The Clare Echo 22/06/23

Jun 22 2023

‘Put air security base in Shannon’

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

A CASE FOR basing an Irish Air Policing Fighter Squadron at Shannon Airport has been pitched by two retired members of the Irish Defence Forces.

In a new proposal, Brigadier General Ger Aherne (Retd) and Lieutenant Colonel Jim Lynott (Air Corps Pilot Retired) have argued that Shannon Airport can be better utilised to station Irish intercept aircraft.

An initial outlay of €350m and annual operational costs of €20m would be needed for Ireland to have this sovereign capability, the duo outlined. “I believe there is support for it, the

MAKING A SPLASH

reason we’re doing this is to say it’s not outside the reach of Ireland economically, relatively speaking it’s peanuts,” Aherne told The Clare Echo Stationing sovereign air assets at Shannon would serve lift the confidence of EU and international allies, they maintained. “It would increase the use and prestige of Shannon Airport, be a multiplier of military employment to that region with its ripple effect economic benefits. Crewing/staffing air policing at Shannon would require 200 Air Corps personnel of mixed qualifications/skillsets. When families are added to that workforce, it could reach as many as 1,000 people, consistent with the states policy of supporting regional development and employment in an area long associated with aviation”.

More on Page 6

‘Best in the business’ steps down

GLOWING TRIBUTES have been paid across the football divide to Colm Collins after he called time on his ten-season stint as manager of the Clare senior footballers.

Kilmihil native

Colm was appointed Clare manager in September 2013, he was the longest serving inter-county manager in the game at the time

of his resignation. During his stewardship, he led Clare to promotion from the bottom tier of the Allianz National Football League to Division 2 where they kept their status for seven years.

Collins was also the first manager to guide Clare to appearances in the AllIreland SFC quarterfinals, reaching the stage in 2016

and 2022 where they came up short against Kerry and Derry.

He announced that he would not be seeking a new term in charge in the dressing room of Pearse Park on Saturday evening following Clare’s exit from the All-Ireland SFC.

Clare captain, Eoin Cleary described Collins as “the ultimate players manager” and added “we were never playing for Clare we were playing for Colm Collins”. Defender, Ciaran Russell said Colm was “the definition of a great man manager” and called him “the best in the business”.

More on Page 24

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l Turlough Gormley makes his own fun at the Relay For Life event held at Tim Smythe Park in Ennis last weekend Photo by John Mangan

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Graduate numbers reach new high at Youth Service

GRADUATE awards at the Community Training Centre of the Clare Youth Service have reached a new high.

50 young people graduated with major and minor national qualifications from the Community Training Centre which is the largest ever graduate group and reflects the increasing choice of education and career pathways available to young people in the county.

Awards included Leaving Cert Applied, Moving On – Pathways to Progression Programme, QQI Level 3 Employability Skills and QQI Level 4 Creative Media Technology. Most of the recipients came to the Community Training Centre (CTC) to pursue a second chance at achieving an academic qualification and the high number of awards has demonstrated the success of this option.

Mayor of the Ennis Municipal District and member of the Limerick and Clare Education & Training Board (LCETB), Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) presented the awards to the young people. She highlighted the contribution of CTC to the local community and the value of the service in Ennis as part of the multiple pathways now available to young

people.

Further Education and Training Manager with the LCETB, Sean O’Carroll congratulated the young people and their families on their great achievements and encouraged them to continue to avail of the many opportunities available within Further Education and Training, “LCETB is delighted to work in partnership with Clare Youth Service to deliver a high-quality training and education programme. The commitment of the CTC team has ensured that each young person is supported to achieve their individual learning and progression goals”.

CTC Manager, Edel Mc-

Donough acknowledged the hard work of the CTC team in creating a safe and nurturing environment for young people to grow. Courses are supported by Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board and co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Social Fund and the Youth Employment Initiative as part of the ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning.

If you are between 16 and 21 years and interested in achieving certification in a supported environment, contact Edel McDonough, CTC Manager at 065 6845359 for further information.

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

lTHUMBS UP: Fionn, Aoife and Ciaran McCabe Photo by Paschal Brooks

lSUCCESS: Patrik Balong Photo by Paschal Brooks

Tributes paid to ‘inspirational’ Br Seán MacNamara

by Tony Mulvey News@clareecho.ie

SINCE his death on Saturday last, many tributes have been paid to Brother Seán MacNamara who has been one of Co. Clare’s finest ambassadors for many years.

Popular and widely known, he was a native of Kilmurry McMahon and was a few months short of his 96th birthday.

A fluent Irish speaker, Brother Seán had interests that ranged from the GAA, Irish language, music flora and fauna of the Burren, photography and electronics. He was highly respected and welcomed everywhere he went. Mourners attending his funeral mass in Ennis Cathedral on Tuesday were told that Brother Seán was an inspiration, a symbol of dedication and above all a true friend to all.

He produced numerous publications and wrote weekly columns for local newspapers. He will be remembered for his interest in the GAA and its founder Michael Cusack. He wrote extensively on the man from Carron. He also published the 96-page book The Man from Carron. In recent years, he provoked controversy when he claimed that the GAA was founded in Cusack’s home in Gardiner Place Dublin (now the Dergvale Hotel) rather than in Hayes’ Hotel in Thurles.

In his latest and last publication, Michael Cusackthe GAA Where and When -Brother Seán said he had no choice but to accept that the GAA was Michael Cusack’s brain child and born in his academy.

He donated all his research work and articles on Cusack to the Michael Cusack Centre in Carron where he gave another talk last September on the occasion of the 175th birthday of Cusack.

Other publications included Gardening with Seán MacNamara, DVDs on Clare’s Wonderland and The life and Times of John MacNamara October 1927 to April 2010.

For close on 15 years he had regular features in Our Boys, the Christian Brothers magazine. He also founded the Radio Club and the Gardening Club in 1965. He was elected chairman of the Garden Association of Ireland and as well as competing he also acted as judge at flower

shows all over Ireland.

He was a loyal supporter and officer of the Clare Association in Dublin, Muintir an Chlair for over 30 years and at the time of his death was the association’s representative in Clare. He served as its PRO for years.

A highlight for Brother Seán was being named Clare Person of the Year by Muintir an Chlair in 2002.

Fr. Tom McGrath also presented him with a special papal award to mark his 76 years in the Christian Brothers. The Cross of Honour, is unique and seldom awarded. It is the highest medal that can be awarded to anyone in the Catholic Church.

Brother Seán marked special occasions for friends by sending them cards he made himself.

Seán’s 85th birthday. Brother Seán’s death at Milford Care Centre, Limerick in the early hours of June 17 after a short illness caused widespread sorrow in Clare, Ireland and further afield.

Reposing was at Daly’s Mortuary Chapel, Ennis on the evening of June 19 for the removal of his remains to Ennis Cathedral. They were met by the Bishop of Killaloe, Bishop Fintan Monahan who joined in the tributes to Brother Seán and by Fr. Tom Ryan, parish priest. Various clubs and organisations which Brother Seán supported were represented.

Fr. Ryan was chief celebrant of requiem mass on June 20 assisted by Fr. Tom McGrath, Kilmurry McMahon, Fr. David Carroll and Fr. Ger Jones, Ennis and Fr.Martin Shanahan, Inagh. Among the attendance was Bishop Willie Walsh.

One of Co. Clare’s best known personalities, he retired from teaching in 2000 having been associated with more than 10 different centres of education. After his retirement he came to live in Ennis CBS Monastery from 2003.

Born on October 10, 1927, he was a son of Michael and Margaret MacNamara, Kilmurry East, Kilmurry McMahon. He attended Drumdigus National School and went on to attend the Christian Brothers secondary school in Kilrush and on completion of his studies he went to Baldoyle and Marino in preparation for the teaching profession in the Irish Christian Brothers.

When he was professed he received the name Brother Walter in religious life.In 1979 he was presented with a Papal Bene Merenti award for his service to the church.

The MacNamara home was also a shop in the 1930s and 1940s and was a well known local landmark. It is now known as The Rambling House and is preserved in the old style, looking like it did 80 years ago. It is now a favourite meeting place and was the venue for a memorable night to mark Brother

It was a moving ceremony which reflected Brother Seán’s love of Irish music, Irish dancing, Irish songs and sean nos singing, all performed by the primary school pupils of Ennis CBS. They also delivered a specially composed song about Brother Seán and his native Co. Clare.

Fr.Ryan referred to the long association between Ennis and the Christian Brothers dating back to 1827. He said Brother Seán always loved change, to meet people and have new experiences. He was delighted in being a Christian Brother and he told him on many occasions that he delighted to be involved with young people as a teacher to inculcate in them a love of hobbies and past times.“It is difficult in a few words to describe Brother Seán’s achievements. He had a great love for plants and gardening, a love he received from his mother. His love of the Burren nurtured a great interest in wildlife and flowers”, he said.

Graveside prayers at Kilmurry McMahon cemetery were recited by Fr. Tom McGrath in the presence of Fr. Tom Ryan and many friends. Afterwards Paul Markham made the Rambling House open to all of Brother Seán friends.

Sympathy is expressed to Brother Seán’s cousins and to his Christian Brothers in Ennis, Brother Donal, Brother Michael, Brother Dick and Brother Denis.

l The late Brother Seán McNamara

It is difficult to describe his achievements in a few words ”

Do not swim notices issued for two beaches

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

DO NOT swim notices have been issued for Spanish Point and White Strand in Miltown Malbay.

On Tuesday afternoon, Clare County Council on the advice of the HSE issued the bathing prohibitions at Spanish Point and White Strand.

Spanish Point will have the red flag flying until further notice. The restrictions have been introduced as the results of routine bathing water samples taken at both locations had elevated levels of bacteria.

Run-off from the catchment after exceptionally heavy rainfall has resulted in elevated levels of bacteria being identified in the water.

In accordance with An Taisce’s Blue Flag programme, the Blue Flags at both bathing areas will be removed until such time as the water quality improves.

Red flags down in Fanore after Lion’s Mane visit

RED flags were flying for a total of five days at Fanore due to the presence of the Lion’s Mane jellyfish. No further sightings of the Lion’s Mane have been spotted since June 10th in Fanore, this also marked the last of a five day run of lifeguards having red flags flying at the North Clare beach.

Between five to 15 Lion’s Mane jellyfish had washed up on Fanore Beach on each of

Dream Bigger!

the days that the Red Flags were erected.

One of the largest jellyfish species, the Lion’s Mane jellyfish can measure up to three metres, their tentacles are full of stinging cells used to capture fish and other prey.

A sting to a human from a Lion’s Mane jellyfish can cause nausea, sweating, cramps, headaches and other symptoms and severe stings should seek urgent medical attention.

lRESTRICTIONS: Spanish Point beach

lLion’s Mane jellyfish

Retired Defence Forces officials pitch case for fighter squadron at Shannon

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

SHANNON Airport is the strongest location for the establishment of an Irish Air Policing Fighter Squadron, retired members of the Irish Defence Forces have argued.

In a new proposal, Brigadier General Ger Aherne (Retd) and Lieutenant Colonel Jim Lynott (Air Corps Pilot Retired) have put forward the case for Shannon Airport to be better utilised to station Irish intercept aircraft.

Ireland’s national security indifference has “alarmed” EU and international partners, they stated “directly threatens their national security, most especially Europe’s. Historically, Ireland believed its geography on the periphery of Europe was a defence against malign attack. Not anymore. Ireland’s positioning controls the western air and sea approaches to Europe, avenues of approach for potential malign air and sea belligerents. Many undersea cables connecting the world pass under Irish waters”. They flagged that Ireland is one of the richest economies in Europe.

An approximate 1.2m flights pass through Irish airspace on an annual basis equating to 80 percent of trans-Atlantic flights.

National air sovereignty is not protected despite the fact that “85 per cent of all transatlantic flights enter and pay a navigation charge to transit Ireland’s airspace,” they claimed. Primary radar miliary specification detection, air intercept capability and communications capability for high level decision making are viewed as the basic requirements to protect national air sovereignty.

They added, “Ireland is the only country on Europe’s West Atlantic frontier not possessing primary military radar and QRA capabilities This is a worrying gap in Western European airspace monitoring and air security”. On Europe’s western flank, Norway, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal and Iceland possess sizeable air policing capabilities with primary military radar and Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) aircraft.

Presently, Ireland does not have a meaningful air policing capability but must develop one rapidly, Aherne and Lynott stated. “For Ireland to acquire that capability would entail an initial capital cost €350m to purchase the aircraft and an annual crewing and maintenance cost of €20m”.

Air policing typically consists of four key elements intercept aircraft, rapid response, situational awareness and command/control systems support. The current air policing capability in Ireland is “token” in their view.

“Ireland has no effective primary radar with no capability to monitor its sovereign airspace. European countries of Ireland’s size, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Austria possess comprehensive ‘full’ air defence with large fleets of 4th/5th Generation fighter aircraft.

