The Clare Echo 11/05/23

Salmon ‘may be lost’ after fish massacre

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

UP TO 2,000 fish have died outside Ennistymon.

Inland Fisheries Ireland and the Environment Protection Agency have commenced investigations into the matter, which has been described as the worst fish kill ever witnessed by some Fisheries staff.

A rusty red colour was first spotted on the Ballymacraven River with the alarm raised with Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) on Tuesday last, by Thursday hundreds of dead fish were

visible and this figure has continued to rise as the days have passed.

Species of fish discovered dead include a large number of eel, along with salmon, trout, rudd and flounder, of all ages. IFI have described it as “a serious incident”.

Ennistymon fisherman, Paudie Fahy was among those to contact IFI. “I have never seen more than the odd few fish dead in any one time or place, I’ve never see anything like it myself, it is shocking,” he told The Clare Echo

FULL STORY pg 22

l Clare has bid farewell to one of its best known characters following the death of Gabriel Moylan, known to many as Champ. Tribute on page 13 Photo by Chris Copley

Councillor not offered drugs in NYC for first time

A LONG-SERVING county councillor has revealed this was the first year he was not offered drugs when visiting the United States of America, writes Páraic McMahon Cllr Pat McMahon (FF) dropped the bombshell at Tuesday’s meeting of the Clare Joint Policing Committee (JPC) held at the Vandeleur Walled Gardens in Kilrush.

Speaking on the impact to different jurisdictions when drugs are legalised, the Newmarket-on-Fergus representative commented, “This year was the first year I wasn’t approached by someone selling drugs in New York City”. He added, “here we are where people are saying they are available here. They don’t have to worry about police”.

Garda Morgan O’Donoghue following on from Cllr McMahon’s comments, stated, “I was recently in Boston and they have legalised cannabis there, I sincerely hope they never do here, the scent and smell throughout the entire city was disgusting, my impression of Boston has changed dramatically since they legalised the drug”.

A former shop owner, McMahon told The Clare Echo that the fact he wears a suit when visiting New York City, generally on St Patrick’s Day trips, entices drug dealers to approach him as they view people in suits as individuals with money. He said he has been visiting the States for the past 20 years but this year was the first no dealers made approaches.

Electrifying stuff from Clare Minors

Clare player Eoin Gunning celebrates with a young fan after Clare’s Munster final win over Cork

Photo by John O’Neill

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County Clare Barn Owl population grows after decades of decline

by Stuart Holly editor@clareecho.ie

BirdWatch Ireland in partnership with the Heritage Office of Clare County Council undertook a survey of Barn Owls in the county, the results of which show that the fortunes of this iconic farmland bird may be changing, as Barn Owls were recorded in parts of the county where they have been absent for decades.

The ghostly form of the Barn Owl, drifting silently over their hunting grounds in the dead of night, was a more common sight in the Irish countryside in generations past. The eerie screech of the Barn Owl, which gave rise to myths of the Banshee, was a familiar and welcomed sound in the early Spring. The presence of Barn Owls on the farm, and even in the farmyard, was embraced due to the preference of these highly efficient hunters for feeding on rats and mice, lending them the title of ‘the farmers’ friend’.

The Irish countryside is now very different, as farming practices have become more intensive, Barn Owls like so many of our formerly widespread and common farmland birds have suffered immensely. In Clare, Barn Owls have become an increasingly rare sight and their bloodcurdling screech has vanished from many parts of the county in recent decades. Surveys show that Barn Owls were widespread throughout the county in the late 1960s, but 40 years later their numbers had drastically reduced, and their range had contracted significantly. However, a survey carried out by BirdWatch Ireland during the summer of 2022 in partnership with Clare County Council with the support of the Local Biodiversity Action Fund, provides cause for optimism and the first evidence that the fortunes of Barn Owls may be changing in County Clare.

This survey enlisted the help of farmers and the general public who reported information on Barn Owls across the county, and the survey also involved systematically checking a wide range of ruined struc-

tures, which are the typical nesting sites of Barn Owls. The results were positive, with an increase in reported Barn Owl breeding range of 155% in County Clare over the past 10 years. Although the Barn Owl breeding range in Clare remains smaller than that of 50 years ago, prior to the widespread decline of the population, these results indicate that the Barn Owl population

widespread declines they had experienced up until recently. This is a really positive conservation story.”

He continued, “The reasons behind their recent population increases are not fully understood, since many of the threats to Barn Owls such as habitat loss and rodenticide poisoning still remain. Changes in Barn Owl numbers may be related to the recent arrival

farmland bird in the county by taking measures that will benefit them and other wildlife in the long term.”

John Lusby of BirdWatch Ireland added, “Just as positive as observing these increases in Barn Owls, was how this survey was received and assisted by landowners and the general public, who played a huge part in increasing our understanding of Barn Owls in the county. We

en it upon themselves to search their own areas for Barn Owls, with members of the West Clare Wildlife Club being particularly successful with finding previously unknown Barn Owl nest sites in their local area. We are extremely grateful for their support, and the support of all locals in County Clare who assisted us with this survey.”

Congella McGuire, Heritage Officer with Clare County Council who supported the survey, said, “The process of undertaking the Clare Barn Owl survey illustrated the importance and effectiveness of citizen science and the degree to which the public were interested in being involved with the survey, with many people reporting sightings of Barn Owls and records of breeding Barn Owls in their areas, and many more expressed an interest in installing a Barn Owl nest box in their property”.

She continued, “I wish to commend the members of BirdWatch Ireland who worked on the Clare Barn Owl survey for their professionalism in carrying out the work and for going the extra mile to capture as many records of Barn Owls in Clare as possible.”

The next phase of this work, a Barn Owl nest box project, is currently underway, with 16 nest boxes installed throughout County Clare in late 2022, with more nest boxes being installed this summer.

You can help the survey and conservation efforts by reporting information on Barn Owls in the county by visiting: https://birdwatchireland.ie/our-work/surveys-research/research-monitoring/raptors/barn-owl-survey/

may at least be starting to recover after these extensive declines.

Alan McCarthy of BirdWatch Ireland, who coordinated the survey, said, “It is amazing to document an increase in Barn Owl populations in County Clare, given the

of introduced small mammal species to Clare, which Barn Owls feed on. It is therefore important that we do not become complacent, and that we ensure to make the most of these short-term increases to try and secure the future of this iconic

also found that many farmers have taken it upon themselves to improve their farms to support Barn Owls, including reducing use of rodenticides and putting up nest boxes for Barn Owls. Furthermore, we met many locals who have tak-

The Barn Owl survey and conservation initiatives in County Clare were coordinated by BirdWatch Ireland in partnership with Clare County Council with the support of the Local Biodiversity Action Fund, administered by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Attempted murder accused finding prison ‘extremely difficult’

by Gordon Deegan news@clareecho.ie

A 46-year old mother accused of attempting to murder her eight year daughter is finding her time on remand in prison “extremely difficult”, a court has heard.

At Ennis District Court, the woman appeared for the fourth time in court in connection with being charged with attempting to murder her daughter at temporary accommodation in Clare the two were staying at the time of September 27th last year.

In court, Sgt Louis Moloney asked for the time to serve the Book of Evidence be extend-

ed to May 24th.

Solicitor, Tara Godfrey for the accused said, “I can appreciate that the State does need this amount of time in preparing a Book of Evidence, it is a complicated matter but my client is finding her time in custody extremely difficult. I have a psychiatric report that I can hand in and ask the State to do everything in its power to expedite the making of the Book of Evidence”.

The court required the services of a Russian interpreter for the accused for the brief hearing.

The court previously extended the accused woman’s legal aid certificate to cover a foren-

sic psychiatric report after Ms Godfrey stated that her client “had been in psychiatric in-patient treatment from September up to the date she was brought to the Garda Station so we have a chain of custody of my client since the alleged event”.

The woman appeared via video-link from the women’s wing at Limerick prison where she is currently on remand. At the end of the hearing into the case today, the woman said ‘thank you’ before the video link was cut.

In the aftermath of the alleged attempted murder last September, the young girl’s condition was described as “critical” after she was allegedly stabbed multiple times at her ac-

commodation.

After the girl subsequently underwent emergency surgery at Crumlin Children’s Hospital in Dublin a Garda spokesman said that she was “out of danger”.

The accused was first arrested and brought to Ennis Garda Station for questioning on March 14th and brought before a special sitting of Ennis District Court the following day when she was charged.

The accused made ‘no reply’ after charge and caution.

Judge Mary Larkin remanded the woman in custody via video-link to appear again at Ennis District Court to May 24th.

lMAKING A COMEBACK: 16 nest boxes were installed throughout Clare in late 2022

Ennis & Shannon granted approval in affordable housing scheme

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

APPROVAL has been granted for both Ennis and Shannon to be included in the Affordable Housing Scheme.

Persons on moderate incomes are assisted to buy new homes at reduced prices under the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme. Homes included in the scheme are located in areas with the greatest housing need and where affordability is an issue.

Director of Social Development in Clare County Council, Anne Haugh confirmed that in the past two weeks the local authority has been informed by the Department of Housing that it has been granted approval in principle for affordable housing schemes in Ennis and Shannon.

In March, the Council made a submission to the Department seeking the inclusion of both towns. Data included in the submission was sourced from an expression of interest survey ran by the Council which had over 500 submissions.

Speaking this week, Ms Haugh outlined, “our submission was prepared and done so with very little guidance at the time. We received advice on what should constitute the submission including a housing market analysis for Ennis and Shannon”.

This analysis detailed that 672 households in Ennis and 203 in Shannon would be facing an affordability challenge “in that they would over limit for social housing and not eligible

for mortgage, it clearly demonstrated the case for affordable housing,” she added.

“Certain flexibility” has now been introduced to the scheme so that towns that do not have a population of 10,000 but have an affordability challenge can be included. She said a separate submission would be needed for each local scheme to be put forward, “it is not a simple task but the door is open. We will be progressing with Ennis and Shannon and the identification of an appropriate scheme to submit”.

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couples are in position that they can afford affordable housing, it would take quite a lot of people off our housing list, we’re moving in the right direction”.

Clarification was sought by Cllr Michael Begley (IND) on why the scheme could not be extended to other towns in the county. Councillors need to put pressure on, Cllr Pat McMahon (FF) insisted, “It should be very simple in the context that there is infrastructure, that is where houses will be needed into the future”.

Clare’s successful application was welcomed by Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG). “Anywhere possible that we can make it more accessible to get housing is to be welcomed. Interest rates are going up at an unmerciful rate,” remarked Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF). Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) recalled, “it is well over a year ago that Cllr Gerry Flynn put down a motion on the criteria”.

is

Haugh added, “it will be open to consideration to any proposals that come our way from any other key towns in the county where we see the scheme will be viable”.

Cllr PJ Ryan (IND) this week tabled a motion before the local authority requesting the Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien (FF) to assess the “the criteria around affordable housing in Co. Clare”.

The Brendan O'Regan Restaurant is ideal for special occasions. The menu features traditional cuisine with a modern day creative twist.

Among the criteria referenced by the Cratloe representative was that the population had to be over 10,000. “Quite a lot of

The Poets Corner Bar

A traditional Irish pub that opens its doors onto the main town street of Ennis. Perfect for a pint, a bite to eat or traditional Irish music session..

“Young couples are finding it very difficult, houses have gone up to €300,000 plus, they just cannot afford it. We have a massive population in Ennis and throughout the county, the more private houses the better,” Cllr Pat Daly (FF) added. Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF) lended her support to the motion while Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) said the topic was “a particular bugbear of mine” and pointed to the average house price of €230,000 in the county.

*Stock photo not a representation of affordable housing planned for Ennis & Shannon

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The Poet's Corner Bar

a traditional Irish pub that opens its doors onto the main town street of Ennis. Perfect for a pint, a bite to eat or traditional Irish music session.

‘West Clare sentenced to death & farming families will be new homeless’

by Páraic McMahon Paraic@clareecho.ie

WEST CLARE’s population has been “sentenced to death” due to current planning legislation, the county’s longest politician has claimed.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) have been accused of appealing all planning permissions for dwelling houses granted on the N68. “This effectively means that farmers who inherit their land cannot build a house, they will be the new homeless, their rights are violated,” Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) declared at Monday’s meeting of Clare County Council.

Cllr Kelly tabled a motion asking the Council to call on Transport Minister, Eamon Ryan (GP) to make arrangements with TII “in order to facilitate planning permissions for farmers sons or daughters who take over the ownership and management of farms from their parents”.

A frustrated Kelly told the meeting that only 27 of the 160 TDs in Dáil Éireann were present “when what the civil servants proposed was

rubber stamped”. He stated, “they sentenced the people of West Clare to death, that is what they did, they sterilised it and didn’t realise it, they genuflected before civil servants,” the Lissycasey representative stated.

He called on the county’s Oireachtas members to approach the Taoiseach, advise him of the problem “give him sixty days to sort it and if he doesn’t pull the plug”. Cllr Kelly said what occurred in the Dáil was “frightening”. He outlined that two people within the village of Lissycasey had approved plans appealed by TII. “There is an injustice here, our own Government is doing to us in West Clare what British Governments did in the past”.

“This is a typical example of attacking rural Ireland,” Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) remarked. “We have farmers and farming communities that need help and support, family members would like to live near their parents, that is a fact, farming is under attack from an economic point of view,” the Kildysart native stated. “We’ve seen the price of bread and milk is being

attacked which is the margins that they survive on. This is wrong, we should make it easier and simpler for people to live wherever they want,” O’Callaghan added. Umpteen meetings and briefings were held between staff and elected members of Clare County Council on the County Development “yet with the stroke of a pen, the OPR

Get Autism Aware with Dr Susan Crawford

Pictured marking the launch of the ‘Clare Autism Aware’ programme are (left to right): Brendan Boyce, Administrative Officer, Rural Development, Clare County Council; Bernadette Haugh, Senior Executive Officer, Rural Development, Clare County Council; Cllr Tony O’Brien, Cathaoirleach, Clare County Council; Dr Susan Crawford, Get Autism Active; and Deirdre Power, Equality Officer, Human Resources, Clare County Council. These one-hour webinars will take place over the next four Tuesdays during the month of May, starting on Tuesday, 9th May, at 6:00pm. For more information and registration please visit the dedicated Clare Autism Aware webpage at: https://yoursay.clarecoco.ie/ clareautismaware

can change the most important aspect of our plan,” Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG) observed. He said, “I believe the Government is once again turning its back on rural Ireland but the day of reckoning for some of them is not too far away”.

Sons and daughters of farmers need to be facilitated to live on their property, Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) believed, “We are literally locking down rural Ireland, by making it more and more unappealing to run and manage a farm”. Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) acknowledged that persons involved in an agri-business need to be on site, “cameras won’t feed the animals”.

Support for the proposal was voiced by Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF), Cllr PJ Ryan (IND), Cllr Pat Burke (FG) and Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) while Cllr Joe Cooney (FG) stressed, “common sense needs to be used, for God almighty we cannot be stopping people from building on these routes”.

Government policy is “attacking our rural communities,” Cllr Pat McMahon (FF) affirmed while Cllr

Michael Begley (IND) argued the Council should “refuse to accept the Minister’s ruling”. Recalling her work on projects with Macra na Féirme, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) detailed they were “young people keen to have a future” in farming.

“We’re in the middle of a housing crisis, where will they go if we don’t allow them to build, into the towns and villages which are already under enough pressure,” Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF) said. Mayor of Clare, Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF) described the scenario as ‘total discrimination’, he argued, “we need to front up and take on the system”.

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) noted that the Council have until Thursday (May 11th) to counteract the views put forward by Junior Minister, Kieran O’Donnell (FG) directing that existing access onto national secondary roads be deleted.

Director of Economic Development with the Council, Carmel Kirby advised that the public consultation remains open until Thursday and that councillors can make observations directly to the OPR.

lCouncillor PJ Kelly Photo by Gary Collins

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Historic agreement - but not without one last battle

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

AN AGREEMENT was reached between Clare County Council and the Shannon Airport Group on the handover of the four Shannon Heritage assets in the county to the local authority but not without a final battle.

A strong cohort of elected members and officials from the Council were in Bunratty Castle and Folk Park on Monday morning along with senior management from the Shannon Airport Group for the official contract signing to transfer the four heritage sites to the Council under the umbrella of the existing Shannon Heritage DAC which also sees 90 permanent staff join the local authority.

Last month, Clare councillors unanimously agreed to accept an offer from Government to obtain €6m in funding to facilitate the transfer of Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, Knappogue Castle & Medieval Banquets, Crauggownen Bronze Age Park and a retail out-

Cleary to head up tourism

LEONARD CLEARY is to head up Clare County Council’s new tourism department following the addition of the four Shannon Heritage sites to its portfolio, writes Páraic McMahon

A historic agreement was reached this week between the Council and the Shannon Airport Group which sees the local authority become one of the country’s biggest international tourism operators.

Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, Knappogue Castle & Medieval Banquets, Crauggownen Bronze Age Park and a retail outlet at the Cliffs of Moher is now added to its existing portfolio which includes the Cliffs of Moher Experience, Loop Head Lighthouse, Vandeleur Walled Gardens, and the Inis Cealtra Visitor Experience.

Corofin’s Cleary who had served as Director of Rural Development with Clare County Council since a restructuring in October 2016 was one of the key figures behind the creation and implementation of one of the first rural development strategies by a local authority.

Tourism had been part of this directorate but will now have its own dedicated unit. The county’s tourism offering is to be divided in three and will brand as Clare Tourism North, Clare Tourism West and Clare Tourism East.

Speaking to The Clare Echo, Council Chief Executive Pat Dowling confirmed that Leonard’s move will result in Jason Murphy assuming control of a rebranded rural directorate. “The rural, community and sport area has now been assigned to Jason Murphy. Jason was brought in as heading up our Ukrainian Services Directorate on an acting basis, now I’ve added to him some of the portfolio that was with Leonard because I want Leonard to focus solely on all the tourism stuff that is going on. The Ukrainian services remains with Jason for now”.

let at the Cliffs of Moher. The funding will allow for remediation works at the sites.

Following the completion of a due diligence report spanning over 600 pages, the Council had sought funding to the tune of €15m, a figure which was disputed by Shannon Airport Group.

Signing of the contract on Monday was delayed for over two hours as senior officials from both the Council and Shannon Airport Group clashed on one particular item. That being, the 129.42 hectares of land within the environs of the Folk Park which Shannon Airport Group are to hold onto despite the transfer.

The Clare Echo understands that following the negotiations, it was agreed that the Council will be offered first refusal of the site at an agricultural price in the event that Shannon Airport Group attempt to sale it. The Shannon Airport Group did not respond to queries from The Clare Echo on this subject.

When questioned by The Clare Echo on the matter, Council Chief Executive, Pat Dowling stated that details from the discussion on the landbank had not been finalised. “There is also property contracts surrounding that as well and other matters that legally need to be ironed out over the coming days, suffice to say that we’re keen to grow and expand into the future”.

Dowling commented, “There are a number of factors here, there are the sites, our own plan to make sure that we can grow and develop into the future, when you’re doing that you’re looking at current situation as it is today but also looking to the future of what you need to do to grow and develop because we’re very interested to make sure that while it is a wonderful product, it is iconic and has a very strong international reputation, you have to constantly reinvent and reinvigorate what is there to keep the interest of the interna-

tional tourists and the domestic tourists, we have to bear that in mind”.

During Monday’s Council meeting, he apologised to elected representatives for the delay at the contract signing, “that was not foreseen in advance, there was some final matters that had to be dealt with”. A shared purchase agreement and property management deal have been agreed but legal matters need to be worked through, he advised. “The signing of the shared purchase agreement “was an important stage and we’re now on the journey, a new chapter particularly for tourism in the county, we will make the facilities better and a success, that is the task for us as an organisation going forward”.

Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF) described the handover as “a very historic day for Clare”. He said it was a “milestone moment for Clare tourism as, for the first time, Clare’s most popular tourist attrac-

tions will all be managed by one single authority”.

In a statement, Conal Henry, Chairperson of the Shannon Airport Group gave his best wishes to Shannon Heritage staff while CEO, Mary Considine coined it “the start of a new era in the rich history of Shannon Heritage as Clare County Council now officially become the custodians of these nationally important sites”.

Director of Tourism Development with the Council, Leonard Cleary said they look forward to engaging with the OPW, Fáilte Ireland and other State agencies “to ensure the potential of each of these assets is maximised for the betterment of tourism in County Clare and the wider Mid-West Region.”

Visitor attractions and sites already in the Council’s tourism portfolio include the Cliffs of Moher Experience, Loop Head Lighthouse, Vandeleur Walled Gardens, and the Inis Cealtra Visitor Experience.

Recruitment for specialist roles within the tourism portfolio is expected to be carried out. He said, “There are 90 full-time staff in these four sites, they are the key people who are running these sites, they have a lot of experience to build on there. I have assigned Leonard Cleary as our new dedicated director of tourism so it is a specific tourism portfolio, that is supported by other staff in the tourism area, people running Vandeleur Walled Garden back in Kilrush, people trying to develop Loop Head Lighthouse, people working on the Inis Cealtra/ Holy Island project in East Clare. We have a dedicated Head of Tourism, Deirdre O’Shea.

“There will need to be some additional staff to manage our growing suite of facilities around the county but for now the focus on the Shannon Heritage sites is to get in, get under the bonnet and make sure they are fit for purpose for now and then look at how we grow them into the future”.

Cleary first joined the local authority in August 1997, beginning as a marketing and development officer with Kilrush Town Council. He then served as the RAPID Programme Coordinator in the guise of a community and enterprise development officer before continuing to climb the ranks in the Council. Other roles included Head of Human Resources and Town Clerk with the Ennis Town Council before becoming heading up the housing department and then the rural development directorate. He has also since 2016 been Director of Services at the West Clare Municipal District. In August 2021, Leonard who is married to Michelle with four children, was ordained a deacon of the Diocese of Cloyne. A permanent deacon, he is a minister in the parish of Charleville.

A founding father of Celtic rocktributes paid to Johnny Fean

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

TRIBUTES continue to be extended to Johnny Fean, the lead guitarist with Horslips.

Johnny died peacefully at his Shannon home in Moy Park surrounded by his family with his funeral mass held last Thursday at Mary Immaculate Church, at the age of 71.

He has been described as a guitarist who stood shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world.

In a statement, his bandmates Barry Devlin, Charles O’Connor, Eamon Carr and Jim Lockhart said they were “deeply saddened” with his death. “For well over 50 years Johnny was our best friend, our creative collaborator, our guitar hero. Johnny wasn’t only one of the greatest guitar players ever, he was also the sweetest man in rock and roll. His immeasurable talent won him countless supporters throughout the years. We remain his biggest fans. He devoted his life to music and we’ll be forever thankful that he did”.

Horslips were formed by drummer Eamon Carr, multi-instrumentalists Jim Lockhart and Charles O’Connor, and bassist Barry Devlin

in 1970, with Fean joining two years later. They are regarded as founding fathers of Celtic rock, with hits including Dearg Doom and Trouble with a Capital T.

Fean played on all ten of the band’s albums, including landmark works Dancehall Sweethearts and The Book of Invasions.

He spent his childhood in Shannon and Garryowen, his father

worked in Shannon Airport. The banjo, mandolin and harmonica were some of the other instruments played by Johnny. During an interview with RTÉ Lyric in 2013, he recounted, “I was very lucky living in Shannon because there were a lot of American families there with sons and daughters going into their teens. The music they were listening to in 1962,

they actually brought the LPs and singles over to Shannon and I got to hear The Supremes and Tamla Motown possibly before anybody in Ireland”.

In his late teens, Johnny played in local group Sweet Street, who supported John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers in Cork, and country rock band Jeremiah Henry in 1970.

Speaking about joining Horslips, he recalled, “In 1970 I was playing the tenor banjo and I was learning quite a number of tunes and I was very much getting into the Irish traditional thing as well as having the guitar. Jeremiah Henry did a festival in Ballyvaughan the summer of 1972 and Horslips were topping the bill. That day, Horslips got to hear me playing and by the end of the summer they were looking for a guitar player and Charles O’Connor came down to my house in Shannon. I wasn’t in, but he left his phone number and a couple of days later I went up to Dublin and called into Jim Lockhart’s house on James’s Street. We just started to play and by the end of the evening he said would you like to join the band. I’d said I’d love to”.

Fean and Carr also founded the Zen Alligators in 1980 before the

break-up of Horslips the same year.

The pair also played together in Host, which also featured O’Connor.

Johnny played with former Miami Showband bassist Steve Travers in The Johnny Fean Band and had been playing again with Horslips on and off since 2009 on comeback tours featuring his brother Ray on drums. The band recently released a boxset titled More Than You Can Chew.

Ennis historian, Ollie Byrnes told The Clare Echo, “Horslips first came into our lives about 1970 when they were the house band on a television programme called Fonn. This was a huge break for the band as, at that time, Ireland had only one television channel and this gave them national prominence.

“Horslips became a regular band at Paddy Con’s Hall, The West County Inn and Gort throughout 1972/73. I remember them playing things like Johnny B Goode”.

Johnny is deeply missed by his heartbroken family, wife Maggie, brothers Donal, Shearie and Ray, sisters Gail and Corna, sisters-inlaw, brothers-in-law, Horslips band members Barry, Jimmy, Charles and Eamon, nephews, nieces, extended Horslips family, neighbours and his many friends.

l Mike Varden, Michael D. Higgins, Johnny Fean and Stephen Travers at the opening of G4 Ennis Guitar School in 2011

Roche's decommissioning bill for climbs to €57.27m

by Gordon Deegan news@clareecho.ie

THE bill to Swiss pharma giant, Roche in decommissioning and demolishing its County Clare plant at Clarecastle and connected environmental costs now totals €57.27m for a three year period.

New accounts show that Roche Ireland Ltd last year recorded losses of €26.15m as its bill concerning its decision to exit manufacturing here continued to mount.

The loss of €26.15m last year followed losses of €24.17m in 2021 and €34.55m in 2020.

The plant was once one of the most prestigious places of employment in the Midwest and the Swiss-owned pharma giant announced its decision in 2016 to shut down its Clarecastle plant with the loss of 240 jobs.

After the firm failed to secure a buyer for the pharma site, it set about decommissioning the site and demolishing its fine chemical manufacturing plant "to a brown field status”. The firm secured planning permission for the decommissioning project in January 2021 from Clare Co Council.

The company’s Decommissioning and Demolition bill last year totalled €11.53m while Environmental costs totalled €13.18m. This followed Decommissioning and Demolition costs of €16.86 million and environmental costs of €4.29 million in 2021 and this followed Decommissioning and Demolition

costs of €6.5m in 2021 and environmental costs of €4.8m.

The directors state that “during 2022, the company’s principal activity was preparing and executing the closure and demolition of the site to a brown field status”.

Ninety five per cent of staff had departed by March 2020 with 100pc of workers gone since May 2021 and the directors state that the company “is continuing with its plan to decommission and demolish its assets”.

They state: “It has successfully transitioned from a manufacturer to a construction site commencing the decontamination and demolition works in 2020, which will continue until 2026.”

MEN'S SUMMER SUIT COLLECTION

The firm’s only revenues last year were €1.07m generated from the sale of scrap metal from the decommissioning.

In a post balance sheet event, the directors state that on February 23rd 2023, Roche Ireland received a new EPA licence that provides the conditions necessary to execute the project in compliance with the environmental regulatory standards and risks associated with the remediation activities planned.

At the end of last December, Roche Ireland Ltd had shareholder funds of €7.25m.

The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland employs more than 101,000 people worldwide.

'We have the ocean and no one else does' - discussions begin on renaming of Trump Doonbeg

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

DISCUSSIONS HAVE commenced within the Trump organisation on the renaming of the Doonbeg five star resort.

During a whistlestop tour of West Clare across two days last week, former US President, Donald Trump announced the property was to be renamed. Acquired by the Trump family in 2014, it is currently called Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Doonbeg Ireland.

Speaking following a round of golf in Doonbeg on Thursday, Trump said it was to be renamed Trump Doonbeg on the Ocean. “We have the ocean and nobody else does,” he remarked of the rationale behind the move.

As part of the rebranding, the Trump name will remain on the property, the seventy six year old confirmed. “It’s not a new name, but we’re adding the word ‘Ocean’. Because I said to myself, ‘it’s on the ocean, if it’s on the ocean, we call it Doonbeg on the Ocean, we have the ocean, and nobody else

does, so that’s what we’re calling it”. It is unclear but unlikely that Trump’s announcement had been discussed with Doonbeg based management in advance.

The Clare Echo understands that discussions have now commenced with the Trump Organisation headquartered in New York City.

Trump remained confident he would defeat sitting US President,

Joe Biden in the next election. “I could win it three times,” he commented while wearing a a Make America Great Again (Maga) cap. Donald was accompanied by his son Eric as well as members of the US secret service as he departed in a golf buggy. His visit was cut short as he had to return to New York City for a civil rape case where jurors decided Trump sexually abused magazine writer E. Jean Carroll in the

Doonbeg ‘an option’ for LIV tour

ORGANISERS of the controversial LIV Golf International Series know Doobeg is “an option” as a potential venue, the Trump family have said.

Funded by the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, the LIV Series has become one of the most controversial sporting events of recent times. Golfers who have signed up to the Saudi-backed breakaway series have come under fire.

In August, The Clare Echo reported that Trump Doonbeg was touted as a potential venue for the LIV Golf International Series.

Greg Norman who is the face and CEO of LIV Golf designed the Doonbeg course in 2002 on 400 acres of breath-taking coastline. He remains determined to take the series to Doonbeg and has the backing of the Trump family to do so.

1990s and then defamed her by branding her a liar.

The nine-member jury in Manhattan federal court awarded about $5m in compensatory and punitive damages. The jury deliberated for just under three hours. It rejected Mr Trump's denial that he assaulted Ms Carroll and ruled in her favour. To find him liable, the jury of six men and three women was required to reach a unanimous verdict.

Speaking in West Clare, Eric Trump insisted there was “no question” that Doonbeg’s course was a standard suitable for tour events. He confirmed that they had spoken “indirectly” to LIV on the matter.

“They know it is an option and we would love to have them over here. I think this course is incredibly well suited for them if they ever chose to come over,” he told The Irish Times Eric who runs the family’s golf interests said they would “certainly be open” to the links course hosting a LIV event. “They have been fantastic for the game of golf. They have gone in and put a tremendous amount of excitement and energy into golf”.

Healing Programme for people whose lives have been affected by suicide

CLARE Suicide Bereavement Support will hold a Healing Programme for Family members, relatives and friends whose lives have been affected by suicide.

The Programme will begin on Tuesday May 16th.at 7.30p.m.at the Clare S.B.S. premises, Innovation House, (near Liddys), Roslevan Centre, Tulla Rd. Ennis. The programme will continue each Tuesday for eight consecutive weeks.

The aims of the Healing Programme are:-

1. To help adults who have experienced a death by suicide to find healing and support in a safe and caring environment.

2. To provide an opportunity to meet others who have experienced loss through a death by suicide.

3. To provide healing through talking and listening in small groups. Mutual help is received and given through sharing.

In addition to the Healing Programme Clare S.B.S volunteers respond to approaches made by a bereaved family or individual and can arrange to meet them in the family home or in their premises at Roslevan, Ennis. All meetings are conducted in complete confidence and are free of charge.

The aim of the individual or group approach is to help people talk about their loss and the whole process of bereavement. There is no set formula for a bereaved person’s feelings or reactions. Different people react in different ways and in different order. There can often be a sense of confusion and aloneness. While neighbours and friends can be very helpful at the time of the death and funeral, there can later be silence about the event

partly because people are not sure what to say or are afraid of saying the wrong thing.

The bereaved person needs to talk about how she or he feels but is hesitant in case others are getting tired of listening or may have inadvertently made an unhelpful response. Through talking and sharing in a safe environment the pain is eased and healing is allowed to begin.

A spokesperson for Clare S.B.S said “If you have experienced a death by suicide either in your family or that of a friend please feel free to come along to the Healing Programme on May 16th.

“The death may have been recently or a long time ago. In whichever situation you are very welcome. An appointment is not required. All our Support Workers are trained for this work and some have themselves been bereaved.”

If you require further information, regarding individual, or family support or the Healing Programme phone or text the support co-ordinator at 086-0565373 or 087-3698315 or leave a message and the co-ordinator will get back to you.

www.claresuicidebereavementsupport. com

Clare loses true character with death of ‘The Champ’ Gabriel Moylan

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

MEMORIES and tales have been told across the county of Clare since word broke on Friday morning of the death of a true character, Gabriel Moylan known to the masses as ‘Champ’.

Aged 78, Gabriel lived in Clarecastle his entire life. He was infamous to generations as the man who walked in shorts from his home to the town of Ennis with a yellow jacket on and umbrella in his hand.

What is not well known is the fact that he had multiple yellow jackets rather than adorning the same one. His journeys were often interrupted by the many passing motorists stopping to salute the local celebrity.

Educated at Clarecastle NS, he then attended Ennis Community College. He worked in Tesco for several years before his retirement.

