Category: News

FINE Gael is the party of government with four Oireachtas members in the county for the first time in its history – now the greatest ever year for its Clare wing is set to be enhanced next Monday when two more party representatives take the mayoral chains of local government office in the county.

Fresh from Cllr Mary Brennan’s election as Mayor of Shannon last week, in the coming week Cllrs Ian Lynch and Elaine Haugh-Hayes are set to be elected as mayor of Kilrush and Kilkee respectively.

The annual general meetings of the two West Clare local authorities are set for Monday evening next, with the power-sharing agreements in place on both councils set to pave the way for the elections of Cllrs Lynch and Haugh-Hayes.

Both were elected to their town councils for the first time in 2009 and two years later will be given the signal honour of being their town’s first citizen for the next 12 months.

“I’d be hoping to get it,” Cllr Lynch told The Clare People this week. “I’ve been Deputy Mayor for the past year and it normally follows that the deputy steps up to become mayor the following year.

“When there’s a party in power, you might find that they share it out, but when you have situation like you have in Kilrush at the moment, with three Fine Gael, three Fianna Fáil and three Independents you have a power-sharing arrangement and it’s spread over the five years,” added Cllr Lynch, who at 33 years of age will become one of the youngest mayor’s in the West Clare capital’s illustrious local government history that stretches back over 100 years.

“We have to wait and see what happens on Monday,” Cllr Haugh-Hayes told

CLARE County Council last night decided not to vote on a motion to back Séan Gallagher’s bid to contest the forthcoming Presidential race – on the grounds that legal advice need sought before any vote could take place. This comes after five independent candidates addressed the elected members of the Council last night – each seeking the local authority’s nomination to contest the election.

Following a heated discussion, coun- cillors voted by 15 votes to 14 to seek legal clarification on the issue before making a decision. The motion was put forward by Cllr Michael Begley (Ind) – and after the meeting was adjourned Mr Gallagher commented to the Killaloe councillor that he could see “democracy was alive and well in County Clare”.

Earlier, Senator David Norris (Ind) had defended himself against criticism from Cllr Cathal Crowe (FF) that he was anti-Shannon Airport because of his stance against the use of the airport for special rendition flights.

Special Olympics chief Mary Davis told councillors that her connection with Clare was through holidaying in Kilkee and playing golf. She paid tribute to the work done by the Brothers of Charity in Clare and lauded the outreach programme.

She said she was aware of the issues facing young people in Ireland, adding, “As a county yourselves, you have experienced a tragic share of emigration, unemployment and sui- cide. The position [of President] has an enormous role to play in addressing these difficulties.”

Former Dragons’ Den judge Seán Gallagher said that he came from “simple beginnings”. He said he is not aiming to contest the presidency out of a personal ambition; rather as a result of what he has experienced through his work with the unemployed and those with disabilities. “It’s not about Seán Gallagher,” he added.

Dermot Mulqueen from Ennis, who also intends to run for the Áras, said he believes that a central capital of Ireland should be built. “Ireland is sinking eastwards. It drains resources, population, eastwards,” he said. “We should take over the Corrib Gasfield and have a State-owned gasfield like Norway and set up an international press agency like France.”

The other individual to address the meeting was Dr Pat Jones, a doctor of plant physiology from Carlow. He explained that his connections with Clare were through being a student of Maureen de Valera at UCG.

THE first aircraft ever owned by Aer Lingus was in West Clare last week to help celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the opening of the Spanish Point Airfield.

The “Iolar”, which was a working aircraft more than 80 years ago, was one of 30 working light aircraft which travelled to West Clare to mark the historic event.

Miltown Malbay man Joe Ryan landed an aircraft at a farm in Legard South in the 1970s. An experienced pilot and instructor at the time, Joe knew that the strip of land was suitable as a runway and, after another 20 years of careful examination, it was decided to open a runway and establish a Flying Club in Spanish Point.

The club ran successfully for many years but was badly hit by downturn in the sector after the September 11 attacks, while the salty air also quickened the corrosion of aircraft in Spanish Point.

After successfully training many pilots, the club closed nearly 10 years ago but the airstrip itself has remained in use and has recently seen a large increase in traffic.