“Any Irish air policing aircraft should be stationed along our west coast to launch into the most likely approach paths of rogue or unidentified aircraft, namely from the west and northwest approaches. This makes Shannon Airport the best operationally appropriate location to station Irish intercept aircraft”.

Stationing sovereign air assets at Shannon would serve lift the confidence of EU and international allies, they maintained. “It would

lBrigadier General Ger Aherne (Retd)

Shannon would require 200 Air Corps personnel of mixed qualifications/skillsets. When families are added to that workforce, it could reach as many as 1,000 people, consistent with the states policy of supporting regional development and employment in an area long associated with aviation”.

Light Combat Aircraft would be deemed as appropriate aircraft for such a role in Ireland.

“These are advanced supersonic jet training aircraft converted to combat use and capable of high-altitude, high-speed intercept,” they explained.

“For an initial outlay of €350m, and an annual operational cost of €20m, its long overdue Ireland having this sovereign capability. Shannon Airport is strategically and operationally ideal for this task,” they added.

Speaking to The Clare Echo on Tuesday morning, Kiltoom native Aherne believed the outlay of €350m and annual fees of €20m was not too much to ask. “I believe there is support for it, the reason we’re doing this is to say it’s not outside the reach of Ireland economically, relatively speaking it’s peanuts”.

He pointed to “the true neutrals of Europe” namechecking Austria, Switzerland “and up until recently” Finland who possess “massive armies” yet don’t under-fund their housing or health services. “The common belief in Ireland is that it is financially out of reach, it is not financially out of reach”.

Strength of the Defence Forces in Ireland hasn’t been as low since the 1960s, Aherne remarked while pointing out it has been subject to 12 overviews and reforms in the past 20 years, “it has suffered from policy and budget deficits from successive Governments”.

increase the use and prestige of Shannon Airport, be a multiplier of military employment to that region with its ripple effect economic benefits. Crewing/staffing air policing at

While the Defence Forces struggles with recruitment, he believed a ‘build it and they will come’ approach regarding the Shannon project would help in this sector and could take five to 10 years to complete. “The Airport is there, it is staffed in traffic control, there’s loads of room in Shannon, it is geographically ideal for where you want a surge”.

Holly’s Pharmacy, 23 Abbey Street, Ennis, Co.Clare

Inch locals willing to enter mediation process with ‘decision-makers’

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

INCH locals have agreed in part to enter a mediation process as suggested following their meeting with Junior Minister, Joe

O’Brien (GP).

O’Brien who is Minister of State for Community Development, Integration and Charities met with representatives of a community group from Inch on Thursday afternoon. It was his second visit to the county to deal specifi-

cally with the arrival of over 30 male asylum seekers to Magowna House in Inch.

During the meeting on Thursday afternoon, the Junior Minister offered the Inch delegation a structured and agreed mediation process that would include Inch locals and residents of Magowna House, provided both parties accepted this. No further international protection applicants will be sent to Magowna House while the mediation process is ongoing.

In a statement to The Clare Echo, Inch residents thanked the Junior Minister for fulfilling the commitment he gave a month ago to meet with their group again.

However, they were frustrated with some comments made by the Dublin TD subsequent to their meeting.

“We were frustrated and disappointed by some of the Minister’s media comments following our meeting where he suggested that the Women of Inch group and the content of their letter was not represented in the meeting, this is incorrect. We feel that we were very clear in last Thursday’s meeting and in other communications that the Women of Inch are an integral part of the peaceful community protest. We have clarified this misunderstanding with the Minister”.

Locals in Inch said mediation between their community and the men at Magowna House

“is not necessary” as “there is no dispute between the Inch community and the Magowna House residents. That being said we would be happy to enter into mediation with the decision makers who chose to open this all male facility in rural Inch”.

Magowna house “is not fit for purpose” in housing international protection applicants due to its rural location, lack of amenities and transport links to Ennis, Inch residents argued. “The fact that 60 plus males are going to be housed in our rural area continues to cause huge stress for our community, the nationality of these men is not important, numbers need to be kept at a lower level and, ideally, accommodation should have a gender mix or focused towards families”.

Following a public meeting over the weekend, Inch locals issued the Junior Minister with an update on Monday.

“In the coming days, we intend to reach out to our local public representatives again, both Council and Oireachtas members, to once again to see if they can help us find a common sense solution to resolve the ongoing dispute, we know that some have been working on our behalf in the background and we hope that with renewed focus a breakthrough can be made,” the statement added.

Information vacuum 'detrimental' to integration of refugees

INFORMATION deficits are proving “detrimental to the success of the acceptance” of asylum seekers and refugees into communities across the county, a North Clare representative has said, writes Páraic McMahon Officials in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth must “improve their line of communication with Oireachtas Members, Local Authority (Forum), and Councillors with regard to properties considered/chosen for use for International Protection within County Clare,” Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) stated in a motion put before Clare County Council.

Pinch points have been experienced in the county as a result of the absence of information, Cllr Killeen noted. “Integration is a huge part of policy to be prioritised for our county, however there is a lack of information for choosing the location for accommodation for Ukrainians and asylum seekers”.

He informed the meeting that he had unsuccessfully attempted to obtain information on the rumoured use of a five-bedroom property in Scool between Corofin and Dysart for housing asylum seekers.

It emerged that that no contract had been issued by the Department but this correspondence came after a local man in his seventies was left with an eye injury from far-right protesters.

Cllr Killeen commented, “the vacuum of information is detrimental to the success to the acceptance of people into our communities”.

Work of the Director of Services for Ukrainian Services Development within the Council Jason Murphy has “helped the line of communication,” Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) maintained.

“A piece of work can be done locally, there is a gap between information from management, agencies and the community frontline on the ground,” he said.

Recent public meetings held in Carrigaholt to discuss the potential use of Coláiste Uí Chomhraidhe for accommodating Ukrainians fleeing the war was referenced by Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF), “the main concern was what support could we give the people coming”.

He continued, “It’s the vacuum that causes the problem, it allows people from outside to agitate, the absence of information is the biggest threat.

“Do you trust your community to be positive about something or are you afraid they will push back?”

Minister for Integration, Roderic O’Gorman (GP) was criticised by Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF), “It strikes me that Minister O’Gorman is trying to keep the information from the people until the last minute,” he commented.

Chief Executive of Clare County Council, Pat Dowling said, “Our duty as a local authority is to protect the welfare and interests of all our citizens, that is what we have to do, communication is important but the narrative has to be around integration around whatever communities in Co Clare”.

Dowling added, “it is no longer a case of how we welcome or not welcome, it’s more how do we ensure effective and proper integration for those who continue to come and will come”.

He said, “It is a lot more than communication, there must be wrap around services available, that is the space that the local authority is in and will continue to be in. We will need to prepare a very detailed integration plan for this county and all our citizens”.

lTALKS: Junior Minister Joe O’Brien visiting Magowna House Photo by John Mangan

Council confident of delivery of more affordable homes

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

FURTHER applications for affordable housing schemes are to be made in areas where it a need is evident, the Chief Executive of Clare County Council has said.

Approval has been granted by the Department of Housing for the inclusion of Ennis and Shannon in the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) which is an open funding system allowing local authorities to submit proposals to deliver homes in areas with the greatest need for affordable housing intervention.

Persons on moderate incomes are assisted to buy new homes at reduced prices under the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme. Homes included in the scheme are located in areas with the greatest housing need and where affordability is an issue.

Clare County Council’s greatest housing demand across the county is for one and two-bedroom properties. There are 2,176 applicant households who have a requirement for this property type. The Council’s assessment team are currently carrying out a review of the areas where the

demand for this property type is greatest. This exercise was carried out recently in the Shannon area and was an opportunity to meet with households in person and update their details. This exercise is currently being carried out where applicant households have selected Feakle, Scariff and Whitegate as an area of preference.

The Town Hall Bistro

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

cial Development SPC said the Council cannot become idle on its progress during the summer, “The month of August is a barren spell in local authorities, everyone is on holidays, the ship is sailing but the captain is not on board in a lot of quarters,” he remarked.

Acting senior executive officer in the Council’s housing section, Padraig Mac Cormaic insisted progress was being made on both schemes. “We have to decide as a Council if it will be 100 per cent of applicants accepted nationally or 30 per cent. The regulations are for Co Clare, if we have in excess of 30 per cent applicants we can limit it to Co Clare”. Individual mortgages cannot be discussed as part of the schemes, he added.

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

Speaking at the June meeting of the Council, Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND) stated, “we now need to prioritise the next steps on the affordable schemes in Ennis and Shannon in the development of these schemes”. He believed the engagement process should include persons that have the opportunity to access mortgages.

Flynn who is Chair of the So-

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.

Chief Executive of the Council, Pat Dowling was buoyant of further positive outcomes on the housing front in Clare. “While we have received approval in context of Ennis and Shannon, it doesn’t preclude us from making a strong case where it is justified for an approved housing scheme in Clare, now the door is ajar for us we are going to try push it wide open”.

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.

lHousing schemes

Relay for Life are still accepting donations online. Scan the QR code or visit relayforlifeennis.ie/

Relay for Life shines through rainy days

lHOPE: Enjoying Relay for Life in Ennis at the weekend were (Clockwise from above): Ellie Danagher takes a break from the festivities; Lucienne Treac, Angela Gardiner and Shona McFall brave the rain; Anne Moloney has a chat with Mickey Mouse; Ciara Hughes, Mary Murray, Louise Daly and Tony Donnolly; Clodagh Malone, Sophie White, Molly O’Malley and Maeve O’Malley Photos by John Mangan

Joe Garrihy and Bill Slattery get the nod for Fine Gael in North Clare

by Páraic McMahon paraic @clareecho.ie

FINE Gael have opted to keep the same ticket in North Clare for the local elections which saw them lose a sitting councillor and elect a first-time candidate in 2019.

At Thursday’s selection convention at The Falls Hotel, the directive from party headquarters to choose two candidates was confirmed and with just Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) and Bill Slattery nominated it meant there was no vote required and the duo were automatically put forward. 2009 was the last time Fine Gael successfully elected two candidates in Ennistymon when both Conway and Joe Arkins (FG) prevailed, the duo were also elected in the same area for 2004.

It is the second convention held by Fine Gael for the 2024 local elections which take place next June and again there has been no vote with the Ennis Municipal District trio of Cllr Mary Howard (FG), Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) and Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) going unchallenged to be the party’s representatives.

Chaired by Galway-East TD, Ciaran Cannon (FG), the selection convention for the Ennistymon local electoral area was a straight-forward affair with just the two nom-

inees. Former Clare TD, Madeline Taylor-Quinn (FG) was also among those present, the first Fine Gael Mayor of Clare currently serves as the Chairperson of the party’s branch in Co Clare.

Lahinch’s Slattery was the only sitting councillor to lose their seat at the 2019 local elections. He has been involved with Fine Gael since 1978, he was co-opted to Clare County Council in 2011 with Mar-

tin Conway’s (FG) election to the Seanad and successfully retained his seat in 2014 with 1,769 first preference votes.

Since his departure from the Council, Bill has joined the Clare Joint Policing Committee (JPC) where he flagged incidents such as pubs in Lahinch refusing access to stag parties and seeking greater resources in the busy coastal spot. He sits on the JPC as the Lahinch De-

velopment Association representative. News of Slattery’s bid to return to politics was first reported by The Clare Echo and in the intervening two weeks, he has intensified his bid including securing a spot on Clare FM’s Morning Focus to hit out at anti-social behaviour in Lahinch and the abuse of car-parking spaces by campervans along the promenade. There was rancour within Fine Gael following Slattery’s 2019 de-

feat. Relations between him and Senator Conway have not recovered with the Lahinch man blaming Senator Conway for adding Garrihy to the ticket and thus impacting on his vote, “I wouldn’t say I was defeated but ousted by certain members of my own organisation,” he memorably stated at the time.

Garrihy who first joined Fine Gael in advance of the 2019 local elections will be bidding to retain his seat for the first time. The Lisdoonvarna native has as Cathaoirleach of the West Clare Municipal District in his tenture.

He has also been vocal on the need for supports to be in place so that towns and villages in the area can be sustainable for future generations and to ensure all areas of North Clare benefit from the increasing popularity of the Cliffs of Moher. Formerly General Manager of Lahinch Seaworld, Joe has been successful prior to entering politics of securing a long list of grants for various groups in the Burren and Lahinch, his knack of being able to look in the right places for answers has been tested in the local authority.

Joe returned to live in Co Clare in 1995 having resided in Dublin and Chicago prior to this.

lLOCAL ELECTIONS: Joe Garrihy (FG), Bill Slattery (FG), Madeline Taylor Quinn (FG) and Ciaran Cannon TD (FG)

‘People of MidWest getting the beds they are owed’

VIEWED as a contender for the leadership of Fine Gael, Simon Harris (FG) has said An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (FG) will be leading the party into the next General Election and that he has his support.

