Turning water into jobs at Lissycasey plant

CLARE Spring Water Limited is expected to confirm a boost in jobs at the official opening of its new €4.2 million Lissycasey pure spring water bottling plant by An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen on Monday. The company will also launch Ireland’s first biodegradable and compostable plastic bottle. The new environmentally friendly bottle will be used to package Clare Spring Water’s new Wellness brand, which goes on the market next month.
The Clare Champion has learned that the new jobs will be created over the next three years in a new biodegradable bottle manufacturing and recycling facility, as well as in sales, marketing and engineering.
The source of Clare Spring Water is an underground spring located deep in the hills near Lissycasey.
It was discovered by local county councillor and water diviner PJ Kelly, when he was trying to source a water supply to connect to a private house for Paul Connellan.
The water is drawn from Protected Organic Managed Land certified by the Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association.
No pesticides are used, no pollutants sully the ground and no livestock are grazed on the 70-acre site at High Street a few kilometres from Lissycasey village. In fact, the family farm has been set aside as a natural habitat for the production of water.
The promoters of the project are father and son duo Tom and Paul J Connellan, who is an engineer who specialises in the water industry.
Clare Spring Water Limited obtained planning permission last year to construct a spring water bottling facility, including a production area, stores, filtration room, water laboratory offices, reception, canteen, toilets and changing areas.
The still and sparkling water is fully registered and approved by the Health Service Executive (HSE), who will constantly monitor the water in addition to the daily internal water quality tests completed by the company.
Construction work on the new €3.2m building at High Street, Lissycasey, which is situated very close to the pristine water supply, started in March 2008 and the plant has been in producing pure spring water for the last three months.
In addition, another €980,000 was spent by the company upgrading and widening the existing carriageway between the N68 and site entrance of almost two miles, due to the co-operation of local land owners, including the removal of grass margins, piping of existing watercourses, construction of holding zones/passing bays and widening of the junction on to the N68.
This is the first major manufacturing facility to be constructed in Clare since Shannon Development invested €11m in the Ennis Information Age Park project at the rear of Our Lady’s Hospital, Ennis in 2005, according to a Shannon Development spokesman.