Month: September 2007

THE long awaited traffic-calming scheme for Wilson’s Road to Stew- ard Street is a “high priority work” and is to be completed as soon as possible according to Kilrush Town Council.

Executive Engineer Derek ‘Troy said the poles for signage indicating ramps have already been installed.

All single ramp signage are due to be installed later in the week.

Following the completion of ramps, the extruded kerbing required to Whoa eL Kos MmmLUUSCCLN CO) OTM ANU MmE As (o10 mm oLommn DOG stalled, dependent on contractor ac- cessibility.

Completion of all remaining up- grades of speed limit singage, pede- setrian crossings and road markings will follow in due course.

“Due to the phased nature of the work and the attempts to keep traffic disruption to a minimum, it 1s diffi- cult to put an exact finishing date on the works,” Mr Troy told this months meeting of Kilrush town council- Keyuse

He was responding to a question from Councillor Collie Sweeney (Ind) who has requesting a progress report on the traffic calming meas- ures and the proposed eastern by- pass of Kilrush.

The need for traffic calming meas-

ures and a bypass has long been an issue for the local people

After more than a year campaign- ing and lobbying by the local HGV action group the go ahead was given for the bypass to the east of the town and traffic calming measures.

The area to be considered for the road capable of sustaining all heavy goods vehicles travelling to the Mon- eypoint Station and Roadstone is east of the west Clare capital stretching from Knockerra Cross to Dunogrog- ue Cross to west of the Killimer car ferry and on to Ballynote Cross.

As a shorter term solution Clare County Council drew up plans which include up to six pedestrian cross-

ings estimated to cost €6,000 each and eight islands costing between €2,000 and €3,000 each.

“T understand that only a handful of submissions were made to the traffic calming measures and that is a clear indication from the people that I rep- resent that they are long overdue,” Oe ieaacr nee

“Iam at pains to point out that these measures are temporary and our long-term goal is to have a by- pass of the eastern side of Kilrush town. My people have suffered for almost 30 years from HGVs rolling through our residential area since the construction of Moneypoint in 1979,” he added.

GANGS of youths, who are stealing cars, racing them around a site in Killaloe and crashing them.

Then they move on up the town to cause further mayhem and distur- bance, a local councillor told a meet- ing of elected representatives for the area.

Cllr Tony O’Brien said the stolen cars are being burned out or driven into Lough Derg.

The open space at The Moys in

Clarisford is an appealing attraction for those responsible for the anti-so- cial behaviour, the councillor said. “When they have caused havoc down there for a few hours, they go on into Killaloe town and the behav- iour continues. It’s attracting an un- desirable element to Killaloe and it’s having a huge impact on the town. We need some form of retractable barrier or bollards that would prevent them from getting in there,” he said. Clr O’Brien said that a local group is taking steps towards developing

the area to provide facilities for rec- reation and sporting groups, but un- til this happens “‘something has to be done to stop this behaviour”’.

The councillor said that while the gardai are called to deal with the gangs “the perpetrators are usu- ally gone by the time the gardai get there”.

Senior Executive Engineer, Sean Lenihan, said he could not suggest any immediate solution to the prob- lem, but promised to look at the situ- rABle)te

“A height restriction won’t solve the problem of cars being driven in and if we put a barrier or retractable bollards, someone will have to be responsible for opening and locking it,” he said.

The senior engineer also pointed out that a barrier would interfere with boat-owners moving their boats on and off the water.

‘“There’s no immediate solution but I will take another look at the prob- lem and see what we can come up with,” Mr Lenihan said.

LIMERICK’S city manager is to be asked to come to a meeting of elected representatives for the Killaloe area to fill them in on whether the city is buying homes in south east Clare.

The issue was raised at a meeting of the Killaloe area committee of the county council, when council- lors voiced their concerns over re- ports that homes are being bought up in their area to rehouse people being moved in the Social Inclusion scheme for Moyross.

Limerick City Council has to find accommodation for tenants whose

homes are being demolished as part of the plan.

The city’s policy is to supplement the number of new homes it can build by buying up houses for sale in the city and it’s hinterland.

But councillors said that they feel they are being kept in the dark about the plans.

Cllr Cathal Crowe told the meeting that he believes the city manager 1s including south east Clare in his defi- nition of “hinterland”’.

“I’m told by residents that two houses have been bought there and that the city council has bought nine houses in Westbury. But if you try to

question any of this you’re accused of being anti-Limerick. People have a right to live in any part of this coun- try they wish but there is a wholesale movement of people under this plan and that requires dialogue. I’m not being disparaging of anyone coming into this area. There are many fine people in Moyross and we would welcome them in but there is a small minority who are causing problems and if the city thinks it can export those problems to Clare, then it has another think coming.”

