Category: News

THE announcement of visitor numbers and the confirmation of an estimated € 5m boost to local coffers was made at the launch of a Gathering Clare Festivals and Events booklet for July to December 2013.

The booklet is being made available at tourist offices, hotels, Council offices and Libraries throughout the County to promote the dozens of events scheduled to take place during the second half of the year.

Amongst some of the key events held during the first six months of 2013 was the Bunratty International Chess Festival, The Burren Tolkien Society Festival, Kilfenora Music Festival, International Junior Tour of Ireland, Festival of Finn, Russell Memorial Weekend, Whitegate May Bank Holiday Festival and the Gathering the Scattering Family History Conference, which were collectively attended by more than 1, 500 overseas visitors.

July and August will increase those numbers as a number of local festivals are due to take place. “We are delighted with the success of The Gathering which has brought huge economic benefits to communities across the County,” explained Monica Meehan, Gathering Clare coordi- nator.

“Communities in every corner of Clare have thoroughly embraced the Gathering initiative and we are glad to say that the quality of festivals and events is excellent. Recent visitor figures released by the CSO reflect the contribution made by the Gathering to the wider tourism sector.

“This is evidenced by the 10 per cent increase (404, 535 overall) in visitors to the Cliffs of Moher during the first six months of 2013 compared to the same period last year.

“Furthermore, almost a quarter of the 5750 people who have visited Loop Head Lighthouse between March and June have been from overseas,” Monica added.

ALMOST € 65,000 has been allocated to 15 childcare facilities in the county for repair and building work.

The allocations are part of the second round of Childcare Capital Grants awarded since 2008.

Among the facilities to benefit are Teach Spraoi, Toonagh (€ 2,148); Fledglings Early Years Cuan Samh, Kilrush (€ 9,886); Lifford Childcare Centre in Ennis (€ 1, 542); Redeemer Pre-school in Ennis (€ 9,324); Bridge Kids, Sixmilebridge (€ 4,948); and Brigit’s Hearth, Tuamgraney (€ 4,720). Kilmaley Community Crèche Ltd will receive € 2,979, while Naíonra Na Leanaí, Westbury, will get € 2,997; Daisychains Playschool, Bridgetown € 2,988; Tic Toc Nursery Ltd, Westbury € 2,919; Wonder Years Crèche, Ballynacally € 2,994; Stone Court Childcare Initiative, Ennis € 1,308; Maghera Gardens Crèche and Playschool € 2,389; Kincora Kids, Killaloe, € 4,960, and Little Harvard’s Montessori, Quilty € 8,519.

Nationwide € 2.75 million is being allocated to 671 childcare providers.

Clare senator Tony Mulcahy (FG) said, “I understand that all submitted applications were considered in order to find those that most closely met the criteria and objectives of the programme. Applications that were successful were those that represented the most complete, coherent, and compelling cases for funding with particular consideration given to additional supporting material and the level of deprivation of the areas according to the Pobal Haase index. I would like to congratulate all of the 15 successful applications in Clare.”

“This investment is being targeted to have high impact on the successful childcare providers involved. Funding will go towards providing safe outdoor play spaces in childcare services, improving buildings and supporting services to ensure that children with disabilities have better experiences within early years settings.”

PARENTS with children under five years of age, who have sustained injuries or are seriously ill, must go directly to the Accident and Emergency Unit at the University Hospital Limerick, by-passing the Local Injuries Unit at Ennis Hospital.

Clare people with “conditions due to medical illness”, serious head injury, abdominal pains, gynaecological problems, neck and back pain, injuries due to self harm and major injuries must also go direct to Limerick as the Local Emergency Centre in Ennis became a Local Injuries Unit yesterday (Monday).

As part of the reorganisation of health services a new 10-hour, fiveday week, Medical Assessment Unit (MAU) was also opened yesterday at Ennis Hospital.

The MAU will be open from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday.

The unit will see patients who are referred by their GPs with certain symptoms that may require hospital admission such as chest infections and chronic diseases including asthma and diabetes.

Shannondoc and GPs can also admit medical patients directly to the hospital outside the opening times of the MAU, following discussion with the medical and nursing staff.

In announcing the change of services at the County Clare hospital, the HSE said, “the hospital will continue to provide consultant delivered selected acute medicine.

“It is being done as part of an ongoing programme to improve patient safety and efficiency. The Small Hospitals Framework published in May 2013 sets out a very clear role for hospitals such as Ennis. Ennis hospital has a pivotal role in treating patients from Clare.”

The new look Ennis hospital is now not a million miles away from what the Hanley Report proposed in 2003. That report was campaigned against by the Ennis General Hospital Development Group for years and was the subject of differing election promises in the last decade.

In April 2009 the then Mid Western Regional Hospital Ennis lost its 24hour Accident and Emergency Department, which was replaced with a 12-hour local emergency centre.

In May of this year the HSE published The Small Hospital Frameworks, which outlined yesterday’s changes and included Ennis in the University Limerick Hospital group.

The new Local Injury Unit will be open during the same hours as the emergency centre it is replacing from 8am to 8pm seven days a week.

