The Clare Echo 15/06/23

Clare fire stations prepare to shut for strike action

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

ALL fire stations in Clare will be shut from Tuesday unless a breakthrough is made in efforts to improve the pay and working conditions of retained firefighters.

Rolling closures of fire stations in the county came into effect this week with Ennis, Killaloe and Kilrush closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Shannon and Kilkee will be shut on Thursday and Friday with Scariff closed on Friday and Saturday and Ennistymon also impacted (Thursday, Sunday and Monday).

Ennis firefighter, Mark Hayes told The Clare

Echo, “We’ve given them every opportunity that we can, it is going on for the last four years, we’ve given them as much time as we can but unfortunately it has come to this and we have to keep going at it”. He added, “We joined the service to help people but it is getting harder and harder”.

Cllr Liam Grant (GP) who also serves as a retained firefighter in Ennistymon warned, “go back to Stardust, it changed fire regulations because a disaster happened, I’m worried it is going to take another disaster for change to happen. Shannon is a big concern, a big disaster could happen, it’s not just for firefighters but for public safety”.

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l Clare camogie stars, Áine O’Loughlin, Clare Hehir, Eimear Kelly, Alannah Ryan and Niamh O’Dea were among the supporters of the Clare senior hurlers for Sunday’s Munster final

Photo by Joe Buckley

‘Disaster waiting to happen in Shannon’

Fleadh Nua showed Ennis at its best

ENNIS resounded to the strains of traditional music, song and dance as Fleadh Nua made a glorious return to the county town, writes Páraic McMahon.

Held from May 27th to June 5th, the 10 day festival had a packed programme of outdoor and indoor events.

This year’s festival began with a top class concert at Cois na hAbhna, a tribute to the late Martin Connolly, musician, teacher, accordion maker and photographer. Some of Ireland’s finest musicians, singers and dancers descended on the Gort Road venue to honour a master craftsman and legendary musician.

Huge crowds attended daily morning sessions at glór, Riches of Clare lunchtime concerts, school bands performances at O’Connell Square, afternoon sessions with Frank Custy at The Holy Family Hall and evening pub sessions and CD launches.

Storytelling with Eddie Lenihan, singing sessions, Sean Nós dancing workshop and film at glór were also popular events. On the Saturday and Sunday of the festival the streets of the county’s capital were alive with music in scenes not witnessed for many years, visitors were treated to high class music sessions round every corner.

A number of high quality CD launches were held during the week with New Lead group from New England in the USA, Tradify from Dublin, Carmel Gunning, tin whistle player from Sligo, Taobh na Mara Céilí Band from Waterford and two local artists Seán Lyons and Edel Vaughan.

The sheer delight and enthu-

siasm of the set-dancing fraternity was very evident at Cois na hAbhna, the five nights of Céilithe at the Festival.

With a full house each night dancers enjoyed the playing of the Tulla, the Five Counties, Donie Nolan and Taylor’s Cross, the Abbey and the Four Courts Céilí Bands.

Three magnificent concerts in Glór brought Fleadh Nua 2023 to a glorious end, the Aos Óg concert on Friday evening with the 100 strong Barefield Youth Trad Orchestra and guests Manus McGuire, Eamonn Cotter and Edel Vaughan was a fitting tribute to the amazing work of Denis Liddy and his wife Elvie.

On Saturday evening Taobh na Mara, All Ireland winning Céilí Band, and guests treated their audience to high octane rhythmic music, song and dance, their leader Conor Arkins from Ruan delivering a top class show to everyone’s delight.

On Sunday evening Clare’s own fiddle master Martin Hayes took to the stage, regarded as one of the most significant talents to emerge in the world of Irish traditional music. He held a full house in the palm of his hand for two hours with his witty stories and his haunting yet powerful music.

“This year of celebration will also be an opportunity to promote Co. Clare’s exalted position as County of Culture.

The role played by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann as expressed in its motto ‘Ceol agus Gaol’ and exemplified in the celebration of our Culture and Language will also be acknowledged,” Chairman of Fleadh Nua, Frank Whelan stated.

lA FEW TUNES: Tara Breen, Shone Long and Dessie Kelleher at a lively session in Fawl’s Bar

All-out strike on the cards for Fire Service as dispute burns on

by Páraic McMahon Paraic@clareecho.ie

CLARE’S Fire Service is facing a potential shutdown as retained firefighters threaten an all-out strike from Tuesday.

Rolling closures of fire stations in the county has been implemented as retained firefighters seek better working and pay conditions. A dispute is currently burning between retained firefighters represented by SIPTU and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) over demands for improved pay and conditions.

Members of the retained service are part-time firefighters who are paid an annual retainer to be available for call-outs. SIPTU represents around 2,000 retained firefighters across 200 stations around the country. The union said there is a recruitment and retention crisis in the service meaning that many firefighters are unable to take their leave entitlements due to staff shortages. They have also seen their incomes drastically reduced due to reductions in call outs over the last number of years.

As part of the strike action, fire stations in Ennis, Killaloe and Kilrush closed

on Tuesday and Wednesday while stations in Ennistymon and Shannon will be shut on Thursday.

Presently, the majority of stations in the county are understaffed. Ennis has a crew of 16 comprised of 15 firefighters and a full-time station officer. Shannon is supposed to have 15 firefighters but only has seven. The Ennistymon crew is due to be at 10 but remains at seven.

Speaking to The Clare Echo, Ennis native Mark Hayes, a retained firefighter, explained that they have been flagging issues for the past four years. “It is getting harder and harder. Because we have to live within the 1.5

miles of the station, it is hard for lads to get work. Some of the lads have got full-time jobs but they had them before they started with the fire service and their employers are nice enough to let them go. Some lads have got jobs within the Council and have been told they have to pick either the Fire Brigade or the Civil Defence, unfortunately that is the way it was.

“The main issue is the work balance, better structured time off, filling stations with proper crew manning levels which is all down at the moment, management have tried, they are dealing with the LGMA and the Government who don’t seem to want to play ball. We’ve given them every opportunity that we can, it is going on for the last four years, we’ve given them as much time as we can but unfortunately it has come to this and we have to keep going at it”.

For the past nine years, Mark has been a retained firefighter in Ennis but it is getting increasingly difficult to retain and recruit people, he admitted. “You are on call 24/7, a pager could go off at any moment, you could be gone five minutes or two to three days with some of the calls, thankfully it is not as bad anymore. We get a retainer, starting off it would be €8,000 for any new firefighter coming in, that is what you are guaranteed but you can get callouts and different training. We joined the

service to help people but it is getting harder and harder”.

He added, “It is hard to get people to join the Fire Service now, it used to be a rewarding job, it still is but it is hard for people to get the time off, when they come

cil’s headquarters, members of the public beep their car horns as a sign of support for the county’s firefighters. “People are good, they understand what we have to do and that it is a hard job to do, it is tough. It’s the same as the Gardaí and paramedics, we go out and see certain things that most people wouldn’t.

in they think it is week on week off but then they realise that’s not the case, we put a lot of training into them and they go off to other jobs with better time off and life structure”.

Firefighters have missed out on valuable family time, he explained. “We will always try to accommodate each other and help each other out but there’s times when you go to the book to try get away for something important and you can’t”.

“We want the retainer to be upped or doubled for the firefighters, better structured time off, there is talks of all stations moving up to 12 so that it would be six on and six off which would work for a lot of lads and you’d know two weeks in advance” Mark said.

While picketing outside the fire station in Ennis and Clare County Coun-

“We deal with it and it is structured time off which is the big thing for lads, a lot of lads have missed out on stuff with their kids, it’s not fair on families. We want to do the job, ask any of the lads, they love the job itself, we just want a better structured time off. Even going for a mortgage for a house now, if you go into the bank and say I can guarantee you €8,000 to €12,000 a year they won’t entertain that and you’re trying to find a house within 1.5 miles of the station, it’s next to near impossible at the moment so it’s tough on lads, there’s no incentive for people to join,” Hayes noted.

In a statement to the Dáil on Tuesday evening, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien (FF) said he was committed to ensuring that the retainer payment received by part-time firefighters will be positively dealt with in the upcoming public sector pay talks.

SIPTU described the response as nowhere near good enough and said that it has made resolution of the dispute more difficult.

take a big disaster for things to change’

A CLARE councillor who works as a retained firefighter in Ennistymon has warned it will take “a disaster” before change is forthcoming in the pay and conditions of those working in the service, writes Páraic McMahon Elected members of Clare County Council on Monday unanimously backed a motion calling on the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien (FF) and the Minister for Public Expenditure, Paschal Donohoe (FG) “to provide the funding necessary to sustain and enhance the Retained Fire Service now and for future generations”.

Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) who tabled the motion said the commitment of firefighters was evident every time they answered a call to “deal with dangerous, and often traumatic situations, and emergencies most of the rest of us couldn’t begin to imagine, let alone cope with. They are almost always the first responders on scene for many of the more rural parts of the county, including very

often, medical emergencies”.

He stated, “None of the other 99.5% of public sector workers are on call 24/7/365, and very, very, few have to face the situations our retained fire fighters do. For that reason alone, it is my belief the government can and should make a special case for improved conditions for our retained fire fighters. The long term consequences of not doing so is the demonstrable erosion in the ability of retained fire stations across the country to recruit and retain quality members of staff”.

Mayor of Clare, Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF) said during the course of his term in the role he has met personnel from the county’s seven fire stations, “you wouldn’t meet a more committed group of lads and lassies”. He added, “It’s a family life that suffers too, each and every one of them are on call, whether it is a wedding, christening, when that beeper goes off they respond”.

Government must carry out the recommendations made in the national review, Cllr Liam Grant (GP)

(inset) insisted. A retained firefighter in Ennistymon, he admitted he had “real concerns of what could happen”. He said, “go back to Stardust, it changed fire regulations because a disaster happened, I’m worried it is going to take another disaster for change to happen. Shannon is a big concern, a big disaster could happen, it’s not just for firefighters but for public safety”.

It is too easy to underestimate the work of the fire service, Cllr Ian Lynch (IND) maintained. “These people are the first people on the scene to try make sure everything is okay, what they go through is pretty horrific, the dedication”. The Kilrush representative predicted the strike would get “more intense” over the coming weeks.

Retained firefighters can no longer give their commitment to the service, Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF) warned. “One wife of a firefighter said she feels like a single mother as he cannot attend outings outside of the distance, no one wants to leave the fire service but their

commitment is no longer sustainable”. “We shouldn’t be at this stage where people contribute an invaluable service are put to the pin of their collar like this, to me it is embarrassing, it shows a disconnect somewhere,” Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) remarked.

“I was in the car at the weekend and the Cinderella song from the 1980s came on, ‘Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)’, it ap plies to our persons in the fire service,” Cllr Shane Talty (FF) remarked. Current treatment of firefighters cannot be let to continue, Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF) said, “Firefighters, school teachers, nurses and doctors they all do the job be cause they love it”.

This dispute is cen tred around a monetary issue, Cllr Tom O’Cal

laghan (FF) remarked. “These individuals are effectively risking their lives, we don’t know when or where they will be needed”.

Support was also voiced by Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG), Cllr PJ Ryan (IND), Cllr Michael Begley (IND), Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND), Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) and Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) who said, “wouldn’t it be terribly sad to think it would be a disaster that prompted Government to wake up”.

Addressing the meeting, Council Chief Executive Pat Dowling said he concurred with the sentiments on the role and function of retained firefighters in Clare and labelled them as “some of our finest”. He said the LGMA was involved in discussions at a national level and that he was hopeful of an “early resolution”.

lSHUTDOWN Retained firefighter, Mark Hayes Photo by John Mangan

‘It will

Lads have missed out on stuff with their kids ”

“

‘We will keep an open mind’ - Inch locals to hold second meeting with Minister

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

A DELEGATION of Inch residents are to meet the Junior Minister for Integration today (Thursday) regarding future plans for Magowna House.

Four weeks on from his first visit to Inch, Minister of State at the Department of Integration, Joe O’Brien (GP) will return to the county as promised to meet a deputation of Inch locals to hear their concerns and advise on future plans for Magowna House.

Over a six day period last month, Inch locals had mounted blockades at Magowna Cross, Magowna House and Magowna Hill following the arrival of 34 male asylum seekers.

Following their first meeting with Junior Minister O’Brien, locals agreed to remove the blockades but have for the past three weeks continued to hold peaceful protests with Inch residents operating on a

two hour rota where they have been based at Magowna Cross. He gave assurances that no further international protection applicants would arrive between his first and second meeting with locals.

Concerns regarding public infrastructure, sewerage and the absence of a fire certificate at Magowna House which has been closed since

2019 continue to be flagged by locals. The facility had been deemed unsuitable by Clare County Council to house Ukrainian families last year.

An update on the issuing of a fire certificate is expected to be given to locals during the meeting with the Junior Minister.

“Our stance has remained con-

stant, we believe the facility is not suitable, we acknowledge the national crisis and that the facility is likely to be used in some capacity,” an Inch resident told The Clare Echo on Wednesday. No venue has yet been fixed for the meeting on Thursday afternoon between the Inch deputation and the Junior Minister. The Clare Echo un-

derstands that the group will ask the Junior Minister to consider looking a gender mix within the facility if the amount of personnel residing at Magowna House is to increase.

