Month: April 2011

THE move by ESB International to explore the possibility of developing wave energy sites off the west coast of Clare is further evidence of the county’s key and historic role in harnessing electricity for the nation.

That’s message sounded out by Clare’s first citizen, Mayor Christy Curtin, this week in welcoming the decision of ESB International to conduct marine surveys off the coast of Doonbeg at Killard Point.

The project, if developed from the feasibility to construction phase, could pave the way for wave energy technology to power up to 2,500 homes in Clare every year.

“This is a new dimension to energy generation,” said Mayor Curtin, “and it’s a vast resource that we have on our doorstep here in Clare. If this resource can be harnessed for the people of Clare, it would show that the county can lead the way like it did with Patrick McGilligan’s Shannon Scheme in 1929 and the development of Moneypoint Power Station in 1986.

“The Shannon Scheme and Moneypoint were major infrastructural projects that brought jobs to Clare. Wave energy has the potential to bring more jobs to the county if this project can be brought to fruition.”

ESB International (ESBI) has applied to the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government for foreshore licences for both Killard Point and Achill, with the findings from the feasibility study determining which is the best location for the WestWave project.

The application is seen as the first step towards developing a five megawatt wave energy project.

The foreshore licences will allow ESBI to deploy wave measurement buoys for a minimum period of one year to assess the wave climate at each site. The company will also undertake hydrographic surveys at each site to assess the sea-bed conditions. The proposed works will provide baseline data on wave and current resources at each site, as well as determining design and installation methodologies and informing route selection for cables associated with a wave energy project. The survey work will also provide information for environmental studies of the area. These activities will take place over a one to two-year period following receipt of the licences.

The project is in line with ESB’s strategy to develop 150MW of electricity from ocean energy by 2020 and the Government’s strategy to generate 500MW from ocean energy.

MEMBERS of Smith O’Briens GAA club in Killaloe are to spearhead a new initiative to build a community centre in Killaloe, thanks to a novel venture that will see up to a thousand parishioners help fund the project.

In what has been labelled as “the community helping themselves”, a fundraising scheme has been devised whereby people in Killaloe, Bridget own and O’Brien’s Bridge will become “investors and stakeholders” in Killaloe Community Development project.

“What we’re doing is having an investors draw,” said community activist and former county councillor Tony O’Brien.

“The whole concept is tailored to try and suit the fact that we’re living in a recession.

“We are going out into the community to try and get a thousand people to become part of the draw, by contributing € 4 a week to the development fund. That works out at € 17.33 a week and € 208 over the year.

“For that we will have a draw every month giving away € 3,700 in cash prizes. There will be 20 prizes from the top prize of € 1,000, two € 500 prizes, two € 250 prizes all the way down to eight € 50 prizes,” added Mr O’Brien.

The launch of the community centre initiative comes as planning permission for a Care Centre in Killaloe has been lodged with Clare County Council.

The facility in Shantraud, Killaloe, will include shops, offices, staff and parking facilities.

“The parish badly needs a facility like a community centre,” continued Tony O’Brien.

“There is no facility for community groups, for the youth and the elderly. The plan is to develop under the umbrella of the GAA, but it will be a community facility that will be open for everyone.

“The idea of the draw is that the community are investing in a facility for themselves. If we managed to get a thousand members, we would raise over nearly € 500,000 for the project over three years,” he added.

FRIDAY was a special night for one of Clare’s best-known musical clans as four generations of the O’Donoghue family shared the stage in Ennis. Paddy O’Donoghue (83), his son Cyril, granddaughter Leanne O’Donoghue and great-granddaughter Aoibhinn Begley performed together at ‘The apple didn’t fall far from the tree’, the first in a series of concerts due to be performed at Glór, Ennis, which celebrate Clare musicians who have inherited their love of music from their parents. The family performed the ‘Rose of Killagh’, a song that appeared on bouzouki player Cyril O’Donoghue’s 2008 album. “Leanne actually sang on the album when she was 10. It was great to get everyone together on stage. Four generations, it’s unusual that you’d get them altogether,” explained Cyril. Paddy O’Donoghue, a founding member of the Tulla Céilí Band is one of Clare’s best-known musicians. Cyril said Friday was a very proud night for his father. He added, “He was delighted, over the moon of course. He brought his first album three years ago. He has been sick so it was great to get to get the album done. There was a book of his music that came out a few years ago, Ceol an Chláir .” Cyril, who now lives in Shannon, recalled how he learned to play music from his “father and grandfather and all the musicians around east Clare”. He added, “The whole family is nearly involved in music. We’ll always be playing something. You come into the house and there are instruments all over the place.”