It will treat adult patients and children aged over five with minor injuries such as suspected broken bones, sprains and strains, facial injuries, minor scalds and burns. The unit is led by a consultant in emergency medicine and staffed by registrars, nurses, radiographers, pharmacists, multi-task attendants and clerical staff. People can self refer to the Local Injury Unit or be referred by their GP/Shannondoc.

Anyone requiring treatment outside of the opening hours should attend the Emergency Department in either University Hospital Limerick or Galway Hospital; or visit Shannondoc.

Those with minor injuries may also wait to attend the Local Injury Unit the following morning.

ENNIS Town Council has announced the introduction of a new cashless method of paying for parking in County Clare’s largest town.

The ParkMagic system enables customers displaying a ParkMagic barcode window sticker in the windscreen of their cars to make parking payments via text message or phonecall.

Traffic wardens use electronic handheld devices to scan the barcode or input vehicle registrations to verify payment status.

The system also includes a text messaging option for customers to be notified that their payment is due to expire.

Ennis becomes only the third Irish town to use the ParkMagic system, which is already in operation in Limerick City and Cork City.

Newly appointed Mayor of Ennis Cllr. Mary Coote Ryan said:

“I would like to commend the Council for providing innovative and easier ways for members of the public to park in the town.

The introduction of the pay-byphone system complements other parking initiatives such as the extension of free parking during the summer season, the Christmas free parking scheme and the introduction of new Carparking Byelaws.

Leonard Cleary, Town Clerk explained:

“The ParkMagic system uses mobile phone technology to simplify parking payments whilst also allowing greater access for the public and the overall efficiency of parking in the town.

“An expiry text message facility is available to customers to alert them 10 minutes prior to their parking payment expiring and will prompt a repeat payment if permitted at the relevant parking location.

This facility encourages space turnover and also maximises the level of payment compliance.

Payment systems that allow flexible payment arrangements rather than payment of parking on arrival.

This is expected to encourage longer shopping trips and greater consumer spend as indicated in the recent Retail Excellence Ireland report on Ennis and other towns and cities,” added Mr Cleary.

Before parking, drivers need to register with ParkMagic.

This can be done by picking up a window sticker in any one of the designated outlets.

These include Ennis Town Council (Drumbiggle), Rowan Tree Café Bar, County Boutique, Willow, The Ennis Bookshop, Zest, Ennis Tourist Office, County Museum, Glór, Chamber of Commerce, Clare County Council, De Valera Library, Bank of Ireland, AIB, Ulster Bank, Permanent TSB, Credit Union, Main Post Office, and Market Place Post Office.

TWO young life guards have been praised for their efforts to resuscitate a swimmer in Kilkee during the beach’s busiest Sunday of the year.

A retired teacher from Limerick died at the University Hospital Limerick despite the best effort of the local life guards, the Kilkee Coast Guard, the ambulance service, Shannondoc and Gardaí on Sunday evening. At 6pm the 76 year-old was discovered floating in the sea and was quickly taken ashore by the two female life guards who worked tirelessly to resuscitate him at the scene while contacting the other emergency services.

The deceased man, who remained unidentified until his wife reported him as a missing person later in the evening, was then airlifted to Limerick hospital.

ENNIS Town Council has advised against members of the public carrying out repairs to a vacant apartment block in Ennis.

The warning from Ennis Town Manager Gerard Dollard came after a local councillor offered to provide building materials to make the Fairways building safe. The area has been a source of concern among lo- cal residents due to the derelict condition of the building and the level of anti-social behaviour it is attracting.

A number of homeless people have also been residing in the building.

There have also been calls to demolish Fairways, which has been declared a derelict site by the Council

At the July meeting of Ennis Town Council, Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) asked if there was anything preventing members of the community from carrying out repair work. Cllr Flynn said he would supply materials for the work.

However, Town Manager Gerard Dollard said that from a health and safety point of view, the Council would caution against members of the public working on a privately owned structure. The issue was raised by Cllr Brian Meaney (FF) who has called on the Council to issue a vesting order to take control of the property.

He said such an order would enable to take possession of the building for a nominal fee.

Mr Dollard said the Council is pursuing the matter under the dangerous buildings legislation and is obliged to follow correct legal procedures. He told the meeting that issues had arisen in trying to identify the owner of Fairways. “It is something that we are not ignoring”, he added.

Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Mary Coote Ryan (FG), described Fairways as an “awful looking building.”

A BORD Fáilte in-depth survey has shown that three quarters of visitors to West Clare last year got their information from a tourist office.

In the last number of weeks the holiday board has come under criticism for removing the last tourist office from the West Care peninsula and replacing it with information points in Kilrush and Kilkee.

Now its own survey is saying that the tourist office provided more information to tourists last year than even the internet, where just 20 per cent of people got their information.

Accommodation providers provided a further 23 per cent.

According to Fáilte 360: Holidaymaker Survey 2012, the most visited attraction by holidayers to the west of the county was the Cliffs of Moher with 54 per cent of tourists saying they visited the interpretative centre.

