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‘Lives are at risk’ Doolin Coast Guard Unit stood down

PÁRAIC McMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

“L

IVES are at risk” after the Doolin Coast Guard Unit was stood down amid an ongoing dispute. Considered one of the busiest coast guard units in the country, the Doolin unit was stood down from operations after six of the 18 volunteers announced their resignation from the unit at the weekend. A spokesperson for the Irish Coast Guard confirmed to The

Clare Echo that the unit was stood down from operations on Tuesday evening. “Inis Oirr Coast Guard Unit, which falls under the direct management of the Doolin Unit, shall continue to remain fully operational. In the interim Coast Guard is liaising with other SAR stakeholders in the area in order to provide cover for services that otherwise would be provided by the Doolin unit. According to the Irish Coast Guard divisions “have unfortunately existed” within the Doolin unit for a number of years while it acknowledged “the strenuous efforts and leadership

Continues pg 4

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Ennis Data Centre to be discussed at COP26 march

2-14

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REBECCA O’NEILL

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Email: sales@clareecho.ie or niall@clareecho.ie This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Press Council’s Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Press Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1890 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie

l IT’S BUSINESS TIME: Darragh McAllister president of the Ennis Chamber, delivers a speech at the Clare Business Excellence and Resilience awards held at glór last Thursday. For more on this go to page 24.

COP26 climate march is to take place this Saturday. Clare activists will be joining their Limerick counterparts at Bedford Row this Saturday at 12pm. Ennis’ proposed data centre will be among the items discussed at the demonstration. The COP26 Coalition is a civil society coalition of groups and individuals mobilising around climate justice during Conference of the Parties (COP). Coalition members include NGOs, trade unions, grassroots community campaigns, youth strikers, migrant and racial justice networks. Union of Students in Ireland, National Women’s Council of Ireland, Unite the Union, Safety Before LNGs, Future Proof Clare, Love Leitrim, Friends of the Earth, Friends of Ardee Bog, Climate Case Ireland, Not Here Not Anywhere, Extinction Rebellion, The Peatlands Gathering, People before Profit, Just Transition Greens, The Rural Ireland Organisation and Independent Farmers of Ireland are among the groups to endorse Saturday’s climate march. In light of this week’s COP26 climate change conference, Cathal Crowe TD (FF) stated, “it’s important that we reflect on climate change at local and county level but also that as a population here in Ireland, we act on a global level”.

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Small time dealers now ‘king pins’ by PÁRAIC McMAHON SMALL-TIME drug dealers have become “kingpins in Europe” on account of “soft” criminal law in Ireland, a Clare TD has claimed. Villages across Co Clare have residents that “are not going to work but are living way beyond their means,” Deputy Cathal Crowe (FF) remarked while posing the question to the Garda Commissioner that criminal law in the country was “soft”. “The reality is some of the small time drug dealers who stood on alleyways and stairways in the 1980s are now kingpins in Europe. There is something wrong that someone cannot be reined in from a street corner and they are now barons in Europe,” the Meelick native remarked. Deputy Crowe noted that the Criminal Assets Bureau recently marked its twenty fifth anniversary, “there has been talk of baby CAB and mini CAB but the reality is drug dealing isn’t just in Ballymun flats, it is in every village in Clare”. Speaking at a meeting of the Joint Policing Committee, Commissioner Drew Harris stressed that the Gardaí were committed to putting away the “foot soldiers and lieutenants” associated with drug dealing. He commented that efforts continue internationally with Interpol and Europol to tackle international crime groups with Irish origin. Commissioner Harris said the legislation in Ireland was among the “strongest and rigourest” in Europe, “we have the strongest regime in securing criminal assets”. He added, “we want to make Ireland a hard target for organised crime, we can only do with that with our international partners”.

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

Debate on spelling of Lahinch or Lehinch can only be decided by public vote l Lahinch or Lehinch? Photograph: John Mangan

by PÁRAIC MCMAHON HANGING the spelling on Clare road signs deemed to be incorrect can only be amended by a public vote. ‘Damage and confusion’ has been caused to parts of the county due to the spellings which have appeared on signage, Cllr Liam Grant (GP) stated. At Tuesday’s meeting of the West Clare Municipal District, he proposed that the road signage for Lahinch, Ennistymon, Corofin and other areas revert “to the previously used and most preferred spelling”. He acknowledged that the issue had been raised in the past and sought an update on any progress made in this regard. “These are tourist towns, and the names form a very strong part of the brand. We had thousands of visitors attending the Irish Open at Lahinch Golf Club greeted by road signs reading ‘Lehinch’. It’s confusing and damaging for the town,” the

earth and ocean science graduate said. This motion was seconded by Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG). In 2012, the name of Lahinch on road signs was changed to Lehinch, the coastal spot has been known as Lahinch since the 1850s. Funds were due to be set aside in 2018 for a plebiscite to be held, this is the direct vote of all the members of an electorate on an important public question such as a change in the constitution. This local vote never took place. Admiration for the “vigilantes who went around and changed the road signs” back to the original spelling was voiced by Cllr Grant. “As a proud Lahinch man I get very frustrated when I drive past incorrectly spelled road signs”. Acting senior executive officer, John O’Malley recalled that the issue was brought before a Strategic Policy Committee in 2018. “There is a cost involved in doing that work, we would have to find a

budget for it. We will contact our physical development section in relation to it”. Proper spelling needs to be implemented, Cllr Ian Lynch (IND) maintained. “The signs are incorrect, what is the cost to correct incorrect signs, somewhere along the line, somebody made the mistake”. O’Malley replied, “They are correct in someone’s eyes, they made a standard that someone agreed they should be spelled”. Director of Services, Leonard Cleary told the meeting that the spelling relates to a 1914 Ordnance Survey Map. He acknowledged that a number of areas across Clare have contentious spellings on their road signs. “The last time it was discussed, it was suggested that there be a pilot. A plebiscite is a vote in specific townland, often it can happen at time of local election with an extra ballot paper, there is a very prescribed way for how it is done,” he explained.

It’s a stones Answers sought over Doolin Coast to drive in Guard after six resignations Parteen by PÁRAIC MCMAHON

“JAGGED stones” have caused vehicle damage in Parteen. Calls to complete remedial works “to make safe face of roadside ditch” on the L-3062 at Heffernan’s Bend by Larkin’s Cross was issued by Cllr Michael Begley (IND) before the Shannon Municipal District, his motion was seconded by Cllr John Crowe (FG). Begley who flagged, “jagged stones are projecting and have caused vehicle damage”. Senior executive engineer, Tom Mellett said that the MD will liaise with the relevant landowner “and take the appropriate measures to ensure this obstacle is removed”. He was confident remedial work would take place swiftly. One car was “pretty badly damaged” at the location, the Clonlara representative noted. He explained that two ditches on the edge of the road existed, “there are articulated trucks coming from the Gillogue side and the current traffic bringing materials to Springfield so we need action sooner rather than later,” he added.

continued from front

displayed by many members of the unit, its management team in particular, and other stakeholders to address these difficulties. The Irish Coast Guard will continue to offer support to all those affected by this event, and with the aim to strengthen the unit’s management structure, provide relevant training and mediation services as may be required, and return the unit to operational readiness as quickly as practicable”. In March 2015, the purpose built €1.9m Doolin Coast Guard facility opened. The €1.9m building has an operations and training room, changing facilities, wet room, store room and large garage within which to store boats, road transport and cliff rescue equipment. Clare TD, Joe Carey (FG) wrote to the Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan (GP) following the resignation of the six volunteers. “Doolin Coast Guard Unit has been an invaluable resource to Clare for many years and is widely regarded as the best Coast Guard unit in the country. It is really

important that volunteers are listened to by management and that every effort is made to work with Doolin Coast Guard volunteers with a view to retaining this crucial service,” Deputy Carey detailed. Speaking to The Clare Echo, Senator Martin Conway (FG) expressed his deep disappointment as he sought explanations on what happened. “I’m not convinced that emergency response weaponry is adequate, with the best will in the world the people in Aran Islands as good and all as they are can’t cover the whole coast of Clare from Ballyvaughan to Kilrush, I think lives are at risk,” he warned. Sen Timmy Dooley (FF) raised the issue in the Seanad on Wednesday as he outlined that HR issues were to the core of the matter. “To say that the standing down of the Doolin Coast Guard Unit caused shock throughout Clare and the midwest region would be an understatement. They have been put to sea in the most hazardous conditions and carry out search rescue and recovery missions 365 days a year both day and night. Their work is so arduous and so difficult.”

An emergency motion was tabled by elected members of the West Clare Municipal District on Tuesday evening seeking the intervention of the Minister for Transport “as a matter of urgency”. Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) said the suspension was “very disturbing”. The Lisdoonvarna man called the unit “an intrinsic part of our area” and noted how it was there for the public “in a time of most need”. He declared, “inder no circumstances are we going to accept a scaling down or any affect”.

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THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

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8 NEWS

Future of Raidió Corca Baiscinn under threat PÁRAIC MCMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

EARS have been expressed by a Clare TD over the future of a community radio station in West Clare. Raidió Corca Baiscinn were unsuccessful in 2021 and 2020 in their applications to the COVID-19 Stability Fund. Just last week, the Kilkee based community radio station were honoured at the CRAOL Féile Awards taking home gold and silver accolades. Five full-time jobs are provided at RCB under the Community Services Programme with a further five community employment part-time jobs at the station. RCB has a listenership of 13,000 and offers volunteering and training pathways for people with diverse lived experiences. Sports presenters Jim Conlan and Nicholas Rynne, documentary maker Dermot Hayes plus music presenters Mikey

Lorrigan and Brian Clohessy are among the volunteers at the station. Clare TD, Violet-Anne Wynne (SF) has warned that RCB is now “facing an uncertain future due to the lack of funding and this would be a devastat-

nities scattered across South West Clare, as it has done for many years now. Never has their work been so important and integral to the community than the Covid-19 period. RCB didn’t stop broadcasting all throughout the pandemic

ing blow to the community of South West Clare”. She outlined the need for increased funding for community radio stations. “This local community radio station provides an invaluable service to the rural commu-

period, over the course of the last 19 months they continued recording local radio shows and providing connection, entertainment and quite frankly, a lifeline to many people experiencing isolation,” she stated.

Ronan O’Driscoll’s novel

‘Chief O’Neill’ is available at The Ennis Book Shop

Deputy Wynne has written an appeal to Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development with special responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Joe O’Brien (GP) over RCB’s unsuccessful attempts to secure funding. “Community radio services were considered as essential service over the pandemic period and RCB kept broadcasting despite the fact they were not able to generate revenue from fundraising, sponsorship and advertising as in other years,” the Kilrush woman commented. She continued, “RCB provide training and volunteering opportunities to Disabled People, early-school leavers and others as well as providing a hub of activity to the South West. I am aware of other community organisations attracting large sums of money, in both the 2020 and 2021 tranches and if balanced regional development is to amount to more than just hollow buzzwords, the West can’t get left behind. Fair is fair”.

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

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KNIGHT FRANK have recently introduced to the market a site extending to approx. 3.73 acres off the Shanaway Road, just 3km west of Ennis, Co. Clare with a guide price of €20,000 exclusive. The lands are situated immediately adjacent to the Woodstock View residential development and are accessed via a laneway off the Shanaway Road. Located directly opposite the Woodstock Hotel and Golf Club, the property comprises a relatively rectangular shaped holding of 3.73 acres. Under the Clare County Development Plan 20172023, the subject lands are unzoned, with the adjoining lands to the southeast zoned residential. The subject lands are well placed just 3km west of Ennis Town Centre which offers a host of amenities. Bars and restaurants in the town include Brogan’s, Lana, Milano’s, Henry’s Bistro, The Poet’s Corner and Peppermill to name a few. Ennis is also home to many well-known retail stores including Penney’s, Dunnes Stores, DV8, Eason’s and Carraig Donn, along with numerous boutique stores. Furthermore, the M18 Motorway can easily be reached, providing excellent road links to both Limerick and Galway. Shannon Airport can be reached in under the 30 minutes via the M18, and the M7 Motorway to Dublin can be reached in under 40 minutes. Sole selling agent’s Knight Frank commented: “Given the attractive lot size and strategic location of the site, we would expect to see strong interest in the sale.” For further information, please contact Robert Wilson or Kevin McQuillan of Knight Frank on 01 634 2466.

Story of Chief O’Neill hits book shelves in time for Christmas by STUART HOLLY LOOKING for a gift idea for a history lover, or someone who knows their traditional music? Chief O’Neill by Ronan O’Driscoll could be just the book for you. With Christmas time now approaching, Chief O’Neill has hit book shelves and can be picked up at The Ennis Book Shop in County Clare. Speaking about Chief O’Neill, author Ronan O’Driscoll says he first stumbled across Francis O’Neill while learning songs

from his famous book, The Dance Music Of Ireland: 1001 Gems. Francis O’Neill was an Irishman from Cork, married to a Clare woman, who emigrated to America and eventually became Chief of Police in Chicago. “It was his passion for Irish music that makes his story so interesting,” explains Ronan. O’Neill struggled in those early years working as a packer in the cruel conditions of the Chicago stockyards. His family was beset by sickness and devastating tragedy; of their ten children, only four survived to adulthood. Eventually, in 1873, he received a break when hired as an officer in the burgeoning police force of the booming city. He went on to serve twice as police chief; the first man in Chicago to do so. Throughout all this time, he pursued what he called the “Fascinating Hobby” of Irish music: gathering tunes and musicians, some of whom he hired to the force. Ronan continues, “At some point, I found myself turning his history into a novel. The story of Irish immigration was personally important, but of deeper significance was Irish music and O’Neill’s role in its preservation. Today, every city in the world has an Irish pub or two with a good chance of sessions of Irish music. O’Neill recognized the strong communal nature of the tradition and wanted to encourage its global spread. “My hope with my book Chief O’Neill is to make better known the fascinating journey of Francis O’Neill’s life.” Ronan O’Driscoll’s novel Chief O’Neill is available in The Ennis Bookshop.

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

Population projections for County Clare need to be urgently revised PÁRAIC MCMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

OPULATION allocations set out in the National Planning Framework (NPF) and Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSES) adopted by the three Regional Assemblies need to be urgently revised, Clare councillors have warned. An “imbalance in the allocation of population” exists in the NPF and RSESs, Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) flagged as he called on Clare’s Oireachtas members and Clare County Council to intervene. Projections forecast population growth of 45,000 (Galway City), 40,000 (Limerick City) and 10,000 (Clare), Cllr Killeen outlined as he shared his sympathy for individuals trying to secure planning permission in rural parts of the county and remote workers eyeing up a move to Clare, “accommodation

is expensive and scarce”. He added, “at the end of the plan Galway City will have a bigger population than all of Clare”. Director of Economic Development, Liam Conneally acknowledged that projected population targets from the NPF have been incorporated into the RSESs forming “the broad population parameters for each local authority development plan preparation process”. Each County Development Plan will have to set out a clear housing supply target for the relevant sixyear (i.e. quarter-to-quarter) plan period “consistent with the prescribed methodology” as set out by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. This targeted distribution of housing and population is referred to as the ‘settlement hierarchy’ and it “dictates the nature of the core strategy statement”. Speaking at a recent meeting of the County Council, Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) described the matter as “a core issue in relation to the sustainability of rural parts of Clare”. Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) agreed

with these sentiments, “This issue goes to the heart of if we really want rural development. What is the impact of this diktat on the capacity of West Clare to reap the reward of what is coming from Moneypoint. The grandsons of the original Moneypointers are playing football for Naomh Eoin and O’Currys, we need that to continue with the next generation of workers in Moneypoint”. Getting people back living in rural communities was at “the heart of the debate,” Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) interpreted. An increase of 25,000 to 30,000 tradespeople will be needed “to have any chance of delivering any targets,” Cllr Michael Begley (IND) maintained and added, “we need those people in the next year or two if this plan is to meet any targets”. Projections for Clare were labelled as “highly questionable” by Cllr Pat McMahon (FF), “half of Ireland is bright and half is dark, the half that is dark is the west coast,” he stated. “We in East and they in West will find it very hard to support the draft County Dev

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Plan if we don’t look at what Cllr Killeen is proposing this evening,” Cllr Joe Cooney (FG) stressed. Conneally told the meeting that this will be “one of the more difficult exercises” of the County Development Plan and noted a requirement in legislation to be consistent with the Regional Assemblies. “Overzoning of land in a very significant way ultimately led to a crash in 2008 or 2009,” he added. Chief Executive of Clare County Council, Pat Dowling offered assurances that local authority staff were as “ambitious for the future of Clare” as elected representatives. “The way this operates, it is controlled from the centre, it has been in the past and continues to be an urban centric model. Forward planning in the context of how it is impacting on Clare is stand-still planning. There is no point cursing that darkness in the west, we have to push the limits of our planning process as Liam has said and set out our stall. We’ve got to do what we can ourselves for Co Clare”.

NEWS 9

l CONCERN: Cllr Joe Killeen

10 NEWS

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

Flexible pensions sought by PÁRAIC MCMAHON

CREATION of a flexible retirement and pension plan can incentivise members of the Irish public to work longer, a Clare councillor has said. In a recent proposal before the local authority, Cllr Pat McMahon (FF) requested that the Government “devise a flexible retirement or pension plan which will incentivise employers and facilitate employees who wish to continue to work full time or part time”. Cllr McMahon detailed survey findings which showed that 24 percent of the public kept working past retirement age for financial reasons, “others did it to keep their mind active and to maintain social interaction”. “It is to reflect growing old, people are living longer, 81 has been compared with 69. An awful lot of people want to live and work longer,” the Newmarket-on-Fergus native added. His proposal was seconded by Cllr John Crowe (FG).

