Category: News

GARTH BROOKS for Ennis? That just might be a possibility as Clare County Council has been urged to investigate the potential of holding music festivals at the home of Clare GAA, Cusack Park. The Clare GAA owned grounds in the centre of Ennis emerged as one potential venue for large-scale music or community events in a submission on recreations and sports to the Ennis and Environs Development draft local area Plan. Clare County Council is currently drawing up the plan, which will guide the development of Ennis from 2015 to 2021. In his submission, Chair of the Ennis Municipal District Committee (MDC), Johnny Flynn, proposes the “development potential of Cusack Park music festivals” be examined under the plan. The submission states that Cusack Park could be the venue for a revived version of the “Lisdoonvarna Festival” – the iconic music event previously staged in North Clare. The development of ‘Spoiti Ceol’ (music public performance locations) and the drafting of a busking code are also contained in the submission. Cllr Flynn proposes that the Fair Green or Tim Smythe Park, be designated as a public events centre. The submission proposes the development of an international artist workshop at the old Garda barracks buildings and the “development of large arts spaces for Macnas type works over winter preparing for St Patrick’s Day and other parades”. The submission also contains proposed changes and improvements along the River Fergus, Ballyalla Lake and the Lees Road sports and recreation facility. Cllr Flynn has suggested the “creation of recreational boating in Ennis from Post Office field to Knox’s Bridge to maintain minimum boating depth of water during Summer and to deal with flow issues”. For Ballyalla Lake, the submission proposes the designation of a physical connection from Lees Road to Ballyalla; the potential development of a European standard campervan site near Ballyalla Lake; playground and public toilet facilities; the repair of the old Pier and the installation of a zip wire and a general physical activity centre at Ballyalla. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has previously warned that there is limited scope for development at Ballyalla due it’s designation as a wildlife sanctuary, special area of conservation and special protection area. Cllr Flynn suggests that buoys be provided across the middle of the lake to protect the designation of the Western side as an overwintering bird and wildlife sanctuary. He has also proposed the banning of outboard engines other than for approved public safety boats at particular events.

TENDERS are being invited for a planned € 4m upgrade of flood defences in Ennis and Clarecastle.

Last March, An Bord Pleanála approved an application from Clare County Council to construct the Ennis South Flood Relief Scheme which when completed will deliver flood defences in Clonroadmore, Ballybeg and Clareabbey.

The works include a flood overflow culvert from St Flannan’s Stream to the Clareabbey flood plain, a flood overflow culvert from Ballybeg Stream to the Clareabbey flood plain, and an upgrade of the existing flood defence embankment between the Quin Road and the Clarecastle tidal barrage. The estimated cost of the project is € 4 million.

Details of the project are contained in a notice posted by Clare County Council on the e-tenders public sector procurement site.

The project involves the c construction of 2 No. flood alleviation culverts (1,200mm diameter, 1,120m and 520m in length in congested ur- ban environment), along with service diversions.

The development will see the upgrade of 2.7km of existing flood defence embankment (50,000 – 100,000 cubic meters of imported material) with associated works to back drain, sluice valves and construction of a new pumping station, located in Ennis and Clarecastle.

According to the notice, works will be required within the Lower River Shannon SAC Natura 2000 Site. Following a short-listing process, 5-7 candidates will be invited to tender, provided that there is a sufficient number of suitably qualified applicants. Work on phase two of the Ennis Flood Relief Scheme between Bank Place Bridge and Doora Bridge is ongoing at locations around Ennis. On completion, it is hoped the project will lead to the protection of 849 residential and 425 non-residential properties on completion.

Defences including enhanced river walls, pumping stations and new drainage systems are included in the project, which is aimed at protecting Ennis against a 100-year flood event.

IT MAY have all appeared spontaneously instinctive but arguably Clare’s most complete Munster Final display stemmed from a much more meticulous and regimented foundation.

You see, the finished product was based on a gameplan that was practised to near monotony since the semi-finals over a fortnight previously, and while there was inevitably a degree of ad-libbing from the ‘golden generation’, joint manager Gerry O’Connor was the first to admit that their persistence and homework paid off.