The in-depth survey also showed that while the majority of overseas visitors, 32 per cent, first came across West Clare through word of mouth, 77 per cent then sourced their information from the internet.

A further 34 per cent gathered information from guidebooks, while 12 per cent relied on travel agents or tour operators.

Bord Fáilte has described the report published yesterday as the most comprehensive examination of what holidaymakers really think of Ireland and its regional destinations.

“Gathering the views of nearly 10,000 overseas and domestic holidaymakers who visited 11 holiday areas across the country last year, the report is an in-depth insight into what visitors experienced and thought about tourism’s key regions,” a spokesperson said.

The survey also showed that hotels were the most popular choice of accommodation at 36 per cent, while 22 per cent stayed in B&Bs.

The majority of visitors, 31 per cent, chose to eat in pubs while 25 per cent dined in a hotel with 15 per cent at a restaurant.

Hiking and hill walking was top of the list of activities they engaged in.

As many as 76 per cent of visitors surveyed said they would recommend West Clare for a holiday with the beautiful scenery and countryside topping the list of reasons, together with its nice and friendly people.

ENNIS Hospital has never been busier according to the Health Service Executive (HSE), even with the removal of 24-hour accident and emer- gency service four years ago, and the “down grading” of the replacement 12-hour local emergency centre yesterday to a local injuries unit. A spokesperson for the HSE maintained, “Ennis Hospital is now busier than ever. The reconfiguration of sur- gery in the region has seen surgical activity increase from 2,723 procedures in 2010 to 4,585 procedures in 2012. “It is now the centre for bowel cancer screening for the region. The ambition of UL Hospitals is to grow services in Ennis, particularly services for chronic diseases and planned care,” he said. The new Medical Assessment Unit also opened yesterday (Monday) along with the local injuries unit are only “the latest in a series of developments costing over € 12 million which has resulted in the transformation of the hospital,” he said. “Ennis Hospital is an essential part of UL Hospitals, which operates over six sites in the mid-west with a single management structure, medical leadership, budgeting and governance.” The spokesman also denied suggestions that the changing status of the hospital would make it more difficult to attract experienced doctors and nurses to its staff, an issue that has been ongoing in the mid-west region within certain specialities. “Attracting medical and nursing staff to work in stand alone hospitals like Ennis is difficult. Incorporating Ennis as part of the UL Hospitals means that doctors and nurses are exposed to greater clinical variety which makes recruitment and retention less of an issue,” he said. He also stressed that while seriously ill or injured patients are directed to attend the Emergency Department at the University Hospital Limerick, no sick person will be turned away from Ennis. “A sick person will never be turned away. Anyone who needs treatment will be assessed, stabilised and transferred to Dooradoyle if their condition warrants it,” he said.

CLOSURE Orders were served on two East Clare businesses during June by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) due to food safety concerns.

The Killaloe take away River Spice on Main Street, Killaloe, was closed on June 19 for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998.

The second order was served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010 on Clonlara Wholesale Distributors, a cash and carry business.

The areas closed included the green shed, temporary white canvas structure and open yard areas ancillary to the main premises, which are being used for food storage.

The Closure Orders were issued by environmental health officers in the Health Service Executive.

A total of eight enforcement or- ders were issued by the HSE on food premises nationwide last month.

The eight Enforcement Orders served in June bring to 69 the total number of Enforcement Orders served in the first six months of 2013 – a 77 per cent increase on the same period last year.

Prof Alan Reilly, Chief Executive, FSAI, stated that the increase in the number of food safety breaches identified is worrying if this upward trend continues. “Each Enforcement Order sends a clear message to food businesses that unsafe food safety practices or non-compliance with food legislation is not tolerated by the inspection officers. There is absolutely no excuse for negligent practices. Food businesses must recognise that the legal onus is on them to make sure that the food they serve is safe to eat. This requires ongoing compliance with food safety practices and hygiene standards to ensure that their businesses comply with the law,” he said.

THE summer sunshine at the weekend had an impact not just on the count y’s beaches and water ways, but also the local hospit al.

Yesterday mor ni ng (Monday) there were no patients in the newly opened and much publicised Medical Assessment Unit (MAU), and just “a handful of people” awaited t reatment in the Local Injur ies Unit.

Medical st aff put the low attendance down to the fine weather, as t raditionally accident and emergency cent res see a drop in patients during sunnier days.

The MAU i n Ennis was officially up and r unning yesterday and will remain open ever y Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm.

Patients are to be refer red to the unit by thei r GPs if they have symptoms that may requi re hospit al admission such as chest infections and chronic diseases i ncluding asthma and diabetes.

Shannondoc and GPs can also admit medical patients di rectly to t he hospital outside the opening times of the MAU, following discussion wit h the medical and nursing staff.

GPs and hospital st aff wil l have time to familiarise themselves with the new system as patients have yet to come flocking through the door.

The 12-hour local emergency cent re was also replaced at the weekend with a local injuries unit that wi ll cater for minor injuries and illness.

The good weather seemed to have a positive affect on t he well being of t he people of Clare as less t han five people awaited t reatment at the injuries unit at 8am yesterday.