‘Cars are slipping off wide open Meelick road’

“ADVERSE weather conditions” have been blamed for creating “a lot of damage” to a busy Meelick road, writes Páraic McMahon. Repairs and resurfacing works on the section of road between Nix’s Bridge and Brennan’s Cross in Meelick was requested by Cllr PJ Ryan (IND) at a recent meeting of the Shannon Municipal District. Senior executive engineer, Tom Mellett confirmed that the road would be assessed as part of the preparation process for next year’s roads programme. Mellett’s reply was described as positive by Cllr Ryan. “It is a section of road that has deteriorated quite a lot in recent times, it had a special surface put on it one time but due to adverse weather conditions it has created a lot of damage on the road,” the Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council explained. Some of the ditch from Brennan’s Cross as far back as Nix’s Bridge “has collapsed,” Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF) cautioned. He recalled that in recent weeks a car had to be pulled back from the river by a lorry. “It is very open for cars to slip off the road, it is wide open,” he noted. Activity on the road must be considered, Cllr Michael Begley (IND) felt. “The amount of traffic on that link is unbelievable”. He outlined that “a huge amount of traffic” is using the strip of road.

l HIGH FIVES ALL ROUND: Leah and John Sheedy celebrate Smith O’Briens’ success at the weekend in Cusack Park, after the Killaloe side were victors in the Intermediate Championship Hurling final at Cusack Park

Photo by Ruth Griffin

‘Rural life & people matter’ - Kelly calls out county TDs PÁRAIC MCMAHON paraic@clareecho.ie

LANNING guidelines will have to be “annulled or replaced” otherwise rural Clare will be “finished,” the county’s longest-serving politician has warned. Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) has been an elected representative on Clare County Council since 1974. At a recent sitting of the local authority, he called on the Government to “urgently draw up a Rural Housing Development Plan to address the urban housing crisis, recognise the lawful rights of rural people and to address the social and economic changes caused by Covid”. Government policy on rural housing has been set out under the Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines 2005, Director of Economic Development, Liam

Conneally replied. “Since these guidelines were published there have been a number of changes to national policy that directly impact rural housing provision. Also the Covid 19 pandemic has impacted rural housing demand and views on working from rural locations in a positive way”. He agreed that “specific attention and guidance” was needed from Government on a rural housing policy. The Department of Housing has indicated it will revise the sixteen year old guidelines in the second half of 2021. Conneally committed to contacting Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien (FF) to receive guidance on the matter to “inform the current County Development Plan review process”. Silence from Clare’s Oireachtas members on the subject was described by Cllr Kelly as amazing. “I have gone through the new planning guidelines, unless they are annulled or replaced then rural Ireland is re-

placed, there is no doubt in the world about it”. He continued, “we will have to have a complete replacement, rural Clare is finished, the days of the traditional farmer’s son and daughter getting planning permission is gone”. Closures of primary schools in Clare was flagged by the Lissycasey native, “rural schools have closed down one by one, they are being phased out”. Action is needed from the county’s Oireachtas members, he stressed. “Loyalty to one’s county is far superior to one’s party, if they have to break the rules to get a result, so be it”. He added, “Rural life matters and rural people matter, our TDs might find out some day that rural votes matter, we have a voice, we can challenge and fight knowing we’re going to lose or we can surrender. The representative we sent to Dublin have surrendered to civil servants, if this goes through they

will be held responsible.” A solution to sewage treatment is drastically needed, Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) stated in seconding the proposal. Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) commented, “We’re dealing with a very successful part of the country in terms of the Wild Atlantic Way and I take East Clare into account with the money we will be investing into Holy Island, we’re not talking about lost causes or trying to bring back an extinct race. “It appears to me that someone in Dublin is making the decision already. What I’m seeing at the minute is whatever we do, the decision is out of our hands,” Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) surmised, of the County Development Plan. He flagged “that one of the biggest renewable energy investments in the world will happen in West Clare” and it needs to be used as a justification for increased support for the county.

Fears over access to Craughan Graveyard by PÁRAIC McMAHON AN ELECTED representative has warned that access to a Cratloe graveyard could be “gone forever” if accessibility issues are not taken seriously. Appeals to have resurfacing work completed on the approach to Craughan Graveyard “would greatly exceed any budget available to the burial grounds unit,” senior executive engineer with the Shannon Municipal District Tom Mellett outlined. He explained the road is through private land and doesn’t have the benefit of a public right of way. “As this road serves the burial

ground, several landholdings and houses, consideration could be given to an application under the Local Improvement Scheme”. Cllr PJ Ryan (IND) had sought an update on different projects in Cratloe including the resurfacing of the road leading to the graveyard, the pedestrian crossing at Cratloe National School plus the footpath and lights from the Portdrine flyover to the GAA cross. Mellett detailed that the pedestrian crossing was due to be in place by the spring of 2022 and is currently at design stage. The proposed footpath is also at design stage with a costing to be carried out, “a provision has been made from the General Municipal

Allocation fund for this project.” Part of the original agreement between Clare County Council and the landowners was for the local authority to maintain the road leading to Craughan Graveyard, Cllr Ryan stated. “The quality of the road is very poor because the water runs down the road and eats up the surface. I won’t be around if it takes another 30 years,” he added. A need for resurfacing was also emphasised by Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF). “It is very simple, if we lose it, it could be gone forever,” He added. “We all have loved ones down there and we don’t want to be traipsing over briars and railway lines to access it”.

NEWS 11

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

in association with

UL confer Ennis’ John Slattery with honorary doctorate PÁRAIC MCMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

NNIS native, John Slattery has been conferred with an honorary doctorate from the University of Limerick. Since July of last year, John has been the President and CEO of GE Aviation running the world-leading provider of commercial and military jet engines and services, as well as avionics, digital solutions, and electrical power systems for aircraft. On Wednesday evening, John was conferred with the honorary doctorate alongside Dr Anne Anderson the first female Irish am-

bassador to the EU, the UN and the USA, singer/songwriter Paul Brady and the former Minister of Finance and ex Fine Gael leader, Michael Noonan. John’s love for aviation developed in his youth when he went on weekend trips to Shannon Airport with his older brother Domhnall who is the CEO of Avolon. Before GE Aviation, Slattery led Embraer’s largest business, Commercial Aviation, typically accounting for over half of the Group’s revenue and free cash flow as well as about 10,000 of its 18,000 employees. During his tenure at Embraer Commercial Aviation, the E-Jet installed base doubled, the number of operators grew by 45 percent, the unit backlog grew by 36 percent, and the number of countries

operating the E-Jet increased by 39 percent. As chief commercial officer and subsequently CEO of Commercial Aviation, the past pupil of St Flannan’s College was responsible for the business plan for the E2 through triple-certification of the E190-E2 in 2018. He previously served as Embraer’s senior vice president of customer finance, risk, and asset management. Prior to joining Embraer in 2011, Mr. Slattery spent 15 years in the aircraft financing and leasing space, where he developed deep financial understanding of airline operations and a large network of aerospace professionals that he continued to engage at Embraer.

Rowan Tree won’t be used as Direct Provision centre - Department confirm

l The Rowan Tree

by PÁRAIC Mc MAHON

HE Rowan Tree Hostel and Restaurant will not be turned into a Direct Provision centre. Speculation had circulated around Ennis in the past week that the popular restaurant which closed three weeks ago was to be utilised as a Direct Provision centre. A spokesperson for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and

Youth confirmed to The Clare Echo, “The Department has no plans to make use of The Rowan Tree in Ennis”. “The Department intends to publish a tender on eTenders shortly for the provision of accommodation services for International Protection applicants,” the spokesperson added. Clare currently has DP centres in Ennis, Knockalisheen and Lisdoonvarna. Last year, Clare had the fourth highest amount of applications for asylum behind Cork, Meath and Kerry.

l Ennis native, John Slattery

12 NEWS

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

Work underway on sensory garden at St Patricks Comprehensive PÁRAIC MCMAHON

W paraic@clareecho.ie

ORK has begun on the creation of a sensory garden at St Patrick’s Comprehensive School in Shannon. Bláth is a new project for this school year at the Shannon secondary school. Transition Year and Leaving Cert Applied students are leading the initiative with the aim of establishing a calming and creative space. “We hope to make a garden for all the senses that will promote biodiversity and be a sanctuary to all who go to it. Located next to our astroturf pitch which is currently being refurbished by Ei

Electronics, it is a central spot in our school and can be enjoyed by all,” teacher Jacquie Murphy explained. Plans for Bláth including the planting of flowers and trees to promote biodiversity, harvesting rainwater, building nest boxes and feeders for birds, creating wind chimes, growing fruit, vegetables and herbs, putting in place insect homes, having a space for artists to create and also an area for meditation. Ms Murphy said that it is hoped to get members of the Shannon community, past pupils and parents involved in the initiative. “Transition Years are currently working on making planters from recycled timber in the school while LCA students are collecting plastic bottles to recycle them into planters. A competition will soon launch to ask students and staff to design parts of the garden,” she added.

l FIRE: Halloween celebrations were marked in Shannon with a bonfire at Finian Park. Photograph: Joe Buckley

Transatlantic routes & Heathrow service to resume to Shannon by PÁRAIC Mc MAHON

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sponse of our airline partners, including Aer Lingus today. This is a very significant statement regarding the importance of the Shannon market on key international routes and a most welcome and timely commitment as we continue our COVID recovery. We have no doubt that these flights will be hugely supported from across the region and we look forward to working closely with Aer Lingus to ensure the success of their services”. Clare TD, Joe Carey (FG) praised the efforts of newly appointed Shannon Group Chair, Pádraig Ó Céidigh “for hitting the ground running” and the “relentless work” of CEO, Mary Considine in helping to restore the routes. Senator Timmy Dooley said, “This opportunity will provide business, hospitality and tourism operators in the region a great sense of relief as they plan ahead for 2022. Equally importantly it will give confidence in the airport’s future viability to all those in Clare and the wider region”.

ER LINGUS have confirmed its cabin crew base at Shannon Airport will not be reopening. Transatlantic services at Shannon Airport are to resume in March with daily routes to New York, JFK and Boston. There will be 14 services a week operated by Aer Lingus’ A321LR NEO aircraft. Shannon’s vital service to Heathrow will also continue, the airline stated. Aer Lingus will operate three daily services from Shannon to London Heathrow on Monday to Friday and Sunday, with two daily services on Saturday. Despite the positive developments in the restoration of these routes, a spokesperson told The Clare Echo, “Aer Lingus can confirm that it will not be reopening its cabin crew base at Shannon”. In announcing their summer schedule for 2022, Aer Lingus confirmed that services 2c from Shannon Airport to Boston and New York will resume. In comparison, Aer Lingus will have 11 transatlantic routes from Dublin. Shannon Group CEO, Mary Considine outSAFE PASS lined, “It is great to get these strategic routes back which support thousands of jobs across CONFINED SPACE the tourism and industry sectors. Shannon to CHEMICAL AWARENESS JFK and Boston are key services so to see Aer Lingus recommence these routes next year is hugely positive. These are essentialBus Card_V1.indd 1 MANUAL HANDLING 02/03/2020 Venue: routes not just from an inbound and outB2 Corcanree Business Park, bound tourism viewpoint, but they are critical 2d Dock Road, Limerick also from a business travel perspective. Over 40% of US FDI companies are located within TRAINING & CONSULTANCY SOLUTIONS TO BOOK THESE TRAINING COURSES Shannon Airport’s catchment and these services very much underpin that investment”. www.ambersafety.ie She added: “It’s still early days in our recovery but we are very encouraged by the reor call 061 302520 / 087 3356704

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NEWS 13

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

Creative Producing for Film Looking for a pathway to a career as a Creative Producer in Film and TV? In partnership with Innovate Limerick through Film in Limerick, we are launching an Introduction to Creative Producing for Film programme.

Information Webinar 12th November at 1pm

This fully-funded Further Education and Training programme will give you an introduction to the script-to-screen process. You will learn how to develop your project and edit scripts, and explore how films are financed and prepared for market. Delivered online part-time over 5 months on weekday evenings, with some Saturday workshops.

Apply Today learningandskills.ie/film Co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union

Co-funded by the EUROPEAN UNION

#FindTheBestInYou a joint initiative with

14 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

SON teams up with Ennistymon students ahead of Dolan’s gig STUART HOLLY

editor@clareecho.ie

NNISTYMON Vocational School students are preparing to blow the roof off Dolan’s Live Music venue. Transition Year students are embarking on a 10-week music programme which will culminate in the 24-strong group composing and performing their own original song on stage at the famous Limerick venue in early January. The event is being made possible by Music Generation, who are providing four experienced musician educators to Ennistymon Vocational as part of the ‘More Than Music’ programme which is being supported and funded by the Active Inclusion Support Service. On Monday, critically acclaimed songwriter and one of Ireland’s brightest emerging talents, Susan O’Neill joined students to work on the project. Michelle Fahy Rynne, Science & Biology teacher at Ennistymon Vocational School, is the Music

Generation co-ordinator for the school. She told The Clare Echo, “Susan will work closely with the students over a number of weeks in guiding them towards an exciting and innovative composition and the main goal at the end of this is that the students of Ennistymon Vocational School will perform in Dolan’s Live Venue in Limerick on January 14 as part of the charity To The Moon concert, being run by Karl Daly and Humanli. It will only be our school plus other artists. The focus of the concert is on mental health and the song that they write, mental health will be the theme, and promoting student wellbeing.” Michelle, herself a fiddle player, has been working alongside Music Generation in the school for the last five years and seen them deliver programmes on making music, writing songs, producing music, editing and learning about music technology. She says the experiences gained by students have been invaluable. “We’re so lucky to be part of the process with Music Generation in Clare. What they’re doing for music and the opportunity they’re

lREADY FOR STAGE: Students of Ennistymon Vocational School with Susan O’Neill and project facilitators

Photo by Joe Buckley

giving to students, enhancing their creativity and bringing about a greater sense of wellbeing through the music, it’s something that’s invaluable, particularly at this stage post pandemic. “The students are definitely excited and very willing to become engaged and they are actively engaged in this creative process so everything is very positive for now. It’s early stages so I’m looking forward to seeing how it’s going to

develop.” Michelle admits that many of the students involved don’t come from a musical background. “It’s a whole new world for them and that’s the bonus.” Separate from this project, Ennistymon Vocational School has been fostering music in the school thanks to their relationship with Creative Engagement Ireland & Community Foundation, who have kindly funded music initia-

tives in the school. “The core aim of the project is to foster creativity,” says Michelle, adding, “It’s affording students the opportunity they may not normally have, to learn a musical instrument. So far, 35 of our students are engaging with this project and lessons began in mid-October for fiddle, guitar, bodhrán and keyboard lessons.”

‘One of life’s very special people’ - tributes paid to Ennis musician Liam Murphy by PÁRAIC Mc MAHON TRIBUTES have been paid to Ennis musician, Liam Murphy who died peacefully on Sunday. It was in PJ Kelly’s Pub and Paddy Quinns that the musical talent of Liam first became known to the people of Co Clare. He later ventured further to Doolin and from here spent time performing in the United States of America and London where he played with a band called Crusheen. During the 1990s, Liam was

part of a traditional band called Moher which played all over the country. Formerly of Hermitage, Liam was a prominent member of the community in Cahercalla Beg. He released an album titled ‘The Full Circle’ in the early 2000s. Musician, Siobhan Peoples was among those to pay tribute to Liam. In an online tribute, the grand-daughter of Kitty Linnane, the original pianist with the Kilfenora Céilí Band, said, “The circle has been completed. Liam Mur-

phy, you were the greatest friend of all time. Depth, devilment, daring, dash, you had it all. Full to the brim with music, bursting with rhythm, songs for every occasion and every feeling. I learned a lot of what I know because of you. “Your ability to communicate was one of your greatest gifts to me. You helped me to open up when I needed it most and stayed with me through thick and thin. You were so many things to so many people from so many walks of life. One of life’s very special

people”. Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, Cllr Pat Daly (FF) remembered Liam as “a great character”. He recalled that he was “a fine soccer player” and “a fantastic singer”. Sympathies were also voiced by Cllr Ann Norton (IND) who also acknowledged the recent passing of Tony McMahon. “They were two men that contributed greatly to the cultural and social life of Co Clare,” Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) remarked.

A neighbour of the family, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) said, “he is a big loss to us all in the neighbourhood but also the whole town and the music world”. Liam is sadly missed by his loving wife Maureen, children Gavin, Shane, Liam Óg, Rory, Cormac and Deirbhile, daughter in law Dani, grandchild Finn, brothers and sisters; Patrick, Marie, John, Alan and Deirdre, in laws, nephews, nieces, relatives, neighbours and friends.

NEWS 15

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

Welcome back to glór! New Box Office Opening hours: 10am – 2.30pm Monday – Saturday

VISUAL ARTS glór presents Eggs & Butter: Emma Brennan, Emily Waszak and Rachel Macmanus From Friday 5 November to Saturday 8 January glór gallery is open 10am - 3pm Monday to Friday │ 10am - 4pm Saturday ____________________________

Music Network presents Tamsin Waley-Cohen & George Fu Fri 19 Nov 8pm €18/€16 Conc.

EVENTS

Steve & Joe Wall of The Stunning and The Walls Sat 20 Nov 8pm €30

glór presents Clare Sands: A musical voyage, with special guest Steve Cooney Thurs 4 Nov 8pm €18/€16 Conc.

Rise Productions present Fight Night with Aonghus Óg McAnally: 10th Anniversary Tour Thurs 25 Nov 8pm €18/€16 Conc.

Hermitage Green: The Hi Generation Tour Fri 5 Nov 8pm €29

INO presents The Lighthouse by Peter Maxwell Davies Sat 27 Nov 8pm €30/€27 Conc.

Decadent Theatre presents Eden by Eugene O’Brien Thurs 11 Nov 8pm €20/€18 Conc. Abba Forever: The Christmas Show Fri 12 Nov €25/€22 Conc. SÍOMHA: Infinite Space Tour Sat 13 Nov 8pm €18/€16 Conc.

FAMILY PERFORMANCE Barnstorm Theatre Company presents Alice and The Wolf Tues 16 Nov 7pm €9 adults/€7 child Iron Annie Cabaret by Luke Cassidy Thurs 18 Nov 8pm €18/€16 Conc. glór Café is open 10am – 3pm One-hour free parking  Pre-book your tickets on www.glor.ie or on 065 6843103. Please note that €1 booking fee applies.  Please see www.glor.ie for further information on making your visit safe  Face Coverings must be worn in the building. Proof of vaccination required under current guidelines.

16 HALLOWEEN FUNDRAISER

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

FOR

CLARE HAVEN SERVICES

Still time to donate to Clare Echo Monster Halloween Fundraiser

ENTRIES to The Clare Echo Monster Halloween Fundraiser for Clare Haven Services have been haunting our social media inboxes over the last week. Incredible costumes have been on display from every corner of the county, with just some of the entrants on these pages (we wish we could fit them all!). At time of going to print, The Monster Halloween Fundraiser had surpassed €2,400 however there’s still time to enter and help us reach our €3,000 goal and be in with a chance of winning one of 20 fantastic prizes from our generous sponsors. We will announce the winners on Monday, November 8 on social media and in next week’s paper. For those who still want to enter, send your picture to us on social media and donate at https://www.idonate.ie (search for Clare Echo). Alternatively, if you just want to donate, scan the QR code here by turning on your phone camera and pointing at the QR code. Best of luck to everyone and heartfelt thanks for supporting this worthy cause.

l (above); Seven-year old Oliver Neenan of Labasheeda frightened the life out of us with this incredible effort as Pennywise; (below) Pamela, Decky, Shauna, Samantha & Jessica Vaughan got into the Halloween spirit as a family

l (above) Ben and Molly Kirwan from Ennis dressed up as Harry Potter and Dobby the House Elf

l (above) 10-month-old Sarah Mallon from Meath still follows The Clare Echo thanks to her mammy, Ennis woman Anne Marie Burke

l (left and above); the Griffin family from Miltown Malbay; Múireann aged 8 as the joker, Donnacha aged 6 as Beetle juice; Brónagh aged 10 as Caroline, Raghnaid aged 11 as Annabelle, and Bláthnaid aged 9 Cruella

HALLOWEEN FUNDRAISER 17

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

l (l-r); Róisin and Emma Brennan on Halloween; Oran, Kate and Enid Kennedy; and Sadie and Lucie Murphy who are from Connolly teamed up for a Halloween cowgirl look

l (l-r); Lucy and Ollie Coote with their parents Mark and Aoife; Sisters Megan and Róise Stewart from Tulla; Shane and Ryan Justice from Shannon; and Cathal and Erin Considine, also from Shannon

l (l-r); Tommy McMorrough (9) catches up on the news; Hailey Murphy from Ballynacally as the Halloween Prom Queen; Kate and Clodagh Quinlan; Maisie ‘Moo’ Griffin’s first Halloween

COLUMNIST

18 NEWS

McNamara lets fly at ‘reckless’ Health Minister by PÁRAIC Mc MAHON

CLARE TD has slammed the Minister for Health and the Government for “a wanton waste of exchequer funding”. On Tuesday evening, Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly (FF) tweeted that he was to ask the Oireachtas to extend emergency COVID-19 powers for a further three months, “those who extend this extension are behaving recklessly”. Deputy Michael McNamara (IND) took umbrage with the wording when speaking in the Dáil shortly after. “If the Minister wants to talk about recklessness, it is reckless to run down a health service the way our health service has been run down. The Minister did not run it down, but there are three members of the Cabinet in which he sits who had collective responsibility for running it down. The Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, when he was the Minister for Health, came up with the HSE as a way to spend money on reports. The Tánaiste, Deputy Leo Varadkar, when he was the Minister could not get out of there fast enough. The Minister, Deputy Simon Harris, caused a general election when he was the Minister for Health. We thought he was the most

inept Minister for Health ever, or at least we were told that by some Fianna Fáil canvassers before the last election”. He questioned the progress on additional capacity that Minster Donnelly referenced during the now defunct COVID-19 Oireachtas committee. “Cholera hospitals were built in this city in response to a cholera outbreak. TB sanatoria were built all over the State in response to that. We had €23 billion. What was the €23 billion spent on apart from masks that are now clogging up our sewerage systems, which was junk that was brought in from China? What was the €23 billion spent on? We have nothing to show for it. Such a wanton waste of Exchequer funding is simply reckless”. “Above all, it is reckless to fail to look at the science and to pretend that we are following the science but instead lurch from hysterical reaction to hysterical reaction,” the Scariff native added. Minister Donnelly did not use the word ‘reckless’ when responding in the Dáil Chamber. “The Government has always been conscious that public health measures being imposed are proportionate to the harm the virus represents. It is critical that we maintain the ability, on a temporary basis, to respond to the evolving trajectory of Covid”.

