The Clare Echo 27/02/20

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27 FEB 2020

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That sinking feeling

Springfield a ‘warzone with water’ PÁRAIC McMAHON paraic@clareecho.ie

C

LARE residents are living in fear with heavy rainfall causing widespread flooding in parts of the county.

Flooding remains a possibility for ten homes in Springfield, Clonlara with up to seventeen houses inaccessible from a local access road. Water continues to be discharged from Parteen Weir by the ESB with 400 cubic metres per second released on Wednesday.

Daily meetings have been held by Clare County Council’s Crisis Management team as the situation in South East Clare is monitored. Some families were evacuated from their homes over the weekend with others unable to sleep as they fear the worst.

One resident described her fear, “It’s like a warzone here with water”. Another resident commented, “When I pass away, I’m going to go straight to heaven because at the moment I’m in hell”.

Parts of Gort are also heavily flooded, in areas this is the fifth time it has happened since 1995. Ballylea is submerged in huge floods with a boat the only means of transport by which the area can be accessed.

St Flannan’s College was forced to close on Monday with extensive flooding on the school grounds. Spot flooding has also been reported on roads across Clare.

l James Curley steers the boat while his father Jimmy assesses the damage at Yeats Tower in Gort.

Photo by John Mangan

Full story Page 8

2 NEWS

THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

Index NEWS

THAT’S MY BROTHER HPV

vaccine hits 90%

2-12

SHANNON

13

GREENER CLARE

15

SCULLY

18

COMMUNITY

20-21

COMMUNIONS

26-31

SPORT

36-43

CLASSIFIEDS

44-45

U

36C Abbey Street, Ennis, County Clare Telephone: 065 671 9021

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

SALES

Email: ger.naughton@clareecho.ie or niall@clareecho.ie

l SUPPORT: Jenny Ryan (right) with her aunt Anne Marie Ryan supporting her brother Stephen who lined out in goals for Clare against Laois in the National Football League over the weekend Photo by Joe Buckley

increase.

HSE school vaccination teams are now returning to secondary schools across the country to offer the second dose of HPV vaccine and a dose of MenACWY vaccine to first year students.

According to the HSE, approximately 400 people in Ireland will be diagnosed with a cancer caused by the HPV virus.

The HPV vaccine now protects against the types of HPV that cause 9 out of 10 cervical cancers. The vaccine also protects against most cases of vulval, anal and vaginal cancers and most cases of genital warts.

Laura’s brother Kevin said the family were “thrilled” that the uptake was set to reach its target. “Thank you to everyone who has helped us support the HPV vaccine over the last 12 months.

We’re especially pleased that the parents of County Clare have heard Laura’s message loud and clear”.

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4 NEWS

THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

Councillors vote against calls to reinstate Joe Brolly PÁRAIC McMAHON

C

paraic@clareecho.ie

ALLS from three Independent Clare councillors for RTÉ to reinstate Joe Brolly to its GAA coverage has been overwhelmingly defeated.

Much publicity has followed Cllr Gerry Flynn's (IND) motion which sought the return of the outspoken Derry native to The Sunday Game.

His appearance on the 2019 drawn All-Ireland SFC final was his final time appearing on RTÉ when he claimed that referee David Gough was influenced by "Kerry propaganda" in his decision to show Dublin's Johnny Cooper a red card.

An All-Ireland winner in 1993, Brolly last received as much attention in Co Clare when he said Marty Morrissey was "as ugly as Cavan football".

"We are calling on the Minister for Communication/Finance to request RTE to reinstate the football analyst Joe Brolley to his position

on the current panel asap. Joe has provided in depth analysis of football for many years and his removal from the panel has taken away from the enjoyment of the game for many people who watch our games on the national station," the joint motion from councillors Flynn, Ann Norton (IND) and PJ Ryan (IND) read.

Speaking at Monday's meeting of the local authority, Cllr Flynn commented, "This motion has opened up a huge debate, that's exactly what I wanted. Sometimes it takes courage to speak out against the sacred cows in our society, I believe RTÉ fits into that description".

Funding to the value of €50m for RTÉ announced by Minister for Communications, Richard Bruton was criticised by the Shannon resident. "We have presenters fuelling criticism of elected representatives, some of those who wouldn't know the meaning of austerity".

Viewers watched The Sunday Game "just to see what he (Brolly) had to say," Cllr Norton stated.

Of his previous motion on HAP,

Cllr PJ Ryan lamented, "I just wish that my previous motion got as much attention from the press as what Joe Brolly did".

Criticism of the motion was voiced by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Cllr Alan O'Callaghan (FF) was among those to slam the proposal. "It is a waste of the paper

its written on, a waste of Council time, a waste of Chamber time. The only time I want to see a brolly at a match is when it's raining".

Plenty of suitable football analysts reside in Co Clare, Cllr Joe Cooney (FG) believed. "It is not our business who RTÉ puts on their shows. We should be debating

lCONTROVERSIAL: GAA pundit Joe Brolly Photo courtesy of RTE

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something more fruitful than this.”

Newly co-opted councillor, Pat O'Gorman (FF) told the meeting he "had a problem" with the motion and that time would be better spent discussing flood protection. "Joe Brolly is well able to look after himself, we should be talking about the people in Clonlara".

Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) wished to put on record his opposition to the motion. "I have been stopped by a lot of people who misunderstood I was the signature".

Only the three signatories supported the motion with all other twenty four councillors present in the Chamber against. "The tax payer who support RTÉ, their voice has been disregarded, that is the message we're sending out," Cllr Ryan said as matters moved on.

Other items dealt with at the adjourned February meeting included flooding at Springfield, Shannon Airport, childcare costs, parental alienation, amendments to the school curriculum at primary and second level and HAP.

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6 NEWS

THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

Shannon Airport explores Wild Atlantic Way branding PÁRAIC McMAHON

S

paraic@clareecho.ie

HANNON Airport are "working closely" with Fáilte Ireland on maximising the Wild Atlantic Way brand to entice more passengers to fly into Clare.

CEO of Shannon Group, Mary Considine admitted they were "quietly confident" for the year ahead when briefing councillors at Áras Contae an Chláir this week.

"I was born in Clare, my family and I live in Clare, I'm very committed to seeing this region thrive and grow. I know the people here want the best for Clare, you can be sure we will be an active partner in trying to make this happen".

Securing new routes to Vienna, Barcelona and Paris has Shannon Airport primed for growth in 2020, Considine said.

She revealed that a "significant sum of money" is being spent in

collaboration with Tourism Ireland to attract visitors from the US. A new head of brand marketing has been appointed that will lead the roll-out of a new Shannon brand. To allow for "balanced regional development," Mary was adamant "positive changes" are required.

She highlighted that such support is not Shannon Group looking for "handouts" but finance that will directly aid and encourage airlines to choose Shannon.

The CEO admitted that by the end of 2020, a total of €25m will have been spent on health and safety at the airport. "We need your help to lobby the incoming Government on the changes we need. We hope to unveil the rebrand of Shannon Group in the coming months".

"We have heard a lot of negativity around the Airport, it seems to be focusing in on the amount of flights coming into Shannon, we are competing with Dublin, it is a huge identity to

compete with," Cllr Ann Norton (IND) outlined. She described the transformation of the Shannon Free Zone as "phenomenal" and called for the local authority to have representation on the board of Shannon Group.

Approximately 69,000 aviation related jobs stem from Shannon Group, Cllr Pat McMahon (FF) calculated. "A better marketing team is needed," he maintained.

"Knock Airport takes a lot of Galway out of the equation, we can't claim the west coast but we do have the Wild Atlantic Way on our doorstep, surely to God we can increase flights from America and work on those. The Wild Atlantic Way is a 365 day attraction".

Of Considine's rise up the ranks, Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND) said, "It is great to see somebody that has served their apprenticeship coming up and getting the top job".

The Shannon resident added, "I remember the times when you could barely hear yourself talking

with all the traffic. We know for certain we will have a new Minister for Transport, hopefully they will look favourably on Shannon International Airport".

Cllr Mary Howard (FG) recalled that during two recent flights to America, the planes "were a half or a third full", the Ennis representative continued, "We need to get the message out that if people don't use the Airport it can't be a success," she questioned if consideration was given to linking with the Wild Atlantic Way and would Norwegian Air be returning.

Concluding the discussion, Ms Considine said, "We will do everything in our power to deliver better connectivity for the region". She confirmed that they were "working very closely" with the American Chamber of Commerce.

"It's a bit like your local shop if you don't support it, you won't have it. "We are working closely with Fáilte Ireland on branding around the Wild Atlantic Way".

lMARKETING: Doonagore Castle in Doolin

Photo by John Mangan

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NEWS 7

THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

IN THE YEAR OF '95

Plans for Doolin pub are halted PÁRAIC McMAHON

T

paraic@clareecho.ie

lBANNER ROAR: Anyone wishing to join the 1995 All-Ireland winning hurlers for their 25th Anniversary Celebrations in Treacy's West County Hotel on Saturday, March 14th are urged to purchase their tickets as soon as possible. Hosted by Club Clare, supporters can relive the unforgettable summer of 1995. MC'd by RTE's Marty Morrissey, this special immersive gala event also includes a premium dining experience along with a variety of live music acts, comedy and an exclusive auction making it an unmissable night for Clare supporters everywhere.Tickets are €150 each and are currently on sale in Ennis at The Temple Gate Hotel, Collins Jewellers, Carey Corbett Financial Solutions or alternatively by contacting Club Clare Secretary Pat Keogh at patkeogh02@gmail.com. Pictured L-R: John Kerin, Marty Morrissey and Jamsie O'Connor

WO separate planning decisions in North Clare made by Clare County Council have been overruled by An Bord Pleanála.

Permission had been granted by the local authority for the construction of a new pub which included an apartment, parking area and wastewater treatment system in Roadford, Doolin.

In the Clare County Development Plan 2017 – 2023, a general objective is to "encourage the investigation by Irish Water of the feasibility of using capacity at the wastewater treatment plant in Lisdoonvarna to serve the nearby Doolin".

An Bord Pleanála when adjudicating the decision to grant planning for the new pub noted that Doolin was "deficient in terms of municipal wastewater facilities".

An installation of a private waste-

water treatment system as part of the development was deemed to be "premature" by the planning board "pending the provision of adequate" facilities.

It warned that the proposed structure would "set an undesirable precedent for the future development within the settlement and would be prejudicial to public health". The lands are also zoned for agriculture and not commercial use, An Bord Pleanála flagged.

It was also felt that the development could "seriously injure the

visual amenities of the area". The objection to the planning permission came from Kilfenora.

Separately, Clare County Council's refusal to give the green light for the construction of a MW solar farm in Ennistymon has rescinded by An Bord Pleanála. "The proposed development would not have significant or detrimental impacts on visual amenity," the review found. It also stated residential amenities in the vicinity would not be damaged or create a risk of flooding or pollution.

lDEVELOPMENT: A solar farm meanwhile was given the green light

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8 NEWS

THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

Springfield residents ‘in Hell’ PÁRAIC McMAHON

S

paraic@clareecho.ie

PRINGFIELD residents are living in fear with the threat of their homes being flooded still remaining.

Ten homes in the area are at risk of being flooded with ESB having to discharge water from the Parteen Weir. Some 370 cubic metres per second were released on Tuesday, that figure rising to 400 on Wednesday in the midst of a high tide cycle and water levels are continuing to rise.

Flooded many times in the past 15 years, the most recent flooding in 2015 and 2016 forced Springfield homeowners to vacate. Some homeowners were evacuated last weekend as rainfall increased. At present, farms and fields resemble lakes with residents getting very little sleep over recent nights, such is the anxiety they are experiencing.

7,000 sandbags have been distributed to homes in Clonlara while Clare County Council delivered portaloos to residents whose septic tanks and water wells were compromised. Life-buoys were also secured to posts along roads overwhelmed by the flood, which

served to remind how dangerous conditions have become.

Specialist transport has been provided by the Civil Defence for residents with local roads impassable by car. Farmers have ferried water bottles via tractor to homes which have been cut off from dry land.

Liz Hogan and her family were one of those to evacuate their home over the weekend. “It is scary, it is very frightening,” she stated.

“Four years ago we were out for eight weeks, we were all in separate homes, different houses. This time, we’re all together, it is repeating every couple of years and they are still not doing anything about it. Whatever Government is going

to be there need to open their eyes and look at what is happening to people, it’s not just us, it’s up and down the country, there are ways of preventing this and they are not doing it.

“It’s a disaster, it’s like a warzone here with water. My neighbour was up till 3am on Monday to see if she needed to start pumping water, it is awful down here,” Hogan added.

When Bridget Kinsella built her house in Springfield in 2001, she said she was never informed about a potential flood risk in the area, “Who in their right mind would buy this and want this life”. Her son, Phillip suffered an asthma attack during the 2016 floods and had to

walk through the water to reach an ambulance. “It’s soul-destroying, it is like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, they were supposed to be doing works for us and there is a lot of money spent on reports which I think is wasted money.

“I’ve been awake all week, when it comes it is going to be at nightime. I have a torch by the bed so you can see into the fields away and you can see it creeping every time you look out”.

Joe Quinlivan is annoyed with the amount of false promises made regarding flood protection works.

“When I pass away, I’m going to go straight to heaven because at the moment I’m in hell. I’ve put my

lCRISIS SITUATION: A house in Clonlara flanked by sandbags and (right) St Flannans Principal Fr Ignatius McCormack Photo (right) by Joe Buckley

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life savings into this house and it’s worth nothing as it goes. What am I going to hand back my sons or grand-children, nothing”.

The Council’s Crisis Management team is meeting daily to review flooding at Springfield and Senior engineer, Sean Lenihan said the local authority was hopeful of re-submitting in the next “two to three weeks” a planning application that would see a 2km mud embankment and pumping station built to try to alleviate flooding. A previous application to build the proposed local flood defence was withdrawn in November 2018 when an objector raised concerns about its ecological and environmental impact.

Across the county, St Flannan’s College was forced to close early on Monday, while only exam students were in school on Tuesday due to extensive flooding. Bus transfers are being provided by Irish Rail on the Limerick to Galway link following flooding in South Galway.

Transfers are currently operating between Ennis and Galway with Ballycar being monitored.

Farmland has been impacted with over a thousand acres flooded around Clare. Motorists have had to deal with spot flooding on numerous roads while Gort is dealing with heavy flooding in parts.

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NEWS 9

THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

Ennis Market is 'very dangerous'

L

OADING bay areas in Ennis Market are "not fit for purpose", the youngest elected representative of Clare County Council claimed, writes PĂĄraic McMahon.

An examination of "creating a larger loading bay area in the upper market area of the town" was requested

by Cllr Mark Nestor (FF) at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District. Presently there are two loading bays in the Upper Market, one which has a time restriction up to 11am.

Such an extension would require "reasonably flat, adequate space for the truck to pull in parallel to the footpath, sufficient space for it to pull out, cater for the length of a full size delivery truck and its rear loading platform with adequate space to the rear of the platform for hand operated walk-behind fork lift units," senior executive engineer Eamon O'Dea responded.

Three perpendicular parking spaces would have to be removed if there was to be an extension of the loading bay, O'Dea warned. "There are two alternative locations that could be

considered adjacent to the Market Place Roundabout on the lower section of Summerhill and Lower Market St," he added.

