Category: News

AN EXTENSION to the Burren National Park is one of the measures that the County Clare Tourism Forum is demanding in order to boost the local tourism industry.

The forum’s members warn that “physical access to and within County Clare is a key requirement for future tourism development in the county”.

They also want resources be allocated to provide a pilot bus transport service from Shannon Airport to service a “Circle of Clare” tourist route.

In a submission to Government as part of the consultation for the National Development Plan 2007-13, the Tourism Forum states that the extension of the National Park and the creation of woodland parks in Clare “would have significant benefits from a tourism, quality of life, conservation and landscape management perspective”.

The members say that expanding the park and creating woodland parks, “would mean that the most outstanding landscapes of Clare and Ireland would be owned by and made available to the nation”.

Their submission states that high quality access to all parts of the county is of fundamental importance to the future of the tourism industry of Clare.

“Visitors landing at Shannon Airport need to be provided with a regular countywide bus service option from the airport terminal. The development of a Transport Service Management Plan for the County including the provision of a necklace of Park and Ride facilities tied in with road, rail and air transport modes countywide is necessary.”

Against the background of the decline of farming, the forum states that if Clare “is to tap into this niche tourism market, walking routes in the county, i.e. the Burren Way, East Clare Way and Mid Clare Way and current proposed extensions thereof, need to be established in a formal way and not just at the goodwill of the landowners involved.”

“The Clare Tourism Forum propose that a pilot programme of funding be put in place administered by existing agencies, i.e. CDB’s, Leader etc. to formalise established walking routes and to properly compensate the landowners affected.

“The tourism industry of Clare is dependent on the high landscape quality of the county.

“Changes in agricultural practices and sustained development pressure from a rapidly growing and affluent economy have implications for the county’s landscape.

As agriculture declines as a source of employment, the importance of rural tourism increases.”

CLARE’S first ever suicide awareness walk has been hailed a success by organisers Claire and Sasha O’Brien and Keith Molloy.

The money raised surpassed all expectations, with an amazing €24,000 collected for the Samaritans.

“If we raised €10,000, we would have been over the moon, but we are even more delighted by the awareness we raised,” said Mr Molloy.

More than 300 people turned out on the day for the main event. Further funds were raised through a pub quiz, pub collection on St Patrick’s night and bag packing in Tesco.

The walk, which was held last month, was originally organised in the memory of Claire O’Brien’s brother, Peter.

Aware of the devastation suicide can cause to a family, Ms O’Brien hoped that raising awareness through the walk would help erase the taboo surrounding the subject.

Mr Molloy, who lost seven Clare friends through suicide in the last two years, said the response to the walk gave a small indication of the number of people affected by the issue.

The only 24-hour support for potential suicide victims in Clare is the Samaritans, according to Mr Molloy. This was why all money raised went to the charity.

The organising committee wished to thank the Barge Rooms for providing a venue and refreshments on the day of the walk.

A special thanks also went to Mary Coote, who provided food on the day, and Kevin Cooper and The Banner Motor Club for escorting the walkers.

The group also thanked “Logies Bar” for hosting the quiz and Quiz Master, Slim Corry.

Finally a special word of gratitude was sent to all the walkers and sponsors.

WHY two of Clare County Council’s most senior planning officials apparently ignored professional advice to grant permission for a contentious development near the 17th-century Lemenagh Castle in the Burren, was the centre of controversy yesterday. Last year, plans were lodged by the Council for a one-off home by Anna Maria Murphy to be located between Lemenagh Castle and an area containing 27 recorded monuments.

Two previous applications for a home at the site were withdrawn in 2005 by Ms Murphy, with the second application withdrawn after the planner in the case had recommended refusal.

In response to the third application in one year for the site, the Council’s Conservation Officer, Risteard Ua Cronin, “strongly recommended” that planning permission be refused, due to the “importance of this archaeological landscape and the potential to do irreparable damage to the existing monuments and visual amenity and to set an unwelcome precedent for development in the vicinity of Lemenagh Castle and its unique 17th century house”.