“We will go in with open minds,” one spokesperson for the Inch community said. They have praised O’Brien for upholding the commitment he gave a month ago to return to Co Clare.

“This facility is not ideal, we understand there are people living on the streets of Dublin and that they have to be housed”.

Correspondence has also been issued by female members of the community in Inch to female Oireachtas representatives where they have shared their stress on the current conditions in Inch.

On his view of the people of Inch, the Junior Minister said they were “normal, decent people and they have concerns and we are going to try our best to address them”.

Fine Gael back sitting trio of Flynn, Howard & Murphy to contest local elections in Ennis MD

FINE gael’s sitting trio of councillors have all been nominated to contest next year’s local elections in the Ennis Municipal District, writes

Páraic McMahon

Party members gathered at The Old Ground Hotel where Limerick TD, Kieran O’Donnell (FG) chaired the selection convention on Monday evening. Cllr Mary Howard (FG), Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) and Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) (pictured below) were all nominated and duly selected with party headquarters issuing the directive that three candidates be put forward to contest the 2024 local elections. No other nomi nees were received in advance of the selection convention.

Party members from Clarecastle, Barefield and Ennis were among those to attend the selection.

Next year’s local elections will see Fine Gael aspire to win three seats in the Ennis Municipal District for the

third election in a row.

2004 was the last time Fine Gael failed to elect more than two councillors in the county town, Joe Carey (FG) topped the poll on that occasion.

At the 2019 local elections, Cllr Howard received the highest first preference (1,311) of all candidates in the Ennis MD as she topped the poll and was the first candidate elected on the sixth count. Since then, she has served as Mayor of Clare and Mayor of the Ennis MD. The daughter of former Senator Michael Howard (FG) was first elected to Clare County Council in 2014 having previously served on Ennis Town Council. She was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2016 General Election amassing 2,053 first preferences and is viewed as a potential party candidate for the

next General Election.

First elected in 2009, Cllr Flynn will be contesting his fourth local election. He topped the poll in 2009 and was elected on the first count with 1,402 first preference votes in the Ennis East electoral area. He was the first Fine Gael candidate elected in the Ennis MD in 2014 and in the 2019 elections was the second candidate elected behind Cllr Howard. The father of four has been vocal in his criticism of aspects of the Ennis 2040 Strategy since

resigning from the Board of its Designated Active Company in September. He was joined by his wife Catherine at Monday’s convention. Clarecastle’s Cllr Murphy was co-opted to the Council following his parishioner Joe Car- ey’s (FG) election to Dáil Éireann in 2007. Like Cllr Flynn, he was elected on the first count in 2009 with 1,335 first preference votes. He was the seventh of eight candidates elected in the Ennis MD in 2014 and grew his vote in 2019 to be elected on the tenth count.

lInch locals at Magowna Cross on Tuesday evening

Photo by John Mangan

Hayes tops poll as Fianna Fáil select sitting councillors to fight to retain seats

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

FIANNA Fáil members in East Clare have voted to select their three sitting councillors as the party’s representatives on the ballot paper in the Killaloe Municipal District for the 2024 local elections.

A total of 128 votes were cast at Friday evening’s selection convention of the Fianna Fáil East Clare Comhairle Ceanntair.

Broadford native Matthew Moroney who now resides in Killaloe was unsuccessful in his first bid to usurp the sitting trio of Cllr Pat Hayes (FF), Cllr Alan O’Callaghan (FF) and Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF). The meeting was told that the directive from party headquarters was to nominate just three candidates.

Clare TD, Cathal Crowe (FF) and Senator Timmy Dooley (FF) were present for the vote as was the Chairman of the party’s branch in the county, Michael Enright. The selection convention was chaired by Tipperary TD, Jackie Cahill (FF).

Hayes topped the poll with 39 first preference votes and exceeded the quota of 33 on the first count along with O’Callaghan who received 38 votes. O’Brien had 28 first preferences with 21 for Moroney.

Of Hayes’ surplus of six, four went to O’Brien and two to Moroney. The surplus of five votes from O’Callaghan’s vote was not enough to make up the difference so Moroney was eliminated and O’Brien added to the ticket without reaching the quota.

Poll topper Hayes who currently serves as the Chairman of the Rural Development Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) said he

was delighted with the turnout in Tulla and to be put forward to contest the 2024 local election. “Like all elections, you get nervous going to selection convention, you have to put trust in people and the democratic process which is a really important element of our party”.

First elected in 1999, Pat is the longest serving of the trio. He praised the challenger, Moroney for “creating the vote” and testing “the

strength” of the nominees. He said the working relationship between him, O’Brien and O’Callaghan is very positive and pointed to the funding which saw a €1.75m investment in Cnoc na Gaoithe, allocations for Holy Island, Scariff’s regeneration project and the Killaloe Bypass as areas that will help them when seeking votes. He added, “My view of a politician is to go and support communities and individuals, to grow communities”.

Huge investment has been made in the Killaloe MD over the past decade, Cllr O’Brien stated. “We’re on the right trajectory but we are finding it hard to get our message across, for sure”. The Killaloe man said, “the strength of the organisation is the membership and the grassroots membership”.

Addressing the convention, Cllr O’Callaghan became quite emotional. He noted that the membership was comprised of persons aged 18 to 90. He asked for a minute’s silence be held for Paschal Lenihan, “he was Fianna Fáil from the cradle to the grave, I wouldn’t be here only for the likes of Paschal”.

Acknowledging all members for voting, Moroney said, “three very good candidates have been selected back in, I’m disappointed I am not one of them but I will do my best to help them along the way”.

Deputy Cahill said the party was facing a very important 12 to 18 months. Although he admitted the polls could be worrying for Fianna Fáil, he was confident their fortunes would change when they knocked on doors in advance of the next General Election provided a clear manifesto with their plans for the next decade was visible.

Senator Dooley said the efforts of the four candidates have ‘energised’ the party in East Clare. He believed it would be challenging for Fianna Fáil to retain their three seats in the Killaloe MD.

Deputy Crowe expressed the view that Cllr O’Brien’s ability to embrace the role of Mayor of Clare will stand to him at the local elections. He encouraged Moroney not to give up and to stay involved at a community level.

lEAST CLARE: Cllrs Alan O’Callaghan, Pat Hayes and Tony O’Brien (FF)

NTA issues update on Ennis Town Bus

CLARE County Council has welcomed a project update provided by the National Transport Authority (NTA) on the Ennis Town Bus Service, with an indicative implementation date of early 2025.

Since early 2022, the NTA has been working in collaboration with the Ennis Municipal District (MD) of Clare County Council to finalise the preferred routes for the county town’s first bus service, as well as to develop detailed stop and terminus designs.

The preferred routes have recently been finalised and will traverse Ennis from the Lahinch Road to the Tulla Road and from Clarecastle to Ballymaley via a town centre terminus at Friar’s Walk, with scope for the development of an additional route from Doora Industrial Estate to and from the town centre.

A detailed review and assessment of potential future stop locations also has been completed, while the bus fleet requirement and type for the town service has been identified.

The NTA says that 7 out of 10 Ennis residents will be situated within 400m of a bus stop with 9 out of 10 residents being within 800m of a bus stop. It is proposed that the service will operate seven days a week for 18 hours daily.

Cllr. Clare Colleran-Molloy, Mayor of Ennis, commented, “Ennis residents and those who visit the town will very much welcome the NTA’s update on what will be a valuable and much used service. On behalf of my fellow Elected Members in Ennis MD, I want to express my support for this vitally important transport infrastructure project.”

lTRANSPORT: The Ennis Town Bus Service is due to commence in the first quarter of 2025

Carmel Kirby, Director of Economic Development and Ennis Municipal District (MD), Clare County Council, said, “The delivery of a bus service in Ennis is central to the Local Authority’s efforts to improve traffic flow throughout Ennis and to encourage

more people to embrace the use of public transport for the betterment of the local environment and access to, from and around the town.”

Ms. Kirby explained that the preferred routes have been identified following a route test exercise car-

ried out in December.

“Over the past year, the NTA and Clare County Council have completed a route stop alignment process and identified the location of bus stops, termini and other kerbside infrastructure that will be required for

the future service,” she explained. “The project is now moving into a stage of the process where more detailed designs will be developed taking into account existing and future active travel and other schemes within the town.”

Leonore O’Neill, Senior Executive Officer, Ennis MD, said significant additional steps towards finalising the project will be taken during the second half of 2023.

She continued, “The NTA and Ennis MD Office will be preparing a schedule of works and tender documents for the installation of necessary infrastructure works, including planning for the provision of depot facilities for the future service. A road safety audit will be completed, and approval of infrastructure designs will be sought from the relevant road authorities, while commercial landowners will be liaised with as required to draft licenses for the operation of the service.”

In subsequent project phases commencing in 2024, the project planning team will finalise all documents required to commence a bus service operator procurement process, issue a tender for infrastructure installation and associated works, and launch a marketing and promotion plan.

“The Ennis Town Bus Service is scheduled for commencement during the first quarter of 2025. Any measures and opportunities to shorten this timeline will be availed of, without compromising the integrity of the process, or the ability the NTA and Clare County Council to achieve their longer-term objectives for Ennis,” concluded Ms. O’Neill.

Ennis housing scheme High Court challenge launched

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

A HIGH court challenge against the largest private housing scheme in Ennis is to be made.

In April, An Bord Pleanála approved plans by Glenveagh Homes for a €65 million 289unit scheme on the outskirts of the town despite Clare County Council recommending a refusal and some local opposition.

Located at Ballymacaula, Drumbiggle, Keelty, Circular Road fronting into the Ennis bypass link road between the roundabout near Ennis Golf Club and the roundabout on the N85 Lahinch Rd, the Strategic Housing Development (SHD) scheme is made up of 125 threebed townhouses, 74 3/4 bed semi-detached homes, 66 twobed townhouses, 12 two-bed duplex and 12 one-bed maisonettes. This week, a challenge to the decision by An Bord Pleanála was brought before the High Court.

Kilfenora resident, Michael Duffy is seeking the decision by the planning board to be overturned. He wants the High Court to order a pause to any of the

works relating to the development pending determination of his High Court review.

He has claimed there was multiple errors in the decision including a failure to consider the Ennis local area plan.

Mr Duffy argued that An Bord Pleanála acted irrationally and unreasonably when forming its decision. Evidence from Irish Water to confirm there is sufficient capacity in the local wastewater network was absent from the application, he said.

Mentioning the case in the High Court this week, barrister Alan Doyle brought it before Mr Justice Richard Humphreys. He asked the court to note the action was brought within the required eight week time limit and this was acknowledged by the judge.

Colin McBride had been the inspector for An Bord Pleanála and he compiled a 130 page report. In this, he stated that the proposed development would not seriously injure the residential or visual amenities of the area or of property in the vicinity and would be acceptable in terms of urban design, height and quantum of development.

The Town Hall Bistro

Providing a welcoming environment with great value food championing local ingredients.

The

Mr McBride stated the prin-

ciple of development is acceptable as the site is suitably zoned for residential development and is a serviced site. The inspector concluded that the proposed development “is of a suitably high quality and provides for a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments and two, three and/ four-bedroom dwellings, which are served by suitable quality communal, private and public open space”. Refusal across four grounds had been previously been issued

Restaurant is ideal for special occasions. The menu features traditional cuisine with a modern day creative twist.

by Clare County Council. The local authority pointed out that the scheme would contravene materially a zoning objective of the Clare County Development plan as the lands are zoned “low density residential”. The Council also recommended refusal due to the development’s design, layout, parking, public open space and private open space layout would not provide for an appropriate standard of residential amenity for future occupiers of the development.

The Poets Corner Bar

A traditional Irish pub that opens its doors onto the main town street of Ennis. Perfect for a pint, a bite to eat or traditional Irish music session..

The Brendan O’Regan Restaurant

Ideal for special occasions. The menu features traditional cuisine with a modern day creative twist.

The Poet's Corner Bar is a traditional Irish pub that opens its doors onto the main town street of Ennis. Perfect for a pint, a bite to eat or traditional Irish music session.

Brendan O'Regan

lAn artist’s impression of the development

Call for public votes as ‘Enhancing Ennistymon’ shortlisted for the RIAI Public Choice Award

MEMBERS of the public are being called on to help the ‘Enhancing Ennistymon’ plan win the RIAI Public Choice Award, writes Elaine Tubridy.

Ennistymon Town Team, Clare County Council and a Design Team led by Helena

McElmeel Architects prepared a strategy for the enhancement of Ennistymon town centre, with support from Clare Local Development Company.

‘Enhancing Ennistymon’ comprises of three strands – enhancement of streetscape and

public realm in the town centre, a feasibility study in respect of future use of a vacant and derelict building, and thirdly, identification of opportunity sites in the town.

It focuses on key areas and themes identified throughout surveys, site visits and most importantly engagement with the community, businesses, and residents. The One Planet Living framework by Bioregional was adopted by the Design Team to enhance the sustainability and biodiversity outcomes from the Strategy.

Welcoming the announcement, Cllr. Shane Talty, Cathaoirleach of the West Clare Municipal District, Clare County Council, said: “I was delighted to learn that the Ennistymon Enhancement Plan has been shortlisted for

the RIAI Public Choice Award. I would like to commend Helena McElmeel Architects, Ennistymon Town Team, and the Planning team at Clare County Council for collaborating on this project and for delivering it to such a high standard.”