"I know to run a successful business you have to have goods coming and going. I spoke to businesses in the area, they and I believe the unloading of goods there at present is unfit for purpose. You go up there most mornings and you could have three, four or five lorries unloading and it causes a backlog in traffic, it is very dangerous," Cllr Nestor high-

lighted.

He added, "The loading bays are not fit for purpose because they are too small". Nestor stressed that he would be "very wary of eating into car park spaces, the last thing we need to do is lose car parking spaces in the Market".

He suggested creating "some sort of island up the middle of the Market", "at the moment pedestrians are walking in between lorries, the traffic coming up the Market can't see what is coming".

lTOO SMALL: Delivery trucks crowd Ennis Market

Dance for Wishes aim to raise funds ALEX CRAKER LIMERICK based charity, Clare's Wish Foundation will be holding a Dance for Wishes fundraiser tomorrow (Friday) in memory of a Sixmilebridge woman.

Clare's Wish Foundation is a non-profit organisation that grants wishes to adults with terminal conditions, it is the only foundation in Ireland to do so.

Kevin Clancy founded the charity in memory of his late sister, Clare, after she passed away from Spina Bifida at the age of 24.

The foundation's headquarters is located in Castletroy where they also have a shop. Some of the wishes carried out by Clare's Wish in the last seven years include trips to Tayto Park and helicopter rides. "When you're going through a lot of treatment and a lot of that stuff and to go somewhere with your family for one last time is really what they're after," Kevin said.

To date, Clare's Wish have granted just over 100 wishes, and their target is to try and grant a

wish every four weeks.

Sixmilebridge's Vicky Ward is a volunteer with the organisation. She joined after a tragedy befell her family, "We were in an unfortunate situation when my younger sister was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the February of 2018, which obviously is a very serious diagnosis".

"I was just looking at different things until I came across Clare's Wish and they granted a wish to my sister, which is why I would be involved with them, because I just think it's important for them to be able to do the same for other people." Her sister, Bernadette Kuczmjiw-Jackson died in February 2019 with her wish granted six months previous when she was chauffeur driven in a Range Rover to Kildare Village.

On the 28th February, Clare's Wish will be holding a fundraiser, in memory of Vicky's sister, called Dance for Wishes in the Temple Gate Hotel here in Ennis.

The entry fee is â‚Ź10, they will be holding a raffle along with music from Two Hearts. All of the profits will be going straight to Clare's Wish.

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10 NEWS

‘One of the weirdest moments of my life’

PÁRAIC McMAHON

“O paraic@clareecho.ie

ne of the weirdest moments of my life,” is how British comedian and television presenter, David Baddiel described his interview with Ruan native Dermot Mulqueen.

Confronting Holocaust Denial was broadcast on BBC One on Monday evening.

Baddiel is the descendant of a Jewish family, some of whom escaped the Nazi death camps in Germany. The series sees the Londoner examine why the Holocaust has been targeted by conspiracy theorists.

Dermot Mulqueen denies the Holocaust ever happened, he was interviewed in August by Baddiel for the series. On Monday night, the pair clashed over their differing views with Mulqueen claiming that Auschwitz “didn’t have gas chambers”.

He also alleged, “When you examine it like I have done, there were no homicidal gas chambers”. “There were 15 ovens, you can fit one or two maximum in at a time and it takes an hour to burn a body. Okay? So it’s just not

possible”. The Ennis resident also said that there were swimming pools and bakeries at the concentration camp.

An Independent candidate in the 2016 General Election, Dermot polled 39 first preference votes. During the interview, he also performed one of his own songs about how Jews buying cars made by German companies like Mercedes-Benz or Audi proves the Holocaust did not happen.

When the interview concluded, David re-

flected, “The whole thing was fucking weird.

That was one of the weirdest moments of my life, especially the song”. Baddiel added, “He’s using this stuff to try and make his world make sense. I think it’s important to understand however mad Dermot seems, we’re not shooting fish in a barrel here, people believe this shit”.

Widespread criticism has been voiced of Mulqueen’s views since the airing of Monday’s show.

lCRITICAL: David Baddiel interviews Holocaust denier Dermot Mulqueen

THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

Clare libraries gear up for first ever open day THE first ever national library open day will take place on Saturday, February 29th in Clare libraries.

Everyone is invited to visit their local library and take a closer look at all it has to offer.

Libraries in Clare as well as all around the country will be taking part and are issuing a special invitation to members and non-members to come along and see all that’s on offer for them at their library completely free.

Clare County Library will be putting on a special showcase of their services and activities for all ages and all interests on the day in nine of their libraries.

The libraries are De Valera Library in Ennis, Ennistymon Library, Killaloe Library, Kilkee Library, Kilrush Library, Miltown Malbay Library, Scariff Library, Shannon Library and Sixmilbridge Library.

Activities include: Meet the book doctor in De Valera Library; a talk on nutrition with Hilary Gleeson in Scariff Library; hear some music in Sixmilebridge Library; talks on Local History in Kilkee, Kilrush & Sixmilebridge Libraries; storytime & craft in De Valera, Killaloe, Kilrush, Kilkee, Miltown Malbay, Sixmilebridge libraries; demos on ebooks and magazines in all nine libraries.

Visitors can try anything and everything.

Friendly ibrary staff will also be on hand to show visitors around, demonstrate online services, and sign them up for a library card card if they don’t already have one.

To find out what is happening in your library, you can visit www.clarelibrary.ie where you’ll find links to library services in each library.

For a wonderful way to spend time together around that special Confirmation or Holy Communion day, celebrate with Afternoon Tea in our newly renovated lounge area in The Falls Hotel!

Especially for our younger guests, we have a deliciously fun children's afternoon tea - have fun at playing grown up!

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12 NEWS

O’Gorman takes Crowe’s seat

PÁRAIC McMAHON

C

paraic@clareecho.ie

RATLOE’S Pat O’Gorman has returned to the role of a County Councillor, 16 years after losing his seat.

Nominated by members of the Fianna Fáil Shannon Comhairle Ceanntair on Sunday night, Pat was officially co-opted to fill the seat vacated by newly elected TD, Cathal Crowe (FF) at Monday’s adjourned meeting of the local authority.

Robert Frost, Louise McNamara and Noel Broggy also contested the convention.

His father, Joe was previously co-opted to the local authority in the early 1970s and it is believed they are the first father and son to both be co-opted onto Clare County Council. Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) described Joe as “one of the most colourful councillors we’ve had”.

Speaking at Sunday’s selection, the former Mayor of Clare revealed that he withdrew his name from the

contest on Thursday morning following a decision from Fianna Fáil headquarters to select the candidate based on an interview process, however when that decision was reversed he re-entered his name.

“I was delighted to put my name back in again and I was delighted to go around canvassing Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning asking people for support. It goes to show what canvassing is all about because it all came down to number twos, number threes and number fours”. No official vote was given to party members on Sunday but The Clare Echo understands McNamara received the most first preferences with O’Gorman winning the seat as he received every single transfer from Broggy.

An unsuccessful local election candidate in 2004, 2009 and 2014, he added, “I want to pledge

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to everyone here in the Shannon area that I will work 100 percent on your behalf, 100 percent with Cathal Crowe helping me.”

Proposing his co-option at Monday’s meeting of Clare County Council, Cllr Pat McMahon (FF) believed the returning local representative “offers much positivity”.

Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) recalled, “He comes from a long tradition of politics, his father was a colourful councillor and we had many a colourful debate when Pat was here before”.

Support for his return was voiced by Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND), Cllr John Crowe (FG) and Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF).

THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

Four in Seanad bid FOUR Clare candidates are vying to win a seat in Seanad Éireann.

‘Outside’ nominations from civic society organisations whose interests are represented on five vocational panels on the Seanad closed on Monday, internal party choices are to be finalised by this coming Monday. A postal ballot is conducted for the election, this takes place between March 16-30, counting will begin at the end of the month.

The electorate for the 43 seats on the five vocational panels consists of TDs in the incoming Dáil, outgoing Senators, city and county councillors, a total figure which is just shy of 1,200.

Weeks after losing his seat in Dáil Éireann, Timmy Dooley (FF) has been confirmed as a candidate in the Seanad Election. As reported

by The Clare Echo last week, Timmy is trying to win a seat on the Industrial and Commercial Panel. Dooley served as a Senator from 2002 to 2007 before becoming a TD, a post he held up until last month.

Outgoing Senator Martin Conway (FG) is aspiring to retain his seat.

A member of the Seanad since 2011, he was the party’s spokesperson on Justice and Equality, Conway also unsuccessfully contested this month’s General Election. “It is going to be a big difficulty for a lot of candidates that didn’t win and TDs that lost, Seanad nominations are not easily got but I was realistic of winning a seat, I’ve been running a dual campaign for the last year and a half,” he told The Clare Echo. Conway is not the only Ennistymon resident seeking election to the upper house of the Oireachtas on the Administrative Panel. Ann Marie Flanagan (IND) has secured the support of Clare TD Michael McNamara (IND) and Cllr Ann Norton (IND) in her bid.

“When people who have the skills and abilities to engage in politics, policy development, legislation framework they also have the added value so I bring not only political and strategic skills, I also am an effective listener, I represent a lot of people and have done so unelected, imagine my ambition if I am elected. I would be saying to councillors and Tds that what I bring is the expertise based on my lived experience,” the two-time local election candidate stated.

Hotelier, Michael Vaughan (FF) has said he has had an interest in running for the Seanad for a long while. The father of two has pinpointed the tourism industry, small businesses and rural life as the key areas he would focus on. His father was former President Paddy Hillery’s first election agent, the Lahinch man is running on the Industrial and Commercial Panel and admitted the presence of Timmy Dooley will hinder his chances. “My chances are much diminished by Timmy being on the panel, I committed to the tourism people that we would try and seek representation and a voice in the Oireachtas, I’m going to try have a very good run”.

No coronavirus risk for touring schools

THREE secondary schools attended by Clare students that have recently returned from Italy have received advice for fears they are at risk of the coronavirus, reports Páraic McMahon. On Wednesday, the first case of the coronavirus was confirmed in South America as the outbreak continues to spread around the world. The deadly infection has now reached every continent besides Antarctica. Globally, at least 80,000 people have been diagnosed with the illness.

Gort Community College, St Caimin’s Community School and Rice College all had students and staff in Italy on school trips during the mid-term break last week. Measures have since been taken to ensure neither staff or students are posing health risks.

40 students and seven teachers from St Caimin’s in Shannon returned to school on Monday having spent time in Northern Italy. The school has since been advised by the health service that as their tour groups were not in one of the quarantined towns in the last 14 days, they will not be screened.

Similar correspondence has been issued to Rice College. 55 students and five teachers from the Ennis school were also on a skiing trip in Northern Italy. They have been informed there is no need to “self isolate”. They were tested when arriving in Italy for the virus but not on their travels home.

Students and staff of Gort Community College who also were in Italy for a ski trip have been classed as “very low risk” and as such there is no necessity for them to be tested for the virus. “As a precautionary measure and following advice from the HSE and the Public Health Consultant, all students and staff who travelled to Italy on the recent school ski trip and who display any flu/cold symptoms, high temperature, coughs, sore throat, shortness of breath should contact their GP,” read a notice issued to parents/guardians whose children attend the South Galway school.

Meanwhile, an Ennis man living in China has said he has no intentions of leaving Wuhan despite the city being in lockdown for the past five weeks. Public transport has been stopped, people have been asked to stay in their homes and are now permitted to leave the confines of their community.

Liam Griffey has been teaching English in Wuhan for the past three years. Speaking on Clare FM’s Morning Focus, he outlined that they are no longer permitted to shop in supermarkets, food and necessities are now being purchased through WeChat which is the Chinese equivalent to WhatsApp and Facebook, plus online via retailer’s sites.

“It is not overly frustrating, I have began online classes for my university which is breaking up the day. I get to walk my dogs around the community which is good. It is boring, monotonous, being in the same place all the time but there is not anything I can do, I don’t see why I would get upset about it”.

Mid-West Councils need to support Airport

Lifetime membership for seven Wolfe Tones

McMahon believed such a rebrand won't do much for Shannon Airport, "Doing solo runs as a local authority might help locally but overall it won't help the cause. Four buses a day, six days a week coming to Lisdoonvarna from Dublin Airport," he said. He reiterated the need for a co-ordinated approach to ensure such tourists fly directly to Shannon.

Advertising by Kerry Airport on local radio was described by Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) as "extremely disappointing to see other airports advertising with Clare FM". Cllr John Crowe (FG) referred to his January motion which called on the Mid-West region to be renamed the Shannon region to strengthen people associating the Airport with the tourist attractions in the area.

He disagreed with the fact Clare County Council was included in the Southern Region instead of a separate Mid-West equivalent being in place. Newly co-opted councillor, Pat O'Gorman (FF) described the traffic management at Dublin Airport as "cat". He praised the work done by Shannon Commercial Properties

LIFETIME membership is to be awarded to seven individuals who have made significant contributions to the story of Wolfe Tones GAA. Friday night promises to be a special occasion for the Tones as honorary life membership will be awarded to seven prominent individuals within the Shannon club.

They will be joined at The Goal Post Bar by their family, friends and the wider club community.

Larry Donnellan, Donie O’Loughlin, Kathy Hogan, Tony O’Connell, Joe Kelly, Jim Tubridy and Kevin Hehir are to be honoured for their outstanding input to Wolfe Tones.

Founder of the club, the late Brendan Regan who died in April will also be remembered on the night.

The Regan family are to receive a presentation from members of the executive in recognition of his loyal service to the Tones.

PÁRAIC McMAHON

C

news@clareecho.ie

OLLABORATION is needed from local authorities in the Mid-West to drive the promotion of Shannon International Airport.

Increasing Shannon's status across the world can be done if "like-minded" County Councils work in union, Cllr Pat McMahon (FF) outlined. The Newmarket-on-Fergus representative proposed at Monday's meeting of Clare County Council that they "work together with like-minded local authorities to promote Shannon as an international airport".

He referenced the "major attractions" within the county that entice people to visit Clare.

At the end of January, a €70,000 rebrand of Limerick was launched, it has been developed by creative agency M&C Saatchi and the estimated cost is expected to hit over €700,000 in the coming years.

Shannon Tidy Towns elect new officers OLD and new members attended the AGM of Shannon Tidy Towns earlier this month where the town's most successful outcome in the Tidy Towns competition was celebrated.

Long-serving volunteer, Derek Clune who was awarded the Clare Older People's Volunteer of the Year in 2019 continues in the role of Secretary.

Siobhan Mulderring was elected Chairperson with Garret McPhillips, Theresa Hogan, Dawn Adams and Noel Mulderring appointed Vice Chairperson, Assis-

tant Secretary, PRO and Treasurer respectively.

After many years of service, Olive Bowen, Joe Hogan and Mary Carew bowed out of their positions as PRO, Chairperson and Treasurer.

The trio were thanked for their contribution to the town with members voicing their delight that all three would remain on as volunteers.

Projects completed in 2019 such as the revamp of large flower beds in Shannon, repainting and fixing of bus shelters, in-

stallation of hanging baskets along the main road, planting of hundreds of daffodils along the same stretch, the addition of two new picnic benches along the River Walk plus the Shannon River Walk Fun Day were all positively reviewed at the AGM. An eight percent increase in the National Tidy Towns Competition brought Shannon its best ever result in the competition.

Volunteers unsurprisingly were in agreement that this was the highlight of the year gone by.

within the Industrial Estate.

