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GARDAÍ in Clare are warning people who legally own firearms and ammunition to ensure the property is under lock and key – 20 firearms have been stolen in the county in the past four years.

Most of the weapons were stolen during break-ins to homes, with a small number taken from cars.

“In some cases, it was discovered that the firearms were easily accessible and not secured away to prevent their removal. There are considerable obligations on all firearm holders to ensure that their weapons are securely stored away when not in use,” said the crime prevention officer in the Clare Garda Division, Sergeant Joe Downey.

“This applies to both within the home and when travelling to a shoot or a hunt,” he added.

He said that firearm holders run the risk of having their licences revoked if it is discovered that proper security measures were not in place at the time of the theft.

“As the amount of firearms increases in your possession, the place where they are stored should be alarmed. Where you possess six or more firearms, then the alarm must be linked to a central monitoring station and have back-up signalling facilities,” he said.

“During transport, store them out of sight in an area that is not accessible to the driver or any passenger. Never leave them inside the vehicle whether occupied or left unattended,” he added.

TREMORS resulting from the extraction of shale natural gas in west Clare could cause major structural damage to some of Clare’s key tourist attractions, including the Cliffs of Moher and the Doolin Cave. That is according to No Fracking Clare, a group set up to oppose plans to extract shale from underneath west Clare.

The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has awarded a license option to UKbased company Enegi-oil to search for shale gas deposits in a large section of west Clare. The area, which is being described as the Clare Basin, covers thousands of acres between Quilty, Kilbaha and Labasheeda.

Should exploration prove success- ful, a technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, will be used to create large cracks in the bedrock at the drill sites by pumping large amounts of highly pressurised fluids underground.

According to No Fracking Clare, this process has resulted in large tremors or mini-earthquakes in other parts of the world.

“Whilst pollution of water and air are major concerns associated with fracking, another big concern for Clare is earth tremors in the vicin ity of the Cliffs of Moher, Loophead and the Burren, especially Doolin Cave with the biggest stalactite in Europe,” said Bob Wilson of No Fracking Clare.

“Apart from the dangers to people living, working in and visiting these places, there is also the threat to tourism which is now seen as one of our best potential growth areas. We live in a beautiful and unique place here in the west of Ireland and our potential for tourism is directly related to our landscape and environment. In my opinion, fracking ought to be banned in Ireland altogether certainly in Clare.”

Enegi-oil have carried out research on a well drilled in Doonbeg in 1962. This analysis identified the presence of a large deposit of shale gas be tween 800 and 1,100 metres underneath the ground.

The company has put together a timetable for their on-site research in west Clare, which will determine the best drilling locations for extracting the shale, but it is as yet unclear when this process could begin.

A spokesperson from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources told The Clare People that the current license option allows Enegi-oil to conduct “shallow geological sampling” but exclude major exploration drills at this time.

“In the event that hydraulic fracturing was proposed as part of a possible future onshore exploration or production programme, it would be subject to environmental impact as sessment, including an appropriate public consultation phase,” said the spokesperson.

The Clare People contacted Enegioil in relation to this article but no response was received at the time of going to press.

A LOCAL business is attempting to address the parking debate in Ennis by covering the one-hour cost of charges for customers.

Staff at Aveda C Spa, a beauty salon based in the Summerhill area of the town, say they are told by customers on a daily basis that it is a struggle to find parking spaces in the town.

Manager Amanda O’Shea decided to cover the cost of parking for one hour by cutting € 1.30 off all treatments and goods. She said, “A lot of people were coming in and asking how long they would be because of the parking. We were hearing it so much that we just decided to do something a little different.”

Ms O’Shea said parking is a particular issue for customers at the weekend. She explained, “People are in such a rush. They want to get in and finished as quick as they can and maybe go to Dunnes and do the shopping. They don’t want to spend the extra 10 to 15 minutes looking for parking…..Parking does seem to be a problem. We’re hearing it so much.”

Ms O’Shea said staff often have to run out during treatments to put a new parking ticket on customers’ cars. She added, “Yeah, if people are delayed, we’re getting their keys and running up and down the road looking for a blue car!”

A report prepared by Town Manager Ger Dollard said a review of car parking in Ennis commenced in autumn 2010 and resulted in the introduction of the 2011 on-street pay-and-display and car park byelaws on March 21.