He was the youngest of seven children and is survived by his brother Eugene and is predeceased by brothers Pascal, Michael-Joe, and Frankie and his sisters Mary and Breda. Although he had no children from a former marriage, he treated his 13 nieces and nephews as if they were his own children.

A love of the GAA was particularly evident with Gabriel regularly spotted in Cusack Park. A Clare jersey has hung from the top window

of his house at St Joseph’s Terrace with hurling one of the first discussed items when a conversation would begin with ‘The Champ’.

Keen to stay abreast of all things

happening within the county, Gabriel read The Clare Echo every week while a copy of Anthony Daly’s autobiography was placed on the coffee table in his sitting room.

Admitted to University Hospital Limerick (UHL) on Friday last, Gabriel’s health rapidly deteriorated. A combination of issues had seen his health decline in the past year.

Speaking to The Clare Echo, Gabriel’s nephew Martin McNamara detailed the pride he had at being The Champ’s nephew. “He was a very proud Clarecastle and Clare man. He was a local character, the thing is the local characters like him are a dying breed, they don’t really exist anymore”.

Hurling was one of his main loves, Martin explained. “He had a huge interest in two things in life, Clare GAA and the Clarecastle Magpies. He fundraised heavily for Clarecastle in the 1980s and 1990s. He kept up with what was happening in the club and was aware of all the different young fellas coming through the ranks”.

While lying in his bed at UHL, Gabriel watched the meeting of Clare versus Limerick in the Munster minor hurling championship last Tuesday. It would turn out to be the last hurling game he ever saw.

Local life was important to The Champ. Martin recalled how his uncle struck a chord with different generations and pointed to the example of a Facebook page which was set up in his honour in recent years.

He said that people would have noticed Gabriel was less visible around Ennis with declining health over the past year. Such was his love for a trip to Ennis, Gabriel would rely on a taxi to get him to town where he would often have his lunch most days, when his days of walking became less common.

Although he supported many of the businesses across town, Gabriel was a regular to establishments such as The Market Bar and Restaurant, Café Aroma and Insomnia and his on his way he would be sure to salute and engage with the public.

Other forms of nourishment came from the Meals on Wheels service operated by Obair in Newmarket-on-Fergus. Volunteers state that Gabriel was one of the most popular service users and he was sure to brighten their day.

“We are very grateful for what they do, they don’t just provide a meal, they provide interaction and sometimes it was only human engagement he might have had when it wasn’t always possible for someone to visit him on particular days, that was very reassuring to us,” his nephew added.

His funeral mass is to take place at 12pm on Sunday morning in Clarecastle Church with cremation in Shannon the following day at 12pm. ‘Rock on’ Champ.

lMeals on Wheels volunteer Shane Lynch with Gabriel Moylan

Save Ennis Town group established to fight 2040 plans

by

AVOLUNTARY group has been established to fight against plans from the Ennis 2040 DAC to remove public car-parking in Abbey Street and Parnell Street.

Save Ennis Town - Safeguarding the past, present and future of Ennis Town for all’ held its first meeting on Monday eve-

Abbey Street businesses unite against car park plans

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

“representative of Ennis as a society”. He said they were adamant no building should proceed on Abbey Street car park.

“We envisage for the town a healthy evolving town, we’re not luddites, we’re not happy with a situation that doesn’t involve progress but we’re seriously unhappy about a situation which to us and anyone at the meeting is total insanity which is building on one of the few areas in the town centre, it affects business”.

He felt people “were shocked” with the lack of information they have on the Ennis 2040 Strategy. O’Connor believed “spin” had been put out by both the Ennis 2040 DAC and Clare County Council. “They’re economical with the truth to the detriment of the real truth, if you try and put a massive shopping complex in that place that isn’t accessible for HGV or have required parking it will lead to commercial euthanasia”.

“When you look at US politics, the lovely line is ‘it’s the economy stupid’, here in Ennis, the line is it’s the parking stupid,” he remarked.

A UNITED front was displayed by business personnel within the town of Ennis as the heat was turned up in opposing plans by the Ennis 2040 DAC to construct a mixed-use development on Abbey Street car park.

Just shy of 200 people attended the public meeting at The Temple Gate Hotel where extra seating had to be laid out in the room, such was the demand for space.

Organised by the Retailers of Ennis, the meeting heard from multiple business personnel in the county town, none of whom were in favour of the current plans for Abbey Street.

Gearoid Mannion who chaired the meeting said an invite was issued to Chief Operating Officer of the Ennis 2040 DAC, Kevin Corrigan to attend. “He was unable or declined to attend,” Mannion stated.

Ennis native, Cora Hahessy expressed her fear that it would lead to a desecration of the town’s heritage. “We should be developing our rivers, the thought of putting glass cage along the river frightens me, I dread to think what is going to follow after this, Ennis people the real people of Ennis and townies care about their town, we don’t want this to happen”. She added, “I’m not anti-progress, I want progress but we need to pro-

ning on O’Connell Street. The group was formed off the back of a public meeting last Thursday where close to 200 people attended to voice their opposition to plans to build a mixeduse development on Abbey Street car park.

Community, business and lected representatives along with concerned residents comprise the membership of the group. Current members include John O’Connor, Gearoid Mannion, Bridget Ginnitty, Cora Hahessy, Michelle O’Connell, Teresa McGrath, Aoife Madden, Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG), Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) and Cllr Pat Daly (FF).

Speaking to The Clare Echo, John O’Connor of Custy’s Music Shop said the group was

John believed the shift to encouraging people to use other means of transport is purely aspirational, he said he cycles into the county town every morning, “it is lethal, somebody who sprays red paint on a roundabout and thinks that make things okay, it is lunacy, it is like a pinball machine”.

As part of their work, he said Save Ennis Town will contact all councillors. John claimed the antics by the local authority on this issue “is not democracy at work. It is the tail wagging the dog”.

Cllr Flynn pointed out that the Council does not have a good track record in building public carparks in the town, “one expensive existing Council built white elephant is more than enough in Ennis,” he commented.

tect our beautiful town”.

William Cahir of Cahir Solicitors said Clare County Council needed to clarify that they don’t intend to remove the flood relief walls as depicted in the artist’s impression of the plans. He admitted that he was “really concerned” that ownership of Abbey Street would be transferred to the Ennis 2040 DAC.

David Costelloe of Costelloe Estate Agents flagged that when planning permission is sought for a commercial development, there is an obligation to provide car parking yet the plans for Abbey St will take away parking. “When assessing the site, you don’t go and design building and see if it’s ok,” he stated. Current plans are “a field of dreams, build and they will come. It is not a carpark of dreams, it is a carpark which has served the town so much”.

He estimated the building will need to bring up to €2m in rent to avoid losing costs, “who will want their office headquarters in a town centre with no parking, where will their staff and customers park, where will HGVs get to access to a shop almost the size of Tesco?”.

Genuine consultation surrounding the plan is needed, Bridget Ginnity remarked. “Objecting in September is not a good approach, taking each project by project, we need genuine consultation

about the entire plan”. She added, “We really need to consider the whole town, what we want to get around the town and have lovely comfortable space to get around in”.

The Snack Shack is one of the busiest enterprises located in the Abbey Street car park. Edel Reidy who runs the family business said, “We’re very against the plans for the car park, we see it day in day out the problems with the car park, there’s always an issue with parking, the majority of our customers weren’t aware this was going on, we’ve told everyone who uses our business what is happening and they cannot understand. We have customers who literally, some of them come into us for the company just to talk, we have some elderly customers that will be lost if they don’t have a car space in town, they come to us and go across to the butcher and the chemist for outings, if you take away those car spaces, you don’t have those options anymore. A lot of our customers are grab and go customers, they are five minutes in and

Traders ‘disrespected’ by politicians

POLITICIANS WHO FAILED to attend a public meeting over plans to redevelop Abbey Street car park as part of the Ennis 2040 Strategy, have come under fire.

Of the seven elected members of the Ennis Municipal District, two missed the entire duration of Thursday’s public meeting at the Temple Gate Hotel which drew a crowd in the region of 200 people.

Both Cllr Mary Howard (FG) and Cllr Ann Norton (IND) were absent from the gathering, the duo are also board members of the Ennis 2040 DAC, the private company established by Clare County Council to deliver the strategy.

Mayor of the Ennis MD, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) was a late arrival to the meeting. Her comments in The Clare Echo in recent weeks on the ease of getting parking in the town came under fire during the gathering.

Retailers of Ennis had organised the meeting and said they had received apol-

ogies from the Mayor who was attending a memorial service in Drumcliffe, this drew a few groans from those seated in the crowd. Mayor of Clare, Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF) and Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) also contacted organisers to inform them that they couldn’t attend.

Three of Clare’s four TDs were present. Cathal Crowe (FF) and Michael McNamara (IND) both spoke while Violet-Anne Wynne (IND) arrived after the meeting had commenced but did not make a contribution, she has since criticised the plans but has arranged to meet Ennis 2040 DAC COO, Kevin Corrigan. Joe Carey (FG) who remains on leave had issued his apologies to organisers.

None of the county’s Senators, Martin Conway (FG), Timmy Dooley (FF) or Roisin Garvey (GP) were in attendance.

Cllr Pat Daly (FF), Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) and Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) who have opposed aspects of the strat-

egy at meetings of the Ennis MD spoke at the meeting, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) who had a crucial vote on the planned construction of a temporary car park and demolition of properties on Francis St was in attendance but did not speak.

Shannon based Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND) who has attended meetings of the Ennis MD when the strategy has been discussed in the Chamber and who also marched with the Francis Street Alliance spoke at the meeting. Other members of the local authority in attendance included, Cllr PJ Kelly (FF), Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG), Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF) and Cllr Joe Killeen (FF).

Prior to the arrival of the Mayor of Ennis, Noel Tierney

l VIEWPOINT: David Costelloe of Costelloe Estate Agents attended by almost 200 people

Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

l COMMITTEE MEMBER: Gearoid Mannion Photo by Chris Copley

gone, they are not staying in our town shopping for two hours, they are not going to park a ten minute walk away, they want to be able to park outside the door, grab and go, that is reality”.

“We’re very disappointed that our public reps have come out publicly and said everyone was going to be affected was contacted, I can guarantee you our businesses and other businesses in the car park were never contacted, this is a serious matter, all the businesses in the car park are family orientated, we’re there over 25 years, I’m here with my father and my son, it goes to prove it is family and it’s what keeps us going, we do enjoy working in the car park and we really don’t see how it would work,” she added.

Edel concluded, “The Fleadh and

everything is held in the car park, it was brilliant and brings a great atmosphere around the car park.

“I know they are leaving a part of it for the public area but that is only half a car park, it won’t even fit the Gig Rig and when these gigs do go on our businesses do go down but we never complain about it because they are for the betterment of the town, they bring the stalls and everything like that, we have never ever complained and never will complain, they are two to three day events which are for the betterment of the town and that’s what we want, we would love to some of the empty shops built and as for office space just walk around town with your head held high, every second floor building is nearly empty”.

who failed to attend failed

of Tierney Cycles & Fishing Hobbies voiced his criticism of the politicians that were absent. He said he was “chuffed” with the turnout among traders and the public.

“The Mayor of Ennis and the Mayor of Clare are not here, it is disrespectful”.

He asked “why are they not here” to which Alfonso D’Auria of Enzo’s on Parnell St quickly replied that there was “no parking” for them.

Tierney added, “The Mayor of Ennis is not here and it is shocking”. He claimed, “these people not here, they gave us the most dearest car spaces in the world” referencing the Market St development.

When addressing the meeting, Mayor Colleran Molloy was interrupted by one attendee who said, “You can’t be independent and must recuse yourself from being

on the committee or get somebody else to sit on the board, everybody who is elected should be allowed to be picked out of a hat to sit on that board, another person next to you sits on the board, there is no continuity”.

on Abbey Street addresses the meeting at Temple Gate Hotel last Thursday which was

Photo by Chris Copley

lPASSIONATE: Local trader Noel Tierney referencing a Clare Echo article at the meeting Photo by Chris Copley

Big crowd expected for Pat Bogue run

by Gordon Deegan news@clareecho.ie

LARGE CROWDS are expected in Barefield this Sunday to celebrate the life of an adopted Clare man with the staging of the 2nd ‘Pat Bogue 5k’ event.

The Kilkenny native and dad of two young boys collapsed at breakfast at his Larchill home outside Ennis in November 2021 and died.

The 49-year old was the ‘Leader’ of the Clare Crusaders’ running group that has raised hundreds of thousands of euro to fund the operation of the Clare Crusaders Clinic for children’s therapies in Barefield through running the Dublin City Marathon.

Crusader member, Tom Gleeson said this week, “Pat was a cherished and well respected leader to the running group.

“Pat not only provided guidance to the group but he was a shining light to the Clare Crusaders Children’s Clinic, helping raise funds and visibility to the clinic’s needs”.

Mr Gleeson said that last year’s event “was a huge success” and €12,000 was raised with the registration and raffle on the day.

Mr Gleeson said that the funds raised last year went towards fitting out a sensory room at the clinic “which is much loved and used by the clinic daily”.

Mr Gleeson said, “At this year’s run, the new Sensory Room will be officially opened with a new sign and is called The Pat Bogue Sensory

NotesGATHERING OF ENNIS STREET KIDS

With the departure of Covid some of us Street Kids of the 50's 60's 70's and 80's would like to reconnect. Especially those whose playground all hours of the day and in the Summertime into the night were Abbey, Carmody, The Market, O'Connell, Mill and Parnell Streets. It was the brainchild of Liz Griffin from the Square and Lucy O'Connell from Hayes Abbey Street. Having met after Christmas we made a booking at the Templegate Hotel for a Gathering to take place on Saturday 27th May at 5.00 pm. This venue is ideal as it is where most of us started our schooldays in the Old Primary Convent "when they were the days".

We are especially trying to attract people who have left Ennis and would most definitely like to reconnect. Too, life is getting shorter.

Refreshments will be served and Bar facilities are on hand. We have booked for 140 people so it is a matter of first come, first ticketed. Tickets are available at the Ennis BookShop and cost E20, Pat Hanrahan well known as a photographer will be on site. Martin Breen will be showing previously unpublished photos on the night. Nigel Bridge and Jerry Cahir are co-hosting this promising Event with two speakers on the night. Hopefully it will be a Fun outing. The clans reconnecting should resurrect some mighty stories for future generations.

FERGUS ROVERS FUNDRAISER

A fashion show fundraiser for Fergus Rovers Féile U15 girls will take place at Hotel Woodstock in Ennis on Friday, May 19 at 8pm. Entry tickets cost €20, for further information please contact Caroline on 086 067 2414 or Martina on 087 968 7944.

QUIN TIDY TOWNS TIDY UP

As May sunshine warms up it also brings lots and lots of weeds to our paths and roadside verges so if you can tidy up your own area that would be a marvellous first step. The usual volunteers will do another tidy up this Sat morning at 11:30 so please come along to the Hall to help them. Remember, “Many hands make light work.”

We will be contacting all local businesses in the near future to support us in our work and if any other residents would like to make a donation to Quin TT, we’d really appreciate it. The judges will be starting their visits in the next few weeks and together we can all showcase Quin in the best possible light. Thank you

CLARE BLOOD DONATION CLINICS

Clare Blood Donation Clinics will take place at West County Hotel Ennis on Monday 15th & Tuesday 16th May, from 4:50 – 8:10pm. New & Existing Donors welcome. Please call 1800 222 111 to book an appointment.

In Shannon, Oakwood Hotel Shannon will host the clinic on Wednesday 17th & Thursday 18th May from 4:00 - 7:20pm. Please call 1800 222 111 to book an appointment.

Room”.

All proceeds from this Sunday’s fun run and walk - which promises to be a family centred event - will go to the Clare Crusaders Children’s Clinic and fund speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, occupational therapy and group therapy to the children that attend the clinic.

Pat - survived by Maria and their two boys, Conall and Colm - moved to Clare in 1993 and was the only Clare Crusader runner to run every Dublin marathon since 2007.

The Pat Bogue 5K starts at 1pm at Barefield village on Sunday. Registration on the day is from 11.30am or Friday, May 12th from 6pm to 7pm at the clinic.

Mr Gleeson said, “This year, Barry Lynch from Lynch’s Centra, Gort Rd, Ennis has come on board as the main sponsor and there will be prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd man and lady and 1st juvenile boy and girl.”

SCAN HERE TO SIGN UP

Ennis, speaks at a gathering of concerned Abbey Street traders last week in relation to a controversial development planned for Abbey Street Car Park as part of the Ennis 2040 plan Photo by Chris Copley

Are you Haven a laugh?

