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10 Oct 2019

Moneypoint staff accept new regime PÁRAIC McMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

A 13 PAGE FEATURE INSIDE

new lower running regime at Moneypoint has been accepted by staff at the West Clare plant. ESB confirmed to The Clare Echo that staff accepted a proposal by way of ballot on Friday “relating to a reconfigured Moneypoint station based on the new lower running regime”. Negotiations between ESB, Moneypoint staff and Trade Union representatives had been ongoing for the past few months.

“This is a positive step in retaining an ongoing operation in Moneypoint for ESB, the staff of Moneypoint and the region. ESB is now working with staff and their representatives to implement the agreement in a collaborative way to face the challenges ahead,” a spokesperson for ESB told The Clare Echo. In July it was announced that over 100 jobs were to go from the workforce of 194 at Moneypoint with ESB citing market pressures, carbon prices and increases in renewable energy for the drop in demand for it’s resources. Meanwhile, there was surprise this week when Clare was not included in the €31m Just Transition Fund which was set up to aid areas where jobs had been lost to climate change.

2 NEWS

THURSDAY, OCT 10 2019

Index

CLARE STUDENTS SPACE OUT €50k win in Prize Bonds...

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NEWS

RONAN SCULLY ENTERTAINMENT

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FOOD REVIEW

COMMUNITY

24-25

BUSINESS

26-28

PROPERTY

32-33

SHC PREVIEW

35-47

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

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

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l THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE: Mary O Donnell of UL Astronomy Club with Lauren Gaffey and Karen Hayes of Scariff Community College pitctured in University of Limerick for the Space Week Careers Roadshow on Friday last

Photo by Brian Arthur

LAST week's Prize Bond Star Prize of €50,000 goes to lucky Prize Bond number AED 322829 held in County Clare. The lucky bond was purchased in 2016. There were over 4,800 prizes awarded in this week's Prize Bond Draw, amounting to over €308,000. In addition to a €1 million prize awarded on the last weekly draw of June and December, there are weekly draws where the top prize is €50,000. Other cash prizes awarded each week include 10 of €1,000 and 10 of €500. Prize Bonds are a State Savings product which, instead of paying interest, offers bond holders the chance to win cash prizes every week. All winnings are tax-free, and Prize Bonds can be cashed in at any time after the minimum holding period of three months.

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4 NEWS

THURSDAY, OCT 10 2019

No climate change plan PÁRAIC McMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

NEW strategic policy committee (SPC) dedicated solely to climate change and biodiversity will not be introduced in Co Clare. SPCs are local authority committees whose membership includes elected councillors, representatives of business, farming interests, environmental/conservation groups, trade unions plus community and voluntary members. It is the task of the SPCs as committees of the council, to advise and assist the council in the formulation, development and review of policy. They have no remit in relation to routine operational matters regarding the delivery of services. The SPC system is intended to give councillors and relevant sectoral interests an opportunity for full involvement in the policy making process from the early stages. Limerick City and County Council have established a climate change SPC but no such equivalent is going to be set up in the Banner County. Instead, all existing four SPC’s (Physical Development, Social Development, Economic Development and Rural Development) will factor in climate change

to their decision making. Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) highlighted his disappointment that an SPC focused solely on climate change would not be created in Clare. “It is disappointing to see because of resource and other issues that we do not have a climate change SPC. We should consider in light of the importance of climate change to consider the title of the Physical Development SPC to incorporate climate change”. The Mayor of Ennis also suggested the title of community and voluntary representatives on SPCs be amended to social inclusion. His namesake, Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND) was not in agreement. “I wouldn’t be in support of a creation of new SPC. I think it would impose a lot more hardship on the people of Co Clare as it would impact greatly on funding”. The Miltown Malbay native felt all SPCs should “embrace climate change” as opposed to one SPC tackling the issue on its own. “It’s important that climate change crosses all SPCs, it is critically important for all SPCs. Climate change should be a fixed standing order on all SPCs,” Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) stated. He proposed the local authority appoint an individual within their ranks as a climate change officer who would work side by side with the SPCs “so all policies we adapt factor in climate change”.

‘Stop Irish Cement before it’s too late’

MAYOR of Clare, Cllr Cathal Crowe has called on Limerick City and County Council to stop Irish Cement’s plans to burn “alternative fuels”, including waste tyres, at their Castlemungret plant. “The Limerick Councillors need to stop Irish Cement before it’s too late. Time is running out but I think that there is a considerable chance that the elected members of Limerick Council could revoke the planning permission,” said Crowe. “Many Limerick Councillors have attended public rallies and made passionate speeches in their Council chamber. If they use the legal instrument of Section 44 to halt Irish Cement they will effectively be ‘putting their money where their mouths are’. They must do the right thing and the people of Limerick and Clare will thank them for it.” Crowe added: “Although Castlemungret is only a stone’s throw from the Clare boundary, prevailing southwesterly winds that sweep across this part of Ireland will ensure most of the particles that go up the chimney stacks will end up on Clare soil. Farmers, those who depend on tourism and anybody who cares about their personal health and protecting their environment should be very concerned about this”.

lDEVELOPMENT: Irish Cement have been granted permission to burn tyres and other waste Photo by rishcement.com

6 NEWS

Cliffs can’t cope with high visitor numbers

PÁRAIC McMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

LARE’S premier tourist attraction, The Cliffs of Moher was not built for the 1.8 million visitors it is now catering for, the CEO of Tourism Ireland has said. A leading hotel manager in the Banner County has said Clare’s hospitality and attraction for coaches and tour buses is a positive but one that is not leaving any meaningful benefit in the area. Mark Nolan for the past thirty years has been General Manager of Dromoland Castle. The famed venue hosted Shannon Chamber’s Autumn Lunch and the Dublin native took the opportunity to highlight the ongoing challenges facing the tourism and hospitality sector in Co Clare. “There is a succession of buses

going to and from the Cliffs of Moher, I know there was a control system recently introduced which is good but a lot of the coaches are turning around and going home as fast as they came. The amount of buses is a positive but definitely not for Co Clare,” he stated. Nolan also referenced recent conversations he has had with Jonathan Epstein where he was informed that Brexit was not going to significantly deter Americans from visiting Ireland. Tourism Ireland CEO, Niall Gibbons who was keynote speaker at the lunch praised the Newmarket-on-Fergus resident. “You are right for keeping your finger on the pulse in North America. The feedback we are getting from consumers is that Brexit is not being picked up in the news in America but the US and Chine Trade War and the conversation around that does not help us”. Gibbons noted his assessment of the Cliffs was “honest feed-

back”. “The Cliffs of Moher is one of our most frequent discussions. It was not built for the numbers they are accommodating and it is generating negative news. I don’t

know the answer but the buses from Dublin are not helping the problem. “The dwell time needs to be extended there, it can’t just be day trippers”.

lICONIC: Cliffs of Moher visitor numbers are increasing

THURSDAY, OCT 10 2019

Buses on backroads a ‘danger’ BUSES using backroads in North Clare is “a serious, dangerous issue”, public representatives in the county have declared. Last year, visitor numbers at the Cliffs of Moher increased by 3.8 percent to 1,580,010 with coaches and buses a constant sight on some of the county’s more narrower roads. Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) highlighted that is continuing to pose risks for road users, “We have an ongoing problem with buses using backroads on North Clare”, he added. “There is merit in declaring certain roads suitable or unsuitable,” Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) suggested at the September meeting of the West Clare Municipal District. “The Wild Atlantic Way is open to all traffic,” Cllr Gabriel Keating began but was interpupted by Cllr Roisin Garvey who said “Not just coastal roads”.Director of Service, Leonard Cleary assured elected representatives that they would invite the National Transport Authority (NTA) in to discuss the matter further. “Our role is to highlight and flag when unsuitable local roads are being used,” meetings administrator John Corry clarified, he pointed out that they have previously raised concerns with the NTA when requested to. “Then we need to use the next six months to strenuously highlight it,” Cllr Shane Talty responded.

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8 NEWS

THURSDAY, OCT 10 2019

MABS provision is not Sofa sale 'equal, fair or consistent' at kmc ADVERTORIAL

PÁRAIC McMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

LARE is one of the worst funded counties when it comes to a service funded by the taxpayer, a recent report has highlighted. State debt advice service Clare MABS is funded entirely by the taxpayer through the Citizens Information Board. Last October it merged with other companies in Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford to form North Munster Money Advice and Budgeting Services. Ex chairman of the county’s service, Denis Carty (pictured right) has warned “the provision of this service is not equal, fair or consistent.’’ Despite having the second largest catchment area, Clare was ranked forty fourth out of fifty one original MABS companies for staffing levels in 2013, three years later despite having a much smaller popular Leitrim had the same amount of staff with five employees. Carty compiled a series of findings in a report titled, ‘The Resourcing of MABS in Clare: A Raw Deal or A Fair Deal’. He has submitted the details obtained to the incoming Chairperson of North Munster

MABS but has yet to receive a reply. Of particular frustration to Denis has been the “consistent historic pattern of underfunding” between Clare and Waterford. Although Waterford has 2,416 less people and half the geographical area, the spend per capita there is €6.97 whereas it is €2.32 in Clare. Since 2001, €10,154,283 has been allocated to Waterford with €4,593,953 given to Clare, a gap of almost of over €5.5m. He stated, “The funding gap has been evident since 2001. This widened radically since the Citizens Information Board took over responsibility for funding MABS services in 2009. "Ironically, their strategy statement has spoken of the need to promote equality of access regardless of location. At the same time, Clare has a larger population, geographic area, mortgage arrears problem and lower disposable incomes”. In February, the Citizens Information Board (CIB) admitted "it is the case that MABS in North Munster when operating as six separate companies competed with each company for resources and funding. The structural change that occurred last October is going to change this ethos." On why a better deal is deserved for Co Clare, Denis pointed to a CIB report from

2017 which stated 31% more work was done by MABS staff in the county. He added that 60% of the county’s residents living in rural areas, Clare has the second largest MABS catchment area but the lowest disposable income in Munster. Despite his disappointments, Denis maintained minor the “shocking funding anomalies between different counties” could be fixed. “For less than half the price of a coffee, per person in Clare, this historic injustice could be ended, and three extra staff be provided. "There is several hundred thousand euro of unused funds on the books of MABS companies nationally whilst at the end of 2017, Clare MABS had over €120,701 cash at the bank and in hand. "These monies could give citizens in Clare a fairer deal, not a special deal which would produce better outcomes for all those vulnerable people who depend on this vital service,’’ he added.

KMC Home Trends located on Parnell Street Ennis are having a fantastic Sofa Sale with up to 50 per cent off all Sofa’s. With Superior Leather, Fabric, Microfibre and Modular Corner Sofas to choose from, there is something to suit every taste and budget without compromising on quality or comfort. Doors open to the public this Thursday 10th October at 10am Noteworthy is the luxurious “SAOIRSE” 3+1+1 Sofa, all reclining was €1,995 now only €995, fantastic value with exceptional comfort. The stunning Aisling Corner Modular Sofa now only €1,195 save €800. Huge savings are also available across a wide range of compact 2-Seater Sofas, 3-Seater Sofas and Reclining Arm Chairs. All can be purchased separately at Sale prices with FREE Delivery and FREE recycling of packaging, DEPOSITS taken on all stock. Contact Kmc Home Trends on 0656797853 or find us on Facebook. Sale ends Saturday October 12 at 05:30pm.

NEWS 9

THURSDAY, SEPT 12 2019

Only two water taps for thousands of graves at Drumcliffe PÁRAIC McMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

INSTALLING extra water taps at Drumcliffe Cemetery would prove to be too “problematic and prohibitively expensive” for Clare County Council. Director of Rural Development, Leonard Cleary seemed to pour cold water on Cllr Mark Nestor’s request to increase the number of taps at Drumcliffe. In response to Nestor’s motion at the Ennis Municipal District’s September meeting, Cleary confirmed that the local authority’s burial ground unit would assess possible alternatives to providing water at the graveyard “by way of large temporary containers that may achieve a similar outcome without disrupting visitors to the cemetery or burials during construction work”. Providing additional water taps Cleary warned “would involve trenching along the pathways through the existing burial grounds and as such may provide to be problematic and prohibitively expensive. The Council is very conscious of the risks to kerbing at burial grounds”.With over 1,000 graves at Drumcliffe, Cllr Nestor (FF) felt two water taps was not good enough. “I understand the restraints regarding

budgetary issues but the ordinary people are investing a lot of money into plots and headstones. There are only two taps at Drumcliffe for several hundred graveyards. Going forward, I would like to push forward with the installation of taps”. He noticed that the majority of people visiting the graveyard were elderly. Cllr Mary Howard (FG) seconded the motion and calculated “to put a tap there would only cost €2,500”. Cllr Pat Daly said the reply was “just not good enough”. His Fianna Fáil colleague, Clare Colleran Molloy added, “There are many other issues there and I know our predecessor Cllr James Breen made it known that it was our county burial grounds. We should be doing better for our county graveyard”. Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) observed, “There is general agreement that there should be more water taps installed”. Council Director, Carmel Kirby said she would ask the Director of Rural Development to give a briefing to councillors on the graveyard. “I would be interested in harvesting water. Could we email the Municipal District of the various issues people want done at the graveyard. We’ll prepare a short note and make sure we have everything covered," he added.

l REMEMBERING THE GOOD OL TIMES: Una Crowe and SR Jo O Donnovan who graduated from Mary Immaculate College (MIC) pictured at the annual Alumni Reunion held in the College on Saturday Photos by Brian Arthur

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10 NEWS

Historic Faughs team to be honoured by Co Board

HE 25th anniversary of the landmark 1994 Clare senior football championship success enjoyed by the Faughs will be marked by a series of celebratory events in Ennis over the weekend of October 18-20. The amalgamation side made up of players from the Éire Óg and St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield clubs and captained by Seanie Lyne won what was the 100th Clare senior football decider in September 1994 when beating Kilrush Shamrocks by 1-12 to 2-6 after a replay. The squad and management will be honoured by the Clare County Board in Cusack Park on Sunday, October 20, as part of the Clare senior football final day programme headlined by the clash of Kilmurry Ibrickane and St Joseph’s Miltown. The Faughs were managed by Tony Honan, while former Clare manager and current member of the Kerry senior management Donie Buckley was trainer/coach, with former Kil-

rush championship winner Mattie Fennell, Killimer’s Pat Fitzpatrick and Tipperary native Martin Coffey also part of the backroom team. The weekend of celebration kicks off in Mickey Kerins’ in Lifford on the Friday night — the pub being synonymous with the rebirth of the Faughs football team in the early 1990s — before moving to Cruises. On Saturday, a night of celebration will be hosted in the Éire Óg clubhouse, at which a series of presentations will be made to players and management ahead of a special screening of the match video. Members of the Kilrush Shamrocks team, management and club officials are also being invited to the function that will have a 7.30pm start and will also take in a visit to Michael ‘Ganga’ Griffin’s on Parnell Street, which was another very popular haunt of the players. “We’re starting in Mickey’s because that was where Faughs football began once more after many decades,” recalls manager Tony

lHISTORIC: The Faughs celebrating their 1994 Clare SFC win

Honan, “when I met Ciaran O’Neill a couple of months after he won the Munster title with Clare in 1992 and we talked about the idea of Éire Óg and Doora-Barefield getting together and putting a team into the senior championship. That was it — the Faughs were born and we had three great years together in the senior championship,” he adds. “The Faughs had a great following over those three years,” says Brian

O’Connell, who is part of the weekend organising committee and who was goalkeeper on the team, “and it was as much about the supporters and the craic as it was the football. “That Faughs team captured the imagination over those few years and there were great characters involved, both on and off the field, and we thought it right to celebrate the achievement ahead of the reunion on county final day.”

THURSDAY, OCT 10 2019

Transport top of the agenda for Leader SOURCING more and more transfer friendly, outof-hours access at a low cost for wheelchair users will be among the key discussions when the Clare Leader Forum meets on Friday. Members of the Leader Forum are hopeful their gathering with transport providers at Cois na hÁbhna will lead to progress in securing better access for disabled users who require transportation across the weekend at low cost. “A lot of them lock up on Friday evening and there is nothing available until Monday morning,” a member of the Clare Leader Forum told The Clare Echo. The meeting takes place this Friday at 11am. On Friday last, Minister of State for Disability Issues, Finian McGrath addressed activists at a conference in Ennis where the focus was on the Disability Act (2005).

12 NEWS

THURSDAY, OCT 10 2019

Killaloe woman’s miracle cure recalled in new book T HE extraordinary cure of Killaloe woman, Grace Moloney, during a visit to Lourdes in 1913, is recalled in a new book, The Village of Bernadette: Lourdes, Stories, Miracles and Cures – The Irish Connection, written by bestselling author Colm Keane and his wife, former RTÉ newsreader Una O’Hagan. Grace had been stretchered to Lourdes as part of the famous 1913 Irish National Pilgrimage, which was the first of its kind to leave Irish shores. For 11 years, she had been incapacitated as a result of a tubercular swelling of the right knee joint. Despite undergoing a number of operations, her knee remained swollen and painful. When walking she had a decided limp. Her condition had been declared incurable. Grace, who was aged 21, always maintained that if she could only reach Lourdes, Our Lady would intercede for her and she would be cured. That, it seems, is exactly what happened. Having emerged from the baths, she attended Mass. "I felt a sudden pain climbing up my leg," Grace later explained. "When the pain reached the knee the stiffness suddenly passed off. I straightened my leg for the first time for many years and walked without limping." A priest, Fr. Lynch, added: "I was beside her myself at the time. Suddenly she walked up to the altar rails. The people cried out that there was a miracle, and the crowd pressed around her so much that two priests took her across the altar to the vestry. I have seen her frequently since, and she hasn’t had the slightest return of the stiffness or paralysis in the knee. She can walk as well as anybody."

lAUTHORS: Colm Keane with his wife Una O'Hagan and their dog Frankie and (right) their new book

Ennis celebrates three international call-ups at U18 STUART HOLLY

editor@clareecho.ie

ENNIS Rugby Club is celebrating after three of its members were selected for international duty this week. Kildysart’s Conor Moloney has been selected for the Ireland u18 Schools side while Doora Barefield men Tony Butler and Ethan Coughlan have been selected for the Ireland u18 club side. Ennis RFC Club President Richie Murphy told The Clare Echo that the lRISING STARS: (l-r) Conor Moloney, Tony Butler and call-ups are reward for Ethan Coughlan in action for Munster hard work put in by the gone into this. respective players. The three have repreHe continued, “It’s a great boost for Ensented Munster over the last two years at nis; their success reflects well on us but underage level while Ethan already holds ultimately it comes down to the players. one international cap. Not only did they have the talent but they “We’re delighted,” said Murphy. “There’s had the work ethic to back it up. We’re a lot of work going in behind the scenes very proud of the lads and it’s great to give for them to be competing for selection at the youngsters in the club people to look this level, they’re up down to Cork twice a up to.” week for extra sessions under tutelage of The boost comes after Ethan and fellow Munster Rugby plus they’re also training Ennis product Aaaron Hennessy recently with their club side. A lot of hard work has enjoyed call-ups for Munster A.