Five sitting Fine Gael TDs have announced they will not be contesting the next General Election. It is put to the Minister for Higher Education, Harris by The Clare Echo that he could be the leader of a new-look Fine Gael following this election.

Harris responded, “A number of people who have decided not to run have been around for a very long time in politics and have given many years, I think of my good friend David Stanton in Cork-East who has been a TD for 26 years, his home is about four hours from the Dáil and he has made his decision, he has made a really good contribution. Lots of people do these things for different reasons, more and more you will see people come into politics for a period of time and perhaps not as long a period of time as you are used to, politics is faster paced than what is used to be.

“We have an excellent team here in Fine Gael, we have my good friend Deputy Joe Carey and Senator Martin Conway, we have a number of really good councillors who will all be working hard in the run-up to the local elections and I look forward to supporting them, other issues don’t arise at the minute”.

Current polls place Fine Gael at 18 per cent which is behind Fianna Fáil and further adrift from Sinn Féin. A former Minister for Health, Harris outlined that no current member of Government would accept that overcrowding in the MidWest region was acceptable.

“It’s so important with what Minister Donnelly is doing on speeding up the expansion of Limerick is supported, I remember when I was Minister for Health we had the commencement of the new 96 bed block, that has been followed with another expansionary facility, there has also been changes with regards to Ennis Hospital and I know the people of Clare feel very strongly on the protocol of going to Lim-

Deadliest year of abuse by new Haven Horizons

by Páraic McMahon @clareecho.ie

erick for things which could be done in Clare.

“Nobody in Government will suggest the overcrowding in Limerick is acceptable, we have a job to do in terms of expanding capacity, we’re doing that and at a pace and rate which hasn’t been seen before, at the same time that the facilities are managed well and that the people of the Mid-West see a return on their investment for shorter waiting times for people and that has to be focused”.

“There is a real fast-track on the capital development, the 96 bed block was brought forward but now they are pushing on to do even more, it will be interesting to see how the protocol changes for Ennis and other small hospitals, is there potential to do more, I know it is something Government will be thinking of in their review, we won’t be found wanting in terms of capital development.

“I kicked off the expansion of Limerick when I was in the Department of Health, I recognise fully that the people of the Mid-West are being served by a health service which simply isn’t large enough for its population, they were promised when reconfiguration happened many years ago lots of extra beds in Limerick, those extra beds are going in now in real time and our job as a Government is to really keep the pressure on to ensure they are delivered as quick as possible”.

People of the Mid-West are now getting the beds they were owed, Minister Harris maintained. “The frustration that people have experienced with the health service is the length of time it takes to deliver capital projects.

“In fairness to my colleague Minister Donnelly, he has taken steps to accelerate the delivery of those extra beds in Limerick, what happened many years ago in terms of reconfiguration and being promised extra beds but reconfiguration happened and people were left waiting for bed capacity. What we’ve been trying to do as a Government and I started it in the Department of Health was to deliver the beds owed to the people in the Mid-West”.

ADOMESTIC, sexual and gender-based abuse (DSGBA) community practice has been launched by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation, and Science, Simon Harris (FG) in Ennis.

Developed in collaboration between Ennis based Haven Horizons and the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest (TUS), the community practice forms part of ongoing efforts towards zero tolerance of domestic abuse. Their work has resulted in the development and delivery of accredited training on domestic abuse and coercive control.

Speaking at the launch at Haven Horizons’ office on the Mill Rd in Ennis, Madeline McAleer who is research, training and development director at the voluntary organisation commented, “Despite the unprecedented investment into services for victims of domestic abuse, 2022 was the deadliest year for women and children in Ireland in a decade - 12 women and 5 children were murdered. The Community of Practice, which is part of our Knowledge and Research Centre, seeks to address this”.

She added, “we all need to keep asking ourselves why is this happening and what do we need to do to change it, we have to work from the bottom in individual knowledge right to the top in legislation”.

Minister Harris stated “it is an epidemic in Ireland when it comes to sexual violence”. The importance of changing laws was also recognised by the Wicklow TD, an area he became more familiar while filling the role of Minister for Justice during Helen McEntee’s (FG) maternity leave. “We live in a country where there is a real problem with sexual violence, Garda and CSO stats show that. Most of those who have experienced it know the perpetrator”.

Haven Horizons were described by Minister Harris as trailblazers over a long period of time and a group that is “changing Ireland for the better”. He noted the involvement of TUS in what was a successful partnership. “When I was appointed Minister in this Depart-

ment with this ridiculously long title, a very long title with a simple purpose, my goal was helping everyone reach their potential”. Education systems will not work if persons do not feel safe, Minister Harris acknowledged.

Ten students completed the accredited Continuous Professional Development training devised by Haven Horizons and were presented with their certificates by Minister Harris. “Today is another step in the research step and tackling what is a really big issue,” he said before issuing the scrolls to the members of An Garda Síochána who enrolled in the course.

President of TUS Professor Vincent Cunnane said the third level institute had “a very fruitful partnership” with Haven Horizons.

He commented, “Haven Horizons had the passion and vision to bring together academics and practitioners in the field of domestic, sexual and gender-based abuse to influence real societal change, and TUS matched that passion and vision to help make that change a reality. The Community of Practice represents the logical next step in our partnership. It is the fusion of theory with practical experience and theory that will help propel the field forward and underpin more beneficial change in society that will benefit people in very real ways”.

Training received is improving the work of Gardaí in the Clare Division, Chief Supt Colm O’Sullivan outlined. “Having Gardaí of different ranks who have completed this interagency training has changed the way in which domestic abuse and coercive control are responded to and investigated in the Clare Division. The collaborative approach provides Gardaí and other agencies an opportunity to learn the latest trends and proactive responses to domestic abuse and coercive control”.

Offering further insight into the programme, Madeline explained, “Connecting the lived experience of survivors with frontline professionals, academics, policymakers, and legislators has the potential to revolutionise the response to domestic, sexual and gender-based abuse.

“Currently, research in the field of domestic, sexual and gen-

der-based abuse is fragmented and findings are not translated into practice, policy, and legislation quickly enough. The price of this disconnect has been paid by thousands of victims of domestic abuse and coercive control, some

of whom have lost She added, “Education erful, but it is knowledge to influence practice, policy, leads to cultural, systemic change.”

Public do not have a veto on who

MEMBERS of the public do not have a veto on who lives next to them, Minister for Higher Education, Simon Harris (FG) has said, writes Páraic McMahon

A month ago, Minister Harris was among the first members of Cabinet to criticise Inch locals for mounting a blockade following the arrival of 34 male asylum seekers to Magowna House calling their actions “inappropriate”.

Having temporarily been Minister for Justice during Helen McEntee’s (FG) maternity

leave, Minister Harris also said the Gardaí needed to reflect on why it did not intervene in allowing Inch residents block access to a publicly owned road.

Speaking in Ennis, Minister Harris told The Clare Echo, “I do stand by my view that blockades is not the way to go and every single person in this country has a right to go about their business unimpeded but of course local communities also have a right to make their voices heard and it’s about getting that balance right, there have been

occasions when that balance wasn’t correct”.

He welcomed the return visit of Junior Minister with responsibility for Integration, Joe O’Brien (GP) to meet with Inch locals. “It is really important that as a Government we all continue to engage with communities, we answer questions and provide information, Minister O’Brien is doing a good job

l NEW HORIZON: President of TUS Vincent Cunnane, Maura Clancy, Minister Simon Harris, Claudine Donnellan

to be addressed programme

lost their lives”.

“Education is powusing our shared influence and inform and legislation that cultural, structural, and change.”

Co-founder of Haven Horizons,

Reddington told the launch that their organisation was “quite a small outfit”. She added, “you recognise the patterns on what a dangerous relationship is from doing the course, he or she, it’s usually

he that is controlling the partner”. Along with Caoimhe Feerick, daughter of co-founder Mary Fitzgerald, Colette presented Minister Harris with a copy of the book ‘Light on the Horizon’ before he departed Ennis.

lives beside them - Harris

in that regard”.

Government’s lack of communication and particularly that emerging from the Department of Integration on the use of facilities in housing international protection applicants and persons fleeing war in Ukraine has been criticised.

Efforts must be made to improve the lines of communication, Minister Harris acknowledged. “I definitely acknowledge that we have been trying to do things in real time, as a result there hasn’t always been the

time to consult in advance and we need to get better at that.

“As we move beyond the initial stage into a stage which will be with us for quite a while I think it is important to look at how we can better communicate with communities, nobody has a veto on who lives beside them, Ireland has really stepped up and communities in Co Clare have really stepped up but at the same time it is important we listen to communities and we financially support them”.

Colette

Cunnane, Madeline Mc Aleer (Training, Research and Development Director of HH), Dean of TUS Dr Donnellan (TUS), Dr Niall Corcoran (TUS), Dr Matt Cannon (TUS) Photo byArthur Ellis

Murphy hits out at TII contractors as illegal encampment narrowly avoided

COLAS Roadbridge have come under fire from a Clare councillor.

Recent roadworks from junction 12 of the M18 to the Clareabbey Roundabout were completed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) in the past two months with a new surface laid down by the Clare contractors, Colas Roadbridge on both sides of the dual carriageway.

Land adjacent to the Skehanagh Roundabout was used as a machinery yard by Colas Roadbridge when the works were taking place, as part of an agreement with Clare County Council.

Speaking at the June meeting of the Council, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) stated, “they did not leave it as they found it” and that this almost caused the arrival of illegal encampments which

have previously set up in Skehanagh.

Clarecastle native Murphy commented, “Illegal encampments have cost Clare County Council a small fortune to clean up and these contractors did not leave it as they found it, on the Friday people scoping the place out but was dealt with by Saturday. It is a joke that Roadbridge could walk away and leave it the way they did”. Clean-up costs at the location previously cost in the region of €50,000 to €60,000.

Speaking to The Clare Echo subsequent to the meeting, Cllr Murphy stated, “the contract they got was worth hundreds of thousands of euros, it was for both sides of the dual carriageway and for a company like that to leave it like they left is disgraceful”.

Chief Executive of the Council, Pat Dowling said “urgent attention” was carried out by local

authority staff “to restore it to the way it was” after the area was no longer in use as a machinery yard.

Colas Roadbridge have been approached for comment by The Clare Echo Cllr Murphy was also critical of TII for the lack of urgency on improvements to Clareabbey Roundabout. “It has been kicked around for 10 to 12 years, it has been on the agenda for long enough,” he stated.

Arup on behalf of TII are currently working on capacity modelling for any proposed changes to the roundabout. Officials in the Council are hopeful their counterparts in TII will progress this project.

Design solution to be found for Shanaway Rd junction

PROPOSALS for a new design of the Shanaway Road junction on the N85 are to be prepared in tandem with a cycle lane scheme planned for the Lahinch Rd in Ennis, writes Páraic McMahon

Cllr Mary Howard (FG) who has been consistently vocal on calls for improvements in the area tabled a motion at the June meeting of the Ennis Municipal District to ascertain if progress had been made to find a solution “to the issues” at the Shanaway Rd junction.

Engagement is ongoing between Clare County Council’s road design office and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) “in devising potential design solutions for the existing Shanaway Road junction on the N85 national road,” acting senior executive engineer with the Council, Conor McDonagh stated.

Active Travel funding to facilitate the commencement of a concept design for cycling facilities on the N85 from Loughville to the Claureen roundabout and beyond has recently been announced by the National Transport Au-

thority (NTA).

McDonagh stated, “the existing junction with Shanaway Road will be required to be modified to accommodate this Active Travel scheme. It is therefore our intention to continue to liaise with both TII and the NTA as the concept design is developed later this year to resolve the ongoing issues as part of the Active Travel scheme”.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Howard reminded her colleagues she has been raising the matter for the past 15 years. “There have been quite a few accidents at this junction, I’m afraid that I will wake up one morning to hear someone has been seriously injured or worse,” she cautioned.

Describing it is “a really difficult junction,” Cllr Howard stressed that it must become a top priority. “The only way for traffic to come out safely is onto Lahinch Rd. I always go left and rarely right because you can’t go past two lanes of traffic”.

Seconding the proposal, Cllr Pat Daly (FF) acknowledged it was an ongoing junc-

tion, “it is the same junction for the past 100 years but thousands of houses have been built there since, it is time TII got their act together”.

“Someone told me it should be called Anyway Rd and not Shanaway Rd,” Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) quipped.

Acting senior executive engineer in the Ennis MD, Paddy Tiernan told councillors that they were aware of plans for the new cycle lane scheme on the Lahinch Rd. “Our current position is to liaise with TII and NTA in conjunction to effectively kill two birds with the one stone. The conversations with TII have been difficult and haven’t moved as quickly as we’d like”.