Frank Holly, of Haven Pharmacy Holly’s in

l READY TO RUN: The launch of the Pat Bogue 5k event which took place at Lynch’s Centra, Ennis

SHANNON NEWS

in association with

Renowned composer Patrick Cassidy returns to alma mater in Shannon

ORLD FAMOUS composer, Patrick Cassidy visited his former school in Shannon on a recent trip to the county.

Mayo born Patrick first learned to play the piano in Shannon at the age of six under the tutelage of Mrs Vermeer, a Holland native who played the organ in the local church. He attended both St Senan’s NS, Ennis CBS before switching to St Patrick’s Comprehensive School for the Leaving Certificate.

From a family of nine, he lived in Shannon for over ten years and his father served as President of the Chilean Refugee Committee in the town while they lived in Drumgeely Avenue, since 2000 he has lived in Los An-

Wgeles.

As a composer, Patrick came to prominence with the release of the Children of Lir, the first major symphonic work written in the Irish language. Recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra, it remained at Number One in the Irish Classical Charts for over a year. He was bestowed with a medal of honour and distinguished alumni award from the University of Limerick for this work.

He has provided scores on soundtracks for films including Hannibal, Veronica Guerin, Confessions of a Burning Man, Salem’s Lot and King Arthur. He is a knight of Italy and was conferred by the President of Italy, and bestowed with the title of Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia. Mise

Eire, his composition for the official Government commemorations of the 1916 Easter Rising was sung by his relative, Sibéal Ní Chasaide.

Patrick returned to St Patrick’s Comprehensive to meet with students and staff, having made a commitment to drop in during a video interview with teacher Clodagh O’Hara which was recorded during the summer of 2020. His brother Frank who serves as his manager and their mother, Kathleen also accompanied Patrick on the visit.

Music students at The Comp were enthralled and enarmoured with the Cassidys as was evident with the questions posed to them and the insights they picked about Patrick’s journal in the classical music industry.

Shannon Springs wins best Hotel Restaurant

lSCHOOL VISIT: Patrick Cassidy signs autographs for students

Photo by Simona Lakatova

l Shannon Springs Hotel were awarded “Hotel Restaurant of the Year 2023” at this year’s YesChef Awards, held in Fairways Hotel Dundalk on Monday, May 8.

Tulla’s Amy among musicians featuring in TG4 series

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

TULLA’S Amy McNamara performs on a new TG4 music series with the episode airing this Sunday (May 14th).

Since moving to Cork to study in UCC five years ago, Amy went from recording music in her bedroom with her band Notions to topping the UK Spotify charts with several songs from their EP.

Amy spent two years as lead singer, guitarist and songwriter with Notions, the band played gigs in Dublin, Cork and other venues across the country.

She is now bringing out her own fusion of indie pop mixed with guitar and vocal loops. Amy recently featured on a track with Le Boom with the vocals recorded over WhatsApp, she performed with the band at Indipendence 2022 and has also took to the stage at Electric Picnic.

TG4’s new music show,

Buille which the broadcaster describes as exciting and edgy, shines a light on a host of diverse and talented musicians in Ireland. Filmed in front of a live audience in the iconic Dolan’s in Limerick, one of the country’s best and buzziest music venues, presenters Eve Belle and Cian McCarthy were on hand to showcase an eclectic mix of top-tier performances.

Joining Amy in Sunday’s episode are Clare Sands from Cork, Hazey Haze from Limerick City and Sorcha Richardson from Dalkey. Hermitage Green, Gemma Bradley, Síomha, Emma Langford and Riptide Movement.

Ennis’ Susan O’Neill is set to appear in the final episode of the series. Buille is a production of Tyrone Productions for TG4

Burren GEOfood On The Menu This May

Local food producers the length and breadth of the Burren in County Clare are being showcased in a series of GEOfood events taking place during May.

GEOfood is a global brand that promotes food sourced and produced in UNESCO Global Geoparks. Twelve local producers have become members of the initiative since it was launched at the Slow Food Festival by the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark in 2022.

The events get underway on Saturday 20th May when GEOfood member Cathleen Connole of Burren Fine Wine & Food hosts afternoon tea and a buffet of GEOfoods at her historic coach house, nestled in the hills of the Burren near Ballyvaughan. Members of the public are invited to sample a menu containing local cheeses, meats, chutneys, and preserves served with freshly made breads. The event forms part of Burren Ecotourism Network (BEN) Wellness Month, which features a variety of activities aimed at improving physical and mental health while providing an opportunity to experience the stunning Burren landscape.

On Sunday 21st May, the Pavilion Community Hall in Lisdoonvarna will host a display of local GEOfood produce, while Carol Gleeson from the Burren & Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark will expand on the plans for GEOfood and seafood producer Conor Graham from Flaggy Shore Oysters will talk

Notes

OLD KILFARBOY SOCIETY GUIDED WALK

The Old Kilfarboy Society has organised a local outing after a break of three years. On Sunday 14th of May we will be holding a guided history walk at Kilmurry Ibrickane old church at 1400 hrs. Local historian John Daly will be our guide. 5 euro contribution and all are welcome

OUT OF THE BLUE ART EXHIBITION OPENS SATURDAY

Out Of The Blue’ opens in Culturlann

Sweeney, Kilkee Library, Kilkee, Co.

Clare

Exhibition Opening by renowned artist Ruth Wood on Saturday April 13th 12 noon all welcome. The exhibition runs until June 16th

Artist Gina O’Connor divides her time between Kilkee and Limerick. Her recent solo exhibitions ‘Outside

In’ (Scariff Library Gallery) and ‘A Better Place’ (Clare Museum, Ennis) were described as “simple, soulful, honest, unpretentious and deeply captivating”. Gina has also exhibited in Draíoctht (Adare), The Bridge (Ballina/Killaloe), Mountshannon Arts, The Peoples Museum (Limerick) and Hare’s Corner (Limerick). For further information please contact the artist directly at ginaoc88@gmail.com

Tel 087 9817279

about his oysters. The showcase is part of the Slow Food Festival, Ireland’s longest running food festival, which is organised by Slow Food Clare, the Burren Ecotourism Network and the Burren and the Geopark.

GEOfood will be promoted on national television on Wednesday 24th May when RTÉ One’s Today Show broadcasts live from the newly upgraded Vandeleur Walled Garden in Kilrush. Among the businesses that will be displaying their produce for the television cameras on the day are Burren Premium Beef, Linnalla Ice Cream and Flaggy Shore Oysters, while celebrity chef Kevin Dundon will be cooking up a GEOfood dish back in studio.

Meanwhile, the local media spotlight will shine on the Geoparks’ GEOfood this Sunday 14th May at 6.00pm when Clare FM’s documentary series Atlantic Tales with Pat Flynn features Geopark manager Carol Gleeson, Cathleen Connole, Donnacha Fahy of Celtic Salads and Siobhan Garvey of St. Tola Irish Goat Cheese.

“The main aim of the GEOfood programme is to provide a brand that emphasises the locality, freshness, seasonality and traditions of our local food and how the landscape and climate influences what we grow and produce. GEOfood also increases opportunities for local people and visitors to savour and appreciate quality local food” commented Geopark manager Carol Gleeson. “We are delighted

to see a growing number of producers across the Burren getting involved with the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark GEOfood programme.”

GEOfood members include St. Tola Irish Goat Cheese (Inagh), Burren Fine Wine and Food Beetroot Chutney (Ballyvaughan), Flaggy Shore Oysters (New Quay), Burren Smokehouse Smoked Oysters (Lisdoonvarna), Burren Premium Beef (Boston), Burren Free Range Pork (Kilfenora), Linnalla Ice Cream (New Quay), and Wild Kitchen Elderflower Champagne & Haw Ketchup (Lahinch). Four new members have signed up to GEOfood in recent weeks, namely Burren Blossom Honey (Ballyvaughan), Celtic Salads (New Quay), Clare Jam Company (Doolin) and Savage Craic Fermented Foods (Corkscrew Hill).

“In the next year, we are looking to grow the GEOfood concept further to include restaurants and other food outlets and encourage them to use more locally sourced foods,” added Ms. Gleeson. “We hope to enthuse chefs, local people and visitors about the quality of food grown in the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark. Through GEOfood, we look forward to further strengthening local livelihoods and further enhancing the growing national and international reputation garnered by the Burren for its quality food produce.” Visit www.burrengeopark.ie for more.

Onefor the future

Corofin’s youngest supporter, Evie O’Connell watching the goings-on during the FutureTicketing Cusack Cup clash between St Breckan’s and Corofin in Corofin on Saturday evening

Photo by Burren Eye Photography

Two hands on the ball

Macalla an Chláir

le MACDARA Ó CONAOLA

An Clár as Gaeilge Teo Togra Páirtnéireachta Forbairt Teanga Pobail do Chontae an Chláir

Aisteoirí Broadway agus Hollywood sna blianta amach romhainn

Go bhfága Dia an tsláinte ag páistí Rang a hAon Ghaelscoil Mhichíl Cíosóg a thug leo Craobh na hÉireann i gComórtas a 7 den

Fhéile Scoildrámaíocht Náisiúnta sa Muileann gCearr an tseachtain seo caite leis an dráma, ‘’An Fear Sinséir’’, faoi stiúir a gcuid múinteoirí Órnaith Ní Loingsigh agus Ruairí Chesser. Maith sibh uilig!

PREAB-GHAELTACHT / Pop-Up Gaeltacht, 26ú Bealtaine / May, 7.30pm, Tigh Knox’s, Sráid na Mainistreach, Inis, Co. an Chláir.

Imeachtaí/Events:

• INIS - Rang Amhránaíochta ar an sean-nós le Domhnall Ó Braonáin, gach Déardaoin, 7pm, Cois na hAbhna

• SRÁID NA CATHRACH - Scéalta agus Rannta le Chéile le Ceri, chuile Dé Céadaoin sa Leabharlann ó 10.30 – 11am, Saor in aisce / Free of charge

• INIS DÍOMÁIN - Scéalaíocht do pháistí / Story time i nGaeilge le Ceri Garfield, Dé Sathairn 13ú Bealtaine / May, Leabharlann Phoiblí, 11am, Saor in aisce

• RAIDIÓ CLARE FM - ‘’Cúl-chaint’’ le Domhnall Ó Loingsigh chuile mhaidin Dé Sathairn, 9am. Seol nuacht chuig: Donal@clare.fm

• INIS - Rith le Ruairí, chuile Dé Máirt ag 7.30pm, ag Local Motion, Sráid Uí Chonaill

• CILL INÍNE BAOITH - Ciorcal Comhrá san XPO, chuile Dé Céadaoin ag 7.30pm

• INIS - Caint agus Comhrá, chuile Dé Luain ag 11am sa gCopper Jug, Dé Céadaoin ag 11am in Insomnia (Tesco), oíche Déardaoin sa Temple Gate (8pm), agus Dé Sathairn i nGlór, Inis, 11am-12pm

Heather O’Malley lining out for Clare in the primary game at half-time in Sunday’s Munster senior football final. Her uncle, Stephen Ryan was also playing but as the goalkeeper for Clare’s senior footballers

Thought for the week: Flower of May

Spreading the word of positivity

RONAN SCULLY

“APRIL showers bring May flowers.” You remember that little rhyme from your youth, don’t you?

Growing up in Ireland meant that sometimes these showers were of the very heavy variety, but those flowers did spring up in May as they are doing around the country at this present moment. And at my house there were plenty of them, especially roses, my mother’s favorite part of her garden. But May is not just the month of beautiful flowers; it is also the month of Mary.

MAY’S BEGINNINGS

As I write this thought for the week, I am just after returning from a beautiful May walk around where I live, where finally the season of summer is upon us and it has shown itself in full bloom and it gave me a sweet taste of the hopefully warm summer days before us. Hopefully it will make us in some ways feel younger and more alive even in these worrying times!

A thought that came to me during my walk is that I love and adore the month of May and the beginning of the season of Summer.

I love the sunshine of the summer months as it brightens up the world, and with it, brings days of new warmth and gives obvious signs of awakening and renewal wherever we look. It amazes me how the evening’s start to lengthen to its fullest and how the heat of the sun comes back into the air. For me, summer

is the symbolic season that reminds one to grab hold of all that life has to offer as we are never sure of our tomorrows. Summer is the fulfilment of a hopeful Spring. To make the most of summer is, for me, to make the most of all that is good in life. Gone are thoughts of winter despair or a chilling and wet spring. Everything around us now in this summer season is alive and vibrant and in full maturity.

If I seize a summer day, I believe I seize life itself and find in it all that gives pleasure, faith and meaning. But nothing is as beautiful as all the trees, flowers, shrubs and bushes that are in full bloom and full of life and energy. It is truly a beautiful, magical and wonderful time of our year.

It makes me think about the many blessings that summer shines upon us, such as the warmth and freshness in the air, the warm sun on my skin, wonderful humid breezes, singing of the birds, the growth of nature all around me, animals of all kinds fully emerged, fresh and sea waters flowing, trees, plants and flowers fully blossomed in an array of numerous colours, and of course the oncoming of the summer holidays.

MONTH OF OUR LADY

In the month of May we also celebrate the month of Mary. By following Mary, we can see the way to love Jesus more deeply and appreciate how much he loves us. Our Blessed Mother’s unique and holy experience and profound wisdom are a perfect compass for our journey on this earth. The month of May is a time when the People of God express with particular intensity their

love and devotion for the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is traditional in this month to pray the Rosary at home within the family. The month of May which is also the month of Our Lady marks the start of the summer and a time to enjoy and experience life. The flowers are in full bloom, the weather is mild and the first fruits of the soil are beginning to reward our hard labour.

It is fitting that we should dedicate to Mary, the most beautiful month of the year, for she is the most beautiful of God’s creatures. We should offer this month to Mary, by increasing our love for her. We should love her with a filial love, for she loves us with the heart of a mother. If we contemplate her beauty and goodness, we shall be inflamed with love for her. It will be a tender love, such as we have for our earthly mother and, at the same time, a respectful and worshipful love, such as we ought to have for the Mother of God.

Our offering of the month of May to Mary, should result in a twofold resolution: the resolution to make good our failings and to advance in holiness. This is the only way in which we can prove the sincerity of our affection, by deeds rather than by words.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

As your thought for the week and throughout this month of May I invite you to pray as Mary did in the silence of your heart. Take the time to find a place in your home where you can spend half an hour to an hour in silent meditative prayer and in this silent atmosphere try to discover the silence within yourself. This will need time, effort and discipline but the rewards of peace

and harmony leading to true understanding and faith make all the work worthwhile. Mary wants us to pray to her because she wishes to obtain for us, the graces which we require. She loves us very much and is ready to help us to become, like her, living imitations of Jesus, insofar as the weakness of our nature will permit. Let me leave you with this beautiful Marian prayer I like to recite during the month of May and all year through.

Mary is the beautiful fragrance of Jesus and to be the fragrance of Jesus is the call of every disciple. As the prayer of St. Mother Teresa and St. Cardinal Newman goes, “Dear Jesus, be the Light that others see when they look at me. Jesus, help me to spread your fragrance wherever I am. Fill my heart with your Spirit and your life.

Penetrate my being and take such hold of me that my life becomes a radiation of your own life. Give your light through me and remain in me in such a way that every soul I come in contact with can feel your presence in me. May people not see me, but see you in me. Remain in me, so that I shine with your light, and may others be illuminated by my light. All light will come from you, Oh Jesus. Not even the smallest ray of light will be mine. You will illuminate others through me. Place on my lips your greatest praise, illuminating others around me.

May I preach you with actions more than with words, with the example of my actions, with the visible light of the love that comes from you to my heart. Amen.” Enjoy a beautiful May and summer!!

Photo by Gerard O’Neill

l Féile Scoildhrámaíochta 2023

Dáta don dialann

LEAN ar na meáin-shóisialta muid / Follow us on social media, @ ClárAsGaeilge, Twitter, Facebook agus Instagram. R-phost / email: lionranahinse@gmail.com

Up to 2,000 fish killed in North Clare GREEN CLARE

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

UP TO 2,000 fish have died outside Ennistymon prompting both Inland Fisheries Ireland and the Environment Protection Agency to commence investigations into the matter.

A rusty red colour was first spotted on the Ballymacraven River last week with the alarm raised with Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) on Tuesday last, by Thursday hundreds of dead fish were visible and this figure has continued to rise as the days have passed.

Spreading for 2.6km in length, the fish kill occurred on the Ballymacraven River where it meets the Inagh River in North Clare. Species of fish discovered dead include a large number of eel, along with salmon, trout, rudd and flounder, of all ages.