The RIAI Architecture Awards are a national awards scheme that recognises excellence in Irish Architecture. The RIAI Public Choice Award is a unique opportunity for members of the public to choose their favourite project from a shortlist of works designed by Irish Architects.

Visit https://www.riai.ie/public-choiceaward-poll/ to cast your vote. Voting closes on June 20.

Clare ‘has taken enough’ refugees

by Páraic McMahon paraic @clareecho.ie

GOVERNMENT need to acknowledge that Co Clare “has taken enough” persons seeking asylum and refuge from the war in Ukraine, a Shannon councillor has said.

In a proposal which was passed at Monday’s meeting of Clare County Council, Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND) called on the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Minister for Justice and Minister of State for Integration “to have consideration for the impact of placing huge numbers of people seeking asylum in Clare from a number of countries”.

Shannon based Flynn said the county had received “well in excess of 5,000 people through Direct Provision and the Ukrainian Crisis. The people in Clare have shown great generosity and hospitality in dealing with the high numbers being placed throughout the county by the Government. The impact in various communities is being felt where there is a deficiency in services to support

the existing local community.

“Negative publicity portrays people in Clare as not being welcoming in dealing with new arrivals and this is dividing communities and causing huge stress at a time when people are struggling to deal with the high cost of living. Clare is one of the counties hosting high numbers and the constituents contacting me feel that the county of Clare has accommodated enough at this point in time, and they are of the opinion that the Government need to adequately address the deficiencies in support services available and put in place additional measures to help the integration of people,” he added.

Emphasising that the people of Clare were “very hospitable and generous,” Cllr Flynn referred back to “negative publicity which has shown our county as being less than welcoming”. He added, “the motion is requesting the Government to consider the impact through Clare which is one of the highest receivers in Ireland

and to accept that Co Clare has taken enough at this moment in time”.

Although he supported the motion, Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) clarified that he was not in favour of saying no to people coming to the county. “The key point is the integration without a doubt, it is a difficult job, when it comes to our health services, there’s an influx of more people on the educational side and some people coming with no English”. He added, “We’re not saying no but we’re saying are we finding it difficult”.

Lack of services needs to be the focus of the proposal, Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF) believed. “Clare people are decent and welcoming but we have to understand that they have struggled for years to access services. It is not the migrants or refugees fault that we have a lack of services, the appalling lack of information is adding to the frustration, I don’t support the call for no more but the overall sentiments,” she explained.

lFOR THE WIN: Pictured at the square in Ennistymon: Aisling De Klerk, LEADER Development Officer, Clare Local Development Company; Maude Hogan, Ennistymon Town Team; Paul Conway, Ennistymon Town Team; Gerard Reidy, Chairperson, Ennistymon Town Team; Pat Dowling, Chief Executive, Clare County Council; Helena McElmeel, Director, Helena McElmeel Architects; Cllr. Shane Talty, Cathaoirleach of the West Clare Municipal District, Clare County Council; Helen Quinn, A/Senior Planner, Clare County Council; Tomás Prendeville, Executive Architect, Clare County Council Photo by Ruth Vaughan

Hanley appointed to key tourism role

CLARE County Council has announced the appointment of Stephen Hanley as General Manager of Clare Tourism East, with responsibility for Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, Craggaunowen Bronze Age Park, Knappogue Castle & Gardens, and the Inis Cealtra /Holy Island Experience.

Mr. Hanley has extensive experience in the tourism and hospitality sector having previously held the position of General Manager of The Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin and General Manager of the Radisson Blu Hotels in Galway, Limerick, and Cork.

The appointment of Mr. Hanley, a native of County Kerry and graduate of Shannon College of Hotel Management, comes just weeks after Clare County Council and The Shannon Airport Group signed a historic agreement marking the official handover of the Clare assets of Shannon Heritage to the local authority.

“I am honoured to assume the position of General Manager of some of Ireland’s best known and most loved heritage attractions,” commented Mr. Hanley.

He continued, “County Clare and the wider Mid-West Region are fortunate to have an abundance of top-tier visitor attractions on their doorstep. Working under the auspices of the local authority, I look forward to exploring new opportunities for further developing the sites and promoting a tourism prod-

uct that delivers for visitors to the county and the local economy.”

Pat Dowling, Chief Executive of Clare County Council, welcomed Mr. Hanley to the role, adding, “Stephen’s appointment is a huge boost to the local tourism sector as he has vast experience of working at the highest level of the Irish tourism and hospitality sector.”

“Clare County Council has embarked on an exciting new chapter in recent weeks, and we look forward to working with Stephen in bringing forward fresh and innovative ideas that will further enhance the tourism offering at Bunratty, Craggaunowen and Knappogue, and contribute to the future development of a brand-new tourism experience at Inis Cealtra / Holy Island in East Clare,” added Mr. Dowling.

Leonard Cleary, Director of Tourism Development, Clare County Council, said the new appointment is the latest in a series of positive announcements for the Shannon Heritage sites in recent weeks. Stephen joins the newly formed Tourism Development Directorate team with a dedicated focus on the implementation of the 'County Clare Tourism Strategy 2030' in partnership with the private sector tourism industry and host communities.

“Working with Lambert Smith Hampton, Clare County Council has commenced an in-depth technical review of Bunratty, Craggaunowen, Knappogue, and the retail unit at the Cliffs of Moher

Experience, which will guide future, much-needed investment in maintenance, remedial and conservation works at the sites.

“Working with Stephen in his new role, Clare County Council is committed to investing in the future development of the sites for the benefit

of the tourism sector and the wider economy as well as the communities in which they are situated,” concluded Mr. Cleary.

lBOOST: Stephen Hanley, newly appointed General Manager of Clare Tourism East, pictured centre at the Regency Walled Gardens in Bunratty Castle and Folk Park with Pat Dowling, Chief Executive of Clare County Council; Leonard Cleary, Director of Tourism Development, Clare County Council; Elaine Hiney Wall, Gardens Manager, Shannon Heritage; and Bunratty Castle & Folk Park Entertainers Photo by Arthur Ellis

Relay ready to ‘walk all over cancer’

THE weekend of Relay For Life has arrived, with hundreds of people preparing to carry out a 24-hour relay at Tim Smythe Park in Ennis.

The Survivors’ lap kicks off at 2pm and throughout the 24 hours a variety of entertainment will take place including music, face painting, magicians, Irish dancers, the gospel choir, yoga and more.

The emotional Candle of Hope ceremony will see the lights around the Fair Green switched off at dusk, leaving symbolic candles lighting the track as survivors are celebrated and loved ones are remembered.

Candle bags can be purchased at the event for €5, which are then decorated and dedicated in celebration of a survivor or loved one. Anne Moloney, chairperson of the Candle of Hope ceremony, tells The Clare Echo,

lAnne Moloney

“It’s a very humbling experience to be there, and very emotional, you’re seeing people’s rawness. When dusk has fallen, people are very emotional. You’re in darkness, nobody is watching you.

“A lot of the people coming would have had their family member with them maybe four years ago and they’re gone now, for those people it’s a very emotional, raw thing.”

The survivors’ lap will kick off Relay For Life with the survivors wearing their purple T-shirts carrying out the first lap. The second lap will see families, carers, ambulance drivers, cancer nurses take to the track before everyone falls in.

If you’re not part of a team, Anne is encouraging everyone to come along and participate in some way. “You can pay €10 for your white T-shirt with Relay For Life on it and do one lap, do 20 laps if you like. Our punchline is ‘we won’t stop until cancer stops and we’ll walk all over cancer, so every step matters’. The more the merrier.”

She adds that it’s important to remember that fundraising is a crucial aspect of the weekend. “Every small bit we do will make a big difference down the line. Through all of this, my own sister found a lump in her chest through the standard mammogram. Thank God she’s come out the other side.”

Relay For Life begins at 2pm on Saturday and concludes at 2pm on Sunday. For more information, visit Relay For Life Ennis on Facebook.

Relay For Life Ennis

June 17 at 2pm - June 18 at 2pm 2023

Tim Smythe Park, Ennis, Co Clare

Carrie back doing 1-2-3s after breast cancer journey

by Stuart Holly editor@clareecho.ie

ENNIS woman Carrie Donnellan was stopped in her tracks in August 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic when she received her cancer diagnosis.

The mother of two wasn’t a drinker, didn’t smoke, ate a balanced diet and led an active lifestyle which includes helping her son Michael Donnellan run his Irish dancing school. Born and raised in St Michaels Villas, Carrie worked in the Ennis General Hospital and later in the outpatients’ department.

Recounting her ordeal, she says, “I was very healthy and very active and working up until 2019, and then Covid hit and because I was in my 70s it wasn’t feasible for me to continue working.

“All hell broke loose then.”

Carrie found a small lump in her left breast and under the treatment of Prof Michael Kerin in Galway, a second lump was discovered. “I had a lumpectomy and it had gone to one lymph node. They removed that and then I had four lots of chemotherapy and 30 lots of radium. The only treatment I’m having now is I’m on a hormonal tablet.”

Carrie’s treatment concluded on April 6, 2021, some eight months after it began. What made her journey all the more difficult was the arrival of Covid-19 restrictions, meaning she would have to face much of her recovery in isolation.

“It was a shock. Unfortunately, the word cancer frightens people and what people don’t understand is that, when you’re told that your body completely shuts down, you’re in denial, you don’t believe it. Then when you start your treatment, I couldn’t have anyone with me because of Covid.

Buy

Come

https://relayforlifeennis ie/ @relayforlifeennis

“My husband Michael would just drop me off. He sat for four hours outside the hospital in Galway while I was being treated because he couldn’t come in. I have great family support, my husband and the two lads were brilliant, and my colleagues in the hospital rang me every day, they were brilliant.”

Carrie believes that her positive outlook has been key to her progression, “If I was to give advice to anybody, I would say roll with it. Don’t fight it. You will be very sick with chemo and you won’t eat, you won’t sleep. For four months all I did was drink iced water. I went down to seven stone and I was 10 stone. I lost my hair. But you just get on with it, there is light at the end of the

tunnel, treatment will finish, and then you start picking up. Thank God my hair is back now, I’m back helping Mike with the dancing class, I walk, I’m just lucky at the moment.”

“It was my family that suffered,” she insists. “I have two boys, they couldn’t come into the house because I was on treatment because Covid was rampant at that stage. That was tough. Michael, the crature, I had to hand his Christmas dinner out the window to him because he couldn’t come in and have it, that was tough times.”

While Carrie’s thoughts were with her family members during her treatment, she says she refused to feel sorry for herself, “An odd time you might feel a bit down and you’d weep a bit, but no. It happened, and there was nothing I could do about it. I couldn’t change it. I only just hoped I could get through my treatment and that things would be good for me. It’s no use sitting feeling sorry for yourself.”

Carrie is back helping young dancers with their

1-2-3s and is as active as ever. She admits that cancer has changed her outlook on life. “I’m grateful that I can get up in the morning and go, and do what you have to do. You can do two things, you can either accept it, go with it and get over it or you sit and look at four walls and feel sorry for yourself”

Carrie is encouraging all women to get checked to ensure early diagnosis and treatment. “My advice to young girls and women, no matter what age they are is to please, please get checked out no matter how trivial it is, it may be nothing but it may be the start of something and if it’s caught in time, you’ll be treated.”

Carrie is a regular attendee of Relay For Life in Ennis, noting that she started attending with her husband who had cancer of the tonsil some 30 years ago.

“It’s absolutely wonderful. The comradery, the closeness. People are in great form, they’re walking around thanking God for everything. They’re a wonderful group.”

lSURVIVOR: Carrie Donnellan

Parking still a pinch point as Flynn clashes with Council officials

ENNIS councillors and senior officials in the local authority continue to crash into each other on the issue of car parking in the county town, writes Páraic McMahon

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, the minutes for the April meeting were adopted a month on from the May sitting. Their adoption in May was delayed for being “factually and chronologically incorrect,” Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) stated.

During a discussion on plans for a multi-use development on Abbey Street at the April meeting, Director of Services, Carmel Kirby distributed a document which claimed that Ennis had a total of 2,923 car parking spaces.

Speaking on Tuesday, Cllr Flynn said the minutes did not reflect “what the reality is on the ground with car parking”. He accused staff within the Council of giving out “incorrect information”.

Director Kirby defended the stance taken. “At the time of the April meeting it was true to say that planning was granted for Boys National Car parking and GAA site in Cusack Park, the figures show the available car parking in Ennis whether they are private or public, at the time of the April meeting the

information I gave out was correct. It has been decided not to proceed with private car parking at Francis Street,” she said.

An addition of 149 spaces will come on stream to the county town between planning granted last year and planning currently sought, Kirby added.

Minutes cannot be edited as the comments came in “the actual response to the notice of motion,” senior executive officer, Leonore O’Neill stated. “We would be able to add in this conversation as part of matters arising,” she added.

“I am very grateful that the minutes have been amended, it is important to put on record that I’m fully supportive of Ennis 2040 but I’m against any building on a car park,” Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) commented.

Speaking to The Clare Echo, Cllr Flynn pointed out that his corrections on parking figures were not disputed by senior officials. “The Council deny there is any historical deficit and claimed that 499 spaces would be delivered in short term,” he said while referring to the Cloister site owned by Clare GAA, the Ennis Old Boys National School site, the Waterpark Campus at Drumbiggle Rd and the Francis Street site.

