Category: News

PART of Clare is going to be taken into Limerick when a decision is made in cabinet today on the Limerick boundary extension.

In a leak from a reliable source in advance of today’s decision, The Clare People has learned that land in Clare which has been, or is earmarked for, development by the University of Limerick is to come under Limerick’s control.

But fears that parts of Westbury, Shannon Banks and even Meelick and Parteen might be taken by Lim- erick in a boundary extension can be laid to rest.

It has also been leaked that no residential land in the Banner will be taken into the new super authority which will result from the amalgamation of the city and county councils in Limerick.

While anti-boundary extension activists in Clare have welcomed the fact that residential areas will be left alone, many are less than happy that the UL land is going into Limerick City.

“While the fact that no residential areas are to go into Limerick is to be welcomed, people are concerned that if one extension (of the Limerick boundary) is allowed in the campus area this will pave the way for future extensions,” said local councillor Cathal Crowe (FF).

“Clare has always facilitated UL in extending the university campus and that collaborative arrangement has worked very well. There is no need for the boundary to be changed. People will not be happy about this or the implications for the future and it will be opposed,” he said.

Jim Gullt, Chairman of the AntiBoundary Extension Committee, said that they will wait to read the Minister’s speech and see the official announcement before reacting.

In relation to the leak which points to Clare land in UL becoming part of Limerick, he said: “Our position is still the same. There is to be no cherry picking with this. It’s not the case that we’ll say ‘Okay, you left Westbury alone so we’ll concede UL’ – we are 100 per cent that no part of Limerick is to come into Clare.”

A spokeswoman for UL said they would make no comment until after the official announcement is made today.

COILLTE and smaller forestry contractors may be forced to pay for damage done to roads as a result of transporting trees in rural parts of the county.

An estimated 200,000 tonnes of timber was transported on the county’s roads last year, with this figure expected to treble in the coming years. According to councillors at last night’s meeting of Clare County Council, roads in rural areas of North and East Clare have been destroyed in recent years as a result of the transportation of large amounts of timber. The Clare People understands that Clare County Council has entered into negotiations with Coillte with a view to working on some sort of road management plan for the forestry companies and a means of gaining reparations should damage be done.

“They are removing timber out to roads and these roads are not able to take the weight of the timber being removed. I think that Coillte need to provide us with a five-year plan where trees have to be felled or thinned out. They should at the very least supply a list of what roads they intend to use and these plan should need to be ap- proved by the county engineer,” said Cllr Michael Hillery (FF).

“This problem is going to get worse as time goes on. I know that right now roads are being damaged all over the county and I think it will take a lot of money to put these roads back to a level that will be acceptable to the local people.”

At present just over 13 per cent of the area of the county is covered in forestry with half of this being managed by Coillte. Commenting on the matter, Cllr Michael Beagley (FG), said that the current situation was ‘hell on earth’ for local residents.

“The level of support that Coillte give is often tempered because they have the excuse that other forestation in taking place along those roads,” he said.

“Quite a lot of private operators are growing trees in Clare and we should not give them [Coillte] an excuse to pay less than they should, but at the same time they shouldn’t have to pay everything if other private operators are in place. This is hell on earth to the local residents and the council needs to put something in place to deal with this problem, in a comprehensive way.”

According to the Council, negotiations are currently ongoing between Clare County Council and Coillte.

“We have found that in recent times there has been better engagement between ourselves and Coillte. In recent times Coillte have allocated some money to roads in the county,” said a council spokesperson.

“It may not be possible to have a one size fits all approach [for Coillte and the private operators]. We are at the early days of trying to formalise something and it makes sense to talk to the largest operator and I think that under these circumstances it would be easier for other operators to come on board once we have this formalised.”

FINE Gael is the party of government with four Oireachtas members in the county for the first time in its history – now the greatest ever year for its Clare wing is set to be enhanced next Monday when two more party representatives take the mayoral chains of local government office in the county.