Grace walked unaided from the Cambria as it docked at Dublin’s North Wall on the pilgrimage’s return to Ireland. Later, the eminent physician Sir Alexander Dempsey commented on her cure. "There has been a good deal of discussion about the remarkable case of Grace Moloney," he said. "I examined her knee, which is now as supple as my own. There is no ankylosis – adhesion which prevents movement. There is no medical explanation for this sudden cure." All the national newspapers covered Grace’s recovery after her arrival home. She was front-page news. One reporter described how he was "dazzled, dazed, bewildered" by her appearance. He added that, whatever doubters might say or sceptics believe regarding her cure being a miracle, all you had to do was look at the once-damaged Grace Moloney who could now "run around, and looks a bright, healthy girl of 16". That, he concluded, was proof enough. Colm has published 28 books, including eight No.1 bestsellers. Una O’Hagan is a No.1 bestselling author and former newsreader with Radio Telefís Éireann. The Village of Bernadette: Lourdes, Stories, Miracles and Cures – The Irish Connection, is available now.

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14 NEWS

THURSDAY, OCT 10 2019

Bridge & Cratloe discuss their own hard border... PÁRAIC McMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

REXIT’S deadline of October 31 is inching ever closer but at the minute in Clare the main border of concern is the one between Cratloe and Sixmilebridge. Before we move to the boundary lines, it’s time to get a sense of the rivalry between the two neighbours ahead of the Clare SHC final. He’s known to table quiz enthusiasts all over the county but Jim Enright also holds the position of President of Cratloe GAA. He has witnessed the “disappointing days” between the sides such as their 1990 intermediate final loss to Sixmilebridge and remembers with fondness a Barry Gleeson’s infamous 2008 goal. “He first timed it as good a shot I ever saw rising into the roof of the net, you could hear the cheering in Poulawooly Bridge, it put Sixmilebridge out that year and was Cratloe’s first win over Sixmilbridge”. Independent councillor PJ Ryan finds himself in “an awkward situation”. The Cratloe man runs a business in Sixmilebridge and has grandchildren lining out for The Bridge

at underage level. “All my relations on both sides of my family would be coming from the Sixmilebridge area both on the Ryan and the O’Halloran, there is conflict there. I’m going to be up at the match on Sunday surrounded by grandchildren who will be shouting for the Bridge and I’ll be the Cratloe man shouting for Cratloe so it’s going to be awkward”. The Clare Echo has spotted colours from each camp appearing in both parishes. That brings into question, where exactly is the border with locals undecided on the matter. Technically speaking, Bridge Surgery, the offices of popular GP, Dr. Padraic Quinn though located in the square of Sixmilebridge is in the parish of Cratloe. The Clare hurling team doctor may have needed to see a medical professional himself had he decorated the surgery with Cratloe colours. “Some people don’t really know where the border is,” Enright explained. “Cratloe is surrounded by three rivers, the Garney River, the Shannon and the Sandy River, the fourth side of the boundary joins Sixmilebridge. There was never any issue with the Garney River, nobody ever fell into it or strayed across it.” Jim expected supporters of Alan Neville’s side particularly in the Ballyliddane part of Sixmilebridge would have their flags proud-

ly on display. “The real boundary is Regan’s Corner, that was the real boundary in the sense. Barron’s Dance Hall was in Cratloe and going up that road then up along the rivalry would be less. The border wouldn’t be clearly defined and there would be people landing in both parishes and they don’t seem to see any difference. Families know each other much better now, they are intermarried and I don’t see the rivalry as being decisive.” Back to politics and the looming threat of Brexit. Northern Ireland being part of the UK has with it incoming risks of of borders both of the hard and soft variety, the back-stop, tariff requirements, trade deals and policies for the flow of EU migrants. For peace and civility, would it best to establish a hard border between Cratloe and Sixmilebridge? Such is the question posed to Cllr PJ Ryan. “We want no borders, it’s only on the day, we may not be cordial on the day but we will always be cordial before and after. We all have to live together, maybe on the day there might be a transparent border but there will be no hard border,” he said with glee. Bridge boss Tim Crowe is hopeful normality between neighbours will be restored after the game. “We’re primarily neighbours not rivals because we tend to unite in happy oc-

lAWKWARD: PJ Ryan will shout for Cratloe on Sunday Photo by Martin Connolly

casions like weddings and the tragedies like funerals, you don’t wear your Sixmilebridge or Cratloe jersey to a wedding or a funeral, you go in as a neighbour. I hope that whoever wins on Sunday will be honourable winners and will appreciate the hurt of the loser, I hope the loser wishes the winner well.” Predicting the mood in Northern Ireland is more difficult but Garneyside they want no border, not until after the match anyway

HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW P35-47

16 NEWS

THURSDAY, OCT 3 2019

Sláinte an Chláir acts as a 'happy place' for patients

Fittest Superstars aiming to fund Ennis centre PÁRAIC McMAHON paraic@clareecho.ie

HERE are no procedures or manoeuvres that have to be carried out as you walk in or out of Sláinte an Chláir, referred to by users as “a happy place” but it is has the unique ability of putting people in better spirits on their exit. Help and support to anyone affected by cancer is offered through Sláinte an Chláir at their facilities in Kilnamona and Scariff. That has been the way since it was founded in 2010, there are unsung heroes in the voluntary organisation who wish not to be named but who play central parts in its story. Theresa Murrihy is the honorary chairperson of Sláinte, she has beat cancer on two occasions and is well versed on the importance of the service. In truth, it started off with a cup of tea, a bun and a cake but has escalated to offer so much more to service users and their families. Counselling, lymphoedema management, nutritional advice, meditation, reflexology, tai chi, arts & crafts and much more are offered free of charge through the cancer support centre. Speaking to The Clare Echo at the Kilnamona base, Theresa pinpointed the benefits of having centres like this located away from where patients are treated. “Most centres were built on the grounds of the hospital, when you finish your treatment the very last thing you want to do is come back to the grounds of the hospital, I suffered with a thing I didn’t even know existed anticipation nausea, the minute I arrive in the regional hospital I’m actually feeling nauseated and sick so I felt this is what the people needed”. Recounting her experiences as a service user, the Quilty woman outlined how the engagement and interaction between personnel provides reassurance to one another as they are at different stages of fighting their diagnosis. From here, the friendships grow, they have gone to Cork Opera House to support one of their own on stage, trips to Knock are regular but it is more the craic on the bus that is remembered rather than the prayers. “Tuesdays and Thursdays are people’s lifeline when they are here, you build a bond, a friendship and a support”. Between 20 to 30 volunteers assist at the centre twice a week

l SAFE HAVEN: Mary Skehan, Lindsey Walsh and Theresa Murrihy at the Sláinte An Chláir centre in Kilnamona. They spoke to The Clare Echo at the launch of Clare's Fittest Superstars team challenge, which aims to raise thousands for the charity Photo by Paschal Brooks

whether it’s making tea or soup, washing dishes, handing out dinners or providing a gentle ear. “People are sceptical about coming in the door but once they do they don’t want to leave it. While it is a home for us that have had cancer, it is also the best support place for those whose children, parents or partner have it with the counselling and support for those people who may have lost someone. The support isn’t just for the person with the cancer, it is a complete family support, it’s no holes barred whether you’re rich, poor, man, woman, black, white, it doesn’t matter, that is what Sláinte is about. It is a safe place that is not on the grounds of the hospital which is the last place you want to be or see”. For all the good they provide, Sláinte an Chláir “does not get one single red penny” when it comes to funding, the New York born West

Clare woman lamented. “There is no funding, that is the long and the short of it, there is no funding. Years ago the Irish Cancer Society gave a very small grant to those diagnosed with cancer but that is gone. If you were working and you’re not anymore, you have nowhere to go. The centre is run on less than €100,000 a year, for what goes on here, the food, cooking, new bus, trips, reflexology, meditation, I’m only tipping the iceberg, all of that was funded for the people of Clare”. Their existence has survived in her opinion due to “the generosity of the people of Clare, Clare FM, The Clare Echo, The Clare People in their day and The Clare Champion that give us a chance to let it be known”. Murrihy is of the view the upcoming fundraiser, Clare's Fittest Superstars, will help with a necessary move away from their

Kilnamona centre to a more centralised location. “Here has outgrown itself big time. There isn’t room to park a car let alone have any occasion, for the volunteers and most people Ennis would be more central. A lot of the volunteers are either East or Mid Clare, Ennis is much easier for them, the volunteers are phenomenal, they were nurses and carers, now they’re retired and they love coming to Sláinte to make the soup, dishing out the dinners, washing up or helping them. If you live back in West Clare, it’s an awful lot quicker to get into Ennis than to get to try from Doonbeg, Quilty and make your way to Kilnamona. If you live in Kildysart you’d be in Ennis very quick but try get to Kilnamona, Ennis definitely will make it much easier for the service users as well as the volunteers and support from

the town. It’s only going to happen through Davy and the fundraising, we will get nothing and we don’t get anything”. Fighting cancer is not easy, that’s the understatement of the year but Sláinte an Chláir has helped the people of Clare and their families pack a punch when taking on the Big C. The community feel to the service has and will continue to help at a very difficult stage in one’s life. “It’s a safe place, a happy place, you go in the door and you go out a happy person, it’s the comfort and warmth of it all, the friendships that are made. We have gone through a lot of tough times with funerals, people that have been here that are now gone, we have to take from that we were a part of their journey. Inevitably we’re all going to die but it’s the journey in between and without Sláinte the journey would be a lot tougher.”

THURSDAY, OCT 10 2019

l GETTING ON BOARD: Davy Fitzgerald with Stuart Holly, editor of The Clare Echo which is the official media partner of Clare's Fittest Superstars Photo by Paschal Brooks

NEWS 17

18 THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

THURSDAY, OCT 10 2019

Ronan Scully

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK Author spreading the word of positivity

Hear the poor cries T

he cry of the poor has always been ringing in my ears ever since I was a young person. I have also noticed over the years that our ears are constantly bombarded each day by all sorts of sounds. Our ears hear sounds of sadness, sounds of worry, sounds of fear, sounds of depression, sounds of illness, sounds of homelessness and sounds of grief. The sounds we hear stresses a certain kind of hearing. For me the hardest and most difficult hearing I hear is hearing the cry of the poor and even in that cry of the poor the worst of it is hearing the child’s voice crying that is poor. The cry of those who cannot speak up for themselves. The cry of those who are alone and have no one with whom to share their loneliness or sadness or homelessness. The cry of those who have no helper in this life. The cry of those who have been abandoned or rejected. The cry of those in Direct Provision or Travellers living on the side of our roads. The cry of those who are so weak and helpless that you can not even contemplate or imagine. Poverty in the world is a scandal, it is a real cry for help and support. Still, we tend to think about it only when we want to think about it. Most of us don’t see the poor on a regular basis. We rarely come face-to-face with seriously sick children, severely abused and abandoned children, people with grave depression or mental illness, the chronic homeless, the lonely elderly, the abandoned and the real poor living in our midst. It’s easy to live without thinking about those less fortunate. But now and then, God seizes our attention. The impoverished and those with little hope cry out for

justice. In unexpected moments, we hear their cry. A clear mark of solidarity with the poor is the practice of hearing the cry of the poor and making their cries for dignity, love, justice, equality, fair play, acknowledgement, hope, care, a bed, a room and freedom our own. Exercising Real Love The cries of the poor do not go away. And, for those who have ears to hear, and believe in whatever religion or end of days they believe in, their record is clear that their God is on the side of the poor. Somehow in our society and culture, we have found ourselves separated not only from each other, but from the poor, the orphaned, the abandoned, the homeless and the refugee. We live in a world that insulates us, for the most part, from that which is difficult and uncomfortable. We have diversions that keep us from encountering the pain, the loneliness, the weakness, the fear, the emptiness, the meaninglessness of those around us. We even have diversions to keep us from encountering our own pain, loneliness, weakness, fear, emptiness, and meaninglessness. When we start to feel those things coming on, or sense that someone around us is in the clutches of those things, we go to the various shopping centre’s to shop, we go to the coffee shop for a latté, we go to our local for a pint or we bury ourselves in our work or pleasures or we turn on our favourite television or radio programme. And we cease to live. Yes, we cease to live. We have ceased to hear the beating of our own heart. We have ceased to hear the beating of the heart of the world. We have ceased to hear the cries that can melt our frigid heart and warm it with the spirit of life, the spirit of love and mercy and

compassion. The more separated we are from real love, mercy and compassion, the more lifeless we become. The average years we live in Ireland is around 70 odd years or so. Its a short life span when you look at how old our world is. For me and people like me I have about 15 to 20 years left to live in the scheme of things. So think of those times in your life when you have exercised real love and compassion. Think of the emotions that filled you, the love that you expressed, the tenderness you felt, the wonder of being human that you knew. In the moments that you exercised that true love, mercy and compassion you were truly alive. Ever since I experienced social injustice in my past and working with the poor; they challenge me everyday to be more compassionate, more loving, more merciful and more giving. If everyone works for justice so that all would have the basic needs to survive, we can end a lot of injustice in this world. Thought for the week As your thought for the week, I ask God to bless your ears that you may hear the cry of the poor in the midst of your daily life. I ask God to bless your ears that you may act out of the center of compassion, and know what it is to be human and fully alive. I ask God to bless your ears that you may recognize your own poverty. I ask God to bless your ears that hearing the cry of the poor and becoming poor yourself, you will find out what life is really all about and that the answer is genuine true love, compassion and giving. Let this prayer be always in your heart and on your lips so that you will always hear and recognise the cry of the poor.

Hynes named Shannon Group ‘Shannon needs Chairperson for sixth year new routes’ Tourism Ireland

PÁRAIC McMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

OSE Hynes’ (right) one year extension as Chairperson of the Shannon Group was granted to provide continuity within the commercial semistate company, The Clare Echo has learned. In August, the Department of Tourism, Transport and Sport extended Ms Hynes’ tenure as Chairperson of Shannon Group by an additional year. Her five year term ended on August 28th but Minister Shane Ross opted to give a one year renewal. The Group is responsible for Shannon Airport, Shannon Commercial Properties, Shannon Heritage and IASC. With the consent of Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohue, Ross under Section 17 (2) of the State Airports Act 2014 could reappoint Hynes for a second five year term. “In making his decision to reappointment Ms. Hynes for 12 months, subject to her appearance before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Minister was cognisant of the critical juncture the Group is currently at with for example the finalisation and subsequent rollout of its second Five Year Strategic Plan,” a spokesperson for the Department of Transport told The Clare Echo.

Matthew Thomas’ departure as June plus the additions of Stephen Ambrose Loughlin to the Board of Group earlier this year also infludecision according to the spokesper“As the Group is entering into its next stage of development, importance of maintaining corrate memory also informed Minster’s decision”. Although the one year extension came as no major shock, the decision of Mr Thomas to leave role in June after three years cause surprise. He succeedNeil Pakey whose three year term was not renewed which left many commentators stunned. Mary Considine for the second time is working as Acting CEO of the Group. Last year, Shannon Group had a turnover of €77.8m, an eight per cent increase on 2017 figures, profits rose by 125 per cent to €21.5m. This year’s finances will be the worst Group was established in 2014.

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SECURING new routes is the single biggest challenge facing Shannon Airport, a recent business event in the county heard. Before it was announced that Ryanair were dropping three services from Shannon Airport in January, an event organised by Shannon Chamber saw Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons address personnel working in the tourism and hospitality sector in the Mid-West. Leas Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy was among those present for the autumn lunch and she asked if Gibbons felt specific branding or a renaming of Shannon Airport to incorporate The Wild Atlantic Way would yield any bene-

fits. He described Shannon as “the gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way”. “The big challenge for the Airport is new routes,” Gibbons stated and confirmed he held a meeting with management of Shannon Airport in August. “There is not an anti West of Ireland agenda,” he said declaring that airlines selections were done on what suits them best rather than the area. “I’m not as worried on the branding and more on the route development”. Another speaker from the floor pointed out that eighty percent of the air traffic into Ireland was going to Dublin Airport, “until we make efforts at positive discrimination, we will still have this imbalance”.

Shannon Business Watch scheme relaunched

HANNON Business Watch, first introduced in 2015, has been relaunched by Shannon Chamber in conjunction with An Garda Siochána. This crime prevention programme, designed by An Garda Siochána, is similar to the Neighbourhood Watch and Community Alert scheme, whereby the Gardai and the community come together to prevent and reduce crime; in this instance, the Business Watch scheme’s focus is the business community. Business Watch Shannon will provide a framework whereby the business community will be collaboratively instrumental in preventing crime in the industrial areas of Shannon. Through awareness and observation, they will become extra ‘eyes and ears’ for the Gardai and act as ‘Watchmen’ to their own and neighbouring premises in the prevention of crime. Speaking at the launch in Shannon Airport

House, Detective Sergeant Kevin O’Hagan said that most crimes are crimes of opportunity and that the Business Watch scheme in Shannon will aim to reduce this opportunity. He urged businesses attending the launch to be vigilant at all times around the vicinity of their respective buildings, to initiate simple procedures to prevent crime from their premises and to work as a team to close down any crime evident in the area. Shannon Chamber chief executive Helen Downes called on companies to volunteer as Business Watch coordinators for the sections of Shannon they operate from and in doing so to facilitate the formation of an intelligence network system in Shannon. Garda Catherina O’Rourke, Crime Prevention Officer, Crime Office Prevention Unit, Clare Division urged companies to avail of the free in-company security review available from An Garda Siochána. Edel Mee, managing director, IT Security People, who described her job working with

organisations to improve their IT security profile as the best job ever, brought a new perspective to the launch with her insights into the increasing level of cyber-crime. “Hackers can sit in the background for long periods. They don’t know what’s of value until they notice it so the challenge for companies is to stop hackers getting into their computer systems. “A basic cyber-attack can take up to three weeks to assess and that can be a lot of down time for companies. It’s critical to assess how a company’s operations might be affected by an attack. “Data and information are the most valuable asset that many organisations have, which makes hardware and software security solutions an important part of every IT infrastructure, which mean users play a vital role in securing a company’s network. One wrong click could bring a network down or cause a GDPR data breach,” she added. Relaunching Shannon Business Watch

scheme, Shannon Chamber chief executive Helen Downes said: “This is another great opportunity for companies throughout Shannon to work together to prevent crime happening in their collective businesses, be that off-line or online crime. “By being alert, aware, and a good neighbour, we are encouraging them to report anything they regard as criminally remiss in their areas. “Business Watch will be managed by a group of coordinators with each coordinator acting as the link between the business community in a specific area of Shannon and the Gardai. Companies noticing anything remiss in their area are requested to contact one of the coordinators – the list will be published on our website in the coming weeks. “Our aim is to reduce the level of crime in Shannon to zero; however, Business Watch is not intended, nor is it a substitute for, the daily services that the Shannon Garda station provides,” added Ms Downes.