Programme for film creative producers LIMERICK and Clare Education and Training Board is delighted to continue its partnership with Innovate Limerick through Film in Limerick with the announcement of an impressive new training programme for aspiring creative producers. This is one of many Further Education and Training initiatives designed to help enhance the local film industry in the Mid-West, and prepare up-and-coming producers for employment. A Creative Producer is someone who likes to kick-start the creative process by identifying a worthwhile idea for a film or TV project. They then go on to develop the idea and bring a team together to bring the project forward and help make it a reality. Introduction to Creative Producing for Film is a 5-month part-time programme that will take place on Monday and Wednesday evenings, with some Saturday workshop sessions. This is fully-funded and will give would-be creative producers who have an interest in working on TV series and feature films the chance to develop their talents. Learners will be led by Oscar-winning producer John McDonnell whose credits include ‘Vivarium’ starring Jesse Eisenberg and Irish language film ‘Arracht’.

The programme is now open for applications and will focus on crucial production skills including script-editing, funding schemes for shorts and first features, budgeting and scheduling, production, legal issues, distribution, preparing projects for financing, introduction to film makers and pitching, to name just a few. It will also feature input from over 30 film industry professionals who will guest tutor throughout the programme, sharing their knowledge and expertise on both the creative and business sides of film and TV. Paul Patton, Director of Further Education and Training, with Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board said: “With the ETB’s significant role in skills training as well as the socio-economic and cultural life of the region, we are delighted to continue to support Film in Limerick on this producing training programme. It will offer a further opportunity to grow and enhance the production skills base in the region.” Those interested in applying can attend a pre-course webinar on Friday November 12 at 1pm. For all information, go to learningandskills. ie/film or email film@limerick.ie with any queries.

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

Eoin Neylon

An inside look at Clare’s political spectrum

Clare’s batch of rugby successors have arrived

OR anyone that knows me well, they’ll know that my two passions have always been politics and sport. So all-consuming are these pursuits that I genuinely am baffled when I meet someone without even a passing interest in either. It’s probably some form of character flaw on my part, but one I’m okay with as it usually means there are 7 days of action for me to follow in any given week. Facing into the long nights of Winter, meaning darker mornings now that the clocks have changed, we need every distraction possible to get us through the bad weather months ahead. Coming from Clare, we’ve always been blessed with great political characters and sporting heroes too. Just this past week saw more Clare folk etch their way into the chronicles of Clare sporting greats. I grew up in a staunch GAA family where the big ball was king, but my earliest sporting heroes were three pioneering Clare men who’s exploits would influence me even more than the heroes of ’92 and ‘95/’97. I speak of the late great Anthony Foley, Marcus Horan and World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee Keith Wood. Apt so that on what would have been the week of Foley’s 48th birthday, his boyhood GAA club Smith O’Briens won promotion to the senior ranks of the Clare hurling championship and another Killaloe/Ballina native received a call up to senior international rugby for Ireland. Former St. Anne’s Killaloe pupil, Maeve Óg O’Leary, who started out her rugby journey with Killaloe/Ballina RFC joined her Munster provincial colleague Alana McInerney, formerly of Ennis RFC, in getting their first senior international callup to represent their country alongside Kilmihil’s Eimear Considine. Although a Ballina native, O’Leary will still have a lot of Clare followers given her rugby pedigree and education on the ‘correct’ side of the Shannon. And 20 years after the initial Clare rugby heroes of Foley, Horan and Wood, we have their

lTALENT: Alana McInerney of Ennis RFC received her first international call-up

successors in Considine, McInerney and O’Leary. There are certainly more to follow them with the likes of Munster players Chisom Ugwueru, Aoife Corey and Eilish Cahill all knocking on the door. And the growing depth of talent at underage level is bright too in Clare. It’s not just on the rugby pitch that women in sport are excelling as the country rightly collectively got behind Solheim Cup hero Leona Maguire during the Summer and the women’s soccer team push towards an historic World Cup qualification, the effects of the 20x20 campaign are potentially bearing fruit. Although stunted by Covid cancellations, the 2-year programme to see women’s support get 20 per cent more coverage, increase participation 20 per cent and boost attendance at women’s sport by 20 per cent. Record All Ireland attendances and the hosting of the Women’s Rugby World Cup here have certainly heightened the profile but, while things are on the up, it would be a great shame for the 20x20 campaign to be declared over and done with and not to push on further. In fact, a report, The Irish Sport Monitor, has noted increased participation across the board in sport and exercise in adults up to the outbreak of the pandemic with some 1.7 million Irish adults participating in sport on at least a once-a-week basis in 2019. This represented an annual increase of three per cent. Participation as either an active participant, club member

or volunteer had risen to 47 per cent of adults by that time, but rather than resting of our laurels, we really should be pushing to get those numbers well into the 60 per cents. The 20x20 campaign was a phenomenal success but there is a genuine fear that the almost 2-year break in amateur level sport may well undo all the good work that it had achieved. It really is incumbent on Sports Minister, Jack Chambers TD to doubly re-double the efforts of Government and announce a programme right to run with up through to the end of 2025 that should call for and actively support 25 per cent increases in all the metrics the 20x20 campaign hoped to influence. The knock on isn’t just more women and girls taking an active part in the sporting community, but that these athletes like Olympic heroes Kellie Harrington and the women’s coxless fours plus Paralympic heroes Ellen Keane, Nicole Turner and Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal will inspire an entire generation regardless of gender to kick on and write the next chapter in Irish sporting history. “If she can see it, she can be it”, as the 20x20 tag line read. Now is the time, more than ever, to shine a light on these massive achievements with pride. Oh, and here’s wishing the Ballyea hurlers all the best in Canon Hamilton Cup final. See ye in Cusack Park. But first, I’ll be cheering on the Clare women representing Ireland in the RDS the Friday night beforehand.

FEATURES

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

GREEN CLARE

Policies to tackle dumping should take note from cigarettes packaging

by PÁRAIC Mc MAHON

IGNAGE similar to that used in discouraging the smoking of cigarettes has been suggested as the model to follow when it comes to cutting down on illegal dumping in Co

Clare. Greater signage is needed to advertise the ‘leave no trace’ policy while a review on illegal dumping signs is needed across the county, Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF) detailed in a recent proposal before Clare County Council. She stated, “The ‘leave no trace’ policy is not working on its own and needs a combined effort of highlighting and enforcement

such as more fines. This issue comes up repeatedly, I have seen signs that are covered in debris or overgrown therefore making them almost invisible. We need hard hitting signs with graphics that show the damage that directly affects our wildlife and our environment, graphics that may make people stop and think of the damage they are doing before dumping or littering”. Anti-litter and anti-dumping messages are the core themes of the ‘leave no trace’ policy, senior engineer Cyril Feeney said in response while he flagged littering and anti-dumping awareness campaigns are not limited to this policy. Social media was described as “an important tool” to deliver these messages while he admitted that the

potential of “hard hitting signage graphics” would be explored. 96 fines have been issued as of September by Clare County Council under waste management legislation. Packaging on cigarettes was referenced by the Shannon representative as she explained her thinking for a more “hard-hitting” campaign. “When I talk about a hard-hitting campaign, when you look at the packet of cigarettes and the damage they do, you can see it on the box, we need to see the physical damage that waste does to our wildlife and our habitat”. In the first nine months of the years, “hundreds of bags of rubbish” have been collected by Shannon Tidy Towns, McGettigan

highlighted as she emphasised her view that the current policy was failing. One criteria of the funding allocated to the local authority as part of the policy is a commitment not to have bins in certain areas such as Shannon Town Park, Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND) observed. “Some people will undoubtedly leave their waste behind,” he acknowledged. Confidence was voiced by Cllr Joe Cooney (FG) that the tide is turning in Clare’s battle with illegal dumping. “We are winning the battle at the moment, there is fantastic work done by the local authority and community groups, unfortunately landowners and people who own development sites are not helping out and I think we’re winning the fight”.

20 COLUMNISTS

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

When life gives you lemons... make a simple lemon posset

Kearney Cooks

AVE you ever needed one lemon but the shop only had the net of lemons , and now you have four extra lemons and need to use them up? Well that is the predicament I found myself in this week. Now I absolutely hate waste, and will always try to use up the perishables in my kitchen. I also have a wicked sweet tooth , so I decided I would kill two birds with one stone and make a very simple lemon posset. For this recipe you will need • 300ml double cream • 100g caster sugar • 50 ml lemon juice • Zest of three lemons

Step 1 Put your cream and sugar into a pot and bring to the boil , leave it bubble away for two minutes at full boil and then take it off the heat Step 2 Whisk in your lemon juice and zest and mix thoroughly . Then pour your mix into small ramekins or shot glasses

ebecca O’Neill

and place into the fridge for a few hours to set. If you don’t like lemon zest texture, you can strain the mix first if you like

stagram. Also keep an eye on the Clare Echo Facebook page or my Instagram ( @stevekearney37) for the instructional video that goes along with this recipe.

Step 3 Take those bad boys out of the fridge , serve it up with some fruit coulis and maybe a shortbread biscuit.

Enjoy,

Steve K

I love this dessert. It is ridiculously easy to make , is wonderfully refreshing and is ideal for dinner parties as it can be ready well ahead of time. The above recipe should give you four possets , so if you need more then just double or triple the recipe. As usual if you have any questions about this recipe or others please feel free to message me on In-

Five uncommon psychological facts This week, Rebecca O'Neill explores some interesting findings when it comes to the power of your mind

HIS week, I wanted to share five uncommon psychological facts. A lot of these facts are extremely relatable and make us realise the reasoning of how we react to certain situations. These can help you understand the fundamentals of how you think and treat your mental thoughts. 1: “If you announce your goals to others, you’re less likely to succeed. Studies confirm you lose motivation”. This one I do understand to a certain extent when it comes to revealing your business. When telling people about these goals, it can increase the pressure of reaching it. This can cause a big decrease in motivation due to the added pressure surrounding the topic. This might not be the case for everyone but it does depend on how much you want to complete

this goal or not. Keeping these goals to yourself allows you to stay within your personal journey. 2: “Convincing yourself you slept well tricks your brain into thinking it did”. This one is very interesting. It shows an accurate representation of how you can change your mood by convincing yourself otherwise, ie. the true effects of how we talk to ourselves and how our brain reacts to our inner voice. 3: “Singing reduces feelings of depression and anxiety”. Singing can often show a vulnerable side to someone because they might not feel the most confident about their voice.

When singing it releases oxytocin to the brain and can often result to a free feeling and genuine happiness. 4: “Some of us are actually afraid of being too happy because of the fear that something tragic might happen next”. This is more common than we think. This can depend on the chemical balance in your brain and how it is wired. It is all based on how you viewed happiness growing up and how you have made your brain think. This can also explain a lot about who you surround yourself with. 5: “Being with positive, happy people keeps you happier”. This shows how important it is to keep track on who you surround yourself with and the impact these people make on your thoughts. Surrounding yourself with like-minded people is very beneficial and can ultimately change the way you view your life in general. This can influence positive habits and improve self-esteem.

Community

COMMUNITY 21

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

CONTACT NEWSDESK

065 671 9021 news@clareecho.ie

DOWN SYNDROME CLARE AGM The Down Syndrome Clare AGM will take place at the Auburn Lodge Hotel, Ennis on Thursday, November 11. Registration and welcome at 7.15pm, before guest speaker, Senior Clinical Psychologist Dr Toby Sachsenmaier will hold an information session on Collaborative Proactive Solutions (CPS), an evidence based model of care that helps parents focus on identifying problems that cause concerning behaviours in young people and solving those problems. This will be followed by a Q&A at 8.15pm. Contact 087 9438610 or email downsyndromeclare@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing all our members.

KILKISHEN KILKISHEN ARTISAN CRAFT & FOOD FESTIVAL

Kilkishen’s very first Artisan Food and Craft Festivalwill take place in the Cultural Centre, Kilkishen, on Dec. 11th and 12th. With 40 different stalls each day over the festival weekend, this not to be missed, first ever event arrives to kickstart the Christmas Season. With Irish Craft Stalls from all over the country, local food and drink producers, live music and an atmosphere that can only be experienced to understand, the Kilkishen Artisan Craft and Food Festival is a date for the diary. A visit to the festival will take all the stress out of starting your Christmas shopping combining a beautiful location with a huge variety of crafts and design. A fantastic day out for the whole family with hot food, mulled wine and live music to keep everyone happy, entertained, and feeling festive! The Festival will showcase crafty gift ideas and unique artistic talents and promises to be a weekend packed full of festive and enjoyable Christmas shopping and family fun. Browse the vast selection of fine textiles, pottery, jewellery, wood and glass work, paper crafts, fine art, confectionery, knit wear and more and enjoy live music on the grounds of the Cultural Centre and delicious food from many of our local market food heroes. Throughout the weekend there will also be numerous interactive stands and tastings to delight visitors as they experience and enjoy these masters of food, drink and craft doing what they do best - creating something of beauty by hand. The Festival will take place over the weekend of Dec 11-12th from 10-5pm, inside and on the grounds of Kilkishen Cultural Centre - entry to the event and parking is free.

DOORA DOORA NATIONAL SCHOOL PARENTS COUNCIL present SHINDIG AT THE SHIBEEN, SATURDAY NOVEMBER 13TH AT 7 PM - SHIBEEN PUB DOORA. QUIZ AND RAFFLE. E10.00 Per Head (payable on the night) Max 6 per table. MUSIC BY HANNA. Finger food served. Proceeds to raise funding for activities at Doora National School.

l HALLOWEEN FUN: Some of our local Down Syndrome Clare members getting down to the business of being fun, feisty and frightening this Halloween

Coláiste Muire Ennis

Open Day for

Incoming First Years 2022 Children from Kilfenora N.S visiting the Burren Centre ahead of the mid-term break

LISSYCASEY WREATH LAYING Lissycasey man Patrick O'Rourke was shot dead by the Black and Tans on May 21st 1921 in Lissycasey. Patrick was attending his animals on his farm when he was shot by the tans from a lorry as they passed along the main road from Ennis to Kilrush. Partick was buried in Kilchreest graveyard, Ballynacally. On Thursday last Patrick's great-great-grandson Michael Donnelly laid a wreath on his grave to mark the 100th anniversary of his death in association with Lissycasey Historical Committee and Clare County Council Decade of Centenaries.

12 O’CLOCK HILLS LGBT RAMBLE IN 12 O’CLOCK HILLS GOSHH – a charity working to support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and other community members across the Mid West, including Clare, have arranged a ramble at the 12 O’ Clock Hills for this coming Saturday, November 6th, at 10am. More details are available at the following link, pre-registration essential: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/lgbtimidwest-rambling-group-over18-onlytickets-201652226237

Saturday, 6th November 2021 Session 1: 9.00 – 10.00 Session 2: 10.15 – 11.15 Session 3: 11.30 – 12.30

Book your Free Tickets on www.colaistemuire.ie Application Forms for incoming first years 2022 accepted from 1st November 2021 Due to Covid 19 guidelines we are running three sessions and there are a limited number of tickets available for each session. Please book early to avoid disappointment.