Cllr Pascal Fitzgerald said that he has also been approached on the is- sue. “We’re told that one bad com-

plaint against a city tenant and they’re out. That’s codswallop – what’s a bad complaint? A stereo on too loud? We know nothing about how this is be- ing handled and we have a right to know what is going on in the area we represent.”

The councillor added that he was concerned that “Limerick city can buy houses in Clare, yet we have people on our housing waiting list for years and we can’t house them.

The members agreed to invite a deputation from the city council to come to their next meeting to discuss the issues.

PLANS to develop seven acres of land in the heart of Feakle for hous- ing have raised concerns among councillors representing the area.

At a meeting of the Scariff area committee of the council, Cllr Pat Hayes said he is concerned about the eden

“The last place we expected the council to buy land was in Feakle. A development of this size could totally change the character of the village. There are less than 100 houses in the whole of Feakle and this is a propos- al to develop a site as large as Feakle

itself is.”

In reply to Cllr Hayes queries on plans for the site, a council housing official said in a written reply that the land has been bought “‘to supplement the existing land bank owned by the council and is earmarked to meet the erowing housing need in the Scariff electoral area.”

The reply stated that while there are no plans as yet for the develop- ment of the site, the first phase of the development will cater for affordable housing and voluntary housing for the elderly. The reply also assured councillors that there would be con- sultation with the community.

Councillor Joe Cooney said that having waited so long for a proper sewerage scheme in Feakle, “it would seem only fair to me that businesses and residents should be able to have the benefit of the new scheme first. I’m concerned that with a site that size earmarked for development, that will put the people already living and doing business in Feakle at a dissad- vantage’.

Cllr Colm Wiley said that he felt it would be a good idea to have the council’s Director of Housing come to a meeting and outline his plans.

Noi Corum bata KOM LOmsOBUOBLO)Im Or-vIBE-Bhior| by the council, for which they will be

reimbursed by the Government as development takes place, Cllr Wiley pointed out that the local authority “has all this money to spend now and we have no land bank”’.

Council Engineer, Michael Mc- Donogh, told the meeting that there would be no mass development on the site.

“There will be consultation along the way and this 1s a staged proposal. Nothing will be done all at once.

Councillors and officials agreed that they would convene a special meeting of elected representatives for the area as soo as any proposals for the site come on line.

AN exhibition featuring more than 300 images of different members of the famous Kilrush-based Vandeleur family, their relatives and friends will be launched this evening in OTK Ti Koleteee-laey eee

The exhibition, which in entitled The Vandeleur Photographic Collec- tion, will be launched my the Mayor of Clare and Kilrush native, Patricia McCarthy, and comes to Ennis after a successful two week run at the Van- deleur Walled Gardens in Kilrush.

The photographs date from 1857 to 1871, the post famine years when West Clare was struggling to recover from the devastation of crop failure,

evictions and starvation.

“This photographic collection is an import window into a period of our history. History is what forms us and makes us what we are. The Vandeleur family and their period in this county is a typical example of what is good and bad,” said Cllr McCarthy.

“Kilrush benefited from the influ- ence of the Vandeleur family and its development could well be an exam- ple today of good planning resulting as it has in a well planned Town, with wide streets, some striking buildings and a Market Hall forming a central focal point for the town.

“They also saw the potential of the Shannon Estuary and established a thriving port, which brought employ-

ment to the Town and surrounding area. The family had a long military tradition and this involved them in the recruitment of locals to fight in numerous wars including the Great A ETe

“All the Vandeleur landlords were not as progressive however. Unfortu- nately Kilrush like many other areas throughout Ireland suffered under an absentee landlord, a period, which saw many evictions, take place.”

According to Rene Franklin, Clare County Archivist, the Vandeleur Photographic Collection reveals much about both the public and pri- vate lives of one of County Clare’s most influential families in the years after the famine.

“The collection provides a rare and fascinating glimpse into the daily lives of the Vandeleurs; their homes; leisure activities; families and friends; travels; and fashions of the day, at a time when the rest of the county was struggling to survive,” she said.

“The photographs themselves are all black and white although a small number have been tinted with col- our. Further colour is added to the album through the use of beauti- fully sketched borders and the use of stamps (both personal and official) on some pages. Each page of the photo- graphic album contains annotations, and the volume is indexed with the name and date of many images.”

