Category: News

CLARE County Council has been urged to deal with ‘disgraceful’ levels of noise and litter that have developed in the Watery Road area of Ennis.

Yesterday’s meeting of Ennis Town Council heard complaints about the condition of vacant properties in the area.

Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) told the meeting residents are putting up with the sounds of chainsaws going “morning, noon and night” and wild foul and guinea foul running around houses. “They’re screeching like hell day and night,” he said.

He said Clare County Council should consider demolishing some of the empty houses.

“It’s a downright disgrace. I can’t understand why you have people living in houses at either end and four empty houses between them. Why can’t the vacant houses be knocked and the two put together?” he added.

Cllr Brennan said horses are also running loose in the area.

The meeting heard the scheme is the responsibility of Clare County Council. Cllr Brian Meaney (FF) said the council should consider serving a derelict site notice on the vacant properties.

He said the same tenancy rules and laws that apply to other local authority residents should also apply in the Watery Road.

“There should be no fear or favour in this regard,” he added. Cllr Meaney continued, “The situation in the Watery Road cannot continue. It’s an eyesore. It’s a fester.”

Cllr Peter Considine (FF) said the situation with anti-social behaviour is not unique to Ennis. “The Watery Road [problems] have been going on for over 15 years. It has deteriorated. It is a disgrace.”

Cllr Brennan called on Clare County Council to provide a full report on issues in Watery Road.

He said, “If I was breaking the law and I was causing the nuisance, I’d be prosecuted.”

Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) said there have been issues in other estates in Ennis including Bridge View where smoke bombs have been thrown through letterboxes.

Town manager and director of Service Gerard Dollard said a report from Clare County Council on issues at Watery Road would be available at the next meeting of Ennis Town Council.

A LIMITED policy of pedestrianisation will be in effect in Ennis during December after a meeting heard a lack of support exists among businesses for a longer period of pedestrianisation.

The council had previously proposed pedestrianising O’Connell Street on December 7 (Saturday), December 14 (Saturday), December 21 (Saturday), December 22 (Sunday), December 23 (Monday) and December 24 (Tuesday).

At yesterday’s meeting of Ennis Town Council, Town Clerk Leonard Cleary said the council had sought the views of business people, rate payers and property owners in the town.

He said Ennis Chamber had proposed closing O’Connell Street to traffic on the final two Saturdays and the days leading up Christmas Day.

“A larger December pedestrianisation policy does not seem to be gaining currency at the moment,” explained Mr Cleary.

Under the 2013 policy, O’Connell Street will be pedestrianised from December 21 to 24. Town manager Gerard Dollard told the meeting the on / off nature of pedestrianisation had created difficulties around it.

He said until such time as the council makes a decision on whether proceed with a longer trial of pedestrianisation, the council would have to manage the existing approach.

Cllr Peter Considine said he was “disappointed” with the shorter period but agreed to support the proposal.

Welcoming the decision, Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) expressed concern “organised begging” could undermine the council’s attempts to create a festive atmosphere in the town centre in December.

Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) called for the council to take action against so called ‘chuggers’ who have set up in front of Dunnes Stores.

Cllr Guilfoyle said pedestrians are being forced out onto the street by people collecting money for charity. He told the meeting it was only a matter of time before someone is hurt.

Councillors agreed to a limited pedestrianisation as the council announced details of a free car-parking initiative for Christmas.

Town clerk Leonard Cleary stated, “Following the success in recent years, Ennis Town Council has developed and researched a Christmas Parking Initiative 2013. A recent consultation was held between representatives of Ennis business com- munity and Ennis Town Council with the key task of promoting shopping in Ennis over the Christmas and New Year period.”

Free parking will be in place up to 12 noon daily during December to January 6 both on street and off street. Parking will be free in Cloughleigh car park until January 6. The council is also encouraging staff of shops and business owners to free up spaces close to the town centre by using alternative spaces.

Mr Cleary said the council will promote the initiative online and through media. “The business community is also taking an active involvement promoting the initiative.”

CONCERN has been expressed that the designation of buildings as protected structures is killing off some of the oldest businesses in the town.

A special meeting of Ennis Town Council will take place later this month after councillors yesterday chose not to adopt the town manager’s recommendation that 183 buildings in Ennis be retained on the record of protected structures.

