Category: News

FORMER Mayor of Kilrush Cllr Stephen O’Gorman (FF) passed away on Friday morning just hours after watching a recorded episode of Coronation Street with his wife Geraldine.

The town councillor had been ill for the last few months, but his sudden passing was still a shock to his loving family, friends, fellow councillors and constituents.

Cllr O’Gorman was elected to Kilrush Town Council in 1994 and served as mayor on two occasions. His colleagues described him as a political colossus.

He was recognised for his resilience and more particularly for his stand against anti-social behaviour.

At his request the Multi-Agency Task Force, bringing together all strands of community life under one umbrella, was established. The John Paul Estate Regeneration Project was one of his greatest political achievements. As Manager of the Community Centre in the estate, he organised self-development programmes for the residents. He was also a member of the board of Kilrush Amenity Trust, Éiri Corca Baiscinn and Clare VEC.

Kilrush Town Clerk John Corry said that during his time working with Stephen he found the councillor took a “very keen interest and pride in his town and in particular in John Paul Estate.”

“He continuously fought to see the regeneration of John Paul Estate and it was an immense source of satisfaction to him to see such significant improvement works taking place in the estate over the past few years. As well as the structural improvements within the estate he also sought to improve the social fabric of the estate through the Multi Agency Group set up for that purpose and through his role as supervisor of the community centre within the estate.

“Over the years Stephen raised many Notices of Motion regarding carrying out improvement works to Moore Street, Crawford Street, and Wilson’s Road. Stephen was delighted to see significant improvement works carried out to roads, footpaths and public lighting in these areas by Kilrush Town Council, on foot of his Motions.

“On a personal level Stephen was a great family man and on my last conversation with him he spoke to me about family and the importance of family. Stephen will be a huge loss to Kilrush Town Council, to Kilrush and most of all to his family. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.”

Stephen O’Gorman is survived by his beloved wife Geraldine, sons Stephen and Barry, daughters Mandy, Sinéad, Mary and Claire, sonsin-law, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, relatives and friends.

CLARE County Council planners have said that there are “serious concerns” relating to the application by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to construct a car park in the shadow of Mullaghmore mountain, which has threatened to re-open interpretative centre controversy that dogged North Clare for over a decade.

The local authority has outlined these concerns to the NPWS this week in a direct request for more information about the car park plan because “the information submitted with this application is insufficient” for planners to make a judgement.

A decision on the planning permission was to be made by last Sunday, December 16, but this has now been deferred after the council’s senior staff officer in Planning and Enterprise Development Siobhan O’Reilly has that “serious concerns arise as regards the principle of the development as proposed at this site location within an area that is designated as a Special Area of Conservation”.

“Concerns arise that in the absence of a formal Conservation Management Plan for the Burren National Park, the development may be premature and may lead to piecemeal, uncoordinated development at this sensitive location,” Ms O’Reilly adds.

In its objection to the car park application at Knockaunroe, Corofin, submitted to Clare County Council in October, the Burren Action Group (BAG) said the development was “part of a process” that will eventually lead to the building of a visitor facility in the area.

BAG warned that the car park will “create a new set of risks” in the Burren – chief among these a covert plan of “induced development” designed to eventually bring about the building of visitor facilities at Gortalecka, the original site earmarked for the Mullaghmore Interpretative Centre.

Now, council planners have made a number of requests from the NPWS before they will make a decision on the planning application. “It is considered that the content of the Conservation Management Plan for the Park would inform the planning process in terms of future plans for access management, visitor management and service provision at this location,” says Ms O’Reilly in her correspondence with NPWS. “As a management plan has not been prepared, it is considered that there is a shortfall in terms of information available,” she adds.

The NPWS have been asked to submit details of a timeframe for the completion of the Conservation Management Plan and this should include: a visitor management plan for the Burren National Park, a transport and access plan, future development plans for the area and details of the management plan.

In advance of a formal response to this request for further information, the NPWS has been invited to meeting with the planning authority, while Ms O’Reilly states that “the request for further information should not be construed as an indication of a positive decision”. Th e re will b e n o Wh ite Ch rist m a s t h is ye a r, wit h Ch rist m a s Day fo re c a st to be m ild a n d we t .