22 FEATURES

Here for a short time... RONAN SCULLY

Thought for the week

HIS is the month, we begin winter time and remember all our loved ones who have gone before us. Death is that challenging confrontation that reminds us “We are only here for a short time”. I want to dedicate this thought for the week especially to everyone who has passed away in the last 20 months and to support families who did not have the chance to give their loved ones a proper send-off. Sadly, because of the Pandemic and other restrictions so many people were limited with regard to how they could arrange the funerals of their loved ones. As a result they lost out on the comfort and support of others that is usual on these occasions. The circumstances around the burial or cremation had to change, but the central event remained the same. Someone’s life on this earth had come to an end. When we lose a family member or friend, someone we have loved deeply, we are left with a grief that can paralyse us emotionally for a long time. People we love become part of us. Our thinking, feeling and acting are codetermined by them: Our fathers, our mothers, our husbands, our wives, our siblings, our lovers, our children, our friends, our neighbours, our colleagues, they are all now living in our hearts. When they die a part of us has to die too. That is what grief is about: It is that slow but sometimes very quick and painful departure of someone who has become an intimate part of us. With every hello there has to be a goodbye. Just like with every journey, there is a journey’s end. We all know that our end could come at any minute, any hour, for us or those we love. Life can be so short for some of us! Despite death being a part of life, it still never fails to leave a hole in our heart whenever we lose someone we loved. It’s the hardest pain we have to go through. People are fond of saying ‘time heals all wounds’. But this is not true. I have found the only thing that heals all wounds is Jesus. Knowing that I will see those loved ones once more helps ease the pain of not having them here with me again. Evoke Memories Many of us during this month will visit our family graves and remember our loved ones who paved the way for our lives. Death is so difficult and extremely painful. Death strips us of the familiar and leaves us naked and vulnerable, with our painful losses. The death of a loved one often leaves us asking questions, struggling in finding answers as we wrestle in the coping and continuing of our day to day without that loved one. One of my favourite writers, C.S. Lewis describes his experience of loss simply as, “The

tears and loss that I now feel is the love we once shared.” As we remember our loved ones and pray for them, we do so with hope in our hearts. This month of November always tends to evoke memories and reflections within us. The world of nature appears to be in decline all around us and, as it were, is about to fall into a deep sleep, a winter type of song as all of our autumn leaves have fallen and the trees stand bare or a type of hibernation. The land now harvested rests and lies fallow, winter points us to mortality and death, one day with great certainty we too all of us will die. The symbol of this decline are the colourful leaves on paths, walkways and roads we have been walking and driving. It is a time for reflection as the darker evenings gather in. No matter how we may wish to avoid talking about death, we don’t like being reminded of our mortality. Woody Allen famously quipped, “I’m not afraid of death; I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” It strikes a chord because that is how many of us deal with death. We joke about it while keeping our real thoughts and fears to ourselves. Some of our deceased relatives and friends were blessed enough that we got to say goodbye too, while others left us before any goodbyes could be exchanged. By remembering our deceased in prayer is an attempt at saying we haven’t forgotten them. We remember our loved ones gone before us, and we ask God to show mercy to them and we also pray to them to help us to live out our lives as lovingly as some of them did. These faithful departed handed on to us many of the things that make life worthwhile such as insights, beliefs, culture, traditions and values. We remember them with gratitude and love at this time. Don’t Take Life for Granted I am convinced that grief and loss affect everyone. None of us knows how to truly process those emotions. We don’t feel safe talking about it. We want it to follow predictable steps and then for everything to get back to normal. The result is that we try to bury our grief. And yet it comes up in all kinds of ways and in places we least expect. If you are truly awake in your own life, you are in touch with the loss you have experienced. And it’s no doubt painful. I have cried privately many times at losses in my own life especially when I lost my beautiful niece earlier last year along with losing some other amazing family members and beautiful close friends. The best way to cope with it is to deal with it kindly, tenderly, compassionately, gently, lovingly and with the support of family, friends and colleagues. We should try to keep in our minds and in our hearts the knowledge that everyone

deals with these feelings on a daily basis. If we truly remembered that, we would be kind to everyone. We would be gentler and more respectful with our fellow human beings and with ourselves. We live in a fast-paced, tough, cold and often evil world. We don’t need to. By being more aware and awake, we can make a choice to be conscious, caring, tender, respectful and compassionate to ourselves and others every day of the year. Now there’s a thought worth remembering. A sudden loss, such as the death of a family member or a close friend or colleague, makes us realize the brevity of life. We often take life for granted. Their death can make us sit down and reflect. Losing my niece Aoife and my Uncle Jim and Auntie Terry and two very close amazing friends Mary and David recently made me take time to appreciate the loved ones in my life because I don’t know what tomorrow will bring. It made me put things in perspective. I want to live life and love it; I don’t want to spend my life being unhappy or dissatisfied. I want to put a smile on my face and indeed on others faces, because that’s what can make a dark day seem bright. My family members and friends are gone; I cannot bring them back, but, at least in memory of them, I can live a life that I know they would be proud of. Death opens our eyes, showing us that the only time that matters is right now. Death teaches us a simple lesson. That is, forget about yesterday, it’s over and tomorrow may never come. We haven’t seen today before, so live it as well as you possibly can. Stop putting things off. The only people who should be afraid of death are those who haven’t lived, those who say, “I’ll do it when I get around to it”, or “I will tell him or her I love him or her tomorrow.” If you don’t live today, your “tomorrows” will run out. Live life now, tell people now, when their eyes are open, “I love you.” Life is short. Tomorrow it might be too late. A little word of love during a person’s life is worth far more than all the speeches after their death. Sometimes we leave it too late and we think about the things we could have done to make someone just a little bit more happy, or cared for. I notice at times at funerals how people try to outdo one another in buying the most beautiful wreath of flowers. I often think, did these people ever think of giving the person who died beautiful flowers when they were alive so they could smell the beautiful fragrance and really cherish the gift? Thought for the week As your thought for the week, treat everyone around you in a gentler way as much as you can and be thankful for loved ones gone before us t in the same presence as they were, especially during this month of November which is dedicated as a time of remembering! As one of my favourite writers John O’ Donohue wrote “live the life you would love to look back on from your deathbed”. “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.”

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

Drama back in Doonbeg

STUART HOLLY

editor@clareecho.ie

HERE is much excitement for the welcome return of drama to Doonbeg. The One-Act Drama Festival will take place on Saturday to Monday November 13-15 at Doonbeg Community Hall with a host of drama groups from around the country. Corofin Drama Group; Oakhill Players, Knockerra and Sliabh Aughty, Mountshannon will be joined by groups from Cork, Galway, Leitrim, Offaly and Roscommon in West Clare to entertain with a selection of short plays. Organised by the volunteer committee of the West Clare Drama Festival, the Doonbeg One-Act usually takes place annually in November, however it was cancelled in 2020 and this year marks it’s 34th undertaking. Speaking about the festival, Chairperson John Keane said “Doonbeg has established itself as a very popular festival with groups and audiences alike. After what has been a difficult time for everyone and the absence of quality live entertainment this year, people are very much looking forward to the festival now more than ever. Drama transports you to other times and places – nothing beats seeing in person how drama groups bring a piece of theatre to life on stage. We are delighted to welcome the groups and the audiences back to Doonbeg.” The festival offers a wide range of plays with everything from comedy and farce to tragedy and drama productions. Nine plays will be performed by drama groups in both Open and Confined sections - the full line-up can be viewed on www. westclaredramafestival.com and Facebook. The drama groups are competing as part of the amateur

drama circuit with the aim of qualifying for the 2021 All-Ireland One-Act Finals in December to be held in glór, Ennis. This year’s adjudicator is Walker Ewart of Castledawson, County Derry and is currently living in Bangor, County Down. He has been an adjudicator for 23 years throughout Ireland and Scotland. He has adjudicated the British 1-Act Finals three times; the 3-Act All-Ireland Finals (Open full length and Confined full length and 1-Act) twice; the Ulster Drama Finals and Scottish Finals once each. Having worked in education for 38 years, firstly as a teacher of Modern Languages and then as a member of the Education and Training Inspectorate, he was awarded an OBE for “services to education” in 2012 and his retirement. He has been involved with amateur drama since teacher training college in 1975 as an actor, director and administrator. He has appeared as an actor in the All-Ireland Finals in Athlone in “Amadeus” with Hollywood Players, and in “A Doll’s House” with Bangor Drama Club. He has appeared as both an actor and director in the Ulster Drama Festival on several occasions, most notably with the winners “Hay Fever” and “Observe the Son’s of Ulster”. Walker has had the honour of being Chairman of the Association of Ulster Drama Festivals (AUDF) representing the interests of Northern Ireland amateur drama. He is also the chair of the panel which adjudicates new Irish play writing by amateurs organised jointly by the Drama League of Ireland and the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland and sponsored by the Ramor Theatre, Virginia, Cavan. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at www.westclaredramafestival.com and admission is €12 for Adults or €30 for all 3 nights and €6 for Children. Doors at 7.30pm with Curtain Up at 8pm sharp. Walker Ewart

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

BUSINESS AND RECRUITMENT

BUSINESS & RECRUITMENT 23

Ennis Electrical

JOB VACANCY AVAILABLE Retail Sales Assistant

Minister praises Burren Agri-tourism sector STUART HOLLY

editor@clareecho.ie

HE Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has praised the Burren Agritourism sector for a host of innovative food and farm initiatives which saw hundreds of visitor’s head to the Burren area last Bank holiday weekend. Minister McConalogue said: “I am delighted to see the Burren Food Fayre returning for a series of unique food and farm visitor experiences this October bank holiday weekend with a return to in person

events. During the bank holiday weekend, the Burren region hosted food and farm tours, walks, talks, cattle drives and tree planting which took place in locations all over the Burren which showcased the strong collaboration between farmers and tourism businesses. The weekend culminated with the annual spectacle of the Burren Winterage cattle drive which took place on the McCormack farm. The annual Burren Food Fayre, organized by the Burren Ecotourism Network saw five bespoke ‘Food Experiences’ take place in the region. The events saw two to three food and farm businesses working together, for

example, salmon smoking at the Burren Smokehouse, beer tasting and tours of Burren Brewery in Lisdoonvarna and the story of whiskey making at Burren Distillery in Ballyvaughan. Other experiences included cheese making at St Tola Goat Cheese, bread making at Stonecutters kitchen and seaweed foraging at Lahinch Beach with Wild Kitchen.

SUITABLE FOR A CONFIDENT, CAPABLE PERSON WITH SALES EXPERIENCE, GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS.

THIS IS A FULL TIME POSITION Burren Distillery

PLEASE APPLY WITH CV TO

AUDREY@ENNISELECTRICAL.COM

General Practice Nurse

- General Practice Nurse required for busy Ennis based GP practice. - Part time initially Apply to BOX No: 1345 At the Clare Echo 36C Abbey Street Ennis, Co. Clare

NEWS

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

Clare Business Excellence & Resilience Awards 2021

HE winners of Clare Business Excellence & Resilience Awards 2021 were revealed at a gala ceremony held at glór theatre, Ennis, on Thursday October 28th. Hosted and organised by Ennis Chamber, Clare County Council was the main sponsor and MC on the night was author and comedian Colm O’ Regan, who brought a perfect blend of relaxed humour and professionalism to proceedings. The big winners on the night were Western Herd Brewing/McHugh’s Bar, who won the ‘Resilience Award’ category sponsored by Cup Print and went on to scoop the overall award for ‘Best Business in Clare’ sponsored by Clare County Council. The independent judges commented, “We were very impressed with the foresight and innovation of this company and their agility of response to adversity. Their generosity

in terms of providing other businesses with opportunities to allow the whole business community to benefit was exemplary. This is an exceptionally innovative and proactive business, and they are tireless in their pursuit of further business opportunities.” Accepting the award, Maeve Eustace Sheridan of Western Herd Brewing/McHugh’s said, “To be judged the overall ‘Best Business in Clare’ was beyond anything we could have hoped for. We are delighted. We thank family and staff for sticking with us and supporting us. And to all of our wonderful customers at Western Herd, Neighbourfood Ennis and McHugh’s Bar, we thank you for your support and we appreciate your loyalty.” President of Ennis Chamber Darragh McAllister, welcomed back the awards after an enforced hiatus due to Covid. “It feels so good to be back in a venue like glór, to meet fellow

businesspeople, to share some ‘war’ stories and more importantly to look to a brighter future. The name of the awards was modified this year to incorporate the word ‘Resilience’ and although there was a dedicated Resilience category, the judges informed us that the theme of resilience permeated almost every category and entry, making the name change entirely appropriate.” He thanked the main sponsors Clare County Council and the individual category sponsors for their support. “Without them we couldn’t have run this year’s awards and we certainly couldn’t have hosted a gala event of this calibre. The other essential ingredient were our entrants. We weren’t sure if the business community in Co Clare was ready for a return to awards, but they proved beyond doubt that they were. Our sincere thanks goes to all of the businesses that en-

tered this year’s Clare Business Excellence Awards. It’s all about you.” Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr. PJ Ryan, Mayor of Clare, commented, “Clare County Council was delighted to continue in its role as main sponsor of Clare Business Excellence & Resilience Awards this year. Clare County Council supported many businesses across the county throughout the Covid period to date, and we were privileged to do so, and we see our involvement in these awards as further support. These awards are about shining a light on the best of our businesses in County Clare.” Cllr. Ryan added, “Mt heartfelt congratulations go to all finalists, all category winners and especially to Western Herd Brewing/ McHugh’s Bar, winners of the overall ‘Best Business in Clare award, sponsored by Clare County Council.

Resilience Award / Overall best business in Clare Sponsored by Cup Print / Sponsored by Clare County Council Western Herd Brewing /McHugh’s Bar

Retailer of the Year Sponsored by Ability IT Solutions Gleeson Goldsmith

Best Micro Business Sponsored by LEO Clare Palm Free Soap

Commitment to Training Sponsored by Regional Skills Mid-West Bridget Haren Hair & Beauty

Business Supporting Community Sponsored by Essilor EI Electronics

Customer Service Excellence Sponsored by McKeogh Gallagher Ryan O’Connor’s Bakery, Ennis Shopping Centre

Clare Professional Services Excellence Award Sponsored by AIB Cahir Environmental Services

Best Green and Sustainable Practises Sponsored by Rengen Power Falls hotel

Best Tourism Experience Sponsored by TUS Ollie’s Tours

Best New Business Sponsored by Ennis Chamber Wix & Wax Ireland

Best Hospitality Sponsored by Shannon Region Conference & Sports Bureau Shannon Springs Hotel

Best Age-friendly Business Sponsored by Clare Age-friendly Programme County Boutique

Best use of Digital Marketing and Social Media Sponsored by Clare Echo Hotel Woodstock

Best Voluntary & Community Group Sponsored by St Francis Credit Union Ennis Tidy Towns

Clare Business Excellence & Resilience Awards

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

NEWS

Congratulations to the Winners of the Clare Business Excellence & Resilience Awards

NEWS

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

l Best Tourism Experience Presented by Dr Marian Duggan, TUS University of the Shannon, to Ollie Gleeson, of Ollie’s Tours

l Colm O Regan, Darragh McAllister, Ennis Chamber President, Karen Brosnahan, Shannon Region Conference & Sports Bureau, Siobhan King, Failte Ireland, Danielle Devaney, Shannon Region Conference & Sports Bureau

l Above Best Green and Sustainable Practices Presented by Des Regan, Director, Rengen Power to Sharon Malone of Fall’s Hotel

l Business Supporting Community Donal Marron of Essilor presents the award to Peter Murphy EI Electronics

l Commitment to Training Colm O’Regan , Darragh McAllister, Ennis Chamber President, Tara Donnellan & Bridget Haren, Bridget Haren Hair & Beauty, Councillor PJ Ryan-Mayor of Clare, Joe Leddin , Regional Skills Mid-West

l Left - Clare Retailer of the Year Presented by Brian Hall, Ability IT Solutions, to Brian Gleeson , Gleeson Goldsmiths

l Clare Professional Services Excellence Award Presented by Pat Enright, Branch Manager AIB, Ennis to Flann Cahir CES Environmental Services

Clare Business Excellence & Resilience Awards

NEWS

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

l Best Use of Digital Marketing & Social Media Presented by Stuart Holly, The Clare Echo to Elaine Lally, Hotel Woodstock l Best Age-friendly Business Presented by Larry Hally, Age Friendly Ennis to Gwen Culligan, County Boutique

l Customer Service Excellence Presented by Eoin Gallagher, Partner, McKeogh, Gallagher Ryan to Marie O’Halloran of O’Connor’s Bakery Ennis Shopping Centre

l Above - Best Voluntary & Community Group Presented by Colm O’Regan to Cormac McCarthy and Don Cullinan of Ennis Tidy Towns l Left - Best New Business Presented by Darragh McAllister, Ennis Chamber President to Chantell Keane & Danielle Kenneally, Wix and Wax l Best Micro Business Colm O Regan, Darragh McAllister, Ennis Chamber President, Councillor PJ Ryan-Mayor of Clare Tony Hoyne & Jade Hoyne Palm Free Irish Soap, Councillor PJ Ryan-Mayor of Clare

NEWS

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

Can-do attitude sees Western Herd & McHugh’s score big at Business Awards STUART HOLLY

editor@clareecho.ie

HEN the the first hay shed was being built in Kilmaley over a century ago, little did farmer Bernie Neylon know he would be laying the foundations for a successful family-run craft brewery for his descendants, by the name of Western Herd. On Thursday last Maeve Sheridan, of Western Herd Brewery and McHugh’s Pub, Ennis, collected two awards at the Clare Business Excellence & Resilience Awards on behalf of herself and her brother Michael Eustace, co-founders of the company. First, the former financial worker collected the Resilience Award which recognises a business that successfully pivoted their business model in response to the Pandemic. As the night came to a close, they were announced as the overall winner, Clare Business of the Year, 2021. Mother of two Maeve explains that the farm where Western Herd is based has been in the family for eight generations. “My father inherited it from my granduncle Bernie Neylon. The old hay shed, 100 years old, was the first hay shed in the three surrounding parishes of Kilmaley, Inch and Connolly. It’s a beautiful structure and we were looking to see what we could do with it. Michael my brother who I started the business with, around the time of the recession in 2010 moved to Dublin to manage a pub. He was always interested in brewing his own beer and he could see how it was taking off. “We decided to put a business plan together and we approached the Local Enterprise Office and they were really supportive. The next thing you know, we had a brewery.” The company got off to baptism of fire as both the brewery and McHugh’s pub opened on the weekend of the Ennis Trad Fest in 2015. They were their own first customer, Maeve quips, with a wheat beer Backbeat along with a red ale being offered on tap in the pub. “People were just coming in looking for pints of Kilmaley, they didn’t really care what it was,” she laughs. While eyeing the larger commercial markets of Dublin, Galway and Cork, it was soon clear that the demand existed in County Clare to exceed their production capabilities with early enquiries coming from hotelier John Burke and local traders such as Stonecutters Kitchen in Liscannor. With four beers on offer, 90 per cent of their sales were through bars and restaurants in Clare – a trend which would continue up until March of last year “when the wheels came off everything”. Thankfully, Western Herd continued to build a strong reputation online with awards from Blas na hEireann and the Great Taste

Awards, while they regularly ranked highly on Untapped, a website dedicated to craft beer aficionados. These factors became crucially important when McHugh’s and Western Herd “were shut down effectively last March”. That’s when things completely changed. “Finally, at the beginning of Year 5, we kind of knew what to expect,” admits Maeve, who explains that they had been brewing stock in advance to meet demand until August “because we usually ran out”. However come March, they were left with a huge surplus of stock and nowhere to go with it so they went back to the Local Enterprise Office with a

brewing the third batch of that now, it sells out in two days.” They now have a core range of five beers along with limited edition summer and winter beers such as Coast Road. They also experiment with one-off editions such as the recent beer called Motu Ihupuku, which is a little island in New Zealand which is the antipode of Kilmaley. “So if you drew a line through the centre of the earth you’d come out on Motu Ihupuku,” Maeve explains. Due to the new business model, the brewery in Kilmaley is being expanded with the impending delivery of three new double fermentation tanks which will increase pro-

people could enjoy our nachos at home and Lorraine Murphy who helped out with deliveries and running the market. Honestly, they did anything and everything we asked of them to keep going.” Maeve admits that being in business with a sibling helps, as it enables herself and Michael – who also runs Flanagans Bar in Lahinch – to have “honest, frank conversations” with each other and help the business succeed in such a competitive market. She reserves praise for their brewer Bridger Kelleher who she admits is “brilliant”, while they work with Brandish in Dublin on their branding and marketing strategies.

l Clare Business of the Year Presented by Councillor PJ Ryan- Mayor of Clare & Liam Conneally Director of Services-Clare County Council to Maeve Eustace-Sheridan, Western Herd Brewing/McHugh’s Bar

new plan to survive and they started trading online. They also began working with Beercloud, a company in Athlone which sells Irish craft beers online and Bevcraft, an Irish company which works with brewers on canning beers. “Bubble wrapping bottles of beer was just torturous, when you’re isolated you can’t even call in help. That’s when we started looking at cans and the business model completely changed.” With a view to the off trade market, they began looking at producing higher alcohol products such as double IPAs. The first one they produced was the Height, which is distinctly branded with an image of Daniel O’Connell monument in Ennis. “That got us noticed nationally, we got in with Molloys Off Licence chain. People didn’t know us much outside the county. Then we did another double IPA called The Forge, in conjunction with the Forge in Kilkee, and the one that really took off was Flora & Fauna, another double IPA which is 9.5%. We’re

duction capabilities by 10,000ltrs. However Maeve acknowledges that the current environment remains challenging due to the many moving parts of the current economic climate, driven by Brexit and the Pandemic. “What the production is going to look like next year, I don’t know. There’s still a lot of variables, pubs will stick to the commercial beers [when the amount of custom remains restricted] so they aren’t putting the same range of beers on draft. At the moment, we can’t plan til Christmas, we don’t know what staff we’ll have, we don’t know what demand is going to be, will we be open or closed? I don’t know. What we do know is the demand is there for the off trade and we have a brew schedule ‘til Christmas.” Maeve also stresses that the staff at McHugh’s bar went above and beyond in keeping the show on the road during months when they could have stayed at home on the PUP payment. “Claire Conway, our head chef started making nacho meal kits so that