Concluding the discussion, Cllr Howard stated, “The road is getting busier, it is a busy hotel since it reopened after COVID, Banner GAA have a huge amount of people going there and Woodstock Golf Club is very busy. There was three accidents there within 10 days, it only a matter of time before it happens because people are taking chances”.

lTRANSPORT: (Pictured right) Colas Roadbridge

SHANNON NEWS

in association with

Long-term solutions to flooding sought

BIG showers of rainfall constantly cause flooding along the Gort Rd in Shannon, elected representatives have lamented, writes Páraic McMahon

Efforts need to be intensified, Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND) stated when requesting Clare County Council “address the ongoing flooding issues” on the Gort Rd in Shannon.

He said, “the minor efforts carried out by the Council to address this problem is having very little effect and I would hope that the infrastructure could be properly investigated and a solution found”.

Senior executive engineer in the Shannon Municipal District, Tom Mellett said a new gully and connection had been installed from the Gort Rd to the public storm water network adjacent to house 5 and 7 where water had been ponding.

Mellett explained, “We carry out responsive and scheduled works

throughout the MD to alleviate flooding.

“This includes systematic cleaning of the drainage network to ensure it operates at capacity. As relevant funding streams become available, we apply for them in order to expand our drainage works programme and bridge gaps in the existing infrastructure”.

Speaking at a meeting of the Shannon MD, Cllr Flynn responded, “This is going on for years, I believe there is a build-up of silt in the area and a bigger job is needed to remove the silt”. He continued, “I don’t believe the trucks are a long-term solution, every time we get a big shower of rain the road is flooded”.

Supporting the motion, Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF) commented, “Every time we get rain it is flooded”. She added, “cyclists are getting soaked at the location”.

Met Éireann to replace airport weather radar

MET Éireann, the Irish National Meteorological Service, has announced that it is replacing the weather radar located at Shannon Airport to install a brand-new weather radar system with upgraded technology and capabilities, writes Páraic McMahon Shannon’s weather radar is part of the national weather radar network, which currently consists of two weather radars, one located at Shannon Airport and the other at Dublin Airport. This weather radar network provides a steady stream of information 24 hours a day, 365 days a year via the Met Éireann website and app and is used to provide information on the location and intensity of precipitation across Ireland. The new weather radar system in Shannon will provide enhanced precipitation measurement capabilities. This will result in benefits for Met Éireann forecasting services and for the rainfall radar maps offered to the public.

Replacement work began in May and is expected to be completed by autumn 2023.

During this period there will be a modified radar ser-

vice in the South and West of the country, with a temporary weather radar system operating from Co. Cork.

Throughout the radar re- placement, Met Éireann’s forecasting services will continue as normal.

lSOFT DAY: Gort Road, Shannon Photo by Joe Buckley

lRAINFALL RADAR: Work is expected to be completed later this year

Gerry’s beef named best in the business

Lisdoonvarna project aims to reclaim heritage

RECLAIMING the heritage of Lisdoonvara as a flagship Irish wellbeing town is an aspiration of the ‘Reimagine Lisdoonvarna’ project, writes Páraic McMahon Lisdoonvarna native and Pritzker Prize-winning architect architect Shelley McNamara and local social enterprise Common Knowledge are amongst the team working with local community organisation Lisdoonvarna Fáilte to map out a sustainable, inclusive vision map with the town rooted in wellbeing.

As one of Ireland’s original spa towns, Lisdoonvarna has a deep heritage in wellbeing. For over 200 years the health-giving qualities of the water flowing beneath Lisdoonvarna has attracted people to the area, with the accompanying social life making the town one of Ireland’s premier destinations for many years.

Now, following the challenges presented by the global pandemic and evolution of the town as a home for many new communities, the wider Lisdoonvarna community will have the opportunity to collectively set intentions for the future by mapping a vision for the town together with the ‘Reimagine Lisdoonvarna’ team.

town more closely with its wellbeing heritage. Shelley McNamara will introduce the event and this will be followed by a presentation charting the development of Lisdoonvarna by ACT Studio, and a workshop co-facilitated with ACT Studio by local social enterprise Common Knowledge, co-founded by Harrison Gardner, presenter of the RTÉ television series ‘Build Your Own Home’.

Gerard Collins recently received the top award for the Euro-Star Index Champion Award in the RDS, Dublin. This is a huge accolade for the Dept of Agricultulture, Food & Marine, the RDS Agriculture and Rural Affairs & the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) to bestow on Gerard. Gerard is a full time suckler and sheep farmer in the limestone lands of the Burren. Currently ‘Cookie’ is the highest non-pedigree suckler cow in Ireland, with a Replacement Index of 255euro. She’s had a calf every year for the last 13 years and is a superb example of an efficient and sustainable suckler cow. The award also notes the carbon footprint of production and highlights the most productive, most efficient farmers and livestock in the country for which Gerard was also highly commended.

Photo

by

Orla Murray Coalesce

Each participant in the process will receive a print of the co-created map later this year representing the ideas created through the process. The first of a series of public events, ‘Tapping the Well’ will take place will be on Wednesday next (June 28th) at 7.30pm with all invited. Lisdoonvarna Fáilte will host an evening to reflect on the town’s development to date, along with exploring possible pathways for the future that can realign the

Team member and architect Shelley said, “I am delighted to collaborate with this diverse team of creative people who have the skills to support and enable sustainable living communities, and to create a viable vision for the future of the Spa Town of Lisdoonvarna”.

Linda Earlie, Town Regeneration Officer, Clare County Council commented “a key component of the Town Centre First policy is that local communities, residents

and business have the opportunity to reimagine and shape the future of their town and villages. Community engagement is critical in this process, bringing community groups and stakeholders together to make their area a better place to live, work and visit. The Reimagine Lisdoonvarna project builds on the recent heritage plan completed by Clare County Council, and offers the community of Lisdoonvarna the scope to set a clear vision for the long term development of their town”.

Hometown Architect is funded by the Irish Architecture Foundation as part of the Reimagine programme. Through fieldwork projects, Reimagine supports communities across Ireland to partner with architects to co-create and co-design solutions to problems or opportunities they have identified in their locality.

Relevance & creativity key to Scariff radio's future

CREATIVITY and relevance in the local community underpin the success of Scariff Bay Community Radio in East Clare, according to the chairman of the community radio station, writes Páraic McMahon

On Wednesday (June 14th), Scariff Bay Community Radio held its Annual General Meeting where former Scariff Community College principal, John S. Kelly was elected to the Board of SBCR for the second time, the Roscommon native is a retiring Director of the station.

Jim Collins, who spent 39 years as principal of Inis Cealtra NS from 1979 to 2018 is a co-founder of Scariff Bay Community Radio and was once again returned as Chairman of its Board. Marie McNamara, Mary Nash, Eoin O’Hagan and Tom Hanley were returned as Secretary, Treasurer, PRO and Compliance Officer respectively. Other Board members included Kelly, Marianne Purcell, Marie McMahon and Pat O’Brien.

Now in existence for over eight years, SBCR will celebrate the eighth anniversary of its first broadcast on July 25th.

Addressing the AGM, Jim stated, “It has been an interesting and exciting journey, introducing the concept of community radio to east Clare and it is wonderful to see how east Clare has embraced and supported the devel-

opment”.

Dedication of their volunteers “has provided our community with a service that has now become part of the social landscape of East Clare with a substantial and growing body of listeners in the region”.

He continued, “SBCR is local, your family members, neighbours, friends or acquaintances can be heard regularly on the station. All local clubs and groups are featured. You can discover things that are happening in East Clare and news of public issues which are affecting us. In many instances SBCR has become a friendly sound in the kitchens of the region at the weekend, often in the background but reassuringly present. The one aim of any community organisation is to remain relevant to the members of that community. We trust we are in that category and we will strive to remain so. We are fortunate that east Clare is culturally both diverse and rich. We see it as our role to reflect that

diversity and richness on our station”.

Prominence of the SBCR sports team led by Leo Doyle and Pat McNamara was noted by Jim. “To our sports department all games are important and we seek to cover all the clubs in our area whether or not they are striving for honours in a particular year. We try to bear in mind the avid sports fan or club supporter who would love to be in Tulla pitch but can’t for some reason. We are his or her window to the game and we try to bring the excitement and colour of the match to the kitchen of the listener”.

Broadcasting mass live every Sunday started on the station during the lockdown and this remains a weekly feature with the rosary also aired every Sunday evening.

In his address, Jim commented, “We must continually seek to improve our skills to provide a better service to our listeners. Our volunteers spend a good deal of time training, either formally or informally in operating new

equipment of learning interview techniques. We ask all our volunteers to constantly have an ear out for a story which would be of interest and value to the community. Not all volunteers are comfortable with a microphone but we have space for volunteers who might like to get involved in the administration side of things or in the production and technical area”.

Presently, SBCR is restricted from broadcast advertising but can avail of sponsorship and a organises various fundraisers to keep the show on the road. “The Board of SBCR has always been prudent with our finances, we will not get into debt and spend what we haven’t got and of course everyone is a volunteer,” Jim said.

Concluding his address, the Mountshannon man remarked, “There are in my opinion two things upon which the success of SBCR depends. I have already mentioned being relevant in the community. The other is being creative. This applies to all our staff, be it in administration, programme making and in the technical department. We don’t want to be better than any other station but we want to be unique and we want to be as good as we can be. We want to retain what our listeners enjoy but we also want to offer fresh and interesting content which is why creativity is so important”.

lCHAIR: Jim Collins

Photo by Ruth Griffin

lSHAPING THE FUTURE: Reimagine Lisdoonvarna Hometown Architect team (L-R) Fionn Kidney, Jacqueline McCoy, Joe Garrihy, Shelley McNamara and Kevin Loftus

Macalla an Chláir

le MACDARA

Ó CONAOLA

An Clár as Gaeilge Teo Togra Páirtnéireachta Forbairt Teanga Pobail do Chontae an Chláir

Summer Irish classes

Starting on July 5 in Cois na hAbhna

SPRAOI le Gaeilge will commence a 5-week Irish Language Summer course for adults on Wednesday the 5th of July in Cois na hAbhna. Lessons will run from 11.30am12.30pm each Wednesday

To book your place now or for further information please contact: spraoilegaeilge@gmail.com or call 085-1295594

Beidh Fáilte Romhat!

Oíche tSin Seáin agus na Tinte Chnámha

IS AMÁRACH Oíche tSin Seáin, nó Oíche Fhéile Eoin. Tar éis Oíche Nollag agus Oíche Shamhna, is í seo an oíche is mó a ndéantar ceiliúradh uirthi ag baile in Inis Oírr agus go deimhin ar thrí Oileáin Árann.

Bailítear rud ar bith gur féidir a dhó agus déantar carnán mór dhe. Is iad na leaids óga sna déaga is mó a bhailíonns an t-ábhar le cuir sa tine chnámh, agus is maith a cuimhin liom fhéin dhuil thart leis an asal agus an carr a líonadh le adhmad agus boscaí cardboard.

Chaithfeá ar a laghad tyre amháin a chaith sa tine, rud nár mhaith liom a dhéanamh anois, ach ní raibh muid a’ smaoineamh ar athrú aeráide ná tada mar sin an t-am sin faraor. Ach m’anam go mbíodh spraoi againn nuair a lastaí an tine ag thart ar a haon déag a

Imeachtaí/Events:

Letter to the Editor

Dear Sir,

I sat my Leaving Certificate (LC) in 1981. I recall (I still can remember parts of it!) that the weather was also very sunny (at least for the first few exams). My daughter is currently sitting her LC with one exam to go. This is my first “real” experience of the exam since 1981. In many respects, not much has changed with the usual exam pressures, last minute studying, hoping one’s predictions appear on the papers, all in all, an endurance test as it was in 1981. But, todays LC is much more than an endurance test, it is more like running a double marathon. What follows are general and specific observations with a plea for change!

Relay for Life in Ennis

chlog san oíche! Thagadh muintir an bhaile a’ breathnú uirthi agus bhíodh neart cainte agus seanchas acu. Mholfainn dhaoibh fhéin geábh a thabhairt ar Inis Oírr agus an tine chnámh a fheiceáil san oíche amárach ann.

• 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

• 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

LEAN ar na meáin-shóisialta muid / Follow us on social media, @ ClárAsGaeilge, Twitter, Facebook agus Instagram.

Gluais/Glossary

Irish/Gaeilge English/Béarla

• Oíche tSin Seáin - St. John’s Eve

• Tinte Chnámha - bonfires

• an oíche is mó a ndéantar – the most celebrated night ceiliúradh uirthi

• agus go deimhin – and indeed

• carnán mór – a big pile/mound/heap

• an t-ábhar le cuir sa tine chnámh – the material to put in the bonfire

• is maith a cuimhin liom fhéin – I remember well

• an carr – {donkey} cart

• boscaí cardboard – cardboard boxes

• athrú aeráide – climate change

• Agus m’anam – and I’m telling you (indeed)

• Mholfainn – I’d recommend

• geábh – a trip (short voyage)

This year’s LC Students did not sit a Junior Certificate (neither has next year’s LC). Sitting the LC mocks is not like the real thing (my younger daughter sat the mocks and real Junior cert in 2022 and can now vouch that both experiences are vastly different!). Many students and teachers were out sick with Covid over the past two years during this Leaving Cert cycle. And with other normal illnesses which returned with a bang once the wearing of masks was dispensed with. All this information was within the knowledge of the Department of Education/The State Examinations Commission (SEC). I think the SEC has shown a total lack of empathy with our students and a total lack of understanding of their mental health. A real disconnect. Yes, some allowances were made but very little indeed if you place them alongside the difficulties the students and teachers faced since their own Junior Cert year. It would seem that the SEC believes that because much of the world has returned to some kind of normality post Covid (which is still here!), so must the LC. This is somewhat removed from reality!