PVE been spoiled for choice in re- cent weeks having had the pleasure of testing two very classy Audi mo- tors.

After a week in the Audi A4, I then got to drive the truly massive A6 all- road 2.7 TDI Tiptronic quattro. The black A4 was a classy looking mo- tor, but the silver A6 was just sheer luxury.

“You wouldn’t mind being stuck in Dublin traffic in a car like that.”’ That was the reaction I got from a salesman in a South Dublin garage, a garage that does not specialise in Audi cars.

For me that was some praise com- ing from a competitor, but that was his honest reaction after sitting in and experiencing the comforts of the AO.

When you do sit in it definitely is comfortable. I have often said before that the first thing you do in an au- tomatic is forget about your left leg. Otherwise you will find your fore- head rapidly come in contact with the windscreen as you press what you think is the clutch.

So you just sit back, wait for those lights to turn green and just glide away. If you want speed then the 2.7 engine will ensure that you ‘jump away’ from the lights. And all that power is brilliant when overtaking.

Audi say that the A6 allroad is aimed at people who like horse rid- ing, field sports enthusiasts and those

whose lifestyles have a distinctly off- road dimension.

OW eK rwa Ul eu mcmoree) (CM UbKOr:(OMRVol NE cle. In this model the number plate has been repositioned higher up on the grille to prevent it being ripped away by sharp inclines. Other design features include: beefier bumpers,

bigger door mirrors, flared wheel arches and stainless steel under-body protection.

Externally it doesn’t look like an off-road motor and the only clues are the two roof-bars. It’s a beautiful station-wagon type of car, but I don’t think I would like to risk any damage

to this expensive car by taking it off- road. If I really had to go off-road I think I would probably prefer a 4×4 OS MSO)ONLSLVODNOTMM UIA OMEN OUESA Ooo mmOlU RANTS position.

In the cabin you feel like an air- plane pilot as you select the radio controls which are ideally located in

a console between the driver and the front seat passenger. So if your front seat passenger wants to choose the ra- dio station/cd that she/he wants then the controls are very user friendly for them also.

Naturally the boot is absolutely huge and is capable of carrying any extra items you could think of. It’s a very long motor, but parking sen- sors are provided and they are very useful. When you do park the lights stay on for approximately a minute to allow you get in your front door or if in town, maybe find that parking aloe

Prices for the 2.7 start at E69,440. The optional extras which included leather seats, bluetooth phone, cruise control, heated front seats, sunroof and parking sensors, brought the price of the test car up to E80,934. That’s a lot of money and in an ideal world it would be nice to get your employer to buy one for you. Howev- er, if you keep an eye on the second hand market you could well pick up a bargain. The chances are that the car has been well looked after.

Audi sponsor several sporting events in Ireland each year including the Audi Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh on Derby weekend where they showed off their latest models to an appreciate audience.

THE economic slowdown triggered by the downturn in the construction industry in Clare will last until 2010 unless an improvement comes about in the next three months.

That’s the view of Paddy Kenneal- ly, Head of the Clare Plasterers Un- ion, who claims that no major con- struction projects have started in the county since the beginning of this year and that hundreds are already unemployed or leaving the industry.

This sentiment is reflected in a new

study released by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) which shows a massive drop in new building jobs.

According to the latest ESRI statis- tics, the number of construction com- panies reporting vacancies halved between July and August to just five per cent. This is the lowest level of vacancies ever reported by ESRI, or around one third of the new jobs cre- ated in August of 2006.

“Things are definitely going in the wrong direction. There are no new estates starting up and a lot of the

smaller companies have no work at all,” said Mr Kenneally.

“Some people have already gone abroad. The roofers have been hurt very badly with a lot of people leav- ing the trade altogether. There is a lot of undercutting going on in that sec- tor already which shows that compa- nies are getting very desperate.

“As for the plasterers, Clare is being overwhelmed with plasterers com- ing down from Galway looking for work here. That is bad news for the local plasterers but it also shows that things are bad in Galway as well.”

The construction industry is Clare’s largest single employment sector, with between 11,000 and 13,000 em- ployed in the county.

“It’s hard to tell how long this situ- ation will continue on for. We will know more by Christmas or the springtime what the long-term out- look will be.

“With no new projects starting for the last few months, there will be a knock-on effect for two or three years in the sector,’ continued Mr Kenneally.

