The Clare People Archive

OVER 5,500 drivers in Clare have acquired penalty points since the points system was in- troduced three years ago, the vast majority of which have been for speeding.

Out of penalty points issued to 5,677 Clare motorists, 5,140 were for speeding; 478 were for drivers not wearing seatbelts; 24 were issued as a result of chil- dren in front seats of cars not wearing seatbelts; and 34 were for children in back seats not

wearing seatbelts.

There were no points issued to drivers with addresses in Clare for careless driving, or driving without insurance.

The head of the Clare traffic corps, Inspector Kevin Moyni- han, said that despite repeated warnings, drivers were continu- ing to speed. “People are still speeding and the number of fines imposed for speeding are certainly on a par with last year. There have been well over 400 fines for non-wearing of seatbelts so far this year,’ said Inspector

Moynihan. Figures obtained by

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NACMm ALS Pope’s recent address at World Youth Day, Bish- op Walsh said that the Pope delivered his mes- sage “in a gentle and humble way and not in the way predicted by many in the media. His message was a very tra- ditional one”’.

Thirty young people from the Diocese of Killaloe – accompa- nied by local priests, Fr Donogh O’Meara and Fr Tom Hogan – travelled to Cologne in Germany to partake in the first World Youth Day celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI.

The group were part of a one-million crowd that were told by Pope Benedict that “in vast

areas of the world, there is a forgetfulness of God, a sense of dis- satisfaction with every- Oy item TeeM aio mAneun ero

The Pope said that religion constructed on a ‘do-it-yourself’ basis “cannot ultimately help ae

Dr Walsh said _ that the Pope “was_ look- ing at our world where there is a serious need for all of us to consider the things that bring us happiness and there is strong evidence that material success or in- stant satisfaction does not bring happiness and people are looking for something deeper and not just new-age spirituality that tend to say to people how you feel about yourself. The Pope put these solid truths before the young people.”

Dr Walsh said that the new Pope “is very clear in his beliefs”. He said: ‘He comes across as a very humble and gentle person.”

THERE was a time, up to about four years ago when Shannon property prices lagged behind other towns in the county, but this is no longer the case. The airport town has played serious ‘catch-up’ and starter homes are now on a price par with those in Ennis.

According to Fachtna O’Donovan of Sherry FitzGerald McMahon, “the price of property was artificially low, because Shannon Devel- opment housing stock was sold off cheaply throughout the town, keeping the price of town houses down. This in turn affected the price of property in the higher price brackets”.

He added, “town houses are now reaching their true value and this has had a knock-on af- fect, having increased the value of property in the higher brackets too. Shannon prices used to be, on average, 30% lower than Ennis, this has now narrowed to zero in some brackets, although in the more expensive detached cat- egory, similar properties will make more in Ennis”.

Rory Fitzpatrick of Fitzpatrick Auctioneers, Shannon, agrees that Shannon property prices have come of age. “In the second hand mar- ket, good quality semi-detached properties, in fairly new developments are on a price par with their counterparts in Ennis. Prices for the older terraced style housing are around €150,000 plus. We recently sold a mid-terrace house in good order in Aidan Park for €163,000. The detached property market is small in Shannon and you can expect to spend €260,000 upwards

for this type of property.”

As a yardstick for prices achieved on modern apartments, Fitzpatrick said, “we recently sold 800 sq ft two-bedroom apartments in Ballyca- sey for €168,000”.

Fitzpatrick continued, “We have a develop- ment called Cluain Alainn, in Hurler’s Cross, on our books. Phase One sold out really quick- ly. It’s a mixed development of 57 houses built by Martin Fitzgibbon. The semi-detached

houses appealed to first time buyers and inves- tors, while the detached houses attracted buyers trading up, from Shannon. The semi-detached properties started in price from €185,000 and the detached houses from €230,000. All of the houses in Phase One were sold off plans about 6—9months ago”.

With a very buoyant rental market, investors remain interested in property in the airporttown. A new ‘tax designated’ development called Bru

na Sionna, currently under construction is sure to appeal to investors and professionals alike, working in the airport town. Apartments in the visually striking, up-market development have been released for sale by Sherry FitzGer- ald McMahon. The scheme consists of 119 two and three bedroom apartments, penthouses and three bedroom townhouses. The units are laid out in five blocks ranging in height from two to six storeys. Each block differs in style and shape, with some having gardens around them and others have balconies and terraces.

All of the properties are tax designated un- der the Urban Renewal Scheme and qualify for Section 23-type relief of up to 92 per cent. The two bedroom apartments cost from €228,000, town houses are priced from €262,000, while prices for the penthouses have yet to be final- ised.

Fachtna O’Donovan believes that the rental market will continue to remain strong in Shan- non. Commenting on current trends, he said, “Shannon is proving very popular with work- ers from overseas and workers from other parts of Ireland, due to the jobs availability in the towns’ industrial estates and the airport”.

O’Donovan concluded, “having been in Shannon since the mid sixties, I can see the town finally maturing into what was envisaged by the planners back in the fifties. In fact many people who have moved to Shannon in recent years have said to me that they would prefer to live in Shannon rather than Ennis or Limerick due to the facilities, the safe feeling they get in the town and the sense of community”’.