Councillors have sought a meeting with the county conservation officer to highlight concerns they have over aspects of the policy.

Cllr Brian Meaney (FF) told the meeting the high cost of renovating properties that are protected structures is unfair to owners.

Cllr Meaney said the policy also runs contrary to the council’s aim of encouraging more people to live in the town centre.

He said the council could adopt a policy that protects the built character and heritage of the town while at the same time affording property owners the flexibility to renovate their businesses using modern building methods and materials.

Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) said protected structure status had prevented the owners of Keane’s on O’Connell Street from extending their business.

Highlighting the example of one of the town’s oldest shops, Pyne’s on Abbey Street, Cllr Peter Considine (FF) said it was a small family-run business that could not afford the cost of maintaining and renovating the building due to the high cost of carrying out work to a protected structure.

“It’s a one of a kind, a dying kind and are we going to kill it further?” he added.

Town Manager Gerard Dollard said that while he agreed there should be some State support to cover the cost of such works, “If members wish to change this they better have very good and valid reasons for doing so.”

He told the meeting the council is statutorily obliged to make a decision on the protected structures list before the end of the month.

A special meeting to discuss the matter will take place on Tuesday, November 19, at 5pm in Waterpark House.

FIRE personnel from Kilrush came under attack from youths throwing stones while carrying out their duty on Halloween night.

The fire unit was called to an illegal bonfire in the town by concerned residents who feared it would get out of control.

While the reserve members of the fire service were dealing with the flames, four to five youths threw stones in their direction, hitting the fire engine.

No firefighters were injured in the incident.

Denis O’Connell, Senior Assistant Fire Officer with the Clare Fire Service, said that almost every year the members of the fire service face some aggravation when they are called to control bonfires.

“This was not very serious as no one got hit, but no one should have to put up with that when they go to do their day’s work,” he said.

The assistant fire chief explained that bogus calls were as frustrating to the fire service as these senseless attacks.

“If we get a call we have to take it serious. If there is a unit in an area on a call, we then have to take a unit from another area if there is a second call in that area. This affects the call out time to an incident,” he said.

“It is very serious on a busy night to get a bogus call,” added Mr O’Connell referring to a bogus call out in Shannon on Thursday night last – Halloween night.

Thursday proved particularly busy for the Clare Fire Service with 10 call outs in total.

Four of the call outs were to bonfires, in Kilrush, Kilkee, Shannon and Ennis, and one was the bogus call out.

“Ten calls is a lot in one day for seven brigades,” explained Mr O’Connell.

Last year there were 10 bonfire call outs in the county.

Mr O’Connell attributes the drop in bonfire call outs to just four this year to the strong public campaign by Clare County Council last week. Members of the public reporting any waste being gathered for potential bonfires and the weather. He said the rain quite literally dampened plans for the Halloween tradition this year.

A CLARE secondary school was the subject of a suspected arson attack on Halloween night that resulted in the destruction of a resource classroom and significant damage to another. The interior of the prefab classroom at Ennis Community College was gutted in the blaze, which began shortly after 9pm on Thursday. Mindless thugs also took time to break windows in a second prefab unit, which is used for specialised classes for deaf students. Clare Fire Services were called to the scene at 9.10pm and worked hard to prevent the fire reaching the main building on the secondary school complex. Part of the nearby building suffered some external fire damage however, with part of the building also subjected to internal smoke damage. The intense heat from the fire also melted the PVC window frames. It is not yet known the cost of the damage, but a number of computers as well as the entire inside of the first prefab classroom was destroyed. There was no apparent attempt to set fire to the Unit for the Deaf after the windows were smashed with what is believe to have been a fire extinguisher. Gardaí sealed off and preserved the scene overnight while a full technical examination was carried out on Friday afternoon. Gardai in Ennis are continuing to investigate the fire, which they have described as suspicious. Two units of Ennis Fire Brigade also attended the fire at Ennis Community College. They were alerted to the incident by Munster Regional Communication System at 9.10pm and arrived at the scene just eight minutes later. The fire service got the fire under control in just over an hour and the “incident was closed down” at 10.28pm. Anyone with any information on the incident is asked to contact Ennis Garda Station.

FINE Gael selected two further candidates for 2014 Local Elections last night (Monday), as the two nominees from the Shannon area were added to the ticket.

