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CLARE has almost three times more dogs ending up in the pound than the national average. And a Clare councillor wants the local authority to have a homeless dogs section on their website, to give them a better chance of survival.

According to nationwide statistics, the national average is seven dogs per thousand population going to the pound. In comparison, Clare has 18 dogs per thousand population.

“I acknowledge the good work of the dog warden, Frankie Coote, who, despite the large numbers of dogs going to the pound, is successful in finding homes for nearly a quarter of them but a comparison of the local authorities around us show us in a very poor light,” said Councillor Brian Meaney.

Cllr Meaney says he would like research to show which breeds are hardest to rehome.

“The official figures should clearly show what breeds or cross-breeds are being destroyed. I think that Clare County Council can play a positive role in this. Clare County Council has displayed leadership by introducing measures like the beach bye-laws and are pro-active in the issuing of fines, like the 42 that were issued in 2004, compared to counties like Kilkenny with no fines issued.”

The councillor said he intends “to request the Environment SPC to draft policy which would establish a section of the council website showing the dogs that had been left in the pound each day, greatly improving the chances of reuniting them with owners or finding new homes,” Cllr Meaney said.

CLARE County Council has been criticised for its refusal to grant planning permission to a family wishing to build a one-off home near Lemanagh Castle in the Burren.

Joseph O’ Connor had hoped to build a home for his partner and three children. The family currently live in local authority accommodation in Ennistymon.

Mr O’ Connor’s appeal against the refusal states that, “the decision of the council is inconsistent with recent decisions at this location.

“Two other applications were deemed by the council to be in accordance with the policies of the County Development Plan and would not seriously injure the amenities of the area.

“As both of these developments are on sites either side of the current application, and one within the identified boundary of the archaeological complex, I suggest that this application satisfies the same criteria.”

Earlier this year, a plan for a separate one-off home was heading for a refusal, but north Clare councillor, Cllr Richard Nagle (FF) requested Senior Executive Planner, Brian McCarthy to visit the site in question.

Mr McCarthy visited the site and consulted with Senior Planner, Liam Conneally. Subsequently, the council ignored the advice of the area planner and the council’s conservation officer and gave the go-ahead for the home.

An Taisce appealed the decision, claiming that there was a lack of transparency in permitting the home – a claim the council rejected.

Clare County Council subsequently refused planning permission to Mr O’ Connor.

He contends in his appeal, “that the reasons for refusal as stated in the decision to refuse planning permission for this development are without substance and can be refuted.

“It is also my contention that the proposed development is fully in accordance with the policy of Clare County Council as outlined in the Clare County Development Plan and North Clare Local Area Plan.

“The assessment of the application failed to give sufficient weight to the fact that the applicant is a local rural worker.”

Mr O’ Connor returned home from England with his parents in 1988. His appeal states that he is a parttime farmer on the family landholding and a community employment participant in Carron where he works part-time as a stonemason.

His intention is to assume responsibility for the operation of the family landholding from his widowed mother.

A decision is due on the application later this year.

A CLARE architect has told An Bord Pleanala that a proposed housing development in Kilnaboy will provide the area with a badly needed increase of population.

Michael Leahy said in his appeal on behalf of developers David Henry and Eamon Cahill, that the 19 houses they want to build will give people the opportunity to live immediately adjacent to Kilnaboy’s church and school.

Clare County Council refused planning permission for the development on a number of grounds, including inadequate water supply, potential impact on groundwater, design and traffic.

But the appeal states that, “The provision of housing will underpin this community and secure its survival into the future. The development is being done in a way which is attractive, which will ensure the integration of the housing into the village and which will form a landmark development for small housing schemes being located within small village communities for the future.

“Kilnaboy has always had a very strong sense of community and dating back to medieval times, the crossroads at Kilnaboy was of significance.

“It is essential that the sense of community of such villages be reinforced.

“The public are entitled to expect that the village of Kilnaboy will be allowed to develop in accordance with proper planning.

“Mr Cahill and Mr Henry are both from the local area and would like to become involved in this development proposal which would strengthen the character of the village of Kilnaboy.

