Latest news with #Clifden
BreakingNews.ie
23-07-2025
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Galway farmer granted permission to challenge Greenway purchase decision 'splitting' his farm
A Galway farmer has been granted permission to challenge a compulsory purchase order made by planning authority An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) to construct a cycleway under the Connemara Greenway Project that he says would run across his land and "split" his farm, making it "unmanageable and landlocked". At the High Court, lawyers for Oliver Joyce, Emloughmore, Clifden, Co Galway, successfully applied to Ms Justice Emily Farrell to challenge the decision of ACP to grant a May 2025 compulsory purchase order (CPO) to Galway County Council relating to lands he owns at Doireliagh, Doireclunlaigh, Clifden, Co Galway. Advertisement The project aims to install a cycle and walkway going from Galway city to Clifden over 76 kilometres that would go through "the backbone" of Mr Joyce's property along the old Galway-to-Clifden railway line, he claims. Mr Oliver has taken the challenge against ACP's decision to approve the compulsory acquisition with Galway County Council named as a notice party. Mr Oliver, in court papers, submits that the lands in question have been in his family since the 1940s and that he is conscious that his farmlands are located in a "highly sensitive environment" that includes marshland and hilled areas that form part of the Connemara Bog Complex SAC, a conservation area. The plaintiff submits the practice of farming the lands through generations of his family was done "in perfect symmetry with the environment" and that he is "very passionate and concerned about this". Advertisement Mr Oliver claims that when the project was first proposed by the council, it was to be carried out on a permissive basis such that the council would be facilitated in accessing the lands but the lands would remain in his ownership and open so stock could travel across both sides of the farm. He submits that his lands have a mix of soil types comprising wet marsh land and dry hilly areas. He said this variety is essential in that each part is integrated and grazed with the marshy area providing water during dry periods and the hilly areas providing respite during inclement weather conditions. Mr Oliver says the project, as approved by the granting is different to the original, in that it now envisages a wider walk and cycle way. Fencing fencing and barbed wire will run for 2.8km, "splitting" the farm and making it "landlocked" and "unmanageable" as stock moves between the two portions of land on a daily basis. He submits that he was assured by the council that the lands would remain open for stock to travel and that any fencing would only be constructed when they were required by the landowner and that the application to ACP was one based on his permission. Advertisement Mr Oliver claims he understood the project to initially comprise of a 2.5 metre-wide "informal track of a type that one would see in the countryside" but that the more recent, larger scheme now involved a 3.5 metre-wide asphalt track with full fencing involving "sheep wire and barbed wire". Ireland Peter McVerry Trust seeks injunctions against alle... Read More The plaintiff says he was "shocked" that after an initial agreement on the scheme, Galway County Council then said they would "accept nothing less than full ownership" and sought the CPO. Mr Oliver argues that the "fundamental basis of the scheme has been turned on its head" by the CPO and that the decision to do so was "taken without cause or justification". He further claims that environmental assessments carried out and submitted to ACP related to the original scheme and that the new elements that arose in the CPO scheme were not previously considered for environmental impact. Ms Justice Farrell granted leave for the judicial review to Michael O'Donnell BL, instructed by Harrington & Co solicitors - for Mr Oliver - and adjourned the matter to September.
BreakingNews.ie
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Ryan Tubridy announces engagement to Dr Clare Kambamettu
Ryan Tubridy has announced his engagement to Dr Clare Kambamettu. Dr Kambamettu is a clinical psychologist and former Rose of Tralee winner. Advertisement Speaking on his show, the former RTÉ presenter said: "'I'm very, very, very happy to confirm that I did indeed get engaged to my partner Clare on Thursday evening in the west of Ireland. It is a very beautiful feeling." Mr Tubridy's radio show is broadcast on Virgin Radio in the UK and on Q102 in Ireland. He said the couple were 'surrounded by gorgeous people who we didn't know, strangers in the hotel and people who were working around the place' when he proposed. 'I just decided: now is the time, and here we go,' he added. Advertisement 'It's a very exciting time to be alive. I'm a very, very lucky man. 'It's one of those beautiful moments where the world feels lighter and there's a whole new adventure ahead.' Ireland Taoiseach told poking fun at himself in interview... Read More A jewellery store based in Clifden posted on social media that Tubridy had bought a diamond ring from the shop on Monday. The post was subsequently deleted. Mr Tubridy and Dr Kambamettu made their first public appearance at the Irish Post Awards in London in 2023. Mr Tubridy, who is now based in London, left RTÉ in August 2023 in controversial circumstances after it emerged the national broadcaster had understated his earnings. This led to a serious of Oireachtas media committee hearings, which focused on overspending at RTÉ.