Entertainment

The only punk rocker in the village of Lisdoonvarna

he Only Punk Rocker in the Village is a new play by North Clare native Dermott Petty. The play is set in North Clare in the late 1970’s where a teenager’s discovery of Punk Rock turns his life upside down and causes consideration, shock and misunderstanding with his parents, his community and his friends. The setting is in the village of Lisdoonvarna, where a tight-knit, conservative, traditional based community is invaded by this new foreign phenomenon Punk Rock. In the village however there is only onePunk Rocker. The one punk rocker in the village has notions of rebellion, grandeur and turning the world upside down. The origins of the play began from a poem of Dermott Petty’s tilted: When Punk Rock Came to North Clare, published by Revival Press in Limerick. The play will be directed by Joan O’Hanrahan and will be performed by Dermott Petty. This summer The Only Punk Rocker in the Village had its world premiere as part of the Barnstable Fringe Theatrefest in Barnstable, North Devon, England. The Only Punk Rocker in the Village will have its Irish premiere on October 26 and 27 at the Royal Spa Hotel in Lisdoonvarna at 8pm. Admission €10. Call 087-7993543 for more information.

l ROCK ON: Dermott Petty brings his play to Lisdoonvarna

Comhaltas tour of Ireland at Cois Na Habhna ONE of Ireland’s leading Traditional Music shows will take to the stage at Cois na hAbhna later this month featuring some of the best musicians, singers and dancers from all over Ireland. ‘Macalla na hÉireann’, the annual Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Tour of Ireland Concert, will take to the stage at the Ennis venue on Monday, October 14th, just one of 14 venues featuring in the nationwide tour. With over two hours of the best of traditional entertainment, Macalla na hÉireann will feature all aspects of solo and group instrumental music, songs and ballads, along with storytelling, recitation and traditional dancing. “We are delighted to have the Comhaltas Tour of Ireland back here in Ennis.” says Frank Whelan of Cois na hAbhna. ‘Macalla na hÉireann’ features a truly All-Ireland line-up. Dancers Ciara Horan, Danielle Bowe, and multiInstrumentalist Bláithín Kennedy, all from Co. Tipperary while Michaela Kennaghan on Vocals and Guitar comes from Offaly. Representing Westmeath is Fiona Kelleghan on Banjo and Flute. Heading north, Daire Smith from Co. Cavan features on Bodhrán, Banjo and Vocals while Dublin is represented by Lughaidh Fisher on Flute and Vocals. From Limerick, the show features Micheál Fitzgibbon on Uilleann Pipes, Harp and Flute and Séamus Ó hAirtnéide also on Flute Timmy Flaherty on Uilleann Pipes and Banjo is from Kerry while dancer Ray Shanaghan, and Thomas Palmer on Piano Accordion, both come from Co. Cork. County

Sligo is represented by Síofra Hanley on Harp and Sean Nós Dancer, Eimear Mulvey, while representing the vibrant traditional music scene in Britain will be Brogan McAuliffe from London who plays concertina. Starting time for ‘Macalla na hÉireann’ is 8pm. Tickets are €12 and can be purchased in advance at Cois na hAbhna at 065 6824276, online at www.coisnahabhna.ie or at the door on the night.

l TRAD MAD: (Front row L-R) Síofra Hanley, Liam Orr, Blaithín Kennedy, Timmy Flaherty, Fiona Kelleghan, Seamus Harnett, Ciara Maguire, Micheál Fitzgibbon. (Back Row L-R) Eddie Murphy, Michaela Kennaghan, Brogan McAuliffe, Dáire Smith, Eimear Mulvey, Thomas Palmer, Ciara Horan, Ray Shanahan, Danielle Bowe, Lughaidh Fisher

ENTERTAINMENT 21

THURSDAY, OCT 10 2019

RORYING LAUGHING!

Outside Ennis Book Shop last Saturday with staff member Vivienne Walshe was Rory Cowan, who was signing copies of his new book Mrs Cowan’s Boy. This Saturday, Mike Hanrahan of Stockton’s Wing will be signing his book Beautiful Affair, A journey in music, food and friendship.

People with Passion visit The Local PASSIONS ... art, craft, photography, sports, dance, cars, motorbikes, comics, fashion, gardening, cooking and much more. Sharing your dreams can motivate, empower or help somebody to find their own passion. This is what People with Passion is all about; sharing what makes each and every one of us happy. The idea for this event came into Katarzyna Dabrowska’s a long time ago. This Polish lady has many passions: photography, sports and languages to name a few. Last year she organised a small exhibition at Shannon Airport where four airport staff members presented their works to the public.After talking with her friend, Joanna Szmit, about her passion for motorcycles; it inspired Katarzyna to make this event bigger. Thus, this is how People with Passion grew to be the event that it is now. Many people were involved with the organisation of this event this, which include: Claire Kathryn Roche, Joanna Szmit, Jolanta O’Conaill, Jakub Bajerski, Justyna Przikling, Lidia Ruszkiewicz, Malgorzata Zaki and Michal Przikling. This event will take place twice a year and every time will introduce new passions. People with Passion will take place in THE LOCAL, 1 Lifford Road in Ennis on October 13 at 3pm to 9pm. “We will be hosting many talented people at this event such as Dave Donnellan, a tattoo artists and creator of amazing art works. Imogene Toft, James Toft and Patrick Kelly a team of world sanspeed record holders. Friendly Fire Airsoft, a group of friends with the passion for the military and everything related to it. There will also be performances: Karate by Paweł Cyganik, Irish musicians, TreasureTrackers, Raices - A Flamenco and Mexican Folk Dance Show, and Iwona Bielewska fashion show. You can also meet motorcyclists and many more. Everybody is very welcome to what is sure to be an amazing time.”

Culturlann Sweeney welcomes Clare Moments to Kilkee... Exhibition: Clare Moments Artist: Philip Brennan Location: Cultúrlann Sweeney Kilkee Dates 23rd Oct - 22nd Nov

HILIP Brennan is a native of County Clare. He has been exhibiting his work since the late ‘seventies, the current exhibition being his 23rd solo show. He works mainly in watercolour, but also in other media. His work covers a wide range of subjects, including landscape, seascape, flora and fauna, historical themes, music-associated ideas, people and interpretive work based on all of the above. He is strongly influenced by his background as an active naturalist, but his roots in his native county are perhaps his greatest influence. His work is very much based on field-sketching and he has pursued this approach at home and on wildlife expeditions in Senegal and Canada. As a traditional

singer, he has won both Munster and All-Ireland competitions for newly composed songs and singing. A painting of his was presented by Clare County Council to President Michael D Higgins at a civic reception a number of years ago. As well as his exhibitions, he has published two books of paintings and writing, ‘Philip Brennan’s Clare‘ 2002, the first such book for the county, and ‘Wanderings’ 2006. He has also done a lot of illustrative work, most notably ‘Birds of Killarney woodlands’ OPW 1996. While most of his exhibitions have been in Munster, he has exhibited in Dublin, Wisconsin and at the Florence Biennale, has done artist residencies in Wales and a large number of public wildlife paintings around Ireland. Opening of exhibition will be held on Weds 23rd Oct @ 6pm all welcome to attend.

Ged's World Cup Diary with GED McNAMARA Ged McNamara and Georgia have shipped up from Kumagaya to Hanazono, despite clocking up the miles, the Stonehall man still found time to pen his latest Clare Echo diary entry from Japan.

FTER our great win against Uruguay we moved our way to Hanazono near Osaka to play Fiji. This was always going to be a tall order never mind with only a four day turn around to get over. This is where recovery was essential and needed to be well planned. We did everything we could from a strength and conditioning department to make sure the boys were physically, emotionally and mentally recovered from the Uruguay game. The facilities were world class in Hanazono and the hotel was incredible. The city of Osaka was intense with stunning displays and smells all throughout the city. And it was a joy to experience all that Osaka has to offer. Unfortunately the game did not go to plan, the first half was exactly how we wanted to play. We felt we had given ourselves a great chance to win the game. But a few moments of brilliance namely from Semi Radradra blew us away and left us with too much to do pull it around. When you chase the game against Fiji you leave to much open for them to exploit. The boys took the loss very hard but I’ve no doubt they will regroup and put out a strong performance against Australia on Friday.

FOOD & DRINK

THURSDAY, OCT 10 2019

Red Onion Tasty restaurant serving Thai and Indian

Stuart Holly editor@clareecho.ie

S Storm Lorenzo failed to blow like a true fiery Italian last Thursday night, this writer instead opted for a spicy Indian when visiting Ennis’s newest Indian & Thai cuisine restaurant, Red Onion. While there is already a selection of popular Indian and Thai eateries in Ennis, don’t stop reading just yet - Red Onion should not be grouped among them and there are a few reasons for that. The process of being greeted and seated at Red Onion is as seamless and friendly as you would expect from a restaurant of this variety, however I hardly had time to appreciate it as I soaked in the lavish surroundings. Soft, velvety furnishings and dim lighting paired with mammoth booths and a giant fish tank make this one of the most enjoyable settings in Ennis. While Indian and Thai food are popular takeaway options, the ‘dining out’ option is advisable here. With the mood set, we chatted over papadums, a mix of chutneys with a cold beer in hand (one Tiger and a Cobra which is offered on tap!) while our starters were being prepared by Red Onion’s two chefs Ram and Prem, who also happen to be the owners. STARTERS Two Indian classic starters were ordered to the table; vegetable samosa and vegetable pakora. The samosa was satisfying and worked well with the accompanying fresh salad and thick, tamarind chutney; the vegetable pakora was the best I ever tasted – a light and crisp outer layer with a bright coriander garnish giving way to its soft and ultra-flavour-

l Delicious desserts: An amazing range of desserts freshly made.

some core. It all made for a well-balanced and moreish starter. MAIN COURSES For the mains, we ordered Chicken Madras and Prawn Balti with lemon rice and garlic naan bread. The bright and colourful presentation was matched in every way by the flavour and quality. The Prawn Balti sauce was delicately flavoured and more textured than what you’d expect from an Indian dish, the fresh vegetable ingredients adding a subtle crunch. The Chicken Madras however was the star of the show and in the words of my eating companion, “one the best Madras I’ve ever had”. This beautiful breasted chicken was accompanied by distinctly fresh Madras curry sauce. This was well balanced and not overpowered by heat, as can often happen with hot curries of this variety. The coconut and tossed mustard seed flavours burst through this chunky fresh sauce and made this a dish to remember. Portion sizes were generous and it’s worth noting that the naan was fluffy and soft in the right places, with a light smattering of garlic. THE RED ONION WAY Our waitress, Phriti took our dessert order (despite being full, she twisted my arm) and as we waited, Red Onion’s co-owners Ram and Prem along with the restaurant manager Aneessha, who is a graduate of the Shannon College of Hotel Management. Together, they told me about their background and the Red Onion formula. Ram and Prem are Nepalese natives who have a wealth of experience in the restaurant industry, having most recently worked respectively in the kitchens of Adare Manor and Copper & Spice (in Annacotty). With a hand-picked team of staff, they told me that Red Onion refuses to compromise on quality – and that definitely tied in with my eating experience. When you dine at Red Onion, there’s a commitment to delivering the best

ingredients available so everything from the meats to the sauces and rice are on the higher end of the quality scale. Ram tells me that since moving from Adare Manor, his regular customers have followed him to Ennis with his jumbo prawn butterly starter and famous Makhani (butter chicken) main course proving particular favourites (note to self for next visit). It’s worth noting that a 3 course early-bird menu is available for a very reasonable €20 (5-7pm) DESSERT Much like peeling the layers of a red onion, the layers of this restaurant’s high standards became more apparent the longer I experienced it. A fine example of this was when I was offered dessert, something which is all too often an afterthought at Indian restaurants. Not here, though. A succulent, delicately sweet and small treat called Gulab Jamun, which is a milk-solid based sweet reduced to the consistency of a soft dough. A small and sweet way to finish the evening. VERDICT I have to divulge that this wasn’t my first time eating Red Onion. In its first week in business, I ordered takeaway and must stress that the dining in experience was head and shoulders above when it came to freshness and presentation; when the price is the same, eating at the Woodquay premises is definitely the best option. This would make a great contender for a Christmas party bash (there are huge tables and a private dining room) or a night out with the family for the Halloween Bank Holiday. Each table is adorned with a pair of roses and I have to admit, love was in the air by the time I was finished dining at Red Onion. Storm Lorenzo turned out to be an overhyped letdown, however the same cannot be said for Red Onion. I will return and if these high standards are maintained, Ennis people will be enjoying Red Onion for years to come.

COLUMNISTS 23

THURSDAY, OCT 10 2019

REELING IN THE YEARS

with Cian O’Broin

Miriam O’Donohoe Join Miriam on her history tours to hidden locations of Clare

1990 H

What’s the true reason for our round towers?

15TH HARTY CUP FOR ST FLANNAN’S Clare hurling has seen many a brave face dominate Cusack Park over the years. Proud, passionate and prolific, only a select few remain captured in our hearts and minds forever. Jamsie O’ Connor is certainly one of these characters. In March of 1990, Jamsie captained St. Flannan’s College to their fifteenth Harty Cup win over Nenagh C.B.S. It was the second of three in a row from the dominant hurling school from Ennis. St. Flannan’s College brushed past the Tipperary school with ease, the final score ending in 0-10 to 0-03. There was no shortage of interest in what the schoolboys had to offer on the day with a total of 6,000 in attendance. O’ Connor took matters into his own hands after he opened up the scoring for the afternoon. Jamsie reaffirmed his dominance yet again by claiming four points in six minutes, allowing St. Flannans College to sit comfortably with the lead. With a 0-7 t0 0-1 lead for the reigning champions at half time, Nenagh still felt that a comeback was on the horizon. Captain Jamsie O’ Connor had other ideas, neatly tucking away two points moments after the whistle for the second half sounded. Two other star performers proved their mirth on the day alongside the future Clare hurling star and St. Flannan’s business teacher, those being midfielder Liam Meaney and centre-back Alan Murphy.

FIRST SOLAR PANELS IN CLARE

Environmentally minded consumers aren’t just a phenomenon of the 21st century. 1990 saw the first solar panels introduced to Clare, following a spark of interest throughout the country. TRISOL was considered ground-breaking technology at the time, taking ten years to develop a solar energy heating system that could sustain its energy supply through the dark and cold Irish winters. For those completely mind-boggled by this new renewable source of energy creeping its way onto the market, a series of seminars were held throughout Ireland. On February 6, 1990, a ‘Clare Conference’ took place at the Aberdeen Arms hotel. Enthusiastic homeowners attended the demonstration along with regional banks, building societies, architects, county planning officers and the ESB. Demand for solar energy began to flourish when the European Commission pushed for homeowners to make the switch to a cheaper more environmentally friendly form of energy. With a surge in oil prices off the back of the recession of the 1980s, the Irish public were keen to find a viable cost saving alternative to energy consumption. The nationwide installation was slow and steady, with 30 systems introduced throughout Ireland in 1990. The UK’s progress was far slower, with only 15 TRISOL systems set up in 1990. Unfortunately, due to high costs and little sunshine, solar panels failed to meet the optimistic expectations of the European Commission in the years to follow. ALL WE HEARD WAS, RADIO GAGA We oftentimes forget about our more traditional forms of media with the advent of on-demand streaming services. Radio in County Clare was thriving in the year 1990. Following the first nationwide listenership survey conducted by the Marketing Research Bureau of Ireland in 1990, Clare FM ranked top of the list. Statistical analysis outlined the dominance of local radio over national broadcasts. 63 percent of people tuned in to Clare FM, 35 per cent to RTE 1, 32 percent to 2Fm and 19 percent to Century. Chief Executive of Clare Fm, Caimin Jones attributed the station’s success to their ability to combine talk radio with an eclectic mix of popular music. Surprisingly, the survey outlined that a large portion of young listeners began to tune out of 2FM and started giving their attention to Clare FM. This recent success came on the mark of Clare FM’s one-year anniversary after its first broadcast on September 10, 1989. Mr Jones felt that the success of local radio would instil some confidence in national advertising agencies to work with local radio stations due to their refined listenership at the beginning of the 1990s.

Check back next week as we find out what happened in Clare in 1991. Until then, take care.

I ALL,

Last week while visiting my grandson Mason who lives in the historic costal town of Kilrush, we decided to take a trip down to the marina as I am always intrigued by the rainbow of colour which reflects the calm waters surrounding the sheltered harbour where yachts/boats are anchored for the evening. Just to our right across the mouth of the Shannon Estuary Mason spotted the 6th century monastic island of Scattery while pointing to the most visible landmark, the 120ft tower, he casually asked, “Nana Miriam! What’s that tall building over there for?” I just said the first thing that came into my mind, which was that it was used as a lookout when enemies were attacking the island. He seemed happy enough with that clarification, therefore we continued on our trip. That evening when I got home I cast my mind back to the narratives we were told at school about how the Irish took refuge in the towers from early Vikings who attacked defenceless monasteris, be that as it may, records reveal that the Vikings were supposed to have arrived in Ireland around 795AD, therefore is seems very unlikely that towers had yet been built since it was suggested that one of the first historical reference to their existence dated back to 948AD. One of the oldest towers was built by St Senan who founded the 6th century monastery in in Scattery Island, however further records reveal that the earliest tower built in Ireland is actually set in the midst of the monastic community of the Burren lowlands [2km south of Gort R460] founded in the 7th century by St Colman in Kilmacduagh, Co Galway who also had a strong link with the Burren woodlands. One would imagine that the Vikings had been well integrated with Irish society by then, however that opinion is uncertain since the doors in most towers in Ireland bar two, are 2/3 meters above ground level. Even if occupants did have time to scramble up a rope ladder to safety it was not an

undertaking one would favour at the best of times, never mind while being shadowed by an axe wielding bandit. What was to stop the raiders burning down the wooden door, thus carrying the smoke up the chimney causing the occupiers to suffocate? Having said that, there was evidence of fire damage at Dysart O’Dea tower in Corofin; it is also believed that when some towers were unearthed, skeletal remains were found. I was also curious as to why the door was raised so high above ground level, here I discovered that the ulterior motive was to provide stability to the structure rather than for defence purposes as it eliminate the need to dig a deep foundation. Another speculation was that they were used as bell houses [belfry] which would be logical due to the proximity of the tower to places of worship, also the windows of which the majority were normally positioned high at bell story, allowing the hand held bell which was generally rung by a monk from each of the four windows at the top of the tower as they were aligned so as to represent the four cardinal points. Another assumption was that they were used as treasure houses where the clerics would hide books, religious relics and other

‘‘

plunderables since most towers had 5/7 stories each accessed by means of a trap door. They were also used as a scriptorium, however the poor light the from the small apertures would have been a huge setback as the only other means of light was a candle. It’s also believed these towers were used as penitential prisons for monks who had to do penance, with their conical roofs designed to express the meaning of heaven. Perhaps we will never discover their true origin and uses, but one thing I do know is that you can still see these impressive landmarks dotted around the fringes of the Clare landscape reminding us of the rich history of Ireland; unfortunately many now lay in ruins however some have been restored as in Scattery Island which has a number of distinct features, the most noticeable being the door which was built at ground level. This would suggest it being one of the oldest in Ireland. Very interesting indeed, having said that I think there are as many theories as there are towers, nevertheless thanks again for sharing my discoveries. Bye for now. PS: As with all historical sites, take nothing but memories, leave nothing but footprints.