“However, instead of facilitating development in accordance with the provisions of a democratically voted upon Development Plan, the planning officials seem to be going out of their way to seek reasons for prohibiting development which is zoned for residential development.

On refusing permission due to the design of the homes, Mr Leahy says: “It is quite an astonishing reason for refusal, suggesting as it does that the proposal would by virtue of its design, fail to integrate and respect the existing character of the surrounding area.

“It has been the intention of this office right from the beginning, in consultation with the council, to devise a scheme which would create a small village square facing directly towards the school and the church. Mr Leahy said the reasons for refusal also represented a failure in implementation of coherent policy as expressed through the Development Plan.

THE promoters of plans to commemorate Richard Harris in Kilkee are ready to flout the planning laws by erecting a statue to the Hollywood actor in the west Clare resort.

Last month, Clare County Council granted planning permission for plans to celebrate the late Hollywood actor in Kilkee, in spite of opposition from local residents.

Plans have been drawn up with one Hollywood star due in Kilkee on September 30 to unveil the statue.

But the project has already suffered a setback with local resident, Maureen McMahon, yesterday appealing the decision to An Bord Pleanála.

The statue was to be erected in the Wellington Square area, depicting Harris playing racquet ball. The actor won a racquet ball competition four times in a row in the west Clare resort, where he used spend much of his summer holidays.

However, Project Director Manuel di Lucia said that the statue will now be erected on private property on a temporary basis on Kilkee’s Cliff Walk over the well-known Pollock Holes.

Mr di Lucia said that he was not concerned about any planning issues that may arise until An Bord Pleanála deliver its decision on the appeal.

“The statue will be there until an Bord Pleanála gives planning permission for the statue at Wellington Square”, he said.

Mr di Lucia confirmed that “a major Hollywood star” will be in attendance for the unveiling at the end of September.

“We are very disappointed that the appeal has been lodged. I’m absolutely gutted. It should go up on Wellington Square because it was near there that Richard played racquet ball. I can’t understand why anyone would appeal and one woman is scuppering the arrangements for the whole town.”

He said that the organising committee would not be negotiating with Ms McMahon over her appeal.

Speaking to The Clare People yesterday from Kilkee, Maureen McMahon said, “I have no objection to the Richard Harris statue, but I do object to where it is being put as it is a residential area.”

In her initial objection , Ms McMahon said, “The proposed statue is 20 yards from my house. I do not want a statue or anything like it erected in front of my home. It would interfere with my view and attract crowds of people who may be undesirable.”

Mr di Lucia confirmed that over €35,000 of the €42,000 budget for the project has now been raised with former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds contributing €1,000.

The twice-Oscar nominated actor and star of Gladiator and The Field has strong associations with Kilkee and his three sons have confirmed that they will contribute €21,000 to the project and will be present for the unveiling of the statue by local sculptor, Seamus Connolly.

US AMBASSADOR to Ireland, James Kenny made a nationwide appeal at the weekend to allow the Poor Clare nuns in Ennis to see the AllIreland hurling final.

Ambassador Kenny made a private visit to the Poor Clares on Francis Street last week and he told RTE radio at the weekend, “The nuns are very, very special people and remind me what Ireland is about.

“They knew who I was because one of the treats in life they do get is to watch the news and see what is going on in the world and, secondly, on All-Ireland final day, they are allowed to listen to the match.

“But the nuns got very perturbed because the GAA changed the starting time from 3.30pm to 4pm and they have to leave and go into prayers before half-time. They are very upset because they want to be able to listen to the All-Ireland final.

“They wanted me to relay this to the GAA and I said I would. These are wonderful, wonderful people that are praying for everyone around Ireland. “

Sunday’s final, however, started at the traditional time of 3.30pm – allowing the Poor Clares to enjoy the entire game.

The Abbess of the enclosed order, Sister Bernadine, told The Clare People that the nuns jokingly asked Mr Kenny during his visit to raise the issue, as the nuns’ rosary starts at 5pm every day.

“We said it as a bit of fun and we didn’t take it too seriously. There were only a few of us who wanted to see the match. We have some nuns from Cork and they didn’t wish to see it and we were able to tell them the result.”