As first reported by The Clare Echo, plans for a proposed 107 space temporary car park in Francis Street have been dropped.

Cllr Flynn is not confident the Boys National School car park will proceed. “In my view the referred to privately owned Boys National 5 year planning permission for 157

spaces is two years old and with only three years left and economically it is most unlikely to be built. Therefore the additional new spaces is not 499 but only the proposed 85 additional spaces at Waterpark and possibly 129 at GAA if they are built, a total of 214 spaces”.

He continued, “The Council have

accepted in various meetings that at least 200 public spaces have been lost over last decade due to new roads , footpaths and public realm improvement works”. 126 spaces in Abbey Street and 61 in Parnell Street will be lost as part of projects associated with the Ennis 2040 Strategy, he claimed.

Clonroadmore redesign to be considered with upgrade of cycling infrastructure

ENHANCEMENTS to Clonroadmore from St Flannan’s College to the Riverside Estate are to be considered coupled with a revised design for the Tulla Rd in Ennis, writes

Páraic McMahon

At a special meeting of the Ennis Municipal District on Monday, Cllr Pat Daly (FF) cited the planned cycle lanes in the revised design schedule proposed for the Tulla Rd and asked for a similar design to be used at Clonroadmore “in accordance with the wishes of residents on that particular road and adjoining estates”.

Active Travel grant funding has been secured by officials within Clare County Council from the National Transport Authority (NTA) “to commence concept design development to upgrade the cycling infrastructure on the Limerick Road including St Flannan’s Drive,” senior executive engineer Conor McDonagh confirmed.

McDonagh explained, “subject to the successful delivery of the Tulla Road Cycle Scheme, the NTA has committed to continue to provide the Active Travel grant funding to progress the Limerick Road Cycle Scheme which will include enhancements along St Flannan’s Drive

similar to those now proposed for the Tulla Road”.

Speaking this week, Cllr Daly remarked that the proposal for the Tulla Rd was “very welcome” but that the road by St Flannan’s College and Riverside estate was “very narrow and dangerous”. He blamed this on the presence of armadillos which he described as a “serious health and safety issue” and should be removed if residents agree to it. “Every Thursday I believe there is an accident there with lorries,” he claimed.

Seconding the proposal, Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) outlined how familiar he was with the road given that his parents live there, “I’m very conscious of what the neighbours are saying since they were installed. To be truthful we are all in favour of Active Travel but on this we drove forward without thinking of the bigger picture”. He confessed that he has even tripped over the armadillos.

Measures to encourage cycling need to be backed, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) commented. “I’m pro getting the kids on bikes and we are winning the battle, you do see more bikes out and it is about using the infrastructure, if it is provided it will be used”.

Health and safety risks are associated with the current infrastructure, Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) stated. The Tulla Rd scheme must cater for the pedestrian, cyclist, driver and bus plus 18,000 vehicle movements per day, he flagged. “77% of people who come into Ennis for business purposes come from outside the area that the bus will cover,” Flynn added of the planned town bus service.

Prior to the 2019 local elections, the armadillos were a big talking point at the doorsteps, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) recounted. She said that the road had previously been used as a rat run for people to access the motorway and that three students from St Flannan’s College had been knocked down. “I can’t remember the actual scheme but I remember Ann Cronin explaining it was the template for best practice in urban areas to keep people safe, the proof in the pudding is in the eating and there hasn’t been any accidents since,” she said.

Concluding the discussion, Cllr Daly remarked, “The cyclists are not in fear anymore and it is important that continues but at the same time the motorist has to come into it too”.

Host of events to take place in aid of IMND Association

by Seamus Hayes news@clareecho.ie

OVER the next few weeks a number of fundraising events will take place at various venues in Clare in aid of the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association.

These include a team of four golf event (men and ladies competitions), a flag day while a number of people have committed to having their beards shaved off and this will take place on this Saturday, June 17, at Kelly’s bar in Carmody Street.

Ennis native John Kevin Considine has secured the help of a large number of volunteers to promote these events. The Ennis ladies golf section donated the income from this week’s Wednesday competition to the cause while the men’s event will take

place on Monday next. Two hundred and forty played in the event last year and it is full again this year with many of John Kevin’s friends from his years in London travelling to Ennis for the event.

The flag day will take place at venues across the county on Saturday June 24. “We are always looking for volunteers”, said John adding that “we will be delighted to hear from anyone who can give a few hours”.

John who returned a few years ago to his native Ennis from London where he lived for almost 40 years is an active member of the Ennis golf club’s men’s senior group. He noted “Ennis seniors have lost two members to motor neurone in recent times“.

Last year, fundraising events organised by John

raised over €17,600 for the Motor Neurone association. Writing in the association’s quarterly magazine, CONNECT, chief executive Roisin Duffy explained four key strategic priorities that have been identified. They are to provide practical client an caregiver centred support at both national and local levels, to strengthen communications with all key stakeholder groups, especially families directly affected, to support, fund and communicate research into causes, management and treatment of MND amongst all key stakeholders and to invest in long term sustainable income streams in order to continue to operate a stable, transparent and accountable organisation.

World Motor Neurone Awareness Day is on June 21.

SHANNON NEWS

in association with

Literary accolade for Shannon’s Alex

SHANNON author Alex Dunne was one of six winners at this year’s KPMG Children’s Books

Ireland Awards announced as part of the International Literature Festival Dublin, writes Páraic

McMahon

Selected by an independent panel of expert judges, including a Young Judge, and a network of Junior Jurors’ nationwide, Alex received The Eilís Dillon Award for best debut.

Her book ‘The Book of Secrets’ (The O’Brien Press) is a unique supernatural page-turner and is described as a thrilling and magical adventure inspired by Irish mythology and folklore. A sequel to the book, ‘The Harp of Power’ will be released in October.

Originally from Shannon, Alex is now living in Canada. She completed a BA in English & History from the University of Limerick and an MA in Literature & Publishing from NUI Galway.

She is a co-founder of Silver Apples magazine alongside Grainne O’Brien,

an online literary journal of Irish and international writing. The Book of Secrets is her first novel.

Alex moved to Toronto in 2011 shortly after concluding her university studies. She continues to regularly travel to Co Clare with much of her family still residing in Shannon and Ennis. She said that was always a reader before a writer and continues to read every night before she goes to bed.

Winning the award came as a nice surprise, Alex admitted. “Every step of the way I haven’t believed it, I’ve always wanted to and it’s always been a dream but I know it can be difficult. When I first found out that O’Brien Press wanted to read the book I thought that is lovely and very flattering, they will read it and I won’t like it, I’ll still be fine but they did like it and then published it, I thought that was great and then it started to get nominated for an award, at every point along the way it has been a wonderful surprise and it is lovely to see how well received it has been”.

Walsh returned as President of Lions Club

SHANNON Lions Club held their Annual General Meeting (AGM) last week where officers were elected to key positions, writes Páraic Mc-

Mahon

Tony Walsh continues in the role of President with PJ Ryan elected as Vice President, Paddy Powell is Secretary with Cathy Colgan hold-

ing the post of Treasurer.

In May, the Shannon Lions Club held a vintage car rally in Bunratty. Of the funds raised, €500 will be donated to Children’s Cancer Awareness and €300 to Bunratty Search & Rescue.

Presently there are 10 members of the Shannon Lions Club with new individ-

uals always welcome. Speaking at the AGM, Tony thanked all personnel for their support throughout the year and the public for rowing in behind their church gate collections and flag days along with the local companies who made donations.

lBEST DEBUT: ‘Book of Secrets’ author, Alex Dunne

lDONATION: Paddy Powell secretary Shannon Lions club presenting cheque for €500 to Maria Jean Geary, children cancer awareness also in the picture Councillor PJ Ryan, Tony McMahon, Cathy Colgan & Tony Walsh

Cooraclare’s Enda McGuane elected President of Chartered Surveyors

COORACLARE’S Enda McGuane has been elected as the new President of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, writes

Páraic McMahon

A former officer in the Defence Forces where he took part in deployments to Lebanon and East Timor, Enda was first introduced to surveying as part of an artillery training course.

Following his time in the Defence Forces, he worked in a variety of property related

roles, both in the public and private sectors and spent the last 10 years running a property management business in Galway. A long-standing member of the SCSI, he has held a number of senior roles in the organisation including Chair of the West / Northwest Regional Committee.

Currently, he works as the Asset Management Lead for the Land Development Agency. In this capacity, he has responsibility for cost rental housing as well as land and site

16th - 24th June at Mount St. Alphonsus

6 times daily

management. One of the key projects he is working on is Project Tosaigh which has expanded in recent months and will see the LDA purchase 5,000 homes which will be made available as cost rental or affordable to purchase homes.

Enda has said over 100,000 workers will be needed in the Irish property, land and construction sectors over the next decade including thousands of surveyors. A recent report by the SCSI found that if the economy grows by 4% per annum, there will be a shortage of almost 1,100 chartered surveyors between now and 2026.

He maintained the shortage of skilled workers across the three sectors is one of the main constraints on the country’s ability to address the housing crisis as well as key infrastructural and commercial developments. Inflation and rising interest rates are among the other main challenges facing the country and the construction, property, and land sectors, he added.

McGuane said enhancing the SCSI’s role in education and exploring how it can improve

the built environment’s performance from a sustainability perspective will be key priorities during his term in office. “The SCSI has always been a repository of knowledge and a driver of standards in both education and practise and plays an influential role through the production of high-quality cross sector market reports and data-driven analysis. The Society currently encompasses all surveying courses run across a variety of third-level institutes in Ireland. I want to build on those relationships and to grow the number of young people who choose surveying as a career.

“There are a range of exciting new areas so whether its modular construction, operational data analysis or sustainability consultancy, young people should look at what drives them and identify the relevant surveying discipline. From a sustainability perspective, the built environment is a huge contributor to our carbon footprint. We need to devise and implement practices to reduce carbon emissions as a matter of urgency,” he added.

Aged 49, Enda is married to Helen and has three young children aged between 7 and 13.

Signage sought to alert motorists in Doonass

OCCURRENCE of accidents in Doonass has prompted a local representative to seek the addition of bend warning signage in the area, writes Páraic

McMahon

An appeal for the installation of black and amber sharp bend warning signage at the junction of the L-3050 and L-30501 in Doonass was made by Cllr Michael Begley (IND). He flagged, “there has been a number of accidents there in recent months”.

Senior executive engineer in the Shannon Municipal District, Tom Mellett confirmed a survey of the location would be completed “in

Notes

IBTS AMBER ALERT

order to determine the optimum for chevron signs and ensure there is capacity to accommodate them within the guidelines we are obligated to adhere to”.

Speaking at a meeting of the Shannon MD, Cllr Begley acknowledged his request was “not the easier one because you have a branch junction going at the same point”. He stated that an ESB pole was knocked in the area but was not replaced and that flooding had become an issue in April and May.

Cllr John Crowe (FG) seconded the proposal from the Clonlara representative.

THE IBTS are seeking the public’s support to help the national blood supply as most blood groups have fallen to just 3 days in recent weeks. The next Ennistymon clinic will take place at The Falls Hotel on Monday 19th and Tuesday 20th June from 16:50 to 20:10. New blood givers welcome. Please phone 1800 222 111 to book appointment.

OLD KILFARBOY SOCIETY OUTING

THE Old Kilfarboy Society (Miltown Malbay) have organised an outing to Kilfenora on Sunday next the 18th June. Kilfenora is known as the City of the Seven Crosses because it has the greatest concentration of High crosses in the country. Local archaeologist Edel Barry will discuss these as well as the cathedral and other local places of interest. Meet at Miltown car park at 1.30 pm for car pooling or outside Vaughan's Pub in Kilfenora at 2.15 pm. All are welcome. Contribution is €5. Contact Patjo on 086-3633920.

ICO AT CULTURLANN SWEENEY

THE KCT Summer Programme for 2023 commences with the arrival of the Irish Chamber Orchestra at Cultúrlann Sweeney in Kilkee on Thursday, 22nd June 2023, at 7.30 pm. Tickets may be purchased online at Irish Chamber Orchestra presents Americans & Bohemians (ticketsolve.com). Alternatively; you may contact the Box Office at Cultúrlann Sweeney, Kilkee - at 065 906 0769 - or call in person for ticket bookings – on Wednesdays & Fridays, 2 pm to 5 pm. Tickets are priced at €25 each.

KEEP TULLA UNTOUCHED PUBLIC MEETING

ON Saturday June 17th at 7.30pm Keep Tulla Untouched (KTU) is hosting a public meeting about mining prospecting licences in Co. Clare in Cnoc na Gaoithe in Tulla. All are welcome to attend the information evening with speakers from communities affected by mining prospecting.

Speakers include Emma Karran, Eddie Mitchell, Fidelma O’Kane and Jacintha van Roij. The evening will close with a round of Q&A.

Mount Saint Alphonsus Church, Limerick

lEXPERT: Enda McGuane Photo by Robbie Reynolds

I am VisitClare.ie - the home of great times

I am VisitClare ie, your trusty guide to the wonders of your county I've recently curated a selection of activities in Clare to ignite your sense of adventure - from heart-pounding thrills to family-friendly suggestions for days out While I highlight some of these below, you can find all the options at www VisitClare ie/great-ideas And hey, if you have any other brilliant suggestions for things to do, please let the humans in 'Visit Clare' know, via www.VisitClare.ie/suggestions.

