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Irish Independent
12-08-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Independent
Mayo councillor makes no apology for motion seeking to ban clamping in Castlebar
His comments follow a Castlebar Municipal District vote to ban clamping in the town. Speaking on Midwest Radio, IPA director Keith Gavin called on councillors to lobby local TDs for alternative enforcement methods, noting that council by-laws apply only to public streets and roads. Mr Gavin explained that the IPA has long campaigned for access to the National Vehicle Driver File (NVDF), which would allow fines issued by private parking companies to be legally enforced. Currently, only certain operators such as private toll companies have access, with the Department of Transport citing data protection concerns He stressed that clamping is not the IPA's preferred method of enforcement, but remains the only viable option on private property, as parking officers there cannot issue enforceable fines without NVDF access. Cllr Michael Kilcoyne, who proposed the motion to outlaw clamping in Castlebar, said his priority was to protect constituents rather than address industry concerns. He cited numerous complaints from constituents, many involving the same privately owned car park near a pharmacy and Mayo University Hospital, where people were clamped under what he described as unreasonable circumstances. 'It's not our job to sort out the industry for them, it's our job to look after our constituents that vote for us and elect us,' he told the Irish Independent, 'A motion has been passed by the members directing officials to prepare a by-law and it will go out to consultation.' Until the by-law is drafted and goes out for public consultation, Cllr Kilcoyne said he won't know exactly what is in it but stated that the public are very clear in their view that what is happening here is not acceptable. One case he highlighted involved a woman who went to collect a prescription for her child from the pharmacy after just having seen a doctor. When she went to pay for a ticket but the machine was out of order, she took a photo of the message on the machine. 'I have a copy of the photo' said Cllr Kilcoyne, 'The woman decided to run into the pharmacy to collect her prescription, came out, there's a clamp on the car, and the guy was standing around the corner laughing. That's just not acceptable.' He said this case was one of several in which motorists were clamped within minutes, often while carrying out urgent or essential tasks, with no allowance made for faulty ticket machines or genuine emergencies. 'These guys are merciless, they clearly don't realise that many people are in a situation where if they get clamped that is half their week's income. People on fixed incomes, pensioners, people with disabilities or people on job seekers. There is no mercy shown, no consideration of the facts.' 'I can't think of anything that's more lucrative than charging €150 for somebody who runs in to get a prescription for their child.'
Irish Independent
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Mother of Louis Walsh remembered as ‘an extraordinary woman' as Westlife members and stars attend funeral of Maureen (94)
The Church of the Holy Family in Kiltimagh, Co Mayo, was almost full to capacity for the funeral of Maureen Walsh (94). Her sons Louis and Frank and daughter Sarah paid tribute to their mother, who enjoyed a great relationship with her children and always encouraged them to 'make the best' of themselves. Celebrities from the music and TV industries were in attendance, including Westlife members Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan and Shane Filan, as well as Dana Rosemary Scallan and Glenda Gilson. Born Maureen Healy in 1931 to Delia and Martin Healy and the eldest of five children, Ms Walsh moved to Kiltimagh when she was a teenager. She began working in a premises now occupied by the Teach O'Hora pub before she married Frank Walsh. The couple had 10 children. In the 1970s, she got a 'new lease of life' when she began working with voluntary help group Western Care, where she made many friends and stayed until her retirement. Fr Michael Quinn, who concelebrated the funeral mass with three other priests, described Ms Walsh as 'a true friend of many years', 'a treasured neighbour' and 'a great work colleague'. Mourners heard about the hospitality she showed visitors to her home in Church Street, Kiltimagh, where her door was 'always open'. A Mayo flag, rosary beads, a photo of Padre Pio, a pack of playing cards, a copy of Ireland's Own magazine, a rolling pin and a family photo were brought to the altar as symbols of her life. Ms Walsh was an enthusiastic follower of the Mayo and Kiltimagh GAA teams and always flew a flag outside her house before big games. She was also a keen listener to Midwest Radio throughout the day. 'She said she used to go to bed with Michael Commins twice a week,' said daughter Sarah, referring to the popular radio show presented by Commins, who knew her. She went on several Midwest Radio trips and always brought rashers, sausages and Barry's teabags with her. Described as 'deeply religious', Ms Walsh had a great love of Padre Pio and the rosary and went on pilgrimages to Medjugorje. She was also an enthusiastic set dancer and played cards most nights of the week before being afflicted with Alzheimer's. Son Frank said the disease made her final 12 years 'tough on the family'. 'Maureen lived for her family,' he said. 'She was the heart, she was the rock. We all loved her.' He went on to describe her as 'a woman of great strength, loyalty, grace, with infectious laughter and compassion'. 'It's very, very hard to say goodbye, but we have to let go,' he said. Ms Walsh is survived by sons Louis, Joseph, Noel, Paul, Frank, Eamon and Padraic, daughters Sarah and Evelyn, sisters Anne O'Hora and Christeen Reddington and brother Martin Healy, and was predeceased by her husband and daughter Catherine. She was laid to rest in a wicker coffin in Kilkinure Cemetery in Kiltimagh.
Irish Independent
20-05-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Fires in west Roscommon contained after thousands of euros worth of forestry destroyed
Hundreds of thousands worth of forestry was destroyed after fires broke out in the across the Granlahan, Gortaganny, Coney Island, Carrowbehy and Cloonfower areas over the weekend. Crews from Mayo and Roscommon attended the fires which raged throughout a five-kilometre radius since Saturday morning. Homes and livestock were evacuated as a precaution while all roads leading into Gortaganny were temporarily closed. Hundreds of acres of forestry and several acres of bog has been destroyed by the blaze, the cause of which has not been established. Derek McCabe, Chairman of the Irish Forest Owners, told Shannonside FM that some forestry owners would 'never recover' from the losses they sustained from the fire. Mr McCabe said that mature forestry was worth €10,000 an acre to landowners. 'Very few landowners could come back from that, given that they might have waited 25 or 30 years for that crop to mature. It's a huge hit,' he said. Elsewhere, fire crews battled a gorse fire that broke out near Rooskey at the Roscommon-Leitrim border. Smoke was visible throughout the Rooskey region and at least one rural road is closed. The fires that have swept through the region have been met with concern from elected representatives. Ballaghaderreen-based county councillor Micheál Frain said some fire crews had witnessed 'the biggest fire that they have seen in possibly generations'. The Independent councillor said that some areas were being left with no cover because of multiple brigades having to attend one incident. 'Very often in those cases, there will be very limited – in fact, no cover – for the event that someone's son, daughter, brother, sister, in need of the emergency services,' he said on Midwest Radio. Roscommon-Galway Senator Gareth Scahill has called for an urgent review of the fire brigade service areas boundaries to account for recent population increases and demographic changes in Roscommon. 'The fire service go to ambulance calls, road traffic accidents, they are doing the full service at the moment, it's not just fires that they are responding to,' Mr Scahill told the Irish Independent. 'We have a distinct lack of services in Roscommon, and every justification under the sun tells us that we need one in the west of the Roscommon area, but there still isn't,' added the Fine Gael senator. Sinn Féin TD for Roscommon-Galway, Claire Kerrane, reiterated her calls for Castlerea fire station to reopen in light of a recent house fire which required the attention of crews from Mayo and Roscommon. An external validation group review – due to begin in quarter 3 of 2025 - has been commissioned by the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management to conduct in-person evaluation visits within each fire authority.