He called on Clare's new TDs to get behind the Airport, "we can huff and puff but until our four TDs are backing us we're going nowhere".

Frustration was voiced by Cllr Pat Daly (FF) on the lack of a Council presence on the board of Shannon Group. "The dogs on the street know Shannon Airport is struggling.

“The first thing we should do is put Pat Dowling on board of Shannon Airport, we've been waiting long enough for that". A pledge to "endeavour to support Shannon" was made by recently elected Cathaoirleach, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) "during my limited time as Mayor".

Chief Executive of the local authority, Pat Dowling confirmed they would be sitting down with Shannon Group CEO, Mary Considine to "discuss a regional approach to the Airport and its promotion". He warned that their counterparts in Galway "see themselves as the capital of the West of Ireland" and that local authorities such as Kerry and Mayo have to support their local airports.

ST TOLA’S DROP €20,000

lIN TO WIN: PJ Burke, X Factor contestant Adam Moloney, Mary Dunlea-Fitzgerald and Michael O'Brien launch the €20k drop in aid of St Tola’s, due to take place at Treacy’s Oakwood Hotel tomorrow. Call 061 362894 for info Photo by Joe Buckley

14 OPINION

THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

Eoin Neylon

An inside look at Clare’s political spectrum

PAW PATROL...

Emergence of ‘fake news’ bad for voters

S

EVERAL things have caused the form of political campaigning to evolve and change over the course of the last century. The largest of these in living memory was the advent of television which changed election coverage from the 1965 General Elections on immeasurably. Mass motor transportation, digital printing and televised leaders debates, starting in 1982, all changed things.

The latest in this series has undoubtedly been the rise of social media. After many false dawns, the 2020 General Election saw the usage of social media reach its full potential. However, this hasn’t been all positive. Ultimately, any way to engage voters and increase turnout should be welcomed but like all inventions, it also has potential for harm. This can be seen in the dissemination of fake news and online trolling. Fake news has been popularised ever since the 2016 US Presidential election and this year it was prevalent all over Irish Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube.

The phenomenon has persisted beyond polling day. Even in the aftermath of the election, blatantly false figures were being spread over social media to promote the idea that one party had to be involved in whatever Government is formed. The post read that Sinn Féin received roughly as many votes as Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael combined. A simple review of the facts show that the gap between the three largest parties was very tight. With SF on 24 per cent, FF on 22 per cent and FG on 20 per cent, it’s not mathematically possible for SF to have as many votes as FF and FG combined.

Yet this hasn’t stopped the post being disseminated repeatedly over the past week and a half with people seemingly unaware that

they’re spreading fake news as they react emotionally to the suggestion that somehow most voters are “being ignored”. The crux of the matter is that it’s just not true and ignores the way our Parliamentary democracy works.

Other parties have also been guilty of this behaviour with FG promoting the idea that FF were set to go into Government with SF prior to the election despite many utterances to the contrary by Michéal Martin. PBP (People Before Profit) were also guilty of it in promoting the idea that other parties are raising the pension age to 68, again, despite those parties’ manifestos saying the opposite.

This election descending into a mess of negative campaigning did little to inform voters. The spreading of fake news only moves to harbour resentment and distrust across the political spectrum. In an era of hung Dáils where coalition building is needed to form a stable Government, this kind of resentment makes the process even more difficult.

The only advice I’d give is to research everything you see yourself and not simply take social media posts at face value. Certainly, ensure that it’s true before you share it.

Regarding coalition formation, this is going to be extremely difficult post-election for several reasons. Firstly, FF had said that they would not do a deal with either SF or FG ahead of the election. The idea that FF could form a coalition with centre left parties was predicated on the idea that the party would win more than 50 seats in the election. FG had originally committed themselves to a term in opposition and it’s hard to see what could be offered to them to change their mind on that. Exploratory talks with FF held this week have little hope of allaying party members’ opposition

to the notion of a grand coalition. SF were first out of the traps post-election claiming they would try form a coalition of the left.

Nevertheless, less than a week later, that plan was abandoned. This leaves little options. One of the big three parties could receive the support a number of the smaller parties and try form a minority government, with or without a formal Confidence and Supply agreement with one or the remaining two bigger parties. The only other option is a second election. The odds on this have reduced massively considering the election results. SF will certainly run more candidates to try maximise its vote. This will see the party pick up several seats, especially in Dublin. Those potential gains would mainly be at the expense of smaller left wing and centrist parties if the vote was to be a replica of the February election.

Examining the transfer patterns, PBP, Soc Dems and Greens would all lose seats to SF. Equally, FF and FG would also refine their candidate strategies to maximise their vote. This could see them equally pick up an extra few seats each.

The result, however, would likely be the same though with two of the three large parties needing to work with each other either in coalition or in confidence and supply in order to form a government. As such, they should get on with getting a deal done now rather than put the people through another election.

One thing of note though is that it has been a good fortnight for women in Clare politics. Violet Anne Wynne became just our third ever female TD with Cllr Clare Colleran-Molloy becoming only our third ever female Cathaoirleach. More of this would be a welcome balancing of gender representation in Clare politics.

l Sinead Armstrong Lynch, Clarical Officer, Maria Carey, Executive Engineer with Molly, Paddy Vaughan, Ennis and Gerry Murphy, Environmental Warden at John O’Sullivan Park Lees Road Ennis, urging dog owners to take responsibility and clean up after their dogs Photo by Arthur Ellis

Free Climate Action workshop for Clare Communities Tues 3rd March FREE 6:30 pm - 9 pm

BUT ARE

S E C SPA IMITED L

Buttermarket Building Clare County Council Civic Room Drumbiggle Road Ennis Facilitated by Gavin Harte

ESD Training

To book your place please email greenerclare@clarecoco.ie or call 065 6846331

GREEN CLARE

Dog owners urged to clean up

C

LARE County Council is urging dog owners to take responsibility and clean up after their dogs.

In response to the increase of complaints relating to fouling in public places a countywide enforcement campaign will take place where problem areas in relation to dog fouling will be targeted by Clare County Councils Waste Enforcement Unit. The public are advised that Environmental Enforcement Officers will be on the ground and will be asking people to demonstrate how they clean up after their dog.

Maria Carey, Executive Engineer with Clare County Councils Waste Enforcement Team outlined “There will be an increased on the ground presence by our Enforcement Officers in locations where dog fouling is known to be a problem. Members

of the public will be able to identify these targeted locations by a footpath sign advising dog owners to clean up after their dog�.

Enforcement Officers have been talking to Dog Ownersin Ennis (Lee’s Road and Tim Smythe Park), in Scarriff, Crusheen, Feakle, Shannon, Sixmilebridge and Lahinchto promote the message of responsible dog ownership.

Dog poop is not only an unpleasant sight and smell, but it is unhygienic and can spread disease. It has been estimated that a single gram of dog waste can contain 23 million faecal coliform bacteria, which are known to cause cramps, diarrhoea, intestinal illness, and serious kidney disorders in humans. It can also contain nasty bacteria such as E coli and parasites like roundworm, the larvae of which can cause loss of vision.

Under the Litter Pollution Acts 1997-

2003, dog-owners are required to clean up after their animals is it fouls in a public place such as public roads, footpaths, parks and beaches. Failure to do so can result in an onthe-spot fine of â‚Ź150.

Karen Foley, Environmental Awareness Officer, Clare County Council, acknowledges “The majority of people walking their dog in public spaces are good about picking up after their dog but there is a small number that remain not to do so. We would like to remind people that responsible dog owners control their dog at all times, always clean up after their dog, dispose of dog poop bags in the nearest litter bin. Where there is no bin they bring their dog waste home for disposal into their general waste bin. In addition, responsible dog owners,never dispose of dog poop bags, including compostable / biodegradable bags, in hedges, fields, forest-

ed areasas well as beaches�

Many communities are participating in Clare County Councils Green Dog Walker (GDW) campaign. Clare County Councils Greener Clare programme will continue to support communities in rolling out this initiative in their own locality. The GDW initiative encourages dog owners to clean up after their animals and is a non-confrontational, friendly way to change dog owner behavior in relation to dog litter. People can pledge to be a Green Dog Walker and receive a free pack. A Green Dog Walker pack contains a complimentary GDW high-vis vest, poop scoop bags and an information leaflet.

Poop scoop bags are also available free of charge at all Clare County Council Municipal District Offices including Ennis, Shannon, Kilrush Ennistymon and Scariff.

NOTICE TO DOG OWNERS Clean Up After Your Dog And Stop

MESS • SMELL • DISEASE

ďƒź Always carry a bag to clean up ďƒź Bag it and bin it ďƒź Control your dog at all times @greenerclare |

@greenerclare |

@greenerclare

Anti-litter Hotline No.: 1800 606 706 Email: enviroff@clarecoco.ie

16 Arts & Entertainment

THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

Perished in Kilmihil KILLALOE filmmaker Paddy Murphy’s latest movie, The Perished, is nearing the end of its very successful festival run having secured worldwide distribution through Los Angeles based company, The Horror Collective.

Paddy will be having his first ever "hometown" premiere of the film in Limerick on Friday the 13th of March at 9.20pm at the Odeon Cinema in Castletroy.

The film was shot majoritively in the Parochial house in Kilmihil in October/November of 2018, with additional scenes filmed in Broadford, Shannon Airport as well as locations in Limerick City.

The film was directed by Paddy and featured a cast and crew from Limerick, Clare & Galway.

The Perished is a drama/horror film which tells the story of a young Irish woman named Sarah Dekker who finds herself dealing with an unwanted pregnancy, her subsequent abortion, and the consequences of a judgmental society.

Tickets for the premiere go on sale on Monday 24th of February via this Eventbrite link: https://perishedhometownpremiere.eventbrite.com Admission costs €6 and includes a free popcorn. Also special limited edition poster prints, designed by Christopher Shy (who did posters for Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Pet Semetary and more) will be available at the event for €5. These will be limited to 100 units.

THE CEDARTOWNS ONE of Munster's premier folk bands will be hitting Ennis on Saturday 7th March to play at The Sanctuary, Cruises Bar. The Cedartowns (pictured right), a well-known folk sextet from Tipperary, will be bringing their unique and joyous style of music West for the first time on the Saturday of the Book Festival weekend.

On a cold October evening in 2013, six well seasoned and reasonably welldressed musicians sat around a kitchen table and wondered how they could put the world to rights through music.

Seven years on and The Cedartowns continue to move from strength to strength along the folk scene as a respected and well-loved band.

Combining the Soderberg-esque harmonies of the Nugent sisters with flawless string, whistle and accordian playing, The Cedartowns’ unique folk style plays across a swirling soundscape of emotive melodies, joyous harmonies and footstomping tunes.

NOTES FROM A DIGITAL SEA

B

lSPOOKY: A still from Paddy Murphy’s film, The Perished

URREN College of Art is pleased to host an exhibition of paintings by Clare-based artist, Trudi van der Elsen, which analyses digitization as a source for new abstraction in painting.

Trudi van der Elsen is an artist with a practice that combines painting, drawing, installation work, performance and lens-based work. She is living in Co. Clare since 2004 and exhibits regularly nationally and internationally.

“Since building my studio and working full time as a studio artist, I find myself caught between two world views, local and global: the first real and transient, the latter virtual, synthetic and petrified. Living in a timeless ‘natural’ environment, the Shannon Estuary, while at the same time being plugged into the extended reality of the digital world, I find my experience of the landscape around me beginning to shift.

“A certain level of alienation and decoupling results from the speed and the flickering of the virtual world. The slowness of the act of painting serves as a way to ground these hyper-movements, while the surface of the work serves as a locus for the fragmentation that multiple vanishing points generate in our experience of the world and of ourselves. Working intuitively and at a large scale becomes an immersive, embodied experience.

“Having spent a number of years engaging directly with the land and the landscape where I live, through

performance and lens-based work, I have rediscovered the slow concentrated focus of painting. My current work analyses digitization as a source of new abstraction in painting,” Trudi stated.

Notes from a Digital Sea, paintings by Trudi van der Elsen, will run at the Burren College of Art, Ballyvaughan from February 27 – March 27, 20, with an opening reception on Thursday February 27, 2020 from 6-8pm. Visit www.trudivanderelsen.com.

MARCH 2020 at glór Visual Arts

St. Patrick’s Family Day Tue 17 Mar From 12 noon

Exhibition

Ennis Book Club Festival in association with glór presents

Metamorphosis: Characters in Collision

Curated by Mia Gallagher from the Arts Council Collection

Until 21 Mar

Launches Fri 6 Mar

Talks The First Friday Series: Christine Mackey Fri 6 Mar 12.30pm Free of charge, with light lunch ____________________________

glór Film Season Le Brio Tues 03 Mar 8pm €7

Fun Trad Session with Eoin O’ Neill 12 – 2pm. Free of Charge Face Painting 12 – 3pm €2 each The Joe Daly Children’s Magic and Illusion Show 2pm €10/€35 Family of 4 ___________________________________________ Don Baker Band: The Blues Man Tour Sat 21 Mar 8pm €25

Pain & Glory Tues 24 Mar 8pm €7 ________________________________

Farmer Michael and Kathleen Sat 21 Mar 8.30pm €22.50

The Studio Sessions at glór

Pat Talbot Productions present

Thurs 19 Mar Aisling Lyons and Laoise Kelly 8.30pm €15/€10 Early Bird ________________________________

Gone Full Havisham Thurs 26 Mar 8pm €18/€16 Conc.

Events

The Legends of American Country Fri 27 Mar 8pm €25

Ennis Book Club Festival Fri 6 – Sun 8 Mar See ennisbookclubfestival.com for details

Mountshannon Arts Festival presents

Ennis Musical Society presents

Seussical; The Musical Wed 11– Sat 14 Mar 8pm €18/€16 conc.

Matinee Sat 14 Mar 2pm €18/€16 conc.

Céilí Afro Dabke with Catherine Young Sun 15 Mar 4pm Free of Charge

Alexander Ardakov: Celebrating World Piano Day Sat 28 Mar 8pm €18/€15 Conc./€10 under 18’s Julie Jay: Julie Really Love Me? Sat 28 Mar 8pm

€12

GLÓR CAFÉ Open 10am daily

18 THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

Ronan Scully

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK Author spreading the word of positivity

Let God surprise you L ENT is upon us, a time of prayer, reflection, and unity with God. But sometimes we miss important aspects of this holy season while we are in the midst of it.

For me the season of Lent is an attitude of honesty and humility and a time where I reflect on where I find God in my life. But Lent is also an attitude of relief and joy, knowing that our sins have been forgiven, that we have the chance as Pope Francis said, "To get back on track and re-calibrate" and that our slate has been wiped clean as we seek to serve our God with our lives.

A Cross to carry Each year the Lenten season offers us a moment in time to take the opportunity to consider the deeper meaning of life. We are all from time to time on our journey through life given a Cross to carry. So let us during this Lenten season keep in our prayers all those who wake up this week who carry a heavy burden.

Sometimes we can see clearly the Cross of sickness, bereavement, a broken relationship, other times some of us carry a hidden cross of pain, stress, loneliness, depression and if we look deeper into life we never really know what people are going through in silence. So let's make the rest of Lent be lending a hand, lifting a heavy load. Lent can be a smile on a cloudy day.

Lent can be a crust of bread to the poor, giving shelter from the storm. Lent can be a thought, a poem, a blessing, a prayer. Lent can be showing support, care and enthusiasm.