Clare Business Excellence & Resilience Awards

Reacting to last Thursday’s award wins, it was a case of third time lucky having twice previously entered the Clare Business Excellence Awards. Maeve says, “I was shocked, I was shaking going up and thinking ‘just don’t be the one person who falls up the stairs’. When you see the people in the categories, not just our category but all of the nominees, anyone could have won that Resilience Award. Anyone who’s still in business after 18 months of opening and closing and opening and closing, deserve an award for it. So it was really nice to be honoured in that way. As for the overall award, I don’t know where that came from! We’re delighted, it’s such an honour. And yeah, they can’t take it off us which is the main thing,” she laughs. She may have not fallen up the stairs, but the latest award wins confirm that Western Herd and McHugh’s Bar will continue to climb to new heights in business as we approach 2022.

pg 29

04-11-21

Clare Echo THE

instagram.com/ClareEcho twitter.com/ClareEcho facebook.com/clareecho clareecho.ie

CLARE INTERMEDIATE HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

‘When it pays off, God is it worth it’ SMITH O’BRIENS 0-14 ST JOSEPH’S DOORA BAREFIELD 0-12 Venue: Cusack Park

SMITH O’BRIENS Frees for: 22 (11/11) Wides: 8 (2/6) Spread of scorers: 2 Scores from play: 0-02 Top scorer: Tommy Reddan (0-12 9f 3’65) Bookings: David Gough (27), Own puckouts won: 16 from 22 (73%)

TONY GLEESON, SMITH O’BRIENS MANAGER: “What a battle. I saw the weather forecast last night and I saw there was a storm due, we dealt with that. It was a game of two halves, the hurling couldn’t flow but we said to ourselves it was going to be a battle like that last two games we had, the games against Tulla and Tubber really brought us on. “After the third quarter after we had it back level and we had the wind, the lads almost came off after that quarter thinking we had the hard work done but St Josephs, massive credit to them for the way they fought back they were terrific but our lads dug deep, we were two down going into injury time but got the last four scores which was massive. “You take it on board way more as a coach than as a player, you feel you have the whole place on your shoulders but when it pays off my God is it worth it.” MICHAEL GUILFOYLE, ST JOSEPHS DOORA/ BAREFIELD MANAGER: “We were 0-07 0-01 up after fifteen minutes and then were only 0-08 0-04 at half-time having missed a few chances, we didn’t get the chances in the second half to push forward even though we were 0-12 0-10 going into injury time, it just slipped away from us, it wasn’t an easy day out”. “We had our man-marking sorted out and it worked very well on the day, to get 0-12 from frees was critical, I’d be very critical of the free count which was 22-11, we have done our stats and our tackle count was fifty so in other words half of our tackles were illegal, we don’t accept it, it was something we’ve worked hard on all year and I’m very disappointed with the way it was handled on the day”. “It’s heartbreaking, we put a huge effort in as did every other team but we felt we had all our homework done but even on the day we still felt we were capable of winning it despite all the things that weren’t going for us but we couldn’t get it over the line in the last few minutes or create a chance to make it happen”.

Smith O’Briens celebrate their success Photo by Gerard O’Neill

Cian Nolan and Marc O’Halloran celebrate at the final whistle Photo by Gerard O’Neill

John and Gretta Cusack embrace at the final whistle Photo by Ruth O’Neill

ST JOSEPHS DOORA/ BAREFIELD: Frees for: 11(6/5) Wides: 10 (8/2) Spread of scorers: 5 Scores from play: 0-09 Top scorer: Cathal Ruane (0-05 3f) Bookings: Eoin Hanrahan (8), Brian Guilfoyle (28), Tom Hannan (34), Own puckouts won: 19 from 22 (86%)

SCAN HERE FOR MATCH REPORT

Compiled by Páraic McMahon

REFEREE: Niall Malone (Éire Óg)

Foley basks in happy coincidence of Smith O’Briens success on Halloween by PÁRAIC MCMAHON HALLOWEEN and Smith O’Briens competing in intermediate hurling finals are turning out to be quite the happy coincidence. In 2004, the Killaloe club won the Clare IHC title for the first time, on Sunday they captured the Paddy Browne Cup for the second time in their history, both winning occasions occurring on Halloween night. Players were reminded of this coincidence by selector Brendan Foley who in 2004 stood between the posts as goalkeeper on the side which defeated Clooney/Quin. Fellow selector Kevin McCarthy also lined out seventeen years ago while John Cusack and Patrick

Aherne are the only men in Killaloe to hold two intermediate hurling medals. “I said ‘lads seventeen years ago on Halloween night we won our first intermediate, can history repeat itself ’,” Foley told The Clare Echo of his message to the Smith O’Briens men in the lead up to Sunday’s win over St Josephs Doora/Barefield. Back in 2004, Bodyke’s Liam Doyle possibly taking inspiration from a leaf in the Ger Loughnane book of motivation, told the Killaloe men that their final opponents Clooney/Quin had booked the Tulla Pipe Band for the homecoming. No similar masterstrokes were pulled by Foley or manager Tony

Glesson, he confirmed. “We had no Pipe Band here today! The players knew themselves, they are an exceptional bunch of lads, they’ve worked hard and put in the work, you can’t ask for anymore and that’s the way it is, we’re going to enjoy the celebrations, that’s what it is about”. Cusack Park hosted the decider with a strong wind influencing matters, it prompted Smith O’Briens to put a plan in place, one that was quickly scuppered. “We had a plan but it went out the window at the start because we were hoping to play with the wind so we had to dig deep and that match was won in the first half, we made sure to keep within four points and

we were very happy with that. We wanted to make it a battle because our last three matches have been battles, in fairness to every single one of those lads they died with their socks on and they deserved this victory”. Joint captain, David Gough emphasised in his speech that Smith O’Briens were “not finished yet” with a Munster club campaign on the horizon. That and a return to senior will be warmly welcomed in Killaloe, Brendan acknowledged. “We’re a young bunch, we’ve a good few lads that can come in there off the minor team that were beaten in the semi-final, we’re going to bring them into the squad next year”.

Brendan Foley Photo by Gerard O’Neill

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CLARE SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINALS

‘When you want leaders, Ballyea dig in’

BALLYEA 1-14 NEWMARKET ON FERGUS 1-13 Venue: Cusack Park, Ennis ROBBIE HOGAN, BALLYEA to have this crop, they are MANAGER: great lads, they kept fight“My first reaction is just ing today, it was never a lost relief to get over the line. cause. Look we wouldn’t Newmarket brought savage be here without Tony (Kelintensity. The wind picked ly), he is a great lad, he was up at the right time for us calling shots there from the there at the end. Look we line, he has a cool head.” are delighted to get the win. “We have been battling all TOMÁS RYAN, year and have had a cou- NEWMARKET MANAGER: ple of one point victories. “When they got the goal The lads haven’t panicked, they were the better side they have just kept going. and they finished out the When you want leaders to game strong. I thought up lead, they just dig in and to that we had the better of that’s what the lads did to- it but I might be a bit biased day and we are delighted in that. Their goal turned it with the win. We re lucky in their favour. It was a great

BALLYEA: Frees For: 14 (9/5) Wides: 10 (5/5) Spread of scorers: 5 Scores from play: 1-9 Top scorer: Niall Deasy (0-08 4f 1’65) Bookings: Jack Browne (31), James Murphy (45) Own puckouts won: 19 out of 23 (83%) NEWMARKET-ON-FERGUS Frees For: 11 (5/6) Wides: 9 (7/2) Spread of scorers: 7 Scorers from play: 1-9 Top scorer: Colin Ryan (0-05 3f 1’65) Bookings; Colin Guilfoyle (29) Own puckouts won: 19 out of 25 (76%) REFEREE: Johnny Healy

Paul Flanagan powers past the challenge of Eoin Guilfoyle and (right) Pearse Lillis as he celebrates with Gary Brennan and Mossy Gavin Photo by Gerard O’Neill

battle, a good quality game although the score wasn’t hectic. Conditions turned difficult in the second half. Look I am very proud of the panel of players we have. They really represented the club and themselves well. They are a joy to be involved

(Smith O’Briens)

with. Ballyea’s experience was important. They have huge talent throughout their team. “We didn’t underestimate them by any means. Some of those lads really came strong in the end but we can be really proud of where we

got to this year. You don’t get to semi-finals too often. It doesn’t come easy or often and we have to enjoy it and take some reward out of coming this far and hopefully we can build on it for next year. It’s reset and back to square one for next year”.

SCAN HERE FOR MATCH REPORT

Compiled by Seamus Hayes

Leaders stand tall for Inamona INAGH KILNAMONA 1-17 ÉIRE ÓG 0-17 Venue: Cusack Park

Jason McCarthy gets away from Liam Corry Photo by Gerard O’Neill

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INAGH-KILNAMONA Frees For: 16 (6/10) Wides: 11 (5/6) Scores from Play: 1-12 Spread of Scorers: 10 Top Scorers: Aidan McCarthy/ Conner Hegarty (0-5) Own Puck-Outs won: 15 from 27 (56%) ÉIRE ÓG Frees For: 11 (8/3) Wides: 10 (4/6) Scores from Play: 0-11 Spread of Scorers: 7 Top Scorer: Danny Russell (0-6) Own Puck-Outs won: 18 from 29 (62%)

TOMÁS KELLY, INAGH/ KILNAMONA COACH: “We knew coming in that we were going to have a massive battle with a fantastic Éire Óg team who threw everything at us. We had a lot of setbacks but there was massive resilience from the lads to keep bouncing back and with a lot of injuries being picked up, the strength of our panel showed in the end and it might have been the difference between the two teams. “In every game, we’ve been tested and one of the things that was being questioned by us as a team and maybe as a club has

Compiled by Eoin Brennan

been our resilience and leadership or lack of same. I think today showed that we do have the leaders and we do have the resilience. I think that even came down to the penalty save at the end. We just needed everyone to chip in today and that’s how it worked out thankfully.” MATT SHANNON, ÉIRE ÓG MANAGER: “The bottom line is that we probably didn’t do enough on the day to get a result. It’s hard to put your finger on it straight after the game but we just couldn’t get a flow, get onto breaks or build up play. Part of the reason

for that can be credited to Inagh-Kilnamona but overall not enough of our big players were on their A game today. REFEREE: Wayne King (St Josephs Doora/Barefield)

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SCAN HERE FOR MATCH REPORT

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04-11-21

Clare Echo THE

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CLARE SNR HURLING RELAGATION PLAYOFF CLARECASTLE 2-13 Compiled by Seamus Hayes O’CALLAGHAN’S MILLS 3-15 Venue: Meelick Adrian Flaherty is hooked by Gearoid Ryan

Photo by Ruth Griffin

Banner & Kilmihil renew final rivalries

TITLE holders Banner ladies will take on Kilmihil in the final of the Clare ladies senior football championship, writes Seamus Hayes, and are set to clash in a final scheduled Doonbeg on Sunday week. BANNER LADIES IN CONTROL Banner 2-15 Kilmurry-Ibrickane 0-7 Venue: Lissycasey

O’CALLAGHANS MILLS: Frees For: 11 Wides: 14 Scores from play: 3-08 Spread of scorers: 6 Top scorer: Jacob Loughnane (0-09 7f) Bookings; Michael Cotter Own puckouts won: 14 from 24 (58%)

CLARECASTLE: Frees For: 15 Wides: 11 Scores from play: 2-05 Spread of scorers: 5 Top scorer: Bobby Duggan (0-10 8f) Bookings; Patrick Tuohy, David Tuohy, Niall Galvin Puckouts won: 23 from 30 (77%)

DONACH O’DONNELL, O’CAL’ MILLS, MANAGER: “We are pleased with the result, it was a decent enough performance, our workrate was up and the focus was good. We got a very good start and we did well in the first half. They came back at us in the second half and they got a few handy frees which put them in contention but we finished strongly. Next weekend’s game is crucial and we have to go for it. We have to win and we must push on as score difference could be a factor yet”. BRIAN RUSSELL, CLARECASTLE MANAGER: “We are very disappointed with the end result and very disappointed with our start. We made a lot of errors in the first half and SCAN HERE FOR we ended up being 11 points down at MATCH REPORT half time. There was nothing left at that stage but to throw everything at it but we gave ourselves too much to do, That first half cost us as we didn’t put them under any pressure. We missed chances in the second half and I believe we had enough to win the game...It’s a learning curve for our younger players.”

The title holders laid down a marker from the start in this semi-final and they were well on their way to the final by half time when they were 1-12 to 0-0 in front. Aoibheann Malone was the team’s first half goalscorer in a tie they dominated throughout against Kilmurry-Ibrickane who had been promoted to the senior grade this year as a result of their intermediate championship success last year. Despite being without their most decorated player, Niamh O’Dea who has been out of action for the past number of weeks due to injury, Banner Ladies had far too much experience for their opponents. The foundation for the win was laid in a strong half back line of Lisa Ryan, Eva O’Dea and Sarah Ni Cheallaigh with great assistance from midfielder Laurie Ryan (pictured) who regularly dropped back to help the defence. Grainne Nolan was the side’s top scorer with 0-6, three from frees while Aoibhin Ryan landed 0-5 with Aoibheann Malone hitting 1-2. KILMIHIL WIN IN EXTRA TIME Kilmihil 1-14 St. Josephs Doora/Barefield 3-4 Venue: Miltown Malbay

Favourites Kilmihil needed extra time to overcome Doora/Barefield on Saturday. A late goal from Amy Lenihan briefly led to St. Josephs being in a position to cause a major shock and send Kilmihil crashing out of the title race. But Kilmihil stormed into extra time and landed four points in succession to kill off any surprises. The sides went to the break level, 1-6 to 2-3. The second half was a low scoring affair and Kilmihil looked to be on their way as the game reached the final minute but then Amy Lenihan produced a powerful strike for her second goal which forced the game into extra time. A minute into extra time Kilmihil were back in front with a point from substitute Carol Browne and like scores followed from Ellie O’Gorman and Becky Mahon (2) to give them a four point lead midway through the extra period, they continued to dominate to the end with St. Josephs’ only score in extra time coming in the final minute.

Truagh/Clonlara reach first senior decider

TRUAGH/CLONLARA and Scariff/Ogonnelloe will face off in the final of the Clare senior camogie championship. A first ever final is the reward for Truagh/Clonlara who put four goals past Kilkishen/Bodyke on their way to a 4-16 1-14 win, the game played at Fr McNamara Park. The county trio of Eimear Kelly, Aine O’Loughlin and Becky Foley posed problems for Kilkishen/Bodyke. It was a repeat of last year’s Senior B decider which Truagh won on a margin 1-15 0-14. Matters were quiet close at half-time on Saturday the score reading 2-04 1-06 in favour of Truagh/Clonlara, they upped their performance another notch in the second half to maintain their unBecky Foley Photo by Gerard O’Neill beaten run in this year’s championship. Scariff/Ogonnelloe join them in the final after the 2019 champions dethroned the current holders Inagh/Kilnamona on a score of 0-11 0-08. The East Clare side were against the breeze but held a 0-05 0-02 advantage at the first water break, they hit the final score of the opening half via Mairead Scanlan to keep their noses in front at half-time. Fiona Lafferty led Inagh/Kilnamona’s challenge on the restart but despite being on top they only added a point via Amy Keating with their opponents soon responding with white flags from Lynda Daly and Amy Barrett. Lafferty and Aoibhin Ryan reduced the deficit to a single point but again it was Scanlan to get the last score before the final water break to keep Dave O’Sullivan’s charges ahead. In an exciting final quarter, Claire Commane cut the distance to two points but a strong Scariff/Ogonnelloe defence held firm and Abby Walsh fired the final score of the afternoon to send them into the county decider for only the second time. Scariff Ogonelloe had impressive performances from Ciara Doyle, Lynda Daly and Labhaoise O’Donnell while Fiona Laffterty and Claire Commane were impressive for Inagh Kilnamona, as well as Clare Heihir who was outstanding throughout.

Ennis Town & Shannon Utd progress in Munster Junior Cup by SEAMUS HAYES

SHANNON TOWN MARCH ON

Bridge Utd 1 Shannon Town 3

Shannon Town dominated this Munster junior cup second round game, and led 2 nil at half time. They went in front in the 30th minute when Gary O’Connell ran onto a low cross from the left and shot past Bridge United keeper Conor Maxwell from 10 yards. In the 40th minute he got up to head a cross from Brian Monaghan powerfully to the net.Early in the second half the Bridge tried hard to get back into the game but were unable to trouble Shane Russell unduly. Then in the 65th minute Brian Monaghan made a run into

the Bridge area on the left and shot low past Conor Maxwell to the net. In the final minutes the Bridge were awarded a penalty for a foul in the area and Jordan Downes scored to Shane Russell’s right for a consolation goal. Derek Byrne’s charges will face either Shannon Olympic or his club’s B team in the third round of the competition. The Olympic v Shannon Town B game was postponed last Sunday due to an unplayable pitch and it has been re-fixed for this coming Sunday.

AVENUE AND NEWMARKET MUST DO IT ALL AGAIN

Avenue Utd 1 Newmarket Celtic 1 (game abandoned due to a match official getting ill)

This eagerly awaited clash

of great rivals Avenue United and Newmarket Celtic had reached the second half when one of the match officials took ill leading to the game being abandoned. The sides were level at 1-1 each at the time and there were just over thirty minutes to play. The game is to be replayed in full on Sunday week. Avenue are in FAI Junior Cup action this Sunday when they play Abbeyfeale. Avenue started well and created a number of chances before taking the lead. A Stephen Jordan cross was headed on by Ronan Kerin and Conor Mullen applied the finish. Newmarket stepped up a gear after the break and they got back on terms from the

penalty spot. A foul on Kevin Harnett led to the spot kick and while David McCarthy’s first effort was saved, the referee ordered the kick to be re-taken and this time McCarthy hit the target.

ENNIS TOWN IN CONTROL

Kilkishen Celtic 1 Ennis Town 6

Ennis Town advanced to the next round of the Munster Junior cup with this comfortable victory over Kilkishen Celtic at the latter’s venue. The home side opened the scoring through Christy Phillpott but the lead was shortlived as Ennis Town levelled within a minute through Dean Hegarty.Lee Clohessy followed with a brace of goals and Davy Keenan then found the net as the winners took a 4-1 lead to

the interval break.In the second half Ennis Town had goals from Johnston Mununkum and Lase Ifedajo.