“We spoke at the start of the game about delivering a performance based on our strengths. Our strengths have been focus, running off the shoulder, decision making, all the thing we have been trying to implement in training over the past five years, they all came together tonight in that first half.

“We probably gave the best 30 minute display of hurling that we have ever given as a group, everything went according to the plan.

“The guys in midfield and the half-back line were clinical in their pinpoint accuracy of the deliveries into the full-forward line and by doing that and by being aware that the sweeper was there.

“And I have to say this, that Paul Kinnerk designed all the training sessions based on his reading of the DVD of the Cork v Waterford game and he completely negated the sweeper as a result of the training he did over the past two weeks. I really want to put that on record because you can’t take away from the mathematical ability and genius of the guy to digest and devour the DVD and then come back in and put a series of training sessions in place over a two week period that was completely structured with a view to guys making the right decision when they had the ball which would ultimately negate the sweeper.

“And we felt that if we were patient, disrupted their supply and kept picking off our points, it would drag them into a situation that they would be forced to release the sweeper back up the field. That’s what we were trying to achieve and it worked to a tee.

“Up the other end, our fullback line were really on top, seriously on top. We had spoken about playing from the front, particularly on Cadogan and Spillane and we got our match-ups right. We had a lot of debate and disagreements and we changed our minds several times but that just shows that we have several strong personalities in the management team.

“Our full-back line and defence in general were brilliant, and Jamie Shanahan as well man marking their target from puck-outs Shane O’Keeffe, he was outstanding as well so really the plan went to perfection and it doesn’t often happen like that.”

It couldn’t have worked out any better on Wednesday as Clare thrilled the home support from the outset as they soaked up the gameplan in a mature, commanding display.

“In 2011, Donal, myself, Jimmy and Paul were never as gutted as we were after losing to Galway because we felt that we had the best prepared and most skilful group of minors that ever left the county. But when push

came to shove and when the pres

sure came on from Galway, we

had the skill but we just didn’t

appear to have the resilience

and the leaders throughout the

group.

“And that was the challenge

that we laid down to these guys

at the start of the year, ‘we

know for sure that you

are the most skilful bunch of hurlers to ever come out of Clare b u t y o u ’ v e got to b a c k that up w i t h r e a l leade r – ship, real resilience and real mental toughness’.

“And we knew that it was delivered on in the Tipperary so coming into tonight, we knew that if Cork came at us, that our leaders would stand up because they were really, really asked serious questions against Tipperary. I mean it’s all well and good celebrating the win tonight but the real leadership was shown when we went four points down against Tipperary in the semi-final, that’s how you define leadership.

“Donal put a challenge to those guys tonight as well that we need to see all the guys that didn’t make the match day 24 or didn’t come on a substitute tonight to be the leaders now for their clubs overt the next few weeks because we will be there looking at them and expecting them to give a leadership performance of skill and pace.”

In addition, O’Connor refused to entertain the accolades of winning three successive Munster Under 21’s or their five-in-a-row in Munster. The Éire Óg clubman was more concerned with the next generation and utilising the feel-good factor that surrounds Clare hurling at the moment.

“There was a huge crowd there and tonight was all about the kids. We’ve got our core support and we know who they are and it started off here when there was 400 of them there in 2010 and that core support has been building for the past four or five years.

“But ultimately tonight is about club coaches, parents and players taking inspiration from what these guys have done over the past few years because that’s what it’s about. Imagine a guy playing for an Under 12 team in his club, he can aspire to being on the Under 13 development squad in his area and it’s about inspiring those guys.

“These Under 21s are a serious marketing tool now for the rest of the clubs in Clare. Donal [Moloney], myself, Jimmy [Browne] and Paul [Kinnerk] get all the kudos on nights like tonight but Tony Kelly, Colm Galvin and all the squad that turned out to be unbelievable athletes and ambassadors for Clare hurling, somebody in their club or teacher influenced, inspired and coached them to be the players they turned out to be. So that’s all vitally important and if we can help to sell it easier, then we are delighted to do so.