IFI have described it as “a serious incident”. After they were informed of an ecological issue, they undertook water sampling to assess the quality of the water. “IFI is not in a position to confirm the specific cause of this fish kill at this early stage, but our investigations are continuing. IFI, the State agency responsible for the protection and

conservation of freshwater fish and habitats, reminds the public they can report instances of fish kills, pollution or illegal fishing nationwide by calling its confidential 24/7 number, 0818 34 74 24,” a spokesperson outlined.

As part of the investigations, Uisce Éireann’s water treatment plant on the Kilfenora Rd in Ennistymon is to be examined, particularly its processes and outputs over the past week.

Fisheries Environmental Officer with IFI Jane Gilleran said “nothing on this scale has happened before”. She explained, “This is the most significant fish kill in my 16 years with IFI that I’ve been working in the Shannon and southern regions. In terms of the wider impact, obviously it has very significant impacts to the fish because we’ve lost probably the last three years of production of salmon. And as you know, salmon returned to the river that they were spawned in to spawn themselves, so potentially we’ve lost salmon. It’ll have really significant long-term impacts for salmon on this stretch and for eels”.

Ennistymon fisherman, Paudie Fahy was among those to contact IFI. “I have never seen more than

the odd few fish dead in any one time or place, I’ve never see anything like it myself, it is shocking,” he told The Clare Echo Paudie feared that the impacts could be long-lasting. “The people into the fishing are raging, we’re not able to fish that river for salmon because there is such low stock, it has wiped three years’ worth of stock, there is also the risk now that the fish could be laying eggs into toxic gravel, they might never recover”.

He added, “People are outraged at the destruction to the eco system but also from a health and safety point of view, this stretch is very popular among walkers. If it can do that much damage to the fish, there could be other consequences”.

Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting of the Clare Joint Policing Committee, Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) lamented the fish kill given the “huge work” done in the area by ecologists and farmers. Director of Services with

Clare County Council, Leonard Cleary confirmed that the environment section of the local authority is working with IFI on their investigation.

Community water officer, Ruairí Ó Conchúir who was among those credited for this “huge work” expressed his dismay. He labelled it as “very sad and disheartening to see such a massive loss of fish coupled with the related ecosystem impacts in the beautiful Ballymacraven river. Totally devastating for the local community who care for, and love, this river so much”.

Clare TD, Violet-Anne Wynne (IND) described the situation as “deeply concerning and could seriously affect the county’s ecology and tourism”. She stated, “The destructive effects of pollution on marine life have never been more apparent than now. Species of fish once thought tolerant to pollution are among the dead. We urgently

need more action on water pollution before this becomes a regular occurrence”.

Chair of the North Clare branch of the Labour Party, Denis Vaughan described the pollution as “a tragedy”. He stated, “Ennistymon has always treasured this marvellous waterway that flows through the town. It gives the area a lot of its distinct character. Alongside the Rivers Inagh and Tattons, by the Falls Hotel, there is a very popular walk known locally as The Glen.

For local people this pollution is really bad news. It comes at the beginning of the summer when water levels are falling. That will make it harder for the Inagh to recover. This matter does not help the booming tourism trade”.

Vaughan added, “This sad episode further enhances our claim that pollution must be seriously addressed in North Clare. It has become a matter of urgency”.

l DECIMATED: Fish found dead in the Ballymacraven River

Emergency permission sought to remove dead ash trees affected by dieback

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

CRITICISM has been hurled in the direction at the Junior Minister for Land Use and Biodiversity over the delays in removing dead ash trees from plantations.

In a proposal tabled before Clare County Council this week, Cllr Pat Burke (FG) called on Minister of State, Pippa Hackett (GP) “to give landowners emergency permission to remove dead ash trees from plantations affected by Ash Dieback disease as a matter of urgency”.

Over 6,000 farm and forestry families have been affected by ash dieback with thousands of hectares of woodland rendered useless because of dead and infected ash trees.

Ash dieback is a fungal infection first witnessed in Eastern Europe over 20 years ago and detected

in Ireland in 2012. It has wiped out much of the country’s plantations of ash trees.

Co Clare is among one of the most populated counties in terms of ash trees, Cllr Burke stated with an estimated 2,870 hectares. The Whitegate representative planted seventeen hectares of ash in 2011 “in good faith”. He attended a conference held at the Dome in Thurles which was organised by the Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners organisation at the end of March.

“Pippa Hackett of Green Party has responsibility for forestry but has taken no heed of our concern, I don’t see her doing a whole lot,” Cllr Burke commented. He said he asked Senator Roisin Garvey (GP) to discuss the matter when she was first elevated to the Seanad in May 2020 “but I’m disappointed Senator Garvey hasn’t done anything”.

He continued, “the civil servants are driving the agenda in Dublin, it is riddled in red tape, it is pure frustration over the last two years, I will be removing the trees myself and I’m a law abiding citizen”. Burke added, “land is very valuable, if there’s no dead ash trees this land is very valuable to farm or rent out”. An approximate 5.5 tonnes of woodchip were imported to Bord na Mona to power Foynes, he flagged, “we have all that in our country, we have the dead trees, get on with this and cut out the bureaucracy”. According to Cllr Paul Murphy (FG), “it is a burning issue that needs to be dealt with urgently”. Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND) noted, “Cllr Burke has been very clear on this issue, this is not his first time, he has been consistent on this”. Support was also voiced by Cllr Joe Killeen (FF), Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) and Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF).

Action is needed, Cllr Joe Cooney (FG) insisted, “We are well aware of the issues affecting rural people, we are calling on the Ministers to stop dragging their heels, get the thing moved on and stop delaying process”. Cllr Mary Howard commented, “Anyone investing in forestry is investing in their future but when it is dying in front of you it is very frustrating”.

“Forestry owners need to be compensated for losses incurred because of ash dieback,” Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG) maintained. A neighbourwood scheme was destroyed in Lisdoonvarna because of the spread of ash dieback, Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) stated.

A well-known hurley maker was “blue in the face” from raising the issue with senior Government figures and getting nowhere, Cllr PJ Ryan (IND) told the meeting.

Cllr Pat Burke pictured on his land where ash dieback has destroyed 17 hectares

‘An autistic person brings a million strengths to the table but we’re not seeing it’

by Stuart Holly editor@clareecho.ie

PRACTICE what you preach, they say.

It’s a mantra that must sit comfortably with Dr Susan Crawford. Susan is an autism spectrum disorder consultant who specialises in movement and how active movement can positively impact on autistic people’s lives. This November, she will take part in the New York City Marathon along with her 28-year old son Tomás, who has autism.

Tomás was born to run and by his side from a young age was his mother.

“Tomás started out as a night runner when he was small,” Susan tells The Clare Echo. “He was up running around the house at night. Rather than seeing it as a burden, I said there’s only one thing to do here, get up and run with him at night. So that’s what I started doing.”

Miltown Malbay resident Susan was doing work as a sports massage therapist at the time with local GAA clubs and she was in for a surprise after mentioning to then Doonbeg treasurer about her family’s new-found enthusiasm for running.

“John arranged lorryloads of ash and they put in a track here around the house for us. So, we were running around the track before we knew and the next thing he was in the Special Olympics and winning medals, and then we transferred onto mainstream running and going off doing hikes and trails. He loves it.

He ran his first half marathon in Ballyvaughan when he was 15. Everyday he’s out, he goes to the gym, he runs, he hikes, he’s extremely fit with exercise which is great.”

Training began in earnest for the pair this week for the New York City Marathon however Susan and Tomás are no strangers to endur-

ance. In 2019, the pair ran from the Old Head of Kinsale to Free Derry Corner to spread the word of autism awareness.

Recounting the experience as “life-changing”, Susan explains, “In every county we were in we gave a talk on autism and the importance of movement, and it just captured the minds and hearts of people. And for ourselves it was humbling because people were just amazing, the generosity, the kindness. Take North Connemara, this woman I had never met had the whole week of accommodation, food, drivers, everything organised for us. Tomás loved it.

“It’s great for an awful lot of those stereotypes around autism, ‘people who are autistic don’t want to mix’, sure the man took to it like a duck to water. We stayed in different places most nights, we met different people every day but as along as he was mov-

ing and active, he was really happy in everything he did. We had other people coming out saying ‘my lad wouldn’t walk at all’ and then they’re there with 3-4 miles walked as we built up momentum, it was fantastic.”

The former Green Party councillor is on a mission build awareness, acceptance and understanding around autism and she used her time in politics to roll out sensory kits in public amenities such as churches and GAA grounds in Miltown, Inagh and Moy.

Having obtained a PHd in Autism & Movement Impairment in 2007 from UL, Susan since developed her acclaimed ‘Get Autism Active’ toolkit, which is now used by educators, coaches and parents across the world to help address motor delays and impairment for autistic children and adults.

running club. They become part and parcel of something in the community so it opens up so many doors of engagement that wouldn’t be there if they didn’t have those skills.”

Susan also trains the likes of teachers, occupational therapists and physios on how to adapt a programme for people who are autistic, while she also carries out one-to-one work while rolling out workshops and webinars in collaboration with education centres and the Local Sports Partnership.

Clare Autism Aware

The competition is open to all primary school children. There are three categories.

Category 1: Junior Infants to First Class

Download and print and colour in the Healthy Ireland SunSmart 5S’s images from the link below.

Category 2: Second Class to Fourth Class

Draw a picture of how to be SunSmart using the Healthy Ireland SunSmart 5S’s..

Category 3: Fifth and Sixth Class

Draw a picture of how to be SunSmart using the Healthy Ireland SunSmart 5S’s.

Ask a parent or teacher to take a photo of your picture and email it to healthyireland@ health.gov.ie by 5pm on 31st May 2023

Visit www.gov.ie/en/publication/0704b-get-sunsmart-childrens-art-competition for more information.

“I tell people, this is the alphabet of movement. If you want somebody to read and write, you wouldn’t expect them to do that without literacy access,” the Inagh native explains. “It’s the same with movement, if you don’t have the skills we have to teach them. We have to help somebody develop those skills, that’s my passion and I suppose Tomás is a living example of it as are so many other children … over the years I’ve worked with people in residential settings, not exposed to developing movement skills and suddenly they’re out there and they take up running, jumping and all of this and they now have a toolkit and if they’re feeling anxious they can go out and do something to help them overcome anxiety.”

She says the feedback from families has been amazing. “People describe having different types of behaviours that the family couldn’t manage, and then they enter a programme, develop movement skills they can transfer that to join a local rowing club or

Currently, Dr Susan Crawford is involved in rolling out Clare Autism Aware, an initiative being rolled out by Clare County Council to grow awareness around the condition. She has offered in-person training to council staff as Clare County Council endeavours to make their premises Autism Aware, while they are also rolling out a series of free webinars which anybody can take part in. The first webinar took place last Tuesday and the webinar will be repeated for the next three coming Tuesdays for people, community groups and businesses who wish to become Autism Aware.

“It’s open to parents, practitioners, businesses, to anybody. It’s very much a generic hour of talking about autism, and what happens if you’re working alongside somebody who has autism, what adaptations might you make, equally if you have a business, a hotel, what might you need to do to make your premises more autism aware.

“Sometimes it is just a case of trying to understand. You could be standing in a queue with somebody who is autistic and next thing they might start turning around and around or hand flapping; if you’ve done this type

of training, you’ll know ‘well he needed to do that because he was feeling anxious’. So, it’s just about getting that understanding “We all are coming across people every day who are autistic, whether we’re aware of it or not.”

Dr Crawford contends that awareness is the first and most important hurdle which must be broached for autistic people. “I don’t know how many parents have told me, ‘he turned 18 and it was like he fell off a cliff. He was just left there with nobody offering any service, nobody offering opportunity’. So there’s huge gaps there in terms of what’s out there for people who are autistic for when they finish school. We have huge unemployment numbers globally for autistic people and that’s something that needs to be addressed. What we’re not seeing is, an autistic person brings a million, billion strengths to the table, if people stood back and looked at it. It’s about giving somebody those opportunities to display those and to use them to the best of their ability.”

To take part in the Clare Autism Aware webinar visit https://yoursay.clarecoco.ie/ clareautismaware to register. To learn more about Dr Susan Crawford’s work, visit www.getautismactive.com.

Dr Susan Crawford

How to design a healthy kitchen

Deirdre Coleman Interior Designer

Ahealthy kitchen - designed with occupant wellbeing as the utmost priority - is defined, for me, by three things; a kitchen that allows multiple people to work, connect and relax, a kitchen that brings in nature and natural light and lastly, a kitchen that facilitates home cooking. Creating a well-designed kitchen that supports a healthy lifestyle, fosters family connection and helps you destress comes down to one thing - thoughtful design. For many people, the kitchen is the most important room in the house, the social hub of the home where people congregate and linger.

The rise in popularity of combined cooking/ eating/living spaces has led to the demise of the formal dining room and many home renovations begin by converting this room into a more usable space. It’s not just a trend towards a more relaxed way of dining; the whole process of prepping and eating has become more social. More than with any other room, it is essential to get the specifications of your kitchen right. It needs to be functional, hard-wearing, easy to clean, easy to access, calming, inspiring and comfortable. A tall order! Whether you’re planning a new build or a kitchen renovation, here are 7 useful tips to design your kitchen for health and wellbeing. Whether you’re planning a new build or a kitchen renovation, here are 7 useful tips to design your kitchen for health and wellbeing.

1Design for sociability

Layout is one of the most important aspects to consider when designing a sociable kitchen. It is vital that there is enough space to accommodate more than just the cook, and for your family and guests to be able to move freely and safely around the room. Naturally, a kitchen island is the perfect design choice if you have the available space, as additional worktop space is automatically created, as well as a central hub to gather around. If your kitchen leads out to your garden, make the most of this by creating an indoors-outdoors entertaining space; bi-fold doors or a sliding door is the perfect solution to this. Consider the positioning of your kitchen island and seating areas in your kitchen, so that the garden is easily accessed by guests, and the view can be truly appreciated. If space allows, you can position your hob on the island. The Bora induction hob’s technology eliminates the need for a conventional extractor hood, providing the freedom to maximize your space, effortlessly cook and entertain the family. Cooking vapours and odours are effectively extracted as it has a powerful extraction motor and extremely low-noise fan - an important consideration in an openplan space. Having the hob on the kitchen island can help to create the perfect working triangle - tying together your sink, hob and fridge, having them all within an easy pivot and step or two of each other, rather than in a long line or on other sides of the kitchen to one another. Having a hob on the kitchen island creates a fantastic social hub and cooking experience allowing you

to chat with guests or supervise homework while you are standing cooking.

I rarely design sinks into islands, unless it’s considerably long and there aren’t other options as you want to keep smells and unsightly pots and pans away from seated guests. Another consideration to keep island surfaces mess-free is to fit two dishwashers if there’s a big household or you entertain frequently. This allows you to fill the second dishwasher with any surplus dishes. With two dishwashers, there will be no unloading part. One dishwasher is like a shelf – storing clean dishes. And the other is like a sink for dirty dishes. When the latter gets full, turn it on, and swap the roles. Rinse and repeat, literally.

2Bring nature in Biophilic design is when you want to bring nature into your home and increase its connectivity with the outside world. This can be done in a number of ways, from using natural materials in the build of your kitchen or by physically including plants and greenery and other natural elements and materials.

Based on studies carried out in Norway, Japan, Canada and Austria, wood seems to have positive effects on the emotional state of people. Environments with wooden structures cause a drop in blood pressure and pulse and have a calming effect. Use natural wood in your cabinets and mix it with painted elements - it’s one way of bringing in the warmth, texture and character of wood which has a positive impact on how we feel. Alternatively, paint your cabinets in earthy palettes such as greens

and browns, to blend in with the outside. Forest colour palettes are deeply calming and restorative. Invite nature up close by bringing in natural light through glass doors, sliding doors/French doors, picture and velux windows and roof lanterns.

Wood can also be incorporated through wooden furniture and flooring and accessories like cutting boards. Other natural materials include marble as a counter or splash back, limestone flooring or through accessories in linen, rattan, wicker or jute. Stone vases filled with foliage and earthenware pots for wooden cooking utensils also bring natural elements in and create visual vignettes that are uplifting and energising.

3Create multiple work zones

If everyone loves to get stuck into the cooking in your home, consider ways to create multiple work zones. When everyone can enjoy time cooking together, it helps the whole family to bond and improves appreciation of good food. Encouraging younger members of the family to prep food helps them to understand its importance, try new flavours and to make healthier choices. Zone the kitchen into prep, cooking, storage and refrigeration areas where possible and think of how the flow will work. The key to creating functional zones is to store items as closely as possible to where you use them. For example, keep spices and oils near where you are cooking and locate the crockery storage near the dishwasher. This way, even if a nutritious food item or recipe does call for a few minutes

of prep, the task of chopping, washing, or seasoning will feel far less daunting.