MONEYPOINT and Innismurry/Cahercon have been named as “Strategic Sites” on the Draft Strategic Integrated Framework Plan (SIFP) for the Shannon Estuary.

A multi-agency steering group comprising of Clare County Council as lead authority has commissioned the land and marine-based plan, which is said to be the first of its type to be developed in the country.

It has been a long held view of many local representatives that the southern part of the estuary – Kerry and Limerick – has been developed to the detriment of Clare.

This new draft plan outlines a strategic plan for the future development and management of marine-related industry and tourism along Ireland’s largest estuary, and includes a number of key points along the Clare side of the estuary.

The SIFP identifies nine ‘Strategic Sites’ on the Estuary, namely Moneypoint, Innismurry/Cahericon both in County Clare, Limerick Docks, Foynes Island, Foynes Port and adjoining lands, Askeaton Industrial Estate, Aughinish Island, (Limerick), Tarbert Power Station and Ballylongford Landbank (Kerry). For the most part, these sites are zoned for ‘Marine-Related Industry’ with Askeaton zoned for ‘Industry’ and Limerick Docks zoned for ‘Mixed Use’.

In some cases, the zonings confirm existing large scale developments but additional lands for expansion and some new sites are also identified.

Moneypoint Power Station has also been identified as part of the ‘Key Energy Sites’ in addition to Ballylongford Landbank and Tarbert Power Station, the site of the permitted liquefied natural gas LNG project.

The Plan identifies Moneypoint, Kilconly point, Carrig Island and Tarbert Bay as opportunity sites for renewable energy, with opportunities for servicing offshore renewable energy developments also identified.

Five Clare fishing points have also been singled out for fishing and aquaculture development. There are eight separate opportunity sites singled out on the Estuary, including designated Shell Fish Waters at Poulnasherry Bay and Carrigaholt Bay in Clare.

Other areas of opportunity include Rinevella Bay, Killimer and Clonderlaw Bay in Clare, Carrig Island in Kerry, and Greenish Island and Long Rock in Limerick. The plan outlines the tourism potential of the Estuary and includes objectives to further develop the cruise ship industry, while it highlights the potential of the islands on the Fergus Estuary.

Meanwhile, the strategy features objectives relating to aviation and supports the future development of Shannon Airport, including acknowledging the importance of the 2,000acre land bank zoned for aviation uses in the new Shannon Town and Environs Local Area Plan 2012-2018.

BUSINESSES in Clare need further investment in broadband to support enterprise and jobs growth across the county. In a new report, Connecting the West: Next Generation Broadband in the Western Region, the Western Development Commission highlights this need.

The report includes case studies such as that of MeteoGroup in Ennis, a company that finds the cost of telecommunications services for a given level of broadband capacity more expensive in Ireland than at its other sites across Europe. Another Clare company, eTeams based in Scariff, highlighted the practice of eWorking, where employees work remotely from the company office, but need broadband connections to do so.

The Western Development Com- mission’s report examines the likely rollout of next generation broadband services and makes recommendations to ensure next generation access for all areas and better value for money for state investment in infrastructure.

Mr Ian Brannigan (acting CEO) said “broadband costs in the Western Region need to be competitive with prices available across Europe. Rural and regional areas need quality broadband services at a competitive price to ensure that businesses can compete on a level playing field”.

“The evidence from across the region presented in this report indicates that in many areas broadband services lag those that are available elsewhere in the country, for example, the western region accounts for 18 per cent of the households in Ireland but accounts for 28 per cent of applicants to the Rural Broadband Scheme (RBS) highlighting the weaker broadband services there.”

The WDC report noted that a better value of next generation broadband infrastructure can make geographic distance to customers far less relevant and provides easy access to worldwide markets. “This can be a real benefit to promoting regional and rural job growth, but only if the infrastructure and services are there,” said Mr Brannigan.

THERE was mixed reaction to the Draft Strategic Integrated Framework Plan (SIFP) for the Shannon Estuary, with one experienced local representative saying he was not impressed.

West Clare Councillor PJ Kelly (FF) who has been critical of the lack of development on the north of the estuary compared to the south in the past said the plan “was not an inviting document. It is not a document that would invoke interest for international investors.”

The father of the council chamber said that he has seen five different reports on the Shannon Estuary being published and they were all shelved.