Lent can be listening quietly while someone else has something important they'd like you to hear. Lent can be a friendly hug, a smile or a warm embrace.

Lent can be offering your time.

Lent can be sitting silently beside someone to watch the sun behind a silver sea. Lent can be wiping a tear. Lent can be chasing the moon at night.

Lent can be a whisper, a word, a soft touch at the right moment.

Lent can be a telephone call, text, email or a letter, closing the miles. Lent can be a kiss on a fe-

vered brow. Lent can be the gift of a flower. Lent can be walking, running or driving through the blazing brilliance of the seasons of nature. Lent can be just holding hands or looking into one another's eyes. Lent can be waiting out the tough times. Lent can be touching God through the heart and soul, and let His will be done.

There's something attractive about Lent beginning in the middle of an ordinary week, catching us in the midst of our daily occupations and asking us to take time out to ďŹ nd God there.

Lent doesn't take us away from our ordinary lives, but rather it invites us to bring a new and holy attention to those activities. This should be the way with all of our spiritual practices. We take time apart in order to return to our daily activities with new inspiration. God will always surprise us with possibilities when we least expect them. Let this Lent be one of those surprises.

Works of Mercy Lent offers us a chance to consider prayerfully our relationship with God. And Scripture offers a few suggestions for how we might do this. Some of the most powerful are the corporal works of mercy. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says that those who will inherit the kingdom are those who gave him food when he was hungry and drink when he was thirsty and those who visited him in prison.

"Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me," he advised (25:40).

The corporal works of mercy are feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick, visiting the imprisoned and burying the dead.

These actions are powerful for a number of reasons. One is that these works force us to recognize Christ in our neighbors—even in neighbors we may not like or may be wary of. They remind us that Christ is found in unexpected places and unlikely or vulnerable people. The works of mercy reminds us that we must be open to the God of surprises.

Second, these works remind us that Christ works through

us. We are called to reach out to others and, through God's grace, to build the kingdom of God on earth. It is easy to think that we will do these things eventually, that we can start to serve others when work settles down or our lives become less busy. But the Lenten season calls us to make time now and to start, even in small ways, paying attention to where Christ leads us.

Third, the corporal works of mercy reminds us that we can grow in our relationship with Christ by building up and being part of an active community of loving, giving people here on earth. These works remind us that we are part of the body of Christ and that being a part of that community comes with both great gifts and great challenges.

A Fresh Look As the leaves start to blossom on the trees, we are prompted to watch their slow ascent to the air, seeing how at times, a burst of strong wind can blow off half the leaves from a tree in an instant.

How well do we watch the movements of our spiritual lives and how often do we reflect on what the slow breezes or strong gusts of wind signal? Here is a beautiful Prayer for Lenten Days I love to pray.

"God of the seasons, there is a time for everything; there is a time for dying and a time for rising. We need courage to enter into the transformation process.

God of Lent and Easter, the trees are saying hello to their green, letting go of what has been. We, too, have our moments of surrender.

Help us to let go when we need to do so. As we see the patterns of our own growth, may we learn from them. God of misty days and harvest moon nights, there is always the dimension of mystery and wonder in our lives. We always need to recognize your power-filled presence. May we gain strength from this. God of Spring seeds wagons and fields of new sown grain, many gifts of growth lie within the season of our surrender. We must wait sow the seeds and then pray for a harvest in faith and hope.

Grant us patience when we do

not see the blessings. We yearn for insight and vision. God of flowers touched with spring frost and windows wearing white designs, may your love keep our hearts from growing cold in the various seasons of Life. God of life, you believe in us, you enrich us, you entrust us with the freedom to choose life. For all this, we are grateful. Amen" Thought for the week As your thought for the week, always remember that each one of us has a purpose and a place in the world. Each of us experiences pain, tiredness, loss, sadness, joyfulness, love, and hope and many other feelings and emotions associated with our human conditions. If we look more intently this Lent at the people we encounter on a typical day, we will see who they truly are, persons loved by God and an opportunity for us to love God in them.

Regardless of appearance or situation, the woman, man, or child before you each of the days of our lives are brimming with holy possibility.

Consider that you are gazing into the eyes of God and understand that Jesus comes to us in many faces and places and its there we will find God in our lives. Try doing something good to make things better for yourself and those in genuine need of love and care in our families, our communities and our world.

Therefore during Lent we should as the poet William Arthur Ward said, Fast from fear; Feast on Faith!

Fast from despair; Feed on hope!

Fast from depressing news; Feed on prayer! Fast from discontent; Feast on gratitude! Fast from anger and worry; Feed on patience!

Fast from negative unkind thinking; Feast on kind and positive thinking! Fast from bitterness; Feed on love and forgiveness!

Fast from words that wound; Feast on words that heal and give real Life! Fast from gravity; Feast on joy and humor! So this Lent in the face of so many wounds that hurt us and could harden our hearts, we are called to dive into the sea of prayer, which is the sea of God's boundless love, to taste his tenderness. Happy Lent!!

THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

Clare County Council is pleased to announce that it will host a series of ‘Housing Options’ information evenings over the coming weeks. If you are currently looking to buy, build, lease or rent or if you are seeking information on tenant/landlord rights, responsibilities and obligations then this event is for you.

Information and advice on all the various housing options open to you will be available at the events which will be attended by the following service providers:  Banks including AIB, BOI, Ulster Bank, Permanent TSB, EBS, KBC  Local Auctioneers  Mortgage brokers  MABS  The Residential Tenancies Board  The Local Property Tax unit of Revenue  The Housing Agency  Threshold In addition our Housing team will be available to give advice and information on:  HAP  RAS  Leasing – long term and short term  Housing Adaptation Grants  Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan  Minimum Rented Standards for Rented Dwellings  Qualification criteria for social housing support We are also inviting those who may have an interest in contributing to housing supply such as property owners, landlords and prospective landlords. To this end we will have information on the Buy and Renew and the Repair to Lease schemes which are available to bring properties back into use for social housing.

The information evenings run over a 5 week period between 6pm and 8pm commencing on the 27th February in the Oakwood Arms in Shannon.

The full list of venues is as follows:

NEWS 19

Young heroes honoured at Garda Awards PÁRAIC McMAHON

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paraic@clareecho.ie

LARE 's most outstanding and courageous young, unsung heroes have been honoured at the fifth annual Shannon Group sponsored Clare Garda Divisional Youth Awards. Surrounded by proud families and friends at the special event at Woodstock Hotel, Ennis, on Saturday, the 2020 winners are all aged between 13 and 21 years.

Eight awards in all were presented at the event; three Special Achievement, two Individual, one Community Safety and two Youth Group awards, which went to young people from across County Clare who have shown outstanding leadership, resilience and community spirit.

The awards look to identify young individual, community leaders and youth groups, who have gone the extra mile with voluntary work and personal achievement.

Special guest speaker at the awards was one of Ireland’s most inspirational people, Cork woman Joanne O’Riordan, a journalist and activist.

Speaking at the Awards, Ms O’Riordan said: “I’m incredibly honoured to be the guest at the Garda Youth Awards. It’s important to recognise the incredible hard work and every day activism shown by these winners and other young people across the country. These are the leaders of the future and looking at the nominees, it’s safe to say the future is bright.”

This year’s awards attracted 36 nominations from right across the county. After a challenging selection process, the winners were chosen from an outstanding group of initial entries. Among them are young people who have demonstrated immense courage, commitment to their communities and

also those who have triumphed over severe illness and enormous personal tragedies.

The winners of the Special Achievement Awards were Jade Needham from Ballina, Jessica Whelan from O’Brien’s Bridge and Labhaoise Fitzgerald from Tulla.

The Individual Awards were won by Claudia Dempsey - Kolozsvari from Shannon, and Oonagh Ní Choileáin from Doora.

The Group Awards were won by Mullagh Youth Club, and Young SVP, St Caimin’s Community School, Shannon. The Community Safety Award was won by Abbey Hehir, Rebecca Murphy and Ryely Cantrell from Kildysart.

Clare Echo Editor Stuart Holly was honoured to be on the judging panel.

Shannon Group Chairman Rose Hynes said that she felt proud of and inspired by all of the young people who took part. “Over the last five years these awards have been a platform to showcase some of Clare’s most courageous and inspirational young leaders.

Young people who have shown tremendous fortitude and strength of character, all of whom have made their families and their communities very proud.."

The awards programme is an initiative of the Clare Garda Division, and Chief Superintendent Sean Colleran said the purpose of the awards is to highlight the great achievements of these young people.

“The young people of today are under so much pressure to conform to social media norms, under pressure from their peers and society. Frequently we hear about young people in a negative light. The Clare Garda Youth Awards are about highlighting the positive contribution young people are making in their schools, their immediate communities and, indeed, nationally.

"Some young people we are honouring have overcome huge personal obstacles and tragedies but yet are giving of their time, sharing their experiences with others to ensure that they are making a difference."

• Ennis – 5th March – Civic Room, Buttermarket • Ennistymon – 12th March – Digital Hub • Kilrush – 19th March – Digital Hub • Killaloe – 26th March – Clarecare meeting room

065 6846429 housing@clarecoco.ie www.clarecoco.ie lINSPIRATIONAL: Award recipient Jessica Whelan with her nominator Diane Collins with Guest Speaker Joanne O’Riordan, Rose Hynes, Chairman Shannon Group Chief Supt Sean Colleran and Supt Brendan McDonagh Photo by Arthur Ellis

20 COMMUNITY

Community

ENNIS

MILTOWN

CAINT AGUS COMHRÁ

ADULT LEARNERS WORKSHOPS

For those who have an interest there is now and will be conversation and chat in Irish every week in these following locations: Luan at Zest, 11 am; Ceádain at Sweet + Green, 11 am; Diardaoin at Temple gate, 8 pm; Aoine at Sweet + Green, 11am; Satharn at glór, 11 am. All are welcome.

RED CROSS TABLE QUIZ

The Irish Red Cross Clare Area are holding our annual table quiz on this Saturday 29th February at the Grove Bar & Restaurant, Tulla Road, Ennis, All funds raised is for our Community Transport Fund.

In 2019 The Red Cross completed 200 medical runs from all over Co. Clare, traveling all over Ireland to hospitals in Dublin: Galway: Limerick: Cork: Ennis and Nenagh support the people of Co. Clare who need our support free of charge.

We also completed day trips for Rosemount Nursing Home and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Ennis taking their lovely patients out on a day trips.

The Red Cross also support the lovely ladies from the old folks in Ennis for their two weekly trips for their Bingo, Music and a bit of craic.

The Irish Red Cross Clare are all volunteers and need your support to continue their good work Team of four €40.00 or €10.00 per person.

The quiz will begin at 9.15pm.

COUNTYWIDE COMMUNITY AWARD WINNERS

Organisations from across Clare have been announced as winners at this year’s All Ireland Community and Council Awards.

The prestigious awards recognise and celebrate community groups and councils working together across Ireland.

They highlight the extraordinary work carried out within communities and reward unsung heroes for the phenomenal contribution they make throughout the year.

With over 200 entries received, there were 24 well deserving winners crowned in the various different categories.

Now in it’s 14th year, winners from Clare include: Best Educational Building - New Third Level Campus for Limerick Institute of Technology in Ennis, in collaboration with Clare County Council.

Best Social Housing Initiative Feakle Social Housing Scheme Council of the Year - Clare County Council.

The main award, the Grand Prix title was presented to the ‘Working to make County Kildare Inclusive and Accessible to all’ group who received the highest level of recognition from judges overall.

Council of the year was awarded to Clare County Council for having the highest number of winners and finalists.

In addition to this, the special recognition title,’The National Impact Award’ was given to the ‘Age Friendly Ireland Local Government Shared Service’ group as a special recognition for their efforts.

Social enterprises, councils, organisations, projects and individuals working within the communities across Ireland all entered this years’ event, which experienced the highest level of competition yet.

This year entrants were required to provide information on the project they were submitting, the people involved and their achievements over the past year.

THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

CONTACT NEWSDESK

065 671 9021 news@clareecho.ie

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Adult Learners’ Workshops Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board is holding free taster workshops in Local History, Painting & Drawing, Yoga & Mindfulness, Baking for Beginners and I.T. on Tue 3rd, Wed 4th & Thur 5th March in The Further Education and Training Centre, Ballard Road, Miltown Malbay. An opportunity to try something new – places can be pre-booked.

Also an Information Morning on Wed 4th from 10am-12pm where you can drop in and hear about Further Education and Training options. For more details and to pre-book taster workshops phone us at 065 708 4774.

OIDHREACHT AN CHLÁIR

Presents A Night of Songs and Tunes on Friday, February 28 at 8pm in Áras OaC, Flag Road, Miltown Malbay, with Marion McCarthy, Jacqueline McCarthy and Geraldine King (songs), along with Tim Dennehy and Róisín White. Fáilte roimh chách. Admission free.

BURREN ALZHEIMERS BURREN WALK

The Clare Branch of the Alzheimer Society rearranged "Burren Walk" takes place in Fanore on Sunday next the 1st of March.

Sponsored Walk will start/finish at O' Donoghue's Pub with Registration from 10:30a.m.

Refreshments and entertainment provided after the walk. Your Support as always is very much appreciated.

l UPLIFTING: This past Christmas two local events supported Elevate, a dedicated philanthropic fund which funds the very best mental health and well-being professionals to connect with young people in Co. Clare through schools and youth organisations. Gerry and Carmel Keane decorate their home in Ennis every Christmas with thousands of lights to entertain their grandchildren.Every year they collect for different charities and this year they chose Elevate. The Christmas Tree Throwing Competition has become an annual event Clare’s Christmas calendar over the last nine years. The two events helped to raise almost €1800 for this very worthy cause. Pictured at the cheque presentation are (L-R) Gerry Keane, Cllr Mary Howard, John Burke and Tim Forde Photo by John Mangan

ENNISTYMON

KILKEE

ENNISTYMON MACRA CLUB LAUNCH

NEW BUS STOP LOCATION

Save the date Sat April 4th. Clare Macra Na Feirme are delighted to announce the launch of a new club for North Clare based in Ennistymon.Are you aged 17-35 and interested in socialising, travel, sports, community involvement, public speaking, performing arts and/or agriculture? If so then join us at the launch night of Ennistymon Macra in Ennistymon Community Centre on Saturday 4th of April at 8:30pm. Current Clare Macra members will make a short presentation on the many events, competitions and benefits of joining. All welcome. 086-1768159

KILRUSH TABLE QUIZ

The Annual Kilrush Choral Society Table Quiz in conjunction with " SISTER ACT" Are holding a General Knowledge/Sports Quiz in The Haven Arms on Saturday 21st March@9.30 Sharp.

Table of 4 @ 20 Euro. Major raffle for lots of Prizes, and Finger Food on the Night also.

Please pass on and bring a family friend.

KILDYSART LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR

Kildysart Drama Group present ‘Love Thy Neighbour’, a comedy by Jimmy Carey, at the community centre on March 7th./8th. and March 14th/15th. Doors open at 7.45 p.m. with curtain going up at 8.30 p.m. Tickets: Family E25.00. Adult: E10.00. S e n i o r Citizen/Under 16 E5.00.

A Bus Éireann stop at Kilkee is both “dangerous” and “not fit for purpose” according to one elected member of Clare County Council.

Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) called on the local authority to “undertake the works necessary to move the Bus Éireann stop from its current location outside a derelict building to an appropriate location in the square in Kilkee”.