4Hack the pantry: Place healthy bites front and centre

People make healthy food choices when healthy food is accessible. Place powerhouse munchies like nuts, seeds, nut butters, dried fruits, oatmeal, protein bars and seed crackers front and centre so you don’t have to search and equally hide treats out of sight. Store the stuff you use every day within easy reach and the things you need less often higher up. Decant your foods to streamline and declutter storage spaces and so you can readily see where ingredients are and what items are running low so you’re always running on a well-stocked pantry.

5

Conceal your kitchen engine

Have your pantry and appliance garage behind closed doors so your kitchen looks clean and streamlined helping you relax without looking at clutter. Hidden kitchens are increas-ingly a trend where you can hide the stress and mess of cooking behind bi-fold or sliding doors until it’s time to tidy up. You can conceal everything including the kitchen sink be-hind closed doors. This is great in an open plan space where you can perfectly hide the functional parts of the kitchen behind matching kitchen cabinetry and if you’re someone who can’t relax unless the kitchen is spotless this is a perfect solution to create a streamlined look. It also works well if you work from home

and want to conceal the engine of the room and have an unobtrusive backdrop while you work.

6

Have a place for everything

Bursting cupboards and piles of paper stacked around the house may seem harmless enough but research shows disorganisation and clutter have a cumulative effect on us. Our brains like order, and constant visual reminders of disorganisation drain our cognitive resources, reducing our ability to focus. Clutter can make us feel stressed, anxious and depressed. Finally, people with extremely cluttered homes are 77 percent more likely to be overweight. Tidy homes have been found to be a predictor of physical health. Participants whose houses were cleaner were more active and had better physical health, according to another study. Avoid clutter by planning hidden bin storage and keep your island clutter-free by creating a small drop zone near your entrance for keys, sunglasses, wallets, etc. so they don’t even have to come near the counters.

7

Start a kitchen garden

A kitchen garden is a great way to always have fresh, organic herbs and vegetables on the menu. If you don’t have a large outdoor area, consider a potted kitchen garden or use your vertical wall space outside to create a herb wall. The kitchen window is the perfect sunny spot to propagate seedlings.

Beginners Guide to Growing Your Own Kitchen Garden

1Start with Herbs

Grow your own supply of culinary herbs in containers, whatever your conditions. Think about the herbs you want to use in your kitchen on a daily basis. If you’re starting from scratch, plant a herb pot with the following: flat leaf parsley, basil, chives, rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage. Ensure the combination of herbs works together as herbs have differing soil needs. Select a ceramic pot with drainage holes and fill with good quality potting mix. You can grow herbs from seed or transplants from a garden centre. To grow from seed, fill individual seed pots or a flat of six-packs or cells with moistened seed-starting mix. Sprinkle seeds lightly on soil, following directions on the seed packet; sow one seed or two in each cell or pocket of a sixpack. Cover the seeds with about 1/8 inch of the mix. Press the mix down lightly and spritz the surface with water to moisten it and settle the seeds. Make sure your container herb garden receives enough light by placing the pots in a space that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of sun each day. Frequent harvest-ing encourages fresh growth, so don’t be shy about pinching and clipping your homegrown herbs. To promote healthy growth, feed your herbs with a fertiliser suitable for edibles. A liquid organic fertiliser can be used every 3 to 4 weeks while a slow release organic product can be added to

the potting mix at planting time.

2Create a raised bed

Raised beds offer the beginner vegetable gardener an easy height to work on, a tidy space, less weeding and a higher yield per square foot plus the versatility to position on a grass or hard surface area. Railway sleepers are perfect for edging your raised bed but make sure they’re not treated with creosote as that can leach into the soil.

Place the railway sleepers on level ground in a square or rectangular shape, with the sleepers touching at the 90-degree corners.

The recommended width is 1.2 metres if you are able to reach it from all sides and 60cm if only from one side. If placing raised beds next to each other, remember that you will need access between them for a wheelbarrow. Line the bottom of the raised bed with weed-suppressing membrane. This will prevent any weeds from growing up from the soil below, whilst allowing free drainage of water from the bed. If laying the raised bed on a hard surface such as a patio, it is also advised to add a layer of gravel to assist drainage. Then fill with your chosen soil or compost, lightly water and leave the soil to settle for at least a week before planting.

3Grow what you love

There’s no sense growing radishes because someone told you they’re easy to grow if you hate them. Start with just a few types of veggies you like, and get a few plants of each. Start with simple crops that don’t suffer from many pests and diseases like salad crops, spring onions and beetroot so you can get a win under your belt first time around.

4

Gardening tools for beginners

To protect your hands while working with plants, invest in a good pair of durable gloves. Save your knees with knee pads or a knee cushion. This is especially important for beginners as your body may not be used to this kind of movement. An essential tool for every beginner’s gardening kit is a multi-purpose hand trowel. You can plant bulbs, dig up weeds, transplant plants and so much more with this versatile gardening tool. Make sure you choose one that fits comfortably in your hand both with gloves on and off. Once your plants start growing, you’ll need to keep them tidy. A good sharp pair of pruning shears are key to successful gardening. For those bigger jobs that you don’t want to do kneeling by hand, and just for planting in general, you’ll need a shovel or a spade. Both are excellent tools for digging and moving dirt easily. Just like your shears, you’ll want to sharpen these

regularly. While watering cans are great for targeting specific areas, you’ll need a garden hose to spray your entire garden. Get an adjustable nozzle so you can control how much water you’re spraying over your plants.

5Get grounded

There are proven psychological benefits to connecting directly with nature through gardening activities. Whether weeding, planting, or trimming hedges, re-connecting with nature encourages people to see the beauty around them, and it also allows us to experience wildlife in their natural habitat. By physically clearing a garden of unwanted growth and weeds, it can also provide inner clarity and calmness. The colour green is proven to have relaxing effects, helping to lower stress and blood pressure levels. The traditional seated act of mindfulness can easily be done in an outdoor setting, simply choose a comfortable area to sit in and be present. Allow nature sounds or nearby water features to guide the meditation for a relaxing experience. Alternatively, you might prefer to avail of mindfulness benefits through gardening. By focusing attention on completing a specific duty, this removes distracting thoughts and allows us to be present on the task at hand.

Where to Shop

Self.ly Interior Design based in Ennis, Co. Clare is focused on wellness interior design, creating spaces that enhance our wellbeing. Interior Designer, Deirdre Coleman, is passionate about designing for the wellness of her clients and focuses on delivering restorative spaces that positively impact on health and wellbeing.

With an interest in designing for wellness, Deirdre is putting her considerable wealth of experience in self-care, health and wellbeing to design homes that make people feel their best

selves.

Self.ly Interior Design offers one hour online design consultations, room designs and full house designs customised to your needs. We also offer property staging and showhouse design focused on wellbeing and hybrid working.

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RAILWAY SLEEPERS AVAILABLE FROM DAN MCINERNEY’S

HUGO PEDESTAL OVAL DINING TABLE, CASEY’S FURNITURE, LIMERICK

OTTAWA - 4 SEAT SET WITH 120CM ROUND TABLE, RATHWOOD FURNITURE, AVAILABLE FROM VAUGHAN’S GARDEN CENTRE

CLAY INDOOR/OUTDOOR PLANTER, WILL AND I, ARDNACRUSHA

BIEDERLACK THROW, HOME GALLERY, ENNIS

SWING FURNITURE COLLECTION, PAVILION OUTDOORS, GALWAY

BURTON GARDEN LOUNGE SET, CASEY’S FURNITURE, LIMERICK

GROZONE WATERING CAN AVAILABLE FROM VAUGHAN’S GARDEN CENTRE

Clare County Council is currently inviting applications from suitably qualified persons for the below competitions. Clare County Council will, following the interview process, form panels for the areas set out below from which future relevant vacancies may be filled subject to sanction approval from the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage.

CUSTOMER SERVICES OFFICER (SECURITY) PANEL 2023

Completed applications must be emailed to: recruitment@clarecoco.ie not later than 12 noon on Wednesday 24th May 2023.

LIFEGUARD INSTRUCTOR ACTIVE ENNIS 2023 (SPORADIC COVER)

Completed applications must be emailed to: recruitment@clarecoco.ie not later than 12 noon on Thursday 25th May 2023. Application forms and further particulars may be obtained by requesting same from the Human Resources Department, Clare County Council at 065-6846250, via e-mail: recruitment@clarecoco.ie or can be downloaded from the following website: www.clarecoco.ie

Clare County Council is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sectors of the Community.

Scriobh chugainn as gaeilge más fearr leat.

Campion Insurance acquires Gleeson Insurance

GLEESON INSURANCE, based in Ennis, County Clare, is the latest specialist brokerage to become part of the rapidly growing insurance intermediary PIB Group Ltd (‘PIB’). The business was acquired through Campion Insurance, which leads PIB’s Irish division. This acquisition further strengthens Campion’s portfolio of businesses in Ireland.

The arrival of Gleeson Insurance to Campion’s portfolio adds to the accelerated growth in Ireland and builds on the 13 businesses already acquired. Following this acquisition, the total headcount for PIB in Ireland now exceeds 400 employees.

This acquisition further builds on Campion’s and PIB Group’s strategy of developing specialist businesses in their markets and will add to and complement the significant footprint Campion Insurance has in Ireland. With their growing scale and size and following on from their recent acquisition in February of two brokerage firms (Landmark Insurance and Halligan Insur-

ance), Campion Insurance are very well placed to meet the needs of all their customers. This is due to their broad range of services and offerings from specialist commercial products, motor and home insurance and life & pensions products.

Michael Gleeson will continue to lead

business once again highlights our ambition in the Irish market and aligns with our strategy of developing our specialist insurance offerings for the benefit of our customers. I would like to extend a very warm welcome to our new colleagues, following the acquisition of Gleeson Insurances. I look forward to working with Michael Gleeson and the team in Gleeson Insurance to continue our growth in the market as our business continues to go from strength to strength.

Looking ahead to the rest of 2023, PIB and Campion Insurance will continue to invest significantly in the Irish insurance market and aims to attract more excellent local brokers to the portfolio. We will continue to attract new talent and develop our team in Ireland to provide ambitious employees with challenging and rewarding careers.”

Gleeson Insurance and the business will form part of PIB’s Irish division, led by Campion Insurance who have been part of PIB since 2021.

Jim Campion, CEO of Campion Insurance, commented “The addition of this

Michael Gleeson, Managing Director, Gleeson Insurance said: “The acquisition of Gleeson Insurance by PIB Group is great news for our clients and team. We are delighted to now be part of the Group and look forward to working with Jim Campion and Campion Insurance to drive growth of the business in Ireland.”

63% of consumers base decisions on impact of climate change

THE STARK reality of working towards attaining net zero was brought home at a recent seminar hosted by Shannon Chamber via its newly established Sustainability Forum.

The purpose of the seminar, which was held in Ei Electronics’ Centre of Excellence in Shannon, was to brief companies on the rationale for focusing on sustainability, to give them a pathway to commencing their sustainability journeys, and to hear what two companies, Analog Devices and Heraeus Precious Metals, are doing to attain net zero.

The key takeaways from a briefing given by Climeaction’s Paul Murphy and Annie Duffy, a company that provides climate action solutions for all types of businesses were that 63 per cent of consumers now base their decisions on the impact they will have on climate action and that companies do not realise the amount of change required over the next five years to enable them to attain net zero.

“Start by understanding your company’s carbon footprint, then use this baseline to develop a list of opportunities for improvement. Set goals and develop a practical strategy to achieve your goals for emissions’ reduction, cost savings and improvement in your overall ESG performance. Then, identify the capacity within your company to deliver this strategy,” they advised.

Shannon Chamber CEO Helen Downes said after the seminar: “Companies like Analog Devices and Heraeus are not only leading by example but willing to share their knowledge and expertise with the wider Chamber membership. They are doing so by being active members of our Sustainability Forum and will play a key role in ensuring that more companies start their sustainability journeys.”

Just reward for Clare's Minors

MUNSTER MINOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

Clare 1-19 Cork 0-15

Venue: FBD Semple Stadium, Thurles

Compiled by Eoin Brennan

STORY OF THE GAME

CLARE

Frees For: 11 (5/6)

Wides: 10 (3/7)

Scores from Play: 1-10

Spread of Scorers: 10

Top Scorer: Marc O’Brian (0-8 7f)

Own Puck-Outs won: 17 from 25 (68%)

SCAN HERE FOR MATCH REPORT

CORK Frees For: 8 (7/1)

Wides: 11 (6/5)

Scores from Play: 0-10

Spread of Scorers: 5

Top Scorer: Barry Walsh (0-9 5f)

Own Puck-Outs won: 19 from 30 (63%)

REFEREE: Alan Tierney (Tipperary)

MANAGER COMMENT “

“I’m delighted as this is a just reward for what is being done at underage and the work that has been done by Kieran McDermott and all the coaches involved is justified by winning this Munster Championship.

“The boys in the second half in particular were just magnificent. They worked so hard, dug so deep and picked off their scores when needed. They are a great

bunch of players and a pleasure to work with.

“The goal was decisive early in the second half but before that, at the same goal at the end of the first half there was a save that kept us ahead going in at half-time. A goal at that stage for Cork could have been a turning point but we were the ones to get it and as we all know goals win games and I felt that we turned the screw af-

ter that and put them under real pressure.

“The second half overall was impressive from the lads as we were a little bit loose in the first half and gave away a bit of ball. At

times they ran through our half-forward line and midfield a little too easily so when we tightened that up, we were far superior and I don’t think they scored for the first ten or so minutes of

the second half.

“It’s hard to faze them, they take it all in their stride. They have done a good bit of work with Paul Flanagan of the senior team. Paul has talked to them

about remaining composed and staying in the here and now and not getting influenced by outside factors and I thought they showed that in abundance today. They were very calm and they know what they want to do with the ball and invariably they also execute it very well.

“We’ll celebrate this but as Eoghan [Gunning] said in his speech this is only objective number one complete as there is now an All-Ireland series to aim for and why not?”

Clare will be underdogs for U20 final

MUNSTER U20 HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL

Clare 3-17 Tipperary 0-17

Venue: FBD Semple Stadium, Thurles

by Seamus Hayes news@clareecho.ie

MONDAY’S under 20 Munster hurling semi-final was “on a knife edge with five minutes to go”, according to Clare manager Terence Fahy.

Agreeing that his charges “finished strongly”, the Clare boss said “our goal with five minutes to go was the key score. That goal put us four points clear and it came following great defensive play”.

Fahy accepted that he was “concerned at half time. We were losing on the wides count and on the free count.

That said we were happy with the work rate and we were creating scoring opportunities”.

The Clare manager expressed satisfaction with the contribution from the bench.

“There is a very even

standard within the group. It’s very hard to get into the thirty for our in-house matches and extremely hard to get into the match day twenty four not to mention the starting fifteen”, he said.

The team boss accepts that “Cork will be warm favourites for next week ‘s final, they are the favourites for the All-Ireland. They gave us a lot of bother when we met earlier”.

It will be nearer match time before Clare will know whether or not Daithi Lohan will be able to take his place in defence having suffered an ankle injury late in the semi-final.

“We will give him every chance”, commented Fahy who accepts that they won’t be able to call on Adam Hogan as “the seniors have the first call on him”.

STORY OF THE GAME

CLARE Frees For: 15 (6/9)

Wides: 12 (8/4)

Scores from play: 2-11

Spread of scorers: 9

Top scorer: Keith Smyth (2-07 1-06 f)

Own puckouts won: 21 out of 28 (75%)

Bookngs: Senan Dunford (28), Keith Smyth (30), Oisin Clune (32), Sean Rynne (52)

TIPPERARY Frees For: 18 (10/8)

Wides: 11 (2/9)

Scores from play: 0-13

Spread of scorers: 8

Top scorer: Jack Leamy (0-04 4f), Eddie Ryan (0-04)

Own puckouts won: 24 out of 32 (75%)

Bookings: None

REFEREE: Thomas Walsh (Waterford)

l (main) Keith Smyth and Patrick Crotty celebrate their win and (below) Smyth fires the sliotar to the back of the net Photos by Gerard O'Neill

Brian O'Connell, Clare:

l Fred Hegarty, Jack Mescall, Tom Barry and James Hegarty celebrate with the cup

Photo by Gerard O'Neill

SCAN HERE FOR MATCH REPORT

Collins 'very disappointed' in display

MUNSTER SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

Kerry 5-14 Clare 0-15

Venue: TUS Gaelic Grounds, Limerick

Compiled by Páraic McMahon

STORY OF THE GAME

KERRY Frees for: 9 (8/1)

Wides: 8 (5/3)

Spread of scorers: 9

Scores from play: 5-09

Top scorer: David Clifford (2-06 4f)

Bookings: None

Own kickouts won: 22 from 24 (92%)

REFEREE: Jerome Henry (Mayo)

CLARE: Frees for: 10 (7/3)

Wides: 9 (5/4)

Spread of scorers: 5

Scores from play: 0-07

Top scorer: Eoin Cleary (006 4f

Bookings: None

Own kickouts won: 26 from 28 (93%)

MANAGER COMMENT “

“Very disappointed with our display. We played very poorly, to state the obvious. You won't win many games conceding five goals. It was something we had done well on it up to today. Today, not so hot. I think overall, bar a few players, none of the lads would be pleased with the way they played today. Unfortunately, a poor display on the wrong day.