Mr Ua Cronin said, “The provision of another new, modern house so close to these complexes would seriously impact on the monuments both visually and archaeologically.”

The area planner in the case recommended that planning be refused on four grounds. Firstly, that Ms Murphy didn’t meet the criteria in the Council’s ‘locals-only’ policy. Secondly, that the proposal would be visually intrusive. The third point was the unacceptable risk to ground water protection and the fourth the impact the development would have on Lemenagh Castle.

However, the reports by Mr Ua Cronin and the area planner are swept aside in a hand-written note on file by Senior Executive Planner, Brian McCarthy.

Mr McCarthy disagreed that there would be significant negative impact on the visual and archaeological setting of Lemenagh Castle.

The issue that Ms Murphy didn’t meet the criteria was cast aside by Mr McCarthy.

Mr McCarthy then requested the area planner to prepare conditions for a grant to Ms Murphy. The council then granted planning permission, ruling that it would not seriously injure the amenities of the area having regard to the rural nature of the site, the intended use of the proposed building, the policies of the Clare County Development Plan.

PLANS for a fourth quarry to help build the €190 million Ennis by-pass have suffered a setback.

Clare County Council has asked GAMA Construction, the group building the new roadway, to submit a full Environmental Impact Statement on the scheme (EIS).

The new quarry is already facing opposition from a couple of locals.

GAMA is currently working towards having the eastern section of the scheme open by next October. The group has secured planning for three quarries along the route to excavate 900,000 m of rock material, with 480,000 m of the total to be excavated from the largest quarry granted planning at Killow/Kilbreckan on the outskirts of Ennis.

They want to develop a fourth quarry on a site extending to 4.34 hectares with an extraction area of 3.635 hectares.

According to GAMA, “the proposed development is solely for the purpose of the provision of rock to the N18, Ennis bypass, which is presently under-construction immediately to the west of the application site”.

The council states that the EIS should detail cumulative impact of the proposed quarry and a nearby existing quarry.

GAMA has also been asked to submit a detailed assessment of the proposed crushing and processing operation at the identified location on the surrounding environment and include mitigation measures.

In his objection, Pat Hehir of 9 Phoenix Court, Kilrush Road, Ennis states that it “relates primarily to the negative impact of the proposal on the residential amenity value and property value of nearby dwelling owned by Mr Hehir”.

Another local resident, Claire Daly of Kilbreckan, Doora, states that there has been no communication from GAMA over the current proposal.

Ms Daly acknowledged that while there were plenty of safeguards in relation to blasting, “there was inadequate provision for processing of rock in relation to crushing and stockpiling”.

The works on the by-pass are due to end in 12 months time. It is difficult to see how much of a material difference the operation of the quarry will make to the overall project.

The application will become ‘live’ again, when GAMA lodges the required EIS.

THE actions of two of Clare County Council’s completely undermines the planning system in Clare, according to Cllr Brian Meaney (GP).

He claimed that Senior Executive Planners Brian McCarthy and Liam Conneally, ignored professional reports and the Development Plan to grant planning for a one-off home near Lemanagh Castle.

“I have reviewed the file and the implications of their actions are very worrying and it makes responsible representation worthless,” said Cllr Meaney.

“Here is an instance where management has turned everything on its head and the rule book has been thrown out the window and we need to know why.

“There is a need for decisions to be made in a recorded and transparent way so that they can be tested properly.

“But that hasn’t been done in this case and the hundreds of people who are either refused or don’t apply at all because of the local rule, will be very frustrated when they see this case.”

An Taisce has appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanála.

The organistion points to the refusal recommendation by both the area planner and by the conservation officer.

Planning was subsequently awarded following the intervention of the Senior Executive Planner.

“There is a lack of transparency in establishing the circumstances in which this occurred and whether this was as a result of the initiative of the Senior Executive Planner or any managerial intervention,” according to An Taisce.

“Whichever was the case, the manner in which this intervention occurred is not based on any memo or considered deliberation which is available for consideration on the planning file.”

Asked to comment on the decisionmaking around the file, the Director for Planning, Bernadette Kinsella, said that she was unable to comment on the planning application as it was currently before An Bord Pleanála.