BUNRATTY/CRATLOE WIN AGAIN

Bunratty/Cratloe 4 Manus Celtic 2

Following on from their third division league cup success, Bunratty/Cratloe extended their winning run when they proved too strong for Manus Celtic at Lees Road. Manus took an early lead but Bunratty-Cratloe responded and the sides went to the break on level terms. The winners dominated the second half and quickly stretched their lead to 4-1. Scorers for Bunratty/Crtloe were Darren Lindsay, Dylan Kerr while Adam Harrington scored two. Manus Celtic’s

goals were scored by Adam Cassidy and Patrick Casey.

COMFORTABLE FOR KILRUSH Kilrush Rangers 7 Coole FC 1

Kilrush Rangers continued their good home form with this comfortable win over Coole FC in the first division league. They went in front in the fifth minute when Trevor Clancy scored a penalty. Dylan Russell scored twice to give Rangers a comfortable lead 3-0 lead at half time. Early in the second Dylan Russell completed his hat-trick before Coole pulled one back when Joe Copley converted from the penalty spot. Russell struck for his fourth shortly afterwards and they went on to seal victory with a goal each from Dean Neary and David Foran.

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CLARE SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL: ÉIRE ÓG VS KILMURRY IBRICKANE

Moloney continues to oversee ‘Bricks regeneration game EOIN BRENNAN

HAT Aiden Moloney’s return to take charge of his native club has resulted in five county final appearances in six seasons is hardly a coincidence. Despite a perceived ageing squad, Kilmurry Ibrickane’s remarkable powers of regeneration have ensured that they have remained steadfast at the top of the Clare football ladder as they chase down an eighth Jack Daly in 14 seasons this Sunday. “Back in 2016, there was talk from outside that maybe we could get one last hurrah from them. So the boys have really done us proud and the bottom line is that the players have worked hard and we’ve gotten on great as they help me more than I help them to be honest. The likes of Martin McMahon, Enda Coughlan, Shane Hickey and Darren Hickey, these fellas are easy to manage and I get as much advice from them as they get from me. “The club have been so fortunate that we’ve had such a great generation of players and a lot of them are still playing. The likes of Michael O’Dwyer and Enda [Coughlan], I actually played with

Kilmurry Ibrickane manager, Aiden Moloney

Photo by Gerard O’Neill

those guys back as far as the final in 2002 and they’re still playing which is some going. “From where we come from and the population we have, we have to keep those fellas for as long as we can because replacements are not easy to find. We’ve been lucky over the past few years in that we’ve brought some fabulous players through like Darragh Sexton, Ciaran Morrissey, Danny Walsh, Aidan McCarthy, Andrew Shannon and Diarmuid King to name but a few. All these guys have established themselves in the last few years, helped by the older lads that

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have hung on for as long as they could as it’s not easy to replace players like that.” That dynamic was particularly brought home this season as after already losing Michael Hogan and Noel Downes to retirement, Kilmurry suffered further hammerblows on their return to action in June with a succession of long-term injuries to key men such as Shane Hickey, Dermot Coughlan and subsequently in the early stages of the championship, Diarmuid King. “Automatically we lost four of our forward line from last year straight away so between

everything, it has been a big blow but I have to say that the boys have never used it as an excuse. They just get on with it and the next guy comes in and we put pressure on them to get up to speed and fill in for those roles. By this stage, we’re delighted with the boys to have gotten to a final. So from number one to, I’d love to say 30 but we’re probably only working with 21 or 22 at this stage because of injuries, we couldn’t be more pleased with the effort they’ve put in. “The older lads have told them what’s required, that no-one is here to make up numbers and there’s no point being here if you can’t do a job when you’re called on. For example, I’m delighted with the likes of Joe Campbell there, he’s only 17 and has done great for us this year, having been thrown in at the deep end. We can’t complain. Win, lose or draw, the boys have worked so hard, have made great sacrifices to be part of it and travel long distances to training. Lads like the McCarthys there, have played every week hurling and football and are as dedicated to football as they are hurling so with that kind of commitment, we simply can’t complain. Aidan McCarthy has since joined the dreaded treatment table with a hamstring injury ahead of Sunday’s final

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against a side ‘Horse’ knows only too well having also played against the Townies throughout a storied career that actually ended with a county final victory over Éire Óg following a replay in 2004 at the tender age of 41. “We were actually leading by a point deep into injury-time and I remember Éire Óg got a free that was definitely 50 or 55 metres out anyway. Fair play to James Hanrahan, he managed to put it over as we weren’t encouraging him to at the time. That sent the final to a replay but we managed to emerge on top the second day but we’ve always had tight matches with Éire Óg. All through the years when I was playing long before that final, there was never anymore than a point or two in it either way. “There’s no doubt that Éire Óg have always had quality

and obviously haven’t made enough of it. Every year they are there-or-thereabouts as favourites at the start of the year and somehow of other, it hasn’t happened for them. However, they had stepped it up a pace this year and are in the final now and no matter when you play Éire Óg, whether it’s the first round or a final, they’re always a difficult prospect. “They have a lot of good players, have six or seven alone involved with the county set-up so they have real quality. They definitely have the panel that maybe we don’t have as over the years, we probably would have relied on five experienced subs with numerous county medals in their pockets to come on and make a difference for us. But where they had quality, we have experience and hopefully that will level things out come Sunday”.

PATH TO FINAL Éire Óg: Round One: Éire Óg 3-10 Lissycasey 0-09 on 01/08/21 at Cusack Park, Ennis Round Two: Clondegad 0-14 Éire Óg 1-10 on 28/08/21 at Cusack Park, Ennis Round Three: Éire Óg 0-09 Doonbeg 0-03 on 11/09/21 at St Michael’s Park, Kilmihil Quarter-Final: Éire Óg 1-06 Ennistymon 0-05 on 09/10/21 at Cusack Park, Ennis Semi-Final: Éire Óg 0-11 St Breckans 0-05 on 23/10/21 at Cusack Park, Ennis Kilmurry Ibrickane: Round 1: KIB 2-07 St Josephs Miltown 2-07 on 31/07/21 at Cusack Park, Ennis Round 2: KIB 1-10 Ennistymon 0-07 on 07/08/21 at Cusack Park, Ennis Round 3: KIB 2-13 Cratloe 2-07 on 28/08/21 at Cusack Park, Ennis Round 4: KIB 1-13 Cooraclare 1-12 on 12/09/21 at Shanahan McNamara Memorial Park, Doonbeg Quarter-Final: KIB 1-13 Kilmihil 0-13 on 09/10/21 at Cusack Park, Ennis Semi-Final: KIB 0-17 Lissycasey 0-08 on 24/10/21 at Cusack Park, Ennis

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High standards keep Bricks at top table

CLARE SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL: ÉIRE ÓG VS KILMURRY IBRICKANE

Key fitness battles could decide result SEAMUS HAYES OPINIONS are divided amongst players and managers in Clare football as to who will be crowned Clare senior football champions for 2021 but all agree that the meeting of Éire Óg and title holders Kilmurry Ibrickane will be a close affair. Clare senior captain and St. Josephs Miltown player, Eoin Cleary believes that much will hinge on the fitness of Gavin Cooney and Aidan McCarthy. Éire Óg captain Cooney played no part in his club’s senior hurling semi-final loss to Inagh/Kilnamona on Saturday and it’s understood that he is battling to overcome a quad injury. Aidan McCarthy representing his home club Inagh/Kilnamona left the field in the final quarter of this semi-final because of a hamstring injury which also led to him being replaced the previous week in Kilmurry’s semi-final win over Lissycasey. “If either Cooney or McCarthy loses out because of injury it will be a huge blow to their team. Cooney will take marking. His performances for Clare have been really good this year and he is really leading the line for Éire Óg. If he is ruled out it will be a big worry for Éire Óg. McCarthy is a real workhorse for Kilmurry and if he is absent it will represent a huge blow for the team,” Cleary surmised. “It’s incredible what Kilmurry are doing given the calibre of players that they are missing. Any club that loses two players of the calibre of Shane Hickey and Dermot Coughlan and are still in the running for the title, it shows why they are champions and you have to take your hat off to them,” the Clare captain said. Cleary believes that “the addition of Seanie Buckley as coach has been huge for Éire Óg who have a high quality of player available and I expect a very good final. St Breckans were impressive when beating us and they were in position for a title shot but Éire Óg proved too strong for them.” The Miltown man believes that weather could play a big part in deciding this final. “The adverse conditions led to a lot of missed frees in the hurling last weekend. Freetakers will be important and in fairness to Keelan [Sexton] he has been outrageous this year. Experience is also important and Kilmurry have lots with Martin McMahon and Enda Coughlan key in this area.” Sunday’s outcome will be influenced by the availability of the Éire Óg captain, Cleary added. “If he is fit then I think Eire Og will shade it, particularly if Aidan McCarthy is out for Kilmurry. Should Gavin Cooney be out, then I expect Kilmurry to win.” Lissycasey manager John Ryan believes that Kilmurry Ibrickane will be champions come Sunday evening. “Kilmurry improved with every game this year and they improved 70% from the Kilmihil game to the semi-final with us. They did to us what we wanted to do to them. They ran at us and we stepped off them. “Kilmurry are playing to a system

and the addition of Mick Bohan to their backroom team has proved a huge asset. They have two very good freetakers. It’s down to small margins and Kilmurry are able to get those from their team. They know how to win and you can’t buy experience”, the Limerick native outlined. While he predicts a Kilmurry victory, he is not ruling out Éire Óg’s chances. “They are coached by Seanie Buckley who is a super coach. I worked with him in the academy in Limerick and I knew him as a player. He has brought a different mindset to the scene. He has Éire Óg playing the same style as Druncollogher -Broadford in Limerick. He has guided them to the final in his first season as coach and they will take stopping but I believe that Kilmurry’s greater experience will see them crowned champions.” St Breckans manager Donie Garrihy admits to being “bitterly disappointed to lose to Éire Óg in the semi-final and we are reflecting on that. It’s not how many times you lose but how many times you get up after losing. St Breckans are 50 years old and great credit is due to them for always being pro active and full of energy. “I watched my nephew’s team Inagh-Kilnamona play against Éire Óg last weekend, a really enjoyable game. They picked holes in Éire Óg. I noticed that Gavin Cooney wasn’t playing. He is a top scorer for Éire Óg with Mark McInerney and Philip Talty. Take him out and it will be tough for Éire Óg,” the Doolin man felt. Garrihy believes that “great credit is due to Paul Madden. In a dual club it’s not easy. There are two ways it can go after losing the semi-final. Circle the wagons and say lads this is our chance or they could be dejected. Paul Madden is full of energy. He runs a brilliant hotel at the Temple Gate and he won’t leave a stone unturned.” Equally, he commended the efforts of Kilmurry Ibrickane. “In the Cusack Cup, they found it hard to field teams. They were hit with terrible injuries to Dermot Coughlan and Shane Hickey. If two inter county players of that standard get injured in any other club in Clare, they could throw the toys out of the pram but not Aidan Moloney, Eric Murrihy or Kevin Sexton. They got in David Russell and they also got in Mick Bohan and also James Murrihy. None of these boys are losers, they are all winners. “They have been impressive and they have got the job done, fantastic free taking from Daryn Callinan and Keelan Sexton. I can’t remember them missing any. Fair play to Aidan Moloney for getting his team around him. The diamond inside there for me is James Murrihy. He is an amazing man, always thinking around the corner. “To say that they haven’t missed Dermot and Shane is just beyond me. Will there be more than a point in it. Éire Óg have a fine squad of players. We didn’t perform on the day but that is another question. This could go either way and I believe that there won’t be more than a point in it”, Garrihy concluded.

by EOIN BRENNAN

AVING emerged onto the senior side as part of a new wave in 2016, Darragh Sexton immediately saw Jack Daly success as the standard, a high bar that he is keen to preserve this Sunday when putting their title on the line against Éire Óg. Between replays in 2016 and ‘19, Sexton will actually be lining out in his seventh county senior final in only six seasons and having lost only one of the previous six, the versatile defender hopes that Kilmurry Ibrickane’s superior final experience will stand to them. “It’s great to have played in county finals and you’d hope that it helps but at the end of the day, you take each final as it comes. We won’t look to past performances, we’ll look at Éire Óg now and try and analyse them and see how we can win this game. Don’t get me wrong, we

love playing county finals and that’s no different this year but Éire Óg will be coming in with just as much momentum as we have so we just have to match that hunger all the way”. With such a bank of finals under your belt, do you feel like one of the experienced players now? “Well, we had a bonding exercise not so long ago and we were made line up from youngest to oldest and I found myself on the wrong end of that list anyway so that was kind of eye-opening for me. Look, there’s more responsibility when you’re one of the older lads on the team and that’s something I enjoy. “I suppose when you come in first, you’ve got these stalwarts of the club and you’re looking up to them and don’t want to put a foot wrong. But the longer you’re in the dressing room, the more you learn from these lads really and therefore when the opportunity arises, you’ve got to take on more respon-

sibility and that’s what I’m trying to do at the moment so hopefully it’ll keep going that way”. Kilmurry Ibrickane’s ability to clamber over whatever fate could throw at them in a potentially treacherous title defence minefield is admirable but now that they have managed to return to the final, Sexton and Co. want to finish the job. “It was a tough year and a tough group. It was called the ‘group of death’ and we kind of set out our stall first to try and win every game in that group. Now we drew one game but came through the group unscathed. “From the outset, it looked a tough journey, we seemed to pick up a lot of injuries but we’ve made it back to the final and are looking to put back-to-back titles together now. I’d imagine Éire Óg will be favourites after a great win against Breckan’s so it’s all ahead of us now as we look forward to that challenge. I was very impressed with Éire Óg the last day. They seemed a very well-drilled team, everyone knew what their role was and they implemented their gameplan very well against what was a very hotly-tipped St Breckan’s team after that Miltown game. So we know that there’s a massive task ahead of us and it will just come down to which side can grasp the opportunity on Sunday”.

Battle lines drawn for Morrissey by EOIN BRENNAN TEAM-MATES for Clare, a sizeable contingents from Kilmurry Ibrickane and Éire Óg won’t be short of inside knowledge this Sunday when they emerge from the opposition trenches or in the current climate, cert-approved dressing rooms. Ciaran Morrissey’s rise of a first county title in 2016 to making his county debut three years later is a prime example of why Kilmurry Ibrickane have never let their grasp of the summit slip. Éire Óg are the latest usurpers trying to knock them off their perch. "It has been a great learning experience to be involved with Clare as you’re there with the best players in the county and there are plenty of those lining out for Éire

Óg on Sunday so we’re well aware of the quality they have. “No more so than ourselves, they have a great spread of players on the county panel and therefore when you look down the list of backs, midfielders and forwards on both teams, there are a number of players that immediately stand out. So in that regard, the teams are evenly-matched.” There has been a particularly insatiable thirst within Kilmurry over the past decade and that trait has enabled them to overcome any roadblocks this season according to Morrissey. “Like every other year, you have to rely on

the depth of your panel. We have numerous guys that aren’t going to be there and obviously they’re a huge loss from last year but we haven’t really mentioned it. Instead, it’s just been heads down, keep working and keep driving on. I suppose you have to find solutions for problems every year so we’ve done that effectively so far. “Every final you play is an important game...

Ultimately it’s 65 or 66 minutes of football, be it a final or not, it’s a game that you want to win the same as every other day. So I think we will prepare no different than how we normally do, we will pay Éire Óg their due respect and we’ll also focus on ourselves. “They bring a high level of intensity and that’s what we need to not only match but surpass if we can”.

Best wishes to Eire og in the county final from all Barra oil

04-11-21

pg 34

CLARE SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL: ÉIRE ÓG VS KILMURRY IBRICKANE

AARON FITZGERALD AIDAN McGRATH

ALAN O’NEILL

CIARAN RUSSELL

CONALL Ó HÁINIFÉIN CONOR O’HALLORAN

DARA WALSH

DARREN O’BRIEN

DARREN O’NEILL

DAVID REIDY

DEAN D’AURIA

EIMHIN COURTNEY

ÉINNE O’CONNOR

EOIN GUILFOYLE

GAVIN COONEY

GAVIN D’AURIA

GEARÓID COLLINS

IKEM UGWUERU

JARLATH COLLINS

LUKE MOORE

MANUS DOHERTY

MARK McINERNY

NATHAN MURRAY

NIALL McMAHON

NIALL O’DONOGHUE

PHILIP TALTY

RONAN LANIGAN

TADHG CONNELLAN

Best wishes to

Éire Óg Inis

in the

County Senior Football Final

From all at

Gort Road Business Park, Ennis, Co. Clare. V95 KH6E 065 68 68 108

info@d2print.ie

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065 684 5487 8 Francis Street, Ennis, Co. Clare

pg 35

04-11-21

CLARE SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL: ÉIRE ÓG VS KILMURRY IBRICKANE

ADRIAN MURRIHY

AIDAN McCARTHY

ANDREW SHANNON

CIARAN MORRISSEY COLIN BRIGDALE

DANIEL WALSH

DARRAGH PENDER

DARRAGH SEXTON

DARREN HICKEY

DARYN CALLINAN

DAVID SEXTON

EAMON BRACKEN

ENDA COUGHLAN

EVAN TALTY

MAURICE DONNELLAN

JASON McCARTHY

JOE CAMPBELL

KEELAN SEXTON

MARK KILLEEN

Members of Kilmurry Ibrickane management team Kevin Sexton, Derek Considine and Aiden Moloney All photos by Gerard O’Neill

MARK McCARTHY

MARTIN McMAHON

MICHAEL COMBER

MICHAEL O’DWYER

DIARMUID WHELAN

NIALL McGANNON

PAUDIE MURRIHY

THOMAS LERNIHAN

04-11-21

pg 36

CLARE SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL: ÉIRE ÓG VS KILMURRY IBRICKANE

‘MY SECOND FAMILY’ Madden’s love for Éire Óg drives ambitions by PÁRAIC McMAHON

Éire Óg senior football manager Paul Madden Photo by Gerard O’Neill

DEALING with big occasions are nothing new for Éire Óg manager, Paul Madden but he still expects to contend with nerves as the Ennis club take on Kilmurry Ibrickane in Sunday’s county football final. Advancing from the group stages was the target for Éire Óg from the beginning of the year. They began with an impressive win over Lissycasey but fell to a shock defeat versus Clondegad before sealing a place in the quarter-finals by defeating Doonbeg. “If we got out of the group we were going to try and see could we learn from past failings, being four consecutive quarter-final losses,” Madden explains. Losing to Clondegad was what he labelled a “retrievable setback”. He recalls that they had been playing very good football in previous group campaigns before producing a poor display when it counted, this has not been the case in 2021. “I’ve always felt we’ve had good players but I think you would have to say there’s an element of maturity this year. A lot of our lads two years ago when they lost to Doonbeg in the quarter-final were only 19 or 20, an extra couple of

years brings you on considerably physically and mentally. Maybe, just maybe, the experience of harrowing defeats gave us more steel.” Beating Doonbeg in Kilmihil was “a minor mental thing for the players” as it saw the Townies prevail at a West Clare venue having exited the championship to Kilmurry Ibrickane in Cooraclare last year and Doonbeg in Miltown Malbay a year previous. “For me I could never understand this logic, I don’t think we played anywhere but West Clare unless we got to a county final previously, we had great successes over the years back in Kilmihil and places like that. For this group, they were probably young enough and had been half told they couldn’t win back in West Clare but it is a pitch with 15 against 15, maybe there was a little mental thing there but certainly winning that game was a monkey off the back. “I felt it was a monkey that should never have been there because if you look at the history of Éire Óg in the last 10 to 15 years, the last time we were in a county final was 2014 when we won two consecutive games against two strong physical teams back in Kilmihil to get there.” Paul balances the role of manager with that of owner of the Temple Gate Hotel plus his family commitments. “You’re not going to do it unless you love it, I enjoy it even though it is strenuous and it does take up a lot of time... I would be a very passionate Éire Óg man whether it is hurling, football, camogie or ladies foot-

ball, if you have that passion you will give a commitment but at some point in time your work/life balance has to come into play.” His first medal with the club was at U10 level in 1984 while his last medal “of significance” before heading abroad was a minor title in 1992, a side which was captained by his selector Peter Cosgrove. He returned from London in 2003 linking up with the senior football panel and a year later had his first county final experience as a player as they lost out to Kilmurry Ibrickane. “Coincidentally Aiden Moloney captained the Kilmurry Ibrickane team in 2004 when they beat us after a replay.” Assumptions of Éire Óg from the outside looking in can tend to be inaccurate, the Shannon College of Hotel Management graduate explained. “I was eight years of age when I first went up to the club, my mother dropped me up one day, once I went in the gate really and truly it has formed the majority of my life, the core friends that I developed underage with Éire Óg would still be my core friends, it is like a second family. People sometimes lose the sense of that when they talk about Éire Óg because it is a big town but it is a small club in a big town, there is a good connection between people and a lot of friendships built up over the years”. This year when asked by the Club Executive to remain on as manager, Paul decided to freshen up his management team with ex-Limerick footballer Seanie Buckley joining as coach while

ENZO’S PARNELL ST.

