The Clare Echo 24/05/2018

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24 May 2018

SPECIAL DAY

Council confident Blake’s Corner won’t dampen Lahinch Irish Open 2019

A

SOLUTION won’t be in place at Blake’s Corner until after The Irish Open has concluded, however relevant authorities are confident of managing congestion at the notorious traffic black spot.

With Lahinch Golf Club becoming the first Clare course to host The Irish Open, it was hoped that issues causing traffic delays along the main route to the course would not be a concern by the time the tournament took place.

A spokesperson for Clare County Council told The Clare Echo that “Blake’s Corner proposed solution of a second river crossing will not be delivered in time for the Irish Open”.

“Clare County Council, An Garda Síochána, The European Tour, Lahinch Golf Club

lNOTORIOUS: Blake’s Corner, Ennistymon.

Photo by: Bob Singer

PARAIC McMAHON paraic@clareecho.ie

and other stakeholders, including the local community, will be working closely to ensure that an appropriate and effective traffic management plan is put in place to cater for the increased volumes of traffic during the 2019 Irish Open”.

The local authority believes hosting the Fleadh has showcased their ability to deal with traffic management successfully. “Our experience from facilitating 400,000 people visiting Ennis for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2016 and again in 2017 has demonstrated that a collaborative approach to traffic management is effective and minimises disruption for the local community”.

Details of the restrictions will be outlined once a traffic management plan has been devised but a Garda source has confirmed that access to Lahinch will not be closed off for the duration of the tournament.

SEE OUR: 8-PAGE LAHINCH GOLF FEATURE INSIDE

Tara Moroney from Ballyvoghan, Barefield, Ennis, who made her First Communion in Barefield Church on Saturday last. Photo by Martin Connolly

2 NEWS

THURSDAY, MAY 24 2018

Index BLAKE’S CORNER

4

LATOON REOPENS

9

IRISH OPEN

10-17

AOIBHÍN

18-19

OPINION

25

BUSINESS

28-29

SPORT

34-35

CLASSIFIEDS

36/37

The Square, Ennis, County Clare Telephone: 065 671 9021

NEWSDESK Email: editor@clareecho.ie or news@clareecho.ie

SALES Email: ciara.farrell@clareecho.ie or ger.naughton@clareecho.ie

l CELEBRATION: The group of Clare students who celebrated graduating from LIT’s Independent Living programme this week

10 Clare students graduate from LIT advocacy course

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OME 10 Clare students among new graduates from LIT’s Leadership and Advocacy programme for people with intellectual disabilities 41 people graduated from LIT’s Leadership, Advocacy and Independent Living programme this week. The programme is for people with intellectual disabilities.

The graduates, their families and friends were addressed by Finian McGrath TD, Minister of State with special responsibility for Disability Issues, who told them that higher education must be open to meaningful participation for people with disabilities.

Minister McGrath said ‘People with disabilities need to be allowed to participate in third level education in meaningful ways. Colleges like LIT are leading the way by providing valuable opportunities and developing courses to meet the needs of the disability sector’.

“I am delighted that people with disabilities have opportunities to learn about Human Rights, particularly now that we have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It is important that we all understand that we all have the same rights, duties and responsibilities. It is important that we continue to ensure that barriers to full participa-

tion in Irish society by people with disabilities are identified and addressed and the basic values of Irish society are respected by all.”

Speaking after she graduated from the programme, Helen Nagle from Ballyea said, “The course changed my life. I never thought that I would be able to speak in front of a group before.

Now I am looking forward to giving presentations to Social Care students on my experience of independent living.”

Professor Vincent Cunnane, President of LIT commented, “LIT is very much about access and about empowering people to achieve. We believe that Higher Education should be accessible for everyone who can benefit from it. The 41 graduates in the Leadership and Advocacy Class of 2018 are showing us the way in terms of meaningful participation in Higher Education, and are already applying what they have learnt.

The Leadership and Advocacy (LAA) programme for people with intellectual disabilities was set up by the LIT in 2009 in partnership Disability services in the greater Limerick, Clare, Tipperary and North Cork areas. Over 150 people have graduated from it to date.

The course runs in 3 LIT campuses; Moylish in Limerick, Thurles and Ennis.

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4

NEWS

Blake's Corner won't be ready for Irish Open

PÁRAIC McMAHON

A

paraic@clareecho.ie

SOLUTION to Blake’s Corner will not be in place until after The Irish Open in Lahinch next year.

Commuters to Lahinch and the Cliffs of Moher are well adverse to long delays when passing through Ennistymon as a consequence of Blake’s Corner. With the positive news that Lahinch Golf Club was to become the first Clare course to host The Irish Open, it was hoped that issues causing traffic congestion along the main route to the course would not be an issue by the time the tournament took place in July 2019.

The Clare Echo can confirm that works at Blake’s Corner will not be completed in time for the major golfing tournament. “Blakes Corner proposed solution of a second river crossing will not be delivered in time for the Irish Open”, a spokesperson for Clare County Council revealed.

l CONGESTION: Blake's Corner (Bob Singer)

“Clare County Council, An Garda Síochána, The European Tour, Lahinch Golf Club and other stakeholders, including the local community, will be working closely to ensure that an appropriate and effective traffic management plan is put in place to cater for the increased volumes of traffic during the 2019 Irish Open”.

The local authority believes hosting the Fleadh has showcased their ability to deal with

traffic management successfully.

“Our experience from facilitating 400,000 people visiting Ennis for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2016 and again in 2017 has demonstrated that a collaborative approach to traffic management is effective and minimises disruption for the local community”. Details of the restrictions will be outlined once a traffic management plan has been devised.

Last month, the Council sought planning permission to ease this traffic congestion by building a new bridge south of the exiting one, a roundabout, and pedestrianising the existing bridge. However, their plan also involves the demolition of three properties, including private homes and a flower shop business. Two listed buildings which were former shops at the bridge, Blake’s and Linnane’s dating back to the mid 19th century, which are derelict and now owned by the council, are to be preserved under this plan.

The construction of a new relief road crossing the Inagh river leaving the current bridge intact was described as the best option to deal with the Blake’s Corner issue.

It is estimated the building project to complete the new traffic plan could cost up to €6m.

THURSDAY, MAY 24 2018

Prohibition of bathing at Doonbeg ELEVATED levels of e-coli have forced the temporary prohibition of swimming at Whitestrand, Doonbeg.

On the advice of the Health Service Executive, Clare County Council has issued temporary bathing restrictions at Doonbeg. This was due to the presence of increased levels of bacteria in the bathing water which arose from heavy rainfall on Sunday night and Monday morning.

Public bathing notices indicating that swimming is prohibited are being put in place. Clare County Council is carrying out an investigation into the cause of the pollution.

Water test results from today (Thursday) will determine when the restrictions will be lifted. The local authority is hopeful that they could be lifted in time for the weekend but the HSE will decide whether or not the results are deemed to be within bathing water quality limits.

None of Clare’s other designated bathing waters are affected. Earlier this week, Whitestrand Doonbeg was one of nine beaches in the county to retain their Blue Flag status.

29 additional SNAs allocated to schools across Co Clare STUART HOLLY editor@clareecho.ie

SOME 29 additional Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) will be allocated to Clare schools in September, according to Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Carey, with even more on the way.

This will bring the total number of SNAs to 336, with 206 employed in primary schools; 72 in post primary schools and 58 in special schools.

And Deputy Carey said he expected that a further allocation will be announced during the first term of the new school year.

“The Government is working to ensure that children with special educational needs can be supported to fully participate in schools and fulfil their potential,” he added.

“Special Needs Assistants play a key role in ensuring this and I would like to firstly take this opportunity to pay credit to the fantastic work that they do in Clare schools.

“Following on from this latest allocation, there will be a total of 15,000 Special Needs Assistants working in our schools around the country."

The Clarecastle TD continued: “This increased investment reflects the priority which the Government has put on helping children with special educational needs to fulfil their potential.

“It also reflects the growing participation of children with Special educational Needs in the Education System and the capacity of our Education system to better support their full participation and progression.

“This year alone, the Department of Education will invest in the region of €1.75 billion in special education, which is almost one-fifth of the entire education budget and a 39 per cent increase on 2011,” Deputy Carey concluded.

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6

NEWS

THURSDAY, MAY 24 2018

Ennis-Shannon can drive ecnomy

STUART HOLLY

A

editor@clareecho.ie

CHIEF economist has said that Ennis and Shannon can be the centrepoint to provide a real economic counterbalance to Dublin.

Last week, at a business breakfast sponsored by Ennis Chamber in association with Carey Corbett Financial Solutions, Jim Power, chief economist at Friends First, stated that Limerick-Galway, with Shannon and Ennis situated in between, has the potential to provide a real counterbalance to Dublin.

Summing up Ireland’s current economic climate he sounded a cautionary note, “Momentum thus far in 2018 is okay, but there are clear risks ahead.”

Amongst the global threats listed

by Power were, “Brexit, the trade war between the US and China, global geo-political uncertainty vis a vis Russia, Syria, North Korea, and ccyber-crime.”

In terms of direct threats to Ireland, he pointed to housing, public services and pay pressures as key domestic issues. While he pinpointed Brexit as a key source of uncer-

tainty with broad sectoral implications, he also highlighted Trump’s policy on taxation.

Within Clare he identified key opportunities for the local economy as being, home to an International airport, proximity to universities and Institutes of Technology in Limerick and Galway, strong FDI presence and access to the Wild Atlantic Way. According to Power, “Ennis enjoys strong connectivity, which is a positive.” And with very ambitious plans in place for our nearest city Limerick, he predicted, “Limerick will be the driver of the region, and together with Shannon, Ennis and Galway has the real potential to provide a counter balance to Dublin.”

He added, “While undoubtedly Brexit poses challenges it also presents opportunities for the mid-west region.”

Diarmuid McMahon, president, Ennis Chamber reminded the audience that Ennis Chamber is working closely with neighbouring chambers to help drive the agenda for Limerick-Shannon-Ennis-Galway becoming a viable counter-balance to Dublin.

“Together we have the population, we have an international airport, strong FDI, excellent third level institutions and motorway connectivity. We need to keep driving that agenda.”

l DOWN TO BUSINESS: Donal Carey, of Carey Corbett Financial Advisers, Diarmuid McMahon, of McMahon Sherry Fitzgerald and president, Ennis Chamber, Jim Power, chief economist at Friends First and Tommy Corbett of Carey Corbett Financial Advisers attend last week's business breakfast

Photo by John Mangan

THURSDAY, MAY 24 2018

New routes take off from Shannon STUART HOLLY editor@clareecho.ie

S

ERVICES to Liverpool and Bristol have been restored to the schedule at Shannon Airport.

The two services are in addition to an extension of Ryanair’s Manchester frequencies, going six times weekly and will see an additional 60,000 extra seats at Shannon this summer. They will also bring to 17 the number of Ryanair services operating from Shannon this year, including a new Barcelona-Reus service launched last month. It has been three years since flights to Bristol have been available from Shannon while followers of Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool will be pleased to see routes to John Lennon Airport accessible again.

With a 5% increase in passengers in the first quarter, 2018 is shaping up to be a positive year for Shannon which will have 150 weekly departures in the summer season.

In addition to Ryanair’s growth, Shannon this year will also have its busiest transatlantic schedule for 17 years, with eight ser-

l TAKE OFF: Declan Smyth, Shannon with his daughters Elianna, Renne and Naomi Photo by Brian Arthur

vices operated to seven destinations. Early next month it will commence its Toronto service with Air Canada.

Shannon MD Andrew Murphy said, “Today is another exciting day in a positive year so far for us and the wider region”. He sees the new routes as “a tourism opportunity for this region”. Murphy added, “The UK is a huge market for us and it’s a case now of the promotional agencies getting in there and telling the story of the unique package we have here on the west coast to people who haven’t heard it before.”

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8

NEWS

THURSDAY, MAY 24 2018

Patient wait is 'shocking'

STUART HOLLY

N

editor@clareecho.ie

EWS of a 24 month waiting time for public Cataract Surgery for Clare patients is quite shocking according to Independent TD Dr Michael Harty. This information is provided by a survey carried out by the Association of Optometrists Ireland which also showed that the waiting time for private care in Clare is three months.

“It is also distressing to read that the waiting time for an appointment for children under 12 is nine months,” said Dr. Harty. “Moreover, the sixth class screening has been stopped but Clare unlike most counties does have some ad hoc options available for children’s eye-care. Unfortunately, we are one of the 19 constituency areas of the country where the local HSE office does not authorise public eye-care for 12-16 year olds who have medical cards.”

Dr Harty said the average wait for cataract surgery across the country is 28 months – and up to five years in some parts of the country.

“My advice to people on long waiting lists is to consider the EU Cross

Border Directive. This Directive entitles Clare patients waiting for surgery or other treatments to avail of faster hospital service in Belfast or elsewhere in the EU. Many people in Clare are already going to Belfast under the Cross Border scheme and cataract surgery is one of the most frequently availed of services. The bottom line is that the HSE must pay for it.

“However, the patient must fund the cost of the treatment initially which will later be refunded by the HSE on completion on the treatment. The HSE promises to do this when they receive the invoice which should take about a month.

Dr. Harty added that the directive can provide short term relief for individual cases but is not a solution in addressing the long-term issues of our health service,” Dr. Harty said the big difficulty for the patient is funding the cost of the surgery or treatment which means he or she may be out of pocket for a number of weeks. “My advice is to discuss your plans with the HSE National Contact Point Office which administers and oversees this directive. The patient will need prior authorisation for overnight in-patient treatment and for complex care.”

l GREAT CAUSE: Bank of Ireland's recent Premier Banking Wellness Workshop raised over €1,600 in aid of Cahercalla Hospice. Over 200 women attended the event at Woodstock Hotel showcasing local women in business, joined by special guest and Operation Transformation panelist Dr. Ciara Kelly. MC on the night was media personality Aoibhin Garrihy who interviewed a panel of local fashion, beauty and fitness experts. Pic L-R are Gina Dardis, Lisa Dardis-Foley and Etna Dardis, Ennis.

Photo by Arthur Ellis

McDermott waves goodbye to Clare FM PÁRAIC McMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

l TRUE SAFFRON AND BLUE: Mary O’Connell from Kilkee who travelled to Limerick to cheer on the Banner against The Shannonsiders Photo by Martin Connolly

AFTER ten years broadcasting to the county, Stephen McDermott has finished presenting with Clare FM. He reflects on his time at the Ennis based radio station as “ten long but very happy years”.

Covering Clare’s 2013 All-Ireland win is ranked as the personal highlight of the period for the self-professed chatterbox.

Having fronted nearly every show on their schedule, Stephen’s voice became a familiar one. Despite this he is not recognised often in public. “It goes back to that famous phrase I have a face for radio, the odd person will pick up the voice but I’m happy in my anonymity, the less people that know me the better”, he chuckled.

