Rural Development Directorate A new directorate for Rural Development was established in late 2016 to bring a focus and commitment to improving the rural areas of the County.
Rural and Community Department Rural Economic Development Zones (REDZ) Initiative Clare County Council secured €200,000 from the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs under the REDZ initiative to support the marketing and promotion of the Lough Derg Blueway. CLÁR Initiative €284,000 was secured, under the CLÁR Initiative, to fund safety measures at schools and community facilities within the designated CLÁR areas of the county. Pedestrian crossings, driver feedback display signs, flashing amber safety lights and child safety signage were installed at various locations and benefitted 27 projects in the county. Tidy towns 40 projects benefitted under the Public Area Enhancement Scheme 2016 with a total funding of €80,000 allocated to the various towns and villages across the county. This has been a very successful and positive scheme in Co. Clare. The groups were supported and assisted by council staff in the development of their projects. Pride of Place 2016 Pride of Place is an annual all-island competition run by Co-Operation Ireland in conjunction with local authorities north and south of the border and Irish Public Bodies Mutual Insurance. It aims to recognise and celebrate the vital contributions that communities make to society along with generating awareness, respect and inclusion for every facet of society. The following groups represented the county in the 2016 competition:•
Ogonnelloe Exchange in Category 7 (Community Enterprise Initiative), 70