“I would look at us [management] as the marketing department for future players and coaches in Clare. The summer camp numbers have gone off the richter scale in relation to their popularity and that’s what it’s about. It’s important to win but we always focus on the performance, developing the individual and making sure that he fits in to our system.”

And that development is still ongoing as they prepare for an All-Ireland semi-final against Antrim in less than three week’s time.

“We set ourselves very ambitious goals at the start of the year and we are only halfway there now.”

PLANS have announced for a major face-lift of Clare’s largest business and industrial park.

Shannon Development is proposing upgrades to both buildings and public lighting at the Shannon Free Zone – a multi-sectoral business park that is home to over 100 manufacturing and international service companies, employing 6500 people.

The planned series of upgrades include work on Airport House – “a signature building” in the Shannon Free Zone.

Shannon Development is inviting tenders for work on Airport House – a large four-storey multi let office building.

The tender notice states, “The building was originally constructed in the 1960s and is a signature building within Shannon Free Zone and is adjacent to Shannon Airport.

“The Company now wishes to commence major upgrade works to certain elements of the building namely upgrade of the front entrance lobby/ reception area and upgrade to the fit out on the first floor. Works will be completed in Q3 2014”.

Shannon Development is currently in transition to become part of Shannon Group plc – an umbrella group comprising Shannon Airport, Shan- non Development, Shannon Heritage and the International Aviation Services Centre (IASC).

The plans to revamp the Free Zone form part of the Shannon Group’s aim to “to emphasise a more commercially focused property remit” for Shannon Development, which will be renamed Shannon Commercial Enterprises Ltd, trading as Shannon Enterprises.

The company is also inviting tenders for upgrades to the public lighting system in the Shannon Free Zone,

“Shannon Development has decided to commence major upgrade works to the existing public lighting infrastructure for the entire Shannon Free Zone area.

“The initial phase of upgrade works will including new ducting, power distribution and cables, lighting columns and light fittings to replace existing light fittings in Shannon Free Zone West”, the tender notice states.

Shannon Development is also inviting expressions of interest for a “complete overhaul” of the company’s largest building, Block B in the Shannon Free Zone.

The Block B building is located in Shannon Free Zone West and was constructed in the 1960’s and modified/upgraded in the intervening years since then.

The tender notice states, “The building is presently designed as large scale high bay warehousing and distribution.

“Block B is the largest Company owned building in the SFZ (both in terms of floor plate and internal height) with over 100,000 sq ft of floor area. In 2012 part of the building (44,755 sq ft) was refurbished and leased.

“The remainder of the building (56,300 sq ft) also requires refurbishment and it is proposed to undertake this refurbishment work in 2014 with a view to leasing the building on a phased basis.

“Block B Unit 2 has a covered floor area of 56,300 sq ft, is currently unoccupied and now requires a complete upgrade to return the building to good lettable condition.

“The roof covering of the entire 100,000 sq ft Block B building is at the end of its serviceable life and needs to be recovered. Internally, the fabric of the building needs a complete overhaul while elements of the external of the building also need to be upgraded”.

Construction of the Shannon Free Zone commenced in 1959. It currently encompasses 600 acres of land and four million square foot of buildings adjacent to Shannon International Airport.

BOTH the Department of the Arts and the Office of Public Works are passing the buck when it comes to claiming responsibility and authority over any potential purchase of the childhood home of Edna O’Brien for the State.

The plan for State to purchase Drewsboro House in Tuamgraney was launched last month by Labour TD, Michael McNamara, after the property together with nine acres was withdrawn from auction when failing to realise a bid in excess of € 200,000.

The Department of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht has said that Minister Heather Humphries or her department has the remit to purchase the property and has deferred the matter to the Office of Public Works.

However, OPW says its a matter for the Department of the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, as it hold the purse strings for any potential purchase.

“Since 2011 I have been trying to find ways in which Drewsboro House might be purchased and conserved,” revealed Deputy Michael McNamara when calling on Minister Heather Humphries’ department to buy the property.

“There is now an opportunity for the State to acquire the house for a sum that represents good value for the State and turned into a writers’ retreat and museum, with the Kate O’Brien House in Limerick and the Heinrick Boll Cottage on Achill Island serving as examples of what might be achieved.