12 activity ideas to give you an adrenaline rush

Win a Holiday in County Clare

Enjoy a vacation of your choice right here in your own County Clare! You can enter to win your choice of holiday at www.VisitClare.ie/win

7 places to meet animals in Clare

I, VisitClare ie, am your go-to guide for family-fun experiences Check out a selection of places where you can meet the animals: watch birds of prey, meet friendly alpacas, go dolphin watching, or head to a pet farm to say hello to rabbits, ducks, goats, donkeys, emus, and more

10 experiences in Clare children will love

Well, family-fun adventurers! I, your favourite digital sidekick, VisitClare ie, feature suggestions for days out that children will love, like the beaches, forests, castles, show caves, aqua parks, playgrounds, visitor farms, wildlife watching, boat trips and more

Attention, thrill-seekers! I, your trusty website, have selected 12 adrenaline-rush activities that will leave you buzzing - from windsurfing and kayaking to hawk walks, and from rib boat adventures to rock climbing There's something for everyone to get their hearts racing VisitClare.ie/great-ideas

10 places to walk in the footsteps of our ancestors

Embark on a journey through time as I, VisitClare ie, unveil a selection of 10 places in Clare to immerse yourself in the ancient heritage of the county, and follow in the footsteps of our ancestors These treasured places reveal the rich tapestry of Clare's past

Macalla an Chláir

le MACDARA Ó CONAOLA

An Clár as Gaeilge Teo

Togra Páirtnéireachta Forbairt Teanga Pobail do Chontae an Chláir

Éire Abú!

C’mon Ireland!

CUIREANN an t-am seo den bhliain Italia ‘90 i gcuimhne dhom i gcónaí mar gurb é sin an chéad uair a thosaigh mé ag breathnú ar sacar ar an teilí, cé go mbínn á imirt ó mhaidin go faoithin chuile lá le mo chuid cairde agus mé i mo bhuachaill óg in Inis Oírr fadó.

Agus san oíche amárach, Dé hAoine an 16ú lá de Mheitheamh, beidh foireann na hÉireann ar ais sa Mheánmhuir agus iad ag iarraidh an ceann is fearr a fháil ar an nGréig sa gcluiche cáilithe do Euro 2024. Beidh cleachtadh mhaith acu ar an teas ar aon chaoi tar éis an aimsir the a bhí againn le mí anuas. Go n-éirí libh a bhuachaillí!

l ‘’Fear Chondae an Chláir, Caomhán Ó Síoda, ag scóráil i gcoinne Shasana i 1990

Lean ar na meáin-shóisialta muid / Follow us on social media, @ ClárAsGaeilge, Twitter, Facebook agus Instagram. R-phost / email: lionranahinse@ gmail.com

Imeachtaí/Events:

• INIS – CAINT AGUS COMHRÁ, chuile Dé Luain ag 11am sa gCopper Jug, Dé Céadaoin ag 11am in Insomnia (Tesco), oíche Déardaoin sa Temple Gate (8pm), agus Dé Sathairn i nGlór, 11am-12pm

• INIS - Scéalaíocht do pháistí / Story time i nGaeilge le MacDara, Dé Máirt 20ú Meitheamh / June, Leabharlann De Valera, 3pm, in aisce

• RAIDIÓ CLARE FM - ‘’Cúl-chaint’’ le Domhnall Ó Loingsigh chuile mhaidin Dé Sathairn, 9am. Seol nuacht chuig: Donal@clare.fm

• INIS - Rith le Ruairí, chuile Dé Máirt ag 7.30pm, ag Local Motion, Sráid Uí Chonaill

• CILL INÍNE BAOITH - Ciorcal Comhrá san XPO, chuile Dé Céadaoin ag 7.30pm

Pictured at the launch of the “Distracted Emotions”, exhibition of Scariff artist CE Kraemer were (L to R) Orla Foley, David Rice, Matt Daniels, Nancy Shanley, CE Kraemer, Margaret Lowe, Claire Ryan, artist Pat O’Connor, Cllr Joe Byrne, artist Derek Irwin

Thought for the week: Love you, dad

Spreading the word of positivity

THERE’S a Spanish story of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in a Madrid newspaper. The ad read: Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father. On Saturday 800 Pacos showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.

SPECIAL TIME

We celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday, June 18, 2023. We think of the strength of a father, his guiding hand, his wisdom, his help. God the Father gave up his only Son, Jesus Christ, so that we might be saved through him. He provides an example of the very vocation of fatherhood. Fathers are to sacrifice their lives for their families. They do this by being the spiritual leader and guardian of their families. Praying for and with their families. Being a courageous witness to the Gospel. Providing care and support for their families. Serving as an example of goodness and truth. Leading with courage and accountability. Laying down one’s life for another.

This Father’s day, in a special way, lets us be grateful for Our fathers, by birth or adoption, who love us and support us through life. God our Father, who will always teach justly and grant us

boundless mercy. God our Father, we give you thanks and praise for fathers young and old. We pray for young fathers, newly embracing their vocation, may they find courage and perseverance to balance work, family and faith in joy and sacrifice. We pray for our own fathers around the world whose children are lost or suffering, may they know that the God of compassion walks with them in their sorrow. We pray for men who are not fathers but still mentor and guide us with fatherly love and advice. We remember fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers who are no longer with us but who live forever in our memory and nourish us with their love.

MY DAD

It’s a time to love, kiss and hug one of the most precious creations of God - our Dad! Especially for those of us lucky enough to still have them with us. For him, we will always remain the small child, but this is the day to visit our Daddy, spend time with him, hold his hands and reassure him of our love and care. Father’s Day holds great significance for most of us.

It’s that time of the year to let your father know that no one loves him more than his own children and grandchildren.

It’s a time to be grateful to your father who in most cases can be one of the most loving, kind-hearted, understanding and caring people in your life. So this weekend let’s celebrate Father’s Day with nonstop surprises. Father’s Day poses as a great opportunity to pamper your father for all that he has done for you over the years. You can

never repay the debts, but on Father’s Day, you can create a magical place for your father to be delighted and fly high on love and life. In writing about Fathers’ Day, it has given me the opportunity to reflect on what has inspired me to become the type of father that I am. It’s only natural to think of my own Dad, Ricey. I do not think I have been a perfect son at times for my dad, but I know for certain that he has never stopped loving me, he has always forgiven me and he has always given me another chance, indeed many chances if truth be told!

You see, my Daddy takes great pride in being a guide to all of his children. He gave us the greatest gift ever in that he believed in us!

THOUGHT FOR FATHER’S DAY

As your thought for Father’s Day, make your dad feel the most special man in the world by showing your care, love and affection. To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors. We all know how our parents cared for us over the years and gave us every little thing that we ever needed.

Love them, respect them, and care for them. Most of all let your dad know how much you love him not just for Father’s Day but for all time. In being a dad to Mia and Sophie I have learned how to be a better listener, to be more compassionate, tender and patient. However, the most important thing that I may have learned from being a dad is to be respectful.

I believe being a dad has helped me to better respect the gift of life, the people and friends in my life and the people

around me whom I come into contact with. Writing this thought for the week has helped me to realize that Fathers’ Day is so much more than a celebration of fathers. It’s a celebration of all of the people in our lives like our parents, our wives, our friends, and the father figures who help father’s carry out their important role each and every day. So be truly grateful for your dad and for the other father-like figures that have selflessly supported you in your life.

To my Dad, Ricey, thank you for all the things you’ve led me and my siblings through and taught us and continue to do. Through and through you’ve shown me the ropes. Helping me in anything and everything I face. Everyday you’re there for me by simply calling your name. Daddy, if you end up reading this at some point, I love you. With all of your amazingness and imperfections, you are a man I look up to, a man I am proud to call my dad, a man I look forward to learning more about as the years progress, a man with heart and soul that I love dearly. Unconditionally! Rarely do I get to thank you enough. So on this special day, I do exactly that. Thank you Ricey for being my Dad and to all Dad’s, Happy Father’s Day. I love you Daddy! Thank you, thank you, thank you for you. I’m so grateful for my Dad and for the other father-like figures that have selflessly supported me in my life. Nevertheless, these earthly role models and mentors serve to make me aware that there is a heavenly Father whose providential grace has guided my entire life. Happy Father’s Day to all our fathers!

Photo by Erno Kuvaja

Changing the narrative for older people in County Clare

by Stuart Holly editor@clareecho.ie

THE latest Census figures reveal a large increase in the number of older people now living in Ireland. In 2022 there were 768,000 people aged over 65 living in the Republic, compared to 651,000 people aged 15 to 24. “There are more older people than children now and there will be a hell of a lot more by 2050. We’re living longer and we need to be able to live well longer, rather than being admitted to hospital or not staying in our own homes,” says Madge O’Callaghan of the Clare Older People’s Coun-

cil (OPC).

Funded by the c initiative, the Older People’s Council in Clare is one of 31 councils throughout the country and it was set up to provide a link between Clare County Council and people over 55, to inform the Council of age appropriate measures they may need to implement to support older people. The OPC contains an executive of 25 volunteer members while there is a coordinator and administrator employed by Clare County Council.

Madge, who has a background in advocacy work, is the PRO of the Older People’s Council having been in-

volved with the group for the last two years. She explains that the core objective of the OPC is to make Clare a better place to grow old in, and to help improve quality of life to enable people to continue living at home further into their old age. “For instance, if there was a need for community transport in an area, we’d be trying to organise that so that people have better access to transport, or if there was an issue about security in an area we might then approach the gardai.

“It’s a new phenomenon in our country, we haven’t had an older population in our country like this before so we

are kind of the forerunners of this, to make it a better place for older people.”

The OPC categorises those aged 55 and over as older people, which would qualify people such as Jamie Foxx, Brad Pitt and Daniel Craig. It creates quite the contradiction that James Bond would be considered an older person, however Madge insists the narrative around older people is indeed changing.

“The narrative around older people up to now seems to have been that we’re a problem that needs to be solved, but our attitude is that we’re the solution, we’ve been around long enough to know

quite a bit. So, we’re looking at changing that narrative and I think we’re doing that successfully.”

Some notable achievements of the Clare OPC include helping Shannon Airport become one of the world’s first Age Friendly airports. “We did a walkability study of Shannon Airport and advised the airport authority on what they needed to do to make it age friendly.” Their work resulted in initiatives including designated seating for older people, improved signage and announcements, better bathroom accessibility, shorter walking distances and improved access to assistance for parking facilities. “Little things like that which may not seem like a lot, but if you are a person who is struggling with arthritis, have breathing conditions, or have a heart condition, it can be very difficult to navigate around the airport so it’s just about making it easier for people, and if it’s easier for older people it’s easier for everybody.”

The group also carried out walking studies of Ennis town to create spaces for parking for older people, increased seating in the town, advising also on businesses providing better customer service for older people. Each year, the group hosts the popular Older Person of the Year awards, which recognise the achievements of older people in the community and will next be hosted early next year.

The Clare Older Peo-

Clare Older People’s Council will host a ‘Health and Wellbeing, Age Expo’ on Friday, 30th June 2023, at Tracey’s West County Hotel, Ennis from 11.00am to 4.00pm. All are welcome.

The Age Expo will showcase the supports and services available in County Clare that are of interest and use to Older People. The Mid-West Community Healthcare - Integrated Care Programme Older Persons, Active Ennis, Alone, Clare Libraries, Local Link and Slainte an Chlair are just some examples of those displaying at the event.

Guest speakers will discuss the new ‘Healthy Age Friendly Homes’ initiative and ‘Preparing for a Healthy Retirement’. Attendees will also have an opportunity to participate in a singing taster session, hear talks on Active Ageing and attend a cookery demonstration. The Irish Heart Foundation will also carry out FREE health checks during the event. On-site parking is available and the public bus stops just outside the venue, Tracey’s West County Hotel.

For more information on the event please email agefriendlyclare@clarecoco.ie or call Helen on 086-8226597.

The Clare Age Expo is supported by the Clare Older People’s Council and the Department of Health’s ‘Healthy Ireland Fund’.

ple’s Council are hosting a ‘Health & Wellbeing’ Age Expo for people living in County Clare at Treacy’s West County, Ennis on June 30 from 11am-4pm with up to 40 stands on the day. The Age Expo will showcase the important supports and services available in County Clare that are of particular interest to Older People. Organisations like the Mid-West Community Healthcare – Integrated Care Programme Older Persons, Alzheimer’s Association, Active Ennis, Alone, Clare Libraries, Local Link and Slainte an Chlair are just some examples of the stallholders who are attending the event. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in ‘Taster Sessions’ like ‘Singing’ and ‘Active Ageing’ and ‘Cooking for One’ demonstrations. Free health checks will also be available to interested attendees by the Irish Heart Foundation.

People from across Clare are being encouraged to attend, including family members. “Families are welcome too. Sometimes families advocate on behalf of older people and they may not be aware of the different groups and services available to older people.”

Madge adds that there is currently a national drive on to encourage more people to volunteer with the Older People’s Council and they will be taking applications at the Health & Wellbeing Age Expo.

To find out more about the Older People’s Council, find them on Facebook or visit the Clare County Council website.