Conversations regarding a new bus stop in Kilkee have taken place between the County Council and the NTA with a new location agreed on, details on where it will be situated have yet to be outlined. “There is a need to carry out some civil works to allow for the proposed new shelter, acting senior exec-

utive engineer with the West Clare Municipal District said in response to the motion.

O’Malley highlighted that a stream of funding for the works has to be identified. “The work will be progressed in the coming months subject to funding being secured.

Murphy asked for a “small bit of urgency” with regard to progressing the works. “The current bus stop is not fit for purpose but also dangerous”. He added, “Funnily enough there isn’t even a bus stop sign”.

No approximate costing could be provided, O’Malley pointed out that there “a number of bits and pieces” attached to the project. Cllr Murphy highlighted that there was “potential to put a lot of business information up and incorporate with the design at the stop”.

COMMUNITY 21

THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

O’CALLAGHANS MILLS COMMUNITY CENTRE OPENING

The official opening of the newly refurbished community centre will take place on Saturday February 29 at 8pm. All parishioners are invited to attend. The cost of the renovations was in the region of €100.000. Mark Donnellan, Kevin Donnellan and Sinead Mulqueen will provide the musical entertainment. Fr. Donal O'Dwyer, parish priest will bless the building. Tea, coffee and light refreshments.

The building has been used as a community centre for the local parishioners for the last 50 years and before that was a national school which dates back to 1840. In 1974 when the new school was opened a community development committee took over the premises. Over the last 7 years a dedicated committee fundraised to upgrade facilities.

Committee member Councillor, Joe Cooney said “The refurbishment is testament to what can be achieved when the community comes together on a project. Many thanks are due to the local community”.

COUNTYWIDE BEGIN TOGETHER FUND

Local community groups in Clare are invited to apply for Bank of Ireland's new 'Begin Together Fund'. The Fund will provide funding of up to €5,000 to over 100 local groups to support financial, physical and mental wellbeing projects in communities across the island. The Begin Together Fund for 2020 is now open for applications until 31 March at www.bankofireland.com/begintogether Bank of Ireland is investing €3 million in the 'Begin Together' initiative, a three-year campaign to improve the financial, physical and mental wellbeing of Ireland's communities, while supporting the underlying local economies.

Begin Together is an all-island initiative with three strands – the Begin Together Fund, the Begin Together Awards and Begin Together Colleagues. Each strand has a specific purpose and combined will deliver a significant positive impact on communities across Ireland.

The Begin Together Fund (€500,000 per annum) will provide funding of up to €5,000 to over 100 local groups to support financial, physical and mental wellbeing projects in communities across the island. The Bank is working with The Community Foundation for Ireland, which will administer the fund, and a number of expert partners – the Society of St Vincent de Paul, Sport Ireland, Action Mental Health and Sport NI – who have supported the development of the fund and will assist in shortlisting applicants for funding.

The Begin Together Awards (€200,000 per annum) will support the great work done by those striving to improve their communities and empower local economies. Working with local authorities across Ireland and Northern Ireland, the Begin Together Awards will stimulate economic development while celebrating local economic success.

Begin Together Colleagues (€300,000 per annum) is designed to support the voluntary efforts of colleagues to support local projects. Up to €5,000 will be awarded to local charities and community groups working to improve financial, physical and mental wellbeing.

Eamonn Corcoran, Head of Bank of Ireland for County Clare, said:"I encourage community groups in Clare to apply to our Begin Together Fund. As a leading lender in Ireland we are supporting families and businesses across the island – north, south, east and west.

The Begin Together initiative will further enable communities to thrive, and make a tangible positive impact on the communities where we live and work.

The Begin Together Fund is now open for applications. Local groups interested in applying can enter through the Bank of Ireland website www.bankofireland.com/begintogether.

KILRUSH GARDENING COURSE

Spring Gardening Courses starting at Kilrush Community Gardens Kilkee road, Kilrush from Tues 10th March 10am-1pm for 8 weeks.

Learn to grow your own vegetable and fruit.

Booking or more info contact Hilary Gleeson 086 3579484 or Kilrush Community Garden Project on Facebook.

ST PATRICK’S DAY

The theme for this year’s St Patrick’s Day festival is ‘Going green – local action, global impact’. The theme is optional. Music and entertainment begins at 2pm. Entertainment includes: John Fennell Hell for Leather Dancers, Teamwork, face painting, balloons. Parade will start at 3pm.

MOUNTSHANNON THE OUTGOING TIDE

Sliabh Aughty Drama Group presents The Outgoing Tide by Bruce Graham on Friday, February 28 and Saturday, February 29 at Mountshannon Hall. In a summer cottage on Chesapeake Bay, Gunner has hatched an unorthodox plan to secure his family's future but meets with resistance from his wife and son, who have plans of their own.

As winter approaches, the three must quickly find common ground and come to an understanding – before the tide goes out. This compelling drama hums with dark humour and powerful emotion.

Doors open at 8.00pm with curtain at 8.30pm. Raffle each night.

Admission €10/€5 for students and children.

USING MOTOR TAX ONLINE SERVICE Customers using www.motortax.ie at district offices are advised that since 17th February 2020, providing an email address for the online transaction became mandatory on the government website www.motortax.ie. The change relates to increased security measures on the Department of Transport’s online motortax website.

Customers who wish to avail of www.motortax.ie in district offices therefore have to provide an email address.Future notifications from the Department of Transport will be sent to the email address provided.

Apart from www.motortax.ie, motor tax renewals can be posted to Ennis Motor Tax, New Road, Ennis, Co Clare. The motor tax office in Ennis is open daily from 9.15 am to 3.30 pm.

The renewal PIN number A PIN is included in your renewal notice, which the Department of Transport sends in the month of expiry of your current disc.

If you haven’t got your renewal notices, the last 6 digits of your logbook or vehicle registration certificate (VRC) number will work as your PIN.

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l WORTHY CAUSE: Harmony Bridge Club from Ennis presented a cheque worth €950 to Kieran McCarthy, director of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland. The money was raised at a recent bridge fundraising event organised by the Harmony Club

22 COMMUNITY NEWS

THURSDAY, FEB 6 2020

ENNIS NS GET BUSINESS HATS ON

lFLIPPING BRILLIANT: Anna from Miss Rosengrave’s 6th class gets ready for the Jessies Pancake Factory on Tuesday and (right) classmates Raghib and Grace tossing panckes

Photo by Natasha Barton

THE JACK SLATTERY Ms Roseingrave’s sixth class from SCHOOL ENTREPRENEUR project for the 2020 Jessies event, PROGRAMME

Ennis National School unveiled their business sponsored by Avalon’s Domhnal Slattery. The Pancake Factor was a seasonal idea which took place on pancake Tuesday, with pancakes selling for €1 each. All profits made from the project will go to Pieta House and to funding their school tour.

‘You can’t buy a box of matches in Ruan’ INCREASING use of the Ruan to Corofin road has led to one elected representative seeking an upgrade of the surface.

Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) requested an upgrade of “the surface, road edge and cutting back of protruding vegetation” on the Ruan to Corofin road which he pointed out now falls “under the remit” of the West Clare Municipal District.

Acting senior executive engineer of the West Clare MD, Morgan Lahiffe committed to carrying out a survey on the road which comprises of the L-1098 and L-4162. “This survey will look at surface conditions, road widths and vegetation. On completion of the survey, we will consider elements of works for inclusion in the 2020” schedule of MD works.

“Before the last local election, Tubber, Boston and Ruan were in the Killaloe Municipal District,” Cllr Killeen reminded the meeting. “Because of the motorway, people from North Clare are coming into Corofin to go through Ruan to get onto motorway so it’s busier than ever before.

“There is no shop in Ruan at the moment, you can’t buy a box of matches at the moment so people have to go to Corofin or Ennis to do their shopping.

The hedgerows are damaging cars and agricultural vehicles in the recent past”.

Killeen stated his was pleased with the response. Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG) seconded the motion.

COLUMNIST

THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

23

REELING IN THE YEARS

with Cian O’Broin

2002

2002 GENERAL ELECTION The political landscape of Ireland is a rapidly changing phenomenon. The recent general election in 2020 has brought about a collaborative yet contentious switch to the left. The ardent stride of political powerhouses Fianna Fail and Fine Gael has been tempered. County Clare, a renowned Fianna Fail stronghold has seen a surge of support for Sinn Fein candidate Violet Anne Wynne in what was a ground-breaking election in recent weeks.

On 17th May 2002 the Irish public took to the ballot box to voice their opinions. The previous election took place in 1997, with three out of four seats taken by Fianna Fail and the remaining seat being won by Donal Carey of Fine Gael. The turnout in 1997 was 47, 366 in comparison to 50, 341 five years later. An eclectic mix of parties put candidates forward in the Clare Constituency. Fianna Fail had three candidates, their ideological counterparts Fine Gael had three, the Green Party were pushing the highly informed Brian Meaney, Labour had one candidate and the Christian Solidarity went for one last hoorah in pushing Derek Whelan, who collected a measly 176 votes, putting an end to the party’s attempt to gain a foothold in County Clare. The public had made their views known. The right-wing social conservatists no longer have representation either locally or nationally. Topping the polls was the Independent James Breen, who met the quota of 9,961 on the second count. Second Place was Fine Gael’s Pat Breen, securing his seat on the fifth count. Third and fourth place were taken by Fianna Fail’s Tony Killeen and Sile De Valera, respectively.

National predicitons outlined in The Irish Times leading up to the election predicted no change to 3FF and 1FG but Independent James Breen made all the difference with his shock victory, however; the political landscape of Clare was to remain largely the same for the next eighteen years!

RICHARD HARRIS AND THE WHITE WALLS OF KILKEE: In 2002, the passing of highly adorned actor Richard Harris saddened the movie-going public, particularly those in the small sea-side resort of Kilkee, County Clare where Richard spent many of his summers, joyously swinging a racket in hand against the painted white walls of the seaside’s edge.

An enthusiastic Racquet player, Richard achieved silverware in four successive summers in Kilkee from 1948-1951, winning the famed Tivoli cup. Richard’s record still stands to this very day. Richard Harris was born on the 1st of October 1930, in Limerick City, the sixth of nine children. Harris is most noted for his role of Albus Dumbledore in the first two instalments of the Harry Potter series. Harris also won great favour for his role of Marcus Aurelius in Gladiator.

He passed away on 25th of October 2002 at the age of seventy-two whilst filming the third Harry Potter film. Richard owned a holiday home in Kilkee, where he spent a great deal of his summers.

In 2006, the town of Kilkee unveiled a statue in honour of Richard Harris. The ceremony was attended by Hollywood superstar Russel Crowe, who worked with Richard on Gladiator and subsequently became his beloved pint pal.

At the unveiling of the bronze statue, Crowe addressed the crowd with, “Richard told me: ‘There is a good night out in you; I think I am going to like you’.” The pair had made a pact to attend the Ireland vs Australia game in 2002, but unfortunately Richard fell ill and later passed away. Crowe then sang a football anthem in his honour and joined the family for the unveiling of the statue sculpted by Seamus Connolly, depicting Harris in an iconic pose, brandishing his beloved racket in hand.

That’s all for this week folks, check back next week as we look at what made Clare so special in 2003. Until then, take care!

065 6828 383

www.cahirsolicitors.com

36 Abbey Street, Ennis

Key questions to ask when marriage ends in divorce

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HE breakdown of a marriage is one of the most emotionally challenging and stressful times in a person’s life. With one in ten marriages in Ireland ending in divorce, it is vitally important that an individual going through this process has the support, guidance, and advice of a Family Law Solicitor.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation and ambiguity in the public domain when it comes to divorce, writes Aisling Carr, Solicitor who has joined Cahir and Co solicitors having been practising in the area of Family Law for over ten years. Some common concerns and questions are: How long must we wait to apply for a divorce and do we need to be living separately?

The good news is, that since the commencement of the Family Law Act, 2019, the wait time for commencing Divorce proceedings has been halved.

Previously a couple had to be living separate and apart for four out of the previous five years. Now, once you have been living apart from your spouse for two out of the previous three years you can proceed with your application for a divorce. This certainly is a welcome change for many couples who wish to regularise their situation and move on with their lives. Many couples cannot afford to live in two separate households pending the finalisation of their divorce and this is not a bar to commencing proceedings.

In the eyes of the law, a couple can be “living apart” under the one roof once they are no longer living together as couple in an intimate and committed relationship.

A Court must be satisfied that there is no prospect of the couple reconciling prior to granting a Decree of Divorce. It can often come as a surprise to a client when their Solicitor provides them with information in respect of marriage counselling and mediation prior to starting the divorce process on their behalf, however, all Solicitors are legally obliged to advise their client about the alternatives to divorce.

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How much will a divorce cost me?

The costs involved ultimately depend on how straightforward or contentious your case is. If both parties agree early on how to divide their marital assets, there are no pensions involved and they have reached an agreement in respect of access and maintenance for their children, then legal costs will be kept to a minimum.

Generally speaking the more complex and time consuming a case is, the higher your legal costs. In the vast majority of family law cases, the general rule of thumb is that each party is responsible for

their own legal costs.

Will I have to disclose all my financial details to my spouse and to the Court?

The Court when granting a divorce, has to be satisfied that proper provision is made for both parties and any dependent children. In order to do so the Court must have a clear understanding of a couple’s financial situation.

Both parties are required to complete what is known as an Affidavit of Means.

This is a sworn statement setting out your assets, liabilities, income and expenditure.

We have reached an agreement between ourselves and parted ways some time ago, there is nothing left to resolve so why should we consider applying for a divorce?

Whilst a separating couple may be very amicable and you may not feel any need or desire to go to Court, if you have not legally separated or divorced then your husband or wife will have a legal right to part of your estate if you die, irrespective of whether or not you have made a Will and who you wish to inherit your estate.

A divorce or judicial separation is also important in order to protect any future assets which you may acquire. There are many other advantages and reasons to apply for a divorce, the most obvious being that it entitles either party to remarry if they so wish.

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I am really nervous about going to Court and giving evidence, also I am not proud of some of my actions over the course of the marriage, will I be penalised for bad behaviour?

In Ireland, we have a “no fault” system of divorce, i.e. you don’t need to give a reason as to why you wish to divorce.

Following on from this, the Courts function is not to lay blame or to punish.

Misconduct during the course of a marriage is only an issue where it is obvious and gross and thus the threshold is very high. It is also important to stress that a substantial number of divorces are settled without the need for a fully contested Court hearing. If agreement cannot be reached and the matter must be argued out before a Judge, members of the public will not be permitted to be present in Court.

Family Law Proceedings are held ‘in camera’ i.e. in private, in order to protect the privacy of the family.

Call Aisling Carr Solicitor on 0656828383 at Cahir and Co Solicitors, Family Law Solicitor to formalise your Separation and Divorce.

24 BUSINESS FEATURE

Promoting a painless life in West Clare...

THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

O’Neill brings wealth of experience to AON Physiotherapy STUART HOLLY

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editor@clareecho.ie

ROM Cooraclare to Waikato and back, Andrew O’Neill’s journey in sports science and physiotherapy has been an interesting one. The chartered physiotherapist has worked with everyone from children to nonagenarians, along with a number of top level professional athletes. Less than a year ago, the West Clare native made the decision to set up a private practice and now AON Physiotherapy serves the people of Kilrush and its surrounding areas.