With all the chopping and changing of the schedule, Stephen says some shows took adjusting to. “Breakfast would be tough because you constantly have to be switched on because people are relying on you to try help wake them up, it took a different sort of energy that it would on Drivetime because people have already had a busy day and they’re looking for you to

chill them out on the way home so there was always a different challenge”.

Nonetheless he always enjoyed broadcasting to the people of Clare whatever the time.

“There was no real show that you didn’t enjoy because you had the privilege of being on air, it didn’t matter which show you did...once you’re on air and have the privilege of being on air and broadcasting to over 15,000 people it didn’t make much of a difference”.

Prior to moving to Clare, McDermott did minor work with Newstalk around the time of its establishment. He is very grateful to Clare FM General Manager, Susan Murphy who “took a chance on me” having come from a hotel and management background. Outside of presenting, he also served as Outside Broadcast & Station Promotions Co-ordinator as well as being a Production Assistant.

He singles out the listeners as the most important part of Clare FM. When asked whether he expected to be ten years in the role, the Mullingar man answered, “Not a hope in hell, I was very surprised but I was also surprised when you’ve good people teaching you that you pick up a few things quite easy”. He added, “It’s been the

best ten years of my life”.

According to Stephen, he needs a new challenge and felt comfortable enough to discuss his thoughts about leaving with management. “You get to a point where you know you’ve gone as far as you can and you want to set yourself a new life goal or challenge. I had been humming and hawing about it for a couple of months quietly to myself and I felt if you don’t do it know you’ll never do it and might look back and regret not doing it.

“It was impossible, it was almost like giving up a child because I’ve spent so much time there. Through that ten years, I’ve seen the birth of my two children, I celebrated my 40th birthday when I was there, it was incredibly tough and I chickened out twice before I actually said I have to do it. I just figure at my age, now was a good time, I had all this life experience that Clare FM has given me and I wanted to take a chance and see what the future held for me,” Stephen added.

The father of two is currently “a man of leisure” and will spend time with family while enjoying his holidays.

He has no new posts on the horizon with an interest in doing digital marketing or staying in radio.

THURSDAY, MAY 24 2018

12 beaches win award STUART HOLLY editor@clareecho.ie

A

AN TAISCE has awarded the prestigious International Blue Flag to nine Clare beaches, including Whitestrand, Miltown Malbay, Ballycuggeran, Whitestrand Doonbeg, Mountshannon, Cappa, Fanore, Spanish Point, Kilkee and Lahinch.

Green Coast Awards were also awarded for the second year running to the beaches at Bishops Quarter (Ballyvaughan), Seafield (Quilty) and Ballyalla Lake.

The Blue Flag and Green Coast Awards were accepted on behalf of Clare County Council by Councillor Tom McNamara, Mayor of Clare, Clare McGrath, Clare Water Safety Development Officer, and Cyril Feeney, Senior Executive Engineer, Physical Development, at a ceremony held at the Martello Hotel in Bray, Co. Wickow.

The Blue Flag is a prestigious environmental eco-label awarded to over 4000 beaches and marinas in 49 countries, representing high standards in water quality, environmental information and education, environmental management, safety, services and facilities.

The Green Coast Award recognises beaches for their clean environment, excellent water quality and natural beauty.

Clare McGrath, Clare Water Safety Development Officer, stated, “All of Clare’s main bathing areas are being applauded

by An Taisce as places that are clean, well

l MAKING WAVES: At the Awards (L-R) Minister Eoghan Murphy, Cyril Feeney, Senior Engineer, Clare County Council; Cllr Tom McNamara, Mayor of Clare; Clare McGrath, Clare Water Safety Development Officer; and Ian Diamond, An Taisce managed, and safe. Flying the flag indicates to visitors and local communities that these beaches are at the highest standards. They all have safety equipment, lifeguarded, risk assessed, first-aid and communications.”

Meanwhile, lifeguard cover at Clare’s Blue Flag beaches commences during the June

Bank Holiday Weekend (11am to 7pm).

Cover will continue on Saturdays and Sundays in June. There will be full-time time cover at these locations as well as at Bishops Quarter and Seafield Quilty during the months of July and August, and during the first three weekends of September.

NEWS 9

Latoon Bridge to reopen LATOON Creek Bridge will reopen on Monday.

Works have been ongoing on the bridge situated between Clarecastle and Newmarket-on-Fergus since November 2017. Its closure was forced due to the requirement of significant repairs which first came to light following a structural investigation.

The three-span bridge originally carried the old N18 National Primary Road between Limerick and Galway until the M18 was opened in 2007. A weight restriction had previously been in force at the location due to ongoing worries relating to its structure. It was first imposed on 12th November 2015. The local authority were forced to remind road users of this already on two occasions in 2016, in January and at the beginning of May. Clare County Council said the reopening is “in line with the six month construction period and road closure as works will be substantially complete. Therefore, the R458 between Exit 11 and Clarecastle will be reopened on that date”. Contract value for the works is approximately €1 million.

A stop go system will be in operation for a period from Monday onwards.

Irish Open comes to Clare for first time in 91-year history PÁRAIC McMAHON

F

paraic@clareecho.ie

OR the first time in the ninety-one year history of The Irish Open, a Clare course will host the European tour event in 2019.

The event will take place from July 3-7, 2019, with the entire county expected to benefit in the weeks leading up to and after the event, thanks to an influx of golf fanatics looking to get a taste of Co Clare’s golf courses from Doonbeg to East Clare.

The tournament itself has become one of the European Tour’s flagship events and a revival of the tournament has resulted in its renewed interest worldwide.

It has entered a new era with a rotation of hosts featuring the biggest names in Irish golf. This

year is the turn of Rory McIlroy in Ballyliffin Golf Club in County Donegal, with the former World Number 1’s Foundation successfully hosting the tournament since 2015.

Paul McGinley is on duty in 2019 and the role will then be shared between major winners Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell.

Dubai Duty Free have extended their sponsorship of the tournament through to 2022. Their prize fund is increasing year-on-year from €2.5 million in 2015 to a record €5.9 million last year. The record breaking figure is expected to be the minimum prize fund for next year.

The Irish Open was added to the European Tour Rolex Series in 2017, joining the BMW PGA Championship, Open de France, Scottish Open, Italian Open, Turk-

ish Airlines Open, Nedbank Golf Challenge, and DP World Tour Championship.

This was created to increase the profile of the season; the tournaments each have a minimum $7 million prize fund, with the DP World Tour Championship at $8 million. Since 2008, The Irish Open has been the only European Tour event played in Ireland.

Spaniard Jon Rahm is the current champion and holds the tournament record score with an aggregate of 264 and par of -24.

Rory McIlroy is the last Irish winner having prevailed in The K Club in 2016.

The quartet of Colin Montgomery, Berhnard Langer, Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros lead the roll of honour having won three times each.

Toast to the host Lahinch Golf Club, on securing the 2019 Dubai Duty-Free Irish Open from all at

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l DEFENDING CHAMP: Spain’s Jon Rahm, the world No 4

€20m boost for Clare economy PÁRAIC McMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

CALLS from Dubai have been made to hoteliers in Lahinch to book rooms for what will be one of the biggest sporting events to take place in the Banner County. Owner of the Vaughan Lodge Hotel, Michael Vaughan has already received calls from interested parties and he expects phone traffic to increase dramatically for the local hospitality sector in the next two months.

“I’d imagine come the end of June, start of July there will be a real race to secure beds. Already I’ve had calls from various sources just as it was announced and people from as far away as Dubai looking for rooms. I don’t think it has hit us yet locally but organisers have already sought allocations of rooms in the prime spots,” revealed Mr Vaughan.

The Lahinch hotelier believes the coastal town will be under pressure to cope with demand but feels the load will be shared around Clare.

“In Lahinch if you look at between hotels, B&Bs and the official accommodation there’s probably only

enough beds for 800 or thereabouts.

The real pressure is going to be on the village because lots of people will want to stay in the village. It’s an event that’s going to spread out quite some bit because once you get within a 20 mile radius of Lahinch you have at least enough beds for 3,500 people that’s going as far as Ennis up to Lisdoonvarna down to Doonbeg and places in between. It’s an event that’s going to certainly take the capacity of Co Clare”.

Vaughan will house organisers of the European Tour at his four-star hotel, something which was decided once the event was first muted to be taking place at Lahinch Golf Club.

“I think it’s really critical for Lahinch and the event itself that the people who are organising and participating can be accommodated as close to the venue as possible, and while lots of participants and people coming to Lahinch to view the event would like to be in Lahinch, I think for the event to be successful there wasn’t going to be undue distance put on people that are competing and organising,” he stated.

Having analysed figures in the past week, Michael estimates that

l BRINGING IN THE GREEN: The likes of Trump International in Doonbeg will benefit from an influx of visitors and golf enthusiasts clamouring to find accommodation near Lahinch The Irish Open will be worth €15-20 million to the of golf in Lahinch that we’re all really happy and local economy. “Coming in the month of July we’re thrilled about. The extra business to Lahinch will be at high season in Lahinch anyway, I could safely say in the order of €10 million, there’s probably a base my rooms would be full in Lahinch regardless of of €5 million worth of business in Lahinch anyway whether the Open was here or not but it’s the in- at that time so you could say the total value of the cremental business and the long-term brand image event to Lahinch is €15 to €20 million.”

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Pros on lookout for houses Irish Open 2019 at a glance Location Lahinch Golf Club (Old Course) Dates July 3-7, 2019 Expected attendance 100,000 (20,000 per day) Expected tourism revenue €20 million Tournament host Paul McGinley Current defending champion Jon Rahm (Spain, World No.4) Tournament prize purse €5.9 million

P

ROFESSIONAL golfers competing at the 2019 Irish Open in Lahinch Golf Club will be renting local properties for the duration of the tournament, The Clare Echo can reveal.

While spectators and tourists will book hotels and accommodation at Lahinch and surrounding areas, competitors will stay away from the hype by staying in their own rented houses for the European tour event which runs from July 4 – July 7 next year.

Owner of Vaughan Lodge Hotel, Michael Vaughan will welcome event organisers to his hotel but says golfers want privacy and rental properties in Lahinch will be snapped up for that purpose.

Vaughan told The Clare Echo, “Many of the top flight golfers in particular will rent houses in the area and already there’s speculation that a number of prime houses which would be at the top property end are going to be picked up for that kind of business.

“That certainly seems to be the case in most of these tour events that the golfers like to stay in their own privacy with their own families and the hotel environment certainly would be too public for them,”

l HOME COMFORTS: Rory McIlroy could well be preparing for his final round of the Irish Open in a Lahinch resident’s home Mr Vaughan added.

It will be another year until confirmation of the golfers participating are known.

With The Open Championship occurring in Portrush two weeks after The Irish Open, Lahinch is being viewed as

a venue that would provide an excellent test prior to it.

Jordan Spieth, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are some of the high profile names already linked with appearing on the Lahinch course next July.

Lahinch ‘didn’t approach’ tour STUART HOLLY

L

editor@clareecho.ie

AHINCH did not launch an official independent bid to host the Irish Open next year, it can be confirmed, with the revelation that the North Clare links course was singled out by Paul McGinley and European Tour officials as a potential location for the multi-million euro event.

Speaking to The Clare Echo, General Manager at Lahinch Golf Club Paddy Keane said he was thrilled that the course will host the prestigious event next July, adding that it was recognition of the course’s esteemed standing in world golf.

Explaining that much of the finer details are yet to be established, Mr Keane said that a community effort will be made to create a memorable event on our shores.

“We’re delighted and thrilled to have been asked to host next year, especially with Paul McGinley as host as he has a long association with the club, and also with Royal Portrush hosting the British Open, it’s going to be a special year for golf in Ireland.

“The plan starts in earnest now. It’ll be a moveable feast, the planning will occur over next few months and it will start coming together towards the end of summer.

“We have to meet with European Tour, the local authority, fire services, gardai and the HSE on a more formal footing to make sure we have a safe and accessible event and a great festival of golf in the first week of July next year.

l STUNNING: Images of Lahinch and its scenery will be Photo by Evan Schiller broadcast across the world

Explaining the background as to how Lahinch secured hosting rights to the 2019 event, Mr Keane continued: “Paul McGinely is a longtime friend of Lahinch Golf Club; he was a caddy for his dad as a teen on the course and hit his first sub-par round in the Castle Course as a teen. He won the South of Ireland here.

“So the European Tour and Paul McGinley made contact

to see if we’d be interested. We didn’t approach them, they approached us - it was an acknowledgement of how the course is held across Ireland, Europe and world golf. The club council agreed to discuss the possibility. The European Tour visited in March and we discussed it in depth at our AGM on Good Friday and our members were in vast support, and here we are.”

While club members will be working hard behind the scenes over the next 12 months, the local community will also be embraced in an effort to help the entire area benefit from the event.

“Obviously Lahinch Golf Club will have a steering committee focussed on Irish Open 2019 and we will have involvement within the local community, as it will have to be a community effort. It’s about embracing our community.

“The Golf Club and village have been intertwined since it was established at the Post Office, originally the site of Sharry’s Hotel. It’s important local people are involved.”

While admitting that members will be inconvenienced by the course’s closure in the weeks leading up to the event, Mr Keane insisted the lasting advantages will be felt community-wide. “The course will be closed for a few weeks in advance for final preparations. There will be restrictions on members. That’s one of the disadvantages, but the benefits far outweigh the negatives. The tournament will be broadcast coast to coast in the US and across Europe and Asia.”

“It’s appropriate that members be facilitated,” he insisted, adding that all logistics such as access to the clubhouse and players pavilion have yet to be decided.

The goats of Lahinch

SEVERAL new visitors will descend on Lahinch for the first time next year to find that it’s not just members that frequent Clare course.

Goats have been an active presence at the club since the early 1900s. The original goats were owned by a caddie by the name of Tommy Walsh. He lived close to the old third tee and caddied for Open winner John Ball at Lahinch.

Before weather apps, the goats were the go-to guide for climate at Lahinch. If they were hovering around the clubhouse, bleak conditions were anticipated while sun was on the cards once the goats ambled to the outer regions of the sand hills.

In the 1960s when the Club Barometer broke down, Brud Slattery who was Honorary Secretary/Secretary Manager handwrote a note on the barometer ‘See Goats’. In 1956, on the suggestion of Dr. Patrick Hillery who was a TD at the time, the Club approved an emblem incorporating the thistle, the shamrock and the goat.

Goats continue to roam the links and are a source of amusement to visitors.

