Category: News

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.

PLANS to rejuvenate Ennis’s historic town centre could be kick-started by the development of a covered market in the Lysaght’s Lane area of the town, according to a new report.

The lane, which leads into the lower market street car park, is identified as the preferred location for a new market in a report by the architectural firm behind Limerick City’s Milk Market Project.

Richard Rice of Healy Partners and Associates made the recommendation in a report commissioned by Ennis Town Council.

Rice was asked to examine the entire Ennis Market area, with particular reference to providing a covered market in the town.

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.”

The council has given its backing to the project, which it says has the potential to “become the flagship legacy project” for the council’s final year.

On the removal of parking spaces from the Lysaght’s Lane area, the report stated, it “would have the positive effect of removing the need for car access from the roundabout at Market Place and create a pedestrian core in the town centre.

It added, “This would be seen as being a key goal in the creation of a safer market environment when considering the presence of children.”

The council recently held a public workshop with market stakeholders including local businesses, stall holders, Farmers Market cooperative and customers.

Richard Rice made a formal pres- entation for growing the Market from lower market street car park (Lysaght’s Lane), through the Mall to the Market Day sculpture and roundabout. The proposal would include some pedestrian areas for market customers with access to deliveries.

Town clerk Leonard Cleary explained that a proposal was also received for the council to examine opportunities for improved access to the area from adjacent streets.

“This idea sought to concentrate footfall to the benefit of traders in the market and traders on the adjacent streets as well as ease of customer flow. A specific suggestion in relation to access from O’Connell Street was proposed in this regard.”

Mr Cleary added, “It is recommended that the council progress the market report suggestions further through appropriate Part VIII planning and tender procedures. This project has the potential to become the flagship legacy project for the final year of this Ennis Town Council term.”

A FORMER Anglo Irish boss, who is currently being pursued by the bank for a repayment of part of his retirement package, is living in his dream home in Killaoe on the shore of Lough Derg.

John Rowan stepped down as the head of Anglo Irish Bank’s British operations in 2005 after former Anglo colleague David Drumm became chief executive. The 55 year-old and his wife Annette bought the property at Rahena Beg, Killaloe, which included almost 10 acres of land and a two-storey house, in August 2007.

There is no mortgage recorded on the property, according to land registry papers. Mr Rowan ran the bank’s UK operations for almost 18 years, building up the business from scratch from 1988 onwards.

The UK operations represented more than a third of the bank’s profits at the time of his resignation in 2005, a full three years before the bank needed State help and four years before it was nationalsied.

Proceedings against Mr Rowan, launched by the liquidated successor to Anglo Irish, IBRC, are to resume in the Commercial Court later this month.

IBRC is claiming that the resignation agreement drawn up for Mr Rowan does not comply with the Companies Act because it wasn’t approved by a general meeting of the bank. In an affidavit, Mr Rowan has said he is “horrified” that the bank is now seeking repayment more than seven years after he stepped down from Anglo, pointing out that it was not until late 2011 that IBRC claimed his retirement package was unlawful.

A REPORT on proposed changes to the market area of Ennis has recommended major improvements to access and the appearance of the town’s main market trading area.

A preliminary report by architect Richard Rice says trading activity should be retained in Market Street and Market Place but urges infrastructural improvements to both areas.

The report, commissioned by Ennis Town Council, looked at the entire Ennis Market area with particular reference to the provision of covered markets.

On the future of Market Street and Market Place, the report stated, “These market areas would represent the traditional market traders with larger stalls and farmers selling their vegetables directly to the public. In our consideration of these two locations, we would see market activity being retained at these locations but it would be important to improve the public realm in order to improve the overall visual appearance and function of the market in these areas.”

The report recommends widening public footpaths and reducing road width to make the area safer for pedestrian use.

It also proposes removing the existing market roundabout to “convert the footprint of this area to pedestrian space, incorporating the sculptures into that space”.

The assessment undertaken looked at a variety of locations in Ennis town. These looked at the existing markets locations at Market Place, Market Street, Garraunakilla.

The report also looked at other locations in the town centre including Wood Quay, Parnell Street car-park, Abbey Street car park, spaces adjacent to Temple Gate Hotel and Clare County Museum, Old Barrack Street and Lysaght’s Lane.

However in preliminary assessment, the report concludes that the “market needed to be retained at its historical base Market Place and Market Street with consideration of Garraunakilla (location of existing Farmers Artisan Market) and Lysaght’s Lane (existing surface car park located “behind O’Connell Street / Parnell Street”.

The report considered Garraunakilla to be “challenged as a market location”.

The report states that the footprint for expansion would involve taking in a public roadway; the location is removed from the retail core of the town. “The location is challenged by traffic being immediately adjacent to the market location which would be seen as a concern for parents and their children,” it adds.

The report strongly recommends the northern elevation of Garraunakilla to develop appropriate retail activity. It also recommends the inclusion of a covered area and a kiosk if Garraunakilla is retained as a Farmer’s Market.