Senior Planner, Liam Conneally, said, “I understand that the file you refer to is on appeal to An Bord Pleanála. Clare County Council’s response to the grounds of appeal will be made in the normal way, that is, through the appeal process.”

A decision is not expected in the case until September.

AN Bord Pleanála has granted permission for a 30-metre-high mast for the ESB at Knockanean, on the Tulla Road, Ennis.

They have cited, in their ruling, the decision to grant permission to another ESB mast at Cahercalla More, near the Eire Óg GAA grounds. That mast is at the centre of a major local controversy.

Noel Mulhaire who has campaigned against the erection of the ESB mast at Cahercalla More, said the latest decisions marked a worrying development.

In both cases, the planning appeals board over-ruled Clare County Council.

In the case of Cahercalla More, board members rejected the recommendation of their own inspector, who warned that granting permission would set a precedent for similar development in urban areas.

It has emerged that Ennis Town Council does not plan to seek a judicial review of the permission for the 80-metre mast at Cahercalla More.

In a bitter blow to campaigners, the council says that on foot of legal advice it will not pursue the review.

Objectors had hoped a legal challenge could be mounted as the proposal contravened Environmental Policy Five of the Ennis and Environs Development Plan.

But campaigners have vowed to fight the decision. They say the original notice of planning permission for the mast was invalid.

“We were particularly disappointed that Ennis Town Council didn’t take the case,” said Mr Mulhaire.

Locals will meet this week to discuss whether to mount their own costly legal challenge.

“It’s going to be costly but we are not going to stop fighting. We will get legal opinion, but funding is a major issue.

“The original planning permission for the mast was invalid.

“The notice went up at the site on June 3 (2005) and must be maintained for five weeks until July 8, but was taken down after three weeks.

“There are four letters dated July 6 on file with the planning office, pointing this out”.

Residents living close to Cahercalla strongly expressed fears the mast would pose a serious health risk to children living in the area.

CLARE TD James Breen has ruled out any alliance with his independent Dáil colleagues in the run up to the General Election.

The Kilnamona man told The Clare People, “I am an independent candidate and I am staying that way.”

He said he was happy with his power as an independent parliamentarian and was staying that way.

He said he had been preparing for the forthcoming General Election since he was first elected in 2002.

“Every Saturday I go door to door covering every village in Clare. I will continue to do that up to the close of the polls in the next General Election,” the former Fianna Fáil councillor said.

Ten independent TDs, along with 15 independent councillors, are proposing to set up a team to do battle with the bigger parties in the election. They predict this will put them in a stronger position, when the public go to the ballot boxes next year.

The alliance is already drawing up a “mini-manifesto” based around policies such as health, crime and education.

Believing independents will be in a strong position after the election, they hope to negotiate with other parties to form a government, should the balance of power allow it.

In the 2002 election, independents won 16 of the 166 Dáil seats, while 89 independents were successful in the 2004 council elections.

THIS weekend’s road safety campaign will come amid revelations that the number of drivers arrested on suspicion of drink driving has risen by one-third.

The drink driving figures, up until yesterday (Monday), show that 156 drivers have been arrested for the offence in Clare, since the start of the year. This is an increase on 118 for the same period last year.

Nine people were arrested in Clare for drink driving over the past weekend – six of those were in Ennis and three in west Clare.

This weekend the Garda Road Safety campaign will get underway at midnight on Thursday, until midnight on Tuesday next. It will focus on drink driving, speeding, seat belts, while pedestrians and motorcyclists will be centre focus.

The head of the Clare Garda Division Traffic Corps, Inspector Moynihan said drink drivers will be caught.

“Research shows that all alcohol impairs. Alcohol is the primary cause of 25 per cent of all road collisions and 33 per cent of fatal collisions,” he said.

“Exercise appropriate care at all times, particularly when overtaking or turning right on busy roads. Allow adequate time for your journey, taking into consideration heavy holiday traffic,” he added.

Gardaí are advising drivers to be particularly careful at night-time, when the majority of serious crashes occur. Seventy per cent of drink driving incidents occur between 10pm and 4am.