‘Logistical’ issues ahead but impact will be lasting PÁRAIC McMAHON

W

paraic@clareecho.ie

IDESPREAD joy has been expressed following the announcement that Lahinch Golf Club will host the 2019 Irish Open, however one local politician feels people of the county must be prepared to deal with resulting disruptions for the gain of the entire region.

Fine Gael Councillor, Bill Slattery is a resident of Lahinch and is very pleased to see the coastal town’s golf club be selected to host next year’s European Tour event.

“I’m delighted with the news” he began, “as are the vast majority of people in Clare. I know there will be a number of logistical problems to be addressed but the authorities

are confident these can be overcome”.

He has major concerns about how traffic will be managed next July. “One of the big problems will be on how to deal with traffic in the height of the tourist season especially the ongoing problem at Blake’s Corner, Ennistymon, the possible closure of the Liscannor Rd which accommodates thousands of visitors travelling to the Cliffs of Moher each day, this may have to be closed for the duration of the tournament but that will be a decision for the Council and the Gardaí”.

Earlier this week The Clare Echo revealed that a solution to Blake’s Corner will not be in place until after The Irish Open and Cllr Slattery calls this “a huge setback”.

“The time frame is not there to have the bridge or inner relief work complete. That [raises] a matter for how the traffic will be diverted, the

coaches coming from Dublin will all have to be maybe diverted from the west side from Galway and maybe not come through Clare at all. That’s a matter for the Gardaí and the Council.”

Cllr Slattery encouraged people who may get frustrated with delays to consider the overall benefit before criticising. “There may be

l WELCOMED THE NEW: Local Cllr Bill Slattery

diversions and some people may have to put up with disruptions but when one looks at the overall long term impact of holding such a prestigious tournament, there is no doubt that it will help endorse the tourism product that we have here in West Clare”.

Cllr Slattery is also calling on the local authority to invest money in Lahinch so that it leaves a lasting impression after The Irish Open.

“The infrastructure in Lahinch is not up to scratch at the moment and significant funding is needed to upgrade our carparks, our laneways and the streetscapes,” explained Cllr Slattery.

He added, “Definitely Lahinch should qualify next spring for one of these paint schemes to enhance the village. There will be quite a lot of TV crews in the village and the streetscapes, laneways and carparks need a serious upgrade”.

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Paul wants golf’s biggest names PÁRAIC McMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

THE Irish Open’s recent revival has resulted from the decision to get some of the biggest golfing names in the country to host the tournament.

Rory McIlroy has acted in the capacity since 2015, his presence and that of Dubai Duty Free as sponsor reinvigorating the tournament. Paul McGinley succeeds him and the post will be shared on rotation between him and Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, and Graeme McDowell.

McGinley put up a strong case for Lahinch to be chosen for 2019 and brought European Tour execs on a tour of Lahinch in mid March.

“Lahinch is one of Ireland’s truly iconic links golf courses and I am delighted to be taking the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open there,” said McGinley. “Embedded in the history of Irish amateur golf, as well as in the hearts of our many international visitors, it now deservedly gets the opportunity to showcase itself on the world stage. We are very proud of our great links courses in Ireland and Lahinch has evolved to rank as

one of the very best”.

Lahinch holds a special place in McGinley’s heart. It’s the home of the South of Ireland Championship, the amateur tournament that he won in 1991, while he caddied for his own father on the course as a teenager. However Paul is keen to stress that it wasn’t just him that brought the Irish Open to Clare. “It was one of my favourites from day one, but it is more than just me who makes the decision. Dubai Duty Free has a big say, the European Tour has a big say, I have a voice but I don’t have the overall voice.”

Scheduled to take place before The Open Championship in Portrush, it is anticipated this will entice big names to use Lahinch as preparation for the major. “We’re going to work to try to taper the course so that is set up in a similar way [to Portrush] so that the players will have really good preparation for the Open.

“Lahinch, everyone knows it is a great town with a festival atmosphere, it will look great on TV and do Ireland proud. There is no doubt, all golf courses need a bit of wind and hopefully we will have bright and breezy conditions which will be

l MAN OF THE MOMENT: Paul McGinley at Lahinch Golf Club ideal. It will be in great condition.”

As Captain of the Europe team that won the Ryder Cup in 2014, the 51-year-old doesn’t believe he will need to twist many arms to get former teammates and opponents to participate.

“I don’t want to call in favours, I want players to

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come of their own instinct. If you look at the guys who have done well at the last few Opens, they’ve played in either the Irish or Scottish Open beforehand. So I want to say to the guys that if you really want good preparation, the Irish Open is going to provide that.”

Ennis Golf Club offers special introduction rate

E

NNIS Golf Club was established in 1907 and is conveniently located in Ennis Town. It is a members’ Club and offers golf and a range of other activities to all age categories, Ladies and Gents, boys and girls.

Ennis Golf Club’s investment in drainage and irrigation has resulted in a fully playable course all year round. The course is designed to be competitive but also relaxing and caters for the requirements of our members and visitors.

Adult members, Ladies & Gents, enjoy weekly golf competitions, many of which are open draws, while you can also enjoy competitive golf with your friends. A feature of the Club is the activity

l INTRODUCTION: Ennis Golf Club is currently offering special introductory membership rates

of Senior golfers, both ladies and gents. They are an integral part of the Club and nurture the wonderful camaraderie that exists.

Boys & Girls can join at eight years of age. Supervised golf is provided weekday mornings during holidays. Additional professional training is also provided. Juniors can participate in adult competitions when they achieve a competitive standard. The Annual Subscription is €100 up to age 12 and €150 thereafter. Reductions apply to additional family members.

All new members will enjoy a free golf lesson with our resident Golf Professional Martin Ward.

Ennis is also offering four additional lessons at a reduced rate of €80.

Local results

ENNIS GOLF CLUB

Captain Mr Bernard Hanrahan Prize to the Ladies 1st Elaine Kelly (19) 35 pts 2nd Flor Coffey (22) 33 pts Gross: Shannon Hegarty (6) 20 pts 3rd Phil Butler (26) 32 pts 4th Monica Finnerty (18) 31 pts (back 6:12.v.10) 5th Peggy Costello (20) 31 pts CSS = 76 = 33 pts Mens Committee Trophy Sponsored By: Bijur Delimon Ltd. Sat.19th /Sun 20th May 2018 1st Dave Kenneally(18) 66 nett 2nd Pat P Mc Inerney(13) 68 nett Gross: Sean Myatt(3) 77 3rd Mark Geraghty(10) 69 nett Cat A: Colin Ryan(6) 73 nett Cat B: Niall Townsend(10) 69 nett Cat C: Michael O’Reilly(19) 71 nett CSS Sat. = 72 Sun. = 72

‘The St Andrews of Ireland’ There have been many fine days for the North Clare links course, however this could be its greatest. Páraic McMahon examines the colourful history of Lahinch Golf Club

I

N MARCH 1892 Alexander Shaw, Richard Plummer accompanied by officers from the Black Watch Regiment of the British Army travelled to West Clare in search of dunes suitable for the development of a golf course. They discovered Lahinch and on a second visit in early April, laid out a links golf course.

Good Friday, April 15, 1892 saw the first game of golf played at Lahinch between Lt William McFarlane of the Black Watch Regiment and William F. McDonnell, a Limerick businessman. Feathers and sticks were used to mark out the then nine-hole course on each side of the Liscannor Road.

In 1894 Shaw invited Old Tom Morris, the celebrated Scottish golfer, to design a new links course. Old Tom Morris placed great emphasis on the sandhills side of the links, and called Lahinch “the finest natural course” he had ever seen. One year later, Lahinch held the first South of Ireland Championship. The Championship followed the Irish Open which took place at Royal Portrush the previous week. The prize for the winner was a Silver Challenge Cup and a Gold Medal.

Willie MacNamara was the Golf Professional and Greenkeeper from 1899 to 1927.

Newspaper reports from the time state “The Lahinch links is in beautiful condition just now and reflects much credit on the care and diligent attention bestowed on it by Willie MacNamara”.

The Golf Links Hotel overlooking the village opened its doors on 5th May 1896 and a further boost to the development of golf tourism at Lahinch was provided by the West Clare Railway passing through the village. Golfers often left Euston Station, London at 6am and arrived in La-

hinch for lunch the following day.

In 1926 the services of world renowned Golf Course Architect Dr. Alister MacKenzie were sought and plans for a new 18 hole course were agreed. In his report to the Committee, Dr. MacKenzie remarked, “Lahinch will make the finest and most popular golf course that I, or I believe anyone else, ever constructed.” The cost of the development was set at £2,000. A new Clubhouse was built in the 1940s.

The 1946 South of Ireland Championship Final between John Burke and Joe Carr was perhaps the most famous final. It ended with Burke winning on the 39th. It was his 11th and final South success.

Brud Slattery’s thirty year term as Honorary Secretary Manager at Lahinch saw enormous changes including the construction of the first nine holes on the Castle Course and renovations on the clubhouse.

The Club crest embracing the thistle and the goat was approved by the Committee in the early 1950s. The thistle represented the Scottish element in the founding of the Club and the goat symbolised the weather. The barometer at the Club was not functioning properly and a sign over the barometer read; “See Goats”. When the forecast was poor, the goats were usually seen hovering around the clubhouse, in fine weather they made their way out to the far regions of the golf links.

John D. Harris, a renowned golf architect developed plans for a new Castle Course in 1961. In his report to the Committee he wrote; “After a lull of thirty five years, golf was back on the Corcass”. It was extended to an 18 hole golf links course in 1975.

Lahinch hosted the Irish Professional Championship in 1961, where Christy

Alexander Shaw (centre), a director of the Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway, who helped found Lahinch Golf Club, pictured here in the early twentieth century (National Photographic Archive)

O’Connor Senior won following rounds of 67 and 68 on the first day. In 1975 Lahinch hosted the Carroll’s Irish Match Play Championship and his nephew, Christy O’Connor Junior, defeated Peter Townsend by 3/2 in the final. Former President Dr Patrick Hillery served as Captain, President and Trustee.

The Junior Golf Programme was reorganised in 1995 and the Castle Course has introduced a new generation of Lahinch golfers to the game. The first Junior Golf competition (Harley Cup) took place in 1964 and there is currently a full programme of competitions for boys and girls throughout the year.

In the last decade of the 20th century, a decision was made to enlist Course Architect,

Dr. Martin Hawtree. His plan modernised the links golf course. In the new layout, the sand dunes closer to the Atlantic were utilised and, 14 greens were redesigned. The redesigned course has met with wide acclaim and is consistently ranked in the World Top 50 courses.

The vision of Shaw in 1892 to develop Lahinch into a top class golf links has inspired people to work tirelessly for the advancement of the club. A love of Lahinch has drawn people from all parts of the world to ply their skills on course described as ‘The St Andrews of Ireland’. Last year, Lahinch Golf Club celebrated its 125th anniversary, there’s been some fine days in its past and the most recent announcement ensures bright days ahead.

18 COLUMNIST

THURSDAY, MAY 24 2018

Aoibhín Garrihy

LOVE

lGORGEOUS: The Clooney’s stole the show for me in the fashion stakes

CLARE

THE NOTEBOOK

S

AY what you will about the Royals but the romantic in me was utterly glued to all the pomp and ceremony of last weekend’s events and it didn’t disappoint! What an occasion and Megan looked every bit the part! As far as guests go, The Clooney’s stole the show for me in the fashion stakes and just when we thought that was the end of the royal bonanza, a mini moon in Ireland could be on the cards for the newlyweds! I wonder could we lure them to the Burren or Cliffs of Moher during their stay?!

We spent the weekend celebrating two very special ladies birthday’s so we took a trip to the sunny South East to Kelly’s in Rosslare and a Party Cruise on Dublin Bay and had a very special time with family and friends.

This weekend sees our final BEO Health and Wellness Event take place in The Great Southern Hotel, Killarney before a summer hiatus after 9 busy months touring around the country spreading a message of self-care and positivity. It’s been amazing to witness the populari-

lFAMILY FUN: We spent the weekend celebrating two very special ladies birthday’s so we took a trip to the sunny South East to Kelly’s in Rosslare and a Party Cruise on Dublin Bay. And, (above right) I loved all the pomp and ceremony of the royal wedding

ty of BEO grow over the past few months and we are so looking forward to returning in the Autumn bigger and better!

Next week I am looking forward to presenting an award at this year’s

COVET IN CLARE

REGAL BLING Megan’s aquamarine ring compliments of Diana herself was a thing of beauty and if you’ve got a princess worthy of the same royal treatment look no further than Tadgh O Flynn Jewellers Topaz ring. See tadghoflynnjewellers on instagram for more details.

ARAN INSPIRED Clare’s newest designer knitwear range in Doolin is the perfect blend of rich threads, expert craftsmanship and contemporary flair. See ekotree.ie for more info

IFTA Gala Television Awards and was delighted to see Clare’s own Marty Morrissey is nominated for the Gala Presenter of the Year Award. You can vote for Marty at gala.ie Good luck Marty!

THE GIFT OF MUSIC It’s never too late to start and thanks to Maoin Cheoil an Chlair’s special summer promotions launching at the end of this month now is your chance to sing or play to your hearts content!

Classes available for all age groups and levels. See MaoinCheoil.com for more

REAL LIFE FAIRYTALE The Royal Wedding has us all in a bridal bubble and if your big day is on the horizon check out The Lace Boutique’s newest range of Willow

by Watters gowns fit for a queen! See thelaceboutique.ie for more.

FACE THE FEAR From the award winning author of “Owning It” comes “The Confidence Kit”, jam-packed with practical advice, expert input, along with the author’s signature sense of humour.

Consider this book your ultimate guide to confidence.

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COLUMNIST 19

THURSDAY, MAY 24 2018

• Julie Moore Neylon • Optometrist Bsc(Hons) Optometry •

HAPPENINGS FLEADH NUA The Munster fleadh is in full swing and with the weekend set to be a scorcher, a trip to Ennis to soak up the atmosphere, free concerts and sessions and ceilithe is a must! See fleadhnua.com for more FOOD EXPERIENCE AND WHOLE WELLNESS RETREAT Feel it’s time to make lasting lifestyle changes, leading to a healthier and happier life? Join the Cliffs of Moher retreat for a unique and simple health program, focusing on diet, exercise and wellness from the 4th-8th June and immerse yourself in true, natural goodness! See cliffsofmoherretreat.com for more

Top 5

Golf Holes in Co Clare

KILRUSH GIN & JAZZ NIGHT Enjoy A Midsummer Night Soirée in the Gardens of The Old Ground Hotel with music by The Café Orchestra followed by a supper in the newly renovated banquet hall and art auction. Support glór on the 21st June and book your tickets early. See glór.ie for more

It’s an extremely exciting week in Clare this week knowing the Irish Open is coming to Lahinch next year and we will get an opportunity to showcase the beauty of the county and it’s golfing gems. With this in mind, I asked renowned Clare golfer and expert in this area, PGA Golf Professional Padraig McGrath, to name his top five golf hole’s in the county and the way he describes them, I’m tempted to invest in a set of clubs myself!