Sister Bernadine said that Mr Kenny, “is a lovely person. It was a private visit”.

There are 17 Poor Clares based in Ennis and they come from various parts of Ireland. Their monastery was founded on October 7, 1958 with Joseph Rodgers, the then Bishop of Killaloe, laying the foundation stone in 1957.

CLARE County Council has issued planning enforcement notices against four landowners living along the route of the West Clare railway for excavating part of the route of the line at Quilty.

In separate actions, the Council has served enforcement notices against PJ Murnane, Martin McGannon, Henry Molohan and John Daly all of Quilty.

The four landowners were told by the Council to cease excavations immediately and submit a schedule of re-instatement works prepared by an engineer.

The four have also been told to reinstate the embankment in accordance with the schedule of re-instatement work agreed with the Council.

They were also directed to refund to the Council costs and expenses of €271 incurred in investigating and detecting the alleged unauthorised development.

The Council stated that in the event of non-compliance, the four men may be liable to additional costs.

The Enforcement Notice issued stated that the West Clare railway is protected under a number of headings in the West Clare Area Local Plan and the Council has warned that if steps aren’t taken, the four may be guilty of an offence and may be liable to a €1905 fine.

One of the four, Martin McGannon said yesterday that he has written to the Council to explain his point of view which was shared by the other three landowners.

He said, “We are all in the same situation.”

He declined to state what he has told the Council on the issue.

One of the other landowners contacted, Henry Molohan declined to comment.

The Council is shortly to publish a feasibility study which has assessed the potential of the West Clare railline as a recreational facility and/or walking route for the west Clare area.

The 27-mile railway line from Ennis to Miltown Malbay was the last narrow gauge line to be closed by Government in 1961 as it was suffering annual losses of £23,000.

This followed an earlier decision not to press ahead with a £700,000 plan to convert the line to a standard gauge.

The line operated between 1892 and 1961 with the first sod turned on the project by by Charles Stewart Parnell in 1885.

Immortalized in song by Percy French, the railway has become part of Co Clare folklore and in recent years, tourists have travelled to Moyasta where 1.5 miles of the track has been restored.

A HEARTBROKEN horse owner whose pony, Lizzy, went missing from a field in East Clare last month have been re-united with her after an appeal in The Clare People.

Sonny Hughes left the 19 year old pony grazing on land at Kappantymoore in Meelick, but she went missing from the field more than a month ago.

After an appeal in The Clare People , Sonny said he received a number of tips about Lizzy’s whereabouts.

The search led him to the Puck Fair in Kilorglin, Co. Kerry recently, where he finally tracked Lizzy down. Luckily, she had an ID mark which enabled gardaí to take her back.

“Now they are investigating how she came into the hands of the man I found her with. I just wanted to say a very big ‘thank you’ to The Clare People for helping me and taking an interest in the story.”

A FULL frontal assault on the Government’s handling of the Open Skies aviation negotiations and the sale of Aer Lingus was launched last night.

In a blistering attack, former Clare TD Madeleine Taylor-Quinn (FG) accused Minister Martin Cullen of presiding over a “farce”. Her colleague, Deputy Pat Breen demanded written assurances on transatlantic passenger numbers from Aer Lingus.

Taylor-Quinn said that the sale of Aer Lingus was “not in the national interest. We are leaving ourselves very vulnerable, both economically and from a security point of view.”

She was commenting on the news that Open Skies has floundered over major opposition in the US to foreign ownership of American airlines, at the same time that Aer Lingus, the national airline, is being readied for sale on international markets.

“The US is concerned about its future in Open Skies. America is a huge global economy and here are we, a small island nation, selling off a national assest without a backward glance,” said Taylor-Quinn.

US Transportation Under-Secretary, Jeffrey Shane, confirmed US objections: “We’re not going to make the timetable we initially contemplated by the end of this month or early September. We can’t do it”.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that the Transport Minister has nothing in writing from Aer Lingus on its promise to maintain 400,000 transatlantic passengers through Shannon Airport, after Open Skies.

