Community Development Group July 2014 Issue 2

The Ballyvaughan Bugle

A message from Padraig Cleary, BCDG chairperson:

To Our Visitors, You are most welcome and we wish you an enjoyable stay. Ask locally for a free copy of the 2014 Ballyvaughan- Guide and Map and check out what’s to do and as to Ballyvaughan Stitchers what’s on. Make sure to take in all of the attractions of the area including the come up trumps! breathtaking Way, our Ballyvaughan Village Loop Walk and our latest attraction View a highly original and (compliments of and GeoPark Project), the Ballyvaughan amusing display of their Heritage Trail (starts at the bridge on the seafront). work in the two windows of Fáilte, if you’re visiting family and friends in the former Earth, Wind, Fire store on Main Street. Lots of Ballyvaughan this holiday time. If you would like to give yourself local characters and activities the chance to win or share in our weekly Community Lotto Jackpot of a minimum of have been “stitched up” lit- €5,000 enquire locally about €100 yearly membership which will ensure your lucky erally ... rumour has it that numbers are entered in all 52 draws). You will also have the satisfaction of knowing that 100% of your Lotto contribution goes towards worthy local community projects. other local personalities are aggrieved that they were not included!!

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Tourism Task Team Update……2 Tidy Towns Task Team Update …………………………………………...2 Report on meeting with Clare County Council ...... 3 What is Burren Change X ? .. ...4 New Community Website ….....4 Upcoming events ………………….4

Dates of upcoming “Around-the-houses” meetings

Congratulations to recent €14,000+ Jackpot winner Martin Driscoll from Fanore  Tuesday 9th September at who received his winner’s cheque at a celebration presentation at O’Dono- 8pm in Jane O’Donoghue’s Tea ghue’s Fanore on Monday July 7. Rooms  Tuesday 23rd September at 8pm, Donal & Neasa To our local community Monaghan’s house, The Executive Committee of Ballyvaughan Community Development Group (BCDG) and  Tuesday 30th September at the many members of its Task Teams have been active on your behalf since out first 8pm, Pauline & Gerry’s, newsletter in February. Read inside about the many projects and issues they have been Ballyvaughan Lodge working on….  Tuesday 7th October at 8pm, Joe & Gwen Ryan’s house, Knocknagroagh Tourism Task Team In May the team launched the MAJOR DRIVE FOR 2015 BURREN IN BLOOM 2014 Ballyvaughan-Fanore Guide and Map and this is now Following the success of the Ballyvaughan-Fanore for the widely and freely available in participating businesses in Burren in Bloom Festival this May month of May next with walkers, Ballyvaughan-Fanore. The plans are well in hand at Burren leisure cyclists, flower groups and th group begins work in early Beo to deliver a very special 10 enthusiasts, heritage interest etc. September on the Christmas- anniversary programme for May New Year programme of 2015. The Tourism Tasks Team activities and events for the will begin promoting the community and our visitors. programme with accommodation packages from September. The Greening target is to fill every bed in Ballyvaughan-Fanore Tourism 12 leading tourism enterprises are currently engaged in a programme TIDY TOWNS TASK TEAMS UPDATE From Brenda Clarke to make their businesses sustainable and thereby help For 2014 Ballyvaughan (population of 258) has been entered under Category B Ballyvaughan-Fanore position itself (villages/towns with a population of 201-1,000) – we aim to punch well above our as “a green gem in the crown of weight in this new category! The Wild Atlantic Way”. It is This year the priority was clear for the village following the devastation of the winter intended that by October all 12 will storms which breached the old pier and sent capstones from the seafront wall hurling have achieved the Green across the street. But with great local cooperation and involvement, the Council was Hospitality Eco-Label quick to repair the major damage and restore the seafront boundaries, so that now the awful days of floods and sandbags are well behind us Award. as visitors and locals stroll along admiring the bay, The Burren and Cliffs of Moher photographing the donkeys and foal and appreciating the hanging baskets, flower tubs and neat verges which Geopark are sponsoring a enhance the village streets and lanes. Wildlife, Habitats & Flower bed planting started in May and on Tuesday Natural Amenities evenings throughout the season the general maintenance survey in preparation for Tidy crew can number up to 12 people. Trimming and weeding Towns 2015. This survey is being of flower beds is a weekly exercise while the watering rota is a daily task. The ‘Heavy Gang ‘ take on the tougher jobs, undertaken by ecologist Phoebe and have cleared the grassy verge from the Old Pier at O’Brien, and her preliminary Monks to Sans Souci, thereby reducing the risk to findings to date include the Narrow pedestrians walking to Sans Souci; refitted large stones in the wall of the drain that -leaved bitter cress (Cardamine runs from the Turlough on the N67 down to the Medical Centre bridge impatiens) at the bridge adjoining (we plan to develop the drain as a School Road, described as a very new nature habit in 2015); and rare and protected biennial, and cleared encroaching ivy and other Sea radish (Raphanus raphanistrum invasive vegetation on the walls of the approach roads to the village subsp maritimus), a large biennial and along the new pier road. The herb growing in the upper part of children of Ballyvaughan are also the salt-marsh which comprises playing a big part, planting a new part of the Bay Special Area flower garden in the village street, behind the gates of the former barracks beside Spar, the Beavers and Cub Scouts of Conservation. The sea radish is building ‘Bug Hotels’ in the Sans Souci area, and the primary school children organising much used for culinary purposes, the Beach Clean Up at Bishop’s Quarter. as the yellow flowers add a delicate On the way down to the new pier the recycling area has been hugely improved and radish flavour to salads. developed encouraging hygienic and clean disposal of glass and cans. Down at the pier the old anchor newly set into the stone wall catches our interest by the water. Help Pheobe by recording your Fundraising is ongoing, starting with the annual cake sale on Easter Sunday and own sightings on her supplemented by generous contributions from Zumba dancing classes, a village BVwildlifesurvey Facebook page. barbeque and some welcome donations.