1

WOODSTOCK GC 7TH HOLE PAR 4

This Par 4 Index 1 is a spectacular tee shot from an elevated tee box with a carry of over 200 yards over water. There is a bailout area to the right however if you want to reach this hole in two shots you must take on the carry. Even after a good tee shot you have anything from 170 yards carry to reach the front of the green. This green is severely sloped front to back with a steep ridge running through the centre of the green. It truly is one of the greatest golf holes in Ireland.

2

SHANNON GC 17TH HOLE PAR 3

This par 3 at Shannon is situated along the shannon estuary. There is always a stiff breeze blowing either from the estuary or from the jet engines of a boeing reving up it’s engines waiting to take off. The tee shot from the back tee is 224 yards with almost a 200 yard carry to clear the estuary. Into a stiff breeze this is a great test even for the most skilled golfers. This hole has destroyed many a golfers scorecard over the years. It truly deserves a place in my top five.

DROMOLAND 7TH PAR 3

3

If breath-taking scenery is what your after the 7th hole at Dromoland will leave you speechless regardless how often you step foot on this tee box. Once you have taken in the scenery you are looking at a very elevated tee shot with trouble all around the green. To the left you have a lake that cleverly hugs the side of the green and to the right you have a deep bunker that awaits and shot that drifts right. The wind here is like Augusta is swirls around Amer Corner.

4

DOONBEG 1ST HOLE PAR 5

The opening tee shot at Trump Doonbeg is like hitting from an amphitheatre. This tee shot is hit from an elevated tee box looking down to a perfectly cut fairway with the atlantic ocean roaring from your left. Standing on this tee the scenery is magical and truly has to been seen to be appreciated. Even if you hit a good tee shot here you are still left with a tough decision whether to go for the green in two or not.

LAHINCH 6TH HOLE PAR 4

5

This hole is one of my favourite holes in golf. Your tee shot from the back tee needs to be close to 240 yards anything longer brings in a deep mine into play where you will surely drop at least one if not two shots.

This tee shot sets up perfectly from a golfer who likes to draw the ball.

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Entertainment

DOONBEG READY TO GET JAZZY

T

HE beautiful picturesque village of Doonbeg will once again welcome back its famous Doonbeg International Jazz Festival for its 19th consecutive year. Located in the heart of West Clare, the village will welcome old friends and new, on the June Bank Holiday Weekend to celebrate and enjoy Jazz music at its finest.

With a promise of non-stop music all weekend, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Bands from Scotland and all over Ireland will be kicking off the perfect Jazz weekend on Friday 1st June, packing in a full programme of performances throughout the weekend until Monday 4th June. Whether you are a Jazz fan or not, the talented performers with their lively

and cool sounds will transport you into their magical world of Jazz.

Expect to be entertained by the likes of The Deise Brass Band who are talented veterans of the brass era.

Guitarist and singer, Bren Ó Ruaidh and his new band, Riff will share the delight of Jazz while Joan Talbot and the band Jazz Gazette, will be returning for their 4th year. Described as the “lively band with cool sounds from the sunny side”, the East Coast Jazz Band will perform an eclectic mix of popular jazz styles ranging from Dixieland, Ragtime and Swing.

Go to http://doonbegjazz.com/ for full details on the Doonbeg Jazz Festival..

lLOCAL FAVOURITES: Riff Raft play at various locations across the weekend in Doonbeg

ENTERTAINMENT 21

THURSDAY, MAY 24 2018

North Clare Ag Show THE North West Clare Agricultural Show is taking place in Ennistymon on 3rd June 2018 in the newly revamped grounds of The Falls Hotel.

Judging commences in the horse ring at 10.30am, and in addition to all the usual classes, exhibitors can also compete for a place in the All Ireland Qualifiers which this year include; Yearling Colt/Championship at Ballyroe Show, Yearling Filly Championship at Bridgetown show,The Bantry Show Irish Draught Foal Munster Championship, Irish Draught Filly Foal Championship at Ballinasloe Show, The Irish Draught Mare & Foal Team Championship at Ballinrobe show.

Pony Judging will commence at 11am all the usual classes and exhibitors can also compete for a place in the All Ireland 3-Year-Old Connemara Filly Championship at Ballinasloe show. As soon as the pony judging concludes, classes for the Shetland pony and donkeys will take place, where exhibitors can also compete for a place in the All Ireland Donkey Mare Championship at Ballinasloe show.

The donkey derby at the end of the donkey classes will conclude judging the in the above classes and this will be followed by the tug-of-war competitions and also our new competition this year which is the bale rolling competition will take place after the tug of war.

Judging in the sheep classes commences at 12.30pm with usual classes and the Supreme Champion of this section will receive the Vaughan Trophy.

The cattle judging will commence at 1pm with all the usual classes and the chance for exhibitors to compete for a place in the All Ireland suckler championship at Swinford Show. There is a new class this year in the cattle section; the All Ireland Yearling Heifer Beef Breed Retaining Calves mouth with a prize fund of â‚Ź1,000.

The indoor classes comprising of home produce, horticulture, baking, Arts & Crafts, Flowers, photography, youth section, will be taking place in the Vocational School with places in the following All Ireland Championships up for grabs to exhibitors; All Ireland Domestic Arts Championship at Bonniconlon Show, The Odlums All Ireland Home Baking Championship at Tullamore & AIB National Livestock Show, The dog show has a new home this year and will take place at the rear of the Falls Hotel, this will be signposted and stewards will also guide you to the show. The All Ireland Qualifiers in this section include; The Puppy Parlour Kenmare Munster Dog Championship at Kilgarvan Show, and the All Ireland Gun Dog Championship at Beltra Show.

Most appropriate dressed person and bonnie baby will be judged at 3pm.

22 THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

THURSDAY, MAY 24 2018

Ronan Scully

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK Author spreading the word of positivity

A moment on our lips

M

Y MOTTO of sorts when trying to lose weight goes as follows: ‘A moment on our lips is a lifetime on the hips.’

It meant that an act that took just an instant could remain with you forever.

I like to apply this phrase to the process of prayer. A prayer takes just a matter of seconds to utter, but its influence on our lives can be permanent. ‘A moment on our lips is a lifetime on our souls.’

A simple prayer can change us.

It can lead us on the path to healing ourselves and our world.

So pray. Pray for peace, pray for healing, pray for love, pray for mercy, pray for forgiveness, pray for advances in science, pray for the strength to eradicate poverty and disease, pray to overcome injustice, pray for resolve, pray for others, pray for yourself.

Pray to God with all your heart and soul, and then gather up your might to meet the challenges that lie ahead and we all know at this present time in our wonderful county and country that we need that help and strength to make the lives of our children and people and families in need brighter, so lets get doing it for our beautiful children and those most in need. Prayer is asking.

Prayer is pleading. Prayer is praising. Prayer is loving. Prayer is merciful. Prayer is thanksgiving. But the ultimate goal of prayer is personal intimacy with God. Millions of people pray every day for a variety of different reasons. Whether you’ve found yourself

POWERFUL: Group prayer

‘A prayer takes just a matter of seconds to utter, but its influence on our lives can be permanent’

in need of a listening ear or you want to praise a recent triumph, prayer has the ability to help people feel more grounded as they communicate with a higher power. How and when you pray depends upon your religion. In some religions, prayer is spoken aloud in a chant, sometimes as a group and others as an individual.

Group prayer is believed to have more power because there are a greater number of people communicating at the same time for the same things.

MAY YOUR PRAYER BE A BLESSING TO AND FOR OTHERS

My prayer for you is that you may always rise with the sun to pray. Pray alone.

Pray with many. Pray often.

God will listen, if you only speak.

Be tolerant of those who are lost on their path. Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy and greed stem from a lost soul. Pray that they will find guidance. Search for yourself, be yourself.

Do not allow others to make your path for you. It is your road and yours alone. Others may walk it with you but no one can walk it for you.

Treat the guests in your home with much consid-

eration. Serve them the best food, give them the best beds and treat them with respect and honour.

Do not take what is not yours whether from a person, a community, the wilderness or from a culture. If it was not earned or given, it’s not yours. Respect all things that are placed upon this earth - whether it’s person, animal or plant.

Honour other people’s thoughts, wishes and words.

Never interrupt another or mock or bully or rudely mimic them.

Allow each person the right to personal expression.

Never speak of others in a bad way. The negative energy that you put out into the world will multiply when it returns to you.

All persons make mistakes. And all mistakes can be forgiven.

Bad thoughts cause illness of the mind, body and spirit. Practise optimism.

Nature is not for us, it is a part of us. They are part of your worldly family. Children are the seeds of our future. Plant love in their hearts and water them with wisdom and life’s lessons. When they are grown, give them space to grow.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

As your thought for the week may I offer up this comfort blessing for you the reader on your life’s journey that you may see the light in the darkness during these challenging times! May you feel the loving presence of those who hold you in their thoughts and prayers!

May your spirit find what it needs to sustain you on this journey of life! May you discover your inner strength and face all difficulties with dignity and grace. May you be filled with comfort, love, strength, grace and a lasting sense of peace! May the light of your soul guide you.

May the light of your soul bless the work that you do with the secret love and warmth of your heart. May you see in what you do the beauty of your own soul.

May the sacredness of your work bring healing, light and renewal to those who work with you and to those who see and receive your work. May your work never weary you. May it release within you wellsprings of refreshment, inspiration and excitement. May you be present in what you do.

May you never become lost in bland absences.

May the day never burden.

May dawn find you awake and alert, approaching

your new day with dreams, possibilities and promises. May evening find you gracious and fulfilled. May you go into the night blessed, sheltered and protected. May your soul calm, console and renew you.

May there always be work for your hands to do. May your purse always hold a coin or two; May the sun always shine on your windowpane; May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain; May the hand of a friend always be near you; May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you. May the blessing of God’s soft rain be on you, Falling gently on your head, refreshing your soul. With the sweetness of little flowers newly blooming. May the strength of the winds of Heaven bless you, Carrying the rain to wash your spirit clean. Sparkling after in the sunlight. May the blessing of God’s earth be on you, And as you walk the roads, May you always have a kind word for those you meet.

May joy and peace surround you, contentment latch your door, and happiness be with you now and bless you evermore!

May the raindrops fall lightly on your brow. May the soft winds freshen your spirit. May the sunshine brighten your heart. May the burdens of the day rest lightly upon you, and may God enfold you in the mantle of His love now and always.

Amen

Slurry spreading extended STUART HOLLY

M

news@clareecho.ie

INISTERS Eoghan Murphy and Michael Creed have announced a one-month extension to the deadline by which derogation farmers must have 50% of the their slurry spread.

The date is extended from 15 June to 15 July 2018 and thereafter the remainder of slurry must be spread by low-emission technology.

Minister Creed explained that “We have decided to extend the date by one month to 15 July 2018 in light of the significant difficulties faced by farmers and contractors in spreading slurry as a result of the extreme weather this spring. This has meant that it is not possible for many derogation farmers to meet the 15 June deadline set out in the Ntitrates Regulations due to the poor weather and delayed grass growth, which has impacted on first cut silage harvesting dates.

The limited extension for 2018 will facilitate farmers and contractors in catching up with their workloads”.

Minister Murphy noted that “Ireland’s derogation allows higher stocking rates subject to derogation farmers complying with specific requirements, and this limited flexibility for slurry spreading this year recognises the extreme weather-difficulties faced by farmers throughout the spring. The 15 June deadline was introduced for more intensively-stocked derogation farmers in order to improve nitrogen-use efficiency and reduce ammonia losses from slurry”.

Under the National Emissions Ceiling Directive Ireland must reduce its ammonia emissions with the agriculture sector being responsible for 98% of ammonia emissions.

Ammonia losses from slurry are significantly reduced by slurry application in the springtime and also by using low-emission equipment. The timeframes for slurry application stipulated in this new measure for

Harvey elected Ennis Macra chair

l NEW COMMITTEE: Back row left to right: Caitriona O’Neill, Mark Nestor, Caitríona Power, Denise Waulfe, Brian Burke, Kieran Harvey, Lisa Mullins, Kathleen Tobin, Frony row left to right: Cillian Griffey, Brian Hall, Sean O’Connor, Louise Griffey, Dermot Hegarty, Aine Griffey, Alan Shannon

derogation farmers will contribute to reducing ammonia losses and assist farmers to deliver their production targets, reduce their greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions and reduce the risk of runoff to water quality. The minor adjustment in the date is aimed at facilitating an orderly introduction of the measure on derogation farms this year (6,891 applications for derogation status have been submitted in 2018).

Diesel hike another kick for farmers

SINN Féin MEP Liadh Ní Riada has said she is deeply concerned about how recent hikes in diesel costs will affect Irish farmers.

The Ireland South MEP was speaking after it was revealed that the cost of agricultur-

al diesel was up 20% on this time last year.

“Irish farmers have had a horrendous winter and many of them are just keeping their head above water,” she said.

“A long, wet winter combined with a fodder crisis and a complete lack of interest from the Government means that while the weather may be improving many Irish farms are still suffering huge cashflow problems.

“A 20% hike in diesel costs is just another kick they do not need while they are down.

“Industry media is reporting that the increased price of diesel is seeing silage contractors face additional costs of up to €500 per day.

“This will put farmers between a rock and a hard place as they decide between costs they can’t afford now or facing yet another devastating fodder shortage next year.

“And of course all of this is being exacer-

THE Annual General Meeting of Ennis Macra na Feirme took place recently at Hotel Woodstock in Ennis.

Outgoing chairperson Cillian Griffey, upon his stepping down after five years, stated ‘We could not have achieved all we did in the last five years if it wasn’t for delegation of tasks and members volunteering to do various jobs. It is all for our own benefits, getting active in our local communities, enhancing personal development and benefiting from increased physical fitness. I believe there are many more young people out there that would benefit from joining an organisation like Macra.”

The new committee elected were: Chairperson; Kieran Harvey, Vice Chair & Membership Officer; Dermot Hegarty, Secretary; Mark Nestor, Vice Sec; Sean O’Connor, Treasurer; Caitríona Power, Vice Treasurer; Louise Griffey, PRO; Cillian Griffey, Walking Group Chair; Aine Griffey, Cycling Group Chair; Denise Waulfe.

bated by the proposed 5% cut to the CAP budget, a cut that will hit farmers directly at a time when what they need is additional support, not the rug pulled out from underneath them.

“The government completely and utterly failed farmers this year, at one stage claiming that a fodder crisis didn’t even exist.

These issues do not happen out of the blue; when it comes to farming the events that happen in the summer effect what happens in the winter and vice versa.