I am assuming that one of the aims of the LC is to allow students to show off what they have learnt over the LC cycle. The LC papers should afford them space to do this. And, yes, papers will have to be set to enable the correctors to differentiate grades. But from what I have seen in 2023, the tendency now is to cram as much into the papers to ensure that students have no time to draw a breath. Now a race against the clock. I accept that timings etc. are part of the learning process and I faced this in 1981! But it has now gone too far! There is too much emphasis on getting the timing right. For instance, in Paper 2 Irish, students were given 2 Léamthuisicint (Comprehensions) to read with 6 questions (Five containing 3 sub-questions and One, 2 sub-questions) so 17 per Comprehension giving a grand total of 34 questions! My daugh-

ter advised me that she had roughly 3 minutes to answer most of them. So, why have 2 Léamhthuiscint? Why not just 1? Would students not be better served in having that bit more time to answer less questions in a more complete manner? My own daughter is good at Irish and was fine with it but all in a rush!

Much has been said and written about Math’s Paper 1! We all accept that the questions in the Math’s papers are staggered so as to try and separate the H1’s from the H2’s and so on. As with all papers, it should give students an opportunity to share the knowledge learned over 2 years. However the aim of this year’s Math’s Paper 1 seems to have been to catch students out right from the start. And maybe to discourage those students who study honours maths solely to secure those 25 extra points? A dose of realism should be inhaled by the SEC! (the case for/against awarding these 25 points in the first place is for another day!)

Back in the old days in 1981, there were no aurals! I did have an oral in Irish. Naturally, the aurals extend an exam’s duration. Depending on subject choices, some students would have sat Irish Paper 2 on Tuesday 13th June (9.30 to 12.35), Biology on the same day, (2 to 5), French on Wednesday 14th June (9.30 to 12.50), History also 14th June (2 to 4.50) and Business on Thursday 15th June (9.30 to 12(O)/12.30(H)). Any reasonable person would see that this is a truly an exhausting and gruelling schedule. To only allow just over an hour (in reality, it will be less than an hour) between French and History is ludicrous and shows a total lack of consideration for our students. This places those students in a less advantageous position to those who do not have this schedule. I note, historically, the core subjects are sat early and have been bunched together. The current scheduling is stacked on favour of science/business subjects. It discriminates against other subjects. I think it is now time to review this and look at mixing it up a bit to reduce the clustering of the core subjects.

My parents sat the LC. I sat the LC. My daughter is almost finished the LC. I think her children will also sit the LC! But in the meantime, I would ask the SEC (and the Department) to make, what are essentially minor changes to the exam to make it a truer reflection of our students’ work and to remove the unnecessary stress and obstacles thereby reducing it from a double marathon to at least just one!

Yours faithfully,

Pictured at the Relay for Life in Ennis at the weekend were Sean Donnelly, Liam Clune, Emma Donnelly, Faye Donnelly, Sophie Ryan and Harry Ryan

Photo by John Mangan

GREEN CLARE

‘This is a deep investigation’probing continues into fish kill

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

INVESTIGATIONS are ongoing following an unprecedented fish kill in North Clare.

Both Inland Fisheries Ireland and the Environment Protection Agency are carrying out separate investigations into the circumstances surrounding the death of up to 2,000 fish on the Ballymacraven River at the beginning of May.

On Friday, a public meeting was held at The Falls Hotel where the Restore Ballymacraven River Committee following a march from An Teach Cheoil to the square in Ennistymon.

Clare TDs Michael McNamara (IND), Cathal Crowe (FF), Senator Martin Conway (FG) and Senator

Roisin Garvey (GP) were among the politicians present in the Falls Hotel where a private briefing was held with elected representatives prior to the public meeting.

Ruairí Ó Conchúir of the Local Authority Waters Programme chaired the public meeting and is one of the central figures involved in the Restore Ballymacraven Committee.

Speaking to The Clare Echo, Senator Garvey was more optimistic that this investigation would take action.

“I found out that there is an ongoing investigation with a lot of people being interviewed as to what happened, it is ongoing and I haven’t a timeline on when it will be concluded.

“A lot of people want to

find out why it happened and that it won’t happen again including me and Minister Eamon Ryan”.

She continued, “This seems to be a very deep investigation rather than the usual waffle, it is getting more attention with the community protest and me bringing it up in the Seanad plus very wise people in Inland Fisheries Ireland, it is good that a thorough investigation is happening”.

Clare’s water quality is simply not good enough, the Inagh native stated.

“I have raised water issues in the Seanad more than any other issue, we know there’s issues in our water supply.

“This fish kill was the worst thing to ever happen in the river, we know the beaches are closed again and

Council signs are up about run off which we know isn’t the issue”.

An insufficient number of enforcement officers for the EPA is not aiding the issue, she stressed.

“Looking at the recent EPA report, our water is poisoned and messed up.

“We only have 11 enforcement officers to cover the entire country which isn’t possible. We need 65 for all of them.

“The cycle continues. People don’t take turns poisoning rivers, people care and people don’t, if you don’t enforce laws people keep breaking them, that’s the simple maths”.

Senator Garvey was critical of the lack of focus by Clare County Council on the issue.

“I brought it up at meeting with the CEO and the Director of Services in the Council and Pat Dowling refused to say anything on it, there was no ask from Council to get the river back.

“I’d expect they would ask us to help them seeing as we are the county’s representatives but they haven’t.

“Tourism is great, doing Holy Island is great and the Cliffs of Moher is great but we have to take care of our water”.

Ennistymon’s Denis Vaughan was among those to attend the public meeting on Friday.

“The locals are up in arms over the poisoning of the river, the fish and the never-ending presence of trucks through the town of Ennistymon taking poisonous

sludge from the wastewater treatment plant on the Kilfenora Rd,” he claimed.

He said serious questions needed to be answered by both Irish Water and Clare County Council on the matter.

Vaughan said that he had a tense exchange with Senator Garvey at the meeting.

“In my endeavours, I was constantly interrupted by Ms Garvey.

“I contested this and she was told by the Chairperson that I must get the opportunity to speak and she stalked out of the meeting”.

Garvey disputed this view.

“He was asking the question and I was giving him an answer, I had to go anyway.

“Denis Vaughan loves a tête-à-tête but I wasn’t having any”.

l BALLYMACRAVEN: Up to 2,000 fish died last month

Cycling schemes advancing for Ennis roads

NEW cycling schemes for the Tulla Rd, Limerick Rd, Lahinch Rd and Gort Rd, all in Ennis are advancing, writes Páraic McMahon

A non-statutory public consultation for the Tulla Rd has concluded with minor amendments to be made to the design to incorporate additional traffic calming measures requested by members of the public.

Acting senior executive engineer with Clare County Council, Conor McDonagh expected the scheme would be progressed through a statutory process.

He said, “funding for conceptual design development only” has been made available this year for the Limerick Rd including St Flannan’s Drive where the concept development is underway, the Lahinch Rd where concept development has been initiated and the Gort Rd where a concept development is expected to commence in the final quarter

of 2023.

There has been a hiccup so far as plans for Latoon are concerned. “This project is on hold pending the outcome of a planning application by Irish Water for installation of pipework beneath the proposed route of the cycle track,” McDonagh outlined.

Speaking at the June meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) said he was hopeful the Latoon project would not be stalled for too long, “there is an appetite for it to proceed”. He believed traffic difficulties at the Shanaway Rd junction could be eased by the introduction of a cycling lane and added, “a lot of people would be critical of what is in place in front of St Flannan’s College but I think it works well”.

Mayor of the Ennis MD, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) commented, “I know there is some stalling on Latoon stretch but we will have to

keep persisting”.

Proposals for the Tulla Rd were highlighted by Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) who requested an off carriage lane for buses as part of the plans for the Ennis town bus service. “The pedestrian follows the cyclist, then the car then the bus,” Cllr Murphy responded.

Funds in the region of €1.9m will be derived for the Tulla Rd Active Travel project, the Mayor outlined, “it is one of the first projects to help Ennis become a more sustainable town”. “I am supportive of the cycleway but there is sufficient room to have off carriage bus stops from the preliminary designs that I have seen,” Cllr Flynn replied. He flagged that 80,000 to 90,000 vehicles were using the road on a regular basis.

Location of the bus stops will be a matter for the NTA “and are beyond the scope of Ennis MD councillors,” senior executive officer Leonore O’Neill told the meeting.

l INFRASTRUCTURE: The cycle lane outside St Flannan’s College

Community garden and café on way to Killaloe Ballina

by Stuart Holly editor@clareecho.ie

THE Killaloe-Ballina Family Resource Centre is preparing to unveil a community garden and café following a number of upgrades to the facility.

The Centre has been in existence in the East Clare town since 2003. Initially operating out of a small house near the GAA club, the Killaloe-Ballina FRC relocated to main street before finally moving to their current location on the Green where they overlook the Church. The historic building was once the RIC Barracks, and in more recent years a creche.

Today, its integral role in

the community continues and following an extension to the building, the Family Resource Centre has added a number of facilities including an outdoor seating area, a community hub café, a training kitchen, a training room and a community garden which overlooks the Shannon.

The return of a community hub café, which was previously open on Main Street until they moved into their new premises, will see the introduction of low-cost healthy food, and a space for people to socialise and learn more about the services on offer at the FRC.

Linda Stainsby has worked as a Community Develop-

ment Worker since 2012. Much of her work consists of linking with community partners such as St Anne’s Secondary School, delivering programmes in the school around issues such as drugs & alcohol and LGBTIQA+ issues. However, in more recent times she has been double jobbing as project manager for the new developments ongoing at the Green.

“We hope to create more pathways around training and education, for people to come in and do courses around horticulture and culinary skills, and then potentially link in with local employers,” explains Linda on the potential for the new hub.

The Killaloe-Ballina FRC has also recently announced a partnership with Clare Youth Services, with the building hosting a UBU Youth project and youth café. During the Junior and Leaving Certificate exams, more than 100 local youths attending St Anne’s Community College made use of the facility to decompress, play games and socialise during the exam period.

“We will also be linking in with the Brothers of Charity, so the training kitchen for example has a low level station so that people in a chair can easily work and hopefully do life skills and courses. The work we do is about working in partnership and

meeting the needs of the community,” explains Linda.

The professional training kitchen will be used to run community courses with potential for healthy eating programmes, while it will be offered as a space to rent to members of the community. Linda continues, “A nice thing we do have is funding for a community food share project, where we invite people from different cultural backgrounds and new communities, to come in and maybe share their meals and recipes with people from different backgrounds.”

The Killaloe-Ballina FRC offers the community a number of supports including a family support worker, a parent support group, community arts, play therapy for children, counselling services, and a safehaven for members of the community to socialise, and has previously run ECDL accredited courses. “Mostly it’s very community-based stuff which is great because it’s really good for people’s wellbeing to just be able to come into a non-threatening situation where you can do some drawing or whatever.

today when it’s really lovely and everything seems to be well in the world, for somebody it’s not.”

The Killaloe-Ballina FRC is preparing to engage with the public on how to maximise the potential of their new facilities. “We’re talking about a men’s shed/women’s shed potentially here as well. We really would like to get a group together at this point of people from the community to talk about how this hub is going to work for the community. We have ideas, we want to know what people want to see happen.”

The hub is a cross-community development with funding coming from both Tipperary and Clare Leader companies, and the centre works with Limerick Clare Education & Training Board along with TETB. It’s expected that the upgrades will be completed in the coming months, with staff earmarking September for the introduction of new courses.

Healthy Clare Micro Fund 2023 launched as part of Healthy Ireland Round 4 Clare’s Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) recognises the importance of supporting initiatives around the county that promote population health and wellbeing.

The purpose of the LCDC’s Healthy Clare Micro Fund is to encourage and support community and voluntary groups to take an active part in improving and protecting health and wellbeing at all stages of life, reducing health inequalities, and creating an environment where everyone can play their part in a healthier Clare.

The fund will support targeted actions in response to the identified 2 priority outcomes for a Healthier Clare:

1. Healthy Weight

2. Positive Mental Health Promotion

These priority outcomes align with the Healthy Clare Strategic Action Plan, Healthy Ireland Framework for Improved Health and Wellbeing, and the draft Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP).

Community and voluntary groups promoting health and wellbeing in County Clare are encouraged to apply. Public sector organisations are not eligible to make an application.