“Unfortunately everything took a hit after September 11 and the training school had to shut down,” said Ruth Bagnell of the Spanish Point Airfield.

“There are three aircraft based there at the moment and we are getting more and more people coming to use it.

“The airfield has a long history. I know there was a pilot who crashed a Spitfire close to the site back towards the end of WWII. He was in trouble and saw the flat stretch and tried to land.

His plane crashed but he did survive the landing,” she added.

A LANDSCAPED green area that has been developed on the site of the former Tradaree Court Flats in Shannon has been officially opened.

The mayors of Shannon and Clare marked the occasion by joining members of the project team and officials from Clare County Council to participate in a tree planting ceremony on Tuesday morning.

The apartments, which were originally built in the 1970s to house single parent families, comprised 30 one-bed apartments. They formed part of the property portfolio taken over by Clare County Council from Shannon Development in 2004. The flats, which were in a deteriorating condition, were finally vacated with the re-homing of the last occupants in August 2009. The two apartment blocks were demolished in December, allowing for the reinstatement of the ground for the provision of a green area. Speaking at the official opening, the Mayor of Clare, Councillor Christy Curtin, said: “The completion of this project is a positive development for Shannon and represents a significant, positive contribution to the town by Clare County Council.

“Prior to their demolition in late 2010, the apartment blocks had fallen into disrepair. Incidents of anti-social behaviour and littering in the vicinity of the unoccupied buildings had caused some concern within the local community. In response to these concerns, the Council identified the demolition project as a high priority, given the economic and social costs resulting from the current condition of the two vacant blocks,” he said.

According to Tom Coughlan, Clare County Manager, “The aim of the demolition project, which has been completed on time and within budget, was to eliminate risk and ongoing costs to the Council and to provide additional open space for the benefit of the residents of Tradaree Court.”

“The new green area is a great addition to the town and a wonderful amenity for people in the area. I have no doubt it will be well used by the people of Shannon and surrounding communities for many years to come,” he added. Sean Hegarty, on behalf of Hegarty Demolition, stated he was pleased to have had the opportunity to undertake a project in his native county.

The project, which was included in the Council’s Social Housing Investment Programme in 2009, was funded by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

FEARS that a child will be seriously injured or killed in the Cappa Lodge area of Sixmilebridge have been expressed, amid concerns over levels of traffic.

Independent councillor Gerry Flynn called for traffic calming measures to be put in place on the section of road going through Cappa Lodge which serves the Chapel Court development.

He said the section of road goes through a busy residential area and presents traffic hazards for children living in the area.

“It is now a traffic hazard. The issues are too serious,” he said, at a meeting of Shannon area councillors last week.

“I don’t want to be waiting for a child to be badly injured or killed. It’s absolutely disgraceful if we are going to leave this on the long finger. It is urgent,” he said.

In response, he was told that an assessment will be undertaken in line with the council’s traffic calming policy for residential areas, to determine if traffic calming measures are warranted on the road.

In another roads-related motion at the meeting, Cllr Flynn called for a complete overlay of road surface on the road serving Illaunamanagh cemetery.

He said that the current policy of repairing pot holes was not sufficient to deal with the volumes of traffic using the road.

He was told, in a written response, that the access road was not included in the council’s road schedule as a public road. Therefore, improvement works would not be eligible for grant funding from the Department of Transport and would have to be provided for from the council’s own resources. It will be considered for inclusion in the 2012 programme of road works.

“There are a lot of elderly people going in there. A tar and chip overlay, which would not be very costly, could at least be done,” the councillor said.

Sixmilebridge-based councillor PJ Ryan (Independent) asked for an update on “the junction in Sixmilebridge, especially in the Clonlara direction. People don’t seem to be stopping there”.

“Local people are afraid there will be a fatality there sooner or later if there isn’t an improvement. Definitely something has to be done,” he added.

VINCENT Coleman of Fine Gael has been co-opted to Shannon Town Council, replacing Tony Mulcahy, whose election as a Senator created the vacancy.

