*Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG). Photograph: John Mangan. 

A SENSE of betrayal has been felt by elected members of Clare County Council after the local authority paid €8m for two plots of land adjacent to the Cliffs of Moher without consulting county councillors.

The Clare Echo reported last week that Clare County Council in 2023 acquired two separate sites adjacent to the Cliffs of Moher for a whopping €8m. The total area of the two sites is understood to be close to 55 acres meaning the local authority paid almost €147,000 per acre for the land.

On top of this, the Council also paid vendors cost which exceeded €200,000.

Elected members of the Council were shocked to uncover the information when an external audit of the local authority was published in the past fortnight.

At the April meeting of the Council, it was Cllr Shane Talty (FF) and Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) who were not shy in airing their views on the gross-overspend.

In a statement following the meeting, Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) admitted he was “still in shock” over the external audit. “There are many questions left unanswered and as an elected representative I will work with colleagues to seek full transparency and information on all matters. it is deeply troubling that elected representatives were not informed and consulted on very significant decisions and expenditure”.

Lisdoonvarna native Garrihy confirmed he will not support the Cliffs of Moher Strategy as it stands. “I have a serious issue of the draft in progress Cliffs of Moher 2040 Strategy being cited as a back-up and basis for many actions and decisions as this strategy in development has not been approved by elected representatives and furthermore I have always held the position that I will not support a strategy which is almost totally focussed on the Cliffs of Moher site alone and does not currently have sufficient commitment to the wider North Clare area, towns and villages, community and SMEs located in our area along with major legacy issues of road conditions and infrastructure deficits in the area”.

He concluded, “In this context to see this level of spending, ignoring the other obvious and pressing needs of the area is beyond belief and requires major examination in how executive powers and engagement with elected representatives are carried out in Clare County Council”.

Related News

treacys oakwood (1)
Curtain falls on fundraising concert series with final show for Laura Lynn
court yard lanters 1-2
Gort Arts to host exhibition at Kennedy studio for Culture Night
donna mcgettigan 1
Abnormal rental prices in Clare says McGettigan
donald trump 2
Trump 'more than welcome' in Doonbeg for Irish Open says Agriculture Minister
Latest News
cratloe v st josephs doora barefield 16-08-25 samuel costelloe podge collins 2
Semi-final pairings set for senior, intermediate & junior football championships
david speed mural killaloe 1-2
Salmon of knowledge mural unveiled in Killaloe
colm walsh o'loghlen marco cleary 1-2
Marco makes his mark to claim player of the week
banner v ennistymon 16-08-25 ronan kilroy 1
Banner book place in Clare IFC semi-finals for very first time
naomh eoin v clondegad 12-10-24 sean mcallister sean bonfil 1
Clondegad cruise past Naomh Eoin to qualify for Clare IFC semi-finals
Premium
Parish produce big second half pump to knock out Kilmurry Ibrickane
O'Currys relegated to Junior A ranks for first time since 95 following Ennistymon loss
Wind in Corofin's sails to bounce back to top tier after quarter-final win over Gaels
Cooraclare cause big shock to knock Kilrush out of intermediate championship
Glory for Kilmihil in relegation final as Wolfe Tones drop back down to intermediate

Advertisement

Subscribe for just €3 per month

If you’re here, you care about County Clare. So do we. Did you rely on us for Covid-19 updates, follow our election coverage, or visit The Clare Echo every week for breaking news and sport? The Clare Echo invests in local journalism and we want to safeguard its future in our county. By becoming a subscriber you are supporting what we do, will receive access to all our premium articles and a better experience, while helping us improve our offering to you. Subscribe to clareecho.ie and get the first six months for just €3 a month (less than 75c per week), and thereafter €8 per month. Cancel anytime, limited time offer. T&Cs Apply. www.clareecho.ie.