To apply for the Healthy Clare Micro Fund 2023, please visit: https://yoursay.clarecoco.ie/healthy-clare-micro-fund-2023

Before completing the online application form, please read the grant guidelines carefully. Closing Date for receipt of Application Forms is Friday 7th July 2023 at 5:00pm.

For more information on the Healthy Clare Micro Fund please contact the Healthy Clare Coordinator, Dena Mc Grath at healthyclare@clarecoco.ie or 087 987 8785.

“We found that during Covid the demand was much more for therapeutic services and now we’re increasing play therapy hours for younger children and we have a music therapist and some counsellors on board. People have been more isolated and difficulties that families have had were exacerbated during Covid.

“At some point in all our lives we all need a little bit of help and support, it doesn’t matter what economic background you’re from or what education you’ve had. It’s just really great to know there’s a reliable team here that will do our best to find out how we can help. On a day like

Administrator Bronagh Moriarty, who has been with the centre for 18 years, tells The Clare Echo that there is great excitement among staff ahead of the unveiling of their new facilities. “At the end of the garden, a cup of tea and sitting down there would raise anybody’s spirits.

“We’re very mindful of what we’re building that’s beyond ourselves. We won’t be here forever so you’re creating a space and it’s so vitally important that the community feels they own it. Hopefully it will thrive as a community space for a long time. We’re very excited and we just can’t wait for people to be able to come in and use the space.”

For more information on the Killaloe/Ballina Family Resource Centre, call (061) 374 741 or visit https://www. kbfrc.ie/

Bronagh Moriarty and Linda Stainsby

HETHER it’s an overflowing hot press or a Monicatype larder, we’ve all experienced the frustration and needless stress of clutter and poor organisation. Summer is a fantastic time to get on top of your home maintenance as the weather frees us to get through laundry at a rapid pace and give the house a thorough airing. In order to make room for the things that matter this summer (beach time), we’re diving headfirst into home organisation—for the benefit of our space and our health. Clutter can easily lead to a nearly constant feeling of frustration as you struggle to complete daily tasks. The time you spend looking for objects you need or attempting to organise your items could be time spent with loved ones, doing some self-care, or even just relaxing.

Deirdre Coleman Interior Designer

Your Complete Guide to an Organised Home

WThere’s also a physical benefit to being organized. Studies have shown that it’s more difficult for a person to focus when their visual cortex is over-stimulated. As such, when the space is organised, it doesn’t deplete an individual’s energy level just to concentrate. For many people, cleaning one’s space supplies a significant emotional health benefit—one that’s uniquely tied to a sense of control over one’s environment. When so much of life feels beyond our control, maintaining order and cleanliness at home is one way for us to exert some mastery over our environments. The practice of keeping a clean home, as well as doing a deeper cleanse, is one way to both promote calm as well as to energise.

We’re going room by room, decluttering and reorganising so your home becomes a well-oiled machine that frees up your time and energy for more enticing activities.

pro tips to transform your home into a calm space you’ll enjoy spending time in

1Create a quick win to get you started

Procrastination is the enemy so start with a small and easy win if you are experiencing overwhelm at the enormity of the tasks ahead. Tackle one limited area like the fridge and see it through to completion. Start by emptying all food from the fridge. Bacteria can multiply quickly at room temperature, so put dairy products, meat and other food that needs to be kept refrigerated in a cool bag packed with pre-chilled cool bag blocks.

It’s a good idea to time a deep clean of the fridge just before the weekly shop, when there will be less food in the fridge anyway. Enlist a helper who can wash the shelves while you focus on wiping down the inside of the fridge. Make up a solution of Milton Sterilising Fluid with cold water, and use this to wipe down the interior with a clean cloth. Pay particular attention to the grooves on the sides of the fridge interior where the shelves rest, as they can be magnets for dirt. A cotton bud is a handy tool for getting old food out of these. Cotton buds are also useful for hard to reach areas such as the drip hole at the back which can easily become clogged and grimy.

Dry the inside of the fridge thoroughly using paper towels or a clean tea towel. Invest in some fridge organisers (ideally glass so you see the contents). A well-organised fridge not only looks good, it can save you money by reducing food waste and make you more inclined to make healthier choices. On your upper shelves, place food that doesn’t require cooking, use middle shelves for dairy produce and lower shelves for raw meat and fish.

Vegetables, salads and fruit should be stored in in the salad drawer where they will be enclosed. Potatoes, onions, and garlic are

best left at cool room temperatures.

Pro tip: Line your salad drawer with a few sheets of kitchen paper absorbs the condensation that vegetables generate as they chill. Excess moisture can make your fresh foods wilt, so the paper keeps them fresher for longer, AND it keeps your fridge cleaner without any extra effort.

2

Tackle Your Kitchen Larder

Store everything in airtight glass jars and containers—the chemicals in common plastic containers leach into food and can wreak havoc with your health. Choose jar sizes based on how often you use an ingredient, so that there’s never too much air sitting inside, ensuring that they stay fresh. Dry pasta usually require very large containers (you’ll take out at least one cup at a time), whereas small jars are great for grains, seeds and nuts.

Pro tip: Label everything: There’s something very calming about being organised and labelling everything; it makes navigating the kitchen much easer! Recently, I gave my jars a facelift with a new label maker, but you can also use a permanent marker to label your jars for a quick and simple solution. Labelling is also a efficient way to check in on your inventory and see what you might need to stock up on at the supermarket.

3

Avoid Open Shelving in Kitchens

Unlike living room shelving which can be styled and then left alone, kitchen shelving is constantly in use which makes it more likely to become cluttered and untidy looking. Open shelving does have its place in the kitchen if you are looking to add some personality and make a kitchen feel

cozy. You can decorate open shelving with art and plants so that the space feels a little less like a kitchen and more like a living space, or warm up the space with a lamp.

Pro tip: A great alternative to open shelving is the quite obvious glass front cabinets but I prefer reeded glass so you don’t need to

worry about perfectly stylised shelving and it’s a great opportunity to add texture and interest, particularly if they’re backlit with LED lighting. 4

Try the Three Box Method to declutter

Place 3 boxes (marked Put Away, Give Away, Throw Away) and place a set upstairs and downstairs. Put them in a space you pass by frequently – this may be in your bedroom, kitchen, or living room –and start putting items into a category as and when you use them, or whenever you have some energy to tackle a small portion of a room. This allows you to declutter your home at your own pace.

Few of us have days to dedicate to decluttering so this allows the process to get underway without procrastination. As you fill each box bring it to the charity shop or bin it. Decide on a process of putting away objects for longer term storage (e.g. winter clothes can be vacuum-packed and stored under beds in suitcases or for longer term storage allocate labelled boxes in the attic).

Pro tip: When decluttering your wardrobe, here are four questions to ask yourself when removing pieces from your collection:

• Do you wear it? If you do then keep it, if you don’t, let it go.

• When was the last time you wore it? If you can’t remember then what’s the reason for holding onto it – is it sentimental or just in case you might wear it?

• Do you love it? If you do – keep it, if you don’t then it’s time to let it go.

• Does it fit? Clothing that is either too big or too small can sometimes leave you feeling un-comfortable or self-conscious

when you wear it – maybe consider letting it go and replacing it with something that makes you feel fabulous! 5

Shop For Storage To Neatly Organise What You Keep Assess room by room what storage needs you have and go storage shopping. Starting with your utility, transfer your detergent pods and other laundry essentials into something a little prettier than the original packaging, like a glass container. Not only is it a more stylish solution, but they’ll be out and ready to use whenever you need them. Keep your cleaning supplies organised by installing a wall-mounted wire rack to hang brushes and mops, then stash sprays in a caddy you can tote when you clean. Remember to use your vertical spaces, particularly in the garage to get things off the floor and visible and within easy reach. Invest in bins, baskets, storage boxes and file folders.

Pro tip: Order a TruWASH Back to

School Cleaning Bundle (truwash. co.uk) which contains cleaning cloths, window spray, floor cleaner as well as refills so you are completely set up for a cleaning spree. They’re also natural and non-toxic and super effective. 6

Adhere to the “One in One Out Rule”

Once you have decluttered, avoid accumulating more stuff by removing one item every time you purchase something new. For example, discard 5 old towels if you buy 5 new towels. You won’t accumulate more than you need when following this simple rule ― on the contrary, you will stay balanced as you slowly adapt to a more sustainable lifestyle.

No one needs 10 sets of sheets for a bed so this forces us to be more intentional and keep track of our buying habits and only replace when necessary. You’ll be a lot more thoughtful about what deserves to be given space in your home.

Self.ly Interior Design based in Ennis, Co. Clare is focused on wellness interior design, creating spaces that enhance our wellbeing. Interior Designer, Deirdre Coleman, is passionate about designing for the wellness of her clients and focuses on delivering restorative spaces that positively impact on health and wellbeing.

With an interest in designing for wellness, Deirdre is putting her considerable wealth of experience in self-care, health and wellbeing to design homes that make people feel their best

selves.

Self.ly Interior Design offers one hour online design consultations, room designs and full house designs customised to your needs. We also offer property staging and showhouse design focused on wellbeing and hybrid working.

For more information and design inspiration, follow us on Instagram: @Self_ly Tel: 086 3868058

Email: selflydesign@gmail.com

Clare County Council is currently inviting applications from suitably qualified persons for the below competition. Clare County Council will, following the interview process, form a panel for the area set out below from which future relevant vacancies may be filled subject to sanction approval from the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage.

ASSISTANT STAFF OFFICER PANEL 2023

Completed applications must be emailed to: recruitment@clarecoco.ie not later than 12 noon on Wednesday 12th July 2023.

Application forms and further particulars may be obtained by requesting same from the Human Resources Department, Clare County Council at 065-6846439, via e-mail: recruitment@clarecoco.ie or can be downloaded from the following website: www.clarecoco.ie

Clare County Council is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sectors of the Community.

Garda vetting may apply prior to any appointment(s) that are made.

Scriobh chugainn as gaeilge más fearr leat.

FOOD FRANCHISE

PANEL OF MUSIC GENERATION TUTORS CITY OF LIMERICK, CO. CLARE AND CO. LIMERICK

Ref. No. 013741

Applications are invited from suitably qualified and experienced Music Tutors to form a panel for Music Generation Programmes in City of Limerick, Co. Clare and Co. Limerick.

We have an immediate requirement for the following subject areas:

• Educator in Creative Schools Programmes

• Accordion

• Drums

• Piano

• Concertina

• Music Therapy

• Hip Hop

• Guitar

• Voice

• Music Technology

Online application form and further details are available on www.lcetb.ie/recruitment

Closing time and date for receipt of applications is 12 noon Monday, 3rd July 2023.

Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board is an Equal Opportunities Employer. Canvassing will disqualify.

Colm led from front and protected players

by Ger Keane news@clareecho.ie

LAST Saturday evening’s loss to Derry in Longford signalled the end of Clare’s involvement in the race for Sam Maguire for 2023.

However, just as noteworthy it heralded the end of an era as Ireland’s current longest serving manager Colm Collins brought the curtain down on an extraordinary 10 year managerial career at the helm of the Clare football team which brought players and supporters to places that they had only dreamed of previously.

DERRY AGAIN:

Taking on Derry for the fourth time in 15 months was always a tall order especially as Derry were determined to top Group 4 to avoid a potentially tricky preliminary quarter-final, whereas Clare were out of the running.

Clare, who had previously been beaten by 12 points on average in their recent encounters with Derry, were on a hiding to nothing and it would have been very easy to go through the motions. However this bunch of players refused to let that happen and their pride for the Clare jersey along with doing justice to their management was evident as Derry were made to earn every bit of their six point victory. By the end of the match the Ulstermen knew they had been in a championship game.

Derry were no doubt hoping to get through this game with the minimum of fuss and their hard running drills in their pre-match warm up routine meant that they were up and running in the scoreboard in the early exchanges. Clare though had obviously learned lesson from their previous meetings and it was the Bannermen who looked dangerous on the counter-attack and were rewarded with a well deserved team goal from Emmet McMahon leaving the half time score at 0-9 to 1-6.

Both goalies were making their mark with Stephen Ryan doing well in the Clare goal while Odhran Lynch was doing damage out the field and landing two excellent points from play.

Clare’s workrate in the first half was impressive as they literally and physically got to grips with the Derrymen, much to the annoyance of the Derry supporters while their tackling, grafting and running off the ball put the Oak Leafers under pressure in the scoring zone with Derry registering six wides in that first half.

In the second half Derry came out with all guns blazing, firing over a number of well worked scores with Shane McGuigan to the fore. In response, Clare’s stand in captain, Jamie Malone fired over two fine points from play and similar to the Monaghan game Clare refused to wilt despite being under intense pressure. Derry

Draw made for county champ'ship

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

Division 3 while also taking the league honours by defeating Roscommon in Croke Park. Clare defeated the same opposition in the championship to reach the All-Ireland quarter final, a great achievement considering the lack of underage success within the county.