RESIDENTS in Fergus Park have “significant concerns” over plans by the Office of Public Works (OPW) to build a new river walkway at the rear of the estate, a meeting has heard.

Speaking yesterday, Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said that residents are opposed to the new footpath and handrail to be installed as part of amendments to the River Fergus lower (Ennis) certified drainage scheme.

The changes were discussed at yes- terday’s monthly meeting of Ennis Town Council.

In a letter to the council, Brendan McDermott, OPW flood project management services, said it has been necessary to amend the original scope of the drainage scheme.

Mr Long said, “This work is due to commence shortly and these amendments will have an impact on your property.”

According to the notice, reinforced concrete floodwalls with natural limestone cladding will be constructed along the visible faces, along the left riverbank in the Fergus Park to Knox’s bridge. Works will also include the reinstatement of surrounding ground while all existing surface water outfalls are to be fitted with a tidefex valve.

The notice adds, “New footpath and hand railing to be installed. Wall and footpath approximately 1.25m above garden levels.”

Cllr Flynn said local residents were concerned about the development. He told the meeting that the nearby CBS primary school had successfully objected to the walk being extend- ed along the rear of the premises.

“A lot of the residents don’t want the river walk,” he said.

Cllr Flynn called for the river wall to be improved at the 1916 memorial near the Club Bridge. He said he had heard of an incident where a man had fallen over the wall at the weekend. Cllr Flynn said the wall should be raised or railings should be installed.

The notice of works for the Fergus (lower) draining scheme was welcomed by Cllr Peter Considine (FF).

LAHINCH Cricket Club hope to be able to play their first ever home match later this year following the outcome of last week’s AGM of the Lahinch Community Field Committee.

Following a stormy meeting in the Claremont Hotel in Lahinch last Monday night, none of the eight members from last year’s committee were returned for 2011.

The cricket club, along with a number of other local sports clubs, claim to have been denied access to the field in recent years. They have been training at the North Clare Amenity Park in Lisdoonvarna for more than a year now but they confirmed to The Clare People yesterday that they will make an application to use the Lahinch facility in the coming days.

Sporting Ennistymon, who also claim to have been denied access to the field in previous years, presented an application to use the field to the new committee after Monday night’s meeting.

“Now that a new committee has been elected, we feel that the door has been opened to us to play home matches and bring the Lahinch Cricket Club home to Lahinch,” said Colm Humpreys of the Lahinch Cricket Club.

“I would be very reluctant to pull out of Lisdoonvarna because they were so good to us there when we needed them but we are the Lahinch Cricket Club and we want to play our home matches in Lahinch.

“Ideally, we could continue to train in Lisdoonvarna and play our home matches in Lahinch.”

Sporting Ennistymon have applied for its Under 11, Under 13 and Junior members to be allowed to use the field. Spokesperson Tom Nestor yesterday wished the newly elected committee well and said that it was still possible that some of this year’s FAI AGM could take place in Lahinch.

“From Sporting Ennistymon’s point of view, we are looking forward to working with this new committee and to getting back to our ancestral home,” he said.

“We owe a lot to the wonderful facility in Lisdoonvarna – the club would have been forced to basically disband had it not been for them, and we are very thankful for all their help. We have made an application for three teams to play in Lahinch and we are hopeful that this will be looked upon favourably.”

The new committee in full are Eddie Crowe, Marie Vaughan, Adam Coleman, Brendan Scales, John Clair, Beatrice Ryan, Kenneth Kenny, Deirdre Murphy, Denis O’Sullivan, Michael Rouine, Bill Slattery and Tommy Rush.

TOURISM interests on the Clare side of Lough Derg are banding together to create a range of activities and packages to take advantage of the imminent launch of seaplane services into Mountshannon.

A meeting of tourism providers in Pepper’s Pub in Feakle heard from Seaplane CEO Emyly Heapes that plans are running on-schedule for the first commercial flight to land in Mountshannon in mid-May.

“We hope to have the airstrip up and licenced by then,” he told The Clare People .

Mr Heapes told the meeting of more than 20 Clare tourism providers that he wants them to be creative and give people cause to stay in the Lough Derg area and spend their money.

“We’ll bring them in but the business people need to give visitors a reason to come here. Flyfishing classes, packages, horse-riding, golfing – whatever it takes to bring people in. We have to pull together and help ourselves, because if anyone is waiting for the Government to bring business in for them, they’re out of their minds. It won’t happen,” Emylyn said.

Gary Pepper, a member of the East Clare Tourism Forum, said that he is very optimistic about the new service bringing extra vistors and revenue to East Clare. “We would like to see a scaled down version of Shannon Airport in East Clare when these planes arrive. Anything which brings people in is to be welcomed. We need every advantage we can get.”