There are just two nominees for the Shannon Selection Convention as Clare county councillors John Crowe and Sean McLoughlin were both nominated and selected without the need for an election.

It is now understood that the Fine Gael executive will add at least one if not two more candidates to contest the six-seat election.

On Friday night the party will select candidates for the new eight-seat West Clare constituency, with the Killaloe convention taking place on Monday next.

Fine Gael is the first of the political parties in Clare to select candidates for the local elections next May, with Labour stating it will hold its conventions by the end of the month.

Sinn Fein said that it is in the process of selecting candidates but has no dates or names as yet.

Fianna Fáil is expected to select its candidates between the end of November and the first week in January, beginning in the Shannon Municipal Area.

It is understood that the three councillors from the area will be nominated alongside newcomer Louise McNamara. Candidates will have until two weeks before the convention to put forward any nominees.

To be nominated for convention the candidate must have the support of one cumann or five individual members of the party.

In Ennis there are already up to 10 names being suggested as possible contenders for the party in the eightseat constituency, with a new look Killaloe area opening up possibilities for former councillors to return.

In West Clare the executive has suggested that the convention be divided into two separate district selection process to avoid the majority of the candidates coming from either the old Kilrush Electoral Area or Ennistymon Electoral Area.

Once again there is much speculation as to who will be put forward for convention.

The father of the council PJ Kelly has yet to decide if he will go before convention in a bid to serve for a fifth decade on the council. New names such as former GAA county board chairman Michael O’Neill and Ennis Chamber of Commerce CEO Rita McInerney are also been spoken about as possible contenders in West Clare for the party.

THE Clare All-Ireland Hurling win continues to have a profound affects on the psyche of the county and may even lead to a new baby boom a leading psychiatrist has predicted.

With this in mind it is anticipated there will be a lot of Clare babies born in June and July of 2014!

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Moosajee Bhamjee said that following the 1995 win there was an increase in the number of babies born in the county, and now wonders if 2014 will see an increase in the number of infants in saffron and blue baby-grows.

The Ennis-based psychiatrist is confident that the win has had a huge impact on the mental health of the county and he even draws on the winning experience to help his patients. The psychiatrist has even suggested using the team as an example while talking to patients in therapy sessions.

Dr Bhamjee made particular reference to the equalising point by Domhnall O’Donovan in the first All Ireland to ensure a draw and a replay.

“You can use it in therapy to have a never give up approach.

“It can be used as an example for people. You know we can sometimes give in too easy, in life we get fed up and things like that, but now we can turn round and say;

‘Remember O’Donovan’s point and the team never gave up’,” he said.

GUSTS of up to 130 kilometres per hour forced the closure of the Cliffs of Moher Visitors Experience this Saturday as management deemed that it was unsafe for staff and tourists to visit the 700-foot-tall cliffs.

Hurricane force winds lashed the Clare coast on Saturday afternoon, with staff beginning the process of evacuating the world famous tourist attraction from 3pm. The facility was completely evacuated at 4.30pm and remained closed until Sunday morning – when weather conditions had improved dramatically.

This is just the sixth time in the last seven years that bad weather forced the closure of the Cliffs of Moher. The attraction has seen a marked increase in tourism number in 2013 and could be posed to break the one million tourism mark for the first time since 2007.

While the average wind speed recorded at the Cliffs was a 70 kilometers per hour or gale force winds, gusts of between 110 and 130 kilometres per hour were recorded, which qualify as storm or hurricane force winds.

“At 9.15am on Saturday morning Met Eireann issued an Orange weather warning predicting winds with mean speeds of 70 kilometres per hour with gusts of between 110 and 130 kilometres per hour,” said Cliffs of Moher director Katherine Webster yesterday.

“Warning signs were erected at the Cliffs, warning visitors to proceed with caution as conditions were hazardous. Around lunchtime conditions deteriorated rapidly and new signs were put up warning visitors not to proceed as conditions were too dangerous to visit the Cliffs.

“Soon after 3pm in worsening conditions the manager on duty took the decision to close the centre and assist visitors who were still onsite to leave the site safely. AA Roadwatch was advised and booked groups were also notified. “The last staff left site at approximately 4.45pm on Saturday. On Sunday, conditions had improved and the visitor centre opened as normal at 9am.”