To give credit to the County Board they trusted Colm and backed his ambitions in terms of getting in top quality coaches, medical expects and top class strength and conditioning personnel including Chris De Looze, Rob Mulcahy and Micheal Cahill.

AMID the backdrop of a thunderstorms, the draws for the 2023 Clare GAA club championships were held at Hotel Woodstock on Wednesday. Reigning senior champions Ballyea and Éire Óg have discovered their opponents with the battle to secure the Canon Hamilton and Jack Daly Cups edging closer to a start date.

Chief Operating Officer of Clare GAA, Deirdre Murphy told the June meeting of the County board that TUS have come on board in a three year deal to sponsor the senior and intermediate hurling and football championships.

continued to push on and went eight points up going in to the last quarter but well taken scores from Mark McInerney and Micheal Garry left six points between the sides at the end.

Many of the Clare supporters entered the field of play at the end to pay their respects to the players efforts in this tough mini-Ulster group which was akin to competing in Division 1 of the NFL.

They also wanted to show their gratitude to Colm Collins and his management team for guiding the fortunes of this Clare side not just this year but for his ten years in charge where they emerged from Division 4 in 2014 to spend seven years in Division 2.

THE COLLINS EFFECT:

I have had the privilege of being involved with Colm at underage levels with Clare and also in the senior set-up when he was first appointed. From the outset Colm was intent on raising standards within Clare football.

He would have managed the Clare Minor and U21 footballers as well as the Cratloe senior football team at that stage and was relatively inexperienced in terms of senior inter-county management but this did not faze him. He knew exactly what style of football he wanted the team to play and he had a vision of what he wanted them to achieve. He was ahead of the game in terms of keeping possession and retaining kickouts while setting achievable targets that could be monitored by an excellent stats team.

Colm was open to new ideas and new voices and that is why he brought in quality and innovative coaches such as Paudie Kissane, Ephie Fitzgerald, Mick Bohan, Brian Carson, Gerry McGowan and Mark Doran which kept the set up fresh and ever evolving.

RAISING STANDARDS:

When he first arrived in late 2013 he supported the stance that Clare would not take part in the McGrath Cup that coming January due to seeding issues in the Munster championship. This illustrated the fact that he was not afraid to voice his opinion about the status quo within the GAA.

It was not always easy to get the best players playing with the county at the same time and singing from the same hymn-sheet as club rivalries and an indifference to playing for the county was not uncommon. Clare were fortunate at that time that there was an ambitious and talented group of players who wanted to improve further under Colm.

Early on in his tenure Colm arranged for the panel to go down to Beara Island in Cork where they were put through their paces on an army base without any home comforts which helped galvanise the squad who later secured promotion in his first year with a final round victory over Antrim in Creggan with a visit to Croke Park to follow.

Clare footballers had not been to Croke Park since 1992 and this was a breath of fresh air despite the narrow loss to Tipperary. Training was now taking place in the modern surroundings of the astro-turf pitches in the University of Limerick which allowed for consistent coaching and dependable facilities especially during the winter months.

Training camps like Fota Island Resort in Cork were now being used for championship preparations which was a far cry from Beara Island and from what previous generations of Clare players were used to.

More success was to follow in 2016 with Clare going one step further, gaining promotion from

If there was any shortfalls in finance in relation to player welfare or team preparations Colm was instrumental in organising a fundraising committee to ensure the players were as well looked after as any other county in Ireland and they responded accordingly. The players were now able to put all their energies into improving themselves on and off the field of play without any of the distractions.

Like any good leader Colm led from the front and shouldered and protected players from any issues that would deviate from the process and fought on their behalf at all times.

AMBITIOUS:

Of course there were disappointments along the way. Colm made no secret of the ambitions he had for Clare and this filtered through to the players.

Backroom stalwarts like Jim Marrinan and Tom Bonfil added to the unity as standards continued to rise with consistent performances which saw them push top teams like Kerry and Mayo to the limit with James Horan later labelling Clare as the ultimate character test.

Despite retaining Division 2 status for seven years, Division 1 was always a burning ambition for the manager and squad who refused to put any glass ceiling on their progress. Clare constantly surprised pundits, bookies and analysts with their quality of performances and results.

Colm had many generals on and off the field during his term in charge with Gary Brennan and Eoin Cleary being two well appointed and capable captains. They both helped to drive on the standards that Colm demanded as the team began to mirror their manager’s pride in representing their county as they reached another All-Ireland quarter final again in Croke park in 2022 only to be undone by a rampant Derry outfit.

LEGACY:

Ultimately Colm Collins has left an endearing mark on Clare football and leaves it in a better place with a solid foundation.

For full, unedited version of this article, visit www.clareecho.ie.

Ballyea under a new management headed up by Kevin Sheehan have been drawn in the group of five where they will face intermediate winners St Joseph’s Doora/Barfield, Scariff, reigning Clare Cup champions Kilmaley and Inagh/Kilnamona.

Éire Óg’s bid to win three Clare SFC titles in a row begins with a familiar clash versus Clondegad, they are also paired with St Joseph’s Miltown and Doonbeg.

CLARE SHC

Group 1: Ballyea

St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield

Inagh/Kilnamona

Scariff

Kilmaley

Group 2:

Sixmilebridge

Crusheen

Clonlara

O’Callaghans Mills

Group 3: Cratloe

Newmarket-on-Fergus

Wolfe Tones

Clooney/Quin

Group 4: Éire Óg

Feakle

Broadford

Clarecastle

CLARE SFC

Group 1: Corofin

St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield

Kilmurry Ibrickane

St Breckans

Group 2: Éire Óg

Clondegad

St Joseph’s Miltown

Doonbeg Group 3: Ennistymon

Kildysart

Lissycasey

Cratloe

INTERMEDIATE

HURLING:

Group 1: Tulla

Smith O’Briens

Bodyke

Killanena

Tubber Group 2: Corofin

Whitegate

Ruan St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield

O’Callaghans Mills

Group 3: Sixmilebridge

Inagh/Kilnamona

Parteen/Meelick

Ogonnelloe

Newmarket

INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL

Group 1: O’Currys

Wolfe Tones

Kilmihil

Shannon Gaels

Group 2: Ennistymon

Coolmeen

Liscannor Naomh Eoin

Group 3:

Cooraclare Kilrush Shamrocks

Kilfenora Banner

Junior B Premier Football on www. clareecho.ie

l Colm Collins' tenure has come to an end after 10 years

Photo by Gerard O'Neill

Camogie: Clare go 'toe to toe' against Galway in defeat

ALL IRELAND SENIOR CAMOGIE CHAMP'SHIP RD2

Clare 0-13 Galway 1-12

Venue: Cusack Park, Ennis

Compiled by Derek Dormer

STORY OF THE GAME

GALWAY

CLARE

Frees for: 17 (9/8)

Wides: 2 (1/1)

Top scorer: Lorna McNamara (0-9 7f, 1’45)

Scores from play: 0-5

Spread of scorers: 4

Bookings: Lynda Daly (20),

Aine O’Loughlin (30)

Own puckouts won: 13 from 17 (76%)

Morey in line for fullback start

SEADNA MOREY is in line for his first start in this year’s championship, writes Páraic McMahon

Sixmilebridge’s Morey - a three-time All-Ireland U21 winner and an All-Ireland senior medallist from 2013 - started at full-back in a challenge match versus Galway last week.

None of Clare’s starters in the Munster Final loss to Limerick featured in the clash with Henry Shefflin’s side and opportunities were given to fringe players like Robin Mounsey, Cian Galvin, Aaron Fitzgerald and Jack Kirwan.

Morey is now understood to be get-

ting the nod to line out at full-back in Saturday’s All-Ireland SHC quarter-final against Dublin which will take place at TUS Gaelic Grounds at 4pm.

First choice full-back Conor Cleary is still recovering from a dislocated shoulder and is unlikely to feature this weekend but would be firmly back in the mix should Brian Lohan’s side eliminate Dublin to set up a semi-final tie with Kilkenny in Croke Park.

Cian Nolan started at full-back against Limerick and struggled with Paul Kinnerk’s tactic of isolating Aron Gillane, with centre back John Conlon

and corner back Adam Hogan pulled out of shape leaving Nolan with very little defensive support. His job became even more difficult when he was handed a yellow card in the opening half. Morey performed well as a second half replacement that day and it seems hewill now be given the opportunity to lead the Clare defence from full-back where he is expected to be flanked by Adam Hogan and Rory Hayes. Freetaker Aidan McCarthy is reported to be an injury doubt for Saturday’s game.

Frees for: 13 (7/6)

Wides: 3 (2/1)

Top scorer: Carrie Dolan (0-5 5f)

Scores from play: 1-8

Spread of scorers: 6

Bookings: Emma Helebert (10), Niamh McPeake (36), Sarah Spellman (55)

Own puckouts won: 13 from 15 (86%)

REFEREE: Barry Nea (Westmeath)

BRIDGE, MILLS & SCARIFF INTO CLARE CUP SEMI-FINALS

Bench soars against Wicklow

ALL-IRELAND INTERMEDIATE LADIES FOOTBALL

Clare 4-22 Wicklow 0-05 Venue: Cusack Park, Ennis Compiled by Derek Dormer

MANAGER COMMENT “

John Carmody, Clare:

“We felt we went toe to toe with Galway out there today. The scores just after half time were crucial but we fought on and I'm so proud of the girls. Galway are the best side in the country and we showed out there today that we can compete with anybody.

“The conditions didn't help us with the ball being so slippy. Sometimes it skidded off the wet surface and at times some handpasses went astray but we still managed to get some decent scores.

“It was great to see a crowd in Cusack Park today and in fairness they were treated to a proper camogie match. “Hopefully when Cork come with everything on the line we can get this crowd again. It's a winner take all clash now against Cork and we need to look them in the eye and bring a performance. Galway beat Cork by three and beat us by three so there's nothing between us. The last few years we've had to go to cork so let's welcome them to Ennis and have a right cut off them. There's nothing to fear. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain. It would be massive progress if we can make it to the knockout stages”.

STORY OF THE GAME

CLARE:

Frees for: 7 (4/3)

Wides: 7 (5/2)

Top scorer: Fidelma Marrinan (2-9 1f)

Scores from play: 4-20

Spread of scorers: 8

Bookings: None

Own kickouts won: 5 from 6 (84%)

WICKLOW:

Frees for: 7 (4/3)

Wides: 1 (1/0)

Top scorer: Helena Dowling (0-2)

Scores from play: 0-4

Spread of scorers: 4

Bookings: None

Own kickouts won: 22 from 33 (66%)

REFEREE: Kevin Corcoran (Mayo)

MANAGER COMMENT “

Wayne Freeman, Clare:

“Obviously with Wicklow in Division 4 and us in Division 3 we would be seen as favourites coming into this fixture but things can easily happen where you underestimate the opposition and we've slipped up in the group stages before, like last year when we got over-

turned by Louth at home.

"We certainly didn't want that to happen again so we really focused on today. Our preparation was really good and it showed out there. I thought we were excellent. We're in really good shape and I'm delighted with how we are

progressing. I think we are moving really well.

“Last week we didn't get the energy from the bench that we wanted. We spoke about that during the week and today the five girls we introduced really played their part. Emma Healy got the last score of the match

with Megan Downes assisting so that's another positive. We managed the game a lot better and with improvement comes better game management which I always say is an important attribute of any successful team”.

Conor Deasy tangles with James Liddy

Photo by Gerard O'Neill

l Abby Walsh is blocked by Aoife Donohue

Photo by Gerard O'Neill

l Clare's Amy Sexton gets her kick away despite pressure from Tipperary

Photo by Gerard O'Neill

Ennistymon captain, Adam Ralph

Photo by Gerard O'Neill

History made as Clare Cricket Club hold first home game

by Seamus Hayes news@clareecho.ie

HISTORY was made at Ballycasey in Shannon on Saturday last when the Clare cricket club played its first home game.

Nenagh provided the opposition and a draw resulted on the day. This was the club’s first game in the Munster cricket league.

The club’s media officer is Ciaran Tiernan and speaking to The Clare Echo this week he explained, “The club has been there for about ten years and up to this year played in the Connacht cricket league.

"As a result of getting our own grounds we were able to get into the Munster league”, according to Ciaran who paid tribute to Senator Timmy Dooley (FF) and Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF) “for their assistance in getting our playing grounds in Shannon”.

Members of the club come “from all over Clare and currently we have two teams competing. This weekend the

teams will be away to Cork Harlequins and to Clonmel while the following week we will again have a home

game”, according to Ciaran who is a playing member of the club’s second team.

Members of the public will

be welcome to attend games. “Fundraising is ongoing as we continue to develop our facilities so that we can ac-

commodate more members and take in juniors. We are looking at a date at the end of the year so that we can promote a game in conjunction with other sports clubs in the area,” he explained.

Since acquiring a lease on their pitch at Ballycasey much work has been

done in getting the facility ready to host games and as mentioned work is ongoing in developing the facility.

