Category: News

CLARE will need to provide a thousand new homes over the next four years but there will be no need to build any new houses in Killaloe, Kilkee and Kilrush according to a national report issued by the Housing Agency.

Over the next four years it is projected that the Ennis area will need 534 new houses, Shannon 290, Sixmilebridge 139, Newmarket 55 and Ardnacrusha 44. The number for the other specified towns in the report, Killaloe, Kilrush and Kilkee is zero.

The report was commissioned nationally to assess future housing needs based on population and economic assumptions, with natural growth and migration also factored into the findings.

The Government advisory body on housing is predicting a rise in population in the Ennis area of 4 per cent over the next four years, (rising from 25,326 to 26,360). The report anticipates that the populations of Kilrush and Kilkee will fall slightly by around 1 per cent while Killaloe will actually record a very slight population increase of less than 1 per cent.

Sixmilebridge is expected to record the highest population growth over the coming years – by 2018 the Housing Agency estimates the town will have grown its population by 12 per cent to 2,866.

Shannon is also another town expected to expand considerably over the next few years, the population once again expected to top 10,000. It is currently 9,673. The news that Clare will need over a thousand new houses to be built over the coming four years suggests that the economic recovery is finally underway in the county. Nationally the pick up is centred on the east coast, with the counties of Longford and Leitrim returning a zero number for their entire housing requirements.

URBAN SUPPLEMENTS POPULATION IN

2011 CENSUS PROJECTED POPULATION 2018 MINIMUM HOUSING REQUIREMENT 2014-2018 ARDNACRUSHA (CASTLEBANK) 1,414 1,504 44 ENNIS TOWN AND ENVIRONS 25,360 26,326 534 KILKEE TOWN AND ENVIRONS 1,139 1,101 0 KILLALOE 1,292 1,367 0 KILRUSH AND ITS ENVIRONS 2,695 2,604 0 NEWMARKET ON FERGUS 1,773 1,849 55 SHANNON LEGAL TOWN 9,673 10,071 290 SIXMILEBRIDGE 2,507 2,866 139

ALCOHOL was a contributory factor in the death of a Polish man run over by a car in Ennis last year, an inquest has heard.

The body of 38-year-old Thomas Nowakowski, was found near a speed bump in Tobertascáin on May 15, 2013. The fast food worker had lived in Ireland with his wife for six years.

The inquest, before a jury, into his death was opened at Clare County Coroner’s Court in Ennis on Tuesday.

Coroner Isobel O’Dea said the inquest would hear from State Pathologist, Professor Marie Cassidy and would be adjourned to May 8 to hear from the remaining witnesses.

Ms O’Dea said the deceased’s family were happy for the inquest to proceed in this manner.

Prof Cassidy said she was requested to attend the scene of the incident on May 16, 2013.

She said she found Mr Nowakowski’s body lying across the road; face up with his head facing towards the centre of the road.

Prof Cassisdy said there was a large pool of blood around the decease’s head. His runners were on the road, the inquest heard.

Mr Nowakowski suffered severe injuries to his trunk, fractures to his pelvis, thighbone, ribs and collarbone. Prof Cassidy said there was also extensive damage to the skull. The most significant trauma occurred internally, she said.

Blood and urine analysis showed a considerably high level of alcohol was present in the deceased’s system.

Prof Cassidy said that Mr Nowakowski’s alcohol levels were 375mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

Prof Cassidy said the pattern of injuries were wholly consistent with crush trauma.

She said there was as strong smell of alcohol from the deceased. She said he was considerably intoxicated and “likely to be unsteady on his feet”.

She said she was also satisfied Mr Nowakowski suffered no injuries to suggest he was upright at the time of impact

She said the cause of death was crush injuries to chest and pelvis consistent with a crush under the weight of a car.

Acute alcohol intoxication was given as a contributory factor.

CLARE’S 11 bathing areas have got the all clear for the summer season.

