The Clare People Archive

BUSINESSES in Clare need further investment in broadband to support enterprise and jobs growth across the county. In a new report, Connecting the West: Next Generation Broadband in the Western Region, the Western Development Commission highlights this need.

The report includes case studies such as that of MeteoGroup in Ennis, a company that finds the cost of telecommunications services for a given level of broadband capacity more expensive in Ireland than at its other sites across Europe. Another Clare company, eTeams based in Scariff, highlighted the practice of eWorking, where employees work remotely from the company office, but need broadband connections to do so.

The Western Development Com- mission’s report examines the likely rollout of next generation broadband services and makes recommendations to ensure next generation access for all areas and better value for money for state investment in infrastructure.

Mr Ian Brannigan (acting CEO) said “broadband costs in the Western Region need to be competitive with prices available across Europe. Rural and regional areas need quality broadband services at a competitive price to ensure that businesses can compete on a level playing field”.

“The evidence from across the region presented in this report indicates that in many areas broadband services lag those that are available elsewhere in the country, for example, the western region accounts for 18 per cent of the households in Ireland but accounts for 28 per cent of applicants to the Rural Broadband Scheme (RBS) highlighting the weaker broadband services there.”

The WDC report noted that a better value of next generation broadband infrastructure can make geographic distance to customers far less relevant and provides easy access to worldwide markets. “This can be a real benefit to promoting regional and rural job growth, but only if the infrastructure and services are there,” said Mr Brannigan.

MONEYPOINT and Innismurry/Cahercon have been named as “Strategic Sites” on the Draft Strategic Integrated Framework Plan (SIFP) for the Shannon Estuary.

A multi-agency steering group comprising of Clare County Council as lead authority has commissioned the land and marine-based plan, which is said to be the first of its type to be developed in the country.

It has been a long held view of many local representatives that the southern part of the estuary – Kerry and Limerick – has been developed to the detriment of Clare.

This new draft plan outlines a strategic plan for the future development and management of marine-related industry and tourism along Ireland’s largest estuary, and includes a number of key points along the Clare side of the estuary.

The SIFP identifies nine ‘Strategic Sites’ on the Estuary, namely Moneypoint, Innismurry/Cahericon both in County Clare, Limerick Docks, Foynes Island, Foynes Port and adjoining lands, Askeaton Industrial Estate, Aughinish Island, (Limerick), Tarbert Power Station and Ballylongford Landbank (Kerry). For the most part, these sites are zoned for ‘Marine-Related Industry’ with Askeaton zoned for ‘Industry’ and Limerick Docks zoned for ‘Mixed Use’.

In some cases, the zonings confirm existing large scale developments but additional lands for expansion and some new sites are also identified.

Moneypoint Power Station has also been identified as part of the ‘Key Energy Sites’ in addition to Ballylongford Landbank and Tarbert Power Station, the site of the permitted liquefied natural gas LNG project.

The Plan identifies Moneypoint, Kilconly point, Carrig Island and Tarbert Bay as opportunity sites for renewable energy, with opportunities for servicing offshore renewable energy developments also identified.

Five Clare fishing points have also been singled out for fishing and aquaculture development. There are eight separate opportunity sites singled out on the Estuary, including designated Shell Fish Waters at Poulnasherry Bay and Carrigaholt Bay in Clare.

Other areas of opportunity include Rinevella Bay, Killimer and Clonderlaw Bay in Clare, Carrig Island in Kerry, and Greenish Island and Long Rock in Limerick. The plan outlines the tourism potential of the Estuary and includes objectives to further develop the cruise ship industry, while it highlights the potential of the islands on the Fergus Estuary.

Meanwhile, the strategy features objectives relating to aviation and supports the future development of Shannon Airport, including acknowledging the importance of the 2,000acre land bank zoned for aviation uses in the new Shannon Town and Environs Local Area Plan 2012-2018.

CLARE County Council planners have said that there are “serious concerns” relating to the application by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to construct a car park in the shadow of Mullaghmore mountain, which has threatened to re-open interpretative centre controversy that dogged North Clare for over a decade.