“Work is ongoing and we are taking it step by step”, concluded Ciaran.

The facility was previously the home of Newtown FC in Shannon.

Greyhounds: Double for Clarecastle owners

by Michael Maher news@clareecho.ie

SUMMER BISTRO

LAST Thursday night in Limerick, there were 23 races on the card with the track rated .20 fast with five of them coming home to the Banner. It was a memorable evening for Clarecastle’s Terry Moloney and Damien Reidy when their kennel charges Malabar Lane & Malabar Jack recorded a notable double. In an A5 graded contest Malabar Lane, a daughter of Laughil Blake & Cherry Lane recorded her second career success, stopping the clock in 29.58.

In the 10th contest, an A3, Malabar Jack finished strongly to claim the honours in 29.12 and in doing so notched career win number 4, Jack a well-bred son of Ballymac Anton and Cabra Laura.

Race two, an A7 graded contest went to the Parteen based Shanakyle Syndicate, which is spearheaded by Joe Collins, when Shanakyle Abbey came up trumps, this was career win number eight for this son of Droopys Roddick and Toremore Nosey in a winning time of 29.76.

In an A3 contest, Tiermana Anna made it two wins on the bounce and four in total for Mullagh’s Noel Mororney with a 29.34 effort, Anna is a daughter of Pestana and Cloneyogan Flash.

Syds Star led from trap to line for Newmarket-on-Fergus’s Myles Cummins who trains this progressive son of Droopys Sydney and Annual Review for the C-Star syndicate from Ballyalla, this was his fourth career success, and the winning time was 28.98.

Afrer a seasonal rest, Ganja Gun returned back to racing with a fine victory on Saturday evening in 29.94 for the 550 yards trip – jointly owned by Cooraclare’s Paddy Conlon and Newmarket-on-Fergus’ John Meehan, this was career win number seven for this son of Sh Avatar and Killinan Reina.

From Galway Greyhound Stadium, the Joe Clancy from Kilrush owned Bayview Fantasy recorded his second win on the trot and second in total with a 19.29 victory for a S5 contest, Fantasy is a son of Premier Fantasy and Bayview Flyer and is in the professional care of Sixmilebridge’s Stephen Murray.

The chief supporting contest on Saturday Night’s Galway Card was the A1 graded seventh contest and as the traps rose the Kim Bennis and Tony Brigdale of Ennis owned Blaze More Fire was away very smartly on the wide outside and racing to the opening bend she led Joeys Champ by a length with Jonny Whiskers in third place as they rounded the opening bend. Racing down the back Blaze More Fire(Ballymac Eske-Blaze Bee) kicked two lengths clear of her rivals as Jonny Whiskers went a clear second approaching the three quarter mark. Off the home bend though Blaze More Fire kicked again as she drew clears to score by two & three quarter lengths in 29.22.

In race three, the Mark and Alanna Browne of Cree owned Burnpark Ronaldo is a very consistent sprinter and the son of Watchman and Burnpark Grainne made it nine career wins from nineteen starts as he routed his S2 rivals by upwards of five and a half lengths in 19.20.

Trapping well from his trap six berth as Caislean Honcho trapped smartly along the fence “Ronaldo” powered to the bend rounding which he led by two lengths . Racing around the crown of the bend Burnpark Ronaldo began to stretch clear and he powered up the straight all alone. The outcome of the A3 graded contest was in little doubt from an early stage as the Thomas O’Doherty of Cooraclare owned Own Lullaby trained by John Browne of Ballyea never saw another rival as the daughter of Droopys Sydney and Droopys Lullaby routed her rivals by upwards of five and a half lengths in 29.22. Very smartly into her stride Own Lullaby led Claudegreengrass by two lengths rounding the opening bend and by halfway that advantage had almost doubled. Striding out well in front Own Lullaby was always in command as she ran out an easy winner.

Friday night’s ten race programme at Galway Greyhound Stadium featured the final of the RCETS APP A5 Dual Distance Stake over 575 Yards and the semi-finals of the Support Our Sponsors S5 Sprint Stake over 350 Yards. In the opening semi-final of the S5 Sprint Stake all six runners were away well but as they settled down the red jacketed Bayview Fantasy shaped plenty of pace along the inner to lead the charge towards the opening bend ahead of Burkos Tonic and Conor Be Slick. Tracking well around the opening bend the Joe Clancy of Kilrush owned Bayview Fantasy turned for home with a two length advantage and although Burkos Tonic tried hard the Stephen Murray of Sixmilebridge trained Bayview Fantasy (Premier Fantasy-Bayview Flyer) was a length and a half to the good at the line in 19.26.

The outcome of the second semi-final was in little doubt from the opening bend as the Brendan Browne of Kilkee-owned Glasheen Tiger led his rivals a merry dance. Very smartly into his stride the son of Wolfe and Glasheen Covid led from Blakemount Pep and Freckles Mist on the run towards the opening bend. Tracking well the winner kicked on as his rivals ran a little wide, the winner was home and hosed scoring by three lengths from Blakemount Pep in 19.21.

Ennistymon owner Thomas O’Connor has a progressive sort on his hands in the shape of Hastalavistababy who made it three wins from four in the A6 graded contest proving four and three quarter lengths too good for Like A Biscuit in 29.61. Away well in company with Erril Star, the winner was six lengths clear passing halfway and once again tracking well out of the back the son of Out Of Range Ash and An Bhean Cheile stayed on well all the way to the line.

In the concluding A4 graded contest the John Quinn of Gort owned Fast Fit Felix was just about best way along the inner and towards the opening bend the son of Doratos Wildcat and Fast Fit Maeve led Abigails Mystery and Derra Dolly by just over a length. Tracking well the Declan McDonagh of Liscannor trained runner extended his advantage to over three lengths from Derra Dolly racing down the back. Between the final two bends the lead was reduced to two lengths but Fast Fit Felix kicked again off the home bend to score by four and three quarter lengths from Derra Dolly in 29.46.

l The Clare Cricket Club in action against Nenagh in Shannon and (left) Vignesh Mukundan Photos by John Mangan

PLANNING

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL FURTHER INFORMATION –NATURA IMPACT STATEMENT MOVEEN WEST, KILKEE, CO.

CLARE

Planning Ref: P23/61

Date planning application received: 08/02/23

Development Description: to erect dwelling house, garage, foul sewer treatment system, percolation area and new site entrance

Location of Development: Moveen West, Kilkee

Take notice that following a requirement of the Planning Authority, A. McGuire will be lodging a Natura Impact Statement (NIS) in respect of planning application P23/61. This NIS will be available for inspection or purchase, at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Authority of Clare County Council, Aras Contae an Chlair, New Road, Ennis, Co Clare during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the NIS may be made in writing to the Authority on payment of the prescribed fee €20, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the Natura Impact Statement and a copy of this public notice.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL BREAFFY SOUTH, MILTOWN MALBAY, CO. CLARE

Take notice that D. O’Connor intends to apply to the Planning Authority for permission to erect dwelling house, foul sewer treatment plant, percolation area and new site entrance 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, €20, within the 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 ARDNACRAA, LISCANNOR, CO CLARE

Take notice that Fiona Considine and Conor Cawley intend to apply for PERMISSION to build a dwelling house, install a wastewater treatment system & all other associated site and ancillary works 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 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 BALLAGHBOY, DOORA, ENNIS, CO CLARE V95 YHE6

Take notice that Madeleine and Jim Lyons intend to apply for permission to RETAIN

1. the existing Garage as built on site 2. the site boundaries which are altered from those granted under Ref P8/13066 & for permission to upgrade the existing septic tank on site. 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 BEAL AN INBHIR, SHANAKYLE ROAD, KILRUSH, CO CLARE

Take Notice that Spanish Point Homes Ltd intends to apply to the Planning Authority for Planning Permission to construct 10 no. social housing units together with all associated ancillary 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 the Planning Authority during its public opening hours and that a submission or ob-

servation 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 QUIN GARDENS, QUIN, CO. CLARE

Take notice that M Haran intend to apply to the Planning Authority for permission to construct a dwelling house, effluent treatment system and associated site works 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.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL NOOAN, KILNABOY, CO. CLARE

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 Anne Quinn for permission to RETAIN (a) Alterations and fenestration changes to dwelling approved under P02-989 (b) Domestic garage (c) Location of septic tank and percolation area 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 within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL LISDOONVARNA, CO. CLARE

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 M.A. Mee for permission to change use of existing shed from commercial use to agricultural use for the storage of hay/feed and farm machinery together with all ancillary 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 within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL, LEADMORE EAST, KILRUSH, CO. CLARE

Take notice that G. Egan intends to apply to the Planning Authority for permission to retain the agricultural entrance to his lands at the above address.

The planning applica-

tion may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of County Council, during its public opening hours, at Clare County Council, Planning Department, Aras Contae an Chlair, New Road, Ennis, County Clare. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Planning Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (€20.00) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the planning application. The Planning Authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions or may refuse to grant permission

CLARE CO. COUNCIL

TOONAGH, TULLA, CO. CLARE

Take notice that Patrick Clune intends to apply for permission for development, the development consists of the construction of a slatted unit and associated site works at the above address.

The planning application maybe 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 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 LUOGH NORTH, DOOLIN, CO. CLARE

I Aiden Fitzgerald

B.Eng. MIEI of AF Engineering, Doolin, Co. Clare, 087-9955689, intend to apply to Clare County Council on behalf of Paul McDonagh

for planning permission at the above address, the development will consist of a dwelling house with proprietary wastewater treatment system & polishing filter together with ancillary 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 planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, €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 CO. COUNCIL KNOCKNAGROAGH, BALLYVAUGHAN, CO.CLARE FURTHER INFORMATION / REVISED PLANS

Planning Ref: P22/842

Development

Description: to build a new dwelling house, install a wastewater treatment system, create a new entrance onto the public road and all other associated site and ancillary works.

Location: Knocknagroagh, Ballyvaughan, Co Clare. Take notice that Noeleen Moran has lodged significant further information in respect of planning applicationP22/842. The 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 and 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 wekks after the receipt of the newspaper notice and site notice by the planning authority or in the case of planning application accompanied by an EIS within 5 weeks of receipt of such notices by the planning authority.

CLARE

COUNTY COUNCIL CLOONTABONNIFF, KILMALEY, ENNIS, CO. CLARE. V95 APR4

Take note that M&L Skerritt are applying to Clare County County for Retention Permission of alterations to existing dwelling and extension granted under P00-281 and P06-920 including all ancillary site works at the above address.l

That 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 and that 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.

The Clare Echo Quiz

The Clare Echo Quiz

1

Who is the current manager of the Clare hurling team?

Davy Fitzgerald

Brian Lohan

Donal Moloney

2

3

In what year did Clare win their first AllIreland Senior Hurling Championship?

Clare’s home ground is known as: Semple Stadium

Páirc Uí Chaoimh

Cusack Park

4

Who was the captain of the Clare hurling team when they won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in 2013?

Cian Dillon

Tony Kelly

Patrick Donnellan

5

Clare’s traditional jersey color is: Saffron and blue Yellow and Blue

Yellow and Black

6

Who captained Clare to win their first allIreland under 21 title in 2009?

Domhnall O’Donovan

Eamon Glynn

Ciarán O’Doherty

7

Which of the following clubs is NOT based in County Clare?

Sixmilebridge Crusheen

Ballygunner

8

Which Clare hurler won the Hurler of the Year award in 2013?

Darach Honan

Tony Kelly

Shane O’Donnell

9

What is the nickname of the Clare senior hurling team?

The Banner

The Rebels

The Cats

10

Who was the all-Ireland winnig manager of the Clare minor hurlers this year? Cyril Lyons

Spot the Difference

Last weeks answers

. Garda missing in the background

. O’Neills missing on jersey

. Part of design missing on bottom of jersey (left)

. Lamp post missing in background

. White piece on ground missing

. Square logo part on denim missing

Clare supporters attending the Munster Hurling Final last weekend in Limerick

photo by Joe Buckley

1. Brian Lohan

2. 1914

3. Cusack Park

4. Patrick Donnellan

5. Saffron and blue

6. Ciarán O’Doherty

7. Ballygunner 8. Tony Kelly

9. The Banner

10. Brian O’Connell

A rainbow stretches over Cusack Park

Photo by Gerard O’Neill

WORD SEARCH

ampere battery cell charge circuit conductor electricity flow force fuse negative ohm positive potential resistance rheostat switch

The Clare Echo Crossword

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.

DOWN

1 Prediction (8)

2 Skinflint (5)

4 Nearly (6)

5 Shin bone (5)

6 Scrap (of information, news, etc) (7)

7 Naked (4)

8 Dealer (6)

13 Recklessly determined (8)

15 Middle East country (7)

17 Rebellion (6)

18 Steady (6)

20 Upright (5)

22 Male singing voice (5)

ANSWERS

CROSSWORD ANSWERS