“Any community proposal for the future of Drewsboro House could only succeed with the support and blessing of Edna O’Brien.

“I have spoken to her on the future of the house some time ago and I believe that it is her dearest wish to have the house acquired and restored for a suitable purpose,” he added.

In 2007, a plaque extolling Edna O’Brien was unveiled near the entrance to Drewsboro, forty five years after copies of her second novel The Lonely Girl were ceremonially burnt in the church grounds of O’Brien’s home village of Tuamgraney.

The Clare author, famous for her Country Girls trilogy has sold millions of books throughout the world, a number of which have been made into movies.

Edna O’Brien was born in Tuamgraney on December 15th, 1930.

A DOG was reunited safe and well with his owners after surviving a 300 metre fall from cliffs in Kilkee on Sunday.

The family pet whose name is Vimes fell after losing it’s footing at Lookout Point near Dunlicky, Kilkee. The alarm was raised at around 3.30pm when a member of the public rang the emergency services to report that a dog over the edge at Look Out Point.

It is thought the small terrier slipped of the cliff edge after getting away from his owners.

The dog fell 90 metres and collided with part of the cliff face on the way down. He was spotted in the water below by a member of the public.

The Irish Coast Guard marine rescue sub centre at Valentia Island in Co Kerry was alerted an in turn requested the Kilkee unit of the service to mobilise. Rescuers quickly arrived at the scene and devised a plan for bringing Vimes safely back to dry land. But when the rescue boat went back out to the water, they found that the dog had already made his way to shore.

Vimes was then reunited with his grateful owners, who are believed to be from Limerick. A Coast Guard spokesman said that Vimes miraculously avoided injury despite enduring such a dangerous fall. “He was fine. He’s a tough dog,” explained the spokesman. Vimes himself later tweeted his thanks to the rescue services.

IN a week that saw the Kilkee unit of the Irish Coast Guard called out an unprecedented 11 times, water safety officials in Clare are urging swimmers to think safe when they visit the water.

With temperatures set to soar over the next seven days and beyond, large crowds are expected to descend on the Clare coastline.

Meterological sources are predicting temperatures as high as 24c by early next week.

Last summer saw four fatalities from drowning in Clare waters, three of which occurred within a month of each other and coincided with a steep rise in temperatures.

This summer lifeguards are continuing to deal with incidents on a daily basis.

Water safety officials are urging visitors to the county’s 12 lifeguarded beaches and lakes to only swim in designated areas.

“I keep saying it all the time, swim within the lifeguarded areas.

“Swim within the zones that the lifeguards set out and obey their directions,” urged head of Clare Water Safety, Clare McGrath.

“Don’t swim in unknown spaces. We don’t want people going to water holes and quarries. I would say swim in the lifeguarded areas.”

Ms McGrath believes however that swimmers are now beginning to heed warnings on water safety.

“I think they are, I think people are beginning to notice.

“But all the time, they need to watch the flags and watch the notices that the lifeguards put out.”

Ms McGrath’s warning came just hours after the Irish Coast Guard, Kilkee unit responded to its 11th callout in eight days on Sunday night.

The Kilkee unit was among the busiest in Ireland last week, responding to three calls before 12 noon on Tuesday alone.

OVER four months after Clare County Council applied to the Office of Public Works for funding for remedial works in respect of the extensive storm damage suffered in the county at the turn of the year, the Clare authority are still awaiting a definite answer from the OPW.

Included in the submission was a request for funding of € 12.1m in respect of strengthening coastal protection works, including at Cloughaninchy where property and land were damaged by unprecedented storm surges.

Over the past days residents of Cloughaninchy in West Clare, an area the Council listed as a priority in their submission to the OPW, have made their feelings known to local TDs and councillors about the delay and uncertainty.

However it is still not clear as to when the OPW will issue a response.

According to Fianna Fail TD Timmy Dooley, the residents of Cloughaninchy are just the latest victims of some electoral politics:

“In the immediate aftermath of the storms we had a succession of Government ministers coming down to Clare being photographed with those that had suffered hardship, dangling the promise of funds to repair and strengthen the coastal defences,” Dooley told The Clare People on Monday after meeting with the Cloughaninchy locals.