The local authority has outlined these concerns to the NPWS this week in a direct request for more information about the car park plan because “the information submitted with this application is insufficient” for planners to make a judgement.

A decision on the planning permission was to be made by last Sunday, December 16, but this has now been deferred after the council’s senior staff officer in Planning and Enterprise Development Siobhan O’Reilly has that “serious concerns arise as regards the principle of the development as proposed at this site location within an area that is designated as a Special Area of Conservation”.

“Concerns arise that in the absence of a formal Conservation Management Plan for the Burren National Park, the development may be premature and may lead to piecemeal, uncoordinated development at this sensitive location,” Ms O’Reilly adds.

In its objection to the car park application at Knockaunroe, Corofin, submitted to Clare County Council in October, the Burren Action Group (BAG) said the development was “part of a process” that will eventually lead to the building of a visitor facility in the area.

BAG warned that the car park will “create a new set of risks” in the Burren – chief among these a covert plan of “induced development” designed to eventually bring about the building of visitor facilities at Gortalecka, the original site earmarked for the Mullaghmore Interpretative Centre.

Now, council planners have made a number of requests from the NPWS before they will make a decision on the planning application. “It is considered that the content of the Conservation Management Plan for the Park would inform the planning process in terms of future plans for access management, visitor management and service provision at this location,” says Ms O’Reilly in her correspondence with NPWS. “As a management plan has not been prepared, it is considered that there is a shortfall in terms of information available,” she adds.

The NPWS have been asked to submit details of a timeframe for the completion of the Conservation Management Plan and this should include: a visitor management plan for the Burren National Park, a transport and access plan, future development plans for the area and details of the management plan.

In advance of a formal response to this request for further information, the NPWS has been invited to meeting with the planning authority, while Ms O’Reilly states that “the request for further information should not be construed as an indication of a positive decision”. Th e re will b e n o Wh ite Ch rist m a s t h is ye a r, wit h Ch rist m a s Day fo re c a st to be m ild a n d we t .

FORMER Mayor of Kilrush Cllr Stephen O’Gorman (FF) passed away on Friday morning just hours after watching a recorded episode of Coronation Street with his wife Geraldine.

The town councillor had been ill for the last few months, but his sudden passing was still a shock to his loving family, friends, fellow councillors and constituents.

Cllr O’Gorman was elected to Kilrush Town Council in 1994 and served as mayor on two occasions. His colleagues described him as a political colossus.

He was recognised for his resilience and more particularly for his stand against anti-social behaviour.

At his request the Multi-Agency Task Force, bringing together all strands of community life under one umbrella, was established. The John Paul Estate Regeneration Project was one of his greatest political achievements. As Manager of the Community Centre in the estate, he organised self-development programmes for the residents. He was also a member of the board of Kilrush Amenity Trust, Éiri Corca Baiscinn and Clare VEC.

Kilrush Town Clerk John Corry said that during his time working with Stephen he found the councillor took a “very keen interest and pride in his town and in particular in John Paul Estate.”

“He continuously fought to see the regeneration of John Paul Estate and it was an immense source of satisfaction to him to see such significant improvement works taking place in the estate over the past few years. As well as the structural improvements within the estate he also sought to improve the social fabric of the estate through the Multi Agency Group set up for that purpose and through his role as supervisor of the community centre within the estate.

“Over the years Stephen raised many Notices of Motion regarding carrying out improvement works to Moore Street, Crawford Street, and Wilson’s Road. Stephen was delighted to see significant improvement works carried out to roads, footpaths and public lighting in these areas by Kilrush Town Council, on foot of his Motions.

“On a personal level Stephen was a great family man and on my last conversation with him he spoke to me about family and the importance of family. Stephen will be a huge loss to Kilrush Town Council, to Kilrush and most of all to his family. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.”

Stephen O’Gorman is survived by his beloved wife Geraldine, sons Stephen and Barry, daughters Mandy, Sinéad, Mary and Claire, sonsin-law, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, relatives and friends.

