Category: News

ENNIS Town Council is to press ahead with plans for a significant face-lift of the Ennis market area.

A covered market will be placed in Garraunakilla the cur rent home of the Ennis Farmers’ Market. The second phase of the plan will see a covered market style development in Barrack Street.

The council is to proceed with a Par t VIII planning repor t for the re-development of both areas after a majority of councillors at yester- day’s meeting of Ennis Town Council spoke in favour of the proposals.

It comes after a report by architect Richard Rice identified a car park off Lysaght’s Lane in lower market street as the prefer red star ting point for the re-juvenation of the market.

However councillors yesterday expressed opposition to the Lysaght’s Lane proposal and urged the council to begin work in Garraunakilla.

The proposal was backed by councilors Tommy Brennan (Ind) and Mary Howard (FG) who said the council should look after traders in the farmers’ market.

Cllr Peter Considine (FF) also suppor ted siting the new covered market in Gar raunakilla. He said, “I suspect the majority of people, from the town and country, would like to see it in the traditional market area of the town.”

Cllr Brian Meaney (FF) told the meeting that the farmers’ market strongly opposed any move to Moran’s car park. He said no trader wanted to be “isolated in a dreary cor ner of a car park”.

Councillors agreed that Moran’s car park would be considered as part of a longer term re-development of the market.

There will also be an impact on the mall area of the market with town clerk Leonard Clear y saying an area will be closed off for pedestrianisation when the area is eventually re-developed.

He explained, “It’s going to look and feel ver y different and it’s obviously going to have an impact on traffic as well.”

The council has set a June 2014 deadline for work to start in Garraunakilla and Barrack Street.

The meeting heard that the re-de- velopment would involve the drawing up of new traffic management plans for the market.

Richard Rice of Healy Par tners Architects was commissioned by the council to explore the possibility of developing covered markets in Ennis.

The repor t strongly recommends the nor thern elevation of Gar raunakilla develop appropriate retail activity.

It also recommends the inclusion of a covered area and a kiosk if Gar raunakilla is retained as a farmers’ market.

LONG term plans to develop a market in a car park off Lysaght’s Lane would involve creating an access point from O’Connell Street through the old Moran’s building, a meeting has heard.

The prospect of Ennis Town Council buying the building to connect the car park directly to O’Connell Street was raised at yesterday’s special meeting of Ennis Town Council. Councillors met to discuss a report by architect Richard Rice on plans to develop a covered market in the centre of Ennis.

The Moran’s car park had been identified by the report as the preferred location for the first in a series of phased steps that would significantly alter access and the overall appearance of the market.

The council views the plan as major flagships and legacy project. Mr Rice’s preliminary report stated, “We recommend that the Lysaght’s Lane option be considered for development as the location for the Farmers Artisan Market. It is at the retail core of the town; is within a defined urban space that offers very positive development potential; establishes a pedestrian zone at the town centre; offers opportunities to local business to develop their premises towards the new market location.”

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) spoke in favour of Mr Rice’s recommendation saying the cost would be significantly less than developing other parts of the market.

Cllr Flynn told the meeting that a number of traders and local businesses had expressed support for the proposal.

However a majority of councillors proposed that the re-development start in Garraunakilla and Barrack Street.

Cllr Brian Meaney (FF) told the meeting that he spoke with conservation officer Dick Cronin about the proposal to put a covered market on Lysaght’s Lane.

He said Mr Cronin is “very much against” the proposal as it is an “architectural heritage area”.

Cllr Paul O’Shea (Ind) requested the council seek a report from Mr Cronin about the proposal.

Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) urged the council to explore the possibility of covering Parnell Street and erecting arches at either end of the street.

He added, “Businesses in Parnell Street are paying rates and they have to be given a chance to come back.”

Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) also called on the council to devote more resources to Parnell Street, claiming it had been left neglected by the Council.

Town clerk Leonard Cleary said the council will look at Parnell Street and will hold discussions with local businesses in Barrack Street about the possibility of a covered market there.