Deputy Breen said the minister has “led the region on a merry dance. I want immediate answers from the Minister as to why he did not bother to request or receive assurances from Aer Lingus in writing.” The Transport Minister told the Dáil that he “did not request or receive these assurances in writing from the company”.

Last year, Minister Cullen said that he “sought and obtained assurances from Aer Lingus that . . . it will maintain the current level of transatlantic traffic with regular year round scheduled services”.

NORTH Clare is set to receive one of the biggest jobs boosts in its history with the announcement by Clare County Council yesterday of 100 new jobs at the Cliffs of Moher.

A major recruitment drive is expected to begin early next month with all positions likely to be filled before the start of the 2007 season.

The new jobs will consist of admission staff, rangers and grounds and maintenance personnel, with the council hoping to draw people from all over the county.

“The creation of over 100 jobs at the world famous site is excellent news not only for north Clare, but for the entire county,” said Katherine Webster, Director of the Cliffs of Moher New Visitor Experience.

“The new positions will also compliment the site’s improved visitor facilities, which are currently under construction.

“They include a major Interpretative area called ‘Atlantic Edge’, containing exhibits and displays on a range of aspects of the Cliffs of Moher.”

The announcement was made at the Milwaukee Irish Fest in America, where a delegation from Clare County Council are promoting the county as a tourist destination to more than 135,000 festivalgoers.

The Cliffs of Moher project has come in for an amount of criticism in recent times, but the President of Ennis Chamber of Commerce and owner of the Temple Gate Hotel, John Madden, has urged the people of Clare to get behind the project.

“Clare County Council’s commitment to improving the visitor experience at the Cliffs of Moher is a very positive one as far as many of those involved in the tourism sector are concerned,” commented Mr Madden. “It builds on the optimism, which we can already see around the county, in terms of new hotel developments.

“It will also encourage other businesses in this sector to further expand as the number of visitors to the county increases.

“The improved facilities, once opened next year, will create hugely positive knock on effects for the entire economy in Clare.

“Therefore, it is imperative that the local business community pledges its support to the project.”

Yesterday’s announcement came less than a week after Clare County Council announced that three leading tour operators from the USA, United Kingdom and Ireland had committed their 2007 tourist programme to the Cliffs of Moher New Visitor Experience.

The council also said that they expected more than one million people to visit the Cliffs of Moher New Visitor Experience in 2007.

CLARE County Council has apologised to residents in Shannon after supply problems left homes in the area without water.

Homes in Shannon were left without water for much of last Tuesday as contractors carried out repair work to metering valves.

Executive Engineer Liam Murphy explained engineers encountered problems with a valve, meaning a wider catchment area than anticipated was affected and the work had lasted longer than expected.

“Repair work was being be carried out as part of ongoing maintenance of the system.

“It was planned that only a small area would be affected and notice had been given. It was then discovered that one of the valves wouldn’t hold and we had no choice, but to extend the work. There was terrible rain that day and the workers were out all day fixing the problem.”

Mr Murphy apologised to locals and added that maintenance work will continue. He said the project was roughly 50 per cent complete

“I apologise to all those homes and businesses affected. We would always look at these works from a strategic viewpoint, but you can never be 100 per cent sure. In these situations you can’t be alarmist and go around notifying every house in Shannon.”

Prior notification of the shortages were given to three local businesses.

Notices to the general public was given on local radio, but this method has been criticised as ineffective.

Shannon Councillor Patricia McCarthy (Ind) said that many residents in Shannon would not have been aware of the shortages since they don’t listen to local radio .

“The Council would normally advertise notice of these works on radio, but a lot of people in Shannon wouldn’t listen to it.

“I don’t think the method of notification was adequate enough. You can’t anticipate and plan for these kind of interruptions, but there should be a better way of letting people know.”

Shannon Councillor Gerry Flynn (Ind) was sharply critical of the Council saying that he along with local residents had been kept in the dark over the problems.

“What really annoyed me is that they didn’t contact me and they didn’t let people know in an adequate manner. I was getting calls all day from people who had no water.

“This caused major problems for people with young children and disabilities. There was people still in the shower when the water cut out.”

Councillor Flynn also criticised the fact that local businesses were given advance notification, but locals were not.