“I have a funny feeling this one will go the same way,” he said.

Cllr Kelly had argued that the area north of the estuary be zoned a “Special Development Zone” to encourage development.

This is not included and he maintains that the number of special areas of conservation without a SDZ would prove off putting to investors.

“We are more sterilised on the Clare side than on the south side by EU regulations,” he added.

“Like previous reports it is aspirational, lacks focus, is too general and far from convincing.”

Launching the report Minister of State for Housing and Planning Jan O’Sullivan, was more positive.

“It represents collaboration and joined up planning at its best and I have no doubt that it will be emerge as an example of best practice for others to replicate,” she said.

Mayor of Clare, Cllr Pat Daly said, “This plan is the culmination of months of work and represents the commitment of those with a role in the management of the Shannon Estuary to ensuring that future development takes place in a coherent and sustainable manner. I hope that many new opportunities will be afforded to the people of Clare, and the wider region, as a result of this Plan.”

Tom Coughlan, Clare County Manager and Chairman of the Steering Group overseeing the plan, stated that the aim of the SIFP was to identify the nature and location of future development, economic growth and employment that can be sustainable accommodated within the Shannon Estuary.

However, as the estuary is desig- nated a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the EU Habitats Directive and also partly a Special Protection Area (SPA) for Birds, he noted that “the SIFP will also aspire to achieving a careful balance between promoting development, and protection and conservation of this natural resource”.

“The estuary is multi-functional as its waters and adjoining lands support a range of functions, uses, communities, activities and environmental resources and assets. Although the SIFP attributes a very strong weight to the growth of shipping and safe guarding the commercial shipping lanes it also has objectives for marine tourism, leisure and recreation as well commercial fishing and aquaculture, energy and renewable energy as well as aviation,” he added.

Meanwhile, Gordon Daly, Senior Planner, explained that the SIFP recognises the importance of the role the towns and villages along the estuary.

“The important role Kilrush can play in developing tourism on the estuary is recognised in the SIFP due to its many amenities including Kilrush Marina, Cappa Pier and Blue Flag Beach, Vandeleur Walled Garden and Scattery Island. The importance of the estuary to Kilrush is reciprocated in the soon to be published Draft Kilrush Town & Environs Plan 2014-2020.”

The website www.shannonestuarysifp.ie, has been developed to coincide with an eight-week public consultation that extends from December 17, 2012, to February 15, 2013.

CLARE County Council meets today to set the county’s budget for the coming year with 1.02 per cent less coming from the Local Government Fund.

The local authority has been allocated € 10.7 million from central government for 2013, just over a percentage less than it was allocated at the beginning of last year.

However during the third quarter of 2012 Central Government reneged on paying out € 247,000 to the Clare council due to a nationwide under payment of the household charge.

The council members agreed to continue with the budget as set out earlier in the year on reassurances from Government TDs that the € 247,000 would be returned. However it has since been announced that the funding lost during the third quarter will not be returned.

It is still unclear if Clare County Council will have to find the money to cover the quarter of a million loss from the 2012 budget in the newly reduced 2013 budget, putting extra pressure of the council coffers.

Since 2008 the council’s allocation from central Government has been reduced by 39 per cent from € 16.48 million to € 10.07 million.

In his introduction to the draft Budget Plan, County Manager Tom Coughlan said, “The preparation of the Draft Budget 2013 has proven to be particularly difficult due to the fact that the scope to achieve operational saving is progressively reducing. Significant savings have been achieved in recent years, and as the cost of service delivery has been “squeezed” during those years, we are approaching a level of serv- ice delivery cost which is difficult to reduce without diminishing the level of service itself. “The underlying objective of this Draft Budget 2013 is the maintenance of existing levels of services while simultaneously reducing the overall expenditure of the council to reflect severe reductions in income.” That is the challenge that faces the council members today – pay for the same services.

THE small West Clare townland of Kilclogher has strong connections with Newtown in Connecticut, where twenty children and six adult staff members were killed last Friday morning, December 14.

According to sources in America, a large number of Irish emigrants came to live in Newtown in the early 19th century. A large number of these emigrants come from a single parish in West Clare – believed to be Kilc- logher, between Kilbaha and Carrigaholt and the surrounding area.