The report, presented at the October meeting of Ennis Town Council, explained that a 2008 Ennis Car Parking Study had made a number of recommendations.

In the report, Mr Dollard stated that the council had implemented seven short-term measures aimed at improving parking in Ennis, including discouraging long-stay parking within 100m of Abbey Street; re-designation of 39 long-stay spaces in Friars Walk for use as short-stay parking only and reviewing the use of Bindon Street and the extension of two-hour maximum stay zone to Market Place and Friars Walk.

According to the report, “Significant progress has been made on the implementation of the recommendations of the Parking Report. The town council is committed to ongoing review of parking provision, usage and revenue. The introduction of the 2011 byelaws is a step in the process as is engagement with Ennis Chamber and other stakeholders. All practical suggestions to stimulate parking activity will be carefully considered.”

THE PEOPLE of Clare turned out in their droves to support Newmarketon-Fergus man Michael D Higgins on his way to becoming the ninth president of Ireland.

President Elect Higgins received a whopping 20,828 first-preference votes, or 44.3 per cent.

After Michael D came Sean Gallagher with 14,779, followed by Martin McGuinness on 4,950, Gay Mitchell with 2,545, David Norris with 1,707, Dana with 1,313 and Mary Davis with 890. Once inaugurated on November 11, President Higgins is expected to make an early official visit to his former hometown of Newmarket-on-Fergus.

SHANNON should benefit under the government’s smart travel funding package, through the creation of additional cycle lanes.

That’s according to local Labour Town Councillor Tony McMahon, who says that the project should be rolled out across the board.

Under the initiative, various projects across the country are receiving funding for travel-related projects.

These include new bicycle stands, zebra crossings, disabled parking bays and bus shelters.

It is part of a € 2 million national package for smarter travel measures, announced by Junior Minister for Public Transport, Alan Kelly.

Cllr McMahon believes that new cycle lanes should be put in place in Shannon, while existing lanes should be further developed.

“I’m asking what did Clare County Council apply for, for Shannon? How much money is available and what have they in mind for any future funding that becomes available?” he said.

“I would imagine that they would have applied for funding.

“I think that if there is money available, Shannon should be included,” he added.

“If it hasn’t been accessed, then it would be remiss of the council,” he said.

He said that while Shannon is “fairly well catered for” in terms of cycle lanes, there is a significant interest in cycling in the town and the infrastructure should be suitable.

“If the money is there for that purpose, I would like them to advise me what is envisaged. A good lot of people use cycle lanes in Shannon,” he said.

He said that remedial works should be carried out on roads in the town, if money is available.

“According to the guidelines, remedial works are included and they could be done in Shannon,” said Cllr McMahon.

“There are frequent crashes at the roundabout at the Comp. School (St Patrick’s Comprehensive School). There are several junctions that could be looked at,” he said.

“I’m looking for confirmation that Clare County Council has availed of that scheme and that they have included Shannon in the scheme,” said Cllr McMahon.

JUST under € 300,000 has been allocated by the Office of Public Works (OPW) to Clare County Council for the construction of a pipe connecting a turlough in Ballyvaughan to the Atlantic Ocean.

The funding has been made available under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works Scheme which was set up in August of 2009, just before the unprecedented flooding which took place in October and November of that year.

This latest allocation brings the total amount of Clare funding received under the scheme since 2009 to € 1 million.

Clare still lags behind other flood hit counties in allocations received from this scheme with both Galway and Cork County Councils receiving in excess of € 2 million each from the Minor Flood Mitigation Works Scheme.

This is the second allocation of funding to be made to a Clare flooding scheme this year following a grant of € 99,000 for flood relief works to be carried out at Roughan in Kilnaboy in April of this year.

The Ballyvaughan flood works follow extensive flooding of the area during November of 2009. The main road between Ballyvaughan and Kin- vara was impassable for a number of days during the flood, while a large number of smaller local roads were also submerged.

The € 270,000 allocated by the Office of Public Works represents 90 per cent of the total costs of the work with Clare County Council required to invest the remaining 10 per cent, or € 30,000.

“This is welcome news for the people of Ballyvaughan. Severe flooding was experienced on the outskirts of Ballyvaughan during the winter of 2009 and the works proposed will help to alleviate flooding on affected roads,” said Clare TD Pat Breen (FG).