“I would urge the government to learn from the mistakes they have made, to keep a close eye on this and other developing issues that are effecting farmers and to change their current blasé attitude to rural Ireland altogether.”

High clearance rate in Kilrush

ENNIS MART Thursday May 17 Another large entry in Ennis mart. The bullock and heifer trade has remained steady with prices matching those of last week and increasing for more forward types. Good quality bullocks met an exceptional trade with more forward stores an excellent trade. Heifers again a good trade with heavy heifers and more forward types in excellent demand. Cows were met with a very strong demand with more feeder type cows around again but forward and beef cows also selling well. Aged bulls top price of €2,380 for a LM bull weighting 1,210kg.

BULLOCKS 4 CHX 318kgs - €1,020 - €3.20/kg 6 CHX 572kgs - €1,440 - €2.51/kg 5 LMX 336kgs - €1,030 - €3.06/kg 2 CHX 607kgs - €1,595 - €2.62/kg 2 LMX 485kgs - €1,370 - €2.82/kg 1 LMX 780kgs - €1,915 - €2.45/kg 2 CHX 580kgs - €1,660 - €2.86/kg 1 CHX 850kgs - €1,1875 - €2.20/kg 3 FRX 662kgs - €1,320 - €1.99/kg 3 HEX 318kgs - €790 - €2.48/kg HEIFERS 1 CHX 380kgs - €990 - €2.60/kg 1 LMX 570kgs - €1,610 - €2.82/kg 3 LMX 361kgs - €945 - €2.61/kg 1 CHX 550kgs - €1,440 - €2.61/kg 1 LMX 490kgs - €1,320- €2.69/kg 1 HEX 615kgs - €1,640 - €2.66/kg 3 CHX 456kgs - €1,160 - €2.54/kg 2 AAX 605kgs - €1,235 - €2.04/kg DRY COWS 1 CHX 625kgs - €1,520 - €2.43/kg 1 LMX 835kgs - €1,860 - €2.22/kg 1 BBX 805kgs - €1,800 - €2.24/kg 1 HEX 810kgs - €1,670 - €2.06/kg 1 CHX 695kgs - €1,570 - €2.25/kg 1 CHX 770kgs - €1,740 - €2.25/kg

1 AAX 530kgs - €1,410- €2.66/kg

1 FRX 425kgs - €920 - €2.16/kg

KILRUSH MART Wednesday May 16 Kilrush mart had a full house and a high clearance rate on Wednesday with only a few lots going unsold. Trade improved on the previous week with very strong demand for all good quality types especially in the bullock ring. FR calves sold mainly from €50 up to €145.

AAX/HEX calves sold from €100 up to €280, continentals sold up to €280.

DRY COWS 1 LMX 495kgs - €830 - €1.68/kg 1 FR 585kgs - €940 - €1.60/kg 1 FRX 495kgs - €760 - €1.56/kg 1 HEX 760kgs - €1,125 - €1.48/kg 2 LMX 552kgs - €1,100 - €1.99/kg 1 FRX 645kgs - €980 - €1.52/kg 1 FRX 535kgs - €870 - €1.62/kg 1 SHX 625kgs - €1,160 - €1.85/kg HEIFERS 3 HEX 235kgs - €515 - €2.19/kg 1 CHX 525kgs - €1,180 - €2.24/kg 3 LMX 351kgs - €845 - €2.40/kg 1 SIX 350kgs - €800 - €2.28/kg 4 AAX 341kgs - €680 - €1.99/kg 1 LMX 495kgs - €1,200 - €2.42/kg 2 HEX 420kgs - €850 - €2.03/kg 1 FRX 385kgs - €710 - €1.84/kg BULLOCKS & BULLS 2 AAX 315kgs - €805 - €2.55/kg 1 HEX 610kgs - €1,360 - €2.22/kg 1 HEX 325kgs - €850 - €2.61/kg 1 CHX 410kgs - €1,140 - €2.78/kg 2 LMX 302kgs - €890 - €2.94/kg 2 AAX 585kgs - €1,220 - €2.08/kg 1 FRX 400kgs - €700 - €1.72/kg 1 LMX 660kgs - €1,530 - €2.31/kg

Health&Living The Mindset Corner with Cillian Keane Fitness, Personal Trainer

How to improve Self Confidence

L SELF CONFIDENCE: If you work hard you can achieve it

ACK OF self-confidence is something everyone struggles with at some point in their lives. So, what is getting in the way of people reaching their full potential?

The fear of failure? Caring about what other people think if you fail?

If you are determined and work hard every single day on self-development then the fears that have held you back will start to diminish. There will be setbacks at times but this is all part of the process.

I speak openly about times where I lacked confidence and felt I couldn’t reach my goals. But day by day I have strengthened

my mind. I worked on improving myself every day. All the exercises I do daily have impacted my mindset positively. For example: Journaling daily, keeping a gratitude log and taking quiet time to focus on myself.

Life is about constant progress.

MY ADVICE IS SIMPLE:

l Have a reason to get out of bed in the morning. l Set goals. l Strive for progress every day. l Live life with zero regrets. l Don’t wait till it’s too late. Make the start FOR YOU. Each week in the Mindset Corner I will be giving tasks for you to complete.

TASK FOR THIS WEEK

Turn off all social media and any distractions for a period in the day and write down a goal that you have wanted to achieve for a long time. Set a target date that you will achieve this by.

WHAT GETS MEASURED GETS MANAGED

l Track your progress week by week, keep yourself accountable to a friend or family member. l Keep reinforcing the goal in your mind, have it visible somewhere that you can see it every day. Give yourself time and have the patience to see it out to the end.

Derg Boat Trips the toast of East Clare THE first new tourism business on The Lough Derg Blueway, Derg Boat Trips, was launched at the Waterways Ireland Regional HQ in Scariff last Friday by Sean Kelly Fine Gael MEP. Sean congratulated Eoin and Ruth O’Hagan, owners, and spoke about how decisions made in Brussels affect a small startup like Derg Boat Trips, which was supported by funding from Europe through a Leader Grant from CLDC. Sean said that the Derg Boat Trips launch on the new Lough Derg Blueway, was a huge positive for tourism.

Sean also christened Derg Boat Trips Rigid Inflatable Boat(RIB) ‘Cealtra’ after a blessing by Fr Joe McMahon PP for Scariff Parish. Accompanying Sean Kelly MEP was Minister of State Pat Breen TD who recognised the work Eoin O’Hagan has done on social media to promote Co Clare and assured Eoin and Ruth of his support for Derg Boat Trips. He welcomed the new business to Clare and spoke of his confidence in Derg Boat Trips success.

Proceedings had begun when MC Jim Collins introduced the host of the launch, Eanna Rowe, Western Regional Manager of Waterways Ireland who welcomed Eoin, Ruth and their guests.

Eanna Rowe spoke of Waterways Ireland’s support of Derg Boat Trips and its arrival on the Lough Derg Blueway. He wished the new business well and congratulated Eoin and Ruth.

Leas Cathaoirleach of Clare Co Council, Pat Burke MCC welcomed Derg Boat Trips to the tourism landscape of Lough Derg and East Clare and offered his congratulations to the O’Hagans.

Chair of Scariff Community Council and Vice Chair of Tourism East Clare, Niamh Wiley Murphy congratulated Eoin and Ruth O’Hagan on realising their dream to set up a business that will utilise the waters, scenery and history of Lough Derg to attract visitors to Scariff, and its harbour. Joe Carey Fine Gael TD and Timmy Dooley Fianna Fáil TD for Clare also attended and offered congratulations and support to Derg Boat Trips.

Derg Boat Trips website is www.dergboattrips.ie and they can also be contacted on 087-2523503.

MAKING A SPLASH: Derg Boat Trips RIB ‘Cealtra’ is christened and Derg Boat Trips are officially launched by Sean Kelly Fine Gael MEP and Eoin O’Hagan of Derg Boat trips at Scariff Harbour Photo by Marie O’Leary

OPINION 25

THURSDAY, MAY 24 2018

EDITOR’S OPINION

Eoin Neylon

Lahinch coup is more significant than Fleadh

Follow Kiwi way to prevent rural decline

An inside look at Clare’s political spectrum

Stuart Holly

L

ET there be no doubt about it - the Irish Open coming to Lahinch is far more significant than the recent staging of Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in Ennis.

Romantics will disagree. With a glint in their eye and their heads filled with nostalgic and rain-soaked memories, they can recall the pinnacle of Clare culture being celebrated by family and friends locally and projected on a national stage.

And by God, we did it well. We drank the barrell dry but we also stopped to tap our feet. Our children took their turns at busking on the streets, eagerly reciting what they had learned that day at Scoil Eagsa, while familiar faces passed each other smiling and nodding in the knowledge that nobody could host this prestigious event any better than us.

Last August, we all crammed into Abbey Street Car Park to catch a glimpse of twinkle toes Flatley and the magical Martin Hayes as they played the first airs of the 2017 festival on their flutes and fiddles.

Great moments followed over the next two weeks, and in retrospect we can comfortably say that Year Two of the Fleadh was the stuff of legends. County Clare had re-enforced its identity as the posterboy of traditional music.

But, there’s a consequential ‘but’. While the expense of hosting the festival was propped up with the help of title sponsors Shannon Airport and Supermacs, local businesspeople were left to foot part of

the bill. Some even coughed up contributions on the promise of an avalanche of cash-loose visitors perusing the streets of Ennis looking for another door to part ways with their hard-earned cabbage. Of course, this wasn’t how it was to transpire and businesspeople had to fill their gaping pockets with a bittersweet serving of feelgood factor.

Now, out of the blue, Paul McGinley and the European Tour have come bearing fruit in the form of some of the most powerful sporting stars - and richest fans - on this earth. Next year will be a watershed year for the Irish Open and - without a doubt - will see the event attract the biggest golfing names ever to grace Irish greens. And it’s all happening in Lahinch, one of Ireland’s most historic courses.

The British Open takes place on Irish soil in Royal Portrush just a week after events in Lahinch conclude, meaning we can expect big-name USPGA Tour names like Mickleson and Woods to join Europe’s elite such as McIlroy and defending champion Rahm. With thousands of golf tourists across the Atlantic planning their next golf trip in front of the telly over a cold beer, images of the stunningly beautiful Lahinch will be beamed across the US, coast to coast, and further afield. The fallout will breathe fresh life into our tourism industry for years to come and rejuvinate our hospitality sector, meaning good news for employment and rural population.

And the best part - unlike the Fleadh, we’re not even expected to foot the bill.

Feel no shame in the polling booth THIS Friday, many of us will enter the polling booth to cast a vote in what’s been described as the most divisive referendum historically.

On Sunday last, a Sunday Business Post/Red C poll showed that 56 per cent are in favour of voting to repeal the Eighth Amendment, a three-point increase on the same question last month. The No side was up one point to 27 per cent, while the number of ‘don’t knows’ was at 14 per cent. Three per cent refused to answer.

We all know that the Red C could part when the results are calculated; didn’t we all baulk when Donald Trump shocked the world by becoming US President and when the people of Britain decided to do a runner of the EU. The run-up to this referendum has certainly put opinions under the microscope, but it’s also managed to publicly shame passionate commentators on the issue. It has been diabolical, and a result of the easy accessibility to abuse people via online mediums. It has put people on edge, including ‘No’ advocate John Waters who recently called Newstalk’s Eamon Dunphy “a fucking bollocks” following a watery line of questioning. John’s overreaction, I believe, was partly due to the barrage of online warriors shaming people for their stance on the abortion issue.

I am a Yes voter. In my opinion this is a women’s rights issue. If it was men who fell pregnant, you can be sure abortion on demand would have been written into law many pregnancies ago. However, I can accept the views of somebody who supports keeping the Eighth amendment. Morally this is a difficult issue - so we should all be entitled to leave the polling booth with no feelings of shame.

T

HERE was a lot of talk about rural decline in the run up to the last general election.

Many people can recall how, earlier in the decade, Kilmihil GAA club lost a full adult men’s team worth of players to emigration.

As the people go, so do the services and a vicious cycle begins.

At the last election, the ‘No Doctor, No Village’ campaign, centred out of Kilmihil, once again highlighted the issue. Alas, little has changed on that front.

Rural GP practices are still hugely understaffed and now, another main stay of the local community is once again coming under threat; the post office.

It has recently emerged that the Postmasters of Ireland have been issued a new contract set to replace their permanent one with a seven-year contract with no right of renewal inbuilt.

Hopes were high in 2016, when a Dáil motion on the future of the postal service was passed without a single dissenting voice; a very rare event in the almost 100-year history of Dáil Éireann. But now, the new contract seems to out a sell by date on our postal service being a local service.

Another 390 postmasters were offered exit packages to close up shop instead of any new contract.

Nevertheless, the Public Banking Forum of Ireland (PBFI) and the Independent Postmasters Union, headed by Clare’s own Tom O’Callaghan, are not going to let the network dwindle without a fight. They argue that there is massive potential within the network and point to the ‘KiwiBank’ model introduced in New Zealand in 2002 as the way to go forward. Since its establishment as a Stateowned Post Office bank, KiwiBank has seen great success. Within three years it had turned a NZ$7.2 million profit. Five years after being founded, it had half a million customers and

today enjoys a 20 per cent market share. In 2016, the bank returned a NZ$126m net profit, allowing for a NZ$90m IT investment the following year where, despite this spend, the company still turned a net profit of NZ$53m. What’s better still is that focus on the postal end of the business was not lost and full postal services were retained. So why is this not being pursued by our Government as a potential solution to continued rural decline? ne suspects the fact that the State still owns a lot of shares in the bailedout banks since the global economic crash is one reason. As it aims to divest all the remaining shares, the last thing it wants is to open new competition and put the share price of established banks in jeopardy. Some argue that these existing banks should work with An Post to offer their services through more POs around the country.

At a time when banks are closing branches everywhere, this does sound like an enticing compromise.

However, experience from the UK, where Bank of Ireland captured the network, shows that this Pillar Banking service is not massively beneficial to the POs themselves as the commercial bank still retains half of all profits. As such, the extra work load has not proven beneficial to the operation of the PO, nor its overall profitability and, ergo, viability. Essentially, under the Pillar Banking model, POs become a franchise holder for the bank but lose half the profits of running it for them. In fact, the UK Communications Workers Union is now calling for the BoI Pillar Banking scheme to be scrapped in favour of a community banking initiative like KiwiBank.

It’s clear to see that this model is flawed, so it begs the question as to why it’s being proposed here. The answer? Once again, the

O

State owns a huge number of shares in existing banks.

The UK PO banking system gives BoI €15 billion in deposits alone along with selling mortgages and foreign exchange transactions. Therefore, it’s a potentially lucrative deal for established banks with little effort on their part.