The impressive facility boasts top class physiotherapy rooms along with a customised rehabilitation area to assist clients with their rehab process, whether they are recovering from chronic pain or acute injuries.

Andrew’s background has seen him work with the public across a broad range of settings including orthopaedics, neurology and musculoskeletal care in such clinical settings as Croom Orthopaedic Hospital, University Hospital Limerick and OneHEALTH physiotherapy in Tullamore.

Prior to this, during his time studying for a degree in Sports & Exercise Science at UL, Andrew carried out his work placement with the Waikato Chiefs super rugby side on New Zealand’s north island. Andrew continues, “After qualifying from UL, I did an intern-

lLEADING THE WAY: Andrew O’Neill at his recently-opened clinic in Kilrush; and (below) the impressive rehibilitation area and treatment rooms

ship with Munster for a year and I was with them from 2010 for three years. During that time I also trained the Galway hurlers for a season, and was with the Limerick footballers.”

Andrew worked closely with the physiotherapy staff as part of the strength and conditioning team, and in 2013 he took his qualifications a step further at UCD where he completed a Masters in Physiotherapy.

Having lived in Dublin worked in the renowned OneHEALTH physiotherapy clinic in Tullamore up until last year, Andrew and his wife (an expectant mother) decided to take the plunge and opt for life on the west coast. Making a success of his new business was integral to that.

Despite his strong background in high level sport, it’s the general public who Andrew’s expertise are used on. Formerly a student at St Joseph’s Secondary School in Spanish Point, Andrew says that chronic pain complaints are among the most common. “Invariably the people who do the work and do the rehab exercises, they’re the ones who will improve. There are plenty of people out there who claim to have a quick fix for one particular injury or another, but research will show for a lot of injuries there’s no quick fix. Like if you have chronic back pain that’s been going on a long time, there is an issue somewhere in the body causing that pain, if you can find the source of that, you can set about getting that person stronger and moving more efficiently.”

Andrew adds, “I treat people of all ages. I think the oldest patient I have is 98; there’s always something you can do if you’re in pain and you don’t have to live with it.”

To enquire or book an appointment with AON Physiotherapy, visit aonphysiotherapy. ie or email aonphysiotherapy@gmail.com.

Phone 089 615 0347. Opening hours, Tuesday-Saturday (Tues & Thurs 1-9pm; Wed, Fri & Sat 9-5pm).

At AON Physiotherapy we have worked in several clinical settings. These include senior inter county GAA squads and professional rugby teams in Ireland, the UK and New Zealand. We have also worked in several hospital settings throughout Ireland.

“Excellent service. Andrew is very professional and explained exactly why I was in pain.

His understanding of the human body is second to none. I would highly recommend to everyone�

Clare Echo THE

Communion and Confirmation 8 confirmation and communion

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HETHER you are celebrating a communion or confirmation, once the formalities and meal are out of the way, some families might be tempted to mark the occasion with a special day out for the newly confirmed youngster.

With Irish weather playing a great role in the opportunities for family days out, we’ve endeavored to give some indoor and outdoor options.

WEATHER PERMITTING OPTIONS . A DAY OUT IN THE BURREN

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With the bustle of everyday life, it can be all too easy to forget that we live on the doorstep of one of Ireland’s most precious landscapes. There are a multitude of marked walks available across the Burren, all varying in distance depending on your ability and enthusiasm. Go to https://www.burrennationalpark.ie/walking-trails/ for a range of options.

There are also some historical, natural and geological gems in the area and a number of brilliant tourist and visitor centres such as the Ailwee Caves and Birds of Prey Centre, or The Burren Centre in Kilfenora which reopens on March 12.

3

.BUNRATTY FOLK PARK

CASTLE

AND

This castle, almost like a fortress for County Clare as you pass it on the dual carriageway, brings education and entertainment together so makes for a brilliant day out for all the family. Bunratty Castle & Folk Park is a living working museum and is a window on Ireland’s Past. Set on 26 acres the experience includes a look at: Medieval Irish Life at the 15th Century Bunratty Castle, traditional rural living through the 30 buildings, the thatched farmhouses and cottages of the 19th century and village life with the village street having the pub, the school, traditional shops, doctors house, pawnbrokers and 18th century Bunratty House. A typical visit varies between 1 and 4 hours and don’t forget to visit and enjoy traditional Irish farm animals, horses donkeys, pigs, sheep, deer, Irish Wolfhounds and for the little ones - the playground.

your way around our inflatable obstacle course on the water. Beat the obstacles, race your friends and family- watch them get totally wiped out - an unforgettable experience.

7

. OMNIPLEX SHANNON

ENJOYING THE GREAT...INDOORS

6

. PLANET ENTERTAINMENT

Bowling, laser tag, astroturf soccer, pool and arcade games. Need we say any more? Contact the team at the Planet to enquire about parties on 065 6866777.

This 6 screen cinema located in the heart of Shannon on the first floor of Skycourt shopping centre is the premium place to watch the newest releases in County Clare. Featuring laser projection, Dolby Digital surround sound, and the classic Omniplex rocker chairs, other features include Click & Collect, wheelchair accessible screens & Candy King Pick’N’Mix. For more visit https:// omniplex.ie/cinema/shannon.

4

. CRAGGAUNOWEN

2

. CLIFFS OF MOHER

Like more than the million plus visitors who come to see them each year, you can look forward to a trip never to be forgotten and it’s only a short trip in the car. There’s no better time to visit as the large crowds are still at bay. This is Ireland at its most natural, rugged, panoramic and breathtaking. As much a historical landmark as they are a geographical wonder, conservation hotspot and area of immense natural richness and importance.

At Craggaunowen you gain a fascinating insight into how the Celts made their homes on a Crannog.

Crannogs were found in Ireland during the Iron Age and early Christian periods.

Though some homesteads were inhabited during the Late Bronze Age and in some cases were still being occupied as late as the 17th century. Also operated by Shannon Heritage, this is a visitor attraction that will bring your child’s imagination to life.

5

. GET WET AND WILD IN KILRUSH

As the park reopens for the season in April, West Coast Aqua Park is the perfect day out for those celebrating their communion days. West Coast Aqua Park is an epic adventure for all the family to enjoy. Jump, slide, climb and bounce

Now Taking bookings for Confirmation & Communion GREAT FOO D - GREAT SERVICE - GREAT TASTE phone: 065 6899393 email: info@henrysbistroandwinebar.ie website: www.henrysbistroanswinebar.ie location: Market street, Ennis

Clare Echo THE

Communion and Confirmation day out ideas BOYS COMMUNION & CONFIRMATION WEAR

8

. LET’S FACE IT, WE’RE GOING HOME

The weather of late hasn’t been the most enticing and you wouldn’t be blamed for retreating the troops home once the occasion and lunch has been taken care of. Thank God for Netflix!

COMMUNION & CONFIRMATION CELEBRATIONS

Join us to celebrate this special day with friends and family! The celebrating child eats FREE and we also have a complimentary ice cream cart for the kids on the day!

SAMPLE MENU Soup of the Day, garden herbs Tartlet of St. Tola Goats Cheese, sweet onion, tomato & basil Smoked Haddock and Sweet Potato Fish Cake, remoulade sauce Homemade Chicken Liver Pate

hazelnut dukkha, apple puree, toasted sour dough

**** Baked fillet of Atlantic Cod, parsley & lemon crumb, ratatouille Roasted Sirloin of Irish beef, crisp Yorkshire pudding, roast gravy Pan Seared Chicken Supreme, smoked bacon, wild mushroom cream Risotto of Roasted Butternut Squash, pumpkin granola, aged parmesan served with seasonal vegetables & potatoes

**** Selection of Bó & Bainne ice-cream Oreo cheesecake Sticky toffee pudding, vanilla ice-cream Warm apple crumble, vanilla ice-cream All served with Tea and Coffee

Adults €26.95

C hil dr en €13. 9 5

To Book call us on: 065 707 9000 or book online @ www.armadahotel.com Spanish Point, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare

Clare Echo THE

Communion and Confirmation Enjoy quality dining with the new look Lahinch Coast Hotel

L

AHINCH Coast Hotel has opened it’s doors even earlier this season and John and Brid O’Meara who are Co-Owners and Manage the property are looking forward to what is looking like a busy season ahead. There is lots going on in Lahinch and some of which is very different and they are enjoying the buzz that comes with hosting a TV production crew and cast who have chosen Lahinch to film an exciting series “Smother”.

The Aberdeen Bar and Restaurant is currently open at weekends and the Leisure Centre is open daily.

The Hotel is fully open from Friday 13th March and the Gastro Style Aberdeen Bar and Restaurant will be open daily from then onwards. Last year saw some the wonderful redesign changes to the ground floor of the Hotel with the new look Reception, Drawing room and highly successful Aberdeen Bar and Restaurant.

John and Brid were delighted with how the new look was received particularly with locals and this combined with the Irish Open in Lahinch was a fantastic start to their running of the Hotel.

The couple are busy working on the next stage of the project and in the next couple of weeks work starts on refurbishing the guest bedrooms.

Now taking reservations for Communions, Confirmations, Private Parties and Group Celebrations Communions and Confirmations Menu €28.50

ADULTS

€25.00 CHILDREN

€13.50

COMMUNION/CONFIRMATION

Three Course Dinner menu €35 Recommended by Georgina Campbell's Ireland Guide 2020 Finalist in Clare Business Excellence Awards 2019 Nominated at Best Four Star Hotel – Hotel & Catering Review Lahinch Co.Clare T: +353 (0) 65 7081100 E: info@lahinchcoasthotel.ie W: www.lahinchcoasthotel.ie

Celebrate your child’s special day with us!

At The Old Lodge Gastro Pub - Shannon Springs Hotel

The ideal venue to celebrate special occasions with all your family & friends.

ENJOY OUR DELICIOUS 4 COURSE LUNCH MENU, PLUS A SPECIAL GIFT FOR THE COMMUNION/CONFIRMATION CHILD Don’t delay book your reservation with us today by calling 061 364 047 or via email: info@shannonspringshotel.com

SHANNON SPRINGS

Follow us on:

Ballycasey, Shannon, Co. Clare / www.shannonspringshotel.com Note: Deposit required to secure your reservation and final numbers to be notified 14 days in advance.

Clare Echo THE

Communion and Confirmation

The changing face of Communion and how we celebrate...

COMMUNION IN MODERN-DAY SCHOOLS STATE-RUN schools are removing formal religious instruction for pupils in Ireland which includes preparation for the First Communion, it was announced last September.

The move came from Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI), as schools debate the place of religion in the classroom. Nowadays, schools operate under a multi-belief programme in their classes but there is time allocated for religious instruction.

This can take the form of a number of things - but most of us will remember it as all the time spent rehearsing for our Communion before the big day finally arrived and we celebrated with our family with lunch, and possibly a visit to the Burren or Bunratty if we were lucky.

According to the changes, students will still receive religious instruction and practice for their Holy Communion but it will be done outside the school day.

SHOPPING The day itself is a happy one, but can be expensive which is why it’s important to shop around when dressing up your loved one.

Depending on where you are based, The Family Store in Kilrush and CD2 in Ennis are very good starting points as they specifically cater for suits for the young’uns (and girls communion dresses in the case of The Family Store).

WHERE DID COMMUNION COME FROM? The early Church celebrated Jesus by taking communion, sometimes every day. They saw that every time they gathered around a table to eat and drink, it was a chance to recognize Jesus and thank God for all He’s done.

Jesus started the tradition of communion.

He instructed His followers to use bread and wine to remember the sacrifice He was going to make when He died for our sins on the cross.

Jesus called Himself “the bread of life,� which means that we’re nourished by Him, we survive because of Him, and He satisfies us when everything else leaves us empty.

There’s a connection between our nearness to Jesus, believing in Him, and being fulfilled by Him.

Communions at Treacys West County Hotel

¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡

4-Course Menu Choice at ₏25.00 Children's Menu ₏11.00 Room DÊcor, Lighting, A/V incl Cake Table Children's Entertainment – Disco, Bouncy Castle In house photography (by Appointment) Gift for Communion Child Full Bar & Wine Menu Pre booking Only

T&C's apply

Â

Clare Echo THE

Communion and Confirmation

9 places to

T

HERE’S nothing like taking the stress out of a confirmation day than taking the entire family out for a meal. No cooking, washing up, and you’re coming home to a clean house at the end of the day!

Here we bring you some local suggestions for booking your confirmation and communion day meals.

ENNIS TREACY’S WEST COUNTY

course meal, followed by entertainment such as a bouncing castle throughout the day and a DJ after the meal. Your little ones will dance the evening away! Of course, the communion child eats free on the day and we also give a special gift from us to celebrate their day and ensure they feel it’s is all about them. We aim to ensure you and your family leave with fond memories of your day! Contact Alphie at Treacys West County to make an enquiry today. Email sales@twcennis.com or call 0656869600.

THE OLD GROUND HOTEL

We take bookings for all parties/events At The Pipers Inn, Killaloe For your child, the preparation for their Communion and Confirmation Day starts in September. They will be working hard learning prayers and songs, colouring pictures to decorate the churches and of course attending special masses. Parents also have a big role to play in their child’s special day and Treacys want to ease the stress. With years of experience catering for communions, Treacy’s West County go all out for the big day. An action packed day is in store; start the party with a 4

Visitors have the choice of three distinct dining experiences to choose from at The Old Ground.

The Town Hall Bistro, which is the former town courthouse, provides a welcoming envi-

THE FAMILY STORE

Moore Street, Kilrush Tel: 065-9051703

Communion Wear 2020

BOY’S 5-PIECE SUITS

- €79.95 Shoes - all styles and colours............................................... €34.95 including Jacket, pants, waistcoat, shirt & tie - from.... €54.95

www.thepipersinn.ie Mon - Thu: 12pm - 11:30pm Fri - Sat: 12pm - 12:30am Sun: 12pm - 11pm

Tel: 061 374717

GIRL’S COMMUNION DRESSES ACCESSORIES & SHOES Our widest range - exceptional value.

ALL-YEAR-ROUND SCHOOLWEAR DEPARTMENT Follow us on Facebook – The Family Store Limited

Clare Echo THE

Communion and Confirmation

enjoy your confirmation meal ronment with great value food championing local ingredients.

While the Brendan O’Reagan Restaurant offers a more formal setting; ideally suited to special occasions such as communions and confirmations. The menu features traditional cuisine with a modern day creative twist.

At Poet’s Corner Bar, visitors will find 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.

To book call 065 682 8127.

A family favourite, The Armada Hotel overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Spanish Point is often a stopping point for families enjoying their Sunday day out. That makes it the perfect location for post-church activities; it’s one place on our doorstep that feels like you’re stepping into another world.

And the food’s not bad either! Local meat suppliers and vegetables grown on the Moy Hill Farm down the road means you’re only eating the best ingredients whether you’re in the Ocean Bar & Bistro, Johnny Burke’s Bar or the Pearl Restaurant.

THE ROWAN TREE

LAHINCH COAST HOTEL

The Rowan Tree café in the centre of Ennis Champions seasonal home-grown produce, the menu offers an exciting array of dishes that are packed with freshness and flavour.

There’s options aplenty for adults along with a brilliant kids menu, and if the group size allows for it, there are options to book . Call ahead to ensure availability.Reservations (065) 686 8669.