I was also curious as to why the door was raised so high above ground level

‘‘

HE nineties once again brought great changes to the Irish landscape. Closing the door on financial instability, a new decade was to bring new hope. We see a heightened awareness amongst the people of Clare with a spark of interest in environmentally friendly alternative forms of energy. Also, we recapture the glory days of St. Flannan’s College within the Harty Cup as well as the soaring popularity of local Radio as Clare FM trumps all national broadcasts. Welcome back…

Community 24 COMMUNITY

ENNIS

l TOP PEAR: Theresa O’Sullivan is presented with a prize for the Largest Pear by contest officer Mary McNamara at the ICA Federation meeting in the Auburn Lodge, Ennis

WEST CLARE l MVPS: Some of the St Senans

Kilrush squad at the NBA draft

JUNIOR NBA DRAFT The second annual Jr. NBA draft was officially held at the National Basketball Arena on Saturday Sept. 28th 2019 and was followed by the 2019 Basketball Ireland Underage International Caps ceremony. The draft saw 30 teams from around the country matched with an NBA team as well as receiving corresponding NBA team-branded uniforms for their games.The draft marked the beginning of the second Jr. NBA Basketball Ireland League, which will run from October to December 2019, culminating in a festival of basketball at the National Arena on December 10th, 2019, where an NBA Ambassador will be in attendance. The Jr. NBA Basketball Ireland league features 14 Irish clubs – one of which is Kilrush Basketball Club - who have partnered with local primary schools in their area to create the 30 teams. The three schools that have partnered are 1.St. Senan’s National School, Kilrush 2. Scoil Realt Na Mara, Kilkee & 3. Gaelscoil Ui Choimin, Kilrush. But in order to keep all this basketball going we need some help from parents – all welcome and training is provided for all that are keen to join us in making the future of basketball great again… At club level we need the following:: Team Managers - Table Officials – Team Coaches – Fund Raisers – Without the parents helping and volunteering we cannot continue this very busy work of keeping the children of Clare playing a very healthy, indoor, winter sport. Contact any club coach or official or Paul McGibney Clare Area Basketball Board PRO at cabbpro@gmail.com

WEST CLARE

THURSDAY, OCT 10 2018

CONTACT NEWSDESK

065 671 9021 news@clareecho.ie

l LOCAL HERO:

Paul Queally, Murt Collins and Mary Collins at the Tidy Towns award ceremony

TIDY TOWNS COMMUNITY HERO Murt Collins of Kilrush TidyTowns Committee, Co Clare has been highly commended as a SuperValu Community Hero at the national final of the SuperValu TidyTowns Awards at the Helix, DCU, Dublin. Murt, who was nominated by local retailer Paul Queally of SuperValu Kilrush, was recognised at the awards ceremony for his commitment to making his local community a better place to work and live in. The SuperValu Community Heroes award was set up to honour TidyTowns volunteers who make a notable effort to build and develop a thriving community in their area. At the awards ceremony, Murt along with other Community Heroes from across the country, received a commendation for their commitment to building thriving communities through their work on their local SuperValu TidyTowns committee. Commenting on the Community Heroes awards, Martin Kelleher, Managing Director, SuperValu, said, “This is the 28th year that SuperValu has sponsored TidyTowns and 2019 saw a record 918 committees participating in the competition. SuperValu TidyTowns is the greatest community-focused, sustainable initiative in Ireland, and it's all made possible by the thousands of passionate volunteers like Murt who work tirelessly to make villages and towns across the country better places to work and live in. “They are the true heroes of the SuperValu TidyTowns competition and I would like to congratulate all of the Community Heroes on their tremendous achievement.” There was a capacity crowd at the Helix with TidyTowns committees from across the country in attendance to receive their awards. The SuperValu TidyTowns competition is organised by the Department of Rural and Community Development and has been sponsored by SuperValu for 28 years, making it one of Ireland’s longest-running sponsorships.

Community THURSDAY, OCT 10 2018

ENNIS

COMMUNITY 25 CONTACT NEWSDESK

065 671 9021 news@clareecho.ie

COUNTYWIDE FIANNA FÁIL MEETING Clare Fianna Fáil Comhairle Dáil Ceantair held their first meeting since May's local elections on at Hotel Woodstock recently. The meeting heard that the Clare branch of the party was praised across the country for their showing in the local elections where thirteen of fourteen candidates were successful in their bids to win a seat on the County Council. General Election candidates, Timmy Dooley, Rita McInerney and Cathal Crowe spoke at length as they continue their canvassing. Details for the Eamon de Valera commemoration due to take place in November are being finalised with a function to be held honouring the trio of Richard Nagle, Tom McNamara and Michael Hillery who retired from politics earlier this year.

BURREN

l STYLIN’: Haven Horizons are holding a range of upcycling workshops for the public in October to raise

funds for our Skills Share programme for women. See havenhorizons.com for more information

EAST CLARE HANDBALL AGM The AGM of the Handball club took place recently in the club house, Kilkishen. The Chairman, Patrick Donnelan in his address he congratulated Colin Crehan and Diarmuid Nash, Tuamgraney for retaining their All Ireland senior doubles titles. He also congratulated the County, Munster and All Ireland medal winners. He thanked fellow club officers parents and coaches. The Secretary, Liz Murphy and Treasurer Brendan Hannon gave detailed accounts of the club activities and financial transactions. Officers elected for 2020 include Chairman, Pat Donnelan, Vice Chairman Tim Custy, Secretary Veronica Bon Assistant secretary Liz Murphy, Treasurer Brendan Hannon, PRO Pat O'Brien, Children's welfare officer, Aiden Moroney Scanlon and membership officer Christy Philpott. Executive committee include John Cooney, Jim Lynch and David McNamara. Juvenile committee include Pat Donnelan, Tim Custy, Jim Lynch, Christy Philpot, Liz Murphy, Reamonn Lenihan and Veronica Bond. Registration is to take place on Thursday October 10 from 6pm to 8pm in the club house Kilkishen. The annual fundraising poker classic will be held on Friday, December 5 in Jack's bar Kilkishen The Executive and under age committees will be elected at the next monthly meeting. A meeting of the handball club will be held on the 1st November at 8pm in the club house, Kilkishen to nominate officers for County Board positions. FIRST PUBLIC VIEWING OF WILDE PHOTO The first public viewing of a recently discovered image of a young Oscar Wilde will be on display at ‘Go Wilde!’ an evening event celebrating the life of Oscar Wilde on his 165th birthday, Wednesday, October 16th, at the historic Coach House, located at The People’s Museum of Limerick, 2 Pery Square, Limerick, from 7 pm until 10 pm. The image was found by Karen Ievers of Sixmilebridge, Co Clare, while browsing historical carte de visite (cdv) images on the online shopping site eBay. The image presentation will be part of an evening event dedicated to the life and legacy of Oscar Wilde. There will be other 19th c. photos on display from Karen Ievers’ collection including those of additional Wilde family members. The event includes a bubbles and canapes reception, with music provided by Limerick native Liam O’Brien of ‘Emmerdale’ fame. Our distinguished guest speakers for the evening are: Rose Servitova, an award-winning writer, speaking on ‘Wit in Writing. and Dr. David Clare, speaking on Oscar Wilde’s formative years in Ireland and his status as an Irish outsider in London. The evening will also feature a sneak preview of Bottom Dog Theatre Co.’s latest production entitled ‘A Wilde Fan,’ written and performed by Myles Breen. He is one of the most instantly recognisable faces in Limerick, Myles Breen is an actor, director and playwright. Myles Breen has been surrounded by the arts all his life, being introduced to theatre at a young age. He has been performing, directing and writing for an incredible 27 years, from appearing in the Irish television soap Fair City to playing Claudius in Hamlet. We will end the event with birthday cake, tea & coffee, and a raffle (included in the price of the ticket). Tickets to this event can be purchased from Eventbrite. ie at €39/person. 5 euros of each ticket sale will be donated to Pieta House.

LEADER FUNDING Burren Lowlands CLG whose aim is to make the region of south Galway and north Clare a better place to live, work and visit, is conducting a study of all the communities within the area to find out more about what is happening in each. The results of the study will inform a LEADER funding application for the region. Information on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges of each will be gathered. This study is being carried out by Teresa Butler, anyone interested in contributing is invited to contact Teresa on 087-237-6459 or email teresabutler.synergy@gmail.com.

WEST CLARE SISTER ACT Kilrush choral society hope to present “Sister Act” from April 14th— 18th 2020. If you feel you have “a calling” come along to our info evening in Kilrush Community Centre on Sat 12th Oct @ 8pm. New members especially welcome. Tel: Ger @ 0868241209. CHARITY POKER CLASSIC Poker Classic in aid of West Clare Cancer Centre on Sunday 3rd Nov at Westbridge Bar, Miltown Malbay @ 7pm, €1,500 Pro Rata, Tickets €25. Please support this worthy cause. For more information contact Matt on 086 6049444. PUBLIC CONSULTATION MEETING Public Consultation - Cappa Enhancement Strategy. Architects are preparing an Enhancement Strategy for Cappa, focusing on its connection to the sea, the pier and the beach. Your feedback will help inform the strategy. A public consultation is being held on Wed 9th Oct from 17:30 to 19:30 at The Kilrush Hub. FAMILY FUN DAY Free Fun Family Saturday. Explore, play & learn with your child Sat 26th Oct from 11- 3pm in Kilrush Community Centre. Book online @ eventbrite.ie or tel: 6823923. KILRUSH SINGING SING FOR JOY Friday Mornings 10.30 – 11.30. Just drop in. Contact West Clare Family Resource Centre on 065 9052173. TAI CHI for the over 55s at the Kilrush Community Centre Wed 9th, 16th, and 23rd October at 2.30pm. Cost is €4. Tel: 9052173.

EAST CLARE BIBLE READING What is the meaning of life? Inviting you to find the answers while listening to God’s word in Cratloe Community Hall, Fridays from 8pm to 9pm. Call 083-4543387 or 089-2234009 for more information.

26 BUSINESS

THURSDAY, OCT 10 2019

BUSINESS

O’Brien’s Doolin Ferry bring Flavours of Ireland to London

ORTY-ONE Irish tourism companies, including Bill O’Brien’s Original Doolin Ferry Co, travelled to London this week, to attend Flavours of Ireland 2019. ‘Flavours’ is Tourism Ireland’s annual B2B tourism workshop, where tourism companies from Ireland meet and do business with around 120 top UK inbound tour operators. Now in its 17th year, Flavours of Ireland aims to grow our share of the huge worldwide travel market. Attended by UK inbound tour operators who bring business to Ireland and the UK from all over the world (including the US, Mainland Europe, Asia, Australasia and Africa), this event was an excellent opportunity for the participating Irish tourism operators to highlight and sell their

product to these important decision-makers and to encourage them to feature Co Clare and Ireland in their 2020 holiday and tour programmes. Siobhan McManamy, Tourism Ireland’s Director of Markets, said: “Tourism Ireland is delighted that so many Irish tourism companies, including Bill O’Brien’s Original Doolin Ferry Co, and so many of the leading UK inbound tour operators took the time to join us at our ‘Flavours’ event again this year. “We very much welcome the business and networking opportunities it presented. Our aim is to increase awareness of Co Clare and Ireland among these hugely influential tour operators and to help Ireland and our tourism partners secure a greater share of the huge worldwide tourism market.” Siobhan McManamy con-

tinued: “Figures published by the Central Statistics Office last week confirm that we welcomed almost 7.4 million overseas visitors during the January to August period, a modest growth of +2.2 per cent over the same eight-month period in 2018. Tourism Ireland has a really extensive autumn campaign in full swing right now, which aims to take advantage of late booking trends around the world, as there is still plenty of business to play for. “Many people are opting for shorter holiday breaks and autumn is a really good opportunity, with many world-class festivals and events happening right around the island. “One of our key objectives is to drive more business to our regions, right throughout the off-peak and shoulder season months.”

USA hair we comb - Jimi

l BLADE RUNNER: James Coughlan from Jimi’s Barber Shop Kilrush picked up an International guest artist award at Chicago Chicago Beauty Show for the fourth year in a row recently. James is the first Irish person ever to be invited. Next month he will travel to New York and Chicago to take part in other shows

l ON TOUR: Mark Henry, Tourism Ireland; Bridgette Brew, Bill O’Brien’s Original Doolin Ferry Co; and Hitesh Raja, Golden Tours, at Flavours of Ireland 2019 in London

€200,000 tech start up fund A PROJECT aimed at encouraging technology innovation and software driven start-ups in the Mid-West, has received funding of €195,000 from the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Competitive Fund. Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen, who has special responsibility for LEOs, said the project will have a particularly emphasis on solutions that align to what has become known as Industry 4.0. "Clare is the lead Local Employment Office for this project which will reach out to small businesses and entrepreneurs across Clare, Limerick and the Mid-West, in rural and urban settings," he said. Sixteen projects nationally are benefiting under the Competitive Fund which delivers projects aligned with the

Regional Enterprise Plans and the whole-of-Government strategy, Future Jobs Ireland. "Applications were open to individual LEOs and collaborative projects between two or more LEOs as well as LEOs working with other local groups like Chambers, Community Enterprise Centres, Education or Training bodies, Local Authorities or colleges," said Minster Breen.

BUSINESS 27

THURSDAY, OCT 10 2019

Scaling up on the Heritage ready for road up in Shannon

UDGING by the attendance at a recent hi-level seminar on scaling up, organised by Shannon Chamber with world-renowned guru on the topic Verne Harnish engaged to impart his vast reservoir of knowledge, companies throughout the Mid-West and from other parts of Ireland are now keenly focused on attaining higher levels of growth. Having spent over 30 years helping more than 40,000 business leaders scale up their ventures, Harnish told a capacity audience at Dromoland Castle Hotel that scaling up a business is organised around the four decisions a company leader much address: People, Strategy, Execution and Cash. Outlining a company’s life cycle Harnish stated that while it starts out small, scales up as it wins more business and takes on new people, the ultimate sight should be on transforming the business into a high-growth enterprise. He did, however, caution that while millions of start-ups, approximately 11,000 every hour in the world, start out small, ninety-six per cent remain small. Harnish’s visit to Shannon was organised by Shannon Chamber to encourage more companies in the Mid-West to acquire the toolbox to scale up. “The key to scaling up is attracting and keeping the right people, creating a truly differentiated strategy, driving flawless execution and having plenty of cash to weather the storms,” said Harnish. “This requires discipline and focus, setting priorities, gathering the right sets of data and making better and decisions,” he added. Commenting on the value of such an event to companies, Shannon Chamber chief executive Helen Downes said: “Having heard member companies share the learning they had taken from attending one of Verne’s seminars overseas and the changes they have and are now making in their businesses, I was determined to bring him to an event in Shannon. We were truly amazed at his immeasurable insights, his energy for sharing knowledge and his interest in seeing companies grow from mice, as he put it, to gazelles, to elephants, and we want to see more elephants grow here in the Mid-West region”.

l GEARED UP: Shannon Heritage becomes the first visitor attractions company to be granted preferred supplier status by CTTC. Shannon Group’s tourist experiences and attractions company, Shannon Heritage has today announced a landmark partnership with the Coach Tourism and Transport Council (CTTC). The agreement sees Shannon Heritage become the first visitor attractions company in Ireland to be granted preferred supplier status by the CTTC. Pictured L-R William Martin of Martins Coaches Limerick, Shannon Heritage Managing Director Niall Photo by Arthur Ellis O’Callaghan and Jackie Glynn of Glynn’s Coaches Ennis

IRELAND’S ONLY DEDICATED HOTEL MANAGEMENT COLLEGE

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28 BUSINESS

THURSDAY, OCT 10 2019

Ready to blow away competition

SIXTEEN schools from County Clare attended the first event of the 2019-20 Student Enterprise Programme at induction days in the Armada Hotel, Spanish Point and Tracey’s West County Hotel, Ennis. Over 800 Clare students will represent their schools during the course of the programme that culminates in a National Final at Croke Park on May 1, 2020. The Student Enterprise Programme is an initiative run by the Network of Local Enterprise Offices of Ireland. It’s this country’s largest and most successful student enterprise programme, with over 26,000 second level students taking part each year. Aimed at developing students’ business acumen and entrepreneurial skills, the eight month programme focuses 1st to 6th year secondary students on initiating a business idea, developing their sales and marketing skills and formulating an effective business plan that will yield results in a modern business environment. Pictured braving the winds of Storm Lorenzo is Declan Meaney, Local Enterprise Office Clare with students from St John Bosco Community College Kildysart. Pic Arthur Ellis.

Ballymorris Pottery - Celebrating 25 Years in Business

UCKED away neatly between Bunratty and Cratloe lies the workshop that allowed Hannah Arnup and her husband John Egan to realise their dreams. The story of Ballymorris Pottery is one that stretches from modesty to modernity, where Hannah tells of moving over in 1990 with the hope of breaking into an exclusive market for functional wear, an opportunity that wasn’t available in the UK at the time. “We have seen huge changes in the market over the last twenty-five years. We were working on the kitchen table to start off with. In 1990, after moving over I tried setting up an architectural ceramics business. My husband had been

working in a pottery in Bunratty during the eighties. It took us a few years for us to have the confidence to say, this is a good business.” In 1994, the Local Enterprise Office gave Hannah and John a capital grant, which was used to build the workshop which provided the duo with a space to ply their trade, satiating a shared desire to unify both passion and profession. Nowadays, the workshop houses a range of pottery and sculpting classes taught by Hannah, with the intention of actualising “a new awareness of the wellness and mindfulness of people looking after their mental health. I feel this is why they have gotten so popular. It does people so much good to work with their hands

and to work with clay.” Hannah credits the creativity that influenced and absorbed her early life, admitting that “I learned a lot from my family. My father was a painter and a potter and my mother was a sculptor. I went to college in London, which is where I met my husband. I am twenty-five years in business but I am still learning all the time. You do it because you love it. I know I’m very good at seeing an opportunity. That’s one of my strengths.” Ballymorris Pottery’s repertoire is both wide ranging and all encompassing, with once off commission pieces being highly coveted from corporate and individual buyers. Hannah and John have produced

commission works for the likes of the University of Limerick and special pieces for companies like Kerry Group, who requested a sun dial to be made, something which required great care and nourishment from Hannah’s artistic cadence. As a final note, Hannah spoke of the communal attitude amongst potter’s in County Clare as well as her hopes for the future, “It’s never stagnant, we all know each other, and we are all so different. It’s very supportive as there isn’t a vast amount of us anymore. Going forward, I want to be sure that everything is sustainable. Products that encourage people to be sustainable. I feel that it’s certainly enabling and good for everyone.”