A leaked cabinet memo in recent weeks outlined how An Post seek to shed 2,000 jobs by 2022 in cost saving measures so it’s vital life is injected into the sector.

The crux of the issue is the viability of local communities. With businesses and Garda stations closed, the Post Office remained the last service widely available. If it’s allowed close, it may spell the point of no return for rural life. The funny thing is, a community postal bank is part of the May 2016 ‘A Programme for a Partnership Government’. Clare’s Timmy Dooley highlighted the issue last month in the Dáil when details of the Government’s complicity in the downscaling of the PO network emerged. The reply from Minister Naughten (Independent Alliance) was less than reassuring saying that closures “will be a consequence of modernisation” before abdicating all responsibility for same back onto An Post.

Surely a reneging of the plan to introduce a community bank scheme is in breach of the Government’s “Confidence and Supply” agreement with Fianna Fáil? Between that, the lack of progress on implementing any aspect Sláintecare for Health services and the lack of any progress on housing, the days of the C&S agreement are surely numbered. With the 8th amendment referendum out of the way after this weekend, the gloves will well and truly be off, and everyone will enter full election mode.

Regardless of the result on Saturday, the days of this Government are now numbered.

26 COMMUNITY

Community

THURSDAY, MAY 24 2018

CONTACT NEWSDESK

065 671 9021 news@clareecho.ie

ENNIS CLARE SIDE MAKE HISTORY IN MUNSTER SCHOOLS TENNIS (RIGHT) ENNIS National School had to dig deep but were ultimately rewarded with a hard fought team victory in Monkstown in East Cork, where they played their Munster Cup semi-final in the company of their coach Mr Danny Comerford.

A thrilling day on the court produced a three matches to two win for the Clare side. It was a heart stopping tiebreak that saw the Ennis National victorious.

Speaking of the day, coach Comerford explained that there hasn’t been an Ennis primary school’s team in a Munster Cup final for the past 22 years.

This was an amazing achievement by all involved: Mia Gavin, Conan Kochhar, David Loftus, Aoife O Connell, Caoimhe Collins and Callum Daniels.

All are members of the Ennis Lawn Tennis & Badminton Club where they have been attending regular training sessions and have only recently come together to form their school’s team. Five out of the six are only in Fourth Class and have come up against mainly Sixth Class children enroute to the Final - all of whom put up tremendous battles on the courts.

With wins over strong tennis schools from Tipperary and Cork it’s onwards and upwards hopefully for this young team from the Ennis National School.

Report by Linda Kochhar.

CLARE LEADER FORUM EDUCATIONAL PROWESS On Wednesday May 16th 2018, some 15 Clare Leader Forum members graduated from LIT after completing an academic programme in Advocacy, Leadership and Independent Living.

Clare Bus supplied the transport to and from the Clare Education Centre that hosted the LIT programme and to their graduation in LIT. The electric atmosphere in the Millennium Theatre on Wednesday was made up of excitement, achievement, anticipation and nerves.

Ever present throughout the afternoon was a real sense of optimism for the future and expressed repeatedly by Cathy Jones, Head of Department of Applied Social Sciences, Prof. Vincent Cunnane, President LIT and Finian McGrath, Minister of State for Disabilities.

On so many fronts the group representing the Clare Leader Forum broke new ground. Firstly, this flexible learning programme developed by LIT in collaboration with disability groups was delivered for the first time in Ennis. Secondly, and more importantly it has opened up 3rd level educational opportunities for a group of

people denied access to this level and experience of education since the foundation of the state. Thirdly, this group of trailblazers overcame all the barriers and experiences that accompany social and cultural barriers to education. As a result prior to the commencement of this 14 week programme many of the group had to conquer their fears and lack of confidence in their ability to succeed. On graduation day it was obvious that not only had all prevailed but they also reached new heights in their educational prowess and confidence in the future for people with disabilities.

Dermot Hayes a lifelong advocate and activists and founder member of the Clare Leader Forum was emotional about what has been achieved, stating ‘to be honest while I have advocated for this day I never thought I would witness the President of a third level institution present 44 graduates with their educational awards and an full theatre of academics, friends, family and advocates including our Minster of State for Disability, Finian McGrath stand in respect of this group’.

Martin Tobin, Chairperson of the Clare Leader Forum thanked family, members of the forum, Cathy Jones, Head of Department of Applied Social Sciences, LIT, Martina Neylon LIT and all the wonderful engaging lectures on the programme, Clare County Council, Clare Education Centre and Clare Bus. The Forum are gearing up for the next educational opportunity and look forward to working with LIT into the future.

Those who attended the course included; Marie Blake Hayes, Padric Hayes, Martin Tobin, Desserie Stevenson,Thomas Connole,Paul Kerrine,Noel Kearney,Nicola Norton,John McMahon,Martin Talty, Gerry McIneary, Brian Hogan, Kayla Rietveld,Sammy Rietveld, Helen Nagle, Dermot M.J.Hayes.

WEST/NORTH CLARE KILRUSH & DISTRICT HISTORICAL SOCIETY At May’s Kilrush & District Historical Society monthly meeting in the Teach Ceoil, Grace Street at 8pm on Tuesday 29 May, Paul O’Brien will read a selection of Flo Clancy’s often hilarious letters, entitled “She didn’t miss a trick!”

Florence Mary Winifred (Flo) Clancy (1884-1958) lived almost her entire life in Moore Street in Kilrush, County Clare. She came from a prominent nationalist background and her first cousin Peadar Clancy (1888-1920), was shot dead while in custody in Dublin Castle on Bloody Sunday. Flo was the seventh of twelve children.

From 1893, Flo and her Limerick-based cousin, Ciss Waldron (née McNamara) (1884-1966) exchanged letters on an almost weekly basis until Flo’s death in 1958.

Flo’s side of the correspondence, passing on her views on local and national events, often with a biting wit, has survived.

A quote from one of her wartime letters, dated 1945: “A few are gone up to Dan Morrissey’s. They will have a nice few staying with them. I hope they took their butter rations with them as Dan Morrissey wrote saying he was reduced to lubricating oil and Vaseline on his bread.

They will have great gas.”

(Due to unforeseen circumstances, the lecture originally advertised for this month has been postponed to 2019.)

KDHS lectures are free to members, EUR5 for non-members. New members are welcome. The annual membership fee (July-June) is EUR20. For new members joining now, the first annual membership fee will cover the period to 30 June 2019. The Society’s AGM will take place on Tuesday 26 June and will be followed by a lecture by Eric O’Neill on “Blacksmiths and vernacular ironwork traditions of West Clare”.

THURSDAY, MAY 24 2018

Community

COMMUNITY 27 CONTACT NEWSDESK

065 671 9021 news@clareecho.ie

l READY FOR RUNWAY: Pictured L-R Renata Khrytonava, Airport Information, Ciara Brolly, Share A Dream , Ann Norton, Clare Crusaders and Richard Moloney, Airport Police and Fire Service with Seamus Kelly, Airport Operations, Shay Kinsella, Share A Dream, Amanda Orpen, Shannon Retail and Kevin Coughlan, Aviation Search Unit Photo by Arthur Ellis

EAST/SOUTHEAST CLARE FUN ON THE RUNWAY FUN and serious runners across Ireland will have one final opportunity to participate in the country’s favourite and original Runway Run as Shannon Airport has confirmed it is to stage the event again this year.

Midnight on Friday, June 22nd has been pencilled into the diary for what is likely to be the final Runway Run at Shannon, five years after it held the very first event of its kind in Ireland.

In 2017 Shannon Airport undertook a complete overlay of 2,360m of the runway surface at a cost of €15m.

Up to 1,800 participants are set to go to the line in an event that will raise vital funds for Shannon Group’s two designated and worthy charities for 2018, Clare Crusaders and Share A Dream.

The event proved an instant hit when it was launched in 2014, with participants from varied levels of fitness intrigued by the novelty of taking on the midnight run on what have been balmy summers’ nights.

In four years, over six thousand pairs of shoes have crossed the line with over €100,000 to date being raised for charities through an event that drew participants from all corners of the country.

This year’s event will be a fitting finale to the series, though Shannon’s Airport Operations Director Niall Maloney is not ruling out a potential return of the event in the years ahead.

“When we started the Runway Run we never thought that it could become as successful as it is and certainly did not foresee doing it five years in a row. We like to try new things at Shannon and next year we will have something else to offer, but we are putting on the run one more time, with Friday night, June 22nd set for this year’s event.

Shannon Group’s dedicated charities are also look-

Nine Clare Senior camogie players featured on the Munster Interprovincial team at Naomh Mearnog on Sunday where they won the Shield Final. The Clare players were Orlaith Duggan, Chloe Morey, Carol O’Leary, Roisin McMahon, Laura McMahon, Andrea O’Keeffe, Ciara Doyle, Ciara Grogan and Clare Hehir

ing forward to the event. Said Ann Norton of Clare Crusaders: “We’re delighted to be one of Shannon Group’s designated charities, not just because of the much needed and appreciated financial support this will provide for Clare Crusaders

but the exposure it gives us.”

Ciara Brolly of Share A Dream added: “As a national charity which receives no funding whatsoever from the state we rely solely on the community, like the Shannon Group, to continue making dreams a reality for

seriously ill children all over Ireland.”

Links for online entry can be found on both the Shannon Airport web and Facebook sites or alternatively on the www.eventmaster.ie website.

28 BUSINESS

THURSDAY, MAY 24 2018

BUSINESS CONTACT US WE’RE ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM #CE

Clean Ireland vehicles are gas!

CLEAN CLEAN Ireland Recycling has struck a milestone for the waste management industry nationally by introducing the first Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) waste collection vehicles in Ireland.

The company has transformed its fleet to the lower emission CNG fuel powered engines in a major partnership with Gas Networks Ireland, developing the nation’s first fast-fill CNG refuelling station, which was officially opened today by Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten TD. The station, which has been developed at Clean Ireland Recycling’s premises at the Smithstown Industrial Estate in Shannon, will service the company’s CNG-powered waste collection fleet. This will, in turn, reduce the carbon footprint of Clean Ireland Recycling’s growing customer base across Clare, Limerick and Tipperary.

The company’s waste collection fleet will be fuelled from the station, with the CNG significantly lowering emission levels compared to the traditional diesel engine trucks operating around the country. They will reduce carbon dioxide by up to 22 per cent, nitrogen oxide by 70 per cent, sulphur dioxide by 80 per cent and emits 99 per cent less particulate matter.

Significantly also for the company, which has been the industry’s leading green solutions innovator since it was established almost 30 years ago, CNG will deliver a cost saving of up to 35 per cent.

To support the investment, Clean Ireland Recycling has also invested in specially-commissioned, lower emission Scania CNG trucks and will contin-

l PUMPED: Denis Naughten TD, Minister for Environment with (from left) Brian Lyons, General Manager Clean Ireland Recycling and Dan Fitzpatrick, Commercialisation manager Gas Networks Ireland Photo by Eamon Ward

ue to replace its existing diesel-powered fleet with CNG vehicles over the coming years. CNG is an established technology throughout the world, with 25 million NGVs in operation globally, with 1.9 million of these in Europe.

The Shannon CNG re-fuelling station is the first of a comprehensive national network of outlets planned by Gas Networks Ireland for around the country over the coming years as it meets the growing market in Ireland for cleaner fuel alternatives.

Denis Naughten T.D., Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment: “Transport is a critical part of our economy. It is also a significant driver of Ireland’s emissions profile. Currently, commercial and public transport vehicles using diesel account for three per cent of the vehicles on Irish roads, but account for over 20 per cent of the total road transport emissions. Businesses like Clean Ireland Recycling show that there is an appetite to change to the cleaner and more cost-effective alternative offered by Compressed Natural Gas.” Clean Ireland Recycling’s Brian Lyons added, “Lowering our carbon footprint is a priority for our business and for our customers.

“From the moment we started operations in the early 1990s, we have been a pace setter for the industry nationally in terms of introducing environmentally-friendly solutions, some of them ground-breaking nationally. The development of this CNG facility at our site in Shannon is right up there among them,” he said.

90 years in business...

Patrick Bourke menswear honoured

R l PARTY: Patrick and Imelda Bourke presented with a plaque to mark their 90th year

by Irish Rugby legend, Paul O’Connell, CEO of the NRF (USA), Matt Shay and CEO of Retail Excellence, David Fitzsimons at the Retail Retreat and Expo Gala Dinner

ETAIL Excellence, the largest retail representative body in Ireland, marked Patrick Bourke Menswear’s 90th year in business at their Retail Retreat and Expo Annual Gala Dinner at Citywest Hotel in Dublin on Tuesday last week.

Patrick and Imelda Bourke were presented with a special achievement award by legendary Irish Rugby and Lions Captain Paul O’Connell, the most influential person in the world of retail Matt Shay Pres-

ident and CEO of the National Retail Federation USA and CEO and founder of Retail Excellence, David Fitzsimons.

All attendees at the dinner were treated to inspiring video footage of Patrick’s story so far.

Patrick Bourke Menswear was founded by Patrick’s grandfather, Patrick Bourke in 1928 on the corner of ‘The Square’ in Kilrush and his son, Michael, joined the business in 1950 and continued to develop it.

Michael’s son and current

owner Patrick Bourke joined the family business in 1974 which marks the third generation in the business. He opened a second shop in Ennis in 1994 where he sells quality menswear from international and local brands to suit all tastes and all ages.

CEO of Retail Excellence, David Fitzsimons said “I was delighted to mark the fantastic milestone reached by Patrick and Imelda Bourke at our Retreat Gala Dinner at Citywest Hotel in Dublin yesterday evening”.

THURSDAY, MAY 24 2018

RECRUITMENT & APPOINTMENTS CONTACT US WE’RE ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM #CE

Clare Echo expands to welcome three new staff

THE Clare Echo is delighted to announce it is expanding its team.

Following our early success, Clare’s newest and most exciting publication The Clare Echo will be welcoming three new members to our team in the coming weeks.

The Clare Echo – which publishes 15,000 FREE newspapers every week – has two immediate job openings; that of sales executive and general reporter.

The ideal candidate for the sales executive role will have previous experience and a proven track record in the field with the ability to meet weekly targets.

The sales executive will be self-driven and show the ability to work as part of a team. They will also be expected to have good manner, as they will be meeting with prospective clients on a daily basis. The role will include a basic

wage plus commission.

The Clare Echo is also hiring a full-time general reporter on a summer contract with the possibility future permanent work.

The ideal candidate will have a portfolio of published newspaper articles and must have previous experience in the field and an ability to adapt to various reporting tasks. The ideal candidate will be motivated and must have a keen nose for local news. A knowledge of the area and proven ability to create contacts is a distinct advantage.

Finally The Clare Echo is delighted to welcome production assistant Eoin McCaffrey on board, who is joining the team on placement this summer.