“You can't give away cheap possession to a team that runs and transitions so

quickly and as well as they do, it is a disaster. We were the architects of our own destruction in a lot of cases in the first half but that's it. We have three important championship games to face up to now. Just have to regroup now and get on with it”.

“You get punished severely for your mistakes against the top teams. If you give away the ball cheap, there was too many of those instances. You have to be very mean with the ball and make sure of

your passes. Overall, I don't think many players will come off the pitch and be happy with how they played. Thankfully, they have a shot at redeeming themselves in two weeks' time.

“You start well and you don't give away the ball cheap. We are talking about this a long time. There will

inevitably be turnovers in a match, but unforced turnovers under no pressure, they are unforgivable, they kill you at the other end. And the better teams, as I said, will punish you. But the year is far from over and we have to prepare now for a big game in two weeks time.

“I'd like to think we could

ENNISTYMON AMONG WEEKEND VICTORS

Kerry end Clare's camogie double bid

MUNSTER INTERMEDIATE CAMOGIE SEMI-FINAL

Kerry 0-14 Clare 0-12

Venue: TUS Gaelic Grounds, Limerick

Compiled by Seamus Hayes

STORY OF THE GAME

CLARE Frees For: 9 (3/6)

Wides: 5 (2/3)

Scores from play: 0-7

Spread of scorers: 6

Top scorer: Kate O’Gorman (0-03 2f), Aisling Cooney (003 3f)

Own puckouts won: 19 out of 25

Bookings: Labhaoise

O’Donnell

REFEREE: Diarmuid Kirwan (Cork)

have played a lot better than that. I don't think there is that much between the two teams. But maybe I am the only one in the country that thinks that. We needed to play really well today, and we didn't. That's it.

“In sport, you lose a lot more than you win. That's fair enough. But the only

thing you want is a proper performance, a lot of the lads will be very disappointed with the way they played, there is a lot more in them. Anyone looking at this will say it is the same oul story between Kerry and Clare but I just think we underperformed and we gifted them chances. On the day, we contributed to a lot of our own problems. Obviously they have class and class to take these chances, credit to them”.

Camogie: 'We want to play part in big week for Clare GAA'

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

CLARE WILL bid to become Munster senior camogie champions for only the fourth time when they face off with Tipperary this Saturday.

Serving as the curtain-raiser to the meeting of Clare and Waterford in the Munster SHC, Clare take on Tipperary in the Munster senior camogie final at 3:30pm this Saturday in FBD Semple Stadium.

Truagh/Clonlara’s Becky Foley has been ruled out of the provincial decider with a knee injury, the forward recently returned to playing action after a cruciate ligament injury.

time. He is determined they can get their grip on silverware this time round. “We are in the final on merit. There is silverware on offer and we will be trying everything to win it. We have nothing to lose and we will be having a right go. That said we know that Tiperary are also hungry for victory and with the game on their own grounds they won’t be short on motivation. It’s a big week for Clare GAA and we are determined to play out part”.

KERRY Frees For: 11 (6/5)

Wides: 11 (7/4)

Scores from play: 0-8

Spread of scorers: 4

Top scorer: Jackie Horgan (0-05 2f) & Patrice Duggan (0-05 3f)

Own puckouts won: 12 out of 17

Bookngs: None

Speaking to The Clare Echo, Clare manager, John Carmody admitted he wasn’t surprised that Tipperary are their opponents for the final. “They were the form team in the league but they slipped up on the last day when they lost by a point to Kilkenny. They beat us well when we met in the league at the Ragg so we know we are facing a big challenge”.

Carmody’s charges lost last year’s final to Cork following extra

Reflecting back on Clare’s defeat to Kerry in the Munster intermediate camogie semi-final, the Kilmaley man felt the Kingdom had “a bit more experience” but that it was a result “we left behind us”. He said, “Our indiscipline in the first half cost us. We gave away in the regiou of thirteen frees and Kerry got ahead of us in that second quarter and were two ppoints ahead at half time”.

Carmody added, “the girls fought it out in the second half. The wind was tricky for the freetakers. Hopefully that game will stand to us later in the season in the All-Ireland junior championship”.

Ellen

Photo by Gerard O'Neill

Colm Collins, Clare:

l David Clifford holds off Cillian Brennan.

Photos by Gerard O'Neill

Leahy happy to silence doubters

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

ARGUABLY one of Newmarket Celtic’s greatest additions has been that of Darragh Leahy to their attack.

Celtic go in search of a first Munster Junior Cup this Saturday when they face Regional Utd in the familiar surroundings of Jackman Park at 5pm. Securing the provincial title to go alongside the FAI Junior Cup would be a historic feat.

Key to their run has been the arrival of Shannon native Leahy. He may be a striker but it is workrate and ability to upset the opposing team rather than his goalscoring abilities that has endeared him to the Celtic fanbase.

Speaking to The Clare Echo in advance of the Munster decider, Darragh revealed that he was told by several people in his home town that he wouldn’t make the Newmarket 11, never mind have a successful season. Anyone that knows the 26-year old will testify that he is an incredibly loyal character and if belief is shown in him he will back it up while he will do his damnedest to prove people wrong if they write him off.

Darragh had his doubts after he was initially approached by Paddy Purcell to join the squad. “Last year when I got suspended I went off and played rugby for most of the season, then I came back and we (Shannon Hibs) nearly beat Avenue Utd in the Clare Cup semi-final. Steve Austin got onto me first and said Paddy Purcell was going to give me a ring and would I take the call, I said no at the start because I wasn’t sure what I’d do. Paddy did ring me eventually, he called to my house with a cup of coffee in hand - he didn’t have one for me, like.”

This player-centred ap-

proached has been a fundamental style of Purcell’s management. “He said I was better than the level I was playing at, to be honest I didn’t really believe him, I genuinely really didn’t.

"Paddy has a good way with words, he said to come out, give it a try and that I’d enjoy it. To be honest, I have because it’s been unbelievable, there’s always 20 people at training and everyone is there for the one thing.”

Although he has been part of underage gaelic football panels for Clare, the set-up at Newmarket Celtic has been a different level. Their standards have ensured Darragh managed to forgive Paddy for not bringing him a cup of coffee when they first met.

“They are so organised, O’Brien has everything organised, Paddy is so easy to talk to, he talks to every player differently but he knows how to take to everyone, Austin’s coaching is just class, it’s at another level.

"It’s the enjoyment too, everything is done for a reason, he is texting in videos every couple of hours of the day that this is what we should be doing, watch this, he’s probably annoying people but it's brilliant to have”.

Both of his brothers, Gary and Aaron have become keen followers of the side, this season which wasn’t expected. “Gary would have always, I knew he was going to but Aaron I didn’t think so but he’s been at every game, he was shouting instructions on at me or shouting at the other defenders trying to put them off, they were so happy for me”.

That Aaron was the manager of Shannon Hibs made the departure from the club more difficult for Darragh. Broaching the subject was not easy. “It took me a while to text him, I don’t think he

texted back for a couple of weeks but my mother had dinner one evening so we all had to sort it out, he was upset at the start but he is very happy now”.

Their mother, Brenda has also been ever-present at matches but has been somewhat occupied keeping tabs on Darragh’s son, Darius.

“I think she just does laps of the pitch! My young fella comes to the games, most people would hate it because you can’t watch the game and have to chase him but she loves it, she sprints around after him,” he quipped. Darragh admits that he sources motivation in the form of the nay-sayers. “There’s a lot of people in Shannon who doubted me and told me not to go, they said Newmarket were a finished club, not to waste my time going out there, that I’d only be going to sit on the

bench and that I wasn’t good enough to play with them.

"I just wanted to prove all those people wrong. I did that at the start, the Avenue game was a big one, then as the FAI and Munster Junior games rolled on, every time we were playing a big team I was told I’d be found out but as far as I’m concerned I’ve got the better of nearly every one of them, all the back fours, the keepers, the whole lot”.

He believes the workrate he demonstrates on the field has aided in a seamless move to the Celtic attack. “If you battle for everyone on the pitch and don’t give up then everyone will get on with you straight away, they know you are there for the same thing.”

He added, “My game was always wrecking people’s head, hassling and being a nightmare for people, I’ve always had that. I knew that

was never going to be the issue but I never thought I had the football to be out here but as the year goes on when you’re playing and training with better players everything just improves”.

Captain Eoin Hayes when speaking to The Clare Echo described Darragh - a former St Caimin’s Community School student - as an “enigmatic character” given that he could appear to be in foul form but can just spring to life when the whistle goes. “I act like I’m not interested to be honest, sometimes I wouldn’t be interested but once the whistle goes you have to work and put it in”.

Becoming a fan favourites has been a bonus, “If you were listening to them last year they were probably calling me a lot worse when I was playing with Hibs, they seem to enjoy me now. In a couple of years’ time if I leave they will probably hate me again but that is the joys of soccer”.

A love for the club is typified in the Chairman Jody Halpin, he felt, “Saturday when we won, he didn’t even stay out because he didn’t sleep for the week before and he was absolutely wrecked, he was home by 8pm”.

Now working as a plasterer, evening jobs associated with this has resulted in him missing a couple of sessions during the year but he certainly makes up for it. “It’s good, it keeps me fit, I’m on my feet all day, it is a tough trade so the arms would be ready, it’s like strength and conditioning but you are getting paid for it”.

On the sporting scale, the journey with Newmarket Celtic “is definitely up there” on his proudest moments.

“On a personal level when we won the 2014 intermediate with Wolfe Tones in gaelic football, the size difference is completely irrelevant, my

father died that year so on a personal level that was special but this on a sports level hasn’t sunk in what we’ve done and it won’t. It might be in 15 years' time when my young fella is playing soccer and he is looking up and he is telling all his friends that his Da won an FAI medal, not many in Shannon have an FAI medal and there is probably better soccer players than me that don’t have one, it shows how big a competition it is”.

He then referenced a photograph taken by Joe Buckley of him and Darius with the FAI Junior Cup, “It’s class, Joe took a lovely photo of me and him at the Cup, I walked onto the pitch with him, they are photos to look back on in years, they are unbelievable to have”.

Founded in 1955, Darragh is fond of the view that Newmarket couldn’t win an FAI Junior Cup until they added two ‘Cronan warriors’ to their ranks. “It’s mad that there’s two Cronan boys there, myself and Jack (Kelly) grew up together in Cronan, we spent our whole lives together playing with Newtown, a couple of years with Shannon Hibs and now we’ve won in our first year with Newmarket."

Brian O’Connor will line out for Regional Utd this weekend, the Shannon man is a former schoolmate of Leahy’s and their journeys show some similarities.

“We actually won a primary schools football together in St Conaires, we’ve been in school together our whole life, we grew up together too. We’ve actually been texting the whole time, he was probably told he was wasting his time going out there but we’re now playing each other in a Munster Junior Final”.

So far, Darragh Leahy has had the last laugh on all the doubters and he’ll certainly have the last word.

l Darragh Leahy with his son, Darius Photo by Joe Buckley

MUNSTER JUNIOR CUP FINAL: NEWMARKET CELTIC VS REGIONAL UNITED 5PM, SATURDAY AT JACKMAN PARK, LIMERICK

Austin inspired by Klopp and Pep in laying down Newmarket tactics

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

NEWMARKET CELTIC cannot be content with just winning an FAI Junior Cup, their coach Stephen Austin has stressed.

For the first time since their foundation in 1955, Celtic claimed the national title defeating St Michael’s following a penalty shootout a fortnight ago. They endeavour to back this up in the Munster Junior Cup final against Limerick side, Regional Utd on Saturday.

His father Red was one of the four founders of Newtown FC, while sitting in his house with the FAI Junior Cup in his lap the necessity to Newmarket was hammered home. “Fairview won it three times in the 1990s, there was a little gap and they won three in-a-row in the early 2000s.

"It is amazing stuff, six FAIs in the space of over a decade, Newmarket can’t just sit on their laurels, they have to drive on and try it again”.

Steve, who is in his second stint coaching with Newmarket, started his own playing career in Newtown from U8s to Youths level. “I had kids and all the rest so I started following the young lad around to his games, then I got the bug to

get back into the game. Davy Wall in Shannon Hibs was coaching my young lad, he said one day out of the blue could I jump in and give a hand, again the best decision I made because I got the bug and off I went”.

From starting his coaching journey with Shannon Hibs, he got in-

volved with the Clare Emerging Talent Programme after Denis Hynes approached him. The two seasons with Newmarket followed before he began working with Treaty Utd’s U17 team alongside Trevor Lavell. While watching Newmarket Celtic lose their status as Premier Division holders to Avenue Utd, a fire

was reignited for Steve. “The Newmarket season was coming to an end and I was at the game against Avenue Utd in Roslevan, I was up on the bank with my best mate Daniel Cregan and I said I’d love to come back...because of the last time and the bond I made with the players and the village itself, my missus at home was saying ‘Steve you have to’, it was calling me in a way”.

Speaking to The Clare Echo at Treacy’s Oakwood Arms Hotel, Austin recalls that it was the same spot that he met Paddy Purcell to first discuss getting involved with Newmarket. “Paddy is really open-minded and for a good manager in any level of the game, you have to have that, he’s really open to my ideas and what I wanted to do. We sat down, we came up with a game model, the principles of play came off that.

"I look to somebody like Guardiola and that style of football, attacking, possession-based but someone like Klopp and the way he is all high energy, I try to mix all that stuff and I’ve learned from loads of people down the years, it would be high energy”.

Incorporating a fun element to training sessions is essential, the

coach stressed. “To go win these big tournaments the standards need to be sky high... they walk in and everything is ready to go so straight away they walk in and everyone is ready to work, not taking away the fact that fun has to be an element of it whether you’re an U10 or Eoin Hayes, they have to come out of work or a bad day at home and be bouncing in that gate. We haven’t had a session with less than 20 players all season, for me it can be a headache planning the session with such numbers but it is brilliant at the same time”.

While the memories of walking down the Ennis Rd in Newmarket-on-Fergus bring a smile to his face, Celtic must collect as many trophies as they can this season. “The FAI was brilliant but we have to park it, we want to be greedy and go get the Premier Division and the Munster Junior Cup.

"Regional are a very good side, they pushed us the whole way in the FAI, they are a really good footballing team.

"They have a good manager in Sean Russell so it will be another massive test but Jackman Park has been good to us so far, fingers crossed”.

l Stephen Austin embraces Darragh Leahy Photo by Joe Buckley

Clare cyclist's Rás robbery recounted

by Stuart Holly

IN JUST over a week’s time, Rás Tailteann will roll into Barefield with a Clare team represented in the national showcase for the first time in over three decades.

The historic race is 70 years old and it has taken 33 years to bridge the gap between the Clare Rebel Team entry in 1990 and this year’s participants, Burren CC.

The 1990 event would prove to be almost historic. Instead, as fate would have it, it will forever be controversial for the Clare team and a young man from Ennis.

A 20-year old Barry Sutton would cross the finish line first on Stage 6 into Clonmel, surprising everyone. However, a controversial decision by the Commisaires that evening would change all that.

As Paul Kimmage wrote in The Sunday Tribune, “A strange thing happened in O'Connell St. Clonmel on Thursday. A young man from Clare called Barry Sutton came over the finish line with hands waved high. And the journalists on the podium looked at each other.

Who was this guy? And why shouldn’t we be surprised?

Men from Clare that won stages in the Ras were as rare as trees in the Burren.

"The 20 year old from Ennis had won. He was on the podium after. They gave him flowers and a white jersey and he was asked questions on tv and radio and by the pressmen from Dublin. It was the happiest face we had seen on the podium all week. Barry Sutton was famous.

"One hour later they took the jersey back. Sixty miles before the finish of the stage a judge had reported Sutton for briefly taking pace behind his team car after puncturing. They gave him a 10 second penalty and presented the stage to the Scot who finished second.