HENRYS BISTRO

Since moving his operations from The Cloister Restaurant to Henry’s Bistro, proprietor Dermot Fetton has continued to solidify his reputation as one of Clare’s top restaurateurs. Henry’s has established itself as a top choice for dinner trade, however the Sunday menu (12.30-18.30) has plenty to offer for everyone, from Beef Striploin or Scampi maincourse to profiteroles and Henry’s Eton Mess on for dessert. It’s bistro style dining at affordable prices. 2 course option €22.50. Call 065 6899393 to book.

WEST / NORTH CLARE THE ARMADA HOTEL

One of the new kids on the block (as it’s under new ownership since last year), the Lahinch Coast Hotel has been completely renovated and makes for a very family friendly setting to celebrate your occasion.

The Aberdeen Bar & Restaurant is the ideal venue in Lahinch for Weddings, Family Parties, Communions/Confirmations, Groups etc. Special menu available for groups. Three Courses €35. Email info@lahinchcoastho-

tel.ie for more details and for bookings or Tel +353 (065) 7081100

SOUTH / EAST CLARE PIPERS INN

corporate nights out, summer BBQs, and of course communion and confirmations.

Contact 061 364 861 for communion or confirmation enquiries.

SHANNON SPRINGS At the stunningly located and renowned Pipers Inn near Killaloe, the proprietors cater for all types of functions and budgets.

Whether it’s eating in the restaurant or with a larger group, The Pipers Private Function Room is available for groups of 10 to 30 people and you can choose from the full menu or enjoy a tailor made set menu to suit your requirements. For food options go to http:// www.thepipersinn.ie/food/. To book call (061) 374717.

DURTY NELLYS

Conveniently located just off the dual carriageway and beside Bunratty Folk Park, the world famous Durty Nellies is the perfect place to enjoy your lunch, especially if you want to continue on to a day out at the park. The Durty Nelly’s Restaurant and Function Rooms cater for family gatherings,

Shannon Springs Hotel are quietly becoming one of Clare’s favourite four-star hotels.

This year, a communion and confirmation day four-course menu has been created by the team with a host of inviting options for all the family. Coming in at €13.50 per child and €25 per adult the menu offers brilliant value. For the menu and to make a booking, visit Shannonspringshotel.com.

32 BUSINESS

THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

BUSINESS

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

Tech Féile comes to Shannon STUART HOLLY

S

editor@clareecho.ie

HANNON Airport will become the showcase on March 4th for some of the country’s top young digital media, music and 3D Design talent as well as a world record attempt when some 400 students gather for the fourth annual Camara Ireland’s Tech Féile.

Ireland’s largest Irish language tech event, Tech Féile showcases young people’s achievements in inventive Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM).

Activities will see students exhibit their work and take part in interactive workshops as well as being inspired by guest speakers and live performances.

Revealing details of the event, Séamus Ó Fátharta, Clár TechSpace Coordinator, Camara Education Ireland said: “Camara Ireland are delighted to be holding the biggest ever technology event as Gaeilge in Shannon Airport. An initiative of the national

TechSpace programme, Tech Féile is going from strength to strength and all due to the passionate educators and young people driving it forward. The programme wouldn’t be possible without the support of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and the Science Foundation Ireland. Special

thanks to Shannon Airport for hosting and sponsoring the event.”

The line-up this year includes Micheál O’Ciaraigh from TG4 and SPIN South West presenter Louise Cantillon.

Across the day there will be 35 workshops offering the students the opportunity

l FUTURE SCIENTISTS: Rachael Leahy, Shannon Group, Séamus Ó Fátharta, Clár TechSpace Coordinator, Camara and 2 year old Ceoladh O’Sullivan from Tralee Co Kerry with her brother Debhinn (4) checking out cool mini robots Photo by Arthur Ellis

to learn first-hand from creative industries representatives who will be present on the day.TG4 will host a weather workshop complete with green screen, Shannon Airport will host an aviation workshop, Radio Rí Rá will offer students a hands-on approach to podcast creation.

One of the fun points of the Tech Féile day will an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest buzz wire! A buzz wire is a steady hand game that is well known to many as a tabletop amusement.

Measuring over 17 metres long, the giant buzz kit is currently under construction and will feature as a centre-piece at Tech Féile.

Speaking about the event Tech Féile funder Bríd Breathnach from the Department of Culture, Heritage and Gaeltacht said; “We are thrilled that the fourth Tech Féile event will take place in Shannon Airport this year and thank the Shannon Group company for their help in hosting Tech Féile as a sponsor.

“Tech Féile has grown year-on-year. With 400 young people registered to attend this will be our largest event ever.”

‘Gender pay gap is fast approaching and companies need to be ready’ WITH the Gender Pay Gap Information Bill, 2019 currently in the process of being enacted, companies need to pay more attention to the pay gaps that exist between males and females.

This was the stark message that Sonya Boyce, director of HR Consulting in Mazars gave to a gathering of Shannon Chamber companies at a seminar in Shannon.

Given that Ireland witnessed a 2% increase in its gender pay gap from 12% to 14% between 2014 and 2017; that this figure is above the European average of 16% and will continue to grow without legislative intervention; that only 19% of chief executives are women, the issue that companies need to

be concerned about is 'when' not 'will' mandatory pay gap reporting come into effect in Ireland.

By year three of its initiation, reporting will be mandatory for companies of all sizes in Ireland with larger companies only being required to report in the initial two years.

Stating that gender pay gap is not equal pay but the difference between what is earned on average by women and men based on the average gross hourly earnings of all paid employees, Ms Boyce added: "It's not just about men and women doing the same job or with the same experience of working patterns, it is designed to capture to what extent women are evenly represented across an

organisation. It will highlight if there is a gender imbalance within an organisation," stated Ms Boyce.

Suggesting ways in which gender pay gaps within companies can be addressed, Ms Boyce advised attendees to set meaningful targets for their organisation size and type adding: "There is no one-size-fits-all approach. You need to zone in on your sector; assess whether it is a male or female-dominated industry; compare your organisation's figures with the national figure of other organisations within your sector and then decide on what action your company needs to take to tackle the gender pay gap."

l EQUALITY: Helen Downes, CEO, Shannon Chamber (right) pictured at the gender pay gap seminar

with Sonya Boyce, director of HR Consulting in Mazars and Fergal Brosnan, head of strategy development, Bank of Ireland

Photo by Eamon Ward

Information Evening:

Food Workshops And Training 2020 Time: 5:30pm Registration With 6:00pm Start Date: 04/03/2020 Venue: Temple Gate Hotel Free Event But Booking Essential For More Information Visit: www.localenterprise.ie/Clare

34 BUSINESS

THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

BUSINESS

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

Killaloe PR firm acquired by global management consultants PÁRAIC McMAHON

A

paraic@clareecho.ie

KILLALOE based public relations firm has been acquired by global management consulting company, Teneo.

Former Tipperary Star and Irish Independent journalist, Eugene Hogan founded Bridge PR in 2011.

Shannon Group which includes Shannon Airport, Shannondoc, Clare FM, Doolin2Aran Ferries, Shannon College of Hotel Management, Clean Ireland Recycling, Tipperary County Council, Limerick Chamber and Limerick City and County Council are among some of the Killaloe firm's clients.

Hogan was confident that by joining Teneo, Bridge PR would be able "to scale our operations and deepen resources for the growing portfolio of clients we have developed.

“To have a global leader acquire our business is a very positive validation of what we do, of our client base, and indeed, our team".

"We look forward to bringing this additional expertise and resource to bear for our clients, jointly growing our operations and delivering on this vote of confidence in our business here by Teneo," the O'Briensbridge resident added.

Chairman and CEO of Teneo, Declan Kelly said they were "delighted" to welcome Mr Hogan his team as part of their expanded service.

"Ireland continues to be an important

market for many of the world's leading companies,' the Tipperary native added.

Teneo operates consultancies employing 800 people in Dublin, London, Brussels and in other parts of the world.

Kelly is a long time friend of Hogan, Bridge PR will continue to trade under its current name.

"This acquisition gives us additional reach and a strong profile in the Mid-West and I firmly believe Eugene and his team will bring significant added value to Teneo and our clients," CEO of Teneo Ireland, Mick O'Keeffe stated.

"We have grown substantially over the last few years.

“This move will enhance our strategic communications, leadership advisory and content creation capabilities".

l DEVELOPMENT: Bridge PR founder Eugene Hogan

RECRUITMENT & APPOINTMENTS

Durty Nelly's Bunratty require full time Chef de Partie also Kitchen Assistants For interview phone Head Chef on 061 364861 or apply to info@durtynellys. ie

OFFICE CLEANER REQUIRED for town centre business 1 hour, twice a week Expressions of interest to be sent to

ennis@mail.ebs.ie

Sport Clare Echo THE

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Ennis U18s fly high in Cup

lPURE CONCENTRATION: Ennis scrum-half Ethan Coughlan rises to secure possession despite the attentions of a Skibbereen forward

Photo by Helen McQuillan

Busy weekend sees Ennis reach Munster SF, while Clare footballers now in scrap for survival

Clare secure league QF

Daly: We must adapt

Clare ladies skin the Cats

Great run for Clare dogs

Clare’s hurlers managed to get a share of the spoils against Kilkenny on Sunday, that despite hitting 17 wides in a match that saw Shane O’Donnell score 2-01

Clare Echo football columnist Martin Daly laments the time it takes for Colm Collins’ men to revert to a Plan B when things aren’t working out

We caught up with a delighted Clare camogie manager Ger O’Connell, who said that his team’s victory over Kilkenny is one they’ve been waiting for

Cratloe’s Ger Manly will be smiling after his dog Confused Reilly made it 20 wins in Galway.

We have a roundup from racing in Galway and Limerick

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SCAN QR CODE USING PHONE CAMERA FOR KILKENNY V CLARE MATCH REPORT

‘I never realised how good SOD was’ - Lohan lIMPRESSING: Shane O’Donnell showed manager Brian Lohan his worth in the draw with Kilkenny

PÁRAIC MCMAHON

B

paraic@clareecho.ie

Photo by Martin Connolly

ALANCE is the key was the message issued by Brian Lohan on their panel rotation while he also expressed his satisfaction at Clare securing their place in the knockout stages of the Allianz National Hurling League.

Dominant in the opening half which included holding a five point advantage, Clare had to settle for a share of the spoils with Kilkenny on Sunday. The Cats were the stronger in the second half, outscoring the visitors 1-09 1-07 and as such Lohan was relieved to come out of Nowlan Park with a point. “It could have gone either way, I’m delighted to get something out of the game because for long periods of the second half it didn’t look like we were going to get anything out of it”.

Justified praise has been extended to the Shannon native for the amount of players being trialled in the League thus far. “It’s a balance, we want to try give everyone some

game time, all thirty five on the panel are working hard and they all want to play, we can only play fifteen or twenty each day, they are all working hard and deserve their

chance. If we can get guys in we will but it’s a balance because we want to win as well”.

Of frustration from Clare’s point of view was their tally of seventeen wides. “Both

MATCH STATS PLAYER WATCH

Possessions: 17

(8 in first half, 9 in second half)

Clean: 12 (7 / 5)

Wasted: 5

TONY

KELLY

(7 / 6)

Scores: 0-07 5f

Wides: 5 (2f - 1'65)

Dropped Short: 1 Frees Won: 0 Frees Lost: 0

1 2

Conor Cleary

5 Stephen O’Halloran

23

4

21

Liam Corry

(1 / 4)

Passes: 12 Short: 4 Long: 8 Hurley Pass: 5 Hand Pass: 2 Tackles: 2 Turnovers: 4 Blocks: 1 Hooks: 0 Shots: 13

Donal Tuohy

Kilkenny 1-19 Clare 3-13

Sunday, Feb 23 UPMC Nowlan Park, Kilkenny

teams had uncharacteristic wides, some of the guys that shot those wides you wouldn’t normally be expecting them to put those wides, it’s the first dry ball we’ve played with in months and it takes a bit of time to get to grips with that.

“We’ll have to work on the number of wides. How many had Kilkenny? In the first half, they had a lot, even though it wasn’t a strong breeze it was a tough breeze to play into, they were dominant for the first twenty minutes of the second half but our lads showed a good bit coming back into it”.

Had it not been for Shane O’Donnell scoring 2-01, the complexion of the tie would have been much different. Brian admitted he never appreciated the class of the Éire Óg attacker until taking the reigns as senior manager.

“I was never involved with him at underage, I never realised how good he was until I saw him up close, he is a good player, a really good player and he showed it there”.

He was pleased with the “resilience and toughness” shown by the players in saffron and blue so far in the League. “We’re in the quarter-finals now, we have the game coming against Dublin to see if we can top the group, we’re happy with that”.

20

Jack Browne

7

Aidan Patrick McCarthy 9 O’Connor David Tony Kelly McInerney 24

Colin Guilfoyle

13 Ryan Taylor

8

10

David Reidy

11

Domhnall McMahon

14 Shane O’Donnell

John Conlon

Aron Shanagher (Wolfe Tones) for Conlon (43); Diarmuid Ryan (Cratloe) for Guilfoyle (45); Aaron Cunningham (Wolfe Tones) for Reidy (58); Podge Collins (Cratloe) for Taylor (64); Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge) for McMahon (68)

MATCH STATS PUCKOUTS CLARE WON: 15/29 LOST: 14/29 SHORT: 5/29 KILKENNY WON: 16/33 LOST: 17/33 SHORT: 2/33

WIDES CLARE: 17 KILKENNY: 9 FREES CLARE: 10 KILKENNY: 14 FREE CONVERSION TONY KELLY: 5/8 ALAN MURPHY: 6/7

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SCAN QR CODE USING PHONE CAMERA FOR CLARE V LAOIS MATCH REPORT

Plan B is Clare’s best weapon MARTIN DALY

F

CLARE VS LAOIS Reaction

OUR matches in and still, nothing has changed for Clare. On Sunday, we saw another opportunity to help secure our Division 2 status slip away and it wasn’t as a result of any skill deficit - Clare were just way too predictable. Yes, I understand that manager Colm Collins has his way of playing and that has stood him for the past three seasons and kept us in Division 2 so to try put up an argument against it is hard. But here it goes.

I can live with Clare setting up the way we do, cautious and defensive.It helps us find our feet and allows us to judge what way our counterparts set up. But why, oh why does it take us so long to react when things are not working? We were well beaten in the first half, sitting back and inviting Laois on us. They ran through us at pace and kicked long diagonal ball to the inside forward line which took out our sweepers. It was obvious they had done their homework and elimintated our sweeper system with a highly effective plan.

When Clare had possession, they did endeavour to attack but not in numbers so, as I’ve pointed out before, we kept hitting a wall. Too many of our players stuck to their guns of sitting back and when Laois turned us over, it made it easy

PLAYER WATCH

SEAN

for them to gain quick yards and pour into our half.

We went in at half time six points down but if we’d taken some of our chances it would have been a lot closer. Clare don’t create too many ‘pop-over’ chances so more often than not, it’s a 50/50 shot. However we also had opportunities from frees. All the best teams will take advantage of their frees to keep the score board ticking, which is especially crucial if things are not going well from play in a tight contest.

We missed too many of these.

Now if what transpired on Sunday is all we are able to offer and that is our standard, fine. We could just accept that and move on to Division 3. But it’s not all we can offer. We returned for the second half with plan B. Plan B consisted of Clare pushing right up on Laois kick-outs; defending in their half; backs supporting the forwards with numbers in attack; forcing Laois to long kickouts and in turn winning breaking ball. If you think you read that somewhere before, you did, in The Clare Echo after the Kildare game. Yes, we left space in defence at times but we still kept them to four points in the second half and we scored 1-06. We even had chances to go on to win the game - or at least get something from it but unfortunately our scoring boots weren’t on.