At a meeting of the town council last week, Clrr Seán McLoughlin (FG) proposed that the 33-year-old be co-opted to the council. This was seconded by his party colleague, Cllr Mary Brennan. Shannon Town Clerk Liam O’Connor told the meeting that the Fine Gael party has nominated Mr Coleman, who works with Servisair in Shannon. The town’s newest council lor was welcomed by all colleagues on the nine-member council.

Cllr McLoughlin said to Mr Coleman, “You have knocked on the doors in Shannon. You have stuffed envelopes. You are well used to the politics of politics as such.”

Cllr Patricia McCarthy said to Mr Coleman, “I’m sure that you will do the job and represent the people of Shannon exceptionally well. It is a great honour to represent the people of Shannon.”

Cllr Gerry Flynn (Ind) said it was a very proud moment for the Coleman family and for Vincent’s parents who were in the public gallery for the memorable occasion. “It’s a shame the public gallery isn’t a bit bigger. I’d like to see a couple of hundred people here to see what happens,” he said.

Mr Coleman has been the branch chairman for Fine Gael in Shannon for the past year.

FINE Gael town councillor Mary Brennan has been elected Mayor of Shannon. The election came about after the sitting mayor, Councillor Tony Mulcahy, was elected to the Seanad.

Cllr Brennan – who was first elected to the council two years ago – was elected mayor after she was proposed by Independent councillor Patricia McCarthy and seconded by Fine Gael councillor Seán McLoughlin, at a meeting of Shannon Town Council last Tuesday.

She will hold the position for just a fortnight as a new mayor is to be elected on June 28. However, Ms Brennan is widely expected to hold onto the post for the next 12 months.

In accepting the chain of office, Cllr Brennan described it as a “unique honour”.

She took the opportunity to pay tribute to the town’s retired town clerk Tomás MacCormaic, who passed away a fortnight ago. She said that a golf classic organised as a fundraiser for the senior citizens club in the town should be in memory of Tomás, who had a great love of golf. The golf classic will take place at Shannon Golf Club on June 27. “It would be a nice honour if we made it in memory of him,” she said.

Independent councillor Gerry Flynn wished Ms Brennan well as mayor, while Labour councillor Greg Duff said he hoped that all councillors would work in “partnership”.

Cllr Seán McLoughlin (FG) said that Ms Brennan was an excellent deputy mayor when he was mayor last year and wished her well in her new role.

Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) congratulated Cllr Brennan and said, “Hopefully you will stay longer than two weeks. I’m satisfied you will be an extremely impartial chairperson.”

Cllr Brennan was the chairperson of the MPC on Tourism for the past two years and has been succeeded in this role by Sinn Féin councillor Cathy McCafferty.

THE Ennis Youth and Community Resource Building in Cloughleigh, Ennis, was officially opened on Friday by Frances Fitzgerald, TD, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, and Councillor Tommy Brennan, Mayor of Ennis.

The Junction, which was constructed on land owned by Ennis Town Council, features a youth café/drop in centre and will be used as a base from which youth services and programmes to targeted groups will be delivered.

The project costs amounted to € 645,000, of which € 357,000 was allocated to the Council under the Social and Community Facilities Capital Scheme 2006. The balance of the capital expenditure was provided from the Council’s own resources. The Council was the contracting authority for the construction of the building and has leased the completed building to Clare Youth Service.

Mayor of Ennis Cllr Tommy Brennan described the new youth and community facility as a major addition to the town’s community and recreational infrastructure.

He added: “The Council has worked closely with the Clare Youth Service to bring this project to fruition. A range of youth programmes will be delivered from this building and in addition the facilities here will also be available to the wider community.”

“I would like to compliment and congratulate the contractor Liam O’Doherty of Gildoc Ltd and the design team, which was led by Richard Rice of Healy and Partners, on completion of an attractive, modern energy efficient building.

Michael Byrne, Chairperson of Clare Youth Service, commented: “This new initiative will see the development of youth-led community facilities for the benefit of all. It will bring all sections together building the relationships which are the foundation of strong communities.”

He said the youth service was aware of the “myriad” of social problems affecting young people such as addiction, unemployment and youth emigration.