Irish Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Odhrán Doogan takes over Rás Tailteann yellow jersey after strong showing
Odhrán Doogan may have said after Wednesday's opening stage of the Rás Tailteann that he was targeting a stage win rather than the general classification, but the 21-year-old Irishman rode strongly and found himself in an unexpected yellow jersey on Thursday afternoon in Clifden. The Cycling Ulster rider started the day third overall thanks to the six seconds in time bonuses he took in a breakaway on Wednesday. That proved crucial, with the two riders ahead of him – day one winner Tim Shoreman (UK Wheelbase/Cabtech/Castelli) and Niall McLoughlin (Connacht Cycling) both missing out. They were absent from a 20-man breakaway which fought it out for the stage win, with the British rider Will Perrett (UK Das Richardsons) jumping clear towards the end and hitting the line six seconds ahead of compatriot Josh Charlton (Great Britain), with Doogan coming home third. 'It's quite funny to be honest, I didn't expect it at all,' said Doogan. 'Yesterday was probably the best chance for a stage win, and today I was just going to try my hardest.' READ MORE He said he did too much in the early part of the 170.9km stage, which included the category one climb of Windy Gap. He backed off and ended up missing a 13-man break which went clear after the category two Cill Dubh. However, he then bridged across in the closing kilometres with six others. 'Once I was at the front, I knew I would have to be there or thereabouts after getting six bonus seconds yesterday,' he said, referring to the possibility of taking yellow. 'It was kind of in the back of my head, but I was still only riding for the stage win.' John O'Halloran presents the yellow jersey to race leader Odhran Doogan. Photograph: Lorraine O'Sullivan Perrett ultimately got the latter prize, leaping clear and holding off the rest. 'It is an amazing, amazing feeling,' he said. 'This is my fourth Rás now. I've come second [on stages] twice. I've come fourth about three times, I think, and I was fifth overall last year. So I've always been close, but not quite got it over the line. 'So to actually get a stage win is an incredible feeling.' As well as putting him in the race lead, Doogan's third-place saw him take the points and best young rider jerseys. He is now three seconds ahead of the Irish-based Italian Matteo Cigala (Carlow Dan Morrissey Pissei) and six ahead of the Costa Rican Sebastian Brenes (Mexico Canel's Java). Last year's runner-up Conn McDunphy (USA: Team Skyline) recovered from his crash injuries on Wednesday to finish in the break and move to fifth overall. There are a total of five Irish riders inside the top eight, with Doogan, McDunphy, 2022 winner Daire Feeley (Clare: Burren CC), Matthew Teggart (Down: Banbridge CC Specsavers) and Cian Keogh (USA: Team Skyline) also in the running. The Rás Tailteann continues on Friday with another demanding stage. It begins in Cong and covers 163.8 kms to Miltown Malbay, with three climbs inside the final 45km. These include the category two ascents of Corkscrew Hill and the Cliffs of Moher. Rás Tailteann Stage Two results Charlestown to Clifden: 1 Will Perrett (UK: DAS Richardsons) 170.9km in 3:44.22, 2 J Charlton (UK: Great Britain CT) @ 6 secs, 3 O Doogan (IRL: Cycling Ulster), 4 D Feeley (Clare: Burren CC), 5 A King (UK: Wheelbase/Cabtech/Castelli) all same time. General classification: 1 Doogan 7:12.09, 2 M Cigala (Carlow: Dan Morrissey Pissei) at 3 secs, 3 S Brenes (Mexico: Canel's - Java) at 6 secs, 4 G Kimber (Isle of Man Cycling Club) st, 5 C McDunphy (USA: Team Skyline) at 8 secs, 6 D Feeley (Clare: Burren CC) at 10 secs. Points Classification: Doogan Mountains: Adam Lewis Under-23 ider: Doogan Irish County rider: Doogan Cycling Ireland category 2: Ben Murphy National/international team: USA: Team Skyline Irish county/provincial team: Carlow: Dan Morrissey Pissei
Irish Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
The idea of roadblocks to keep people from their holiday homes sounds fantastical, but is it?
The scene opens ... it is early summer in Connemara . Dusk is falling. A black Range Rover with 27 D plates approaches Roundstone from the east. The driver slows, dims the lights and pulls over. The woman in the passenger side turns around and speaks to her two children in the back seat. 'Okay, kids, let's go over it again in case we are stopped by the men ... ' 'Where are we going?' she asks. 'To Clifden .' READ MORE 'Where are we staying?' 'The Clifden Arms Hotel.' 'Good.' The woman turns back to the man. 'What if they don't believe us?' 'It's cool. I have made an online booking. We can cancel it when we get to the cottage,' he replies before driving off. 'Why don't the men want us to go to our holiday cottage, Mummy?' the girl asks. The woman pauses before answering quietly: 'They have nowhere to live, and they think it's our fault'. 'Is it our fault?' the girl asks. The driver responds: 'No ... it's the Government's.' Apologies to Paul Lynch and all other authors of post-apocalyptic fiction. The idea of roadblocks in Connemara to stop people getting to their holiday homes admittedly stretches credulity. But until Wednesday the idea that a senior manager in neighbouring Mayo County Council would call for a boycott of holiday homeowners might have seemed equally so. The fact that he was taken seriously – to the point of him being interviewed on RTÉ's Morning Ireland – takes it closer to the level of plausibility. In case you missed it, Tom Gilligan, the council's director of services with responsibility for housing and roads, emailed his colleagues in the local authority's strategic policy committee (SPC) over the weekend floating the idea of a boycott in the context of the housing shortage in the county. 