Photo by Ruairi O'Brolchain

MOTORING

MOTORING EXPERT NEIL BRISCOE GIVES HIS VIEWS

SMOOTH OPERATOR

REFINED NEW TURBO PETROL ENGINE RE-INVIGORATES THE RENAULT MEGANE

RENAULT MEGANE GT LINE TCE 140

t’s been a bit too easy, of late, to forget about the Renault Megane. That’s not to be insulting towards Renault’s fivedoor family hatchback, but more an observation that the market has shifted so dramatically towards SUVs and crossovers, that sometimes one could be forgiven for thinking that no-one makes a straightforward family hatch such as this anymore. One would be wrong, though, which is a good thing — it would be awful to contemplate a market where a car as all-round impressive as this has disappeared from the market. This is the fourth generation of the Megane, and arguably it’s the best one that Renault has yet made. Certainly, it’s more handsome than any previous version, and it’s definitely going to be more reliable than the rather flakey second-generation model of the early 2000s. It’s just been given a mild update, and crucially that includes a new engine. This is a 1.3-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder unit, which is shared with both Nissan (which is part of the same group as Renault, of course) and Mercedes (which shares some engines and front-wheel drive model components with Renault and Nissan). So yes, if you buy this car, you can boast that it’s actually got a Mercedes engine. In fact, it’s got a rather better version of this engine than any Mercedes, in that it’s far, far more refined in the Megane than it has proven to be in any Merc we’ve driven. In the A-Class hatchback, for example, this same engine has a rather tiresomely gruff sound to it. Here in the Megane though, it’s much better — quieter, smoother, and more pleasant to sit behind on a long journey.

It’s punchy too — you can have this engine with 160hp, but this is the 140hp version. Now, you’d assume that makes it the weaker sibling but, again, you’d be wrong. To go with that 140hp, it also has a very decent 240Nm of torque, plus the Megane hatchback has a relatively trim kerbweight of 1,353kg. So actually it has very decent performance. Better than decent, actually — you could almost accuse it of being a junior hot hatch. OK, so a 9.5sec 0-100km/h time isn’t that exciting on paper, but on the road, the Megane TCe feels a lot gruntier than that. Pleasingly, the grunt doesn’t come with a cost at the pumps, or at least not much. We easily squeezed 5.8-litres per 100km fuel economy out of the Megane (that’s 48mpg) which is not only not bad, it’s about what we’d expect overall from a similar diesel. Incidentally, this engine comes with the latest generation of ‘Gasoline Particulate Filter’ or GPF in the exhaust, which means it’s about as clean as can be from the point of view of nasty, noxious, emissions. It also looks really good. Our test car not only had ‘Flame Red’ paintwork (a welcome relief amid the sea of grey or black cars that we normally see) but was also in GT Line trim. This means a chunky bodykit, and nice alloy wheels that can, from a distance, just about fool you into thinking that this one might be the mighty 280hp Megane RS. Inside, you also get some sporty addons, such as a contrast-stitched leather-wrapped steering wheel, and really deep bucket seats that are superbly comfortable. I’m less sure about the driving position, though, which is quite noticeably offset to the left, nor the metallic blue GT Line trim in the cabin, which looks slightly like you’ve left the protective plastic film on them. In fact, I spent a couple of min-

FACTS & FIGURES

utes trying to peel off the film, before I realised that there wasn’t any there, and they Model tested: Renault Megane GT Line were supposed to look like that… TCe 140 The rest of the cabin is nice — plenty Pricing: €27,615 as tested; Megane of space, good overall quality, and a very starts at €22.140 Engine: 1.3-litre turbo petrol four-cylhandsome upright 8.7-inch touchscreen. inder The menu and button layout on that Transmission: six-speed manual, frontscreen can be a bit fiddly at time, but you’ll wheel drive probably get used to it. Body style: five-door family hatchback Best of all, though, the Megane GT Line Co2 emissions: 132g/km (Band B2, is really good value for money. Consid€280 per annum) er this — for €27,615 as tested (or about Combined economy: 47.9mpg (5.8 where many SUVs start their pricing) litres/100km) you get 18” alloys wheels, that touchTop speed: 205km/h 0-100km/h: 9.5 seconds screen with TomTom live services and Power: 140hp at 5,000rpm mapping, a DAB radio, Bluetooth audio Torque: 240Nm at 1,600rpm streaming and hands-free calls, USB and Boot space: 434-1,247 AUX sockets, Apple CarPlay and Android Safety: Euro NCAP rating for Renault Auto, voice control,, rear parking camera Megane: Five-stars; 88 per cent adult; with front and rear parking sensors, ‘Vi87 per cent child; 71 per cent pedestrisio’ safety system including lane departure an; 71 per cent safety assist warning, traffic recognition and automatic high/low beam lights, the big bucket seats, and the full GT Line bodykit. And there’s the point. You don’t need an that people still make cars such as this. The MeSUV. You can get a much better car, for the gane’s too good to forget. same money or even slightly less, but in a hatchback shape. So please, don’t forget

MOTORING

MOTORING EXPERT NEIL BRISCOE GIVES HIS VIEWS

FORD LAUNCHES PLUGIN-HYBRID TRANSIT VAN

56KM ELECTRIC RANGE FOR NEW HALF-BATTERY TRANSIT

ORD is the first manufacturer to deliver plug-in hybrid technology for zero-emission driving capability to the 1-tonne van segment, with the innovative new Transit Custom Plug-In Hybrid. Combining zero-emission driving capability and no range anxiety, the first-in-class Transit Custom Plug-In Hybrid van can be charged with mains electricity for a pure electric driving range of up to 56 km – contributing to reduced local emissions and allowing the vehicle to enter the growing number of ultra-low-emission vehicle zones being introduced across Europe. Featuring a technologically advanced hybrid architecture, the Transit Custom PlugIn Hybrid’s front wheels are driven exclusively by a 92.9kW electric motor powered by a 13.6kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Ford’s multi-award-winning 1.0‑litre EcoBoost petrol engine acts as a range extender for total driving range exceeding 500 kilometres, 3.08-l/100 km fuel efficiency and 60 g/km CO2 emissions. A generous net payload of 1,130 kg and

unchanged load volume of 6.0 m3 are facilitated by careful packaging of the compact battery pack beneath the floor. Giving confidence to businesses, the battery pack is covered by a standard eight-year/160,000 km warranty. “Our customers want electrified vehicles, but we understand that they may have concerns about infrastructure and range. Our connected Transit Custom Plug-In Hybrid delivers productivity with no compromises, offering the capability to drive on zero-emission electric power with the freedom to make longer journeys,” said Ian Porter, chief programme engineer, Transit Custom, Ford of Europe. Available to order now with first deliveries before the end of the year, the new Transit Custom Plug-In Hybrid offers practical, high-productivity option for businesses that need to support clean-air targets in urban environments while retaining the driving range offered by a traditional combustion engine. The Transit Custom Plug-In Hybrid will be offered in a single L1 H1 variant, with

Van or Kombi bodystyles. The Van model is available in a choice of Base, Trend and high-specification Limited series. Cabin air-conditioning and a heated windscreen are standard on all vehicles, and available equipment includes Ford’s voice-activated SYNC 3 communications and entertainment system, featuring an 8-inch colour touchscreen that can be controlled with pinch and swipe gestures. FordPass Connect on-board modem technology features as standard, enabling businesses to optimise productivity and vehicle utilisation through solutions such as the new Ford Telematics and Ford Data Services products launching later this year, and the new FordPass Pro app. Available driver assistance technologies include Active Park Assist and Lane-Keeping Alert supported by standard electric power-assisted steering that is optimised for city driving and easy manoeuvring in busy commercial environments. Two new features designed to provide important additional customer benefits for the Transit Custom Plug-In Hybrid will be

introduced from spring 2020. To help ensure Transit Custom PlugIn Hybrid uses pure-electric power in low-emission zones, the standard Geofencing module automatically switches the vehicle to EV Now mode when entering such a zone, or a user-specified geofenced area. The module can be controlled via an app and captures encrypted information about electric-only operation within geofenced zones that can be securely shared with local authorities to confirm compliance to low-emission zone regulations. By removing the risk of accidentally straying into a charge zone while using the range extender, the geofencing module could reduce operator stress and save businesses money from fines and penalties. An optional 12-volt Epower Pack will enable operators to run high-power electrical equipment such as power tools or site lights from the vehicle’s high-voltage battery, using an easily accessible connection delivering up to 6 kW of power.

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34 OPINION/ADVICE

THURSDAY, OCT 10 2019

Darach Honan

Trusted independent financial advisor with IPS Financial Advice

Pension plan needs for medium to high earners

OULD you make a business decision that could cost you thousands in potential income? That’s what not taking out a pension plan could mean. By ignoring your pension options, you not only jeopardise your future retirement plans, but you also miss out on generous tax relief on your contributions. And that doesn’t make good business sense. I don’t believe in pension plans. I prefer to make investments in property and the stock market. Okay. You’re used to making investment decisions based on their merits: You look at the risk, the potential return and how much tax you will pay on that return. Check with your broker and you’ll find that the returns to be made with a pension plan make it a sure bet. Don’t forget that you’ll continue to pay tax on earnings from residential investment properties and share dividends and if you sell these assets, you pay Capital Gains Tax. Why not divert some funds into a tax-efficient pension plan? Remember, what you’re saving in tax will also be making money for you. My retirement is a long way off, and I prefer to live now and pay later. Your retirement may seem as if it’s in the distant future, but these things have a habit of creeping up on you. When you finally do decide to take life easy, you’ll want to enjoy it… especially as we’re now living longer, healthier and more active lives. By making provision for your retirement, you can continue to enjoy life now and in the future. It’s an added bonus if your retirement is far away as the longer you pay into a pension plan, the greater the returns – and the greater the tax relief as you get older. If I invest in a pension plan, I’ll have no control over my investment. That used to be the case – but not any longer. There is now a huge degree of flexibility in the type of pension fund you can invest in and the stocks you can choose. You retain the option of moving between different funds while all the time claiming the tax relief. Remember – you’re no longer obliged to buy an annuity when your pension matures and you can continue to invest it, even as you are drawing down part of it for living expenses. My business is my pension. When I retire I’ll sell it on. That might be a good plan. But circumstances can change – your product may become obsolete and some

businesses fold through no fault of their owners. In any event, your business may not be worth as much in today’s terms as you would like. You also should consider that it may not be so easy to get a buyer when the time comes, despite the business’s underlying value. It makes better sense to spread the risk and take out a pension plan. What kind of relief will I get if I have my own business? If you’re self-employed, you will immediately get tax relief at the marginal rate on your contributions. If you’re a company director, you can invest some of the company profit in a pension. It can be offset against Corporation Tax and it’s not regarded as a benefit-in-kind. Now that’s a good business decision. Doesn’t the administrative cost of a pension plan outweigh the tax relief benefits? No, definitely not. It’s true that in this regulated area there are some administration fees but, as you know, any investment decision involves administrative costs (such as auctioneers’ or stockbrokers’ fees). Any extra administrative cost involved in a pension plan is more than offset by the gains made on the tax relief. I’m getting on in years and never got around to setting up a pension plan. Is it too late? The sooner you are in, the sooner your savings will be working for you – otherwise you could be stuck on the small State pension when you retire. You should also remember that the tax relief on contributions from your salary gets more generous the older you get. It’s true that starting a pension plan in your 20s is the best option but being older is no reason to put off this tax-efficient investment in your future. What should I do next? Talk to your broker and decide how much you wish to invest on a monthly basis, based on the tax relief you will receive. You’ll need to consider what fund you will pay into, based on the level of risk and your preference for the type of investment you wish to make, be it an equities fund, a currencies fund or a property fund. Your broker has the specialist knowledge to advise you on the range of options available. For anyone interested in knowing more, I am here to answer all your questions. If there is something I can help you with, please get in touch at darach@ ipsfa.ie or call 087-1277155. Where an opinion is expressed, it is the personal opinion of the author only and not of the paper.

065 6828 383

www.cahirsolicitors.com

36 Abbey Street, Ennis

When love does not conquer all: preparing for marriage

ELECTING a venue, wedding menu tastings and making a Will in anticipation of your marriage should all go hand in hand. The Beatles may have thought ‘All you need is Love’ but when it comes to inheritance that’s not exactly true if you are just engaged and you do not have a Will made. But newlyweds have no assets, I hear you say – a large percentage of newly weds own their own homes. All engaged couples have some jewellery to mark the occasion and savings which you may be building for the wedding, honeymoon, deposit on a house. When getting engaged, your intention is to own your assets jointly. Marriage gives protection to a spouse and children on death where there is no Will whereas co habiting does not give automatic inheritance rights. Succession planning when you get engaged merits consideration especially if it is your intention for your fiancée to inherit all that you have. You may be newly engaged or newlywed but you may have been married before, you or your partner may have children from a previous relationship, and delaying making a Will could have adverse consequences. If you are still single in the eyes of the law, your parents will inherit; if your parents are deceased your siblings will inherit equally between them. Putting a ring on it does not determine the who inherits your property. Making a Will is the only way! Here’s how your marital status may affect the Will-making process.

MAKING A WILL BEFORE MARRIAGE

When a person dies without a Will, the law intervenes and decides how the assets are distributed. This means your money and property get distributed following the rules set out in the Succession Act, 1965. Your Estate will be legally inherited by your next of kin in categories of proximity for inheritance; ie parents, followed by siblings. CELEBRATING AN ENGAGEMENT

Announcing your engagement is an exciting time, but the law doesn’t do emotion. Even if you are engaged the law does not recognise your fiancée. If you have made a Will in anticipation of marriage and named your fiancée, only then will they inherit your assets. As couples are marrying older these days, most have property or assets that should have a Will to cover. If you have a property in your sole name or other personal valuables you wish another person to specifically benefit from on your untimely death, then ensure you make a Will as part of the next stage of your life together, particularly as being engaged does not give your partner any entitlements. MARRIAGE REVOKES A PRE-EXISTING WILL

A Will is automatically revoked if it

exists before marriage or civil partnership, unless it is made in contemplation of that specific marriage. When a Will is “made in contemplation of marriage”, Section 85(1) of the Succession Act provides that “a Will shall be revoked by the subsequent marriage of the testator, except a Will made in contemplation of that marriage, whether so expressed in the Will or not.” It is not enough to expect to marry sometime in the future – you must expect to marry a specific person and in a reasonable amount of time; so your Will is made in contemplation of your marriage. MAKING A WILL WHEN COHABITING

Making a Will is especially important if you are a cohabitating couple. Cohabitants do not possess the same legal rights as married couples. Cohabitants are defined in the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights, and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 as two same-sex or opposite-sex adults are who are living together in a committed relationship. Given the limited legal recognition of your relationship, your partner will not automatically receive your assets unless they are on extraordinarily good terms with your family, or they are prepared to launch costly and draining court proceedings against your family to ensure that they receive support. So if marriage is a long way off or not on the cards do not underestimate the necessity of making a Will. PROVIDING FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

Whether you are cohabiting or married this question is most common with young couples on the birth of their first child. A trust Will can be put in place until your youngest child reaches the age of 18 years of age or upwards, providing for their children while the family plans on growing in numbers. Wills are often completed in favour of the spouse in the event of a single fatality and appointing guardians and trustees for the children in the unforeseen event of a double fatality. It is critical to provide a roadmap for loved ones for young children. This gives clarity as to who is to step in as guardian. I often meet young moms and dads who say they put making a Will on the long finger. Who will care for the children in my absence? Whom will I nominate as executors and guardians? As a Will can be written, rewritten and reviewed many times over, don’t let these questions be a reason to not to make a Will now. Congratulations if you have just got engaged. It’s important to make a Will so a gift to celebrate with you, Cahir and Co Solicitors will make both Wills for the newly engaged couple for the cost of one (€185.50 including 23% VAT)*.

Contact Cahir and Co Solicitors at 36 Abbey Street Ennis, call 065 6828383 or email sharoncahir@ cahirsolicitors.com. * terms and conditions apply

SQUAD LINE UPS Cratloe Panel: Gearoid Ryan, Martin Oige Murphy, Michael Hawes, Shane O’Leary, Damian Browne, Diarmuid Ryan, Liam Markham, Conor McGrath, Enda Boyce, Shane Gleeson, Billy Connors, Sean Collins, Podge Collins, Cathal McInerney, Rian Considine, Sean Chaplin, David Collins, Jack McInerney, Kevin Danaher, Aaron Costigan, Eoin O’Kelly, Patrick O’Gorman, Caimin Deegan, Jamie Costigan, Padraigh Chaplin, Tomas Ryan, Phillip Gleeson, Jack Manley, Sean Gallagher, Mark O’Brien, Barry Gleeson, Aidan Browne, Jack Danaher, Conor Hallissey, Sean Ryan.

Sixmilebridge Panel: Derek Fahy, Brian Carey, Barry Fitzpatrick, Noel Purcell, Pa Mulready, Caimin Morey, Seadna Morey, Shane Golden, Evan McInerney, Jason Loughnane, Jamie Shanahan, Conor Deasy, Cathal Malone, Alex Morey, Brian Corry, Alan Mulready, Paidí Fitzpatrick, Niall Gilligan, Kevin Lynch, Shane Whyte, Ciaran Hassett, Lorcan Fitzpatrick, Cathaoir Agnew, Tiarnan Agnew, Sean Lynch, Danny Morey, Cillian Custy, Éanna Burns, Jack Corry, Colm Fitzgerald, Paul Corry, Gavin Whyte, Jordan Downes.