Mr Byrne added that communities around Ennis had recently been marred by “violent death and suicide”. He said, “There are still enormous needs as a community we need to respond to.”

Speaking at the official opening Ger Dollard, Ennis Town Manager, stated that extensive negotiations had taken place since the project was first mooted almost 10 years ago. He highlighted the roles played by Youth Service CEO, Margaret Slattery, and local young people in the development of the centre.

He added, “We have established an advisory board comprising of representatives of the Youth Service, local community, Town Council and Gardaí to oversee the development of the facility. Ennis Town Council looks forward to continuing to play its role in what we expect will be a very successful community facility.”

Clare Youth Service has been at the forefront of the development of many initiatives in its 42 years of working with young people and their communities throughout the county. Set up in 1969, Clare Youth Service today provides direct services to over 3,000 young people aged 12 to 25 years around the county.

CLARE has missed out on a multimillion euro tourism boost with the news that the Cois Fharraige music festival will not be returning to Kilkee this year.

The festival, which was hosted by the West Clare village in 2008 and 2009, will take place at another Irish location this September, with promoters MCD believed to be looking at venues in both Wexford and Kerry. The Clare People has learned that MCD held talks with members of the Kilkee business community in January of this year. The promotions company requested that local businesses shoulder some of the cost associated with the festival’s operations but, when the Kilkee group were unable to raise the required money, all talks were shelved. The Clare People contacted MCD in relation to this story but received no reply at the time of going to press. At statement on the MCD website however confirmed that Cois Fharraige would be taking place on September 9, 10 and 11 of this year but gave no indication as to where the festival would take place.

The president of the Kilkee Chamber of Commerce, John Redmond, told The Clare People that losing the festival was a blow to the village and that Kilkee would welcome Cois Fharraige back in the future.

“Cois Fharraige was made for Kilkee; the festival always worked very very well here,” he said.

“We held meeting with MCD back in January and they were looking for the town to contribute an amount of money towards the festival. Times are difficult at the moment and the businesses in the town just didn’t have the money to invest this year. We haven’t heard from MCD since. We don’t know where the festival is taking place this year but we know that it won’t be taking place in Kilkee.

“Cois Fharraige has been such a huge benefit to the town over the years – especially in 2009. We had a particularly bad year that year and the festival was a great boost to the local tourism businesses at the end of the season.

“We would definitely welcome back Cois Fharraige in the future the festival was made for Kilkee.”

Major international acts such as Supergrass, Travis and the Coronas came to Kilkee for the 2008 and 2009 festivals, which generated an estimated € 12 million for the town over the two years.

THE contribution of young people in Cloughleigh to the development of a new youth and community facility was hailed at the official opening of The Junction on Saturday.

A team of volounteers, comprised mainly of young people from the area, played an important role in determining the need for such a facility when it was first proposed in 2006.

Among those present at Saturday’s opening were Clare Youth Service volounteers Victoria Hart, Aishagh Faithfull and Barry McDonagh.

Work on the project started in 2006 with the group conducting surveys and gathering the views of teenagers in Cloughleigh.

Aishagh (21) explained, “We’ve been involved since the start in planning the building and deciding where it was going to be and what is was going to be for. We were trying to get the young people on board to help us out. We knew from the start that there was a need for it.”

According to Barry (22), there was a clear need for more youth and community facilities in the Cloughleigh area. He said, “We knew ourselves because there wasn’t really anything around for us. I’m delighted with the way it turned out. I think it looks lovely. We can’t wait to get everything going; all the programmes up and running. It’s for the whole town and county not just the area around here.” Youth worker Tommy O’Hara has worked with the project’s core group of volounteers, helping them to get young people from the area and around Ennis to participate in programmes run at The Junction. He said, “The next step really is to try and get young people into the building and develop the café. My own specific job is to develop smaller project groups within the actual centre, to go out and physically recruit them [young people] and bring them up through in much the same way as the core groups came up through the youth service. That’s what we always aim and strive for, to bring young people to that level.” Tommy, who is also from the Cloughleigh area, said the building will serve a wider community purpose. He explained, “We definitely are looking at an inter-generational programme as well that would incorporate older people and young people together, such as gardening, computers or whatever that might be.”