The Clare emigrants came to Newtown initially to work on the local railroad but settled in the area on tracks of farmland which had been abandoned by previous settlers. Indeed, it is also understood that the majority of the local Clare population settled in the Sandy Hook, where the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings took place on Friday.

It is not yet clear if any of children of teachers killed in the attack had Clare ancestry. One of the murdered teachers, Anne Marie Murphy, is understood to have strong Irish connections but it is not yet clear if her connections date back to West Clare people who settled in the Sandy Hook area. Ms Murphy’s body was discovered in a shielding position around the bodies of a number of her students.

The Irish-American population of the town went from just 5.6 per cent in 1850 to 41.8 per cent in 1890 and 44 per cent by 1900.

Connecticut genealogist, Harlan Jessup, believes that much of these Irish emigrants came from one small area in West Clare. At one point, according to Jessup’s research, the New York Belting and Packing rubber factory in town employed 200 people – 185 of whom were Irish.

Last Friday a lone gunman entered Sandy Hook Elementary School, killing twenty children and six adult before turning the gun on himself. The gunman, who has been identified by authorities as 20-year-old Adam Lanza, had first killed his mother, Nancy Lanza, at their nearby Newtown home.

THE implementation of the new Shannon Town & Environs Local Area Plan is the key to ensuring that the county’s second largest town can be allowed to develop properly over the next six years.

The new blueprint, which was unveiled officially on Monday after a consultation process with members of the public over the past 12 months, has identified a number of reasons why the Shannon area needed what is the first local plan for its development in its 50-year history.

Within the document, Clare County Council officials have pointed out that failure to implement the recommendation of putting the plan in place would have serious consequences for the Shannon Airport catchment area.

“There would not be a localised framework within which to regulate, aid and control development whether economic, social or environmental,” the draft plan claims.

“A lack of controlled development could lead to pressure on adequate service provisions and infrastructural facilities, thus affecting the natural environment in which the population lives leading to human health and quality of life issues.

“In the absence of the plan, the process for assessing the issues which affect all of the inhabitants within the plan area will go unchecked, resulting in deterioration in the environment and lack of critical capital expenditure in terms of targeted infrastructural development and employment opportunities. The predicted population increase will not be provided for by an adequate level of service provisions and the environmental consequences would be undesirable,” it adds.

The 2011 census returns showed that Shannon is the second largest town in Clare with a population of 9,673, but according to the draft plan for the town’s development a target population of nearly 12,000 has been set for the next census in 2017.

“The assigned target population must be taken into account when formulating objectives and policies,” the local area plan says.

“In the absence of the plan, core strategy and population targets; in frastructure, including services and housing provision would not be catered for accurately.

“Issues affecting the current population in addition to the population increase may not be realised and could result in deterioration of the environment and mismanaged resources,” the plan adds.

THE potential for Shannon to develop into a new international gateway and once again become the main driver of the economy in the mid-west region has been highlighted in the new blueprint for the development of the airport town and its hinterland for much of the next decade.

Shannon Town & Environs Local Area Plan contains a new roadmap for Shannon’s development up to 2018, by charting out the attainable goals as Clare’s international airport gains independence from the Dublin Airport Authority and the part that Clare County Council will have to play in kick-starting new developments.

The local plan has pledged “to facil- itate the development and expansion of Shannon” over the next number of years. “The Council are fully supportive of the continued need for Shannon Airport to maximise its strategic location in the region. The designation of a Strategic Development Area encompassing the Airport lands reinforces this commitmen,” the plan states.

And part of these expansion plans for the airport envisaged in the council blueprint include the development of “an international air freight cargo hub” and “the development of innovative initiatives that harness the potential of the airport including a residential flight school, global logistics centre for humanitarian aid, unmanned aerospace systems and a centre for space collaboration”.

The plan goes on to say, “Appro- priate potential uses for the Airport Zoned Lands include airport operational activities and uses complimentary to the operation of the airport, aircraft maintenance/cargo handling facilities, business park use, primarily related to airport servicing, management and maintenance activities, long-term aircraft maintenance, airfreight cargo handling facilities and other innovative initiatives’.

As part of paving the way for these ambitious plans for the airport, what has been termed a “core strategy” of the local area plan is to “ensure that sufficient lands are zoned at appropriate locations to meet all envisaged land use requirements of the area over the lifetime of the local area plan”.

