bans at North and West Clare beaches. Inside the last hour, Clare County Council has re-issued a temporary prohibition on swimming at Lahinch, White Strand Miltown Malbay, Spanish Point and Kilkee. This is on the advice of the HSE, the local authority says, because of increased bacterial levels in the bathing water. A statement from the council said situation is being monitored regularly and the prohibition on swimming will remain until further notice. The risk from increased bacterial levels is a result of run-off from the catchment area after heavy rainfall. For further information, contact Clare County Council environment section on (065) 6846331 / enviroff@clarecoco.ie and visit www.beaches.ie

CLARE County Council has issued an update today (Saturday, August 1) raising its alert level for Lahinch beach to a swimming ban. Temporary bans remain in place, until further notice, on five other beaches. In a statement, the council said that following ongoing monitoring of the bathing waters at Lahinch, the notice has been upgraded from advisory not to swim to swimming prohibition as a result of increased bacterial levels. There is now a temporary prohibition on swimming at the following locations in County Clare due to elevated bacterial levels in the water: • Lahinch • Spanish Point • White Strand Miltown Malbay • Kilkee • Quilty (front beach). The elevated bacterial levels are as a result of heavy rainfall in the catchment area which subsequently discharges into or near the bathing area. There is ongoing monitoring at the above locations, and Clare County Council is in consultation with the HSE. For further information, contact Clare County Council environment section …

MILTOWN Malbay and the wider West Clare community continue to count the cost of the cancellation of an event whose economic value has been set at between €5 and €10 million annually. The Willie Clancy Summer School, whose cultural value is probably impossible to estimate, is among the casualties of the coronavirus restrictions. Its absence, on what would have been its 48th birthday, will be felt well beyond the Banner county. This year’s event had been expected to attract 1500 students  between July 4 and 12, with many thousands more attending for sessions, talks, seminars, dancing, concerts and the general festival atmosphere. Administrative Director Harry Hughes described the cancellation of this year’s Scoil Samhradh as “disappointing but inevitable” in the context of Covid-19. “We had been hoping things might improve in terms of the virus, but that wasn’t to be,” he remarked. “We are very disappointed for all of our students and tutors who attend year after year and the cancellation …

CANON Michael McLaughlin will reach a remarkable milestone on June 11, when he celebrates the 60th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. Unlike 10 years ago, when large numbers attended the special mass and celebrations in Kilmaley to mark the golden jubilee of his ordination in Carlow Cathedral in 1960, things will be more subdued this time round. The Covid-19 restrictions mean that the members of community will be unable to organise a mass to mark the big occasion for the now retired Kilmaley parish priest, less still a big party, but they are always with him in spirit. The 84-year-old Miltown Malbay native, who is now visually impaired, has great memories of all the parishes he’s been in. “I hated leaving the first parish I was assigned to; I would have stayed there forever if I could. But you learn to move along, you’ve no choice, and you learn and gain different experiences wherever you go. I benefited …

CONCERN at ongoing delays in upgrading the water service in the Miltown Malbay area has prompted one local woman to go public on the matter, saying that a fourth outage in as many weeks, has put her family and her livestock at risk. In a letter to The Clare Champion, Dolores Murphy of Rineen described a litany of issues that she and her neighbours have endured in recent years. While Irish Water has apologised for the situation, the utility has confirmed that it will be 2021 before all works to secure the supply are completed. Last week, a burst water main led to an outage affecting Miltown Malbay, Mullagh, Spanish Point, Cree, Cooraclare and those on surrounding Group Water Schemes. Commenting on the situation, Mrs Murphy, wrote: “It has come to the point where I can no longer sit in silence. In the past month (four calendar weeks) we have been without water four times. The latest interruption to service …