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THE amount of Government money allocated to Clare County Council for social housing has nosedived in recent years – at the same time as the need for that social housing has soared in the county, with Ennis worst hit. According to figures obtained by The Clare People , the Department of the Environment allocated just € 6.7 million to social housing projects in Clare in the four years from 2010 to 2013.

This represents a drop of more than 85 per cent on the € 46.9 million allocated by the department in the four previous years – between 2006 and 2009. While the county was in the middle of an economic boom in 2007, the Government allocated € 11.5m to build social housing in Clare. However, in 2012 when the construction and property markets in Clare were at the lowest ebb Clare County Council received just € 839,925 to provide social housing for the needy.

The number of people on the social housing waiting list in Clare has grown from 2,312 in October of 2012 to 3,066 in July 2014.

This housing crisis has meant dramatically rising rents are forcing low income families to the brink – with rent allowance no longer enough to cover rent.

According to the Clare Citizens Information Centre, the organisation has dealt with at least two Clare people in recent months who have been made homeless because their rent allowance does not cover rising rents. As of September 1, there were only 48 properties for rent in Ennis – with 400 the number needed in an area the size of Ennis.

THE SALE of the year in the county has since become the bargain of the year as it emerged that flamboyant US billionaire Donald Trump paid € 6.5 million less for the Greg Norman designed golf course and resort in Doonbeg.

According to the filings with the Companies Office the Trump organization paid just € 8.7m for the luxurious Doonbeg golf resort.

It was previous suspected that the resort had been sold for € 15 million in February to Mr Trump by receivers for the property.

A report filed by the receivers David Hughes and Luke Charleton of accounting firm Ernst and Young – showed that the proceeds from the sale of the exclusive golf destination amounted to slightly more than € 8.7 million.

The property had been developed at an initial cost of € 28m at the turn of the century. It opened in 2002 and is West Clare’s largest employer.

When he arrived in Clare to view his acquisition last May, Mr Trump promised a further € 45 million investment, hundreds more jobs and the extension of the hotel and golf course at Trump International Golf Links and Hotel Ireland.

The sale to Mr Trump included the five-star hotel lodge, seven unsold suites and the Greg Norman-designed golf course.

The sale didn’t include a number of luxury suites that had been sold to investors during the boom and leased back to the hotel.

They bought those suites as investments, expecting to generate annual rental income and capital appreciation.

Approximately 47 suites had been sold to investors at prices ranging between € 1.2m and € 1.8m.

The major investment into the West Clare resort begins shortly when the hotel and golf course will close for the winter season.

As part of the investment, much of the golf course is being redesigned and Donald Trump himself has recently spent time in Doonbeg walking the course with renowned golf course designer Doctor Martin Hawtree.

The highly regarded British-based Hawtree can already boast redesign work on the nearby Lahinch championship course as well as Portmarnock in Dublin and British Open venue Royal Birkdale.

A THIEF got more than he bargained for when he was caught breaking into a home in Ennis last week.

A brave homeowner was just returning to his house in Drumcliff when he discovered the person on the premises.

He managed to prevent the thief from getting away with some of his property by challenging him as he left the house.

The gardaí were called, promptly arrived on the scene and a person was arrested shortly afterwards and the property returned to the owner.

The break-in occurred at around 6.30pm on Friday, August 29, in the Drumcliff area of the town.

The suspect had initially gained access to the house by forcing in a rear window at the back of the house.

It was the second time in two days that a break-in was foiled by the occupant of a house.

Gardaí in Shannon are investigating a separate burglary that occurred at around 10.40am on Thursday, August 28.

This time a property in the Dernish Lawn area of the town was targeted by a young male who broke in through the front window.

However the culprit was forced to flee at speed from the property after he was disturbed by the occupant as he sought to steal various items from the home.

Gardaí have released a description of the culprit and are appealing for anyone with information to contact them. He is described as 5’4” possibly a teenager with dark clothing and blonde hair.

A dark coloured car was seen near the scene picking up three young males. Nothing was reported stolen from the Shannon house on this occasion.

A TOTAL of 15 Clare schools feature in a new ranking of the top 400 secondary schools in the country.

Scoil Mhuire in Ennistymon is the highest ranked Clare school at 46th place, a jump of eight places on the North Clare School’s previous rank.

The school is also rated at 19 in the top 20 all girls schools in Ireland. Compiled by The Sunday Times, the list places Scoil Mhuire eighth in the top 20 schools in Munster, excluding Cork.

Colaiste Mhuire, Ennis ranked in 16th place in that particular list.

Colaiste Mhuire, at 74, is the only other Clare school that is listed in the top 100.

The remaining Clare schools selected by The Sunday Times are: Rice College, Ennis (106); Mary Immaculate School, Lisdoonvarna (126); Meanscoil Na mBraithre, Ennistymon (150); St John Bosco Community College, Kildysart (157); Scariff Community College (184); St Joseph’s Secondary School, Miltown Malbay (215); Ennis Community College (225); St Flannan’s College, Ennis (240); St Anne’s Community College, Killaloe (265); Kilrush Community School (249); St Caimin’s Community School, Tullyvarraga (304); St Joseph’s Secondary School, Tulla (318); St Michael’s Community School, Kilmihil (343).