“Once the local elections were over however the funding has not been forthcoming.

“This was soft talk with no followup delivery.

“Clare County Council can’t print the money needed, they have already carried out the repair work, the Government now needs to make good on the commitments they made to the people of West Clare,” Dooley added.

TWO Ennismen are to bid for the for their place in The Guinness Book of Record this August by playing 80 hours of non-stop snooker to raise money for local cancer charity Sláinte an Chláir.

Student Gordon O’Loughlin and truck driver Kieran Ferns will attempt to break the world record in their marathon which will begin on August 15, after they were selected to take part in the challenge by Ennis Snooker Club proprietor Gerry O’Loughlin.

“The two guys I picked, they seem to get on, they play well together — you really have to like a guy to be looking at him for 80 hours. So I think they’re the best team we have right now,” says Gerry O’Loughlin.

Former world snooker champion Ken Doherty has pledged to support the record attempt.

The guidelines for the challenges are strict, with only five-minute breaks permitted every hour, though the option is there to play on and eventually accumulate up to four consecutive breaks, thereby enabling 20 rather than just five minutes of rest. They also require two witnesses switching on and off table duty every four hours, with at least one of them having to be an expert in the field.

The snooker club was reopened last February by Gerry O’Loughlin, whose brainwave it is to try and bring a world record to Ennis after a target of 76 consecutive hours of snooker was set recently in England.

Now, with final preparations being for the snooker challenge, the proprietor has revealed that he has enlisted the services of former world champion Ken Doherty to support the event.

“Ken is coming down,” he revealed. “Sunday night, the guys will still be going strong, so hopefully we’ll have an exhibition, and there’ll be people going in and out. He’s aware of what’s going on and thinks it’s great. He’ll be there on the Monday too, so hopefully he’ll be there to promote it when they break the record.

“It’s a very good charity that we’re raising money for, and the idea would be to try to promote it and get people in [to watch the event] at the nighttime and they might donate to the charity then as well. They might be coming in at night-time, coming off shifts and stuff like that, and they’d hopefully give a hand to them,” he added.

THE latest enhancement of Ryanair services out of Shannon represents a huge boost to tourism and the ongoing efforts by airport executives at building route development out of Clare’s international airport.

That’s the message delivered by Tourism Ireland and airport CEO Neil Pakey this week on the back of last Thursday’s announcement by the low-cost airline that it is to strengthen its winter schedule with the addition of further capacity from the end of October.

The airline announced that it is to add a daily Manchester service, replacing a three times weekly Liverpool service, and a weekly Kaunas in Lithuania flight, as well as extra flights to Stansted, to its winter schedule that will begin at the end of October.

This will bring the total number of Ryanair services from Shannon to 11 this winter – six more than the 2013/2014 winter season.

The new routes operated by Ryanair from Shannon this winter are Paris, Berlin, Fuerteventura, Warsaw, Krakow, Manchester and Kaunas. These are in addition to their existing services to be Gatwick, Lanzarote, Stansted and Wroclaw.

“We welcome this further commitment by Ryanair to our upcoming winter schedule, which includes an excellent mix of inbound and outbound opportunities for passengers,” said Neil Pakey.

“We are currently in the middle of a very busy summer season, which has led to a 15 per cent overall increase in passenger numbers in the first six months of the year. Having extra capacity this winter very much strengthens our hand for the off-peak season,” he added.

Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons said the new flight from Manchester to Shannon Airport this winter, which will help boost tourism to Clare and the West of Ireland from the all-important British makret.

“We already work very closely with Ryanair and we look forward to co operating with them to maximise the promotion of this new flight to Shannon,” he said. “As an island, the importance of convenient, direct, non-stop flights cannot be overstated – they are absolutely critical to achieving growth in visitor numbers,” he added.

“Tourism Ireland is undertaking an extensive programme of promotions in Britain throughout 2014, which includes a major focus on the Wild Atlantic Way. Co-operative campaigns, with key partners like Ryanair and Shannon Airport, are an important element of our programme to boost travel to Ireland.”