“It is really hitting the people work-

ing in the sector. These people have mortgages and car loans the same as anyone else and they are going to be in real trouble if things don’t im- KO) (one

In a separate survey, the ERSI re- ports that employers in the construc- tion industry continued to be nega- tive about future employment levels in the sector. The ERSI’s Net Em- ployment Expectations indicator for August was minus 10 per cent. This means that 10 per cent more employ- ers expect to cut jobs than those ex- pecting to increase jobs.

A MEMBER of the Kilrush-based Western Yacht Club has been hon- oured by Limerick County Council for his achievement in becoming the first Irish winner of the 608- mile Rolex Fastnet Yacht Race last month.

At a civic reception on Monday, Limerick-based property developer Ger O’Rourke received the local authority’s highest accolade for his achievements aboard his yacht Chief- tain, which were rated as the best ma- rine sporting successes of last year. The managing director of Chieftain Construction, who remains heav- ily involved with the Western Yacht Club, was named as Cork Dry Gin

Sailor of the Year earlier this year. He also won his class in the famous Sydney to Hobart race in Christmas PAU Oey

His remarkable run of success con- tinued last month when he and his crew were awarded the Fastnet Chal- lenge Cup and a Rolex Yachtmaster timepiece following their win in one of toughest offshore sailing races in eomUZeu (en

Speaking at the civic reception, Limerick County Council chair- man, Cllr Kevin Sheahan, said Ger O’Rourke’s success further enhanced Limerick’s proud sporting tradition and ability to compete at the top level nationally and internationally.

“Winning this tough event is, for sailors, like an Irish success in the

rugby or soccer world cup. Ger’s victory in the toughest of weather conditions resulted in a new page of sporting history being written. For the first time in the history of the Fastnet Yacht Race, which began in 1925, the name of an Irish boat is on that famous British trophy.

“The victory is especially signifi- cant considering Ger’s 50ft Cookson yacht was only given clearance to compete 48 hours before the event began. It must also be noted that of the 300 boats that started the race, less than 60 finished,” explained the Cathaoirleach.

OCTOBER has been designated ‘Reading Month’ by Clare County Library, which launched its Autumn Lecture Series on Monday. Com- mencing at the deValera library in Ennis on October 9, the series will include adult lectures from three leading literary academics.

The series starts with a lecture by Dr. Paula Murphy on ‘Taking The Snobbery Out Of Reading’. On Oc- tober 16, Shalini Sinha, one of Ire- land’s most insightful commentators will present ‘Why Reading Is Good For Your Health’. The final talk in the series takes place on October 23 when Robert Dunbar presents *“Grow- ing Up With Children’s Books’.

THE route of the Ennis General Hos- pital Committee’s protest rally has been changed to a public march, as confusion reigns over commitments given by Minister Mary Harney to Clare’s five mayors on Thursday Ee

Mayor of Clare Patricia McCarthy, who attended the hour-long meeting with the Health Minister, said that 24-hour consultant-led accident and emergency services would be lost from the hospital eventually.

In its place, the minister hoped to see a 24-hour A&E service, with a consultant on site for a certain number of hours every day, hours yet

to be decided.

Cllr McCarthy said the minister was looking to the Canadian model of GP coverage for the remainder of those hours.

“We made it very clear to her that nurse-led was not acceptable,’ she ALOE

“Never did she mention that we Should not have 24-hour A&E,” said the first citizen of Clare.

A statement from the Ennis Gen- eral Hospital Development Commit- tee said that last week the “minister announced a consultant led 24-hour accident and emergency at Ennis General Hospital will close and be replaced by a nurse-led minor injury unit, which will close at night”.

“If Ms Harney’s “vision” comes about, it will lead to at least 20 people dying needlessly every year in Coun- ty Clare. It’s a bloody nightmare,” said Peadar McNamara, chairman of the committee.

Meanwhile, Saturday’s rally has changed due to a range of difficul- ties, including public liability insur- ance cover, to a protest march from Cusack Park to The Square. People are asked to assemble at 11.30am be- fore marching to The Square via the Tulla Road, New Road, Newbridge Road, Harmony Row, Bindon Street and Bank Place. Speeches will start in the square at lpm and end at ap- proximately 2pm.

Ennis Town Councillor Tom Glynn

(FF) has said he feels betrayed and upset by his “misplaced trust in those obviously couched and hallow prom- ises” of his party and has called on the people of Ennis to support the march.

“If you believe we in Clare deserve and require full and acute 24-hour accident and emergency services in our local hospital that fully meet with the needs of our community at all times of the day and night, please join in the protest rally with family and friends,” he said.

Local TD Joe Carey (FG) is also lending support. “I am asking that people rightly vent their anger at this decision and make their feelings public.”