The top 400 secondary schools are ranked by the average proportion of pupils gaining places in autumn 2011, 2012, 2013 at one of the nine universities on the island of Ireland, main teaching training colleges, Royal College of surgeons, or National College of Art and Design.

Data was collected from 30 third- level institutions in the Republic and two in Northern Ireland.

Where schools are tied, the proportion of students gaining places at all non-private, third-level colleges is taken into account. Schools offering only senior cycle and new schools were excluded.

EVER wanted to own a bank, or the bank building to be more accurate? Well now you can – in the town of Kilrush.

The AIB bank on Frances Street in Kilrush is to go under the hammer on September 16 as part of the Allsop Space sale.

A spokesperson from Allied Irish Banks PLC confirmed to

A LOCAL man who advocates for one of the country’s largest suicide prevention services has paid tribute to the generosity of Clare people.

Tom McEvoy said support given by people in the Banner County is a key reason why Pieta House has been able to expand its services in the West and throughout Ireland.

“Clare people are unbelievable at supporting Pieta,” he said.

Mr McEvoy continued, “We had a great darts night there recently in the Grove Bar in Roslevan, run by Kieran Reidy. I’d like to publicly thank him very much for doing that for his huge efforts. It was huge success. There was nearly € 2,300 raised. For Pieta, that will go straight into therapeutic hours in Limerick. They are helping fellow Clare people down the line.”

Mr McEvoy said the support shown by Clare people to helping Pieta House provide support and coun seling to services to vulnerable people.

“The vision for Pieta is that we are looking to have a Pieta House within 100km of every person in the country. We opened four new centres last year: Roscrea, Cork, Galway, Tuam and Castleisland,” he said.

“That opened a huge part of the country to Pieta. What we are after now is to cover the North West, Donegal. We’re actually calling to people up there. I’m doing a lot of work up there. We’re also talking actively in Waterford where those areas are devoid of any help that we can offer. We’re planning to have those centres up and running. They are fantastic goals and achievable because of the community following we have.”

Mr McEvoy was speaking as new figures show a 44 per cent rise in the number of Clare people that sought help from the Pieta House centre in Limerick during the first six months of 2014, compared to the same period last year. He said greater awareness of suicide and the issues around is enabling more and more people to come forward to seek help for their problems.

“That can be down to people’s confidence and confidentiality. There can be a sense of pride as well; sometimes they wish to remain anonymous in the area where they come. We’re obviously trying to lift the stigma of suicide. Hopefully in time to come people will attend from the localities along with the surrounding areas,” he said.

Pieta House provides a professional, one-to-one therapeutic service for those who are experiencing suicidal ideation or engaging in self-harm.

AROUND 150 Irish people will soon be offered the chance of receiving a unique “Burren transplant” of orchid rich Burren land, thanks to a groundbreaking new conservation scheme.

Acres of orchid rich Burren habitat will be destroyed in the months ahead to make way for the extension of the M-18 motorway. Two local conservation groups, the BurrenBeo Trust and Conservation Volunteers Galway, have come up with an ambitious plan to transplant large sections of this land to public and private gardens all over the country.

The Burren is one of the world’s leading habitats for orchids. Twenty four of the twenty eight species of Irish orchids are all grow within the Burren, making it, by far, Ireland’s richest habitat for the rare flowers.

The two group are inviting appli cations from members of the public who wish to receive a free transplant of this unique Burren land. The groups are also in negotiation with a number of local authorities with a view to transplanting larger sections of the habitat into public land.

“The road is being built and all the compulsory purchase has already been done, so there is nothing to be lost from trying to preserve as much of this unique habitat as we can,” said Brigid Barry of the BurrenBeo Trust.

“The Burren is such an amazing habitat for orchids. It contains 24 of the 28 Irish orchids and we know that the land marked for transplant con- tains at least 15 species, but I would suspect that there are more.

“There are basically no orchids in Irish grasslands. There may be swamps in parts of the country where you might find two or three species or orchids, but noting like we have in the Burren.”

In order to obtain a free four foot squared Burren transplant, landowners much have a suitable, free draining limestone area when the land can be transplanted to.

“Orchids just don’t exist outside the Burren, they just don’t, it is such an important habitat for orchids in Ireland,” said Peter Butler of Conservation Volunteers.

“They will not survive the construction of the motorway, that’s for sure, so this is about conserving as much as we can. But we’re not giving it away for people to put in a pot in their garden. They will need to have suitable, free-draining, limestone ground.”

Anyone interested in obtaining a free Burren orchid transplant should email volunteer@burrenbeo.com.