Fresh from Cllr Mary Brennan’s election as Mayor of Shannon last week, in the coming week Cllrs Ian Lynch and Elaine Haugh-Hayes are set to be elected as mayor of Kilrush and Kilkee respectively.

The annual general meetings of the two West Clare local authorities are set for Monday evening next, with the power-sharing agreements in place on both councils set to pave the way for the elections of Cllrs Lynch and Haugh-Hayes.

Both were elected to their town councils for the first time in 2009 and two years later will be given the signal honour of being their town’s first citizen for the next 12 months.

“I’d be hoping to get it,” Cllr Lynch told The Clare People this week. “I’ve been Deputy Mayor for the past year and it normally follows that the deputy steps up to become mayor the following year.

“When there’s a party in power, you might find that they share it out, but when you have situation like you have in Kilrush at the moment, with three Fine Gael, three Fianna Fáil and three Independents you have a power-sharing arrangement and it’s spread over the five years,” added Cllr Lynch, who at 33 years of age will become one of the youngest mayor’s in the West Clare capital’s illustrious local government history that stretches back over 100 years.

“We have to wait and see what happens on Monday,” Cllr Haugh-Hayes told

CLARE County Council last night decided not to vote on a motion to back Séan Gallagher’s bid to contest the forthcoming Presidential race – on the grounds that legal advice need sought before any vote could take place. This comes after five independent candidates addressed the elected members of the Council last night – each seeking the local authority’s nomination to contest the election.

Following a heated discussion, coun- cillors voted by 15 votes to 14 to seek legal clarification on the issue before making a decision. The motion was put forward by Cllr Michael Begley (Ind) – and after the meeting was adjourned Mr Gallagher commented to the Killaloe councillor that he could see “democracy was alive and well in County Clare”.

Earlier, Senator David Norris (Ind) had defended himself against criticism from Cllr Cathal Crowe (FF) that he was anti-Shannon Airport because of his stance against the use of the airport for special rendition flights.

Special Olympics chief Mary Davis told councillors that her connection with Clare was through holidaying in Kilkee and playing golf. She paid tribute to the work done by the Brothers of Charity in Clare and lauded the outreach programme.

She said she was aware of the issues facing young people in Ireland, adding, “As a county yourselves, you have experienced a tragic share of emigration, unemployment and sui- cide. The position [of President] has an enormous role to play in addressing these difficulties.”

Former Dragons’ Den judge Seán Gallagher said that he came from “simple beginnings”. He said he is not aiming to contest the presidency out of a personal ambition; rather as a result of what he has experienced through his work with the unemployed and those with disabilities. “It’s not about Seán Gallagher,” he added.

Dermot Mulqueen from Ennis, who also intends to run for the Áras, said he believes that a central capital of Ireland should be built. “Ireland is sinking eastwards. It drains resources, population, eastwards,” he said. “We should take over the Corrib Gasfield and have a State-owned gasfield like Norway and set up an international press agency like France.”

The other individual to address the meeting was Dr Pat Jones, a doctor of plant physiology from Carlow. He explained that his connections with Clare were through being a student of Maureen de Valera at UCG.

THE first aircraft ever owned by Aer Lingus was in West Clare last week to help celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the opening of the Spanish Point Airfield.

The “Iolar”, which was a working aircraft more than 80 years ago, was one of 30 working light aircraft which travelled to West Clare to mark the historic event.

Miltown Malbay man Joe Ryan landed an aircraft at a farm in Legard South in the 1970s. An experienced pilot and instructor at the time, Joe knew that the strip of land was suitable as a runway and, after another 20 years of careful examination, it was decided to open a runway and establish a Flying Club in Spanish Point.

The club ran successfully for many years but was badly hit by downturn in the sector after the September 11 attacks, while the salty air also quickened the corrosion of aircraft in Spanish Point.

After successfully training many pilots, the club closed nearly 10 years ago but the airstrip itself has remained in use and has recently seen a large increase in traffic.