Management: Alan Neville (manager), Padraig Collins (selector), Mike Deegan (selector), Derek Crowley (backroom team), Trevor Slattery (S&C). Medical: Ger Crotty

Management: Tim Crowe (Manager), Davy Fitzgerald (Coach), Paddy Meehan (selector), Timmy Crowe (physical trainer). Medical: Dr. Padraic Quinn & Helen Saego

Cratloe face Bridge for first time in final

CLARE SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL CRATLOE V SIXMILEBRIDGE

SUNDAY, 3.15pm at CUSACK PARK

FIRST ever senior county final meeting of neighbours Sixmilebridge and Cratloe beckons this Sunday, as the Bridge will look to make it 14 Canon Hamiltons while the county’s torch-bearing dual club Cratloe hope to pick up the pieces following defeat in the senior football semi-final last weekend. It’s difficult to believe that this is the first final meeting of the two sides considering that for five of the last 10 years, the trophy has ended up in the cabinet of either Cratloe (twice) or Sixmilebridge (on three occassions). As alluded to by Sixmilebridge manager Tim Crowe, both of these sides have adopted a very modern tactical approach, bringing increased structure while being able to adapt both long and short games. This should make for a very attritional contest, particularly in the middle third, however one suspects that the outcome could come down to Cratloe’s potent attacking threat versus the miserly defence of Sixmilebridge. That Crowe’s men, who are being coached by Davy Fitzgerald, have only conceded one single goal this campaign (against Cratloe’s 10) signals that an ultra beligerant back six is in place at the Bridge. However trying to break them down will be an attack led by the in-form Conor McGrath, which has registered an impressive 5-100 (versus Sixmilebridge’s 5-70). With the likes of Podge Collins and Rian Considine ranking alongside him, there will be no shortage of potent threats facing the Morey brothers and co. Cratloe did taste defeat to Inagh/Kilnamona back in August but have since bounced back in style, overcoming the likes of Kilmaley and Clonlara on route to a semi-final when they were well and truly humming in a victory over Crusheen by 15 points (3-24 to 2-12). Their manager Alan Neville (who has a fully fit squad to choose from) will be hopeful that another strong scoring display will be enough to see them down their neighbours on Sunday. Though not setting the world alight in the knockout stages, Sixmilebridge have accounted for their opponents at each obstacle. They hammered rivals Clarecastle and were comfortable winners of reigning champions Ballyea. The warning signs have sounded with very narrow wins over Éire Óg and Inagh/Kilnamona, have they taken heed is the big question. Many are predicting a tight affair and possibly a puck of the ball between the sides - the only certainty being that Canon Hamilton will be heading south on the M18 come Sunday night.

THE EXPERT VIEW The Clare Echo gets opinions from around Clare ahead of the highly anticipated clash of Sixmilebridge vs Cratloe JAMES CARRIG (CRUSHEEN SNR HURLING MANAGER & MUNSTER CLUB INTERMEDIATE WINNING BOSS WITH WOLF TONES)

DAVID FITZGERALD (INAGH/KILNAMONA AND CLARE DEFENDER, NHL WINNER)

An interesting final ahead, a local derby, two very good teams with two very different styles of play, it has the makings of a great match. I have been really impressed with Sixmilebridge’s fitness, super workrate and game management all over the field this year but after seeing Cratloe first hand in the semi-final, they were ruthless and clinical putting the game to bed in a fifteen minute period in the second half, I believe they will get over the line on Sunday by the slightest of margins. I think the hurt of losing the County Final last year, the scoring threat they have up front and in my opinion the best player in the Clare championship this year is Conor McGrath who is on a mission to lead Cratloe to victory this year. They have impressed in the second halves of matches against Kilmaley, Clonlara and Crusheen but they will need to improve on their first half performance and not give a lead to the best defensive team in the championship in Sixmilebridge for them to hold on. I’m hoping for a great county final, best of luck to both teams and managements on the day but I just think Cratloe in a very hard fought tight affair.

This should be a very entertaining final. Whatever six backs and two midfielders that can eliminate the space for opposition forwards will be victorious in my opinion. There are a number of match ups on both sides that must be got right also, the planning into these areas will be crucial. The result could go either way but if Cratloe can get enough quality ball into their inside line, they should prevail.

VERDICT: CRATLOE

BRYAN O’LOUGHLIN (KILMALEY GOALIE, 2019 CLARE CUP MEDALIST) Now that I’m working in Cork, I have a lot of keen GAA supporters working with me always looking for top tips in the Clare club games, hurling and football but I’ll be telling them to avoid this one. Two teams with nothing between them and by far the standout teams of this year’s championship. I wonder, as will many, will the long football run cause an element of fatigue for the Cratloe men. That’ll be the difference for me. Nothing more than a score in it, depending on how the Cratloe bodies are after the defeat to Kilmurry Ibrickane.

VERDICT: SIXMILEBRIDGE

VERDICT: CRATLOE

LEO DOYLE (BODYKE, EX CLARE GOALKEEPER, COMMENTATOR WITH SCARIFF BAY FM & CLARE GAA TV) It will be very close to call as most derbies usually are. Sixmilebridge are notoriously hard to beat and have plenty of experience of winning. Mentally, they have had also had an extra week’s preparation whereas the combination of football and hurling has to take its toll on Cratloe. On Sunday, Cratloe won’t have the luxury of space that was afforded to them in the semi-final instead Sixmilebridge will crowd out midfield and their defence. Sixmilebridge have to improve on their semi-final display and I think they will. It will be a very close game but I think it will be title number fifteen for The Bridge by the minimum.

VERDICT: SIXMILEBRIDGE

DARACH HONAN (FORMER CLONLARA SENIOR HURLER, 2013 CLARE ALL-IRELAND WINNER) After going so close last year and running out of steam in the second half, Cratloe will be hoping to make amends. If they have it in the legs to play for the full 60 minutes, I can see them getting over the line.

DAVID REIDY (ÉIRE ÓG SNR HURLER, 2016 NHL WINNER WITH CLARE)

VERDICT: CRATLOE

Both teams have a similar style of play with the full forward close to goal with the other two members of the inside line playing forty yards from goal and everyone else pulling out into the middle third creating a massive battleground. The winner of this battleground will win the game! Two key players for Cratloe will help them win this area, Podge Collins and Conor McGrath. The key battle will be Evan McInerney man marking Conor McGrath, Evan has picked up Tony Kelly, myself and Jason McCarthy and probably won all three individual battles. The form Conor has shown this year in both codes, I think he will win the battle and be another launchpad for Cratloe’s attacks. Cratloe will be hurting a lot from their failures in the football and will turn this hurt into motivation. Sixmilebridge got out of jail in the quarter-final but even more so against the Inagh/Kilnamona in the semi-final and I think their luck has run out.

VERDICT: CRATLOE

4 CRATLOEPREDICTIONS SIXMILEBRIDGE 2

TIM KEEPS ENEMY

Split allegiances in Crowe household as Cratloe’s Hawes lives under same roof as partner’s dad, Sixmilebridge manager Tim SPLIT ALLEGIENCES: Tim Crowe with his grandchildren Iarla and Maeve Hawes Photo by Joe Buckley

PÁRAIC McMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

T’S county final week and Sixmilebridge manager Tim Crowe is living with the enemy. Cratloe’s Michael Hawes is the father to two of Tim and Bernie’s grandchildren, Iarla and Maeve; both Michael and his partner Bernadette Crowe live in one quarter of the Crowe household in Cappa South, making for an interesting week in the household. An “unwritten pact” between both men means hurling talk is prohibited. “It was a match I was hoping would never come to pass but at least it hasn’t come until the final hurdle. Both myself and Mikey were happy to avoid each other up until now but it just happened that there was no back door open to us. We have an unwritten pact that we don’t discuss anything about hurling, we might discuss football because I know nothing about it and he’s prepared to tolerate that.

From the time Cratloe and Sixmilebridge qualified for the semi-final, both of us out of

respect decided we’d park the analysis within the house just in case it was misinterpret-

ed or there was secret information given to one; there’s an acceptance of anything other than hurling being discussed”. Reports that Hawes was evicted from the house are incorrect but the defender has been keeping a watchful eye on whoever is preparing meals. “Bernie was feeding the two children during the week and Bernie said to Mikey, ‘I’m not sure if you should eat this or not because you could be poisoned’. He told her, ‘I’ve seen you feed the children already so I think I should be okay’, that relieved Michael’s concern about being food poisoned but maybe... now we wouldn’t,” Tim laughed. Although the house is located in the parish of Sixmilebridge, the majority of its inhabitants will be hoping for a Cratloe win on Sunday, as Crowe outlined. “Maeve and Iarla are in no doubt they’re going for Cratloe, I don’t think I believe Bernadette, she is sitting on the fence but I’ve no doubt her heart is in Cratloe. She won’t be shouting but I think underneath it she’ll be hoping for a Cratloe win which is normal because for some reason women, when they marry into a new parish, don’t have any difficulty in adopting

IN CROWE’S NEST that didn’t look like retaining their crown, they “stumbled past” both Éire Óg and Inagh/Kilnamona - “both probably should have beaten us because they were in a winning position”. He lauds Cratloe for being the first

‘‘

to their new parish. I don’t think the same applies to the male, if you’re a Newmarket man you’re a Newmarket man and if you’re a Bridge you’re a Bridge man no matter where you’re living. My own wife Bernie is a real Bridge woman but she was born in Scariff, women don’t have the same attachment to the parish that the male has, I’ve accepted that Bernadette is a Cratloe person from now on.” Bernadette is not the only one of the Crowe family to have switched allegiances from The Bridge with other Crowe grand-children such as the McMahons, Buglers, Counihans and Sheehans based elsewhere. Of the possibility that none of his grand-children will play for his beloved club, he said, “That’s getting serious. It doesn’t look like there will be any in the future unless Timmy decides to come and produce something for us. It’s not good, I think I could be excommunicated from the club for providing so many talented hurlers in Kilmaley, Whitegate, Cratloe and Broadford, it’s not looking good.” Their back-garden renamed Crowe Park has been home to some ferocious encounters in the past year or so. But getting The Bridge’s senior side to Cusack Park on county final day comes as a surprise, as Tim says many personnel within the club and outside wrote them off following their quarter-final exit to Cratloe in 2018. Though he points out that they were fortunate to draw a Clarecastle side short of confidence, a Ballyea team

The most important thing in one’s life is your family, the second is your job and the third is your club

to introduce a modern style to club hurling in Clare and felt The Bridge, largely due to Davy Fitzgerald, are one of the few “traditional hurling” clubs to adapt to it. “It has made a huge difference to the way Sixmilebridge are playing this year, they are able to vary between a long and short game,

it’s much more structured than the old hit and hope, then let the full-forward beat the full back. I think that is gone, I don’t say it’s a good thing but if you are to win the championship you have to embrace it.” Trainer of the first Sixmilebridge team to win the Clare SHC in 1977, Tim came in as manager this year with Davy as his coach, a man with whom he had a falling out in 2007 as Fitzgerald’s inter-county playing career ended during Tony Considine’s one year term as Banner boss, when Crowe was a selector. “There was an opening that nobody wanted in February, Paddy Meehan the Chairman went to Davy and myself, it’s well known we were in opposite camps for a long time but we felt our club needed us. The most important thing in one’s life is your family, second most important thing is your job and the third is your club; if any of those run into difficulty you will do what you can to help them out, that’s where myself and Davy, we shook hands and we said we weren’t going to go back and we rowed in to help the club. “We met for the first time in 11 years, we shook hands. I said ‘I’m not going back’ and Davy said ‘neither am I’ and we moved forward, that was it. I have fantastic respect for him, he is a brilliant coach. I was invited to a wedding that I wouldn’t have been invited to 12 months ago. It’s a lesson for every club where there are personality clashes, you can’t put the individual first, the club has

to come to first, you do whatever you can for your club to improve. We all have differences of opinion but we should never fall out over it, I did and I regret it, it’s something that I’m very conscious of now.” A three-time national champion in 400m and 400m hurdles, Tim predicts that his son Timmy, their fitness coach, when he finishes athletics will be involved with inter-county teams. The former secondary school teacher has been involved with teams for the past four decades and has found learnings with each of the set-ups. Of them he found Declan Kidney to be “the greatest man-manager” during their time together with Munster schools rugby, Kevin ‘Trixie’ Toomey to be “ahead of his time” when they were over The Bridge seniors, “very conscious of appreciating people and what they could do for the club, he was the most generous person that I would have ever come across”. His latest high-profile colleague, Davy Fitzgerald “is an extraordinary, passionate man and when he is involved with you, he won’t let you down, he will stick with you”. Regardless of the outcome to the county final, Tim’s relationship with his Cratloe friends and in-laws will not be affected. “Some of my best friends are in Cratloe, if I’m looking for a fourball I’d ring my friends in Cratloe, we have a mutual respect for each other and my friendship with my Cratloe friends will be the same on Monday as it is tonight, that’s the way it should be”.

Dream opportunity for Cratloe and McGrath

UNDAY has the makings of a dream final but also a nightmare as Conor McGrath and Cratloe face off with their near neighbours Sixmilebridge, writes Páraic McMahon. Recognised as one of the county’s greatest ever forwards, Conor’s absence from the Clare panel was certainly felt throughout 2019. This year was in fact the first since 2005 that he wasn’t part of a county squad, he made his senior debut in 2011. Nonetheless it’s been a busy year for McGrath, “The injury took care of the early part of the year and it’s been all go since with the club championship”. A recurring shoulder complaint required surgery which he decided to undergo late last year. “I had an issue ongoing for a few years with one of my shoulders. I had surgery on the opposite shoulder a few years ago and I had a similar issue on the other causing me issues for a few years. I made the call once and for all to get it sorted this Christmas so that took about four to five months, I came back played a few Clare Cup matches towards the end of League with plenty of time left for championship so it worked out well with timing for championship”. To say it’s been a break

away would be slightly inaccurate. Cratloe themselves are close to inter-county with the standards they enforce while the rehabilitation plus the ongoing dual exploits has kept the 2013 All-Ireland winning corner forward as busy as ever. “There’s a lot of rehab that goes with it that you would be doing regardless of if you’re with a county setup or not. Once I got back from that, we were into pre-season mode with Cratloe so there’s a lot of fitness and gym work with Trevor Slattery our strength and conditioning work so there was plenty to do. There was a few Clare Cup games and by the time that rolled around we were into football and hurling every week so it’s been all go over the last few months”. His inter-county future is uncertain. When asked by The Clare Echo if he sees himself returning to the saffron and blue, the Limerick based accountant said, “I don’t know. At the moment we’ve been full on with the club and focusing on that. We’ll see how this weekend goes and hope for the best”. So onto the club and the chance of beating Sixmilebridge in a senior final. “It is a dream final if we win but it’ll be a nightmare if we lose, the same as in any final. We’ve lost a couple of finals and won a

READY TO GO: Rian Considine and Cathal McInerney and (left) McGrath Photo by Martin Connolly

couple of finals so we know both sides of it, no matter who you end up playing against, it’s great if you win but a disaster if you lose. Being neighbours adds a bit to the two parishes for the week with the rivalry and craic but ultimately for both teams it will be about winning it no matter who’s in the final”. In the McGrath household, he’s not the only All Star. Maire, his sister is of course well known for her exploits on the camogie field. As Cratloe had no camogie club when she was growing up nor an adult team today, Maire played with Na Piarsaigh and now Sixmilebridge. Although her brother Conor has attended games, he confessed that in fact he was never supporting The Bridge. “I don’t think I’ve ever shouted for them, I’ve been to a couple of matches to watch Maire play over the couple of years not too many but I’d be neutral I suppose,” he laughed.

As they spend so much time together between football and hurling, it is no surprise that the majority of Cratloe teammates are best friends with one another. For him, there’s nothing better than winning with your friends. “There’s about 15 to 20 other lads on the panel who we have all grown up with, some younger lads that have come through in the last few years and then the more experienced lads like Sean Chaplin, Michael Hawes, Gearoid Ryan, Oige Murphy and all these guys. There is a great bond that we have formed over the years, we typically don’t have any falling outs so we keep everything going in the right direction. Once you get over the line it is brilliant, obviously we haven’t done it for four or five years at this stage so we’ll be going all out to do it on Sunday”. Just two men in Cratloe’s history, Barry Duggan and Liam Markham have raised aloft the Canon Hamilton. Though Conor in typical fashion downplays his own input, “It’s a great honour, given the nature of the players we have there isn’t a whole lot involved but as everyone says it’s about going up for the toss, we’ve plenty of leaders and experienced lads around the dressing room with a very good dressing room so there isn’t a whole pile of extra work involved in it and I’m delighted to have the role”. McGrath will definitely be remembered in the history of Cratloe. Should he become the club’s third senior hurling championship winning captain it may just be his sweetest moment in blue and the stuff of dreams.

DID YOU KNOW? Sunday’s tie is the first Clare SHC final meeting between Sixmilebridge and Cratloe. It will be senior final number 21 for Sixmilebridge on Sunday, they have won the championship thirteen times and lost the decider on seven occasions. Cratloe have got their hands on the Canon Hamilton twice in 2009 and 2014. The weekend is their fifth senior hurling final. In the 2019 championship, Cratloe have scored 5-100 and conceded 9-64. Sixmilebridge have put 5-70 on the board and shipped 1-50. Sixmilebridge have contested every senior final this decade in a year ending in an odd number. Cratloe manager, Alan Neville was a member of the Clare senior hurling panel that tasted All-Ireland glory in 1995 and 1997, Sixmilebridge coach Davy Fitzgerald was the goalkeeper of the side. A native of Clarecastle, Alan won four senior club championships with the Magpies. Coach of the Bridge, Davy Fitzgerald was the manager Clare team that won the 2013 All-Ireland championship, Cratloe coach Mike Deegan was a selector as they claimed the county’s fourth All-Ireland title. Timmy Crowe an S&C coach with The Bridge is a former Irish sprinter, his father Tim is in his first year as manager of the Sixmilebridge seniors and was a selector when Tony Considine was Clare boss in 2007. Wing back Pa Mulready and wing forward Jason Loughnane were not born when their teammate Niall Gilligan made his senior debut for the club. Five players expected to feature on Sunday (Noel Purcell, Enda Boyce, Podge Collins, Alan Mulready and Kevin Lynch) started on the St Caimins team which contested the school’s first and only Dr. Harty Cup Final, Timmy Crowe was full-forward on the team. There are eight sets of brothers on the Sixmilebridge panel (Moreys x2, Fitzpatricks, Lynchs, Corrys, Agnews, Mulreadys, Whytes). Three brothers from the one family, the Collins’ will line out for Cratloe. Representatives from the McInerney, Gleeson, Costigan, Browne and Chaplin families complete the family connections.