A GARDA investigation is continuing following a “sinister” attempt to set fire to Ennis Courthouse last week. A homemade petrol bomb was fired through a window of a downstairs courtroom at the rear of the building in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The break in activated an alarm and gardaí and a unit of Ennis Fire Brigade arrived at the scene at 3.45am.

Only minor property damage was caused to the courtroom, which is home to the Family Law Court.

The courts were on the August holiday break and no disruption was caused to administrative court business.

A bottle containing a cloth and traces of an accelerant were discov- ered in the room.

Gardaí have commenced an extensive investigation.

The scene was the subject of a forensic examination on Thursday and gardaí have carried out door-to-door enquiries in the immediate area.

Gardaí are also trawling through CCTV footage from the grounds of the Courthouse and from Newbridge Road, New Road, Lifford Road and parts of the town centre.

They are also appealing for anyone who may have been in the area on the night to contact them.

Detective Inspector John Galvin from Ennis Garda Station, who is leading the investigation, says there were an “unusually high number of people” in the town at the time attending a debs ball.

“There were a lot of people and cars in the area because of the debs. There were quite a number of cars tipping about.

“You would have had parents collecting their children.

“We can see it on the CCTV, people in tuxedos and dresses going along the road.

“If this was two weeks ago there would not have been a sinner on the street.

“We would ask that anyone who did see anything unusual to contact us at Ennis Garda Station,” he explained.

Det Insp Galvin said the incident is being treated as “arson”.

Gardaí have yet to establish any motive for the crime.

Among their avenues of investigation is whether there is any significance in the bottle being thrown through the window of the Family Law Court.

“We’re looking at that but we don’t know yet if that is of any significance,” Det Insp Galvin said,

He continued, “We’re keeping it in mind during our investigations but the reality is we don’t yet know. We don’t what the motive was.

“An incident like this has never happened at a courthouse in my lifetime. It’s a most unusual sort of offence and at the moment we do not have a motive. I find it quite sinister.

“This is the seat of justice in Clare and for the people in Ennis, it is an iconic and historic building.

“There was relatively minor property damage but it’s the sinister aspect to this that makes it quite serious,” Det Insp Galvin added.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Ennis Garda Station at 065 6848100.

The normal court schedule returns this week at Ennis.

A PROPOSED new road would not just by pass the town of Ennistymon but the whole Blake’s Corner issue, according to one Clare politician.

Labour Deputy Michael McNamara said he would be suggesting to Clare County Council and the NRA that they consider bypassing the North Clare town, as it would make more economical sense than rebuilding a preserved building piece by piece at a different location.

The Clare TD said the proposal to move the preserved building is an old issue and would not ultimately solve the traffic issues of the town, merely at best ease them slightly.

He believes that a new road possibly along the track of the old West Clare Railway or a similar route that avoids the centre of Ennistymon would provide for better access to Lahinch and the Cliffs of Moher for tourists, and free up the town for business.

“As it is, coaches do not stop in the town. If it was easy to access and there was no traffic jam issue perhaps bus drivers would include it as a point to stop for refreshments,” he said.

“Removing Blake’s Corner is irrelevant now and was an issue for ten years ago. We are trying to solve a problem of the future not the past,” he said, adding that more and more busses full of tourists are travelling to the cliff of Moher every year and need to be accommodated.” We need a new bridge and bypass. “Obviously money would be an issue and a by-pass would be a significant cost, but dismantling Blake’s slate by slate and brick by brick will also cost a fortune. I believe this cost would go along way towards a bypass. “In the long term it would be more cost effective and I would rather see the money go towards a new crossing and road that will solve the traffic issues of the future as well as the present and past,” he added.

PLANS to construct a massive € 5 million graveyard and crematorium in Ennis have risen from the ashes with developers, Fenloe Property Development, appealing a decision made by Clare County Council last July to An mBord Pleanála.

The developers have lodged an appeal with the national planning authority which, if successful, could see the creation of a 4,000 plot large graveyard, as well as a crematorium just outside of Ennis.

The site, which is located at Ballaghfadda between Ennis and Clarecastle, is currently zoned residential and a material contravention of the Clare County Development Plan was required in order for the planning to go ahead through the normal planning process.

However, a planning application for the facility was already at an advanced stage when the matter went before the July meeting of Clare County Council, and the CEO of Clare County Council, Tom Coughlan, stated before the debate that planing would almost certainly be granted if the councillors had voted for the re-zoning.

A number of issues were raised in relation to the proposed Clarecastle site including the potential for pollution reaching the local water system, the traffic management of the site and a previous planning application for 250 houses on the site.

A number of procedural issues were also raised in relation to the proposal, including the proposal being advertised in the national and not the local media – with some claiming that more locals would would have made submissions on the proposal if it had been advertised locally.

The matter was put to a vote with 11 councillors voting to grant the material contravention and 15 voting against it.

The planned crematorium would see the construction of a a gated entrance, car park, chapel, offices, store, crematorium unit and furnace, memorial gardens and a large cemetery. The case is due to be decided by December of this year.