Category: News

AFTER nearly a decade in the doldrums, Clare Roses are starting to get accustomed to the lavish surroundings of the Festival Dome in Tralee. Joanne O’Groman made it two years in a row for Clare participants, when she qualified for the grand final of the Rose of Tralee competition on Sunday night.

The Cratloe native follows in the foot steps of Marie Donnellan from Newmarket-on-Fergus, who last year was Clare’s first competitor in the final stages of the competition since 2006.

There was disappointment for Dawn Ryan from Meelick, however, the Clare born, Limerick Rose narrowly missed out on the August final. Had she made it, it would have been the first time that two Clare born Roses would have competed together at the grand final.

Speaking after her selection, Joanne paid tribute to the support of Marie Donnellan.

“I’m over the moon. I don’t think it has sunk in yet to be honest. I’ll wake up tomorrow and it’s just going to be surreal. I’d say my phone is hopping off the bed up in my room at the moment, I don’t have the energy to look at it,” she said.

“The support and the good wishes that I’ve got up to now has been amazing. Just to be selected as the Clare Rose was amazing and now to go on to Tralee, it’s a dream come true.

“Marie has been a great support. First and foremost she said to just enjoy it, especially the Portlaoise section that I’ve just come through now. I plan on enjoying it. She said the same for Tralee as well. She said it is absolutely amazing.

“She also advised me to buy a foot spa as well. To plug it in every night when I get back from each of the tours – so I plan on buying a foot spa.”

WITH just days until the newly elected Clare County Council meet for the first time, mystery still surrounds how much they will be paid and their expenses.

At the 11th hour the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Phil Hogan (FG) still has not revealed if the 28 new county councillors would receive a pay cut or a pay rise in the new smaller county council.

He said he would announce a revised package of changes to payments to cathaorligh, mayors and expenses for attendance at conferences shortly. It is understood that there will be a limit of € 1,000 per councillor for attending conferences.

The expenses to be allocated to cover newly enlarged constituencies are also a closely guarded secret for now.

It is understood however that there will be extra money on top of the basic salary to be pocketed by the mayor of the county, the chairs of the four new Municipal Districts (the former electoral areas) and for the chairpersons of the Special Strategic Policy Committees.

From Friday, May 30, all 28 elected the previous Friday were formerly considered county councillors.

This Friday, June 6, they will meet for the first time in Aras Contae an Clár (right_ to elect a new mayor and decide how many times they will meet during the five-year office term.

It is understood a proposal is to go before the newly elected members suggesting that full county council meetings are held just every second month, with each Municipal District to meet monthly.

This proposal is already meeting some resistance from more established members who are more accustomed to full monthly council meetings.

As all four town councils in Clare are now gone, there will be no more mayors of Kilrush, Shannon or Kilkee.

As Ennis has a population of more than 20,000 people however the councillors from the Ennis Munici- pal District can elect a town mayor from among its members.

There is no clear indication as yet when this post will be decided upon or whether it too might be included in a power sharing agreement between the paties. The other Municipal Districts – Killaloe, Shannon and West Clare – will elect a chairperson, or more specifically a chairman, as there are no women among them.

While the new look council will no longer be responsible for water, it will take charge of Enterprise, as the Enterprise Board has now come under the remit of the local authority.

Moves to bring the Clare Local Development Company (Leader) under the council’s authority is currently being resisted nationally.

TALKS to decide who will serve as Mayor of Clare during the next five years were deadlocked last night as Fine Gael and the Independents battled it out for their share of the spoils, with Fianna Fáil as the largest party guaranteed the council chair for two years.

Under a power-share agreement drawn up in 2004 and adhered to ever since, each political grouping within the council takes on the role of mayor and chair of Clare County Council.

The number of years any particular group has the hot seat is relative to the number of members it has in the council chamber.

For the last 10 years this has broken down into a system that allowed Fine Gael the chair for two years, Fianna Fáil for two more and Independents and others one year.

Following last weekend’s local election, the so-called Technical Group – made up of Independents and Sinn Féin’s Mike McKee – have eight seats, the same number as Fine Gael. The Technical Group now argues that it has as much right as Fine Gael to the chair of the council for two of the five years ahead.

As Fianna Fáil has 12 of the 28 county council seats, under this agreement it is expected to hold the mayorship for two years.

The only decision to be made is whom will it nominate to the role.

Sources close to the party say that there are elements within it pushing to put newcomer Clare Colleran Molloy into the chair within the next two years, just in time for the General Election.

Many believe that the new councillor and barrister would be the ideal candidate for the party during the national election. However, there are a number of returning Fianna Fáil councillors who also feel they are entitled to the role given their number of years service and experience.

The first meeting of the newly elected Clare County Council takes place this Friday at 3pm.

AS THE time has past to remove all election posters and plaquards from the county’s streets and roads, some candidates have complained that discarded posters are miraculously appearing again.

