Flooding Causes Closure Of Kinvara To Ballyvaughan Road

Clare County Council has received confirmation from the ESB that they will not be releasing any additional water from Parteen Weir today.

Water levels have dropped slightly in Ennis overnight and this morning while there has been no further increase in water levels along the Lower River Shannon in South East Clare.

The 24-hour Clare County Council emergency number is 087-4169496
ROADS UPDATE

NORTH CLARE:
- The main Ballyvaughan to Kinvara Road has been closed due to flooding. Detours are in operation. Going from Ballyvaughan to Galway, turf left at Murty Clough towards Newquay and follow signs to the N67 at Munnia. From Galway to Ballyvaughan, turn right at Munnia towards Newquay and follow signs to Murty Clough.
The following roads are also closed:
- Corofin to Tubber Road
- Ruan to Tubber
- Ennistymon to Corofin - from Rath Church to Ennistymon
- Ennis to Corofin - from Tierneys Garage to Toonagh
- Corofin to Gort
- Kinvara to Tubber
- Ruan to Ryans Quarry
- Carron to Gort
- Carron to Kinvara - from Belharbour to Ballyhehane

ENNIS:
- A single line traffic system is now in operation on the Gort Road in Ennis. Traffic lights are in operation
- Newbridge Road - Closed from Club Bridge to Junction of Gort Road and New Road. Water pumps at junction of Collection Road.
- The Watery Road is open to traffic. However, a ramp is in place for traffic to drive over pump hoses. Cars are advised to proceed with caution. Buses and mini-buses are advised to take extreme caution.

ENNIS DISTRICT:
- Clarecastle to Kildysart - Closed from Clarecastle to Barntick.
- Killow to Doora - Closed from Killow at the Bypass to Doora

QUIN DISTRICT:
- Dangan Cross - Closed from Cloonaherna to Gorteen.

TULLA DISTRICT:
- Tulla R466 - Closed from Broadford to Doon Lake, diversion via Bodyke R465.

KILLALOE DISTRICT:
- Broadford to Sixmilebridge L3080 – Passable with caution
- Broadford to O’Callaghan’s Mills – Passable with caution

Drinking Water Boil Notice Issue In County Limerick

Limerick County Council confirmed this evening, following consultation with the Health Service Executive, that a precautionary boil notice has been put in place in County Limerick, affecting approximately 2,000 customers of the South West Regional Water Supply and Feahanagh/Castlemahon Group Water Scheme.

700 households are affected by the public water notice in areas including Broadford, Dromcolligher, Feohanagh/Castlemahon, Mountplummer, Kilmeedy, Feenagh and surrounding areas.

The notice was issued after the Council’s Water Services section detected a deterioration in water quality in the South West Regional Water Supply.

Limerick County Council is advising members of the public served by the South West Regional Water Supply and Feahanagh/Castlemahon Group Water Scheme not to drink the water except under the following conditions and for the following purposes:

- Water for drinking purposes, brushing teeth and food preparation should be boiled
- Boil the water to ensure a rolling vigorous boil and then allow it to cool. Cover it and store it in a fridge or cold place. (Tea or coffee made with water which has boiled is safe to drink)
- Water from the hot tap is not safe to drink. Domestic filters will not guarantee that water is safe to drink. Discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers
- Use water that has been prepared for drinking (i.e. that is boiled) for preparing foods that will not be cooked, e.g. for washing salads
- It is safe to drink commercial bottled mineral water.

Prepare baby feeds with water that has been brought to the boil once and cooled. Do not use water that has been reboiled several times. If tap water is unavailable, use bottled water that has been brought to the boil and cooled. Avoid using water that is fizzy, unless boiling has removed all the fizziness. Check the label: water in bottles labelled “natural mineral water” is not required to meet all the standards of tap waters.

Don’t use natural mineral water with concentrations greater than the following for infant feeding: sodium –200mg/l; Nitrate –50mg/l; Nitrite –0.5mg/l; Sulphate –250mg/l. Water maybe used for flushing of toilets, internal house plumbing and for personal hygiene and bathing. Vulnerable users, those persons with poor kidney function, renal failure and particularly those on renal dialysis are advised to source alternative drinking water until further advised.

Members of the public are requested to advise the County Council of elderly or disabled residents, who may require special assistance. The Council has also asked for information on unoccupied residences and how the occupier or owner maybe contacted.

Additional information will be made available on www.lcc.ie shortly.

Presidential Praise For Limerick Arts Offices

President Mary McAleese has praised Limerick City and County Arts Offices for enhancing public appreciation of and access to the arts.

Addressing the Association of Local Authority Arts Officers’ (ALAAO) annual conference in Dublin this week, the President said that the work of local authority Arts Officers had helped enhance the “unique universal reach and appeal of Irish arts and culture”.

Addressing conference delegates, President McAleese said: “The world of arts is woven so tightly into everyday Irish life that it would be easy to take it for granted but on this day and in this company I want to thank you for all you do to keep Ireland curious about the arts and confident in the arts, for making them the opposite of elitist and for bringing the opportunity to participate in and enjoy the arts into the lives of all our citizens.”

In acknowledging the work of Arts Officers, the President commended the role of City and County Councils, adding: “Each City and County Council plays a frontline role in cultivating an embedded arts culture and in creating access to the arts. Arts Officers are the hands and heads of that work. Your investment is what helps to give us a healthy, vibrant and resilient civic society.”

Commenting on President McAleese’s speech, Joan Mac Kernan, County Arts Officer, Limerick County Council, stated: “'For all of us who work in the arts at local and national level, the President’s words and sentiments inspire and impress with her feel and understanding of what the arts mean and can mean for our society.”

“I think the President has brought a new and much needed energy to this debate and highlighted the really positive role that the arts play in the lives of people. She has enthused and reignited the passion and commitment that is at the heart of the work of local authority arts offices”, added Ms. Mac Kernan.

Speaking about the President’s visit, Rosaleen Molloy, out-going Chairperson of the ALAAO, commented, “The Association was privileged to have had President McAleese as our guest of honour for our 2009 conference. Local Authorities are central players in leading the development of the arts in Ireland and in just under 25 years since the appointment of Ireland’s first Arts Officer, the bourgeoning of the arts across the country has been one of the most significant and successful measures integrated into local government in recent times.”

In thanking President McAleese, Mr. John Tierney, Manager, Dublin City Council and City & County Manager’s Association representative, remarked how the President’s presence marked “a very proud, a very prestigious and a very pivotal moment in the history of Ireland’s Local Authority Arts Services”. Mr. Tierney also noted that the President’s address brought “well-deserved recognition to the immensely challenging work of Arts Officers”, but also highlighted “the tremendously positive impact that Local Authorities have had on the development of the arts in Ireland over the past quarter of a century”.

For further information on the Limerick County Arts Office, contact Joan Mac Kernan, Arts Officer, Limerick County Council on 061 496498 or arts@limerickcoco.ie