Councillors go against engineer’s advice in Inagh

FIANNA Fáil representatives have defied the recommendations of senior engineers in Clare County Council to proceed with declaring a local road in Inagh as a public road, writes Páraic McMahon l One of Philip Brennan’s stunning pieces

Last November, Cllr Shane Talty (FF) had requested the local road in Drumlish, Inagh be declared as a public road, a proposal which was seconded by Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG).

In a written response at the time, senior executive engineer, Enda MacNamara had outlined that the roads and transportation section of the Council would proceed with the process of taking in charge the road in accordance with Section 11 of the Roads Act 1993.

Taking in charge is a request to have certain services taken in charge when a development is completed to the satisfaction of the local authority.

COLAISTE MUIRE REUNION

This exhibition features a selection of paintings from around County Clare and Philip’s fascination with so many aspects of his native county is reflected in the many themes on display.

There are seascapes and landscapes, with inspiration from Clare’s rivers, coast, weather, history, wildlife, old stories, and music. Each painting tries to capture a moment in the Clare year, everything including the Tau cross at Kilnaboy, Skylarks having a territorial dispute, hunting Sparrowhawk near Carron, the coast from New Quay to the Bridges of Ross, singers and musicians, the Fergus in Ennis, snow on Quin Abbey and Mullaghmore, dolphins at Bunratty, Poulnabrone, and the amazing return of the White-tailed Sea Eagle to Lough Derg after over a hundred years.

Philip Brennan grew up on a farm on the outskirts of Ennis.

He has been exhibiting paintings since the early 1970s with 24 solo exhibitions to date, as well two books that mainly feature Clare.

Did you do your leaving certificate in Colaiste Muire, Ennis in 1983?

If so, we are organising a reunion of the students for this September. The reunion will take place in Ennis on the evening of Saturday September 16th. If you would like to attend we would love to see you. Contact Mary Howard at maryhoward2009@gmail.com or at 086 87 802 98 or any of the organising committee.

Presenting a report at the July meeting of the West Clare Municipal District in a follow-up to Cllr Talty’s request, MacNamara detailed that the document had been compiled in accordance with the taking in charge policy.

He explained, “there are a number of minimum requirements on the taking in charge policy and a number of them have not been met”.

Subsequently, he said, “the recommendation is that Clare County Council do not take this road in charge”. The item had been a late addition to the agenda of the West Clare MD sitting which took place in Kilrush. Despite the advice from the senior engineer, Cllr Talty stated, “I am proposing that having considered the report that the road in question be declared a public road”.

“I am seconding that, we have considered, that is the optimum word,” remarked Cllr PJ Kelly (FF).