During the run up to the local and European elections there were the usual complaints that posters were removed from where they were positioned by campaign teams.

Now as the last votes have been counted “silly season” is setting in again as once disappeared posters are reappearing.

Forgotten election posters still on posts and polls will cost candidates € 150 per poster from now on.

Such fines are issued by Clare County Council’s Environment Department.

In a bid to avoid such fines some candidates have taken to social media asking people to report any sighting of posters.

Ennis Labour candidate Seamus Ryan was particularly disturbed that a poster he removed from Abbey Street a week ago was back again a day later.

“I found one that had been put up on a pole in Abbey Street car park by someone other than a member of my campaign team.

“I know it was put up by someone other than us for two reasons.

“Firstly I personally removed the poster from that very pole on Monday last.

“Secondly no candidate puts the cable ties to the front of the poster, it blocks the name,” he said, publishing a photo of the offending poster on Facebook.

“This is a level of pathetic vindictiveness we really don’t need in local politics.

“Somebody really wants me to get a € 150 fine (that’s per poster), if you see any more up please let me know,” he appealed.

Election poll topper in Shannon Cathal Crowe (FF) was equally concerned about his posters remaining up the poll.

He was among a number of local election candidates using the new communication of social media to remove the more traditional form of communication.

THE Diocese of Killaloe is preparing to welcome a new priest to the area next year following the ordination of Michael Geraghty as a deacon at an ceremony at St Patrick’s College in Maynooth last Sunday.

Reverend Geraghty was one of 15 students who were ordained by the Cardinal of Ireland, Sean Brady, at the ceremony on Sunday, the largest number of deacons ordained in Ireland in recent years.

Reverend Geraghty is the only deacon ordained to the Diocese of Killaloe this year and there was no deacon ordained to Clare’s other diocese, the Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora.

This is the final step in Michael’s journey to full priesthood and he will be formally ordained into the priesthood for service in the Killaloe Diocese in the summer of 2015. Michael, who is a native of the Parish of Birr in County Offaly, has spent time working in the parish of Ennis in recent years as part of his on-going training.

“It is with great joy that we celebrate the ordination of 15 men to the diaconate especially today on the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. On behalf of all of us here in the formation and learning community which is Saint Patrick’s College Maynooth, I congratulate our 15 ordinands and wish them every happiness and blessing in their forthcoming diaconal ministry,” said Monsignor Hugh Connolly, the President of Saint Patrick’s College Maynooth.

“May each of them experience God’s grace afresh in their hearts so that they will courageously proclaim the Gospel in both word and deed and go out to serve the people of God in their various dioceses with care and compassion.”

LAZARUS Investment Limited have lodged a fifth major planning application for the development of construction projects formally proposed by the Atlantis Development Company in North Clare.

The projects, which are all located in the Doolin and Liscannor area, had been granted planning permission before the collapse of the Celtic Tiger but have never been devel- oped.

The latest proposal by the North Clare-based company involves the extension of planning permission for the construction of a four-house development at Coogyulla in Doolin.

This follows similar planning application in recent week which could see the creation of a park and ride facility to the Cliffs of Moher, a major development of Egan’s and McHugh’s in Liscannor and a the construction of a new supermarket development in Doolin, if they get the go ahead.

According to documents obtained from the Company Registration Office (CRO), local businessman John Declan Flanagan, with a company address at ‘The Mermaid’ in Liscannor, is the director of both Lazarus Investment Limited and the Atlantis Development Company.

The company’s application for the construction of a park and ride facility connecting Liscannor with the Cliffs of Moher could be contentious. Lazarus Investments Limited have already lodged an objection to plans by Clare County Council to develop the existing temporary car park at the Cliffs of Moher Experience. A planning decision on this project was due last month but no formal decision has yet been announced by the local authority.

Lazarus are also looking to revive plans to develop two of North Clare’s iconic pubs – Egan’s and McHugh’s in Liscannor.

This plan involves the demolition of a storage area and toilets at the back of Joseph McHugh’s and a storage buildings at the back of Egan’s and the extension of McHugh including a new storage area, lounge, toilets and an open smoking area. The development will also see the construction of a seven bedroom hostel, five apartments and four commercial units.

A separate application involved outline permission for the development a supermarket, crèche, medical centre and a chemist at Killilagh in Doolin, as well as the construction of five houses.

AN EXCLUSION zone will be put in place around Doolin Pier later this week as a series of planned explosions will be detonated.

The blast work is the first major step towards the reforming of the pier area in preparation for the construction of a new pier to serve the area.

Some blasting is due to take this Thursday and Friday, June 5 and 6, weather permitting an exclusion zone will be implemented for the area while this work is being carried out. The exact location of the exclusion zone is not yet clear but it will be established to ensure that no people or property are hurt or damaged in the works.