This is the first time in a number of years that all of Clare’s bathing areas have got top marks from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

According to the report on Bathing Water Quality each of the areas were deemed to be compliant with manda- tory water quality levels.

Bathing waters were classified into three categories, namely ‘Good’, ‘Sufficient’ and ‘Poor’. The classification system is based on the levels of E. Coli and intestinal enterococci detected in the bathing water during the 2013 bathing season.

All 11 bathing areas around Clare were adjudged to have ‘Good Water Quality’ having complied with EU Guide and Mandatory levels, includ- ing Ballyalla Lake (Ennis) which was deemed to only have ‘Sufficient Water Quality’ in 2012.

The other bathing water areas are White Strand (Milltown Malbay), Ballycuggeran (Lough Derg), Cappa Pier (Kilrush), Bishopsquarter, White Strand (Doonbeg), Kilkee, Spanish Point, Lahinch, Fanore and Mountshannon (Lough Derg).

According to Paul Moroney Senior Engineer, Clare County Council, “In particular, the Council is pleased that Ballyalla Lake had good results in 2013 and it is working to ensure that improved status is maintained this year and for the future.”

Of the 18 Local Authorities who have designated bathing areas, just six, including Clare, achieved ‘good’ water quality status for all of their identified bathing waters.

Dr Matthew Crowe, Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Assessment, said, “Irish bathing waters continue to be among the best in northern Europe. By contrast to the 2012 bathing season, the warm dry conditions last year meant that many waters returned to their normal good quality. Our projections show that almost 90 per cent of Ireland’s designated bathing waters should meet the new ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ water quality standards which will come into force from this year.”

A WELL-KNOWN Ennis family business is the latest to fall victim to the recession, with Guerins Foodstore and Newsagent on the corner of Cornmarket Street closing its doors for the final time on Saturday last.

The constant grocer to the people of the area for more than 60 years, and the supplier of the breakfast roll, scone, sandwich and coffee to workers in recent years, this small corner shop was also a centre of news and chat.

The shop building also occupies a special place in the musical history of the town, as it provided the inspiration for ‘The Stone Outside Dan Murphy’s Door’ – a well-known Clare song written by Feakle man Johnny Paterson.

Owned by Clodagh and John Guerin, Guerin’s was the subject of a spate of break-ins in the last three months.

“This has a huge impact on the business too,” said Ms Guerin, adding that robberies during an already difficult time can be the final nail in the coffin for any business.

She said that they were sad to close the shop, but were left with no other option.

In the last number of years a number of businesses closed or “down sized” in the area, which had a huge impact on trade.

“Eircom is gone, the school has moved out and most of the [town] council staff are gone.

“Those companies that are left have less staff and it all has an impact,” added Ms Guerin, a familiar face behind the counter.

“People also don’t have the money any more. They are bringing their lunch to work, and who can blame them. I really noticed it in the last 18 months, and definitely since September. The property tax has had an awful impact too. People just don’t have money,” she said.

While there was no alternative but to close the doors, Ms Guerin admitted some tears were shed.

“I will miss the craic we had here with the customers, but at the end of the day you have to be realistic about things, when it is not paying you have to go. But I will miss it.”

Guerin’s other store in Ennis is to remain open.

TRIBUTES have been paid to the late Ita O’Shea (nee Ryan) a founder member of the Ennis Musical Society who passed away last week.

Ms O’Shea was born in Queen Street, Clonmel, Tipperary in July 1920. She moved to Clare in 1952 after husband Murt O’Shea, a radio officer, secured work in the county.

The couple married in 1944 and had three children.

A talented musician who played organ and piano, Ms O’Shea was a cofounder of the Ennis Musical Society in 1953. She was heavily involved with the Ennis Friary and Cathedral choirs and was also the organist in the Ennis Cathedral for many years.

In 2000 she was the recipient of the prestigious Benemerenti award in recognition of her decades of service to church and community life in Ennis.

Her husband Murt passed away suddenly in 1989. Ms O’Shea’s sister Maureen lives in Dungarvan, Co Waterford.