“Unfortunately everything took a hit after September 11 and the training school had to shut down,” said Ruth Bagnell of the Spanish Point Airfield.

“There are three aircraft based there at the moment and we are getting more and more people coming to use it.

“The airfield has a long history. I know there was a pilot who crashed a Spitfire close to the site back towards the end of WWII. He was in trouble and saw the flat stretch and tried to land.

His plane crashed but he did survive the landing,” she added.

A LANDSCAPED green area that has been developed on the site of the former Tradaree Court Flats in Shannon has been officially opened.

The mayors of Shannon and Clare marked the occasion by joining members of the project team and officials from Clare County Council to participate in a tree planting ceremony on Tuesday morning.

The apartments, which were originally built in the 1970s to house single parent families, comprised 30 one-bed apartments. They formed part of the property portfolio taken over by Clare County Council from Shannon Development in 2004. The flats, which were in a deteriorating condition, were finally vacated with the re-homing of the last occupants in August 2009. The two apartment blocks were demolished in December, allowing for the reinstatement of the ground for the provision of a green area. Speaking at the official opening, the Mayor of Clare, Councillor Christy Curtin, said: “The completion of this project is a positive development for Shannon and represents a significant, positive contribution to the town by Clare County Council.

“Prior to their demolition in late 2010, the apartment blocks had fallen into disrepair. Incidents of anti-social behaviour and littering in the vicinity of the unoccupied buildings had caused some concern within the local community. In response to these concerns, the Council identified the demolition project as a high priority, given the economic and social costs resulting from the current condition of the two vacant blocks,” he said.

According to Tom Coughlan, Clare County Manager, “The aim of the demolition project, which has been completed on time and within budget, was to eliminate risk and ongoing costs to the Council and to provide additional open space for the benefit of the residents of Tradaree Court.”

“The new green area is a great addition to the town and a wonderful amenity for people in the area. I have no doubt it will be well used by the people of Shannon and surrounding communities for many years to come,” he added. Sean Hegarty, on behalf of Hegarty Demolition, stated he was pleased to have had the opportunity to undertake a project in his native county.

The project, which was included in the Council’s Social Housing Investment Programme in 2009, was funded by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

FEARS that a child will be seriously injured or killed in the Cappa Lodge area of Sixmilebridge have been expressed, amid concerns over levels of traffic.

Independent councillor Gerry Flynn called for traffic calming measures to be put in place on the section of road going through Cappa Lodge which serves the Chapel Court development.

He said the section of road goes through a busy residential area and presents traffic hazards for children living in the area.

“It is now a traffic hazard. The issues are too serious,” he said, at a meeting of Shannon area councillors last week.

“I don’t want to be waiting for a child to be badly injured or killed. It’s absolutely disgraceful if we are going to leave this on the long finger. It is urgent,” he said.

In response, he was told that an assessment will be undertaken in line with the council’s traffic calming policy for residential areas, to determine if traffic calming measures are warranted on the road.

In another roads-related motion at the meeting, Cllr Flynn called for a complete overlay of road surface on the road serving Illaunamanagh cemetery.

He said that the current policy of repairing pot holes was not sufficient to deal with the volumes of traffic using the road.

He was told, in a written response, that the access road was not included in the council’s road schedule as a public road. Therefore, improvement works would not be eligible for grant funding from the Department of Transport and would have to be provided for from the council’s own resources. It will be considered for inclusion in the 2012 programme of road works.

“There are a lot of elderly people going in there. A tar and chip overlay, which would not be very costly, could at least be done,” the councillor said.

Sixmilebridge-based councillor PJ Ryan (Independent) asked for an update on “the junction in Sixmilebridge, especially in the Clonlara direction. People don’t seem to be stopping there”.

“Local people are afraid there will be a fatality there sooner or later if there isn’t an improvement. Definitely something has to be done,” he added.

VINCENT Coleman of Fine Gael has been co-opted to Shannon Town Council, replacing Tony Mulcahy, whose election as a Senator created the vacancy.