GREEN CLARE

‘Most economical source of energy is off Clare coast,’ claims professor

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

POTENTIAL for off-shore development off the coast of the Shannon Estuary is “phenomenal”.

Professor Eamon Murphy addressed elected members of Clare County Council on Monday examining this potential. The Chair of the Mid-West Regional Enterprise Plan is one of the members of the Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce.

Recommendations from this taskforce will be launched at an event in Ardnacrusha by An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar (FG) in the coming weeks.

Beginning his presentation, he referred to a quote from WB Yeats’ poem ‘The Song of Wandering Aengus’, “And pluck till time and times are done The silver apples of the moon, The golden apples of the sun” in explaining the “real gold apples that can be plucked from the ocean day and night”.

He stated, “We have a strong grid connection and wind speed is very important, off the coast of Clare is the most economical source of energy”. Prof Murphy added, “the level of potential off that coast is phenomenal”.

Cable lines leading from Loop Head are connection points sought by Russia and the US, Murphy remarked. “Five times our physical territorial zone is our economic zone,” he highlighted to show the increased playing field at the country’s finger tips in the sector of offshore renewable energy.

The Shannon Estuary can serve as “a testbed for global innovation founded on renewable energy,” he outlined. It can also act as “a catalyst for high-value add jobs which is what we must focus on, for too much of my lifetime we exported cattle, our fundamental product as a commodity, it was true of fish and sadly it is true of our people, we exported our top product”.

Praise of the contributions of the late, Dr Brendan O’Regan to the Mid-West region was also voiced by Prof Murphy. “His model did the Free Zone, Shannon Town, Bunratty Castle, the Duty Free, Irish Coffee, one man on his own revolutionised the airport, he made it a golden apple, we should be calling this valley the Brendan O’Regan Corridor”.

Compiling an economic, environmental and spatial master plan for the Shannon Estuary needs to be a focus, he said while praising the Council’s idea for a Data Centre in Ennis as “absolutely brilliant”. Murphy added, “need a master spatial plan for the estuary, we need to show the Apples of this world here is the data and energy and the spaces designated for you. Clare has a very important role to play”.

Chief Executive of Clare County Council, Pat Dowling who also sits on the Taskforce called Prof Murphy “a man I have huge respect for with his leadership and guidance”.

Venture capitalists in New York City have expressed an interest in the deepwater off the Clare coast, Cllr PJ Ryan (IND) commented, “they had endless funds to put into projects off Clare coast, it went on and on and everything happened. Rome wasn’t built in a day, it will take time to get it off the ground”.

Criticism over the country’s use of resources was voiced by Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF).

“As a country, we have given away almost all of the excess to existing resources, we’ve done that in my own view wrongly, I have a huge concern that is what coming down the track nationally with offshore wind we will give away”. He referenced how the Norwegian Government have insisted on taking shares in every single offshore development, “we should be taking a share in every single one of those, we’re effectively giving away the right to use public land. West Clare is one of the most disadvantaged communities in the

county, it’s clear to see from all the stats, if the jobs are to be delivered locally, we are very constricted in our County Development Plan in light of what is potentially coming down the track”.

In response, Prof Murphy recalled the socialist revolution across Europe in the 1930s, “the church took an awful hammering in Spain and Italy, there was a terror that there would be the same here, the simplest way to stop it is by private property, our problem is we give too much right to the individual over the common good, we need a constitutional amendment to redress that imbalance and place the common good on par, that would solve your spatial problem and a lot of the

planning problems we have, I worry slightly, whoever wins next election will not solve the housing problem until that is dealt with”. He said he was “an absolute believer” in the Norwegian model which has successfully created small companies.

Local and regional benefit was mentioned by Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) which prompted Prof Murphy to interrupt, “We’re playing on a European stage here, we’re not going tolerate local rivalries”.

“This is a total new scenario that would never have been envisaged before, it is an eye opener and there is great hope for the future,” Cllr Pat McMahon (FF) stated.

Council to try add EV charging points to facilities undergoing development

CLARE’S tourism facilities that are undergoing development are to be equipped with electric vehicle charging points, writes Páraic McMahon.

Director of the Tourism Directorate of Clare County Council, Leonard Cleary confirmed that where a visitor attraction in the county is to be developed “funding measures will be sourced in order to install an appropriate amount of charging points”. This is already underway at the the Vandeleur Walled Garden and Visitor Centre in Kilrush.

Work is ongoing on the development of a countywide strategy for the construction of EV charging points in Clare which is led by the roads department of Clare

County Council.

Director of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience, Geraldine Enright confirmed that a project is in progress at the Cliffs to install two charging points at its car park “subject to all technical obstacles being overcome”.

Cllr Pat McMahon (FF) proposed before a sitting of the County Council that the local authority “provide charging points for electric cars at each of the tourism facilities operated by the Council at which a suitable location for charging points be designated in each town and village to be in conjunction with electricity suppliers”.

This comes after the Council has taken over the ownership of the Shannon Heritage sites in the county. “We need

to try get visitor attractions on song and to a certain standard, in conjunction and in parallel it is very important to have those charging points, they have to have the right things in the right places, they are not cheap and will cost €50,000,” Cllr McMahon claimed. “This is a great opportunity if we can produce and market it into the future, this is the future whether we like it or not,” he added.

Chargers are becoming “more difficult to find,” Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) stated while supporting the motion.

Kilrush presently has two EV charging points, both of which are located in Tesco’s car park, Cllr Ian Lynch (IND) said. “The cost of chargers is one thing, the cost of doing infrastructure works nearly

l UPGRADE: Electric vehicle charging station

outweighed the benefit coming in,” he felt.

Prior to attending the

meeting, Cllr PJ Ryan (IND) came across five French cars in Bunratty, all of which

were electric, “the word fast needs to be put in, fast charging points are needed,” he stated.

“It needs to be in such a way that people can avail of grant funding straight away,” Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) commented. Support was also voiced by Cllr PJ Kelly (FF).

Management protocols are needed to stop abuse of charging points, Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) flagged.

“Slow chargers are just too hard to work. There needs to be some sort of management for people taking up a spot all day with slow charging spot, we’ve two in Kilkee and you could have two parked there for 24 hours all day parking, we need some sort of management protocol from our side”.

1,600 firms claim R&D funding but others losing out, Chamber hears

RESEARCH & Development (R&D) incentives are a great opportunity to help companies grow their business, invest in innovation, and create new products and services, according to a leading financial expert.

EXPRESSION OF

FOR DEVELOPERS AND BUILDING CONTRACTORS FOR THE PROVISION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Clare County Council is seeking expressions of interest for the provision of turnkey housing developments by Housing Developers and Building Contractors for delivery of affordable housing in the following locations:

• Ennis

• Shannon

Further details of this scheme and a guide to making a submission are available on the Clare County Council’s website under www.clarecoco.ie or by emailing affordablehousing@clarecoco.ie

The latest date and time for receipt of submissions is 4.00pm on Friday 28th July 2023.

Please note that Clare County Council is not obliged to purchase any turnkey housing development submitted as part of this process.

Dated 15th June 2023

Signed: Adrian Headd, A/Senior Engineer, Housing Department.

Addressing a recent Shannon Chamber seminar on R&D, Ian Collins, Partner and Head of Innovation Incentives at EY Ireland, said that any company doing something that is innovative should not overlook applying for R&D support.

“If firms are exploring how to improve yields, products and services, they should definitely check out what’s available,” Mr Collins said.

“Recent changes to Irish tax legislation, allowing for cash refunds as well tax credits, have also made R&D incentives even more attractive. If you’re failing to apply for these cash reliefs, you are losing out, money-wise, in a very real sense,” he added.

Together with Leanne Storan, Tax Partner at EY Ireland, Mr Collins outlined the range of incentives and opportunities for R&D activities available from the Irish

Government and through the EU Horizon Programme.

In 2021, €770 million in tax credits was claimed by over 1,600 Irish firms as part of an overall spend of €4.7 billion in Ireland on R&D by businesses, Government and higher education.

Officials from the Business Taxes Policy & Legislation Division of Revenue outlined changes to the R&D legislation introduced in the Finance Act 2022 at the seminar. Principal Officer, Aisling Dooley and Assistant Principal Officer, Clare Wardell explained that companies now have the option of claiming support via cash refunds on a 3-year instalment basis or as a tax credit against corporate tax (CT) liabilities.

Another significant change is that pre-trading R&D expenditure is now refundable in three annual instalments from the first accounting period that a company begins to trade. Previously, the amount could only be carried forward and used against CT liability in future periods. The Revenue speakers also outlined transitional arrangements that are in

place as the new regime commences. Introduced following public consultation, the 2022 legislation aims to ensure Ireland remains competitive in the context of upcoming changes to the international corporate tax regime.

Fiona Gilchrist, R&D Strategy Lead with Jaguar Land Rover, R&D Software Engineering Centre in Shannon, outlined the company’s extensive research & development activities, centred on connected, autonomous and electric vehicle engineering projects.

Commenting on the event, held at the Future Mobility Campus.

Shannon Chamber CEO Helen Downes said that R&D is a critical part of successful business growth, which the Chamber is eager to promote at every opportunity.

“Shannon Free Zone and the Region generally has a proud record in this field over the years.

“We believe the information and guidance offered at the seminar can help, in a very practical way, to ensure that local firms can maximise the lucrative benefits on offer in the future,” she added.

'Shooting efficiency let us down'

MUNSTER SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

Limerick 1-23 Clare 1-22

Venue: TUS Gaelic Grounds, Limerick

Compiled by Páraic McMahon

STORY OF THE GAME

LIMERICK

Frees for: 11 (6/5)

Wides: 10 (6/4)

Spread of scorers: 8

Scores from play: 1-15

Top scorer: Aaron Gillane (1-11 8f)

Bookings: Mike Casey (18), Gearoid Hegarty (36).

Own puckouts won: 25 from 35 (71%)

PLAYER WATCH

CLARE

Frees for: 14 (8/6)

Wides: 12 (8/4)

Spread of scorers: 10

Scores from play: 1-17

Top scorer: Tony Kelly (0-06 2f)

Bookings: Cian Nolan (28).

Own puckouts won: 21 from 34 (62%)

REFEREE: Liam Gordon (Galway)

MANAGER COMMENT “

Brian Lohan, Clare:

“The stats are even, the puckouts, breaking balls except for the shooting efficiency. Theirs is way better than ours. Our shooting efficiency let us down. The game is about putting the ball over the bar and when you don’t put it over the bar you don’t win.

“Aaron Gillane is one of the best forwards in the game at the moment. He is one of the best there has ever been in Limerick. It was a really tough challenge for anyone that is marking him. He was very

good today.

“It’s a bit early to be thinking about the next game. We will take a couple of days and try and focus again. You just don’t know, you could be gone in the next game. We will try and get ourselves right for the next game and see what pans out”.

SCAN HERE FOR MATCH REPORT

'We had our chances but left it too late' - Munster glory eludes us again

by Seamus Hayes news@clareecho.ie

CLARE should have led by more than three points at half-time in the Munster senior hurling final, centre back John Conlon has said.

Conlon who is Clare’s most experienced and longest serving player has lined out in four Munster finals but remains without a provincial medal at the grade.

Speaking to The Clare Echo following their successive one point Munster final defeat to Limerick, the Clonlara man outlined, “We knew coming into the Gaelic Grounds today that we were ready for the game. You could see that in our first half performance, we were excellent. We probably left a few scores behind us. We should have been going in a bit more ahead at half time.”

Reflecting on the game, the 2013 All-Ireland winner stated, “Limerick were very good in that third quarter as usual, they tore into the game. We responded very well and we had our chances near the end to force a draw, we just maybe left it too late and its very disappointing.”

Conlon continued, “We are very proud of the way we hurled today, we just didn’t get over the line. We knew it was going to be a titanic

battle. We thought coming in that we had a great chance, I’m just really disappointed”.

“We will dust ourselves down tomorrow and Tuesday and get back to training later on in the week. The

work is done its just trying to get the body right for two weeks' time again.”

Conor Cleary’s absence from the Clare defence was a loss, the primary school teacher acknowledged. “Any team missing someone especially in a defensive area, someone that has been there the whole time would find it difficult. He was a huge loss, he was one of our main men all year. Hopefully we can get him back for two weeks' time.”

Looking ahead to their quarter-final showdown with the winners of Dublin and Carlow, the centre back said, “It’s a new ball game now, win the next day and we are back where we want to be, back in Croke Park.

"We have a few demons from there last year that we want to address. You never know, we might meet each other again later on”, he said moments after watching Limerick captain Declan Hannon accept the Mick Mackey cup and claim their fifth Munster senior title in a row.

l Fans watch on at the Clare end of the Gaelic Grounds last Sunday

Photo by Joe Buckley

l HEARTBREAK: Peter Duggan is pulled back by Mike Casey and (above) Adam Hogan hits the floor at the final whistle as Limerick players embrace

Photos by Gerard O’Neill (left) and Joe Buckley (above)

Captain Harvey eyes back to back wins

TG4 ALL IRELAND LADIES INTERMEDIATE CHM'SHIP

Offaly 1-12 Clare 1-17

Venue: Clara, Offaly

Compiled by Derek Dormer

STORY OF THE GAME

OFFALY

Frees for: 27 (13/14)

Wides: 6 (4/2)

Scores from play: 1-6

Top scorer: Roisin Cockram

(0-6 6f)

Spread of scorers: 6

Bookings: None

Own kickouts won: 12 from 23 (52%)

CLARE LADIES football captain, Caoimhe Harvey is fully focused on recording back to back wins in the TG4 All-Ireland intermediate championship.