Ms O’Shea was a grandmother to four grandchildren and had one great grandchild.

Ennis Parish administrator, Fr Tom Hogan yesterday described her as a “lovely woman”.

“She was a genuinely lovely woman. She had real gift for communicating with people. She was delighted when she received the award in 2000 and it was thoroughly well merited”.

Ms O’Shea lived at Dún Mhuire, Clon Road Ennis but was a resident for the last three years of her life at Cahercalla Community Hospital.

In a statement, the committee and members of Ennis Musical Society said they were “saddened to learn of the recent passing of their President and long time member, Ita O’Shea”.

They added, “Ita – through her love of all things musical – gave tremendous service to the Society and the wider community in Ennis. She was a role model to all members and was held in fondness by all who now mourn her passing. Ar dheis Dé go raibh sí.”

THREE of the county’s four town councils will hold their last ever monthly meeting today (Tuesday), with Kilrush bringing down the curtain on this soon to be extinct form of Government on Thursday.

The first authority to call time on its existence will be Ennis Town Council with its afternoon meeting today. Over 172 years of local government history will come to an end when the nine members of the council meet for the final time to discuss town business.

A number of items are up for discussion on the agenda including a planning report on a long awaited roundabout on the Tulla Road neat the Oakeligh Wood housing estate.

Councillors will discuss a right of way issue at the St Michael’s estate. Debate will also focus on a proposed one-way system in the Lifford Road area of town. A report on commercial rates is also due to be presented to councillors. Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Mary Coote Ryan (FG) will preside over the meeting. Later that evening both Shannon and Kilkee Town Council will also meet for the last time.

In Shannon the nine councillors will meet for the last time in the authorities 32-year history at 6.30pm.

While it is business as usual with the agenda, the councillors will also move to ensure the € 111,000 in the council budget is ringfensed for local projects. In Kilkee from 7pm the councillors will meet to hear an address from the mayor Paddy Collins and to view one last time on the finances of the council.

Meanwhile the last ever-monthly town council meeting in the county will be held in Kilrush on Thursday evening in the courthouse.

The nine councillors will show an element of defiance when they table just one joint motion calling “on the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to establish a commission to bring forward recommendations on meaningful reform of local government at town council level that will eventually lead to the restoration of democratic structures at town council level in the near future.

The councillors previously voted to move the historic meeting from the Town Hall as the first ever Kilrush Town Council meeting was held in the courthouse.

For more than 170 years town councils have worked as the local authority of their town, but as of June 1 that responsibility will fall to Clare County Council and its 28 new councillors.

ENNIS Town Council is to recommend the introduction of a new oneway system to alleviate traffic congestion outside a school in the town.

In January, the council put forward the proposal to solve traffic and “poor parking behaviour at certain times of the day” at CBS Primary School and Rice College.

The council recently introduced railings to prevent motorists parking on footpaths and to provide some protection for young pedestrians outside the schools.

Under proposed amendments to the town’s parking byelaws, the council proposed a new layout for Dr Daly Road between CBS Primary School and St Joseph’s Hospital.

A report on new system is due to be discussed at today’s meeting of Ennis Town Council.

It is understood the council has recommended the introduction of a oneway system running north from New Road to Lifford Road.

It is part of what the council sees as a longer term plan to address traffic issues in the area.

It is understood a number of residents have objected to the proposal.

In a report to the council’s January meeting, Town Clerk Leonard Cleary stated, “this will involve consideration of a one way system of traffic flow along this road and parking at the Fair Green side of the road, rather than outside resident’s gateways/boundary walls.”

He continued, “Local residents on the road would benefit from improved management of parking outside their gateways and receive a resident’s permit, if needed. However, the proposed one way system will require that amendments be made to the traffic management plan.”

Councillor Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) yesterday urged the council to listen to the concerns of residents. “They are the people who will be most affected by it. I think we should be listening to them. I think these issues could be solved by the use of double yellow lines,” he said.

ELEVEN additional County Clare schools have been approved funding under the Summer Works Scheme 2014.