BEST OF LUCK TO ÉIRE ÓG SENIOR FOOTBALLERS FROM ALL AT EBS ENNIS Abbey Street Car Park, Central Buildings, Ennis

(065) 689 9600

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Halfway House

Peter Cosgrove and Shane Daniels became selectors as the trio of James Hanrahan, Alan Malone and Stephen McNamara bowed out. The “phenomenal” Tom Russell remained in the backroom team and has been joined by Rory O’Brien. Éire Óg’s panel strength is demonstrated in the fact that they have reached the final despite being without one of their best performers during Madden’s tenure, defender Cathal Darcy who suffered a cruciate ligament injury earlier this year. Taking down the “standard bearers” of Clare football is the task ahead of Éire Óg this weekend. “We would love to form a rivalry with them, the reality is year-in year-out for the last number of years they have been contesting finals and winning them, we have flattered to deceive. “Some of them are going for nine or ten championships this weekend, collectively as a group we don’t have that, it includes the management and players, you’d have to admire and respect that”. The 2004 game that gave Paul his first taste of a senior final was “a cracker”, Sunday’s clash will be his first as a manager, and he doesn’t mind how entertaining the game is. “Finals are for winning...when you look at the roll of honour, it will not say so and so won a county championship playing badly it will just say so and so won a county championship but I still maintain for Éire Óg to win we’re going to have to put in our best performance of the year and that is a challenge for us”.

pg 37

04-11-21

CLARE SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL: ÉIRE ÓG VS KILMURRY IBRICKANE

'It's win at all costs' but Cooney ‘Chance for Éire Óg to prove worth’ faces final race against time by PÁRAIC McMAHON

ÉIRE Óg’s marquee forward, Gavin Cooney is in a race against time to be fit for what will be his first taste of a senior championship final. In the lead up to Éire Óg’s hurling semi-final with Inagh/Kilnamona, Cooney strained his quad. It ruled him out of their defeat and presently has cast him as a doubt for this weekend’s final. His involvement will be an influential factor and whether or not he can feature won’t be known until close to throw-in. “I can’t run for the next few days, it’s just about managing it and hoping it will be right on Sunday, it’s wait and see. It is my very first muscle injury in my leg, it is the worst timing possible, there was a major scare when it did happen, it’s nervy times but hopefully it will hold up,” This year, Gavin has the “massive honour” of captaining Éire Óg. “It’s a n i c e feeling on the pitch, you’re trying to motivate all the people around you, I’m lucky the players beside me are equally mature and are as good as anyone else,” he said. Giving the captaincy to the Clare corner-forward was a “no-brainer”, manager Paul Madden detailed, “Gavin Cooney’s generation are the ones that are going to drive Éire Óg hurling and football forward for years to come”. According to Gavin, Madden has matched the high standards of

Colm Collins at county level. “There is no one else quite like him, being in the inter-county setup and coming back to club the way Paul has it set up there isn’t much of a difference, everything you could ever ask for he gives it to us, there’s no excuses from that point. He is one of a kind in the professionalism he brings to the setup and that bounces off the players.” Recollections of the club’s last appearance in a final in 2014 for the LIT student are of “the red ultras at the town end, the flares and everyone in red, it was something you’d dream of running onto the pitch and seeing that. Hopefully we’ll see it on Sunday because it would be a big boost to everyone.” Having a vocal crowd is something appreciated more by players particularly those at inter-county level who lined out behind closed doors for last year’s championship. “The crowd is a massive boost for the players, we saw it against us in the semi-final, St Breckans h ave a massive crowd behind them, you’d hear them banging the shed, when they get a score it’s demoralising for you

when you’re against it but when you’re with it then it’s a massive boost.” “Last year having no crowds was very bad, it was tough for everyone but they were the circumstances we were in and it’s been a long 18 months...it’s great to give an occasion to the people of Ennis to hopefully come out and support us.” Securing Seanie Buckley as a coach was signalled out by Gavin as a reason for Éire Óg breaking their quarter-final hoodoo. “Every year I’ve been on the panel, we’ve lost at the quarter-final stage be it in Cusack Park against Ennistymon in my first year and then we started to lose when we went out of Cusack Park, people were saying we couldn’t win in West Clare. This year we beat Doonbeg in Kilmihil and then we focused on taking it game by game in the quarter-final. “Seanie Buckley is a massive influence, his input has been shown greatly in the way we are performing, it might not be as exciting as we’ve played in the past, we were high scoring but this year it is win at all costs. He has brought massive composure to our game plan.” Last month, Gavin clashed with his Corry cousins from Sixmilebridge as Éire Óg ended their reign as Clare SHC champions, relations may not have been as cordial for those 60 minutes but the support has been flowing through since then, “there was a bit of rivalry but they’ve sent me plenty of texts and I’m sure they’ll be in the red and white this weekend”. Getting out of the house and a possible walk around town will form part of his routine on Sunday morning, by the evening he could follow in the footsteps of Peter Cosgrove and Alan Malone by leading Éire Óg to senior glory.

WHEN it comes to Éire Óg’s footballers winning senior titles, Peter Cosgrove has been an ever-present figure, writes Páraic McMahon. He was a dominant presence at midfield when the Ennis club ended Doonbeg’s aspirations of winning three senior championships in a row back in 2000. Six years on, Cosgrave was back in the middle of Cusack Park as they held off the challenge of Lissycasey to claim the honours. Fast forward to 2021 and the FBD Insurance employee is part of Paul Madden’s management in what is his third stint as a senior selector to the club. Madden didn’t have much persuading to do to get Peter to come on board. “It didn’t take much selling, I’d be friends with Paul for a long time. I’m a clubman so I’d obviously go to all the games, I’ve been to them over the last few years and I’ve seen the players and the potential in them. I’ve seen the disappointment when they’ve gone out at the quarter-final stages, there was no convincing.” A former Clare footballer, he outlined that maintaining an involvement in some capacity helps to feed the competitive edge. “The passion doesn’t change, you’re going to support your club whether you are involved or not, it is just more time consuming being involved. Winning championship games is more enjoyable when you are involved, you still go out and celebrate when you’re not involved but when you are involved it makes it a little more rewarding.” From Gallows Hill, Peter lived just 300 yards from the club grounds when growing up. Despite the club’s location in the town, he doesn’t expect the hype to be wild ahead of Sunday’s decider. “Ennis is different to every other town and village in the county, I always say Éire Óg is a small club in a big town, that is the reality, if you go to any Éire Óg game you could nearly name the people there because it’s the same crew. They are incredibly loyal supporters of the club, you don’t get the hype you might get in other towns and villages around the county, it’s not to say that players care any less.” Éire Óg’s current panel “compare well” with the sides of 2000 and 2006. “They are a team with potential but potential is nothing until it is materialised, until you realise your potential then you can look back and say they’re a good team. They’re a good bunch of fellas, they’re good footballers, every bit as good as the 2000 and the 2006 successful teams that I played on but they haven’t won anything yet, hopefully Sunday will give them a chance to prove what they are capable of.” Regardless of the generation, Peter listed a strong bond within a panel as key aspects needed for any successful team, “the camaraderie is something I always look back on, the friends I had in that team are still my friends, the group today have an element of that too”. Traits are similar between the Éire Óg side that made the breakthrough in 2000 and the class of 2021, whether the current crop can add one more common denominator by becoming county champions will be revealed on Sunday evening.

resh Produce Ltd. Keating F

Wishing Éire Óg the very best of luck in this weekends county ﬁnal Unit 14 Tracklands Business Park, Clonroadmore, Ennis, Co. Clare | Tel:0868162162 | Email:keatingfreshproduceltd@gmail.com

The The Temple Temple Gate Gate Hotel Hotel would would like like to to wish wish the the Éire Éire Óg Óg footballers footballers the the very very best best of of luck luck

W i s h i n g Éi re Ó g t h e best of luck in this weeks county final

Wishing the very best to the Eire Óg Senior Footballers

Best of luck to Paul his management team and the Eire Og players in the county final

Wishing Eire Og the best of luck on Sunday Up the Townies

04-11-21

pg 38

CLARE INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL: COROFIN VS KILDYSART

CIAN O’LOUGHLIN

CILLÉIN MULLINS

CILLIAN CLANCY

CILLIAN McGROARY

DAMIEN O’LOUGHLIN

DAMIEN RYAN

DARREN MALONE

DIARMUID CAHILL

DONNCHADH KELLEHER

EOIN DAVOREN

FIONN CLANCY

GEAROID CAHILL

GEAROID HANRAHAN

GEAROID KELLY

IAN REIDY

JAMIE MALONE

JOHN REES

KEVIN KEANE

KILLIAN O’CONNOR LUKE NEYLON

SHANE O’BRIEN

SHAY MALONE

MARC O’LOUGHLIN

MICHAEL CAHILL

PAUL MORONEY

ROBIN MOUNSEY

ADAM O’LOUGHLIN

BRENDAN KEANE

COLM RICE

CONOR LEEN

ENDA COLLINS

CIAN DOOLIN

ROSS HAYES

All photos by Gerard O’Neill

pg 39

04-11-21

CLARE INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL: COROFIN VS KILDYSART

AIDAN O’LOUGHLIN

BRIAN EYRES

CONOR HASSETT

DAMIEN HILL

DAMIEN MURTAGH

DIARMUID O’DONNELL

EMMET McMAHON

FERGAL GINNANE

IAN FLANAGAN

JJ McQUAID

JOHN GINNANE

KEITH MURPHY

KEITH O’CONNOR

KIERAN EYRES

KIERAN LEAHY

KIERAN O’BRIEN

LUKE McGRATH

MIKEY DONNELLAN MIKEY EUSTACE

OISIN COYLE

ROBERT EYRES

NEIL O’CONNOR

Back L-R: Jacko Cleary, John Murtagh, Terry Murphy, Kieran Doohan, Noel Grady and David Butler Front: Darragh Butler, Adam Hehir and John OSullivan All photos by Natasha Barton

RYAN CASEY

SHANE McNEILIS

STEPHEN SHEEHAN

04-11-21

pg 40

CLARE INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL: COROFIN VS KILDYSART

Kildysart not tarnished by recent final showings SEAMUS HAYES

HE fact that Kildysart have lost out at the concluding stages of the intermediate football championship on a number of occasions in modern times isn’t a driving force this year as they look ahead to Saturday’s final in which they will face Corofin. In his first year as manager of the adult side in his native club, manager Noel O’Grady says “the focus is on the task at hand. I would be hoping that the past is not a problem. There is no pressure on the boys they do their job and do their best”. When Kildysart last won this title, Noel was a key mem-

ber of the side which beat Michael Cusacks by a goal, 1-5 to 0-5. that was all of eighteen years ago, back in 2003. In recent years he has been busy helping train underage teams in the club. As match day approaches, the manager is concerned about the fitness of Seamus Casey, Rory McMahon and Luke McGrath, all three of whom had to be replaced during the team’s semi-final victory over Kilfenora because of injury. “We won’t know until nearer match time if they will be able to play a part. Time is the healer and we will give them every chance. If they are injured and can’t play then the next man will step up,” he said this week. Noel believes that the finalists are two “evenly matched teams. Both like to play football and both have a mixture of youth and experience. I ha-

ven’t seen Corofin play in this campaign but I know they are a strong outfit”. Playing in the Cusack Cup has been a help, he acknowledged while pointing to the boost Corofin have received by the return to fitness of Jamie Malone. “Every team wants their best players playing. They have their main man back. Fair play to him he has got himself back from injury. He needs minding. He caused huge problems for us last year”. Like his Corofin counterpart. O’Grady is hoping for “calmer weather conditions. Corofin like to play football no more than ourselves. Hopefully the weather doesn’t spoil the game. May the best team win and if our performance isn’t good enough we will shake their hands and move on”. O’Grady’s fellow selectors are Jacko Cleary, John

Murtagh, Kieran Doohan, Kildysart’s Luke McGrath wins a free in the semi final Terry Murphy and coach John which is celebrated by Emmet McMahon Photo by Natasha Barton O’Sullivan. The team physio is Kieran Connolly while David and Dara Butler look after the stats.

PATH TO FINAL

Corofin aim to fulfill 2021 target by SEAMUS HAYES COROFIN intermediate football manager Douglas Hurley readily admits that the team’s target all year has been to “go one step further than last year”. Victory over Kildysart in Saturday’s final at Cusack park will see that target achieved but Douglas and his fellow mentors know that nothing comes easy and that it will take a big effort to get over the line. Corofin were tipped by many to win this title last year but St. Josephs Doora/Barefield proved too strong on the day. After a number of years involved with the club minors during which time he helped steer teams to U16A and minor A finals, Hurley stepped up to the adult team manager’s role this season. “We are coming up against a very strong Kildysart team, a team that has pro-

gressed a lot in the last 12 months. They are well used to getting to this stage; they are well equipped to play at senior level as we are also. We have yo yo’d up and down in the last few years”, he told The Clare Echo this week. “Kildysart have competed in the league a division above us all year and they have been well able to compete in divisions above what we have been playing in”, according to the Corofin manager who has a couple of injury worries ahead of Saturday’s eagerly awaited final. Wing backs Shay Malone (ankle) and Colm Rice “haven’t trained since the semi-final” and a final decision on their fitness is not expected until nearer match time. The Corofin boss admitted, “we hadn’t intended playing Jamie Malone in the semi-final as he was out of action for six months. He is getting back but he is still a bit off where he would want to be. It was good to get an

very best of luck this weekend from Staff and Management 065 682 6796 Annie’s Cafe Kildysart

hour’s play into him in the semi-final”. Malone probably would not have started in the semi-final had Cilléin Mullins been available. Mullins has been the team’s full back but he is a Crusheen clubman and didn’t play in the semi-final as his home club had a crucial senior hurling relegation game on the following day. They have another relegation game this week and it remains to be seen if he will get to play any part in the football final. The teams met twice last year with Kildysart winning the first meeting by a point while Corofin turned the tables when they clashed in the semi-final. As Corofin put the finishing touches to their preparations this week, the Director with DNG O’Sullivan Hurley is “hoping that we don’t get weather conditions like we had last weekend”. Kelleher’s backroom team includes Geoff

Wishing Kildysart the

in their County Football Final

Corofin: Round One: Corofin 2-19 Naomh Eoin 2-07 on 01/08/21 at Cooraclare Round Two: Corofin 4-16 Coolmeen 1-07 on 28/08/21 at Éire Óg Ennis Round Three: Corofin 2-15 Wolfe Tones 0-09 on 12/09/21 at Éire Óg, Ennis Quarter-Final: Corofin 3-17 Michael Cusacks 0-06 on 09/10/21 at Dr Hennessy Memorial Park, Miltown Malbay Semi-Final: Corofin 3-13 O’Currys 1-06 on 23/10/21 at Cusack Park, Ennis Kildysart: Round One: Kildysart 0-17 Michael Cusacks 0-10 on 31/07/21 at Ennistymon Round Two: Kildysart 2-18 Liscannor 0-04 on 28/08/21 at Pairc Naomh Mhuire, Quilty Round Three: Kildysart 2-09 Kilfenora 0-10 on 11/09/21 at Cusack Park, Ennis Quarter-Final: Kildysart 0-10 Shannon Gaels 0-07 on 10/10/21 at Shanahan McNamara Memorial Park, Doonbeg Semi-Final: Kildysart 0-14 Kilfenora 0-04 on 23/10/21 at Dr Hennessy Memorial Park, Miltown Malbay

O’Sullivan, Peadar O’Brien. Vincent McCarthy, Eoin Keane and Donnacda Kelleher who is also part of the panel. The team is captained by Fionn Clancy. Corofin last won this title in 2015 when they beat Kilmihil in the final. Photo by Burren Eye Photography

O’SULLIVAN HURLEY

WISHING COROFIN THE VERY BEST OF LUCK THIS WEEK FROM ALL AT DNG (065) 684 0200

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pg 41

04-11-21

Prediction: Goals could give Corofin the edge SEAMUS HAYES SATURDAY’S intermediate football championship final promises to be one of the most eagerly fought and evenly contested contests for the Talty Stores Cup in modern times. That’s the view of a number of prominent mentors who have followed the progress of both finalists closely over the years. St Josephs Miltown mentor and former Clare selector at minor, under 21 and senior levels, David O’Brien knows how difficult it is to win this particular championship. He led his native club to the title back in 2013 after they had been relegated the previous year. David was a selector with Miltown this season and he saw Kildysart at first hand as they competed in the Cusack Cup. “They were very good in the Cusack Cup this year and they gained a lot of experience from playing in that competition. They will also have learned a lot from last year’s semi-final which they lost to Corofin. In that game they gave Jamie Malone a lot of space and he did a lot of damage to them. His return to fitness is a huge boost to Corofin”, the Miltown Malbay publican believed. O’Brien believes that Corofin will “edge this one. I think the open spaces in Cusack Park will suit the Corofin forwards. In the conditions which are prevalent at the moment, goals will mean a lot and Corofin look like they can score them the players that have come through from minor level are a year older”. “This will be a tight affair. Kildysart will need a big performance from Emmett McMahon while Diarmuid O’Donnell is also a very good forward. Freetakers will be very important particularly in the weather conditions we are experiencing at present,” the All-Ireland winning ladies football manager added. He believes that Corofin will be ahead when the final whistle sounds Kilfenora’s J.J. O’Dea has watched both clubs compete at this level over the years and he also expects a close contest but feels that Corofin will capture the honours. When Kilfenora last won this title in 2016 they defeated Kildysart in the final which required a replay. “We drew in Cusack Park before we

won the replay in Miltown. My heart says Kildysart but Corofin are very good. They have a lot of young lads but you need experience in a final. “There is a very good underage structure in Corofin at the moment they are playing at A level. It all comes down to on the day and to get over the line a team has to produce it on the day. I think that Corofin are that bit more evenly balanced”, according to O’Dea who is busy managing the Banner ladies senior team who are now just one step away from another Clare senior title. In O’Dea’s view “to have got to the final stages of the championship without Jamie Malone and to have him now is great for Corofin. He is a quality player, I know him since he was ten years old and I have seen him develop into the player that he is. I was delighted to see him nominated for an All-Star award last year”. According to the Kilfenora official “Kildysart seem to have the more experience while they have a lot of young lads as well. Emmett McMahon will cause problems for any opposition while Diarmuid O’Donnell is also a good player. Corofin manager Douglas Hurley will have his lads well tuned in. He has a good set up but when it comes to it you have to deliver on the day. I give a hesitant vote to Corofin to win and I won’t be surprised if it goes to extra time”. O’Curry’s manager Dinny McMahon also believes that Corofin will win. “Look both have tasted defeat a lot at the concluding stage of the competition in recent years. I believe that Corofin are a more evenly balanced team and they have six very good forwards. They have a strong midfield and they are tight at the back They were beaten in the final last year but Kildysart have lost a few finals also and that is a big motivating factor. It’s a massive boost for Corofin to have Jamie Malone back fit. He is coming back at the right time and a fully fit Jamie Malone is a huge boost”. McMahon believes that both teams “are well equipped to compete at senior level. The experience of having contested a number of finals will stand to Kildysart. They have been very close and maybe they could have won against St. Breckans a few years ago. They won’t fear Corofin but I believe that Corofin will shade what I expect to be a very tight game”.