'So, the objective around this proposed boycott is to highlight the impact of underused housing stock on local communities, encourage policy reform and taxation measures on vacant second homes. And also, to push holiday homeowners to either return properties for sale to the rental market or to the long-term rental market,' he told RTÉ. [ 'Nothing is off the table': Mayo housing official defends call to boycott holiday homeowners Opens in new window ] The thing about Gilligan's comments is that – as was said about Donald Trump during his first term – they should be taken seriously but not literally. Like Trump at his most intuitive, Gilligan has tapped into the resentment of a group that understandably feels its voice is not being heard. It is galling to be surrounded by homes that are unoccupied for much of the year in the middle of a housing crisis. In Trump's case, it was blue-collar, rural Americans – mostly men. In Gilligan's case, it's people in rural Ireland who can't find a place for themselves, or their children, to live. While both Trump and Gilligan have identified a group with legitimate grievances, neither seems to have a workable solution to their problems. Trump's first-term efforts at protectionism were stymied by others in his party and Government, but the second time around he launched his disastrous tariff policy. Gilligan's proposed boycott is misguided and even less likely to succeed than the tariffs. But Gilligan has hit on a word that encodes the anger of those who might agree with him. As Gilligan pointed out, the word 'boycott' is synonymous with Mayo and the late 19th century protests against landlord Captain Charles Cunningham Boycott. 'The local community at the time took it upon themselves to try a form of civil protest ... It's very important that we should never doubt that a small group of thoughtful and committed citizens can change the world,' he told RTÉ. It will be telling to see where Gilligan's idea goes from here. It will no doubt find favour with some frustrated people in the west of Ireland, but also the ragtag group of charlatans who comprise the far right. If the idea of protest – rather than the unworkable concept of a boycott – does gain some traction with the wider community in Mayo, then this serious local issue could come on to the national agenda. We shouldn't discount the possibility. Gilligan boasts an impressive CV and is very different from the angry self-publicists who spread their poison on social media. A qualified accountant with a MBA in local government from DCU, he has held various posts in the public service and the private sector. He is also the founder of , a national housing initiative developed to get empty/derelict homes back into use. The real takeaway – particularly for holiday homeowners with Range Rovers – is that they underestimate at their peril the level of simmering anger felt by people who are locked out of the housing market in parts of the country where homes sit empty for much of the year.
BreakingNews.ie
23-04-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Profits surge at Connemara hotel at centre of Golfgate controversy
A director of the firm that operates the Clifden Station House hotel in Connemara has said some guests still mention the Golfgate controversy but see it as "more of a curiosity than anything else". Frank Ford made the remark on Wednesday after new accounts showed Western Railway Operations Ltd recorded a 54 per cent increase in post-tax profits to €676,006 in the 12 months to the end of May, as revenues increased by more than 10 per cent. Advertisement The fiscal 2024 profits followed post-tax profits of €437,972 in the prior year. The hotel was the location of the Golfgate controversy in August 2020 during the early stages of the pandemic that resulted in two public figures, Phil Hogan and Dara Calleary, resigning from their senior posts. Asked if some guests still mention Golfgate, Mr Ford said: "Yes, some people still mention the event but thankfully people have moved on from blame and it is more of a curiosity than anything else." "The hotel was found to have acted in accordance with all guidelines and laws and at this point it does not negatively impact our business." Advertisement Two directors of the firm, hotel owner John Sweeney and his son James Sweeney, were two of the four defendants in a criminal prosecution concerning the staging of the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner on August 19th, 2020. All Covid-19 restrictions breach charges against the four were dismissed by a judge in February 2022. The hotel has just undergone a €2.5 million revamp, with the complete refurbishment of the public areas on the ground floor finished two weeks ago. Mr Ford said: "The previous fit-out was 28 years old and the next generation of the family, with James Sweeney as general manager, was keen to elevate the standards of the hotel." Advertisement He added: "We have increased the size of the restaurant and provided much improved entrance, reception, bar and lounge areas by utilising space previously given over to conference and banqueting facilities.' "It was a significant investment of just over €2.5 million but in the life-cycle of the building, we feel it is an appropriate investment.' The numbers employed at the hotel increased from 49 to 53 last year. On business prospects for the current year, Mr Ford said: "We are satisfied with the business on our books but are mindful that there are international uncertainties which will impact later in the season and possibly into the next number of years. Ireland Golfgate: Charges against all four defendants dism... Read More "Our domestic, UK and European income is strong, and the continued success of the Wild Atlantic Way marketing campaign is a great boost to the Clifden Station House and, we hope, other regional properties. Advertisement Asked about the driving factors behind the increased profit, Mr Ford said: "We managed to increase our rate and occupancy, primarily in the shoulder season." "We continue to invest significantly in the marketing of the Clifden Station House, and the events of Clifden and the wider Connemara region. Clifden is certainly providing a better year-round experience to visitors and this has improved our occupancy in the shoulder season." At the end of last May, the hotel firm had accumulated profits of €2 million. The company's cash funds increased from €672,437 to €950,259. The profit for fiscal 2024 takes account of non-cash depreciation costs of €272,393 and interest costs of €104,642.