BORD Fáilte has refused to pay out for proper signage highlighting the tourism information point in Kilrush. That is just one of the many accusations levelled against the national tourism promotion body, who closed its two tourist offices in West Clare this year.

Instead it tendered for two private businesses to take on a Bórd Fáilte-supported Tourist Information Points, but Rebecca Brew the proprietor of Crotty’s in Kilrush who won the tender is not enamoured by the support to date.

She said that the information stand for the thousands of booklets and leaflets was inadequate and Bord Fáilte sent a plastic A4 sign to indicate where the information point was that was also inadequate.

The businesswoman added that Crotty’s was happy to provide the service and would purchase a sign “but the sad fact is we have four paid staff who are trained to provide information and we can’t get € 100 for a sign”.

Crotty’s staff were sent on information trips by the business and not by Bord Fáilte so that they could tell tourists about facilities all over Clare.

“We are doing the best in the capacity we have,” said Ms Brew.

Kilrush town councillor Tom Prendeville (FF), who has been critical of Bórd Fáilte’s support of West Clare tourism, said that he would sponsor one sign.

He criticised Bord Fáilte for closing the tourist office in Kilrush and Kilkee and insisting whoever took on the responsibility of the information point would take on all of the overheads.

He added that € 150,000 is given by Enterprise Ireland to the Dublin Horse Show every year but a € 100 for a sign in West Clare cannot be found.

TO BEE or not to bee – that is literally the question facing Clare County Council as it considers designating Ireland’s first Honey Bee Sanctuary in the Burren.

The native Irish Black Bee is under threat and non-profit Banner Bee Keepers are supporting the Native Irish Bee Society to preserve the bee natural to the area.

The society has now proposed that the Burren be designated a sanctuary for the endangered bee.

There are several threats to the native honeybees in Ireland. The gene pool has been drastically reduced by the varroa mite – an exotic parasite which originated in Asia.

Up until the mid-nineties, Ireland was one of the few varroa free zones left in the world. It arrived in the country with imported honeybees. The tiny little mite has resulted in the near eradication of feral colonies of honeybees that existed in the wild from time immemorial.

“Importation of honey bees is a practice which beekeeping bodies and most beekeepers in Ireland do not condone, as many more bee pests and diseases could enter Ireland in a similar way in the future,” explained Frank Considine of Banner Bee Keepers.

“There has been an upsurge in interest in honey bees in the last few years and some people are tempted to import honey bees. This can have dire consequences for the native bees which can cross breed with them and become aggressive,” he said.

“This in the long term could have a devastating effect on the sustainability of the native honey bee in Ireland. Some parts of Ireland have larger populations of pure native bees than others. It is hoped in the future, that these localities will become conservation areas for this endangered sub species of European honey bee.”

Supporting the need for a bee sanctuary, Cllr Brian Meaney (FF) said this is a necessary project but it will be quite difficult to develop, as it will need to include a number of bodies including the council, the OPW, and the National Park and Wildlife.

A TOTAL of € 4.06 million has been collected from households in County Clare from last year’s household charge.

The € 100 tax per household proved controversial at the time, and has since been replaced with the property tax. The Revenue Commissioners have not yet provided an analysis by county of the Local Property Tax collected to date.

However Clare people have proved to be compliant with the former household charge with more than 80 per cent paying up.

Clare county councillor Christy Curtin (Ind) believes the Government should return money taken from the council coffers last year because just over 60 per cent of property owners had paid the charge.

The high compliance rate and the amount of money collected makes a good argument for the funding to be returned he maintained.

The General-Purpose Grant allocation from the Local Government Fund was reduced by € 243,631 in July 2012 as a penalty set by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.

This reduction was based on the level of household charge compliance achieved up to July 2012. This adjustment was confirmed by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government in September 2012.

The household charge introduced in 2012 has been replaced by the Local Property Tax, which became operational on July 1, 2013, resulting in a half year Local Property Tax charge in 2013. A full year charge will apply from 2014 onwards. In 2013 there is not a direct allocation to Local Authorities from the Local Property Tax.