The Feakle publican said that the area “has fantastic things to offer. We have walking trails, boating, water sports, fishing, golf, music, food – everything and Lough Derg is the nerve centre of all that. Now we have to work together to attract people to use the new service and to come here.”

It’s envisaged that the seaplane service will ferry passengers between Mountshannon, Cork and Galway.

The proposal ran into stormy waters when it was originally proposed, with objections from a number of bodies and individuals who feared that landing planes would interfere with boating and wildlife on the lake.

CUIMHNEAMH an Chláir, the Clare oral history and folklore group, is preparing to spread its wings as far as the nation’s capital in an attempt to track down and interview older Clare people living in Dublin.

The voluntary local group has recorded and saved the stories of countless Clare people over the last two years. The group have recorded the stories of a number of Clare people who have sadly since passed away including recordings of Ireland’s old- est man, 106-year-old Paddy Gleeson, before his death in September.

The new initiative, which is entitled ‘A part of what was Dublin’ was launched by the group last week.

Two Dublin-based Clare natives have been trained by the group in recent months and are ready to start documenting the lives of older Banner natives who are based in Dublin.

The work is to be carried out by East Clare natives Bríd McNamara and Tara Sparling, who have been trained under the Cuimhneamh an Chláir Cuairteoir programme and have also conducted their first interview with 91-year-old Ennis native Mai McNamara.

“It’s great to be involved in documenting the history of Clare lives in Dublin. As a Clare woman, I’m delighted to be working with Cuimhneamh an Chláir on this project,” said Brid.

“It can’t have been easy for these people to leave their homes to find work in Dublin when they did and I’ve no doubt that they all retain a strong sense of identity as Clare people and will be happy to tell us their story.

“The recording with Mai McNamara, who left Clare for Dublin in the 1950s, already demonstrates the wealth of memories that exist among the elderly Clare natives in Dublin.”

Immigration from Clare to Dublin was at its highest level since the Famine in the 1950s and the group is hoping to tell the stories of many of the Clare people who were forced to leave during this period.

“We are very conscious that Clare people who migrated or emigrated in the past often retain a strong connec- tion to the county and also have picture perfect memories of their youths in Clare,” said Cormac McCarthy of Cuimhneamh an Chláir.

“We have gotten strong support from the Clare Association in Dublin and hope that with a media campaign in the capital that we will hear from many Clare natives who should be recorded.”

Anyone who wishes to nominated elderly Clare people in Dublin are asked to contact clarememories@eircom.net or telephone 087 9160373.

SIX years ago this June, The Clare 10k took it’s first tentative steps. As we begin to look forward to the event on June 25, it is the hope of the organising committee that we will welcome back many old faces and say hello to many more new ones.

2010 saw our biggest numbers to date and we are confident that 2011 will see another rise in participants.

Over the coming weeks we will furnish you with training plans, tips on how to stay healthy and more importantly information for the day itself.

Clare Sports Partnership have come on board for 2011 and with their links to the sporting community we will follow the progress of six people who will run 10k for the first time.

It is now 11 weeks until The Clare 10k so there is no more time to be wasted. Get your training gear out, put that extra daylight to good use and get ready for The Clare 10k.

For more information check out www.clare10k.com.

THE number of people signing on the unemployment register in Clare fell for the second month in a row last month – but March still represents the fifth highest Live Register figures in the history of the county.

A total of 10,623 people were on the Live Register in Clare last month – a drop of 189 people on the February figures. The latest figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that the number on the Live Register in Clare shrank by 260 peo- ple or 2.3 per cent since the highest figures on record were recorded in January of this year.

However, it is still unclear whether the drop in Live Register numbers since its all time high in January is the result of an increase in employment or an increase in the number of Clare people who have been forced to emigrate in search of employment abroad.

The standard seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the county remained at 14.7 per cent of the workforce in March.

This latest decrease in the numbers signing on was largely down to a sizable decrease in the numbers signing on in East Clare with the Tulla regional office recording 1,517 people on the Live Register last month – an overall drop of 51 people or 3.2 per cent in just a month.

A similar decrease was recorded in Ennistymon when there were 1,697 people signing on – down 50 people from the 1,747 who signed on in February of 2011 or a drop of 2.8 per cent.

A large decrease was also recorded in Kilrush where 1,458 people signed on the Live Register in March – 43 fewer people or a drop of 2.8 per cent on the February figures.

The news was not as positive in Ennis last month with the county town lagging behind the rest of the county in terms of reductions in the Live Register figures.

The official figures for March showed that 5,998 people signed on in Ennis last month. This represents a month on month drop of 47 people or 0.7 per cent in the numbers signing on in the county town.