“This funding is allocated to Clare County Council under the Minor Flood Works Scheme and represents 90% of the monies sought by the Council so it is a sizable investment in reducing future flood risks in Ballyvaughan.

“This funding allocation confirms this Government’s support for the implementation of flood prevention measures even in these tightening budgetary times.”

The scheme is still open for local authorities to put forward local projects for funding and Clare County Council is understood to have a number of projects currently working their way towards securing funding.

HE WAS known as the exterminator of Clare and, 160 years after the height of his reign, notorious landlord Marcus Keane hasn’t been forgiven or forgotten.

This fact of life that the evils of the Great Famine in Clare may be out of sight but are still not out of mind has been hammered home this week with the desecration of a plaque bearing Marcus Keane’s name.

The plaque was erected a number of years ago as part of an Ennis Town Council initiative which was designed to give formal recognition to some of the town’s famous inhabitants or to people associated with the county capital.

Keane lived in Beechpark, Ennis, and by the 1870s his estate had grown to 4,784 acres across the county. But it was his role as an agent for some of Clare’s biggest landlords that earned him the infamous moniker of “the Clare exterminator”.

The plaque bearing his name doesn’t detail any of his exploits, but has now been scarred with the word “evictor” by someone, as a reminder to others as to Keane’s lead role during the Great Famine in Clare.

This dark period of Irish history has just been the subject of a new

book written by ac

claimed Ennis histo

rian Ciaran Ó Mur

chadha called Grea t

Fa mine: Irela nd’s

Agony 1845-1852 . In

it, Ó Murchadha re

veals, “In Clare, Mar

cus Keane tells us that

he employed about 40

wreckers, who other

accounts characterise

as youths or young

men, furtive, uneasy starvelings taken off the streets of Ennis.”

He also says that “in the Kilrush union alone, exterminating landlords led by Crofton Vandeleur and Marcus Keane evicted 20,000 persons between 1847 and 1854”.

SHANNON Development has been challenged to play its part in revitalising the economic fortunes of Kilrush by helping create hundreds of new jobs as the west Clare capital looks “to itself for its own salvation”.

Kilrush Chamber of Commerce has launched its action plan for the development of the town, which it says “if implemented in the Kilrush Creek Marina and landbank areas would result in new and increased commercial activities and the provision of new skilled jobs in greater Kilrush”.

The blueprint has been sent to Shannon Development chief executive, Dr Vincent Cunnane for consideration and identifies a range of commercial opportunities that could boost the town’s flagging economic fortunes.

“Kilrush Chamber of Commerce reluctantly recognises that Kilrush town, because of its size and geographical location is unlikely to be a prominent forerunner in the garnering of new international or national based industries,” the plan secured by The Clare Peopl e says.

“Kilrush must therefore look into itself for its own salvation. Kilrush Chamber of Commerce has identified, the Shannon Development owned and operated Kilrush Creek Marina facility as presenting an excellent location for the creation of a mixed commercial, tourism, educational and social development.

“The facility contains large areas of land which are currently vacant green field sites, a boatyard which presents huge potential for further development and exploitation and a Marina which is not being exploited to anything like its full potential,” the plan adds.

Included in the comprehensive report are proposals for the extension of the West Clare Railway to Kilrush, the development of a Kilrush Historical and Remembrance Park, a Community and Youth Theatre, Craft Village, the development of interpretative centre facilities for Scattery Island as well as opening of a year-round West Clare Tourism Promotion Centre.

The Shannon Development-owned landbank on Merchant’s Quay has emerged as a key component of the Chamber of Commerce’s plan to kick-start economic activity in the town.

“The Merchants Quay grassed area is not currently for sale by Shannon Development,” the action plan states and argues that “only upon its full development will it attain any real value. “Shannon Development can therefore provide land areas to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, The West Clare Railway, Kilrush Local History Group, the Brothers of Charity, the Royal Western Yacht Club at no financial outlay to Shannon Development itself. “Kilrush Chamber of Commerce has identified the overall Kilrush Creek Marina Facility as holding out the real possibility for the creation of new revenue streams and new skilled jobs. “Kilrush is presenting this submission to Shannon Developments the current owners for their consideration of the contents contained therein and would request that Shannon Development give serious thought to the development of the facility,” the action plan concludes.