Please email your CV and cover letter to jobs@clareecho.ie with the role you wish to apply to in the subject line.

BUSINESS

29

Property

Beautiful homes all over the County UNLOCK YOUR DREAM

COTTAGE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

CLOONEENAGH, CREE, KILRUSH, CO CLARE, V15 HW30

T

HIS quaint 3 bedroom cottage is located in a beautiful countryside setting. The cottage stands on a 0.5 acre site which is mainly in lawn and bound by mature trees and shrubs.

The property has its own bored well and has the room & potential to expand and develop further. Accommodation is spacious and includes a galley style kitchen, a sitting room, living room, 4 bedrooms and a bathroom.

There is a detached garage adjacent to the cottage ideal for storage or for use as a work shop.

There is also a garden shed to the rear of the property.

Located in the most peaceful and tranquil setting, this property would make a beautiful holiday home, family home or a retirement home.

Kilmihil and Cree are within 7-8 minutes drive and Kilrush town is within 20 minutes. The property represents ex-

â‚Ź85,000

cellent value for money. Viewings come highly recommended to appreciate what is on offer.

Total Area 107 sq.m. (1,151 sq.ft. approx).

BER G. BER Number 109402594. Ber Code 557.44 kwh/m2/yr.

Contact: Danielle Kavanagh, Sherry FitzGerald McMahon Tel: 065 686 7866

FABULOUS 4-BED

CARNAUN, DOOLIN, CO. CLARE, V95 YF30

T

HIS fabulous four bedroom detached property comes to the market in pristine condition.

Constructed 15 years ago, the residence is set on a 0.55 acre elevated site with some lovely views over Doolin. It is ideally located within 3 miles of Doolin village and also with easy access of Ennistymon.

The attention to detail both inside and outside is second to none and is a credit to the current owner.

Internally, the rooms are well proportioned and accommodation comprises a contemporary open plan kitchen and dining area, a utility room, toilet, sun lounge, living room and a ground floor ensuite bedroom and a toilet.

Once you proceed upstairs, the main feature is the vast landing area complete with beautiful solid wood flooring which would make a fabulous library or office area. Also on the first floor, there are 3 more bedrooms and a bathroom.

The master bedroom has a walk in closet and a luxurious ensuite which has a steam shower and private sauna included.

Externally, the grounds are basically maintenance free with tarmac drives to the rear and sides and a very manageable garden to the front

â‚Ź285,000

of the house. There is also a detached garage and a block boundary wall.

Due to the finish, size and location of this property it would make a fabulous family home or holiday home.

Fixtures, fittings and some contents will be included in the sale.

Total Area 240 sq.m. (2,582 sq.ft. approx). BER C1.

BER Number 104521612. BER Code 153.26 kwh/m2/yr.

Contact: Danielle Kavanagh, Sherry FitzGerald McMahon Tel: 065 686 7866

Motoring MOTORING EXPERT NEIL BRISCOE GIVES HIS VIEWS

lVOLKSWAGEN: Strong start to 2018 with a sales increase of 11 per cent

VW launches van offers for 182

Zero per cent finance available on new VW vans and pickups

F

OLLOWING a strong start to 2018 with a sales increase of 11 per cent and the biggest market share development in the Irish Commercial Vehicle market, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has announced its 182 offers which are now the most comprehensive offers available in the Irish market for businesses.

The new 182 offers start with a brand new lease product operated by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Volkswagen Bank.

You can now own a brand new 182 commercial vehicle for as little as €209 a month with no upfront deposit. This is the lowest cost monthly lease or contract hire product within the Irish market at present and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles are the only brand to operate a lease or contract hire product via their own financial arm in Ireland.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles also gives their customers the option of choosing 0 per cent HP APR or Irelands only Commercial Vehicle PCP solution should the vehicle not suit their needs.

Customers can avail of unbeatable offers in the Irish market when ordering before the 30th of June 2018, including, free road tax or three free services.

From the best-selling van in Ireland, the Caddy, the Transporter, the all new Crafter and the Amarok V6, Irish Customers can select the vehicle that best suits their needs and tailor their

purchase with the best finance solution for them.

Commenting on the latest offers, Alan Batson, Managing Director at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles said: “Over the last number of years our strategy has been to offer Irish Customers the best solutions and the best choices when it comes to Commercial Vehicles. With the launch of our new lease product which allows customers to take delivery of new 182 commercial vehicles without a large upfront deposit, we believe we have extended the range of solutions to ensure we offer the best to our customers. This is the first solution of its kind to the Irish market from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. We were also the first to launch Commercial PCP 4 years ago and we are still the only commercial vehicle manufacturer offering this today. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will continue to strive to provide Irish Customers with more choice and more power when selecting a commercial vehicle solution.”

All Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles are available for 24-hour test drives at any of the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Dealers nationwide or if you are too busy to come to us we will come to you. l Contact your local Volkswa-

gen Commercial Van Centre today, call us on 1850 812 762 or click on www.volkswagen-vans.ie for more details.

More choice, more power.

%

LEASE

HP

PCP

From €209 Per Month

Low Cost Finance*

Flexible Finance*

ax OR

FREESeRrvoicadesTuntil June 30th** 3 Free

Now there are more ways to get into a new Volkswagen Van than ever before.

More finance options, more flexible customer service and more long term benefits. That’s more power for your business. Plus a choice of FREE Road Tax or 3 Free Services** on new orders placed until June 30th. For a 24 hour test drive, drop into Frank Hogan Volkswagen or visit www.frankhoganvolkswagen.ie and we’ll come to you.

For a 24 hour test drive visit Frank Hogan Volkswagen.

Dublin Road, Limerick Tel. 061 416000 www.frankhoganvolkswagen.ie *HP & PCP T&Cs: Typical Finance Example (HP): Caddy PV TSI 84HP M5F. Recommended OTRP €15,765. Deposit/Part Exchange €4,641. 36 monthly payments of €309. Total cost of credit €0. Typical APR 0%. Minimum deposit is 10%. (PCP): Caddy PV TSI 84HP M5F. Recommended OTRP €15,765. Deposit/Part Exchange €4,871. 36 monthly payments of €199.

Optional Final Payment €4,497. Total cost of credit €917 including acceptance fee (€75) and completion fee (€75). Typical APR 3.9%. Minimum deposit is 19%. Subject to lending criteria.

Prices are subject to change. Offers are made under a hire purchase agreement and do not apply to fleet sales. Volkswagen Bank GmbH Branch Ireland is authorised by the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority in Germany and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland for conduct of business rules. **Finance, commercial vehicle road tax (€333) and service offers only available on new retail sales ordered before 30th June 2018, do not apply to leasing product and must be financed through Volkswagen Bank. Leasing T&Cs: Leasing offer is available for business customers only. Offers are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time. Please contact your local Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle dealer for full details.

32 MOTORING

THURSDAY, MAY 24 2018

Motoring News

PERFECT PLUGIN enough for a 10.8sec 0-100km/h time, so performance is about what you’d expect The reality isn’t always so good. previous- from a mid-range diesel engine.

Fuel consumption though? Here’s where ly, plugin hybrids have worked well in town, it gets interesting. but have proved disastrously thirsty on Kia’s official laboratory fuel figure is longer journeys, limiting their effectiveness 217mpg, or 1.3-litres per 100km. OK, forget and their appeal. that; it’s never going to happen. If you drive Until now. gently around town, of course, you can This is the Kia Niro Plugin Hybrid, get by a lot of the time on just the battery, and it’s a car that just might change your which effectively means 0-litres per 100km, perspective on motoring. You’ve probably but in mixed battery-and-engine urban use seen the conventional, non-plugin, Niro around the place and it’s a quietly attractive we saw figures of as good as 2.4-litre per crossover, roughly half way between a small 100km, or 117mpg.

Combine that with a hugely impressive estate and a small SUV in styling. From the two-hour motorway average (when the batoutside, the only changes you’ll see are a small badge on the back, and the extra little teries are effectively dead weight) of 65mpg flap in the wing that covers up the charging and you can start to see just how impressive the Niro is. Over two particular days, point. covering 240km of distance on motorways, Open it up, and you can charge up the on-board 8.9kWh lithium-ion battery pack main roads, and in town, our average economy worked out at 3.3-litres per 100km, or in roughly four hours, from a domestic socket, or rather less than that from a prop- 85mpg.

On top of which the Niro is a very er charging point. with a full battery, Kia claims that the Niro will go for 58km before pleasant car to drive. It’s not a sports car (of course it’s not) but it drives with a light, you need to trouble the petrol engine. Realistically, we found that it’ll cover between easy precision, is very comfortable, and has a really nice cabin. Arguably it’s not as strik35-40km on a full charge. It’s still good ing inside (nor outside) as the rival Toyota enough, though, and you do find yourself able to stretch the electric-only range a little Prius Plugin Hybrid (which incidentally matches the Niro blow-for-blow when it with some careful driving. Performance comes to economy) but then it’s around from the 44.5kW electric motor is strong €2,000 cheaper than the Prius with the plug. enough for urban work.

The boot is slightly truncated, compared Venture out onto the open road and you’ll find that the 105hp 1.6-litre petrol engine to the standard Niro, because that’s where isn’t short of puff, even if it’s not exactly a the larger battery stack lives, but other than high-performance unit. that it’s an easy-going, practical, comfortCombined, the electric motor and petrol able car that just happens to have some engine deliver 141hp and that’s good truly cutting edge technology underneath.

ROAD TEST: KIA NIRO PLUGIN HYBRID

T

HE strength of the idea behind a plugin hybrid is such that some car makers have actually started to phase out ‘traditional’ hybrids in favour of those that come with a socket. How good an idea is this? Well, first let’s define our terms. We have conventional petrol and diesel cars, right? Then we have conventional hybrids — cars that are primarily powered by a petrol (or, very occasionally) diesel engine but which have a small electric motor and some batteries.

The motor adds a little extra power to the engine when needed, but it’s mostly there to save fuel, allowing for short bursts of electric running at low speeds, and in traffic. You don’t need to plug it into a socket to charge it up because it charges from its own engine and braking.

Plugin hybrids take that basic hybrid concept and add, basically, bigger batteries and a plug. The idea here is slightly different — plug in and charge up, and you have enough battery capacity to be able to drive for between 30-50km without needing the petrol engine at all. It’s enough for most people to do their school runs, shopping trips, or short commutes, on electric power alone, saving the petrol engine for longer journeys.

As a concept, it has obvious appeal as it’s an electric car without the pain of constant recharging, or range anxiety. You get, potentially, lots of electric motoring, but you’ll always be able to get to the end of your journey because you have a ‘normal’ engine and fuel tank too.

FACTS & FIGURES: Model tested: Kia Niro Plugin Hybrid Price: €35,995 as tested. Niro range starts from €30,995.

Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol + hybrid drive Transmission: six-speed dual-clutch automatic, front-wheel drive Body style: five-door crossover CO2 emissions: 29g/km (Band A1, €170 per annum) Combined economy: 217mpg (1.3 litres/100km) Top speed: 172km/h 0-100km/h: 10.8 seconds Power: 141hp at 5,700rpm Torque: 265Nm at 4,000rpm Boot space: 324-litres rear seats up EuroNCAP safety rating: Fivestar*; 91 per cent adult; 80 per cent child; 70 per cent pedestrian; 81 per cent safety assist *with optional safety pack

If you’re thinking about electric cars, and worried that you’re not ready yet to take the battery-only plunge, or if you’re looking for a terrific all-rounder that can replace your current diesel car without giving you higher fuel bills, look no further. lTERRIFIC ALL-ROUNDER: Kia Niro Plugin Hybrid

USED CAR OFFERS FROM LIAM CLEARY Discover more on www.liamclearyautoworld.ie YEAR

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Sorento Platinum 4x4 (172)(DEMO) Pro_Ceed GT Line 3dr (172)(DEMO) Galaxy Zetec 2.0, 7 seats Volvo V40 2.0 D2 SE Leather Carens EX 1.6CRDI Picanto 1.0 EX Rio 1.4CRDI Auris Auris Luna Ceed SW Sportage Platinum 1.7CRDI Ix20 Deluxe (161) 6 SE-L Nav (161-Road Tax €190pa) Venga 1.4 CVVT L 3008 1.6 HDI Auto Focus 1.6 TDCI Style Focus 1.6 TDCI Style C-Max Edition (152) Venga 1.4CRDI Sportage EXLS 1.7CRDI 2.2 Executive Corolla Luna Venga 1.4CRDI Venga Ceed EX 1.6CRDI Sportage 4x4EXS i20 Delux 208 Active (141) Tiguan Sport (142) Tiguan Trend&Fun (141) Sportage 1.7 LXE Insignia Pro Ceed EX Note1.4 120 1.4CRDI Ceed SW Rio CRDI Sportage EXL Focus Z Tech Venga EX Auris 5008 7 seater Focus Rio EX crdi Fluence TOMTOM Edition 207 1.4 HDI Passat Tech Bluemotion Scenic 5 Seater i30 Yaris Automatic Rio 1.5 CRDI Sportage 1.7 Ex 2WD 1.6 Sport

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6,000km 1,000km 57,000km 22,000km 37,000km 30,000km 40,000km 47,000km 59,400km 35,000km 74,000km 23,000km 40,100mls 39,100km 37,000km 52,500km 103,000km 37,000km 30,000km 80,000km 78,000km 31,600km 44,000km 121,000km 120,000km 87,000km 72,000km 42,000km 123,000km 79,400km 120,000km 93,000km 42,000km 50,000km 41,700km 118,000km 87,000km 119,000km 107,000km 94,000km 50,000km 162,000km 190,000km 63,000km 244,000km 215,000km 130,000mls 130,000km 87,000mls 109,700km 83,000km 167,900km 185,000km

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EchoSport l TOO GOOD: Jamie Malone outpaces Limerick’s Cillian Fahy in this race for possession Photo by Martin Connolly

Martin Daly GAA ANALYSIS

Clare’s free-scoring forwards can trouble Kerry but defenders need to stand up and be counted, says Martin Daly following heavy defeat of Limerick

Clare show cutting edge Clare 1-23 Limerick 0-14

Munster Football Championship QF at the Gaelic Grounds

C

LARE’S footballers showed every bit of their Division 2 class on Saturday as they easily broke down their Division 4 counterparts Limerick, in what was a fourth consecutive Munster quarter-final victory over our neighbours.

In Championship you can’t take anything for granted, but the gap between the sides was noticeable on Saturday. You could see it before the ball was even thrown in by referee Noel Mooney. Colm Collins’ men wouldn’t even have noticed as Limerick pulled away from their pre-match huddle, as they were engrossed in their

high-tempo pre-match warm up. Everything was focussed and snappy as it should be - sharpening their bodies and minds for the task at hand.