CLARE

Frees for: 16 (9/7)

Wides: 5 (2/3)

Scores from play: 1-13

Top scorer: Fidelma Marrinan

(0-7 3f)

Spread of scorers: 8

Bookings: Fidelma Marrinan (39)

Own kickouts won: 12 from 19 (63%)

MANAGER COMMENT “

Wayne Freeman, Clare:

“I thought we were the better team by far, we gave them oxygen at times and I suppose that's why there was five in it in the end. We outplayed them for long periods but we were a bit sloppy with taking our goal chances. We carved them open on several occasions but just took the wrong options at times. But we still kicked 1-17 which is good scoring.

SCAN

“We responded extremely well when going down to fourteen players getting that goal. Sometimes space opens up when you are at a numerical disadvantage and it definitely motivates the players when being down to 14 so I was delighted with the response. We just need to improve our game management. We need to learn how to not engage in contact and maintain possession when we have a lead approaching the end of a match but we are still learning.”

Wayne Freeman’s charges began their championship campaign with a 1-17 1-12 win over Offaly in Clara on Sunday and welcome Wicklow to Cusack Park for the second round this coming Sunday.

Captain Caoimhe Harvey gave a wonderful player of the game performance in their five point win. She said their attention was firmly switched on beginning with a victory. “You come here for the three points and thankfully that's what we got today. In the group stages you have to get off to a good start and we have that vital first win on board. We try to improve all the time and that is all we can do. We just have to get better week on week until the round robin stage is over. If we can do that we will be ready for the knockout stages”.

Fidelma Marrinan’s sin-binning forced Clare to work harder, the West Clare Gaels clubwoman maintained. "Often teams come together when you go down to fourteen players and it's up to us as a team how we

look at it. We knew we had to support Fidelma while she was off. We had to just mark up, increase our work rate. Credit to all the girls for the work they put in and we actually dominated for that spell. Sometimes missing a player you can gather more space and that's what we did. We nearly and probably should have had three

Camogie & ladies football sides aim to continue winning ways in Cusack Park

CUSACK PARK will host both encounters for the county’s flagship ladies teams this weekend.

On Saturday evening, the Clare senior camogie team welcome Galway to Ennis. Barry Nea has been appointed as the match official for that tie which commences at 5pm.

After defeating Down in the opening round, John Carmody’s side will need to replicate this result if they are to have aspirations of reaching the knockout stages of the Glen Duplex All-Ireland senior championship.

Truagh/Clonlara’s Eimear Kelly impressed off the bench in the opening round and is pushing strongly for a starting berth this Saturday.

Galway defeated Cork in the first round and are targeting back to back wins to put them in the leading position to top Group 1 and secure direct qualification to the All-Ireland semi-finals.

Clare and Galway last met in the championship in 2021, the fixture took place in Athenry with goals from Niamh Kilkenny and Siobhán McGrath steering the Tribeswomen to a merited 2-12

2-06 win.

Sunday afternoon sees Clare’s ladies footballers welcome Wicklow to Cusack Park. They are aiming to record successive victories and their quest to do just that will begin at 2pm.

Mayor of Clare, Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF) noted the importance of Cusack Park hosting these games when speaking at the June meeting of Clare County Council as he wished both ladies teams the best of luck for the weekend.

Podge back training ahead of last outing

CLARE’S SENIOR footballers will make the journey to Pearse Park in Longford for their final outing of the year.

Colm Collins’ side renew acquaintances with Derry in the third round of the All-Ireland series in what is a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final. However unlike that tie in Croke Park, the men in saffron and blue have nothing to play for as successive defeats to Donegal and Monaghan mean they cannot qualify for a preliminary quarter-final.

Cian O’Dea has departed the squad ahead of an upcom-

ing move to the United States while captain Eoin Cleary is not expected to feature in Saturday’s clash against Derry.

Cooraclare’s Brian McNamara who was named on the U20 team of the year is pushing for a place in the first fifteen. His potential inclusion would likely push Darragh Bohannon to the half-forward line.

Podge Collins who went off injured during Clare’s five point loss to Monaghan has returned to training and will be available for selection this weekend.

Council praised for Fair Green screening

CLARE County Council have been praised for their initiative in showing the Munster final via a big screen at Ennis's Fair Green.

Thousands of supporters were left disappointed, un-

successful in their efforts to source tickets for the provincial decider which prompted the local authority to host the screening which was attended by over 50 people.

Deputy Mayor of the Ennis

Municipal District, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) was among those in the Fair Green.

She said, “There was smallies playing with their hurleys and it was great to see children and adults with

goals when we were missing a player. Most importantly though we got the all important first goal which gave us a cushion”.

Offaly’s return of 1-03 over the course of ten minutes did pile some pressure on Clare but the Querrin native noted how Clare continued to make good use of possession. “Every team on every day out

will have a purple patch and Offaly are no different. They came at us for a spell and got some good scores but we dominated possession. We just have to learn to be more clinical when the opportunity presents itself. We are still learning as a team and game management is important. Wayne is always on about it. It's something that we have to work on but we will work on it and as I said get better as the group stages progress”. Division Four side Wicklow travel to Ennis this weekend and Caoimhe stressed the importance of Clare putting together another winning performance. “Every game in the championship is serious stuff no matter who you face. You can't take anything or any team for granted. All teams put in huge effort so we have to just concentrate on our own work rate and our own performance. Whether we win by three points or twenty three points it's all about winning and getting the result. We will rest and get focused for Wicklow next week. They will come and throw everything at us but we are really looking forward to playing at home and it's always good to play in Cusack Park. We just have to get the result. That's what it's all about”.

disabilities who were able to enjoy the game in comfort, families came with their picnic blankets and chairs. It wasn’t the result that we wanted but it was great to see it”.

Photo

l Clare captain Caoimhe Harvey in action against Emily Bailey Burren Eye Photography

Clare reach Kennedy Shield quarter-final

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

A FINAL round group win over Wicklow saw Clare’s Kennedy Cup side advance to the Shield quarter-final of the famed schoolboys soccer competition.

Shannon’s Donnacha Halpin dispatched a stylish free kick to the net in the final fifteen minutes of Clare’s final outing in Group Five of the Kennedy Cup. The strike put them through

to the shield quarter-final.

It was a difficult start to the competition for Clare who fell to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Wexford. Daniel Kenna scored a nice volley for the Banner as they were outclassed by a strong outfit from the South-East.

An improved performance in the second game was not enough for Clare to claim victory and although they were level at half-time with South Belfast, the Ulster side pounced for goal just after half-time and that proved to be

Hayes gets 30th cap for Ireland

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

NEWMARKET-ON-FERGUS’ EOIN

Hayes collected his thirtieth Irish cap while lining out for his country in the UEFA Regions Cup.

A 2-0 defeat to Germany’s Bavaria Region ended Ireland’s UEFA Regions Cup on Sunday with the goals coming from Julian Kania and Martin Mayer.

Not long after his introduction for Jimmy Carr, Hayes came close to opening Ireland’s account by the hour mark but his effort smashed off the woodwork, following a clever free kick from Eoin Murphy.

Ireland played their final group game against Bosnian’s Zenica-Doboj on Wednesday evening.

Playing with ten men for the bulk of their opening game, Gerry Davis’ side fell to a 2-0 loss at the hands of Galicia in Cambados. This game served as a milestone for Eoin (pictured with his father Dessie) as he collected his 30th Irish cap.

the difference.

Clare faced Dundalk in the Kennedy Shield quarter-final on Wednesday afternoon at the University of Limerick.

Managed by Tulla Utd’s Fabio Messori, Clare’s management team also included Kevin Bryant of Shannon Hibs, Newmarket Celtic’s Cian Kelly, Ennis Town FC’s Dara Curran with Paul Roche of Avenue Utd as goalkeeper coach. Clare senior footballer, Ronan Lanigan was the team’s physio.

Excellent turnout for play in pink fundraiser

by Seamus Hayes news@clareecho.ie

Woodstock Golf Club:

There was an excellent turnout for the Play in pink day last week, an event which raised funds for breast cancer.

In the ladies section the winners were Doreen Byrne, Maura Leonard and Brenda Tighe from Athenry with 76 points. Second place was filled by Kathleen McEnery, Patsy Nugent and Louise Guilfoyle with 74 points and they were followed by Chaye Kelly, Margaret Ann Killeen and Moira Cunningham, also with 74 points.

The men’s section was won by Tony Neville, Ollie McNamara and Fergus O’Brien with 93 points from Martin White, Frank McEnery and Mike Gardiner with 91 points with Kieran Quinn, Pat O’Brien and Pat McMahon in third spot with 85.

Last week’s open singles was won by John Baker (22) with 68 from John Clune (1) with 70 with Cathal O’Sullivan (11) in third spot with 70 while Kieran Cunnane (2) won the gross with 73.

The winner of the club singles at the weekend was Hugh O’Byrne (21) with 41 points from Evan Greer (12) with 40 and Sean Williams (17), also with 40 points. Alan Markham (5) won the gross with 33.

In the Holmpatrick cup qualifier, a fourball better ball competition, Paul Coote (11) and Adrian Kearney (12) won with 48 points. They go forward to the Munster regional finals which will be held in Blarney on August 29.

The weekly open singles continue on Wednesdays and Thursdays while the competition at the weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) will be for the president’s (Oliver McNamara) prize.

Ennis Golf Club:

Anne Kelly (29) was the winner of last week’s ladies 18 hole stableford competition with 40 points.

Division 1 was won by Peg Hanrahan (18) with 33 points, division 2 by Jean Moloney (27) with 38 points and division 3 by Kathleen Frehill (37) with 34 points

Ann Casey (15) won the 9 hole competition with 25 points. The category winners were Monica Finnerty (12) with 19 points, Mary Leahy (16) with 19 points and Liz Kelly (22) with 21 points.

Sinead Hegarty's minor team defeated Ballyneety in Ennis on Saturday and Ann O'Loughlin's Revive Active team won on Sunday in Ballykisteen.

Ennis golf club’s lady captain’s (Mary Lenihan) prize to the men was played for over the Bank holiday weekend and resulted in victo-

ry for Gerry Bredin (16) with 63. He had one to spare over Michael Sullivan (17), with Sean Mulqueen (17) a stroke further back in third spot followed by Tony Lawlor (16) on 66.

Kieran Fox won the gross while the category winners were Darragh Murphy (7) with 67, Noel Kenny (15) with 67 and P.J. Hehir (34) with 68.

In the Friday open singles Paul Morrissey Dromoland Golf Club (26) won with 42 points from Noel Whelan (9) with 40 points and Aaron Greene (14) also with 40 points.

The captains’ mixed foursomes on Friday was won by John Kearse and Helen Harnett with 36 points from Tom Woulfe and Margaret Flannagan with 26 points.

In the seniors on Thursday the winners were Frank Cullinan, Jimmy Kearns, J.K. Considine and John R. Cullinan with 81 points.

The Tuesday fourball was won by Ollie Kennelly and Peter Quinn with 39 points, three ahead of Michael Irwin and Pat Murphy while third placed Frank Coffey and Michael Ball also had 36 points.

Dromoland Golf Club:

Ian Mulready won the weekend stableford competition with 42 points, one more that Cillian O’Connor with Michael Browne in third spot with 40 points while Denis Minihane on 38 points won the category for those on handicaps 22

and over. Jason O’Leary won the gross with 35 points.

In the 9 hole competition Brian Michael Foudy won with 22 points from Cathal Nolan with 19 and Shane Ryan, also with 19.

In the ladies 18 hole stroke competition Joan Ryan won with 68 from Mairead Toomey with 70 and Mairead Bergin with 75. Leslie O’Flynn won the gross with 82.

The ladies 9 hole stroke competition was won by Siobhan Fitzpatrick with 33 from Katrina O’Neill with 37.

Shannon Golf Club:

Carole Bagnall (26) won the ladies June medal with 70 nett and she was followed in second place by Sandra Ferguson (26) with 72.

Michelle Pyke (8) won the gross with 82 while the category winners were Emma O’Halloran (20) with 73, Mary Whelan (29) with 74 and Karen Dunne (42) with 74.

Kilrush Golf Club:

The weekend competition for men was sponsored by Kepak and was won by Thomas Coffey (13) with 44 points. He was one ahead of John McGrath (13) with Fergal O'Connor (17) a point further back on 42 points. The category winners were Shaun Mathews (9) with 40 points, Derek Garvey (13) with a similar score and Noel Kilkenny (21) with 41 points.

Ruairi Young (12) won the front

nine with 23 points while Jack McGrath (17) won the back nine with 22 points.

The ladies 18 hole Irish House competition was won by Anne Marie Golden (52) with 47 points from Loretta Maher (38) with 42 points with third spot filled by Bernie Tubridy (50) with 41 points.

The category winners were Mary Bolton (18) with 37 points, Ailish Lorigan (21) with 39 points and Anne Cooper (36) with 41 points.