2015+ Concerns cont’d … REPORT ON MEETINGN WITH CLARE 3. The safety of walkers in COUNTY COUNCIL ON 1ST JULY and around the village- the need for walkways on the 3 Pádraig Cleary and Donal Monaghan met with Ger Dollard, Director of Services, approach roads to the village and especially the Clare Co Council at the Council Offices in on July 1st to discuss a number N67 of issues of concern to the community. Cllr. Bill Slattery , who has been very The students attending the supportive of the work of BCDG since it came into office last October and is are credited for pressing for Council’s emergency support for the seafront during identified as being at particular last winter’s storms, accompanied the Executive. risk on the N67 road, as are leisure walkers coming down Issues raised by BCDG executive with the council included: from the and the Village Wood Loop. The excessive and intrusive Wild Atlantic Way (WAW) signage in and Mr. Dollard advised that the around the village: N67 was the responsibility of Mr Dollard advised that it was a requirement of the WAW project that all the National Roads Authority “WAW Discovery Points” such as Ballyvaughan Old Pier should be signposted and that it would be unlikely to for visitors. However, he accepted and appreciated the community concerns receive their investment as it and will progress this matter with Fáilte Ireland WAW team and report back ... was not currently deemed to A timeline for the resurfacing of the seafront road and from the be an accident black spot. Pádraig advised that the main Bridge/School Road to the Sans Souci Recreation area car park landowner at the most Work can be expected to commence in September on the section from School dangerous section of the road Road/Bridge to New Pier. We continue to press for this to be extended to adjacent the former Rusheen include the road to Sans Souci and its cark park. Lodge Guesthouse was willing The creation of a public footpath from the Old Pier (at Monks Bar) to previously to make land the Sans Souci Recreation Area (to buggy standard) available to alleviate this problem. BCDG will revert to Mr. Dollard indicated that the Council has no provision for this work but Cllr him to see what Slattery has committed to pushing for at a minimum the tarring of the gravel accommodation might be path created by the Ballyvaughan Tidy Towns in 2014 using the leftover storm possible. defence chips. The timeline for the installation of flood flaps along the seafront wall 4. The removal of unsightly overhead wiring in the from the Tea Gardens to the bridge streets and a street This is to be an element of the storm remedial works on the seafront including improvements programme rock armour repairs. The Council is currently recruiting an engineer to oversee Mr Dollard advised that all of the storm repairs along the coast and this will be on their works list. No regrettably funding for village date indication can be given until this person is in office. renewal projects such as this no longer existed and that the only hope for Ballyvaughan 2015+ Concerns was if a major water mains issue were to be undertaken, 1. The status of a public waste water treatment scheme for Ballyvaughan village and bay in which event it might be Although supportive of the desire for Ballyvaughan to have a new waste water treatment plant, Mr possible to underground cables Dollard suggested that it would be a very low priority for Irish Water as it was unlikely to stack up etc. He also indicated that on their cost: benefit investment analysis. He advised that BCDG press the issue directly with Irish there was little or no Water and that Ballyvaughan planning applications, as in the past, would be sympathetically con- enthusiasm in the utility sidered by the Council in the light of the current waste water provision in the village. providers today to invest in 2. The need to provide visitor public toilets during the summer months putting cables underground. Mr. Dollard advised that the provision by the Council of temporary or permanent public toilets was Cllr Slattery advised that part not a solution to the problem of catering for the needs of large volumes of visitors, especially of the footpaths had been coach groups to an area. The Council prefers to enter into agreements with 3rd parties for the pro- upgraded and that the Council vision of same. In the current situation at Ballyvaughan there is no other option at this time than was to complete the section for visitors to use the existing single toilet at the rear of Spar and in restaurants, coffee shops, bars from the home of Martin Carey etc. to Spar. Burren Change X