The traffic corps in the county is to be extended within weeks, as part of a nationwide expansion of the unit.

ENNIS has scored a moderate improvement in the latest litter league results compiled by Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL).

The latest IBAL report places Ennis 35th out of 53 areas surveyed and deems the town to be moderately littered.

It represents an improvement on the last survey, in which Ennis was placed 51st and was cited as having a significant litter problem. The findings come as the town prepares to defend its crown as Ireland’s tidiest town, this Summer.

In the executive summary, the report states that there are some excellent sites in Ennis that are litter-free and kept in very good condition. Among the areas singled out for praise are the Mill Road roundabout and the Remembrance Gardens on Cloughleigh Road.

However, IBAL criticised high levels of litter on the N68 Kilrush/ Kilkee approach road and the Limerick approach road. IBAL noted that the condition of the O’Connell monument had improved but that it still had a long way to go and was “clearly an area used for drinking and hanging out”.

Head of IBAL, Dr Tom Cavangah, said greater enforcement of litter laws was needed in Ennis.

“There is still a bit of work to be done.

“It can be done mainly through the local authority enforcing the law. We found that a lot of pubs and fast food restaurants are not cleaning the public areas they operate in.

“The law of the land should be enforced, especially against local businesses. I know a lot of the work is being done by volunteers but I don’t think that can be sustained in the long term.”

Margaret Neylon of the Ennis Tidy Towns Committee dismissed the impact of the report.

“It has been well documented that Ennis has a proven reputation on the national and international stage and we are continuing to work with Ennis Town Council, residents and the Chamber of Commerce to build on last year’s success. It can’t take from Ennis’ success,” she said.

FAMILIES of undocumented Clare people living in the United States are being urged to attend a public meeting on the issue in Ennis on Thursday night.

The gathering is poised to boost support for the campaign for the thousands of undocumented Irish people living in the States.

According to Senator Timmy Dooley (FF), who has organised the event, the aim is to put together a catalogue of individual stories which may help to explain the difficulties being experienced by the families of the undocumented.

He is asking families at the centre of the issue to turn up and outline their stories.

“Personal details are not required and supporters can remain anonymous,” he said.

“This is an extremely serious and emotive issue for families who have sons or daughters, relatives or friends unable to return home for family weddings and funerals in fear of losing the life they have built in the USA,” said Senator Dooley.

“On the basis of the number of people who have contacted me, there should be a good turnout,” he added.

Deputy Tony Killeen (FF), who organised a similar meeting last year, said up to 100 Clare people living in the States cannot return home.

“There are between 80 and 100 people who really cannot come back and there are at least as many others who could come back. It does look positive for people who have lived there for more than six years, but you would be surprised at the number of people there less than six years,” he said.

Last week, the US Senate backed the Kennedy/McCain Immigration Bill, which would give more rights to the undocumented people living in the States. This has yet to go before the House of Representatives.

Fine Gael Emigrant Affairs spokesman Paul Connaughton, who led a delegation to the States last year to highlight the issue, said several Clare families are waiting for developments on the issue.

“2006 is the big year. It was felt since last year that if it didn’t happen by next December, there would be huge problems for all our emigrants in America,” added the Galway deputy. NEXT Thursday is D-Day for a series of new by-laws covering most of Clare’s best-known beaches.

Officials from Clare County Council have met with senior gardaí to discuss how the new laws will be implemented.

They apply to the beaches at Bishopsquarter (Ballyvaughan), Fanore, Doolin, Trá Leathan (Doolin), Lahinch, Whitestrand (Miltown Malbay), Spanish Point, Doughmore (Doonbeg), Whitestrand (Doonbeg), Carrigaholt, Brew’s Bridge (Kilrush), Ballycuggeran (Killaloe) and Mountshannon.

They’re intended to prevent littering, lighting of fires, removal of beach materials and protected species and what’s being termed as “nuisance”.

The laws also control the bringing onto and parking of vehicles on beaches, camping on beaches, trading, control of animals, commercial filming, and regulation on the use of motorised craft and of water sports activities.