Claire Murphy won the 12 hole competition with 25 points from Anne McMahon with a similar score. East Clare Golf Club:

The winners of the ladies open team of three competition last week were Eileen Donnellan, Noreen Doyle and Helen Downey with 64 points.

The ladies Wednesday competition was won by Marie Minogue, Noreen Skehan and Carmel Lenihan from Mary Hogan, Breda O Loughlin, Mary Collins and Breda McCarthy.

Sean McCarthy with a nett 60 was the winner of the men’s golfer of the year competition from Enda Quinlan with 61 and Colm McInerney with 63. James McNamara won the gross with 76.

In the senior men’s competition the winners were Sean Ahern, Mchael McNamara and John Nihill.

l Clare’s Kennedy Cup squad and management

Photo by Joe Buckley

Day out in the sun

SUMMER BISTRO SPECTACULAR

Munster title for Minogue

CLARE had mixed fortunes during the past week in adult handball. There was success on the double in Ballina on Wednesday evening when Leah Minogue of Tuamgraney won the Munster Ladies Junior Final and Mike Baker of Kilkishen won the Silver Men's Master's B final.

Leah defeated Aisling Shanahan of Limerick in two games 21-7, 21-3 and Mike defeated Mike Curtin of Limerick also in two games 21-14, 21-2. Both will go on the represent their clubs, county and province in the All-Ireland Championship with semi-finals against northern opposition in the coming weeks.

Mike Kelly of Newmarket-on-Fergus did not have the same fortune losing in two games to Billy Mullins of Tipperary in the Ruby Master's Final.

Juvenile action took place in Hospital on Saturday and Clare had Jack Cahill (Clooney/Quin) and Daniel Madden (Tuamgraney) pair up in the U13 doubles and after three games they just came out on top over the Cork favourites Jack Hennessy and Sean Dee.

This coming week will see girls action on Saturday in Broadford Limerick where Chloe Hannon and Juilet Moroney of Kilkishen will play the U13 doubles final against Erin Neville and Chloe O'Brien of Tipperary.

Claire Minogue (Tuamgraney) will play the U15 singles final against Maggie Quirke of Kerry. Toonagh pair of Aoife Cummins and Isabelle McInerney play the U16 doubles final against Clodagh Shinnors and Kaite Mulcahy of Tipperary.

Sunday sees the boys in action with Sean Considine of Clooney/Quin in the semi-final of U14 singles against Will Egan of Cork. The winner of this tie will play the final that day also against the winner of Waterford v Tipperary.

Sean Daly (Tuamgraney) and Cillian Cummins (Toonagh) pair up for U14 doubles and also play Cork pair of Zach Daly and Michael Enright in a semi-final with winners playing final also that day against either Waterford or Tipperary.

Donnacha Mahon of Clooney/Quin will play U15 singles final against Jack Murphy of Cork, while Cathal Noonan(Toonagh) and Luke Madden (Tuamgraney) play the U15 doubles final against Cork's Ciaran O'Donovan

and Calum Funnell.

Toonagh's Daniel Gunnine plays the U16 singles final against Cork's Ryan Linehan and his club mate Christian Cummins plays the U17 singles against Tipperary's Rocky Reilly Jnr.

It will be a long weekend of action in the Big Alley game.Adult Doubles also starts with Glenn Murray (Newmarket-on-Fergus) and Barry McMahon (Kilkishen) playing the Junior B quarter final in Tuamgraney against Limerick pair of Adam Crowe and Ian O'Brien.

Leah Minogue will also have a fixture in the Intermediate Ladies All-Ireland.

PICTURED: Munster champions, Leah Minogue and Mike Baker

Greyhounds: Double win for Pat Conway

by Michael Maher news@clareecho.ie

CLARE TRAINER, Pat Conway recorded a double success in Galway over the weekend.

Saturday night’s Galway card featured the Final of the TIME Greyhound Nutrition A4 Graders Derby and the Final of the GRI Spring A4/5 525 Stake but unfortunately the latter final was postponed until next week as a hare mechanism malfunction cased race number eight to be voiced and the final three races cancelled until next Saturday night’s card.

Racing opened with an S8 graded sprint contest in which Leamaneigh Gale was away like the wind on the wide outside and racing towards the opening bend, the Pat Conway owned and trained son of Laughill Blake and Leamaneigh Sive led Apache Springs by over two lengths. Racing between the two bends the leader dis run slightly wide but from the home bend she was always in command as she eased home two lengths clear of Curious Alex in 19.63.

Trainer Pat Conway completed a double

in the S4 graded fourth contest as the Ann Breslin and Fintan Flavin owned Dillydontdally got the better of a sustained battle with the wide seeded Ballygraigie ROS as she prevailed by a neck at the line in 19.34. The pair had the contest between them from an early stage with the Ballygraigie ROS leading on the run towards the opening bend. Rounding the bend Dillydontdally joined issue along the rails and taking half a length out of her rival off the home turn the daughter of Superior Panama & Drive On Sophie ground it out well on the run in.

On Friday night’s Card Brosna Chloe was away well on the wide outside in the concluding heat of the Support our Sponsors 525 stake but on the run towards the opening bend the Joe Clancy of Kilrush owned Bayview Fantasy took command of the contest in the centre of the track. As the opening bend loomed Bayview Fantasy led by over a length along the rail as his rival ran very wide and as they negotiated the home bend the Stephen Murray of Sixmilebridge trained Bayview Fantasy(Premier Fantasy-Bayview Flyer) was in command as he scored by a comfortable length at the line in 19.34.

l Ava, Ronan and Dermot Mahon, along with Sinead Finn, enjoy pre-match festivities in Limerick on SundayBailey

Photo by Joe Buckley

PLANNING

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL NO.3 (YARD), BARRACK STREET, ENNIS CO.

CLARE

Take notice that Danese Cooper, Daneseworks Ltd., seeks Permission for a Change of Use at No.3 (Yard), Barrack Street, Ennis, Co.Clare from a (previous) Car Hire ServiceYard to an Open Air Eatery with, Ice Cream Vending Unit, Toilet / Sluice Room Facilities and a Steel Frame Gazebo at above address.

The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of Clare County Council Buildings, Ennis during its public opening hours and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by Clare County Council of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL ABBEYVILLE

LIMERICK RD. ENNIS CO. CLARE V95D68D

Take notice that Neil Coffey is applying to Clare County Council for planning permission to construct an extension to side of house at the above address. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in rela-

tion to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL 21 KNOCKRAHADERRY LISCANNOR

V95 P228

I, Jim Fehily wish to apply to the above Authority for permission to construct single storey side/rear extensions. Modifications to ex house with new side entrance on northeast gable. Increase width to vehicular front entrance and all associated site works to house at the above address. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Authority, during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the Planning Authority on payment of the prescribed fee of €20, within a period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application, and such submissions or observations will be considered by the Planning Authority in making a decision on the application.

The Planning Authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions or may refuse to grant permission.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL

4 CHAPEL LANE, ENNIS,

CO CLARE

Take notice that David and Fiona Whelehan intend to apply for development regarding a protected structure located in an archaeological conservation area. The development will consist of restoration / replacement of front windows / front façade, restoration / replacement and renovation of the building, partial removal of rear façade to facilitate an extension to the rear of the building and all associated ancillary works, connections to services and site works. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority, during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the authority on payment of the prescribed fee of €20.00, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL CARROWMEER, NEWMARKET ON FERGUS, CO CLARE

David and Lisa Walshe intend to apply to the above planning authority for permission to change the design of dwelling house and garage granted under existing planning permission ref; 211159 and all associated siteworks at Carrowmeer, Newmarket on Fergus, Co Clare. The application consists of a single storey extension to the south east side of the existing house and construction of a garage with

all associated site works. The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of Clare County Council during its public opening hours and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL RATHCRAGGAUN, SLAVEEN, ENNIS, CO. CLARE, V95 K22A

Take notice that Brian Foudy & Associates Ltd of Osprey House, Carmody Street, Ennis, Co. Clare 065 6893565 www.foudyconsulting.ie. intend to apply to the planning authority on behalf of Geraldine Burke for permission to retain (a) Rear sun room extension (b) Omission of attached garage & bedroom No.5 from drawings previously approved under P00/68 (c) Construction of domestic garage together with all associated site development works and services at the above address. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee with-

in the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL, FURTHER INFORMATION / REVISED PLANS

PLANNING REF: P2360031 MOUNTGORDON, MEELICK, CO. CLARE

Development Description: Permission Consequent on the grant of outline permission (Ref. No. P21/899) to build a dwelling house, private garage, vehicular entrance, wastewater treatment system and ancillary site works at the above address.

Location: Mountgordon, Meelick, Co. Clare Take notice that Amy Rochford & Darragh Nolan have lodged significant further information in respect of planning application P2360031. This information and planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Authority of Clare County Council, Plan- ning Department, Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the further information or revised plans may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, not later than 2 weeks after the receipt of the newspaper

notice and site notice by the planning authority or in the case of a planning application accompanied by an EIS within 5 weeks of receipt of such notices by the planning authority.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL CARNANE, DOOLIN, CO. CLARE

Take notice that Joshua Roche intends to apply to Clare County Council for planning permission to construct a new dwelling house, with waste water treatment system and all associated site works and services at the above address.

The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of Clare County Council during its public opening hours and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL DROMORE WOOD NATURE RESERVE, DROMORE, RUAN, CO. CLARE

Permission for the 1.) Demolition of existing storage building 2.) Construction of Staff facilities building

3.) Construction of Effluent treatment system and

4.) All associated site works is being sought by the National Parks and Wildlife

Service. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority Clare County Council, Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee of €20, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL

30 CONNOLLY VILLAS, ENNIS, CO. CLARE

Take notice that Stephen Kelleher intends to apply to the Planning Authority for permission to construct a single story extension and a roof window to the rear of his dwelling and to create off street parking to the front of his dwelling at the above address. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority, New Road, Ennis, during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the planning authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee of €20.00, within the period of 5 weeks, beginning on the date of receipt by the planning authority of the application.

The Clare Echo Quiz

1

Daniel O’Connell was elected to Parliament in the 1828 Clare by-election, the first openly Roman Catholic to do so. But what party did he represent?

Tory, Labour, Radical

2

Ennis man Moosajee Bhamjee (Labour) was Ireland’s first Muslim Teachta Dála (TD). What is his profession? Postman, Barista, Psychiatrist

l NEWMARKET NATIVE: President Michael D Higgins grew up in Newmarket on Fergus. But which school did he attend?

3

Sinn Féin candidate Éamon de Valera won The East Clare by-election of 1917. Which Irish Clare politician did he defeat?

Patrick Lynch, Arthur Lynch, Willie Redmond

4 President Michael D Higgins grew up in Newmarket on Fergus. But which school did he attend?

Shannon Comprehensive, St Flannan’s, Rice College

5 How many county councillors currently serve in Clare? 18, 24, 28

6 In 2016, only one Clare candidate got more than 10,000 1st preference votes. Who was it?

Pat Breen, Michael Harty, Timmy Dooley

7 Thirty-five TDs have been elected from Clare since 1922. But how have been female?

1, 2, 3

8 President Patrick Hillary was from where? Ennis, Spanish Point, Ennistymon

9 Which politician got the lowest number of first preference votes in Clare history with 21 votes?

Hugh O’Brien (Ind, 1981), Dermot Mulqueen (Ind, 2016) , Noel Moran (PD, 1989)

10 Up until 1898 until it was transferred, which Clare village was in the Galway constituency?

Tubber, Mountshannon, Ballyvaughan

Spot the Difference

Can you spot the 7 differences

Last weeks answers

. Socks different colour (left)

. Dot misssing on letter i in logisitcs

. Pole missing in fence

. Crest missing on jersey (centre)

. Piece of the letter Y missing on Carmody . Crest missing on green jersey (right) . O missing on sign bottom right

Clare supporters attending the Munster Hurling Final last weekend in Limerick

1. Radical

2. Psychiatrist

3. Patrick Lynch

4. St Flannan’s

5. 28

6. Timmy Dooley

7. 2

8. Spanish Point

9. Hugh O’Brien (Ind, 1981)

10. Mountshannon

l HISTORY: Sinn Féin candidate Éamon de Valera won The East Clare by-election of 1917. Which Irish Clare politician did he defeat?

photo by Joe Buckley

THIS WEEKS PUZZLES JUNE 15th

WORD SEARCH

HOW TO PLAY

Sudoku is a logic puzzle where you have to populate the grid with numbers. A number can appear only once in each row, column and house. Each puzzle can be solved using logic from the given information and requires no guesswork.

The Clare Echo Crossword

ACROSS

7 Clever (11)

8 Gas used in balloons (6)

9 Romantic song (6)

10 Room divider (6)

12 Hit (6)

13 Make a dove-like sound (3)

14 Gambling establishment (6)

16 Sparse (6)

18 Smart (6)

20 Cad (6)

22 Lack of respect (11)

ANSWERS

DOWN

1 Bicycle (4)

2 Walk with long steps (6)

3 Spanish music (8)

4 Arm or leg (4)

5 Underground room (6)

6 Assailant (8)

11 Padre (8)

12 Broad-brimmed Mexican hat (8)

15 Turn upside down (6)

17 Pay heed (6)

19 Wander (5)

21 Regular (4)

CROSSWORD ANSWERS