‘Food first’ the motto for Clare hurling’s first nutritionist Cian O’Broin

cianobroin@clareecho.ie

GRAINNE Travers leads a life every young hurling enthusiast can look up to. From a psychology major graduating from UCC at the turn of the century to leading the charge as the nutritionist responsible for the health and well being of the entire Clare senior hurling panel, Grainne is undoubtedly at the epicentre of it all. Her studies led her to the institute of Health Sciences in Dublin, where she studied nutrition therapy, a densely collated course of which she now delivers classes as a lecturer. Grainne now runs the Nutrition Room, where she consults both athletes and patients on medical issues in relation to nutrition. Grainne’s induction into the Clare set-up came about two years ago, when she was brought in as the very first nutritionist to work with the senior hurling squad. “Gerry O’ Connor gave me a call and asked me to come in and meet with several of the senior players on the panel, in an interview style. Shortly afterwards he took me on board. We had an excellent strength and conditioning coach on board but it was different to have someone solely focused on nutrition. It isn’t a one size fits all approach for nutrition. For some it was to build muscle, others to lose weight, the physical impact of stress they were under and some of them had digestive issues. My motto was always food first.” Grainne found a way to lighten the load of regimented food and supplementation plans. Cooking was seen as

an outlet for those players less enthusiastic and allowed them to espouse an interest in foods they were eating, “I got them to start cooking. Once you are touching, feeling and smelling food the interest comes. The majority of the lads were outstanding to work with and they had such a keen interest and took everything on board. We used devices like My Fitness Pal to record their food intake but more importantly I asked them to listen to their body.” The typical diet of a Clare hurler eschews processed foods and includes lean meats, fish as well as a generous amount of fruit and veg. Grainne denotes Podge Collins and John Conlon as two of the more meticulous players when it comes to following a meal plan. Her integration to the team led her into the technicalities of player health, such as investigating the impact of gut bacteria and its effect on players mental and physical well-being. Grainne works closely with coaches in terms of assisting the players achieve peak performance come game day. “I would have worked closely with Michael Clancy of The Sherwood to produce quality meals for the players. Michael and I would have sat down and planned out pre- and post-match meals and introduced numerous foods and diets to the players. I would have frequent meetings with the strength and conditioning coach as well as working closely with the local GP in terms of looking at the blood results of players.” A recent shake-up of management saw Grainne touch on the sentimental side, “They were excellent to work with and it comes from their own professional background. They were so approachable and they really had the players well-being centre-stage at all times. Frequently Gerry and Donal would ring me up to ask how certain players were doing and they really had their best interests at heart.”

ACTION SHOTS: Barry Fitzpatrick of Sixmilebridge and (below) Podge Collins of Cratloe Photos by Martin Connolly

ROUTE TO THE FINAL CRATLOE

Round 1 Cratloe 0-29 Whitegate 4-12 on 03/08/19 at Glenmora Park, Broadford

TEAM: Gearoid Ryan; Enda Boyce, Shane O’Leary, Sean Chaplin; Damien Browne, Liam Markham (0-01), Pakie O’Gorman; Conor McGrath (0-01), Sean Collins; Diarmuid Ryan (0-03), Podge Collins (0-01), Shane Gleeson (0-06 2f); Billy Connors (0-09 7f), Cathal McInerney (006), Rian Considine (0-02). Subs: David Collins for Ryan (53) (Inj).

Round 2 (Winners Section) Inagh/Kilnamona 1-17 Cratloe 1-13 on 18/08/19 at Cusack Park

TEAM: Gearoid Ryan; Shane O’Leary, Michael Hawes, Enda Boyce; Patrick O’Gorman, Liam Markham (0-01), Damien Browne; Martin Oige Murphy, David Collins; Shane Gleeson (0-01 1f), Podge Collins (0-01), Conor McGrath (0-02); Billy Connors (0-06 4f), Cathal McInerney (0-01), Rian Considine (1-00). Subs: Kevin Danaher for D Collins (38), Sean Chaplin for Murphy (49)

Round 3 Cratloe 1-16 Kilmaley 0-12 on 01/09/19 at Cusack Park

TEAM: Gearoid Ryan; Oige Murphy, Michael Hawes, Enda Boyce; Damien Browne, Shane O’Leary, Patrick O’Gorman; Conor McGrath (003), Liam Markham; Podge Collins (0-01), Rian Considine, Sean Collins, Billy Connors (1-07 4f), Cathal McInerney (0-03), David Collins. Subs: Sean Chaplin for O’Gorman (17), Jack McInerney (0-02) for D Collins (HT)

Quarter-Final Cratloe 0-18 Clonlara 2-11 on 14/09/19 at Cusack Park

TEAM: Gearoid Ryan; Martin Oige Murphy, Michael Hawes, Enda Boyce, Damian Browne, Shane O’Leary, Liam Markham; Conor McGrath (0-02), Diarmuid Ryan (0-02); Shane Gleeson (0-07 6f), Rian Considine, Sean Collins; Padraic Collins (0-01), Cathal McInerney (0-03), Billy Connors (0-03 2f). Subs: Sean Chaplin for Boyce (24) (Inj), Jack McInerney for S Collins (29)

Semi-Final Cratloe 3-24 Crusheen 2-12 on 29/09/19 at Cusack Park

TEAM: Gearoid Ryan; Martin Oige Murphy, Michael Hawes, Shane O’Leary; Damian Browne, Diarmuid Ryan (0-02), Liam Markham (0-01); Conor McGrath (0-03), Enda Boyce; Shane Gleeson (0-04 3f), Billy Connors (0-06 5f, Sean Collins (0-01); Podge Collins (0-03), Cathal McInerney (1-01), Rian Considine (2-03). Subs: Sean Chaplin for Boyce (30), David Collins for Gleeson (51), Jack McInerney for Connors (54), Kevin Danaher for C McInerney (59), Aaron Costigan for McGrath (60).

SIXMILEBRIDGE Round 1 Sixmilebridge 4-15 Clarecastle 0-09 on 03/08/19 at Cusack Park

TEAM: Derek Fahy; Brian Carey, Barry Fitzpatrick, Noel Purcell; Seadna Morey (0-01), Caimin Morey (0-01), Evan McInerney; Shane Golden (103), Jason Loughnane (0-01); Cathal Lynch, Conor Deasy, Kevin Lynch; Cathal Malone (3-02), Alex Morey (0-03 3f), Brian Corry (0-03). Subs: Jamie Shanahan (0-01) for Lynch (48).

Round 2 (Winners Section) Sixmilebridge 2-21 Ballyea 0-17 on 17/08/19 at Cusack Park

TEAM: Derek Fahy; Brian Carey, Barry Fitzpatrick, Noel Purcell; Pa Mulready (1-01), Caimin Morey (0-02 1f), Seadna Morey (0-01); Evan McInerney; Shane Golden; Jason Loughnane (0-02); Jamie Shanahan (0-03), Conor Deasy; Cathal Malone (0-01), Alex Morey (0-09 6f), Brian Corry (1-02). Subs: Kevin Lynch for Loughnane (56)

Quarter-Final Sixmilebridge 3-16 Éire Óg 1-19 on 14/09/19 at Cusack Park

TEAM: Derek Fahy; Barry Fitzpatrick, Brian Carey, Noel Purcell; Pa Mulready, Seadna Morey, Caimin Morey; Shane Golden, Evan McInerney (1-01); Jason Loughnane (0-01), Jamie Shanahan (0-01), Conor Deasy; Brian Corry (1-00), Cathal Malone (0-01), Alex Morey (1-12 9f). Subs: Paidi Fitzpatrick for Deasy (57), Alan Mulready for Golden (59).

Semi-Final Sixmilebridge 0-18 Inagh/Kilnamona 0-15 on 28/09/19 at Cusack Park

TEAM: Derek Fahy; Brian Carey, Barry Fitzpatrick, Noel Purcell; Pa Mulready, Caimin Morey (0-01), Seadna Morey; Shane Golden (0-01), Evan McInerney (0-01); Jason Loughnane (0-01), Jamie Shanahan (0-04), Conor Deasy; Cathal Malone, Alex Morey (0-09 7f 1’65), Brian Corry (001). Subs: Alan Mulready for Deasy (41), Paidí Fitzpatrick for McInerney (48), Niall Gilligan for Loughnane (52)

BEST OF NEIGHBOURS, AND RIVALS... Cratloe’s Martin Oige Murphy and Gavin Whyte of Sixmilebridge in a race for the sliotar Photo by Martin Connolly

TWIN TELEPATHY WITH A CRUEL TWIST FOR HANNANS CLARE IHC FINAL

Doora Barefield v Broadford Saturday, 3.30pm at Cusack Park

PÁRAIC McMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

OU may believe in twin telepathy or not but upon hearing the similar injuries of serious degrees sustained by Hannan twins of St Josephs Doora/Barefield, one may have their views altered. Both Tom and Jack were Stateside for the summer on a J1 Visa, they had expected to miss some games in the championship for the intermediate hurlers and footballers of St Josephs Doora/Barefield. The injuries that lay in store were not part of the masterplan. “I was looking forward to coming back, being a part of the squad but unfortunately I got injured so that cut my season short,” Tom outlined. His season ended due to a cruciate ligament injury while in America as their time there was drawing to a close. Very soon after returning home, Jack picked up what was feared to be the exact same injury

but has transpired to not be as serious. “Initially we feared that it was the cruciate but he went up to Ray Moran in Santry, got a scan, he has a strain on his cruciate and the other ligament of his knee”. “It was quite bizarre alright. I done mine in America and as soon as we came home, Jack seemed to go over on his knee. We were initially both up with Ray Moran the same day which was gas to be fair”. Ray Moran may have thought he was seeing double, “You couldn’t have wrote it really,” Tom remarked. Jack has been much more fortunate and was sprung from the bench on Sunday as the club’s intermediate footballers came up short against St Breckans. An appearance for the hurlers is not expected according to his twin brother, “I can’t see him playing much at the weekend to be honest, he hasn’t played a hurling game for the club since April.” On Friday, he underwent an operation and is now on crutches, Hannan is hopeful of being back on his feet in the next few weeks. For now, he’s to adjust to a difficult build-up the intermediate decid-

er as undeniably he’s itching to be on the field but instead must play the role of supportive teammate. “For myself, it’s tough to watch on but I’m still part of the panel even though I may not be playing, it’s

DOUBLE TAKE: Tom Hannan (right) Photo by Chris Copley

still great we’re in the county final, hopefully we can win on Saturday.” When they last won the intermediate title, Tom was a minor

and a watching spectator. For their knockout ties, he has been on the sideline and has been impressed with their use of the ball and danger men up front. “We’ve a couple of big men up front, Cian Barron and Alan O’Neill have been winning powerful ball in the half and full forward line which is great for a back’s perspective, under pressure they can leave it up long and the lads will win it. Inside you have Conor Tierney and Brian Guilfoyle who have been working fierce hard.” Relegated from senior last year, Seanie McMahon has stayed in charge of the side, the presence of the former Hurler of the Year is always welcome by the panel. “Seanie keeps a cool head the whole time, he will always take you aside and give you whatever advice you need, see how you’re getting on, he keeps a personal relationship with everyone on the panel which is good,” the third year business student at UL said. This year saw the return of Newmarket-on-Fergus native David McCormack to their set-up, the primary school principal trained

the side that last had success in this grade. “We’ve plenty lads involved in the club, they’re parents or they grew up in the club but it’s good to have someone from the outside coming in with a fresh perspective. He’s a fantastic coach and he has been an unreal addition to us this year.” Retaining Division 1B status was a key goal at the beginning of the year to have them prepared for championship. 2019 also marked 20 years since they were crowned All-Ireland champions, such history brings a level of pressure according to the dual-player. “There is a small bit of pressure but we’re a very young team, lots of us weren’t even born then when that happened. “For other members of the club who were around in them glory days it’s vital for them that we are up playing senior but as players we believe we are good enough to senior standard so that is where we want to be hurling. When you win championships and go into Munster and All-Ireland it’s all bonus territory, the momentum builds then. For us, we just want to get back to senior and take it from there”.

GAA the heartbeat of Broadford BROADFORD GAA club is the centre of life in the East Clare village; should they secure promotion to the senior ranks at the fifth time of asking it may result in earthquakes rippling through its core such is the excitement for Saturday, writes Páraic McMahon. Tom Howard is in his third year in charge of the Broadford intermediate hurlers, 2019 being the first in which he guided them to the decider but it’s always been part of the plan. “You can’t win a final unless you get to it, this has been our aim all year, we’ve worked for this day, all the preparation and work we’ve been doing since the end of January is targeted at getting to a county final and with the help of God looking to win it. Everybody is looking forward to it, it has been a long road with a lot of bumps along the way but we’ve got there”. They face St Josephs Doora/Barefield for the second time this year having edged them out by a point in the second round. “There is some small psychological advantage when you know you’ve beaten a team before, it does help. We played Feakle at the same stage a year previous and I did feel going into the quarter-final proper that they did have a slight psychological advantage, I’d prefer to be going in having beaten them even though every game is different and plays out very differently, it does calm the nerves to some degree,” the Clarecastle native commented. He attended Doora/Barefield’s extra-time quarter-final and semi-final wins but Howard has noticed the presence of the manager in the opposing camp, Seanie McMahon at plenty of their own games. The teams met in the 2016 final when The Parish returned

is not a Broadford man, has strong family connections to the O’Briens, O’Connells, Moroneys and Kellehers. “My mother is from Broadford and I spent a lot of my youth in Broadford, I’ve a lot of cousins in Broadford, I know the people very well. To be involved with a team that’s in a final and by any chance, CRACK TEAM: Broadford coaching team Tony O’Brien, John Corcoran, Paraic Boland, Tom Howard & Alan Kilcoyne we could get across the line, Photo by Martin Cooper I take great to senior with a five point win, the view from pleasure from the Mid Clare club being that Broadford unit. The club in Broadford is a small commuder-estimated them leading into that final. nity, everybody in the community is involved Though he didn’t think they disrespected in the club and they are there to support the their opponents three years ago, Tommy club, the club is very much the centre of the insisted attitude would not be an issue this universe down there, they do an awful lot of weekend, “These lads have trained very hard work at underage with young boys and hard over the three year period, they are a girls, every time I go to the field I see young great bunch of lads to train and prepare, we and old in there trying to do their bit. have upped the ante every year and trained “They are competing in finals and winning harder with every passing year. I don’t think underage championships, it would be the there will be any carelessness in our ap- icing on the cake if we could cross the line proach or attitude.” on Sunday and I would be immensely proud Outside coaches are commonplace in the and happy to be involved, it would mean GAA now but for Howard even though he quite a bit to me because I know how much

the people of Broadford want it and enjoy their hurling.” Aonghus and Diarmuid O’Brien are ruled out for the final, the ex-Kerry manager acknowledged they have to improve on their semi-final showing where they overcame Smith O’Briens by four points. “In every sport trying to get players to perform when you need them most is a real challenge, for me they have the training done, we’ve great sessions, we train like we want to play and we are capable of performing I believe at the highest level. It’s about trying to keep players cool, focused on their job and not allowing them to get distracted. Hopefully then you get the return out of them. Finals are funny, often and ever the most unlikely characters are the heroes on the day, they tend to take on a life of their own, for me we’ve the training done so it’s about getting them in the right mental state, getting them to play to their ability and play what’s in front of them.” A five time Clare SHC winner with Clarecastle, Tom praised his predecessor Danny Chaplin and admitted that his own reign hasn’t been very successful so far, new blood has been brought through. Howard has regrets from last year, claiming that both the players and management were naive in their quarter-final loss to Feakle. Unfinished business prompted his return this year. “When you feel you have under achieved, there is always a motivation in putting that right, for me and the rest of the management that would have been a major motivation for us, we knew we hit the post last year and we said we’d give it one last go to see if we could reach the holy grail.”

Camogie: Scariff/Ogonnelloe are no overnight success...

AVING been the most consistent senior sides this year, Scariff/Ogonnelloe are on a mission to make their first championship final appearance a memorable one, writes Páraic McMahon. They are no overnight success; Clare supporters have watched Ciara Doyle and Amy Barrett become key players for the county senior team with the Dalys, McGees and Aoife Power showing promise for Banner sides at underage. Not to mention the experience brought to the fold by Marian Rodgers, Roisin O’Brien, Susan Vaughan, Ashling Corbett, Mairead Scanlon and Danielle Sheedy. Devastating defeats can make or break a team. Three years ago, Scariff/Ogonnelloe won county and provincial honours at Junior level but suffered a heartbreaking one point defeat to Kilkenny’s Thomastown in the All-Ireland final. Sarah Skelly was in that side, she’s now a selector and admits that loss has shaped the team for the better. Ten members from the starting team remain from 2016. “That’s when we’ve been building from. In 2017, we got together set the agenda but it was a measured approach, we respected the likes of Inagh/Kilnamona and Newmarket who contested many senior finals but definitely with regard to playing in

l Photo by Tommy Dickson

finals, the junior All-Ireland definitely stood to us, that was a defeat of only one point. Although it was a heartbreaking defeat, we knew our ability and how far we could go.” The East Clare amalgamation lost to Inagh/Kilnamona 4-16 2-08 but got their revenge in the championship semi-final recording a 1-06 1-03 win. A sign if any for Skelly of the progress they have made. “We went into that game knowing it was going to be an epic battle. As the game went on, the battle unfolded even more considering we went down to 14 players in the first half and the conditions weren’t great for either side but it was a tough game and the scoreline showed that. The strength of our defence is where we won out, we were able to hold them off, it was a fantastic win for us and it was one that cemented our agenda.” Now they face Newmarket-on-Fergus for the third time this year, currently it stands 2-0 in their favour. “We’re under no illusions, Newmarket are off the back of an epic semi-final against Truagh/Clonlara, we totally acknowledge their experience in senior championship and that they have been in the finals over the last number of years. They have huge strength in depth on their team with their county players, they have great belief in themselves but we’ve come off

a great semi-final...True grit will win out on the day and the will to win”. A solicitor in Limerick, Sarah herself will be playing in the Junior B final on Sunday and has trained side by side with the seniors all year. “I know them inside out and they can come to me with any issue they might have, they mightn’t feel as comfortable going to the management so they can come talk to me. My ear is closer to the ground than the management would be because I’m hurling with them at each training session, it’s a good role to be in”.

She explained to The Clare Echo what senior success would mean for the club. “It would acknowledge the work that has gone into this club, there has been a few in the background that have cemented both clubs when they came together. There was a few questions over it and it would mean so much to these girls, it’s three years building and gaining momentum, it would bring so much satisfaction and reward to the huge effort that has gone in on the field and in the background, there has been huge effort by players, committee, management and supporters.”