As we look towards our future Ireland, we realise that in New Community Website order to make positive and sustainable improvements to our The community website has migrated to wellbeing, we need to look beyond GDP and start focusing on what is important - our communities and our local people. Befitting to this, a http://ballyvaughancommunity.wordpress.com/ new platform of proven innovations for changemakers, designed to measurably improve wellbeing in communities across Ireland and the world entitled ChangeX, has been introduced the Burren. Launched in May this year, ‘ChangeX Burren’ has proposed a suite of 12 social innovations and is currently working closely with and supporting local people with the energy, commitment and vision to manage them and bring them to everyone in the Burren. Innovations such as Coder Dojo, Men’s Sheds, Grow it Yourself (GIY), Playworks, Fáilte Isteach and others are being offered and experienced already. The aim is to build a new positive and empowered community culture and improve wellbeing for all, which will help to address the challenges that the Burren faces now and into the future. The platform represents a powerful opportunity to unite our community behind the shared goal of improving wellbeing. To learn more about all 12 innovations, contact Elaine Williams, ChangeX Burren Coordinator: [email protected] /085-1753522/www.changex.org

Upcoming Events The latest news and events can be found on the  Gymkhana, Monday 4th August Ballyvaughan Community Show jumping starting from 10am Facebook page. Please and family fun events from 12 feel free to post items of o'clock throughout the day. Free admission, everyone welcome. interest to all.  Clare’s Finest Musicians in Concert, Ballyvaughan Community Hall, Tuesday August 19th 7.30pm Musical legend Chris Droney leads a host of musicians who have generously offered their talents for this fundraising concert toward ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES BCDG community projects . The concert will be compered by Aine Welcome to Ms.Blanaid Kelly as Manager Hylands Burren Hotel Hensey. Tickets €10 (limited to 200) will be on sale shortly. Welcome to Owen and Doireann Collins who are now running Lillimar

 Around The Houses Meetings It is with great regret that Ballyvaughan BCDG will take its meeting out of and area bade a fond farewell and “good luck” to Stephen Ward, botanist/ the Community Hall and into all environmentalist, Burren Beo director and corners of the community this for the past number of years Hon. September to informally chat about Secretary of Ballyvaughan Community the future development priorities Development Group. The Executive, on for the area. Please come along to behalf of the community, made a your nearest meeting listed on the presentation of thanks to Stephen of an front of this newsletter. original Manus Walsh painting at a going away reception at Logues on June 3rd.  A date for your diaries: Ballyvaughan Community Development Group Awards Dinner, Saturday November 29th at Fulacht Fia Restaurant How to contact the BCDG Executive Committee: 2014 will be celebrated in style at An Fulacht Fia on Nov.29th when Padraig Cleary, Chairperson - [email protected] BCDG honours local community Donal Monagan , Vice Chair - [email protected] participation and hosts the presentation of the Green Gerry O’Sullivan, Treasurer - [email protected] Hospitality Awards to the businesses successfully completing the green Jane O’Donoghue, Tourism Task Team Rep- [email protected] programme. Tickets on sale in early November . Gwen Ryan, PRO - [email protected]