Niall Barrett, Head of Finance at Clare County Council, said the Minister of Environment, Community and Local Government has indicated that of money collected from Local Property Tax in 2014, 80 per cent of the amount collected for a county will be remitted to the local authority where the tax is raised.

“The remaining 20 per cent of the tax collected nationally will be redistributed on an equalised basis to local authorities within the context of the annual allocations of the General Purposes Grants,” he said.

BISHOP of Inis Cathaigh (Scattery Island) and Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn in New York Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano, was not expecting to have to pick up his own tab when he was invited to a special ceremony on the 6th century monastic island early next month.

A representative for the bishop emailed Kilrush Town Council last week asking if the bishop would be reembursed for his travel expenses.

The council, who issued the in- vite last year, shortly after he was appointed bishop, agreed at this month’s meeting of the council that they did not have the funds to cover the costs.

Kilrush town clerk John Corry told the members that the email was sent from the bishop’s office as preparations were made to book his flights.

“We’ve had different receptions before and we haven’t had to pay expenses. I was proposing to reply on the basis that we certainly would be delighted to welcome him but that we don’t have the budget to cover that,” the town clerk told the members. All members were in agreement. Cllr Liam Williams (FG) said, “We look forward to his arrival and we’ll host a reception for him.” While Scattery Island no longer functions day to day as a diocese, the ancient title is bestowed on a newly ordained auxiliary bishop by the pope. On August 22, 2006, when Bishop Caggiano was ordained Auxiliary Bishop he was given the ancient Irish title. When he arrives on the island in August he will be the first bishop of Inis Cathaigh to do so in living memory.

THE regeneration of a Kilrush housing estate is back on track, after council officials met with a resident who raised concerns that his home would be devalued by the plans.

Last month the John Paul Estate resident told a meeting of Kilrush Town Council that the proposed Wilson’s Road entrance would pass directly beside his house devaluing the privately-owned family home.

He also raised concerns that the road would result in a lack of privacy for him and his family.

Due to these concerns the council agreed to suspend Part VIII approval for the plan, which meant the project would not get the green light from the members until the issue was resolved.

Kilrush town clerk John Corry said these issues have now been resolved after a meeting between the concerned resident, Mr Corry and a council planner.

It has been agreed to situate the footpath further from the home in question allowing for more privacy.

Mr Corry said the family are happy with this, and the council has signed of on the Part VIII.

Under the plan, which has gone to tender and a builder appointed, three houses on Elm Drive will be demolished to create an entrance to the council estate from Wilson’s Road.

This phase of the ongoing regeneration plan aims to open up the estate and remove more of the alleys at the back of some houses, which were encouraging anti-social behaviour.

The work is still subject to Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government funding, but Mr Corry said the council are very “hopeful”.

“The fact that we have received funding for the first and second phase, was are making the argument that we are brining it to completion,” he said.

“The department indicated that it is the most high priority case in the county.”

CLARE beachgoers have been asked to clean up their act, and council workers are providing more bins to help them do just that.

Clare County Council has employed additional resources to deal with the increase in litter that has resulted from what it calls ‘unprecedented’ visitor numbers to beaches such as Kilkee, Lahinch and Spanish Point.

The local authority says it is also installing additional, temporary bins along the length of the beach in an effort to minimise littering while litter wardens have been deployed to monitor littering activity. It is now urging visitors to Clare’s main beaches to take responsibility for their rubbish by bringing it home with them.

“Our beach is a fantastic resource for the wider community and it’s up to us all to ensure that we take home what we bring to the beach,” said Paul Moroney, Senior Engineer with Clare County Council.