Corofin Harps celebrate their win

Photo by Joe Buckley

Excitement aplenty at schoolboys finals Schoolboys finals were held at Frank Healy Park across the Halloween weekend. Connolly Celtic’s U11 side prevailed against Bridge Utd following extra time, Calum Hogan scoring the winner from the penalty spot for the side managed by Karol Connellan and Sean O’Neill. Bunratty/Cratloe claimed the U11 shield coming up against a strong Lifford side. It took penalties to decide the outcome with

Gavin Jones netting the winning penalty, three saves in a row from netminder Emma Jones saved the day. Avenue Utd added another U13 Cup Division 1 final to their trophy cabinet after they defeated Shannon Town Utd 2-1. In the heart-stopping U13 Cup Division 2 final, Ennis Town FC prevailed over Shannon Hibs 2-1 scoring the winner in the last kick of the game. Bridge Utd took the spoils in

the U15 Division 1 Cup Final with Calum Phelan and Isaac Deegan Green hitting the net as they recorded a 2-1 win over Avenue Utd. Corofin Harps were crowned U15 Division 2 Cup winners after it took penalties to separate them and Coole FC. Penalties decided the winner in the U16 Division 3 final with St Pats AFC of Kilmihil edging out Moher Celtic.

Scariff u14s still on the march

In the U14 North Munster Rugby League, another big win came the way of Scariff/ Saint Mary’s as they defeated Bruff RFC 35 - 33. Tries were scored by Paddy Macken, Jack Minogue, Sean Keillor & Juan Villagram (2). All were converted by Oisin Madden. Next up the Titans face Charleville in two weeks.

04-11-21

Clare Echo THE

pg 42

instagram.com/ClareEcho twitter.com/ClareEcho facebook.com/clareecho clareecho.ie

Bling Bling Paul does business for Meehan BLING Bling Paul owned by Newmarket-on-Fergus’ John Meehan was a huge priced winner in the heats of the Matchbook Betting Exchange Irish St. Leger. Friday’s Galway card featured the semi-finals of the Liam Brussels Memorial A5 525 Yards Stake. In the second semi-final,

Tuckeys Jet towards the outer and Croaghill Doris along the rails were both away very smartly racing wide apart the pair matched strides into the opening bend rounding which the Gary Pepper of Feakle owned Tuckeys Jet took definite advantage. Turning down the back the son

of Droopys Jet & Tuckeys Timer led by over three lengths from Croaghill Doris. Leaving the back Croaghill Doris began to close and although gaining with every stride she was still a neck adrift of Tuckeys Jet at the line in 29.27. November 13 is the date for the final. In race two on Saturday’s card, the Thomas O’Connor of West Clareowned Master Of Magic cerMargaret Flanagan with 39 points from Mary tainly cast a McMahon, Alice D’Arcy and Ann Daly with 36. spell on his A5 as the son In third spot with 35 points were Mary Woulfe, rivals of Skywalker Brid Cunningham and Margaret McEnery. Farloe & Dave’s Ace got off the DROMOLAND GOLF CLUB: Dylan Brown is the open singles grand final mark in splendid winner at Dromoland. He scored 41 points in fashion at the seventh attempt the final round to secure the title. coasting home Last weekend’s 18 hole singles stableford seven lengths competition was won by John O’Dwyer with 44 clear of Linpoints and he had two to spare over Diarmuid grawn Salmon O’Connor with Conor Barry a point further in 29.08. The break back in third spot followed by David O’Brien with 40 points Seamus Cusack won the gross decided the outcome of the A2 with 39 points. Cora O’Toole won the ladies 9 hole turkey/ graded contest Cloneyowine/chocolate competition with 20 points as gan Jet flew from Joan Ryan who had a similar score. Niamh from traps and McDermott was third with 19 points followed bagged the cov-

Autumn league underway by SEAMUS HAYES

THE Autumn league got underway at Woodstock Golf Club with a scramble which was won by Dermot Melody, Rory Callinan, Justin Gleeson and Mike Cronin with 56.2 nett from Paddy Meehan. Dickie Pyne, Brian Kilker and Eugene Conroy were second with 56.3 nett. In third place with 56.5 nett were Colm Mullen, Fiona Landy, Brian Mulcahy and Mary Sweeney followed by Colm O’Callaghan, John Brennan, Jonathan O’Loughlin and Jack Darmody with 56.6 nett. The league continues this week when the format will be fourball betterball. For those not participating in the league, there will be a club fourball competition. Pat Keane (10) won the weekend’s club singles at Woodstock with 40 points from Tom O’Donoghue (15) who also scored 40 points.

KILRUSH GOLF CLUB: The men’s Winter weekly singles at Kilrush last week was won by Noel Thornton (12) with 27 points. The October Bank holiday mixed scramble was won by John Stapleton, Mary G Nolan and Tom O’Dea with 33.3 from Tom Coffey, Marie Bartlett, Brendan Carrig and John K Ryan with 33.7. In third spot with 34.9 were Tom Fox. Claire Pyne, Pat Mulcahy and Mary Bolton. ENNIS GOLF CLUB: Geraldine O’Mahony (13) won the ladies 9 hole stableford competition at Ennis with 18 points from Rose Enright (13) who had a similar score. Anne Kelly (14) was third with 17 points. Last week’s senior ladies competition was won by Bridie Hanrahan, Maureen Maloney and

by Marie Meaney, also with 19 points.

eted rails berth towards the opening bend forcing Pinnacle Abbie to switch outside. Rounding the third bend the Siobhan Garrahy of Lahinch owned Cloneyogan Jet (Kinloch Brae-Tiermana Rum) kicked on to ease away to a two & three quarter length victory in 29.21. The concluding A4 graded contest went to two Clare natives John Collins (Kilmihil) and Albert Long (Ballyea) as Brickhill Daisy registered her sixth career success by two & a half lengths over Croaghill Linda in 29.34. Ten first round heats of the Matchbook Betting Exchange Irish St. Leger took centre stage at Limerick Greyhound Stadium on Saturday. There was a minor upset in heat nine as Fast Fit Paddy (Ballymac Vic - Rosmult Martha) scored in good style for joint owners Paul Horig and John Quinn of Gort, a 3/1 market chance, trained by Declan McDonagh of Liscannor. There was a huge priced winner in heat 15 when victory went to the John Meehan of Newmarket-on-Fergus owned Bling Bling Paul. Pierno and Rural Star were expected to dominate but once Bling Bling Paul was in front at the opening turn, there was little chance of him being reeled in.

PORTUMNA GOLF CLUB: Loretto O’Grady (25) won the weekly ladies competition at Portumna with 34 points. A rules night for the ladies at Portumna has been arranged for this Thursday, November 4 at 7.30 p.m. in the clubhouse. It will be given by the club’s PGA Pro, Shane Franklin. The meeting will take place in line with Covid protocols, Covid certificates will be required and masks must be worn for the duration of the meeting. HAVEN ARMS SOCIETY The Castle course in Lahinch was the venue for an outing for members of the Haven Arms society in Kilrush last weekend when the winner, with 36 points, was Denis F. Nagle. In second place with 33 points was Brian Scanlan with Martin McNamara in third spot with 32 points.

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PLANNING NOTICES CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL SEAFIELD, QUILTY, CO. CLARE Take notice that E. McInerney intends to apply to the Planning Authority for permission to construct dwelling house and connect to ancillary services at the above address. The Planning Application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, €20, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application and such submissions or observations will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application. The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions or may refuse to grant permission. CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL DROMARD, DRUMCLIFFE ROAD, ENNIS, CO. CLARE Take notice that “Merlot Homes Limited” intends to apply to Clare County Council for planning permission to retain the following – Single storey rear extensions to houses (houses presently under construction, permitted under planning ref P19/804). The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Authority, Clare County Council planning department, Aras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Authority in writing on payment of

the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the application.

period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the planning authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL CLOONEYOGAN SOUTH, LAHINCH, CO. CLARE. V95 V2H7 Take notice that Ashley Gribben intends to apply for outline planning permission to replace the existing sub standard dwelling with a new dwelling in a revised location within the site area, install a waste water treatment unit and all associated ancillary site works at the above address. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority, during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the authority on payment of the prescribed fee of €20.00, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL 33 NEYLON’S LANE, ST. FLANNAN’S TERRACE, ENNIS, CO. CLARE. Take notice that Ciaran Chadwick intends to apply to Clare County Council for full permission to construct 1 no. 1 Bedroom dwelling unit with solar PV panels. Relocation of existing site entrance. Connect to public services and carry out all ancillary site works at 33 Neylon’s Lane, St. Flannan’s Terrace, Ennis, Co. Clare. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL DERRYGEEHA, KILMURRY MCMAHON, CO. CLARE Take notice that Michael Davis intends to apply to the planning authority for permission to construct a new dwelling house and garage complete with a new entrance, sewage treatment system and ancillary works at the above address. The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority, Clare County Council, Aras Contae an Chlair, New Road, Ennis during its public opening hours and that a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL BALLYVROGHAUN EIGHTER, TULLA, CO. CLARE Take notice that Brian Foudy & Associates Ltd of Osprey House, Carmody Street, Ennis, Co. Clare 065 6893565 www. foudyconsulting.ie. intend to apply to the planning authority on behalf of Shane Flanagan for permission to construct an entrance, dwelling house, garage, bored well and wastewater treatment system with soil polishing filter together with all associated site development works and services at the above address. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours. A

submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application. CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL CLONROAD MORE, ENNIS, CO. CLARE Take notice that Brian Foudy & Associates Ltd of Osprey House, Carmody Street, Ennis, Co. Clare 065 6893565 www. foudyconsulting.ie. intend to apply to the planning authority on behalf of Éire Óg Inis GAA Club for permission to carry out the following phased development (a) relocate existing ESB substation, remove existing portacabin, construct changing and shower rooms (b) demolish existing gym, changing room, machinery store and construct new gym, equipment store and accessible W.C together with all associated site development works and services at the above address. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application. CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL CAHERBARNAGH, LISCANNOR. I Aiden Fitzgerald B.Eng. MIEI of AF Engineering, Doolin, Co. Clare, 0879955689, intend to apply to Clare County Council on behalf of Ian & Michelle Crilly for planning permission at the above address, the development will consist of alterations

to house design, site boundaries and sewage treatment system granted under planning reference P18/478 together with ancillary site works. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, €20, within a period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application and such submissions or observations will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application. The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions or may refuse to grant permission. CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL FURTHER INFORMATION / REVISED PLANS PLANNING REF: P21/885 Development Description: Permission to alter and extend an existing dwelling house. The works involve the following; a) to construct new first floor and rear single storey extensions b) to alter the external elevations and internal floor layouts c) to install a new proprietary treatment system along with associated site works

at the above address. Location: Rosslevan, Ennis, Co. Clare Take notice that J. & M. Kearney have lodged significant further information in respect of planning application P21/885. This information and planning application may be inspected or purchased, at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Authority of Clare County Council, Planning Department, Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare, during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the further information or revised plans may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, not later than 2 weeks after the receipt of the newspaper notice and site notice by the Planning Authority or in the case of a planning application accompanied by an EIS within 5 weeks of receipt of such notices by the planning authority. CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL, CLOONBONY, MILTOWN MALBAY, CO. CLARE Take notice that F. Ó Néill intends to apply to the Planning Authority for permission to alter and extend the front boundary wall and site entrance to his existing dwelling house at the above address. That the planning application may be inspected, or purchased

at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours and that a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application. CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL, TEERGONEAN, DOOLIN, CO. CLARE Take notice that G. & J. Lodges intend to apply to the Planning Authority for permission to retain the single storey rear extension, rear canopy, the outdoor seating area and the door to the front lobby area and for permission to replace 3 windows with 3 doors on the front elevation at the above address. That the planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours and that a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

LEGAL NOTICES

LICENSING ACT (IRELAND) 1984 SECTIONS 9 AND 10 INTOXICATING LIQUOR ACT 2008 SECTIONS 6, 7 AND 8 NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE FOR A NEW WINE RETAILERS OFF-LICENCE DISTRICT COURT AREA OF KILLALOE DISTRICT NO. 12 APPLICANTS: ANNE MCMAHON AND LISA BURKE TAKE NOTICE that ANNE MCMAHON AND LISA BURKE, “The Grainey”, Main Street, Scariff, County Clare intend to apply to Killaloe District Court sitting at The Courthouse, Ennis, County Clare on the 7th day of December 2021 at 10.30am for a Certificate to hold a WINE RETAILER’S OFF-LICENCE in respect of the premises situate at “The Grainey”, Main Street, Scariff, County Clare in the Court Area and District aforesaid. DATED THE 01ST DAY OF NOVEMBER 2021

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Sudoku is a logic puzzle where you have to populate the grid with numbers. A number can appear only once in each row, column and house. Each puzzle can be solved using logic from the given information and requires no guesswork.

ANSWERS 9

5 6 8

5 8

6 7

1 2

5 8 4 9 6 3 1 2

2 6 1

1/1

7 5 3 4 8 9

10/28/21, 5:05 PM

Ohmmeter

Notebook

Mortar

Microscope

HOW TO PLAY

Lever

Isotope

Tube

Flask

Tongs

Experiment

Specimen

Engine

Solution

Clamp

Chemical

Slide

1/1

Brace

Results

Rack

Bevel

Pipette

How to play

Blowpipe

The Clare Echo Crossword Michael Curl

right (5) xpression (7) s (7) ) h (7) ce (7)

E N T W

A G A

same place (7) 1

H S

P U P P E I

L N E W 9

L B E

L O N G G

N U R S E

O C T O B E R R

T A Y P U T 2

A 5

M T

E A L 7

Michael Curl

Daily Quick Crossword: 28 October 2021, 10/28/2021

Order Online www.supermacs.ie

ds at reduced prices

#supermacs heart of Ennis

Phone 065 6820914

nisation (7) tern of a ship (5)

D E A D P A N

order direct

(065) 682 0914

For a quicker faster delivery service O'Connell Street, Ennis

(5)

C L A

T R A P S

N G

CROSSWORD ANSWERS I

1 Drastic reorganisation (7) 2 Towards the stern of a ship (5) 3 Thoughtful (7) 4 Gardener’s tool (6) 5 Lustrous fabric (5) 6 Trading ban (7) 7 Considerable (5) 13 High level ground (7) 15 Stretchy (7) 16 First book of the Bible (7) 17 Proverbs (6) 18 Cringe (5) 19 Corn (5) 21 Small edible crustacean (5)

W E E P

DOWN

ol (6) c (5) ) (5) und (7)

1 Remain in the same place (7) 5 Purloin (5) 8 Once more (5) 9 Autumn month (7) 10 Weave, interlace (7) 11 Care for (5) 12 Marionette (6) 14 Fit in (6) 18 Demand as a right (5) 20 Showing no expression (7) 22 Shedding tears (7) 23 Snares (5) 24 Stir up (5) 25 Imperfect goods at reduced prices (7)

S E C O N D S

ACROSS

R O U S E

he Bible (7)

rustacean (5)

ced prices

1/1

Daily Quick Crossword: 28 October 2021, 10/28/2021

)

Pestle

Beaker

e (7)

) hip (5)

Acid

SUDOKU

WORD SEARCH

10/28/21, 5:05 PM

QUIZ 47

THURSDAY, NOV 4 2021

The Clare Echo Quiz STATUES & MONUMENTS

The Muhammad Ali Monu The statue of Icarus was a 1what mentyear? was unveiled by the boxer in 6 commemoration of what celebration in Ennis?

a. b. c.

Lahinch Road Kilrush Road Turnpike Road

What stood at O’ Connell’s Square before the Daniel O’ Connell monument? a. Town Hall b. Courthouse c. Market stalls

From which rock type is the Daniel O’ Connell monument made up of? a. Granite b. Marble c. Limestone

The statue of Icarus was 7 uprooted in 2006 to which current location? a. b. c.

Clareabbey Roundabout Rocky Road Roundabout Cappahard Roundabout

In what year was the statue 8 of Michael Cusack unveiled outside the county grounds? a. 1990 b. 2008 c. 2017

made up of?

The Great Hunger Memorial 9 is located in which Clare Town?

a. Shannon b. Kilkee c. Ennistymon

a. 1825 b. 1865 c. 1895

The Manchester Martyrs Me10 morial is located in which town in County Clare?

In what year was the Daniel O’ Connell monument erected in Ennis?

l QUESTION 4 : From which rock type is the Daniel O’ Connell monument

a. Kilrush b. Ennis c. Lahinch

Spot the Difference Can you spot the difference? Spot the 7 differences. The answers will be revealed in next weeks edition.

ANSWERS

6. 750th Anniversary of Ennis 7. Rocky Road Roundabout 8. 2017 9. Ennistymon 10. Kilrush

The monument dedicated 2 to the boxer is located on which road in Ennis town?

a. 750th Anniversary of Ennis b. The first transatlantic routes from Shannon Airport c. Ennis inauguration as the capital of Clare

1. 2009 2. Turnpike Road 3. Courthouse 4. Limestone 5. 1865

a. 2005 b. 2009 c. 2011

Last weeks Answers . Handle on a cup missing . Square on jersey (centre) missing . Writing on sign missing . Bar on chair missing

. Number 8 on jersey (right) missing . 12 on jersey (right) missing . Line on ground missing

Kilfenora’s Gearoid Howley is tackled by Kildysart’s Stephen Sheehan and Ian Flanaghan. Photograph: Natasha Barton

AND GUTTERING CLARE

ROOF MOSS CLEANING