So it was no surprise that Clare got off the mark early on and looked comfortable.

However the 12-point winning margin didn’t do justice to the amount of possession Clare had. At times you thought this game was going to be a total riot.

Worryingly, when Limerick battled and actually posed serious questions for our defence, for a time we struggled to answer and offered our opponents way too much space away. Kerry will crucify us in the semi-final given the luxury of 10 yards of space.

On a more positive note, our half forward line was our strongest on the field. Eoin Cleary was on fire, Kieran Malone kicked his first championship goal and Jamie Malone showed a spring in his step that has been missing. Between them they scored a

very impressive 1-09.

David Tubridy, meanwhile, had his best game in years, scoring from distance off either foot. Keelan Sexton - usually a bright spark - was probably our weakest forward on the day, at times going for shots that weren’t on. An eagerness to get on the scoreboard contributed to his few wides and down in Killarney Keelan will expect himelf to take every scoring chance available, or at least recycle possession.

From midfield up we were strong - Cathal O’Connor was imposing, affording his partner Gary Brennan to sit back and reserve his energy for Kerry where we’ll need him at his best.

Our impact from the bench was also very impressive. Gavin Cooney was part of our minor team that reached the Munster Final last year. He has great awareness and looked the real deal slotting a fine point on Saturday. Gearoid O’Brien and Conor Finucane

are also showing Championship potential.

It’s positive to see these guys getting championship action and Colm Collins deserves praise blooding the strongest panel we’ve had in years.

KINGDOM COME Looking ahead to Killarney on June 3, full back Kevin Hartnett’s continued absence will be a huge loss. We have two to three backs who Kerry will have no problem targetting and whether they can survive the test in Killarney remains to be seen.

I think we’ll see a blanket defence in the semi-final, which is disappointing because our free scoring forwards have shown their ability to do damage to any team.

Last year in Ennis we put up a great show against Kerry, but now we’re heading to the lion’s den. The Kerrymen usually don’t come on fire in the first two rounds, so we have a sneaking chance provided our backs put up a strong showing.

SPORT 35

THURSDAY, MAY 24 2018

Banner fall flat at finish Cork 2-23 Clare 1-21

Munster Hurling Championship Round 1 at Pairc Ui Chaoimh

Hurling JAMES MULVIHILL

C

LARE came to Pairc Ui Chaoimh with high hopes on Sunday however, the bus journey home would have been a quiet one.

John Conlon was our bright spark, scoring five points from play and working hard throughout, while Colm Galvin’s link play was notable - but the Banner men will need to be more clinical up front when they host Waterford this weekend, where only a win will do.

Clare’s flying start made for heartening viewing early on as three points from John Conlon, Colm Galvin and Peter Duggan (free) gave Clare an early lead.

However, the Rebels hit back with three points of their own through Patrick Horgan (two frees) and Mark Coleman before Duggan and Horgan shared the next two points to leave the score at 0-04 to 0-04. Cork then hit the front for the first time through Robbie O’Flynn, and Clare would be chasing the game from here on out.

Horgan and Conor Lehane added points for the Rebels which were sandwiched by a Conor McGrath point to leave the score at 0-07 to 0-05 after 20 minutes.

Clare stayed in touch throughout a first half of tit-for-tat scoring, with a long-range point by David Reidy, a brace of points from Peter Duggan, a Colm Galvin point and an inspirational score from former hurler of the year Tony Kelly left the score at the interval 0-11 to 0-10 in favour of the Rebels.

Clare started the second half with more intent with two points through Shane O’Donnell and the impressive John Conlon. Cork hit back with two points of their own through Darragh Fitzgibbon which was cancelled out by Shane O’Donnell to leave the score at

‘‘

‘‘

Play was stopped for a lengthy period when Robbie O’Flynn was stretchered off the pitch following a nasty collision

0-14 to 0-13 after 44 minutes.

Play was then stopped for a lengthy period when Erins man Robbie O’Flynn was stretchered off the pitch following a nasty collision with teammate Conor Lehane, On the resumption of play, Cork scored the opening goal when a long delivery by Shane Kingston which looked to be going wide was kept in play by the outstretched hurley of Patrick Horgan, who flicked to the edge of the square for Conor Lehane to fire past Donal Tuohy.

Horgan added another point to extend the lead to five points. However Clare hit back through David Reidy and John Conlon before levelling the game in the 61st minute when Shane O’Donnell won clean possession and took on the Cork defence before hand passing to Tony Kelly who rifled an angled shot from the ground past Anthony Nash.

Discipline was doing us no favours as Patrick Horgan landed another free to give Cork the advantage once again and the Glen Rovers sharpshooter brought his tally to 0-09 with two well taken points to leave the score at 1-18 to 1-16 after 67 minutes. The Banner men hit back thanks to scores by Tony Kelly and Colm Galvin.

This was as good as it got for Clare and Cork took control scoring four of the next five points through Dean Brosnan, Horgan, Seamus Harnedy and Lehane.

The prolific Conlon closed the gap to two, however Cork spread their legs during 11 minutes of added time and sealed victory with a well taken goal from Seamus Harnedy.

Cork: Anthony Nash; Sean O’Donoghue, Damien Cahalane, Colm Spillane; Christopher Joyce, Mark Ellis (0-2), Mark Coleman (0-1); Darragh Fitzgibbon (0-3), Bill Cooper (0-1); Daniel Kearney, Conor Lehane (1-2), Robbie O’Flynn (0-1); Luke Meade, Seamus Harnedy (1-2), Patrick Horgan (0-10,6fs). Subs: Shane Kingston for Meade (42 mins), Tim O’Mahony for O’Flynn injured (53 mins), Dean Brosnan (0-1) for Kearney (68 mins).

Clare: Donal Tuohy; Patrick O’Connor, Conor Cleary, Jack Browne; David Fitzgerald, David McInerney, Seadna Morey; Colm Galvin (0-3), Tony Kelly (1-3,1f); Cathal Malone, John Conlon (0-5), David Reidy (0-3,2fs); Conor McGrath (0-1), Peter Duggan (0-4fs), Shane O’Donnell (0-2). Subs: Darragh Corry for Duggan (57 mins), Michael O’Malley for O’Connor (69 mins), Ian Galvin for Reidy (75 mins), Jamie Shanahan for C. Galvin (76 mins).

Referee: Sean Cleere (Kilkenny).

l SMASH AND GRAB: David Reidy having his helmet examined by Cork’s Mark Coleman

Photo by Martin Connolly

14-man Clare Minors can take heart from defeat THE Clare Minor hurlers suffered a heart-breaking defeat at the hands of Cork on a score-line of 0-26 to 3-13.

The Banner men were full value for their lead in the opening half thanks to two goals from the impressive Mark Rodgers.

Gearoid O’Grady added a third goal to leave the score at the interval 3-07 to 0-14.

Clare finished this contest with 14 men when Tony Butler received a second yellow card from referee Kevin Jordan and his sending off was a major blow to Clare’s chances of causing an upset.

The Banner men should be proud of their performance and will look to bounce back against Waterford in Cusack Park this weekend.

Clare’s scorers: Mark Rodgers (2-2), Gearoid O’Grady (1-1), Kealan Guyler (0-3,2fs), Aidan Moriarty and William Halpin (0-2 each), Darragh Healy, Fionn Slattery and Shane Meehan (0-1 each).

Referee: Philip Kelly (Tipperary).

l DOWN BUT NOT OUT: Gearoid O’Grady in Clare’s Minor Photo by Martin Connolly defeat last weekend

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38 CROSSWORD/HOROSCOPES

THURSDAY, MAY 24 2018

Your Horoscopes May 24 ANGRY? Wishing the world would just leave you alone and stop handing over choices you don’t feel ready to make?

The good news is that you have options. You can arrange for a break in the action, and you’ll definitely be able to find someone in a similar mood who’ll be game to play hooky with you. Oh, well. You’re due for a day off, anyway.

Taurus

Gemini

WHILE you were brushing your teeth this morning, you may have looked in the mirror and suddenly decided there was something you’d like to change about yourself. Well, good for you. You can do it, and you know it. What you may not know is that if you start the project now, you’ll see results in an amazingly short amount of time. That goes for diets, cosmetic changes or even just attitude adjustments.

YOU’RE not in the mood for angry words, bright lights or loud music -- and no rushing around, either. This will amaze your friends, who’ve come to expect nonstop activity and commotion as your absolute favorite state of affairs. Still, you’re perfectly entitled to silence when you want it. Could it be time for a trip to the country? Or maybe just a day alone, with the headphones on and the phone turned off?

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

THE heavens have a plan: They’re aiming to bring you close (or even closer) to both your friends and/or your lover -closer than you have been in some time, which is really saying something for your affectionate sign. You’ll probably end up in a long heart-to-heart, too, regarding a dispute that’s taken far too long to resolve. Whether you’re delivering or accepting the apology, expect a happy ending.

IT’S time for you to stop worrying about your job, and about what might happen ‘if.’ That dreaded ‘if’ isn’t going to happen. Even if your dealings with a certain higher-up have been less than amicable, you’ll be able to smooth things over nicely next week. Show up a couple of minutes early, ask for five minutes and have a nice heart-to-heart chat. Bet you’ll end up even better off, professionally and personally speaking than you were before.

YOU want to make things better, and you’re ready to give in and admit you were wrong -- this time -- if they’ll agree to a couple of teeny, tiny ‘conditions.’ For example: 1) There will be no more pouting when you offer suggestions about how to make something better. 2) There will be no more pouting when it turns out that you’re right. Your mission: Present your suggestions without even a hint of criticism in your tone.

Libra

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Capricorn

Aquarius

Pisces

YOU can definitely expect at least one more wonderful day, and one more wonderful evening, too. Better stock up on all the things you’ll need to create the ambiance you’re after, too: food, music and maybe some incense or some scented candles. Better make a couple of phone calls, too -- to the friends who ordinarily call you at least once every evening.

OKAY, so if any sign is, it’s yours that’s ordinarily the very soul of discretion, self-control, and discipline. Still, it won’t take much arm-twisting to talk you into a little recreation at this particular moment in time. It will take even less persuasion if you just so happen to be at the mercy of someone you’ve been dying to spend a few quality hours alone with for a long, long time. Oh, go ahead. But lose the guilt first.

1/1

Aries

FOR days now -- okay, maybe weeks -- you’ve been going on and on about your new babe. Now it’s time to take Mr. Right or Ms. Wonderful to face the ultimate test: Meeting the gang. If you’re especially proud of them -- and how could you not be -- show up just a few minutes late and make a grand entrance. They don’t call it ‘fashionably late’ for nothing.

YOU’VE been looking at your life lately and wondering if it’s at all the way you want it to be. If you’re not sure anymore, you have options. You can either seek out a realtor in the city or state of your choice, or you can start flipping through the atlas to find a country you might like to get to know better for a couple of years. Less drastic? Redecorate. ‘Create’ an entirely new home right where you are.

The Clare Echo Crossword

ACROSS

1 Record on? Something sure to rattle (10) 7 Supervisor finished with prophet (8) 8 Stagger back, giving unpleasant look (4) 9 There’s nothing about article, but it may be filed (4) 10 Leader of Girl Guides in Wells (7) 12 Excuse for gift given to prisoner (11) 14 Veils to conceal flowers (7) 16 Something to eat at home alone? Not entirely (4) 19 Reasonable start for folk song (4) 20 Our man’s wild and king goes crazy (4,4) 21 Fish comes in for craftsmen (10)

DOWN

YOU’VE been working hard. Really hard. In fact, you’re actually thinking that you’re much too tired to go out tonight.

Before you refuse, though, think over the offer -- and the person who’s offering. It might be wiser to sneak in a power-nap and force yourself to mingle. First of all, you have your reputation to think of -- as a non-stop ‘recreationist’ who’s always game for just one more of just about anything.

THE heavens have arranged for each and every word you utter to emerge sounding firm, grounded and absolutely impossible to argue with. That goes double for emotional issues, which will undoubtedly be the subject. Fortunately, there’s no time like the present for a heart-to-heart talk with the person you love most. Stop mulling and start talking. Make the call and clear the air. You’ll feel much better afterward.

1 Opera singer with new bed (5) 2 European bears in trouble (7) 3 Submarine captain upset by sign (4) 4 Looking round for a letter? (8) 5 Name of man making contribution to moral philosophy (5) 6 Brown has seized her working capital (6) 11 Swedes, for example, introducing credit to poor vagrant (4,4) 12 Republican leader in Alaska entertained by smart French statesman (6) 13 Repeat letters from writer at ease (7) 15 Grub right inside hot

rock (5) 17 Beastly kings have their pride! (5)

18 Clergyman is to lose his head soon (4)

CROSSWORD ANSWERS

QUIZ 39

THURSDAY, MAY 24 2018

The Clare Echo Quiz GOLF AND CLARE 2

3

4

5 6 7

8

l QUESTION 7: Look at the picture (above). The driving range is located where?

9 l QUESTION 1: Where will the 2019 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open be held?

10

6. Bodyke 7. Dromoland Golf Club 8. Paul McGinley 9. Dromoland 10. 1892

Course, Doonbeg Golf Links Which animal roams Lahinch Golf Course, often helping golfers predict the weather?

Rabbits, Goats, Donkeys Which famous golfer designed Doonbeg Golf Course?

Nick Faldo, Christy O’Connor Jnr, Greg Norman Which Clare hurling manager was defeated by Shannon’s Ed Hickey in the 2014 South of Ireland Amateur

Open at Lahinch?

Ger Loughnane, Cyril Lyons, Davy Fitzgerald Which Clare golf course hosted the Club Clare golf classic this year, which was sponsored by The Clare Echo and DNG O’Sullivan Hurley?

Ennis Golf Club, Woodstock Golf Club, Shannon Golf Club The East Clare Golf Club is located where?

Killaloe, Scariff, Bodyke Look at the picture (right). The driving range is located where?

Dromoland Golf Club, Shannon Golf Club, Doonbeg Golf Club Which golfer is responsible for bringing the Irish Open to Lahinch?

Paul McGinley, Padraig Harrington, Shane Lowry This one’s for the hardcore golfers - which golf course is the longest at 6,824 yards?

Shannon, Dromoland, Spanish Point Finally, Lahinch is the oldest golf course in Munster – but what year was it established?

1792, 1892, 1912

ANSWERS 1. Lahinch Old Course 2. Goats 3. Greg Norman 4. Davy Fitzgerald 5. Woodstock Golf Club

Where will the 2019 Dubai Duty 1Lahinch Free Irish Open be held?

Old Course, Lahinch Castle

OLD IMAGES OF COUNTY CLARE

Lisdoonvarna circa 1860-1883.

Photo from The Stereo Pairs Photograph Collection (National Library of Ireland)

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