MORE than one third of this year’s LEADER funding for Clare was signed off on this month with community groups and small businesses from across the county benefiting.

The board of Clare Local Development Company approved almost € 2 million in LEADER grant-aid at the December board meeting.

This grant-aid is estimated to lever an additional € 1 million in private funding bringing a major boost to the local economy at the end of the year.

Almost € 5.8 million in the total LEADER grant-aid has now been approved in Clare in 2012.

According to the CEO of CLDC, Doirin Graham, the grant aid will support a range of community projects including a new purposebuilt community centre for Lough Graney and the refurbishment of community buildings in Tulla, Cooraclare and Feakle.

“LEADER funding will support the development of new astro-turf playing pitches at Killdysart and a new children’s playground at Clarecastle, while a number of smaller community initiatives will also benefit,” said Ms Graham.

Several Tourism and Enterprise projects also received grant support with new businesses being established in Feakle, Clonlara, Lahinch, Kilmurry McMahon, Quin and Whitegate and existing businesses expanding operations at Shannon, Loop Head, Carron, Ennistymon and Quin.

A small number of training projects also received support as did a local history project for Corofin and a feasibility study on the potential use of Ballinalacken Castle for tourism promotion in North Clare.

The CLDC board also approved funding towards the promotion of The Gathering initiative in the county.

“Next year is the last year of the current LEADER Programme in terms of project approvals and funding would appear to be already expended on capital community projects other than heritage projects,” added Ms Graham.

“We have exceeded the targets which we set at the beginning of 2012 and with the success of the programme nationally our department is now taking stock of the areas where projects will continue to be accepted in 2013.”

Stephen Walsh, Chairman of the Board of CLDC, complimented his fellow board members for their commitment to the work of the local development company in 2012. He also thanked the management and staff for their work in successfully rolling out a wide range of programmes to the people of County Clare and looked forward to further achievement in 2013

THREE thugs broke into a West Clare home late on Sunday night last, terrorising two elderly sisters and demanding money. The trio broke down the door of the rural farmhouse in Kildymo, Bansha near the seaside town of Kilkee be- tween 10.30pm and 11.30pm and entered the premises where the women had lived all of their lives. A frightening ordeal then began for the two ladies in their eighties as the robbers ripped the phone from the wall and demanded money from them. There was very little money in the house and the thugs eventually got away with a small amount of cash from the old age pensioners purses. The three who had targeted two vulnerable older women in their own home covered their faces during the robbery. It is not known how long the frightening ordeal continued for, but the two ladies were left very shocked after the late night experience. They are recovering in a nursing home since. The farmhouse, described as being left in a state after the event, is situated close to Bansha graveyard along a minor but busy rural road. One neighbour told The Clare People that while the sisters lived a very simple life on their family farm, opting to live with out modern comforts such as electricity, central heating and running water, they were very popular and well known locally. “People locally are shocked and many are very frightened after this,” he said. Gardaí in the Kilrush district are leading the investigation into the late night robbery. They have appealed to anyone who may have seen anything on the night of Sunday, December 9, or have any other information to contact the Garda Station in Kilkee or Kilrush.

A MAN of the people, a legend in his own lifetime, one of the greatest ballad singers Ireland has ever produced, a historian, a storyteller, a farmer and a hurler.

All were used to describe the late Robbie McMahon – the King of Spancil Hill responsible for making the song of the same name famous – who passed away last Thursday after a short illness.

The tributes were led by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann chief, Labhrás Ó Murchú, who gave the graveside oration at his funeral and described McMahon as “a giant of traditional Irish culture, whose legacy will live on for future generations in his songs”.

These words were echoed by his many friends – in his native parish of Clooney, around Clare and beyond as huge numbers attended the removal of his remains on Saturday evening last and his funeral on Sunday afternoon.

“His legacy will be the historical events that he has recorded through his own songs,” says Frank Whelan of the Clare branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, who was one of the driving forces behind the 2010 documentary on McMahon’s life entitled ‘Last Night as I was Dreaming’.