"I abhor cheating but I could have written an entire page making a case for Barry Sutton. Every cyclist in the race would agree with me.”

In a blog published in 2014 on the Rás Tailteann website, Barry wrote, “It was my billion dollar day and I was on top of the world as I was congratulated by everyone before receiving my jersey as stage

winner up on the presentation podium and doing an interview for TV.

“I was 20 years old and in the space of two minutes I was gone from a historic stage winner of the Rás. The race organization while privately admitting they were wrong, have never said so publicly and to this day, my Ras stage win still leaves me discontented.”

The Clare Cycle team that took part in FBD Rás, as it was known then, was spon-

sored by Rebel Menswear and comprised of Philip & John Colleran (both Clarecastle), John Hassett (Connolly), Sean McIlroy (Shannon), Barry Sutton (Ennis), John Nolan (Shannon, Mechanic), George Nolan (Shannon,

Masseur) and Paul Cooley (Ennis, Manager).

John Hassett’s brother Jarlath is on the 2023 team that will take on the elite field next week. As part of the build-up to this year’s Rás, this Saturday Burren CC will pay tribute to the last Clare Rás team from 1990, while raising funds for Burren CC’s 2023 Rás team as they finalise preparations for this year’s event. Many members of that 1990 team are still active with Barry coming fourth in the Crotty Cup last weekend in Kilrush, an event which Philip Colleran, John Hassett, Sean McIlroy all took part in with John Colleran acting as race connoisseur.

Brian Nevin, PRO with Burren CC tells The Clare Echo, “The idea is to acknowledge 1990 team. Both teams will be riding from Barefield on Saturday, and anybody is welcome to come

along. It will also act as a fundraiser for the 2023 team, for anyone who wants to contribute to the cost of entering the team in Rás Tailteann.”

Rás Tailteann starts on May 17 with Stage 2 passing through Killaloe, traversing through East Clare finishing at Barefield National School at about 2.30pm on May 18. Stage 3 will start from Glór at 11am on May 19, with a neutral start through the town before heading to Castlebar. The Rás brings elite riders to the county and some of these will go on to ride the Tour de France in the coming years.

This Saturday’s 65km cycle in honour of the 1990 team leaves Le Chéile in Barefield at 9.30am. The spin will be at a relaxed pace so all abilities can participate or you can join at various points along the Gort Road /Old Galway Road as the team approaches the finish in Barefield.

Kilkee's Glasheen Tiger keeps unbeaten record

by Michael Maher news@clareecho.ie

Friday night’s Galway card featured some semi-finals of various graded stakes on a ten race programme which saw the local Castlegar kennel of Thomas Connor record a double curtesy of Rockandrollmarty and Bonzo Bourke . In the second semi-final of the A5 525 Stake Blaze More Fire and Lissatouk Sox were both away well and they disputed the lead on the run towards the opening bend rounding which the Kim Bennis and Tony Brigdale of Ennis owned Blaze More Fire took a definite advantage along the rails. Racing down the back, the daughter of Ballymac Eske and Blaze Bee opened up a three length advantage on Lissatouk Sox and Starson Lass and exiting the back straight she looked home for all money as she raced to a four and a half length success over Starson Lass in 29.10.

In the third heat of the Talking Dogs S5 350 yards Stake the Brendan Browne of Kilkee owned Glasheen Tiger maintained his unbeaten career record as he now made it three wins from three starts as he just touched off the pace setting Burkos Tonic by a neck at the line in 19.61. From traps Burkos Tonic was away smartly and racing towards the opening bend led from Glasheen Tiger and Dynamic Logan towards the inner . Rounding the bend Burkos Tonic maintained middle berth hut now Glasheen Tiger(Wolfe-Glasheen Covid) was in the clear and he just led close home to maintain his perfect record.

Racing opened with an A8 graded 525 yards contest in which the Donal Duggan of Tulla owned and trained Nine O’Clock News was very smartly into his stride and racing towards the opening bend the son of Good News & Turree Kate readily outpaced Fantasy Twobob and Statuette to lead by over three lengths entering the back straight. Racing along the back straight the leader set sail for home as Newhall Velvet recovered from a slow start to move a distant second but Nine O Clock News was gone beyond recall as he scored by thirteen and a half lengths from Newhall Velvet in 29.03.

The kennel double was completed in the A4 graded eighth contest curtesy of the Madden-Pepper Syndicate of Feakle owned

Astro Podge who made all as he just lasted hope by a length from the flying Rattling Ya Ya in 29.40 The winner was way very smartly and rounding the opening bend the son of Ballymac Best & Dynamic Cool Sky led Ballygibbon Lad by two lengths. Racing down the back the leader increased his advantage to at least eight lengths and looked home and hosed. From the crown of the home bend though the petrol gauge was running in empty but the line just came in time to complete the kennel double. Saturday night’s feature contest was the €800 to the winner final of the Text Entries. The second semi-finals of the S3 Stake went to an all the way winner as the Thomas O’Doherty of Cooraclare owned and trained by John Browne Own Lullaby registered her second career victory by three lengths over Ballygraigue Ros in 19.08. Very smartly into her stride the daughter of Droopys Sydney & Droopys Lullaby led Drombeg Snowy and Ballygrauige Ros by one two lengths approaching the opening bend. Striding out well the winner extended her advantage between the two bends to score readily.

Successful last week in a similar grade, the Patsy Fitzgerald of Kilrush owned Flyers Magu repeated the dose in the opening semi-final of the A4 525 Stake as then son of Pat C Sabbath & Flyers Ineos defeated the staying in Astro Keva by a length and a half in 29.28. Away well from his trap five berth the winner showed pace to lead by two lengths rounding the opening bend from Copperjack Boy. With some crowding behind Flyers Magu extended his advantage to over four lengths racing down the back and although Astro Keva closed with every stride in the straight the line was always coming in time for Flyers Magu.

At Limerick on Saturday night, Wizard got back to winning ways in a 550-yard contest in race nine as the Paraic Campion trained powerhouse justified his even money price tag. Owned by Gary Pepper in Feakle, Wizard flew from traps and he appreciated the longer run to the turn to take a comfortable advantage into the back straight. Five lengths clear at this point, Rougarou did come out of the pack late on to close at a rate of knots, however, Wizard had enough in reserve to see out the win. Just a half length clear crossing the line, the time was a slick 29.76 for the 550-yards.

l Barry celebrating his stage win. An hour later, he was informed of a 10-second penalty which cost him the race

editor@clareecho.ie

PLANNING

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL KELLS, COROFIN, CO.

CLARE

Further Information / Revised Plans

Planning Reference: P 22 / 801

Development Description:

Planning permission to demolish a derelict structure and construct a new dwelling house, mprivate garage, access road, entrance, and install a new wastewater treatment system along with all associated works at Kells, Corofin, Co. Clare. Location: Kells, Corofin, Co. Clare. Take notice that Ronan & Janine Howard has lodged significant further information in respect of planning application P 22 / 801. This information and planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority of Clare County Council, Planning Department, Áras Chontae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the further information or revised plans may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, not later than 5 weeks after the receipt of the newspaper notice and site notice by the planning authority.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL SPANISH POINT ROAD, MILTOWN MALBAY, CO. CLARE

Take notice that Caroline and Gerard Doyle intend to apply to the Planning Authority for retention of the conversion of the attached garage of their dwelling to liveable space 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, New Road, Ennis, during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the planning authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee of €20.00, within the period of 5 weeks, beginning on the date of receipt by the planning authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL SEAFIELD,

QUILTY, CO. CLARE

We, Eoin Hennessy and Sorcha Kenny, wish to apply to the above named local authority for planning permission for (a) the demolition of an existing extension (b) the construction of a single and two storey extension to the

rear and side of an existing dwelling (c) the construction of a single storey office and shed (d) modifications to the existing dwelling (e) widening of existing site entrance and all ancillary site works at Seafield, Quilty, Co. Clare. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the office of the planning authority during its public opening hours and that a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL BALLYBORNAGH, TUBBER, CO. CLARE

Further Information/Revised Plans

Planning Ref: P22/574

Development Description: Permission for the construction of a dwelling house, garage, effluent treatment system and all associated services.

Location: Ballybornagh, Tubber, Co. Clare.

Take notice that Vincent Keane has lodged significant further information in respect of planning application P22/574. This information and planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Authority of Clare County Council, Planning Department, Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co. Care during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the further information or revised plans may be made in writing to the Planning Authority on payment of the prescribed fee, not later than 2 weeks after the receipt of the newspaper notice and site notice by the Planning Authority or in the case of a planning application accompanied by an EIS within 5 weeks of receipt of such notices by the Planning Authority.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL GLENCONAUN BEG, KILDYSART, CO CLARE Take notice that Ken Moloney intends to apply for Planning Permission to construct a new dwelling house and waste water treatment system including all ancillary site services and works at the above address. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority, Clare

County Council, Aras Contae an Chlair, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare during its public opening hours.

A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Planning Authority, in writing, on payment of a fee of €20.00 within five weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the Planning Application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL KNOCKALISHEEN, MEELICK, CO CLARE

Gearóid Moroney, am applying to the above authority for retention permission for the following development on property at Knockalisheen, Meelick, Co Clare:

Retention Permission for the construction of an extension to the side of the existing dwelling together with a first floor extension as constructed together with all associated ancillary and incidental site works.

The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

CLARE CO. COUNCIL CLOUNTY, SCARIFF, CO. CLARE

Take notice that Brian Geoghegan intends to apply for permission for development, the development consists of the construction of an extension to existing slatted cubicle unit, walled silage pit, an overground circular slurry store and associated site works at the above address.

The planning application maybe inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

CLARE CO. COUNCIL DROMORE, FEAKLE, CO.CLARE

Take notice that Eoin Tuohy intends to apply for permission for development, the development consists of the construction of agricultural loose house and

associated site works at the above address. The planning application maybe inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

CLARE CO. COUNCIL INCHIQUIN PARK, COROFIN, CO CLARE

Take notice that Delbrack Developments Ltd., intend to apply for PERMISSION to build a dwelling house, garage, connect to existing services & all other associated site and ancillary works at the above address. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority, during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the authority on payment of the prescribed fee of €20.00, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL BALLYVORGAL BEG, SIXMILEBRIDGE, COUNTY CLARE I DENIS QUINN, of Land at Ballyvorgal Beg, Sixmilebridge, County Clare Hereby applies for retention planning permission for one number residential apartment following alterations and one number ancillary apartment for staff employed at the stables. That the planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours and that a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL BALLYVULLAGAN, DARRAGH, ENNIS, CO. CLARE Take notice that Mossy Gavin is applying to Clare County Council for planning permission to construct a new dwelling house, new entrance, access road, private garage

and install a new wastewater treatment system 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 Clare County Council during its public opening hours and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL STONEPARK, BALLYALLA, ENNIS, CO. CLARE

Take notice that Noel & Siobhan Kennedy are applying to Clare County Council for planning permission to demolish existing outbuildings and construct a new dwelling house, new entrance, access road, private garage and install a new wastewater treatment system 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 Clare County Council during its public opening hours and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

APPLICATION TO CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL FOR A WASTE FACILITY PERMIT

Notice is hereby given in accordance with Articles 7 and 8 of the Waste Management (Facility Permit and Registration) Regulations 2007, as amended, that THOMAS CONNOLE of LISDOONVARNA ROAD, KILFENORA, CO CLARE intends to apply for a Waste Facility Permit at DOCTOR’S HILL, KILFENORA, CO CLARE to STORE & PROCESS FOR DISPOSAL OF END OF LIFE VEHICLES; STORE & COMPONENT RECOVERY OF CRASHED VEHICLES & RECLAMATION OF VEHICLE COMPONENTS FOR TRANSPORT TO RECYCLING FACILITIES . The application for a waste facility permit will be made to Clare County Council within 10 working days of the date of this notice.

The Class(es) of Activity

at the site, as specified in the Third Schedule of the Waste Management Act, 1996, as amended, is/are as follows;

D 14 Repackaging prior to submission to any of the operations numbered D 1 to D 13.

D 15 Storage pending any of the operations numbered D 1 to D 14 (excluding temporary storage (being preliminary storage according to the definition of ‘collection’ in section 5(1)), pending collection, on the site where the waste is produced).

The Class(es) of Activity at the site, as specified in the Fourth Schedule of the Waste Management Act, 1996, as amended, is/are as follows;

R 4 Recycling/reclamation of metals and metal compounds.

R 13 Storage of waste pending any of the operations numbered R 1 to R 12 (excluding temporary storage (being preliminary storage according to the definition of “collection” in section 5(1)), pending collection, on the site where the waste is produced).

The Class(es) of Activity at the site, as specified in Part l of the Third Schedule of the Waste Management (Facility Permit and Registration) Regulations 2007, as amended, is/are as follows;

Class 4: The reception, storage and recovery of scrap metal, including scrap metal arising from end of-life vehicles, waste vehicles (other than end of-life vehicles) and WEEE where scrap metal from—

(1) End-of-life vehicles shall be subject to appropriate treatment and recovery in accordance with the provisions of articles 14 and 15 of the European Union (End of Life Vehicles) Regulations

2014 (S.I. 281/ 2014) prior to acceptance at the scrap metal facility, and as appropriate,

(2) Waste vehicles (other than end-of-life vehicles) shall be subject to appropriate treatment and recovery having regard to the provisions of articles 14 and 15 of the European Union (End of Life Vehicles) Regulations 2014 (S.I. 281/ 2014)) prior to acceptance at the scrap metal facility, and as appropriate,

(3) WEEE shall be subject to appropriate treatment and recovery in accordance with the provisions of articles 21, 22 and 23 of the European Union (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Regulations

2014 (S.I. No.149/2014) prior to acceptance at the scrap metal facility.

Class 12.(PRINCIPLE ACTIVITY) The collection and storage (including the temporary storage) and the

appropriate treatment and recovery of end-of-life vehicles in accordance with the provisions of articles 14 and 15 of the European Union (End of Life Vehicles) Regulations 2014 (S.I. 281/ 2014)

A copy of the application for the waste facility permit will be available for inspection or purchase, as soon as is practicable after receipt by the Clare County Council, at the principal offices of Clare County Council, Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare.

The Clare Echo Quiz

1Which secondary school in Clare did presenter Marty Morrisey study at?

a. St. Flannan’s College

b. Rice College

c. Gaelcholáiste an Chláir

2In what year did Marty Morrisey join Clare FM as News Editor?

a. 1986

b. 1989

c. 1996

3Clare journalist Brian O’ Connell released a _____ called ‘The Personals.’

a. Documentary

b. Podcast

c. Book

4Brian O’ Connell now works as a full-time reporter for?

a. The Irish Times

b. The BBC

c. RTE

5When did Rosita Boland win the award for ‘Journalist of the Year’?

a. 2009

b. 2012

c. 2018

6At which prestigious American University did Rosita Boland achieve a fellowship from?

a. MIT

b. Harvard

c. University of Berkeley

7Ger Colleran formerly held the position of editor of which national newspaper in Ireland?

a. The Irish Daily Star

b. The Irish Sun

c. The Evening Herald

8Since 2017, Ger Colleran now works as the editor of?

a. The Irish Examiner

b. The Cork Echo

c. Kerry’s Eye

9Clare journalist Aisling O’ Loughlin was formerly a presenter of which big TV-Show?

a. Xpose

b. A place in the sun

c. Winning Streak

10Clare Echo journalist Paraic McMahon hurls for which team in Clare?

a. Wolf Tones

b. Newmarket-On-Fergus

c. Eire Og

Spot the Difference

Can you spot the 7 differences

l QUESTION 2 : In what year did Marty Morrisey join Clare FM as News Editor?

Last weeks answers

. Sliotar missing

. Number 3 missing

. Line on pitche missing

. Centre og a missing on sign

. tape on hurley missing

. Nike symbol missing on spectator in background

. Stripes on limerick players shorts missing

Fairgreen Celtic supporters

Photo by Joe Buckley

Best Daily Word Search

Best Daily Word Search: 27 June 2019

THIS WEEKS PUZZLES MAY 11th

WORD SEARCH

HOW TO PLAY

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

The Clare Echo Crossword

DOWN

1 Great disturbance (8)

2 Pub game (5)

4 Looking-glass (6)

5 Mad (5)

6 Credit (7)

7 Multi-national currency (4)

8 Container for liquid (6)

13 Use badly (3-5)

15 Hard stone (7)

17 Aromatic spice (6)

18 Small wave (6)

20 Turn aside (5)

22 Join together (5)

23 Conspiracy (4)

CROSSWORD ANSWERS