The local area plan has also pledged “in collaboration with other agen- cies, to prepare a high level Strategic Plan, to identify key priority projects and developments capable of being accommodated at the Shannon Airport lands, Shannon Free Zone and Westpark”.

The draft goes on to highlight Shannon as “a key hub” both for national and international air travel, “a gateway to Ireland’s primary tourist locations” and “a driver” for county and region’s economic development.

“In this regard the plan will seek to ensure the growth and development of Shannon Airport and to harness its full potential, in line with national, regional and county development policy. The designation of a Strategic Development Area encompassing the airport lands reinforces this commitment,” it says.

‘Strategic Development Areas’ are areas identified within the plan area where specific planning and development objectives, land use policies and or master development plans have been identified for the future development of such designated area.

Commenting on the zoning of a 2,000-acre landbank adjacent to the airport for aviation sector use, Clare County Council Senior Planner, Gordon Daly said, “This new Plan further underlines the Council’s longstanding vision for the development and expansion of Shannon Airport.

“The Council is exercising leadership to achieve this vision through the zoning of lands which is a key requirement for the future expansion of services at the airport. In doing so, we have worked very closely with the airport authority and other agencies”.

A NEW era in policing County Clare, which includes the closure of eight Garda Stations and the downgrading of two Garda Divisions, has caused concerns for many communities across the county.

Those representing the elderly said those living alone in rural Ireland are particularly concerned at the loss of the “local garda”.

Last night, police chiefs were meeting with people in Inagh to allay fears and explain how the new system would work. Former Superintendent Frank Guthrie, who is now involved with the Inagh Housing Association said, “A lot of people, especially older people, favour the old-style policing and confiding in their local garda. They felt safe. The meeting is really to see how this will be dealt with,” he said of the “new concept in policing”.

The majority of the Clare stations to close are along the west coast and in rural East Clare, including Quin, Inagh, Lahinch, Broadford, Mountshannon, Doonbeg, Kilmihil and Labasheeda. Ennistymon and Killaloe District Garda Headquarters will be downgraded, and the administrative responsibility will come under the Ennis and Kilrush District Headquarters.

None of the stations to close were open 24 hours a day but six of the sta- tions had their own gardaí stationed there.

With the closure of the stations, the garda serving in Quin will now be reassigned to Ennis, the gardaí in Inagh and Lahinch will be stationed in Ennistymon, the Broadford garda will now be based in Ardnacrusha, Mountshannon in Killaloe and the Doonbeg garda will be working out of Kilrush Garda Station.

Labasheeda and Doonbeg stations were provided with a garda from Kilrush every weekday from 10am to 1pm and at the weekend from noon until 2pm. These stations will also close.

Many of the stations to close in Clare have served their communities since before the state was formed, with many RIC barracks in a previous life. Broadford was one such barracks and, up until 1993, the station had a sergeant and guard. In 1993, a staffing reduction removed the sergeant from the station

Local councillor Cathal Crowe (FF) described the closure of the station as “an attack on rural Ireland”.

“Broadford Garda Station serves a large area of East Clare and includes the communities of Kilmore, Truagh, Oatfield, Ballyquin, O’Callaghan’s Mills, Kilbane and, or course, Broadford village. The station currently operates on a part-time basis and roundthe-clock coverage for this area is given by gardaí stationed in Killaloe. The presence of Broadford Garda Station gives the people of East Clare a great sense of security. Elderly people in the locality have been very vocal in voicing their concerns for what the closure of the station could bring.”

Those supporting the Government have also raised concerns about the closure of the eight Clare Garda Stations.

Clare Labour Party National Executive Member Seamus Ryan called on the Government to rethink the course of action. “While the Commissioner is operating under the same financial constraints as so many people and the Government, it is short-sighted on the part of the force to abandon these facilities in favour of patrols and cover from other stations, some of which are up to 20km away and are themselves part-time and up to 25km to a 24-hour station for communities like Mountshannon.

TD Timmy Dooley (FF) described it as an “appalling attack” on communities across the county. “Clare has fared one of the worst in Minister Shatter’s hitlist. Within the next six months, Clare will have eight less garda stations and many of our communities will have lost their local station.”