!Postponed! First ever county-wide Clare Pride Festival set for Bank Holiday weekend

by | Oct 6, 2021 | Current, Members News, National, PPN News

Please note that these events have been postponed until further notice due to Covid-19 case numbers and continuing restrictions.

First ever county-wide Clare Pride Festival set for Bank Holiday weekend

LGBTQ+ events across Banner will lead to Quare Clare Pride Party at Hotel Doolin at 8pm on Sunday 24th October

History will be made in the Banner this month when the first ever county-wide Clare Pride Festival takes place during the October Bank Holiday weekend. A day of free events in towns across Clare on Sunday 24th October, organised by Quare Clare, will culminate in a fantastic Pride Party in Hotel Doolin with cabaret, DJ and finger food.

The Quare Clare Pride Party will kick off at 8pm at Hotel Doolin, with a ticket price of just €12 and with free tickets available to anyone who might find the cost a barrier to having a fantastic pride night. The party, which is for over-18s only, is kindly sponsored by Hotel Doolin.

Get your ticket here:
https://clareprideparty2021.eventbrite.ie

Places to stay in and near Doolin:
https://doolin.ie/plan-your-trip/places-to-stay/

One of the Quare Clare organisers, Sarah Clancy, who works for Clare PPN and is herself a member of the LGBTQ+ community said: “This is going to be a fantastic weekend for Clare’s LGBTQ+ community and for people who we hope will travel from around Ireland to be with us this weekend. We want our community to be visible and connected to the wider community in Clare.

“We want young and older people in the towns and villages around Ireland to see how rural Ireland too can embrace difference. What better way for us to connect and celebrate than to let Clare do what it’s good at – host one hell of a Pride Party this October.”

Elaine D’Alton of Clare Women’s Network said:
“A series of Pride events in towns across the county will take place during the day on Sunday 24th October, finishing up in Doolin in time for the Pride Party. Details of these daytime events which will be free and open to all, will be announced very shortly.

“The ticket price for the party at Hotel Doolin includes a contribution to a ticket for someone who might otherwise not be able to afford it. Anyone in this position should select a free ticket on the booking form, but for those who can afford it we’d appreciate if they could pay for their ticket.”

“We are inviting people from across Ireland to Clare Pride Festival and we will share options for accommodation in Doolin on www.clareppn.ie and email them to everyone who books a ticket. On Monday 25th October, the mood will be more chilled, with ‘morning after’ activities organised including yoga and meditation, followed by a good-bye cuppa to send everyone on their way.”

“Anyone travelling to Clare and making a weekend of it will be able to take in a hike along the Cliffs of Moher or enjoy some of the beautiful scenery the day after.”

Quare Clare is a new group that has held online meetings and social events. Anyone from the LGBTQ+ community in Clare who would like to get involved in Quare Clare can email lgbtq.clare@gmail.com to find out more.

Quare Clare was established as the result of a short-term project run jointly by Clare Public Participation Network, Clare Women’s Network, Clare Local Development Company, Rape Crisis Midwest and GOSHH! and supported by The Department of Rural and Community Development and Clare County Council.

Quare Clare is on Facebook at:
Quare Clare – LGBTQ+Clare

And on Twitter:
@LGBTQ_Clare

You can book a ticket for the Quare Clare Pride Party at this Eventbrite link:
https://clareprideparty2021.eventbrite.ie

Places to stay in and near Doolin:
https://doolin.ie/plan-your-trip/places-to-stay/

Our seas are at risk – tell the government you want action

by | Jul 22, 2021 | Current, Members News, National, PPN News

Our seas are at risk – tell the government you want action

Make your voice heard by making a submission on Marine Protected Areas before Friday, July 30th

The oceans give us everything. For generations we have lived off the sea – especially here in Clare. But our seas are now at crisis point, following years of attack from supertrawlers, aquaculture, oil and gas exploration, plastic and noise pollution, to mention just a few of the threats to our precious marine life. Large predatory fish have declined by 90% since the advent of industrial fishing and many species face extinction. 

The good news is that sea-life has a remarkable ability to bounce back once these threats are removed. Scientists worldwide agree that a network of properly-managed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) allows marine habitats to recover and replenish. 

Just 2% of Ireland’s incredibly diverse sea area is designated as protected areas, but there is almost no monitoring or policing of these. Supertrawlers can legally operate in these areas.

Clare-based ocean wildlife filmmaker Ken O’Sullivan says that to rebuild marine ecosystems, we must designate at least 30% of our ocean for special protection by 2030. As marine life recovers, fish catches will increase and create sustainable jobs. 

Ken is backing a call by Clare PPN’s environmental groups and Clare Environmental Network for groups and individuals in Clare to let the Government know we care about Ireland’s marine environment and want meaningful action to protect it.

You can have your say by making a submission as part of the government’s public consultation on an expert report, ‘Expanding Ireland’s Marine Protected Area Network’. The consultation closes next Friday, July 30th, at 5pm. 

HOW TO TAKE ACTION:
If you can spare 10 or 15 minutes, please send an email to marine.env@housing.gov.ie, with the subject line ‘MPA Public Consultation 2021’. You don’t need to be an expert and your submission can be as short or long as you like.

An email written by you will have more impact than a template email, but here are a few points you might like to make…

I support the expert report and would like to see the recommendations being swiftly implemented.

I would also like to see:

• Immediate action to protect existing Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas, for example the SAC in the Shannon Estuary.
• No industrial fishing in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) – and especially no bottom-towed gears.
• 30% of Irish waters as MPAs as a minimum target for 2030.
• Support for fishing communities in Clare that may be negatively impacted by MPAs.
• Proper investment in scientific data gathering.
• All MPAs to be actively managed with public participation. 

Another way to make a submission is go to the public consultation website and fill in an anonymous survey (where you can also download the full MPA report):
https://www.gov.ie/en/consultation/45271-public-consultation-on-expert-advisory-group-report-entitled-expanding-irelands-marine-protected-area-network/#how-you-can-get-involved

You can read more about MPAs at the Irish Wildlife Trust’s excellent website:
https://iwt.ie/take-action-on-mpas/

Review of Clare County Council’s provision of Traveller Specific Housing

by | Jul 15, 2021 | Current, Members News, National, PPN News

Equality Review of Clare County Council’s Provision of Traveller Specific Housing

July 14th 2021

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission yesterday released the reports on Equality Reviews which they required each Local Authority to carry out in respect of their provision of Traveller Specific Accomodation.

You can read the review of County Clare Here:  Clare-CC-Equality-Review-IHREC_Final

For more details on this IHREC initiative go to this link: https://www.ihrec.ie/our-work/equality-review

Clare PPN Submission to New National Action Plan Against Racism July 2021

by | Jul 15, 2021 | Current, Local Community Development Committee, Members News, National, PPN News

Clare PPN Submission to the consultation on the National Action Plan Against Racism:

July 14th 2021

Click on the link below to read our submission:

Clare-Public-Participation-Network-Submission-to-the-Consultation-on-a-new-Action-Plan-Against-Racism-July-2021

Clare Public Participation Network frequently makes submissions on National and Local Government Consultations. We do this by alerting our member groups to the consultation, offering to hold a consultation meeting and if there is interest from our groups, colleges or expert groups we work together to collaboratively create a submission. When compiling such submissions we also refer to priorities identified or motions passed by our member groups at Plenary meetings, previous Clare PPN submissions on relevant topics and most recently we also refer to the Wellbeing Vision Statements for Clare Created by our members in 2020.