“He was much more than a singer, he was a social historian, because all his songs were stories,” added Mr Whelan. “The one thing about Robbie was that King or pauper – they were all equal,” says Mike Duggan, in whose pub in Spancil Hill that McMahon played host to a monthly singing session that became known throughout Ireland and beyond as ‘ Robbie’s First Fr ida y’. “It was his magnetism, it was his wonderful personality,” continues Duggan. “Thousands of people have come to ‘Robbie’s First Fr ida y’ over the years. No dignitary was too big, no person was too small for Robbie.”

AN Bórd Pleanála has determined that issues raised with it regarding a contentious wall across a contested right of way have been dealt with previously.

James McNulty had asked the planning appeals board if development works (between the period 20042008) from the end of the public road L61041 across Doonbeg Golf Course to the public beach at Doughmore Bay, Carrowmore, Doonbeg, including the closure obstruction of the established public right of way to Doughmore Beach and the movement and alteration to the natural line of the public vehicular right of way at this location was considered development.

In his submission, the Cree man said he requested a declaration on the question from Clare County Council but had received no declaration.

An Bórd Pleanála concluded that the question being asked had already been dealt with and adjudicated on previously. The report said, due to “the evidence of the site inspection by the Board’s Inspector, where no works are apparent, it is considered that the substance of the case have already been determined and any further question has not been clearly articulated to enable the formulation of a determination.

“In deciding not to request further clarity in the matter, the Board considered that the substantive matter regarding previous works have already been dealt with,” it concluded.

A decision was made in May 2010, to a previous submission on the issue by Mr McNulty along with Theresa McNamara of Ballykeelaun House, Parteen. They appealed against a decision by Clare County Council to grant subject to conditions permission to Doonbeg Golf Club Limited for a development comprising retention of a gravel path, a dry stone retaining wall along a section of boundary between the golf course property and a neighbouring property, and the alteration of ground levels over an area of 300 square metres on the golf course to the west of the dry stone retaining wall.

At the time, An Bórd Pleanála upheld the local authority’s decision regarding that gravel path but refused permission for the retention on the contentious “dry stone retaining wall”.

“It is policy of the planning authority, as set out in the West Clare Local Area Plan 2009, to protect public rights-of-way and to keep them free from obstruction. This policy is considered to be reasonable,” the board said in May last year.

FOUR people suspected of involvement in dissident republican activity arrested in Clare on Wednesday were released without charge.

Three men and one woman aged in their late 20s and 40s were arrested as part of a planned Garda search operation.

They are all detained under the pro- visions of Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939, at various stations in County Clare.

The search took place in premises in Ennis, Shannon, and East Clare.

It is understood items such as paramilitary style clothing and laptops were also recovered in the searches.

The four were released at various stages on Thursday from Garda Stations in Shannon, Ennis, Killaloe and Ennistymon.

Files are being prepared for the DPP.

THE Chairperson of the Lahinch Community Council has welcomed the closure of Lahinch Garda Station announced last week, saying the station was already “virtually closed”.

Local businessman Donogh O’Loghlin believes that the closure of Lahinch Garda Station will not have an effect on the safety of the local population. Mr O’Loghlin did say that a more flexible approach to Garda rostering in the local area, especially on weekends, could have a positive impact on the situation with anti-social behaviour in Lahinch.

“I am not really concerned by the closure of the station. It is a beautiful building but I think it has been more or less closed for years already,” he said.

“It should have been closed years ago really. The local people here don’t have any idea when there will be a garda present in the station or not, so what is the point of having it there? There are 30 guards stationed just two miles out the road in Ennistymon. That should be enough.”

Mr O’Loghlin did say that anti-social behaviour was a major problem in Lahinch, especially during the summer months, but also said that this could be better tackled by a reorganisation of Garda man-hours, rather than having a station in Lahinch.

“We have guards walking the streets in Lahinch on a Monday or a Tuesday, but we don’t see them when we need them at the weekends. It’s about having the right garda resources here at the right time,” he said.

“Being a guard in this part of Clare is like being at a holiday camp. I don’t know why there is not more manpower being used at the weekends, when all the problems with anti-social behaviour are taking place.”