Management at the cliffs employ a flag system to warm visitors of danger. A white flag signaling dangerous weather is is flown when winds in excess of 30 km per hour are recorded.

When winds of more than 50 kilometres per hour are recorded visitors are advised not to venture onto the cliff walks. Winds of more than 100 kilometres per hours trigger the cliffs “Red Protocol” which entails the evacuation all staff and visitors.

THE number of people signing on the live register in Clare fell again in October – and now stands at its lowest level in almost five years.

Despite this good news Clare business leaders have warned that a number of leading employers in the county are still in “survival mode” and any shock to the economy could have a drastic impact on local jobs.

The total number of people signing on the live register in Clare last month was 8,947, a drop of 36 on September and the lowest on record since February of 2009. The register showed a sizable drop in the Ennis area, with Kilrush and Tulla also showing a reduction.

There were, however, 53 more people signing on in the Ennistymon area or a 4 per cent increase when compared to September 2013. This increase in understood to be as a result of the end of the tourism season, which has seen in best year in North Clare since the start of the recession.

Rita McInerney, CEO of Ennis Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the reduction but said that the emphasis should be on the number of people in employment and not the live register.

She also warned that a number of Clare businesses were still struggling to survive and that the prospect of widespread job losses could not yet be ruled out. “Businesses are in survival mode at the moment. just to survive is the new ‘doing well’ for businesses. Everyone is surviving on the edge,” she said.

“There are some green shoots but this is a dangerous time for businesses. Until we manage to get back on our feet – now is not the time for anything that increases the cost of doing business.

“We welcome the live register reduction but there should be more of an emphasis on the employment figure itself, rather than the live register. The live register is effected by people going back to college and people emigrating.”

The Ennis Chamber has warned that the upcoming harmonisation of rates between Ennis and Clare County Council could push businesses in the county town over the edge.

“The cost of doing business is difficult right now, especially in Ennis. Rates is a major issue and I know a lot of businesses in Ennis would not be able to survive a rate increase when Clare County Council and Ennis Town Council merge next year.”

CLARE gardaí who played key roles in two water rescues were honoured for their bravery at a national awards ceremony last week.

Garda Joseph Hayes, the goalkeeper for the Clare senior football team and Ennis garda James Hanley were both honoured for their heroic actions at the National Bravery Awards in Farmleigh House.

Garda Hayes, originally from Lissycasey, received his awards after coming to rescue of a woman who jumped into the River Shannon on June 6 (2012).

Garda Hayes was on duty was on duty with colleagues in the Dock Road area of Limerick City when they noticed a woman standing by the River Shannon. The gardaí were concerned for her welfare and stopped to talk to her.

The woman appeared to be in an irrational state and seemed to be intoxicated, and while every effort was made to persuade her to step away from the edge of the river, she jumped in. Garda Hayes immediately reacted and followed the woman into the river. He quickly swam to her assistance and brought her back to the quayside where, with the help of his colleagues, she was removed from the water and taken by ambulance to hospital.

The award panel states, “Garda Hayes actions in this instance are to be highly commended especially when one considers the natural elements that he had to overcome. The River Shannon is tidal and at that time of the year, it can reach six metres. At the time the tide was coming in and the force and swell of the river was made worse by heavy rain that had previously fallen. The currents in such conditions are treacherous and Garda Hayes faced a real risk to his own life in saving this woman.

For his efforts, Garda Hayes was awarded a Bronze Medal and a Certificate of Bravery.

James Hanley of Ennis Garda Station received a bronze medal and certificate of bravery after his courageous actions helped save the life of a woman who fell into the River Fergus on January 13 (2013).

When Garda Hanley and a colleague arrived to the scene they found the woman hanging onto a life buoy in the river. As she was unresponsive to their calls Garda Hanley climbed the river boundary wall and waded out to her. The woman was conscious but very frightened and weak. Garda Hanley managed to keep the woman’s head above water and continued to reassure her until he was able to pull her out of the water with the assistance of his colleague and some onlookers. The woman was treated by paramedics and removed to hospital where she made a full recovery.

The awards panel stated, “There is no doubt but for the courageous action of Garda James Hanley entering the river, especially in difficult conditions as it was cold and there was a strong current, this incident may have resulted in a loss of life.”