At a meeting of the town council last week, Clrr Seán McLoughlin (FG) proposed that the 33-year-old be co-opted to the council. This was seconded by his party colleague, Cllr Mary Brennan. Shannon Town Clerk Liam O’Connor told the meeting that the Fine Gael party has nominated Mr Coleman, who works with Servisair in Shannon. The town’s newest council lor was welcomed by all colleagues on the nine-member council.

Cllr McLoughlin said to Mr Coleman, “You have knocked on the doors in Shannon. You have stuffed envelopes. You are well used to the politics of politics as such.”

Cllr Patricia McCarthy said to Mr Coleman, “I’m sure that you will do the job and represent the people of Shannon exceptionally well. It is a great honour to represent the people of Shannon.”

Cllr Gerry Flynn (Ind) said it was a very proud moment for the Coleman family and for Vincent’s parents who were in the public gallery for the memorable occasion. “It’s a shame the public gallery isn’t a bit bigger. I’d like to see a couple of hundred people here to see what happens,” he said.

Mr Coleman has been the branch chairman for Fine Gael in Shannon for the past year.

FINE Gael town councillor Mary Brennan has been elected Mayor of Shannon. The election came about after the sitting mayor, Councillor Tony Mulcahy, was elected to the Seanad.

Cllr Brennan – who was first elected to the council two years ago – was elected mayor after she was proposed by Independent councillor Patricia McCarthy and seconded by Fine Gael councillor Seán McLoughlin, at a meeting of Shannon Town Council last Tuesday.

She will hold the position for just a fortnight as a new mayor is to be elected on June 28. However, Ms Brennan is widely expected to hold onto the post for the next 12 months.

In accepting the chain of office, Cllr Brennan described it as a “unique honour”.

She took the opportunity to pay tribute to the town’s retired town clerk Tomás MacCormaic, who passed away a fortnight ago. She said that a golf classic organised as a fundraiser for the senior citizens club in the town should be in memory of Tomás, who had a great love of golf. The golf classic will take place at Shannon Golf Club on June 27. “It would be a nice honour if we made it in memory of him,” she said.

Independent councillor Gerry Flynn wished Ms Brennan well as mayor, while Labour councillor Greg Duff said he hoped that all councillors would work in “partnership”.

Cllr Seán McLoughlin (FG) said that Ms Brennan was an excellent deputy mayor when he was mayor last year and wished her well in her new role.

Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) congratulated Cllr Brennan and said, “Hopefully you will stay longer than two weeks. I’m satisfied you will be an extremely impartial chairperson.”

Cllr Brennan was the chairperson of the MPC on Tourism for the past two years and has been succeeded in this role by Sinn Féin councillor Cathy McCafferty.

IT’S GOOD news at last for Clare on the jobs front with confirmation that the county is to be the European base for a massive logistics hub designed to deliver humanitarian aid all over the world from Shannon Airport.

Thousands of jobs could be created, both directly and indirectly, at Shannon and across the county in the coming years as a result a major reinvention of the way business in done at the airport. The Clare People has learned that the ‘Global Aid Shannon’ organisation will be officially listed with the Company Registrations Office in Dublin this week and could be up and running in Shannon before the end of 2012.

The not-for-profit company has been formed by the Atlantic Way group and will create a global centre for the delivery of humanitarian aid in Shannon, while a sister project is also progressing in Jacksonville in Florida.

Atlantic Way have been holding top level meetings all over the world for more than a year and have also received commitments from both Irish and US authorities, major industry players, the EU and the United Nations about the project.

Talks on creating a similar sister- project for cargo shipment and logistics between Shannon and Florida are also well advanced as are plans to strengthen the tourism connections between the two areas.

“This project has involved a lot of astute political footwork not just here in Ireland but also at the EU level and in the US and at the UN.

“We have been working on a number of levels to get this venture going which would utalise all the strategic strengths of Shannon, such as its very large airport system,” said Brian Byrne of Atlantic Way.