Construction work on a new € 6 million pier got underway last month and it is expected to be completed by the middle of next year with Kilmaley-based construction company, L&M Keating, carried out the complex build.

A new pier for Doolin has been in the pipeline for more than a decade but the development was subject to an extended planning process following objections by local surfers who felt the pier would damage local waves.

When completed the pier will be used mainly to facilitate ferry activity between North Clare and the Aran Islands and the Cliffs of Moher during the tourist season while the existing pier will be available to accommodate other activities – both leisure-based and otherwise.

The new pier will also ensure that Doolin is accessible in all tidal conditions, which will be of particular benefit to Doolin Search and Rescue as well as the ferry operators – who current have to transship passengers onto their boats at low tide.

The pier is expected to attract tens thousands of new tourists into make North Clare their tourism hub in the years to come. With nearly a million people visiting the Cliffs of Moher each year, it is hoped that the pier will encourage a large portion of these people to stay in Clare, instead of travelling in day bus trips from Dublin.

THE cheapest farm in Ireland has gone on sale in the Burren – with a large number of bidders expected to show an interested in purchasing a house, farm buildings and a 166 acre farm for just € 250,000.

The farm, which is located at Glencolumbkille in Carron, has being brought to the market by Colm Farrell Auctioneers, at an asking price of just over € 1, 500 per acre. This is in marked contrast to the average price per acre of land received for farms in Clare last year which was in excess of € 6,500.

Indeed, according to figures obtained from the ‘Irish Farmers Journal’, last year’s average price in Clare was more than 20 per cent below the average for 2012, which was just over € 8,500 per acre.

The sales agents describe the property as having “some of the best views of natural landscape in the world” and have also stressed that the € 250,000 is a minimum price, and the property could be sold for a lot more.

“The lands are of mixed quality ranging from grazing land to rock outcrop and water supply is from natural sources only. The residence is in need of major refurbishment but because of its existence, it provides one with permission to reside in one of the most desirable locations in the world of natural scenic landscape,” said a spokesperson.

“The farm also has some farm buildings with livestock handling facilities. One has to visit this farm of beauty to appreciate what it really is and what it has to offer in this wonderful part of the world.”

The property is located around three miles from Carron and about 10 minutes from Kinvara.

After a lull of a number of years, farm land has begun to be bought and sold again in recent months. Indeed, there was almost 3 per cent more land sold in Clare in 2013 compared to the 12 months of 2012.

THE Department of Education has granted approval for a new hall and an additional car park at St Joseph’s Secondar y School, Spanish Point.

The project is in addition to the new autism unit, which is expected to be completed later this year.

The two-room unit will be situated on the seaside of the secondary school.

Al ready teachers from the second- ar y school have under taken specialised training so that they can assist students from the unit who wish to under take some or all classes in the mainstream school.

The specialised autism unit will be staffed with exper t teachers and other staff, while the students who wish to can also avail of mainstream education.

As well as Depar tment of Education funding to build the unit, the school has also been supported by a number of local fundraisers to help stock the unit with state of the ar t equipment and props when it opens.

The car park and hall is a new addition to the campus.

Labour TD Michael McNamara said the approval of the hall will provide a facility for all who live in Spanish Point and its environs.

“This is excellent news. It is just two years ago since I first ar ranged a meeting with Principal Mary Crawford and Ruai rí Quinn. The project was delayed because of issues which arose in relation to the loss of rights of way to/from the school and the resultant need to provide additional car parking. These issues have now been resolved and the preparator y work can commence.

“This means the work of selecting the design team and building contractor can begin. Subject to a successful planning application, it is expected the new autism unit could be completed in time for the first intake of students in September 2015,” said Deputy McNamara.

GIRL power is back in Clare County Council. The historically male dominated local authority has trebled its number of female councillors, from one to three, in this election.

Leading the charge was independent candidate Ann Norton, who was first woman elected to Clare County Council over the weekend.

“It’s good to have a female voice in the council.

“After Patricia [Patricia McCarthy (Ind)] announced that she was retir- ing, a lot of people were worried that there mightn’t be a lot of women on Clare County Council.

“Different people give different reasons why there aren’t more women running for election, but at the end of the day I don’t see it being any different whether you are male or female,” she said.

“I’m a mother of three children. I have plenty of energy and will give time and energy to Clare County Council, the same as I put into the Clare Crusaders Clinic and into my family.”

Norton, who was elected on the 18th count of a marathon Ennis count at the West County Hotel credits her transfer friendliness as one of the reasons why she was elected.

“I’m absolutely delighted, thrilled. I wasn’t expecting this at all. I knew it was going to be tough; 27 candidates was a lot in the Ennis area.

“I think, from yesterday, when the count came in, my number were quite high.

“The question was whether I’d get the transfers.

“It’s all very new to me but it worked. Being transfer friendly worked,” she said.