No holding back for Aimee Mac PÁRAIC McMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

ONCUSSIONS, sprains and bruises, it would need to take a lot more to stop Aimee McInerney from lining out for her beloved Newmarket-on-Fergus on county final day. She’ll be at wing back as the Blues aim to make it fourth time lucky, having lost the three deciders to Inagh/Kilnamona in as many years. “The last three years in a row we’ve been unfortunate in the county final, a lot of people would say Newmarket are a much more experienced team and Scariff are contesting their first senior final. That can only be taken as a positive, we’ve been here before, we know what to expect. “This year we’ve progressed as a team and as a panel, us older girls have to be there to show the younger ones what they’re coming into, what it takes to reach county final after county final, it’s not as easy as just showing up and expecting to be there, the standard in Clare camogie has gone through the roof over the last few years, there are four or five teams every year that could be in the final and winning it”. A loyal servant to the club whether it be as a player, mentor or roles such as Games Development Officer, McInerney emphasised the importance of the collective as Cathal Kilmartin’s side go in search of their ninth senior title, all crowns they’ve collected since 2001. 2019 for them was unusual as they failed to progress to the semi-finals of the League, a very rare occurrence for the club over the past two decades. “This year obviously wasn’t going to plan in how we wanted things to go but it’s just made us stronger and we’ve been able to use our panel,” Aimee told The Clare Echo. For the 2008 All-Ireland Junior medallist, this year even though it started off in hope has been a particularly bumpy ride. “I started off the year going back playing county and thinking I’d give it one more last push but unfortunately the body wasn’t able for it, it was setback after the setback. The biggest setback was my concussion on the 5th of March, that ruled me out of competitive action for nearly six months”. During this spell, she helped the team in other ways such as taking training sessions, encouragement and offering water in matches. “When you see them training giving it one hundred percent it only pushes you to do what you can to get back as soon as you can”. Dealing with the concussion has taken

KEY PLAYER: Aimee McInerney holds off the challenge of Granagh Ballingarry’s Fiona Morrissey during the 2015 Munster club championship Photo by Veronica McMahon time and she is still wary of it. “It was a long road for a long time in relation to headaches. I spent the summer months up and down to specialists and physiotherapists trying to get to the bottom of it. It is still an ongoing process but it is much improved from the initial contact. With a concussion you still have to be mindful for twelve months after the initial impact so that you don’t revert back into all your systems again”. Six years ago when Clare’s hurlers won the All-Ireland, Aimee was part of the backroom team. She approached Davy Fitzgerald to get involved after completing her masters in sport and exercise nutrition. She then worked as assistant to the highly regarded Joe O’Connor, regularly taking the warm ups and cool downs but heavily involved in their nutrition. “To see the professionalism that the lads have is only going to do wonders for you and the team you are involved in. The biggest thing I learned with them is that you have to mind yourself, the intensity in sport has increased so much over the last few years that strength and conditioning, nutrition, player management has to be at the forefront of their minds”. Such recovery has been applied by Newmarket-on-Fergus as they bid to get the bodies in full fitness following Saturday’s gruel-

CLARE SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP CAMOGIE FINAL

Newmarket-on-Fergus vs Scariff/Ogonnelloe Saturday, 3.15pm at Clarecastle GAA Club

ling extra-time win over Truagh/Clonlara. “Going into extra time isn’t ideal where there is only a week’s turnaround for a county final

but as a team, a panel and a management it is what it is and there’s no point thinking what could have been if we’d an extra week’s rest, we’ve six days to do what we can and get ourselves right again. The girls are smart, they’re doing rehab, physio, cryotherapy, taking breaks and it’s all about Saturday so regardless if it’s a week or two weeks it won’t be an excuse whatever happens”. Adding extra space to proceedings is the fact that Aimee is now residing in Scariff with her husband, Joe. “It’s interesting,” the All-Ireland winning Féile captain of June 2002 remarked. “There is no doubt about it, Scariff are the up and coming force in Clare camogie. Living in Scariff I can see first hand the work they are doing underage and at adult level, they are contesting finals A finals in U13, U21, they are in their first senior final and their juniors are in a final, you can only admire their progress. “The build-up to Saturday is slightly different because I’m living there, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t consider moving home to Newmarket for the week, I wasn’t in the door five minutes after we winning our semi-final and the mother-in-law was in the door throwing digs and threatening to put the Scariff flag up outside the house. It is part and parcel of the lead-up, it depends on you if you’re going to let the person get into your head or are you going to push on. In one way we’re so busy this week, trying to recover from Saturday, getting our training and then you’ve work on top of it, Saturday will be on us before we know it”.

EchoSport Bricks build for final with Cratloe win SNR FOOTBALL CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP SF

KILMURRY IBRICKANE 0-13 CRATLOE 1-08, CUSACK PARK

FIRST ever senior final meeting with neighbours St Josephs Miltown is the reward for Kilmurry Ibrickane following their two point win over 13-man Cratloe on Sunday. Their scoring threat was more widespread and their balance that bit superior, subsequently Kilmurry Ibrickane managed to overcome Cratloe in a nigly affair that saw two red cards dished out in the final ten minutes. More than half of Cratloe’s scores came from placed balls, surprisingly they lacked a killer punch while the presence of four men in front of their full-forward line that being Martin McMahon as sweeper alongside the opposing half-back line always meant they were going to be under pressure when the ball was in their hands. In what was the fifth meeting between the sides in five years, The Bricks have now come out on top in three, all being the most recent contests. Cratloe took the lead with two Cathal McInerney converted frees in the first three minutes. Michael Hogan and McInerney traded efforts before the Bricks kicked four scores without reply to go in front for the first time. They almost added a goal only for an excellent block by Michael Hawes on Keelan Sexton prevented the umpires from reaching for a green flag. Three of the last four scores in the half were from Cratloe to get them back on level terms at the break. Within 63 seconds of the resumption, Kilmurry Ibrickane had two more points via Keelan Sexton and Daniel Walsh. Substitute Eamon Bracken added another. Just as a gap was beginning to develop, Conor McGrath was pulled down by Martin McMahon with the resulting penalty slotted home by McInerney to equalise with 37 minutes played. Rian Considine nudged Colm Collins’ men in front in their next attack. Nine minutes elapsed before the next score with Aidan McCarthy covering a lot of ground before teeing up Keelan Sexton who duly levelled matters. In what appeared to be a strange call, Pat Cosgrave awarded a free to the Bricks with Keelan Sexton converting the spot kick and putting the 15 time champions back ahead. Cosgrave, two minutes later, gave Cooney a red card following an incident with Shane Hickey. Sexton kicked two more frees in the closing stages, McGrath drew one back and left two points between them but they would not close the gap in time and instead saw Sean Collins get his marching orders in additional time. None of the spectators would say it was most memorable county semi-final, but it was one in which Aidan ‘Horse’ Moloney’s charges got the job done. Over the hour they were the better team and moved the ball very well from defence to attack. It’s not a verified fact but Cratloe seemed to make history, becoming the first team to exit any Clare championship to conduct a warm down. Their focus on this week and the prize of becoming Clare SHC champions automatically coming into the equation as their ambitions of claiming Jack Daly came undone. They’ll be back in the mix again next year.

Scorers Kilmurry Ibrickane: K Sexton (0-07 2f), D Walsh (0-02), M Hogan (0-01), C Morrissey (0-01), I McInerney (0-01 1f), E Bracken (0-01). Scorers Cratloe: C McInerney (1-04 1’Pen, 4f), P Collins (0-01), D Ryan (0-01), R Considine (0-01), C McGrath (0-01). Kilmurry Ibrickane: Ian McInerney; Mark Killeen, Darren Hickey, Daniel Walsh; Ciaran Morrissey, Martin McMahon, Daragh Sexton, Enda Coughlan; Aidan McCarthy, Keith King; Michael Hogan, Shane Hickey, Dermot Coughlan; Steven Moloney, Keelan Sexton. Subs: Eamon Bracken for Moloney (34), Niall Hickey for E Coughlan (39), Daryn Callinan for Hogan (56). Cratloe: Pierce DeLoughrey; Sean O’Gorman, Liam Markham, Sean Chaplin; Martin Oige Murphy, Sean Collins, David Collins; Diarmuid Ryan, Conal O’Hanlon; Shane Gleeson, Podge Collins, Michael Hawes; Rian Considine, Cathal McInerney, Conor McGrath. Subs: Conor Cooney for O’Gorman (43), Killian Phair for Considine (55) Referee: Pat Cosgrave (Corofin)

l FINAL BOUND: Dermot Coughlan breaks through Cratloe’s defence at the weekend

Photo by Gerard O’Neill

Miltown march on SNR FOOTBALL CHAMPSHIP’ SF

MILTOWN 1-16 DOONBEG 1-12, CUSACK PK

T JOSEPHS Miltown have booked their place in the final of the Clare SFC for the third time in five years after seeing off a stubborn Doonbeg. This was far from Miltown’s best hour but beyond question, they did enough to get by. Whether it’s 1997 or 2019, Doonbeg will never say die. Miltown always knew they were going to get a fight which is why they should be concerned as to how their ten point advantage was reduced as the game progressed. Early on the reigning champions brought a ferocity that Doonbeg were unable to cope with, such workrate was typified with the turnovers that led to an Eoin Cleary white flag on seven minutes. Cormac Murray finished as his side’s main scorer with a tally of 1-04. The amount of space left in front of him was a god-send as the lively forward did damage during their period of dominance. An excellent David Tubridy effort on

18 minutes came after goalie Eamon Tubridy worked the ball up to the middle of the park and made it 0-08 0-03. A Miltown brace of an unanswered five points followed to extend the gap to ten points. Tubridy and Paul Dillon kicked the last two scores of the half and from the resumption Doonbeg added four white flags without reply. Miltown were reduced to 14 men when Micheal Murray was dismissed for a second bookable offence on 46 minutes. Their man advantage lasted for a whole two minutes and 45 seconds as the Magpies saw captain Paraic Aherne given marching orders for a second yellow. Here, any chance of an upset was thrown out the window as Aherne who has been their best player in 2019 was a loss they could not afford. David O’Brien’s Miltown added three of the next four scores including a Cormac Murray goal on 57 minutes. A superb Eoghan Tubridy goal was only consolation in additional time and another free from David Tubridy ensured the dis-

tance between the teams would be only four points. Miltown’s workrate in the opening half was immense but it was not sustained. Cormac Murray, Seanie Malone, Brian Curtin, Eoin Cleary and Gordon Kelly were most influential for the winners.

Scorers St Josephs Miltown: C Murray (1-04 1f), E Cleary (0-06 4f 1’45), D McDonagh (0-03), K Malone (0-02), C Cleary (0-01). Scorers Doonbeg: D Tubridy (0-07 5f), E Tubridy (1-01), S Ryan (0-02), E Doyle (0-01), P Dillon (0-01). St Josephs Miltown: Sean O’Brien; Enda O’Gorman, Seanie Malone, Eoin O’Brien; Gearoid Curtin, Gordon Kelly, Aidan McGuane; Oisin Looney, Conor Cleary; Eoin Cleary, Brian Curtin, Kieran Malone; Micheal Murray, Darragh McDonagh, Cormac Murray. Subs: Graham Kelly for Looney (42), Colin Hehir for G Curtin (58), Jamesie O’Connor for B Curtin (58), Eoin Curtin for C Murray (59), Ger Malone for K Malone (61). Doonbeg: Eamon Tubridy; Joe Blake, Kevin Pender, Sean Conway; Paraic Aherne, Eoin Conway, Cian O’Mahoney; David Tubridy, Kevin McInerney; Brian Egan, Paul Dillon, Michael Tubridy; Eoghan Tubridy, Colm Dillon, Enda Doyle. Subs: Ronan Good for McInerney (HT), Shane Ryan for P Dillon (36), Enda Barrett for Doyle (53), Nathan Capon for Egan (56). Referee: Wayne King (Doora/Barefield)

SPORT

THURSDAY, OCT 10 2019

Clare hurlers concerned with managerial selection process PÁRAIC McMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

EMBERS of the Clare senior hurling panel have raised a number of concerns with the Clare County Board at a meeting held on Tuesday, while a meeting last night was being held to determine the future of the Clare management. Panellists requested a meeting with the Co Board Chairman, Joe Cooney following Donal Moloney’s announcement on Sunday that he was not seeking appointment to the position of senior manager for 2020. As Cooney is leading the appointment process, representatives of the panel sought a meeting with him in the wake of Moloney’s departure. The Clare Echo understands the six man delegation included captain Patrick O’Connor and John Conlon. A statement sent to The Clare Echo by the panel outlined a number of issues the players raised at the

meeting. They paid tribute to the contribution of Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor plus the professionalism they brought to the set-up. “Players outlined to the County Board Chairman their frustration at not having been consulted during the four month process of securing a management team for 2020. Players’ only source of information on the process was second hand updates disseminated through the mainstream media and social media. The players are disappointed by the length of time it has taken to conclude the ongoing process and the lack of clarity provided to Donal Moloney and his management team on the process, despite having been interviewed ... four weeks ago”. Reports in The Clare County Express were criticised by the panel. “A report in the October edition of the Clare County Express falsely reported players were in favour of a change of management. No member of the Clare Senior panel approached any potential candidate for the position other than Donal Moloney (up to

his announcement on Sunday that he was withdrawing his name from the process)”. Facilities at Caherlohan require further investment according to the panel who also have concerns on the future of Club Clare, the hurling supporters club responsible for funding the video analysis conducted. “We informed the County Board Chairman of the necessity for the County Board to fully support the hurling team in terms of investment in facilities such as Caherlohan, as well as provide our players with the necessary supports to maximise our ability to compete at the highest level. Players raised concerns about the future operation of Club Clare Hurling Supporters, which has raised over €350,000 since it was established by Gerry O’Connor and Donal Moloney in 2016. We have asked the County Board to support the continuation of the supporters club or failing that, bridge any shortfall in funding and investment that may arise from the discontinuation of the supporters club”.

Clare learn Championship fate CLARE’S footballers have discovered their opponents for the 2020 Munster championship this morning. Colm Collins will take charge of the county footballers for what will be his seventh but it will be the first time he meets Tipperary in the Munster championship. They meet in the quarter-final stages, it is only the second time in seven years that the Banner are on the opposite side of the draw to Kerry who face Cork in the semi-final. Lissycasey’s Joe Hayes is on board as goalkeeper coach with Tipperary this year as part of David Power’s management. They will face Clare in the quarter-final with the winner advancing to play either Waterford or Limerick in the last four. Meanwhile Clare’s senior hurlers will be in provincial action for three weekends in a row. They have a bye in the opening game before taking on All-Ireland champions Tipperary in their first outing. All teams are then given a one week break before a gruelling three weeks of Limerick (home), Cork (away) and Waterford (home) lies ahead of the men in saffron and blue. Munster senior football 2020 draw: Quarter-finals: Clare v Tipperary Semi-finals: Waterford/Limerick v Clare/Tipperary Provisional 2020 Munster SHC Draw Round 1: Clare bye Round 2: Tipperary v Clare Round 3: Clare v Limerick Round 4: Cork v Clare Round 5: Clare v Waterford

l BANDING TOGETHER: The Clare players released statement with their concerns over the treatment of Donal Moloney Photo by Martin Connolly

The Scorecard in association with

EAST CLARE GOLF CLUB Men’s Singles 1ST Brendan Magill (9) 38pts 2ND Matthew Cooney (20) 35pts 3RD Edmond Bourke (22) 32pts Congratulations to the Ladies on winning the Burren Shield beating Gort in the final ENNIS GOLF CLUB TUESDAY FOURBALL 1ST OCTOBER 1ST Walter O’ Brien & Tommy Clancy 22pts 2ND Peter Lyons & Steve Keane 21pts 3RD Johnny Kearse & Padraig Ryan 21pts 4TH Frank Gormley & Roger Mc Mahon 21pts 5TH Gerry Connellan & Johnny Mc Carthy 21pts 6TH Alph Duggan & Pat G Mc Inerney 20pts GOLFER OF THE YEAR: Peter Lyons Friday Open Singles Oct 4 1ST Tony Mc Inereny (14) 36pts 2ND Rose Enright (27) 36pts 9 Hole open singles 1ST Leo Herbert(10) 19pts Gent’s 4 Ball B/B(9/10hdc) 18 Holes Sat. 5th /6th October 2019 1ST Flan Lyons(11) & John Mc Namara(12) 43pts 2ND Alfie Jones(8) & Fergal Croke(15)

43pts 3RD Tony Flynn(14) & Gerry Hannon(19) 42pts 9 Hole Ladies Competition 1ST Carmel Cummins 17pts Senior Ladies 1ST Carmel Cummins, Bernie Brooks & Ann Casey 51pts 2ND Claire Ruane, Eileen Daly & Pat Leacy 54.3pts 3RD Una Patton, Carmel Verling & Mary Murray 55.3pts KILRUSH GOLF CLUB Oct 5/6 KGC Open Men’s Singles 1 M Miiniter (16) 30 pts 2 B Carey (20) 28 pts 3 M Ryan (9) 27 pts Wed Oct 02 Senior Men 1 Ml. Ryan, Dermot Hammond, John McNelis 66 pts 2 John Saunders, Bill Murphy, Noel Cooney 64 pts 3 Bernard Coleman, PW Glynn, Matt Fitzpatrick 61 pts. Sat Oct 5 Niamh Whelan Classic 1 Anne Hogan (31) 27 pts Back 9 2 Margaret Donnelly (18) 27 pts 3 Anne Brennan (12) 23 pts Back 9 LADY GOLFER OF THE YEAR 2019 Joan O Malley

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PLANNING Clare County Council Moyadda Beg, Kilrush, Co. Clare Take note that James & Jacinta Doyle are applying to Clare County Council for retention permission for alterations to the garage building granted under P01-1561, retention permission for the construction of a separate garage building and retention permission for a storage shed and fuel storage enclosure along with all associated 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 of Clare County Council Planning Department, Áras Chontae 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 of €20 within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

PLANNING 53 CONTACT SALES

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54 PUZZLEPAGE

THURSDAY, OCT 10 2019

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QUIZ 55

THURSDAY, OCT 10 2019

The Clare Echo Quiz

award did Ennis win at 2Which 2019’s tidy town awards? a. b. c.

Tidiest town Inclusivity award Tidiest large urban centre

In which year did Ennis become overall winners of Ennis Tidy Towns? a. 2005 b. 2011 c. 2016

Which Clare town was the first to win the tidy towns competition nationally?

a. Ennis b. Cratloe c. Mountshannon

How many times has Ennis won the prestigious Large Urban Centre Award? a. 3 b. 5 c. 8

The Local Enterprise Office

national award did Ennis 7What win in the year 1997? a. b. c.

Most Historic Market Town Largest Growing Urban Centre Information Age Town

Clare participants from Ireland’s 8 Young Filmmaker 2019 awards won the category of? a. b. c.

Junior Filmmaker Award Best Script Senior Filmmaker Award

Which of the following places 9 won the Heritage Award at the 2019 Tidy Towns Awards? a. Ennistymon b. Spanish Point c. Shannon

Who was the overall winner 10 nationally of this year’s Tidy Towns? a. Glaslough b. Kinsale c. Drumcondra

By Cian O’Broin

runs the Clare Business 6Who Excellence Awards? a. b.

l QUESTION 10 : Who was the overall winner nationally of this year’s Tidy

Towns?

ANSWERS

6. Chamber of Commerce 7. Information Age Town 8. Junior Filmmaker Award 9. Ennistymon 10. Glaslough

a. 2016 b. 2017 c. 2018

1. 2017 2. Tidiest large urban centre 3. 2005 4. Mountshannon 5. 8

what year was Ennis voted ‘Ire1Inland’s friendliest town’?

Clare County Council Chamber of Commerce

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

Conor Fahy enjoys a cup of coffee at the Ennis Gourmet Store during the Clare Food and Drink Fleadh

Photo by John Mangan

Last weeks Answers . Johnny Logan’s beard is missing . Lipstick changed colour on person (right) . g missing in sign in background

. person (centre) shoes are different colour . Picture in Background missing (centre) . flowers (right) different colour . Necklace missing on person in pink

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The Clare Echo

Published on Oct 10, 2019

The Clare Echo 10/10/19

Published on Oct 10, 2019

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