Nine Primary and two Secondary schools have successfully secured grants to undertake small scale works following a second round of funding under the scheme. The schools were not originally included in a list of nine other Clare schools, announced by the Department of Education and Skills in March.

The annual scheme covers school projects such as electrical and mechanical works, roof replacements and repairs, window replacement, toilet upgrades, structural improvements and access works.

Clare Senator. Tony Mulcahy (FG) commented, “I am delighted to see that this year’s Summer Works Scheme will benefit a total of 16 primary schools and 4 post-primary schools across County Clare. The investment will also create muchneeded jobs in the local construction sector. I now urge schools to ensure that they get best value for money on prices for jobs in the more competi- tive construction market.”

The additional Clare schools allocated funds as part of a national programme which sees € 35 million invested in a further 386 schools, include St Conaires NS, Shannon (Toilets); and St Flannan’s College, St Anne’s Community College, SN Mhuire, Rineen NS, Annagh NS, SN Mhuire Miliuc, SN Cuan, St Aidans Ns, Sn Realt Na Mara and Coore N.S. (Roof Works).

Primary Schools List (announced in March): Cratloe NS, Scariff Central NS, (Electrical), Killaloe Boys NS, Cooraclare BNS, Scoil Mhichil Cahermurphy, Connolly NS and Kilnaboy NS (Mechanical). PostPrimary Schools List (announced in March): Ennis Community College (Gas) and St Michael’s Community College Kilmihil (Electrical).

A NINE-YEAR-OLD boy was still being treated in hospital last night after being rescued from the sea of North Clare on Sunday night.

The alert was raised at around 9.15pm when a report was received of a boy in the sea of Blackhead Lighthouse near Fanore.

The boy was in the area at the time with his father and another man.

It was unclear yesterday how the boy came to be in the water.

The child was taken from the water by crew aboard a rescue boat from Doolin Coast Guard.

The Shannon based search and rescue helicopter was also dispatched to the scene.

The boy, who was unconscious at the time of the rescue, was winched aboard the helicopter and flown to University College Hospital, Galway.

A Galway RNLI lifeboat and a unit from Kilkee Coast Guard were also in the area having earlier been conducting a training exercise near the Cliffs of Moher.

The boy was accompanied to hospital by his father.

It is though the family are originally from Eastern Europe and are not living in Clare.

TWO new independent candidates joined the hustings in the West Clare electoral area at the 11th hour.

Just before the deadline on Saturday last Jackie Dale declared as an Independent candidate for the area.

It is understood Ms Dale is living in Cahermurphy, Kilmihil and has registered as non-party.

Meanwhile retired Garda Sergeant Joseph Enright has begun his campaign in earnest since he both registered and declared as a candidate on Thursday last.

A native of native of O’Gorman Street, Kilrush this Irish speaker now lives in Kilmihil village, having moved there in 2007.

Educated in the Convent of Mercy, and CBS Kilrush, he joined the Irish Army in 1997 and rose to the rank of sergeant within four years.

In 1983 he joined An Garda Síóchána and developed services in Irish as Garda sergeant in charge of the Irish language policy in the Garda College.

Mr Enright continued his education throughout his life and now holds a PRII Certificate in Public Relations; an Honours Degree in Public Management (Human Resource Management) and a NUI Certificate in Training and Education and a NUI Post-Graduate Honours Diploma in the Arts (Language Planning).

Mr Enright said he was propelled to run for the local elections through a consciousness of “poverty and hard- ship suffered by many people and the impact this has on our people. I am also conscious of depopulation in West Clare through annual emigration due to lack of sufficient investment in West Clare going back to 1922.”

Among the many issues he is campaigning on he said, “I am highlighting the lack of Irish language cultural facilities in West Clare and government inaction to give Gaeltacht status and facilities to West Clare since 1926.”

He said he is also committed to abolishing the property tax and the proposed water charges for poor families in West Clare and wants improvements to the enterprise office, road infrastructure and public library network in West Clare.