“The council wishes to acknowledge those who have used the public bins to dispose of their litter. These bins are emptied regularly each day but often reach their capacity due to the unprecedented large volumes of visitors to the beaches. In Kilkee, we are finding that some people are dumping their litter along the seawall, on the beach or beside already full bins rather than bring their litter home with them. We are installing additional bins today to counteract the problem but would continue to ask the public to take responsibility for their own rubbish and leave nothing behind but their footprints,” he said. “Leaving or throwing litter in a public place is an offence that can be subject to an on-the-spot fine of € 150 or a maximum fine of € 3,000 if you are convicted of a litter offence in the District Court. Council litter wardens will take action where they deem necessary so we would advise the public to be wary of the law around littering. After all, indiscriminate dumping of picnic litter and other rubbish does not create a positive image for any beach or for local tourism.”

YOUNG people have been gathering all weekend to lay flowers and say prayers at a canal in Ardnacrusha which only days before was the scene of summer fun and merriment.

On Friday evening last the village of Meelick was shocked as news spread that popular local teenager Joe Kileen had drowned in the canal, which for generations of teenagers had been considered a dangerous rite of passage.

The 17-year-old who was described as “charismatic” and “upbeat” lost his life in the area of the canal known locally as “Head Race” while diving and swimming with a group of friends.

Just hours before the horrifying tragedy the ESB, who own the power station in Ardnacrusha that the canal serves, had warned against using the unguarded canal.

The eldest of a family of four from Kilavoher, Meelick, Joe attended St Nessan’s Community College in Limerick and before that the local primary school.

His former schoolteacher Cathal Crowe described the teenager as “a real up beat lad with great charisma. He had the biggest smile and wave when you would meet him.”

“I remember from school, he and his brother were tenacious and wiry soccer and football players. They were gifted and talented.

“He [Joe] was well liked by young and old in the community,” said the primary school teacher who is also a local county councillor.

“This tragedy has resonated with a lot of his age group. I would have taught a lot of his peers and they are all very shocked. The whole community is in shock. The life is gone out of the place. It has really hit home how fragile life is.”

Speaking about the area where Joe died, Cllr Crowe (FF) said it was almost a rite of passage for teenag- ers, an area that mothers have been warning their sons is too dangerous for generations. Unfortunately there have been several deaths there. Every generation can recall a tragedy in the canal,” he said.

“It is a beautiful amenity area in our community but we have to remember it is an industrial canal to service the power station and it is not safe for swimming. Right now is about laying Joe to rest, but this is something we must consider in the coming weeks,” he added.

Joe is survived by his heartbroken parents Marie and Pat (Douglas), younger brother Cian and younger sisters Jenny and Tara.

CLAIMING to be a natural blond may not be as straightforward as once thought, especially if the tresses in question have a green hue.

Hairdressers and colourists in a number of salons in Ennis have said that hair dyes have been found to go off colour depending on where the client is living.

Ladies and some gentlemen have been reporting a green tinge on their blond locks, while brunettes and red heads are also finding their lovely locks changing colour after several washes.

The hairdressers have put the changes down to elements of copper in some domestic waters, with high lime contents also causing havoc.

“Lime is less and less of an issues now since the change to the Ennis water,” said one hairdresser, “but there are still some private water schemes where it can be a problem.”

Sean Ward, Senior Engineer with Clare County Council, said there have been no problems reported to the council. Referring to queries about Ennis water he said, “The council is not aware of any change to the chemical composition of the raw water from Drumcliffe spring either in recent times or over the many years for which it has been the town’s source both via the old and new treatment plants.

“Small changes were made in early March 2009 (when new treatment plant began supplying the town) in the chemical processes to produce the treated water, but there haven’t been changes since then,” he said.

“All our testing indicates compliance with all the requirements of the 2007 drinking water regulations.”

Asked about Tulla he said, “The water there comes from the Broadford borehole, at which the only treatment is chlorination, and this hasn’t changed. Testing hasn’t shown any non-compliances.”

Asked about private scheme with and example given of Darragh, he said some premises have private supplies and some (mainly those nearer to Ennis and Ballyea) are on the Killone group water scheme.

“This is a private scheme with its own source, but Clare County Council tests its water, and no non-compliances with regulations have been found,” he said.