Now we need a couple of wins. This team has been in this position before and got those wins. I would love to see us try Plan B earlier in games and not when we are left with a big hill to climb. On another note, it’s great to see Colm trying some new young talent. Emmet McMahon (Kildysart) and Joseph McGann (St Breckans) look to have bright future ahead. Let’s hope we can get a result against Cavan but to do so we will have to trust ourselves going forward a little more.

lNO MOMENTUM: Gordon Kelly and co found it hard to break down the Laois defence

Photo by Gerard O’Neill

MATCH STATS

COLLINS Possessions: 13

(8 IN FIRST HALF, 5 IN SECOND HALF)

Clean Distributions: 13 Wasted: 0 Shot Attempts: 0 Fouls Won: 2 Fouls Conceded: 1 Minutes Played: 81

‘All to fight for’ Collins maintains SEAMUS HAYES

F

or Laois manager Michael Quirke, Sunday’s one point win over Clare has eased their relegation worries “We have gone to five points on the table now and created a little bit of separation between ourselves and the teams at the bottom which is important. We have three games left and they are all going to be very very difficult”, the Kerry man said shortly after the final whistle at Cusack Park Quirke said he knew “it was going to be a fight. We fought hard for the victory.

That’s Clare’s third one point game in this campaign, having lost two and won one by that margin. I have played here a couple of times with Kerry and I know the type of battle they put forward. They

get everything out of their fellas and they work as hard as they possibly can. We are just delighted to get out with a victory”..

Quirke, in his first year in charge of Laois was visibly frustrated with a number of refereeing decisions over the course of this tie. “I suppose there are very few games where we are not frustrated with decisions and it’s a very difficult job for the referee.

There were probably a few calls that could have gone our way which didn’t. We hit the underside of the crossbar and got nothing from it. They got a penalty that I would like to see back again.

There was never going to be anything more that a couple of points in this game”, he said.

“We will try and get as many points as we can and still stay in that division and get us as high as we can and that is the target for us”, Quirke concluded.

Meanwhile Clare manag-

er Colm Collins felt “this is a game we left after us. We were very disappointed with the way we played in the first half. We spurned a lot of good chances, snatched at them, but to be fair to the lads, they put in a great shift in the second half and if we were a bit more economical in front of goal we would have won. Credit to Laois, they kept their cool and were deserving winners, I suppose”, The Cratloe clubman lamented Clare’s poor start.

“At this level of inter county football you have got to start when the ball is thrown in. We were pegging back a six point lead and you cant afford to be doing that. The victory was there but it just didn’t come”.

“We have got three games left and that’s six points. It’s all to fight for and we must get stuck in try and put something out of our visit to Cavan next week”, Collins concluded.

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A win Clare camogie has been waiting years for PÁRAIC MCMAHON CLARE VS KILKENNY 1-09 0-10

H

UPC Nowlan Park, Kilkenny

uge psychological belief has been gained following Clare’s two point win over Kilkenny in the Littlewoods Ireland National Camogie League.

Excitement and emotion was clear to hear in UPMC Nowlan Park as Scariff Bay Community Radio’s Leo Doyle chronicled the dying moments in their live commentary but there were smiles among panel members and officers on a sunny day for Clare camogie.

“You can write something nice and positive about us,” manager Ger O’Connell remarked to The Clare Echo as a long-awaited scalp was finally taken by the Banner’s senior side. “You can’t beat workrate and effort but it wasn’t just that, there was a bit of quality in what we were trying to do, Clare camogie has talked about a win like this for years so it’s great to get it”.

PLAYER WATCH

One week previous, four of the players that featured in the win lined out for UL as they claimed a fifth Ashsbourne Cup in a row.

Deserved celebrations were enjoyed in The Stables but O’Connell was keen to let those players enjoy the success before switching their focus to the Cats.

“I realise how important the Ashbourne is to the group. They came back in great form, they did what they needed to win and came back with a winning mentality, the Scariff girls are coming in with a winning mentality, the minor players that have came in have brought in a winning mentality, Conor Dolan has came in with a winning mentality. The work being done is serious and you could see it today”.

Once the sub goalkeeper to Davy Fitzgerald, Ger was pleased with the performance of debutant Shauna Canny between the posts.

“Shauna is a gas character, she was very good, I could have killed her with a few of the short puckout she gave but we tried to instil a bit of belief in the girls and to play what they see.

There were a couple of hairy moments but we showed a bit of trust and quality which is great to see.”

Of concern will be that it took Clare 39 minutes to score from play and that of their

1-09 just 1-02 of their tally were not frees. “I don’t care how we get them, we scored 1-09 and it doesn’t matter how we get them, the work that the girls are putting in to stop Kilkenny scoring. In the first half, a lot of

lFIFTY-FIFTY: Orlaith Duggan swings for a 50-50 ball during Clare’s brilliant win Photo by Caroline O’Keeffe

MATCH STATS

AINE O'LOUGHLIN

Possessions: 2 Clean: 1 Wasted: 1 Passes: 0 Tackles: 5 Shots: 1 Scores: 1-00 Wides: 0 Frees Won: 0 Frees Lost: 0 Minutes Played: 54

their play was coming from our mistakes, our fumbling and we were just a step ahead all game. We had to dig in for the last ten minutes, we did and the girls that came on made an impact, it’s a great win so I’m delighted”.

PUCKOUTS CLARE WON: 13/18 LOST: 5/18 SHORT: 5/18 KILKENNY WON: 8/13 LOST: 5/13 SHORT: 2/13 FREES CLARE: 17 KILKENNY: 14 FREE CONVERSION: EIMEAR KELLY: 3/5 DANIELLE MORRISSEY: 4/5

Harty Cup players have ‘big job to do’

T

WO weeks later than expected, St Flannan’s College will find themselves in the Harty Cup final.

Roll of honour leaders, St Flannan’s face off with a promising CBC Cork side who have yet to win the competition.

The final was originally scheduled to take place two weeks ago but was postponed forty five minutes before throw in.

In the intervening weeks, Flannan’s have played challenge matches against the Clare minor hurlers and the Clarecastle U21s.

Speaking ahead of the final, manager Kevin O’Grady highlighted that the players were fully cognisant of the challenge that lies ahead. “I feel they know that they have a big job to do. It’s going to be a big task but hopefully the games from earlier rounds will stand to them, that’s the hope but we’ll never know until the game is played”.

It is expected that the Brendan Bugler coached outfit will make little changes to their line-up. Clooney/Quin’s Eoin Guilfoyle who was a member of last year’s county minor panel is still out of action having sustained an injury during the warm-up of their quarter-final win over St Josephs Tulla.

Joint captains Cian Galvin and Conner Hegarty are set to start at centre back and midfield respectively with former Clare minor captain Darragh Healy to wear number three. Diarmuid Cahill, Killian O’Connor and Ashley Brohan are expect to fill key roles in attack alongside Peter Power and Cian Cassidy.

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Ger waits on Scariff girls

G

ER O’Connell is hopeful members of the Munster championship Scariff/ Ogonnelloe side that have not returned to the county panel will line out in 2020.

Midfielder Amy Barrett has been a member of the Clare senior panel since 2017 when she received the call-up from Patricia O’Grady. Last season, Amy became a regular in Ger O’Connell’s side lining out in the centre of the park.

Mairead Scanlan who captained the East Clare side previously told The Clare Echo it would be “unlikely” that she or goalkeeper Aisling Corbett would return to the panel.

Speaking to The Clare Echo following a surprise win over Kilkenny, the Clonlara man was optimistic.

“We’re still working on these things. It’s a big commitment to come in and train with the seniors. A result like this will definitely help for girls like that. The stronger we can make our squad we’ll always try to do that, if I didn’t I wouldn’t be doing my job.

We have to refocus for Cork and we will do that”.

First point for Clare ladies

lTIGHT AFFAIR: Laura Egan breaks a tackle in Clare’s draw with Meath in Doonbeg Photo by Gerard O’Neill

Clare 3-12 Meath 3-12 Shanahan McNamara Memorial Park, Doonbeg

C

lare’s intermediate ladies picked up their first point of the National League campaign when they mustered a draw against Meath.

Having faced off with senior opposition in their first three outings, Sunday’s tie was hoped to give Clare a reflection of how they are primed for the intermediate championship. However due to injuries and “an illness going through the camp”, only 20 players were togged for the encounter.

Vice Captain Grainnne Nolan goaled early on for Clare as they led inside the opening quarter. Meath’s Bridgetta Lynch responded to put one past Michaela Glynn at the other end, the Royals also kicked the final two scores of the half to boast 1-08 1-06 lead.

Meath banged in two goals on the restart leaving the Banner with a mountain to climb but it was James Murrihy’s charges were willing to tackle. Kilmurry Ibrickane’s Amy Sexton roofed the ball to the top of the net with ten minutes remaining with Roisin Considine of Liscannor also raising a green flag to cut the gap to a point with six minutes remaining.

Emma Duggan extended the visitors advantage to two points but Grainne Nolan stepped up with two pressurised frees to rescue a draw for the hosts.

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Clare Echo

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THE GAME CENTRE HURLING

SOCCER

RUGBY

Saturday February 29th

Martin Donnelly MyClubShop.ie Clare & District Soccer League Fixtures

Saturday February 29th Girls U18 A Cup Mallow v Ennis, 12:00 in Mallow

Dr Harty Cup Final St Flannans College v CBC Cork, 13:00 in Mallow.

Sunday March 1st

Sunday March 1st Inter League Youths Cup Quarter-Final Limerick v Clare, 14:00 in Jackman Park

Allianz National Hurling League Rnd 5 Clare v Dublin, 14:00 in Cusack Park. Referee: David Hughes

Maloney Garden Machinery Premier Division Shannon Olympic v Newmarket Celtic A, 11:00 in Olympic Park. Referee: Brian Punch

GAELIC FOOTBALL Sunday March 1st Allianz National Football League Rnd 5 Clare v Cavan, 14:30 in Kingspan Breffni Park. Referee: Jerome Henry

Girls U16 Cup Ennis v Carrick-on-Suir, 11:00 in Ennis Girls U16 Bowl Kilrush v Abbeyfeale, 12:00 in Kilrush

Avenue Utd A v Shannon Hibs A, 12:25 in Lees Rd Astro. Referee: Pa Gleeson

Sunday, March 1 Munster Junior League Division 1 Waterpark v St Senans, 14:30 in Waterpark

Shannon Town A v Kilrush Rangers, 11:00 in Lynch Park. Referee: Shane Hayes

Munster Junior League Division 3 Waterford City v Ennis, 14:30 in Waterford

T Sheils & Company First Division League Moher Celtic A v Mountshannon Celtic, 11:00 in Lahinch. Referee: Michael Rock Kildysart Celtic v Hermitage A, 11:00 in Kildysart.

Referee: Dylan Shannon

Bank of Ireland Munster Junior Plate Nenagh Ormond v Scariff, 14:00 at Nenagh Munster Club U18 Cup semi-final Abbeyfeale v Ennis Red, 13:00 at Old Crescent RFC

Corofin Harps v Ennis Town, 11:00 in Corofin. Referee: Julian Sandford Campion Insurance Second Division League Bunratty Cratloe v Manus Celtic A, 11:00 in Bunratty.

Referee: Museliu Bashua

CAMOGIE

Shannon Town B v Rineanna Rovers, 14:00 in Corrib Drive. Referee: Frank Coote

Saturday February 29th -

Kilkishen Celtic v Rhine Rovers, 11:00 in Kilkishen.

Referee: James Ferns

Littlewoods Ireland Division 1 Camogie League Rnd 3 Clare v Cork, Time & Venue TBC

Suttons Lighting Third Division League Shannon Hibs B v Cloughleigh Celtic, 11:00 in Riverside.

Referee: Sean Kenneally

All Ireland Minor A Championship Clare v Offaly, 12:00 in Meelick

Manus Celtic B v Shannon Town C, 14:15 in Lees Rd Astro. Referee: Sean Kenneally

Munster U16A Championship Semi Final Waterford v Clare, 14:00 in WIT. Referee: Tom Loughnane

Ennis Dons v Inch Crusaders, 16:00 in Lees Road Astro.

Referee: Paudie Hayes

Munster U16B Championship Semi Final Limerick v Clare, 15:00 in LIT. Referee: TP Sullivan

Wednesday March 4th Hugh Kelly Premier Division Cup Round 1 Sporting Ennistymon v Avenue Utd, 18:45 in Frank Healy Park. Referee: Pa Gleeson

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Wexford send Clare packing in Oscar Traynor PÁRAIC MCMAHON paraic@clareecho.ie

Clare 0 Wexford 2

L

Venue: Frank Healy Park, Doora

l DOING THE CAN CAN: Eoin O’Brien contests for the ball during Clare’s Oscar Traynor defeat to Wexford Photo by John Mangan

ACK of belief and desire hindered Clare’s chances of progression in the Oscar Traynor, manager Shane Keegan maintained.

Clare exited the Oscar Traynor at the quarter-final stage, losing 2-0 against a physically domineering Wexford side in Doora on Saturday. Shane Keegan was under no illusions that the visitors were deservingly advancing to the last four.

“When the scoreline finishes 2-0 and your own goalkeeper was your man of the match it is hard to argue that the result wasn’t justified”.

A three minute window in the opening half saw Wexford score two goals in successive attacks, up to then Keegan believed the hosts had been perform-

ing well.

“We looked solid particularly through the middle, we knew closing down the channels and stop that was key but we didn’t do it well enough.

They showed some good play for the first goal, the second was a lack of desire to close down and get to the ball first when it did come in.

“I will be absolutely stunned if they don’t win it out, they have nine players on a par with nine players on another team and then they’ve Gary Delaney and Paul Murphy take them to a completely different level, I would be very surprised if they don’t go the whole way”.

With a week’s training under their belt in advance of the quarter-final, the former Wexford Youths and Galway Utd boss wasn’t using their lack of collective sessions as an excuse.

“The nature of Oscar Traynor, you’re going to have done very little together, we knew that was going to be the case so I wouldn’t lean on that too much. I really enjoyed this week, this was the first week when we got a game and two training sessions in.

“Up until Thursday night, we thought Stephen Kelly was going to be alright to play, in conditions like this he would have made a huge difference.

He continued, “We lost Cian O’Dea with the gaelic football, he has been brilliant for us so far, then his replacement Eoin O’Brien doesn’t last till halftime. I’m splitting hairs, we were beaten by a better team”.

As his second campaign concluded in charge of Clare, the Laois native admitted his future in charge is uncertain.

“I don’t know if I will be involved or not next year, from their point of view I said to the lads they need to a bit more belief in terms of playing football, get the ball down and play.

“I know the conditions didn’t allow for a huge amount of it but we’re not built for direct football, where is the height, we don’t have any height, we’re not the world’s most athletic or physical so if the game was replayed in June or July on an astro turf we’d zip the ball around and open them up, today they were miles better”.

MATCH STATS PLAYER WATCH

KIERAN

MAHONY Possessions: 18

(7 in first half, 11 in second half)

Clean Distributions: 13

(5 in first half, 8 in second half)

Wasted: 4

(2 in each half)

Passes: 13 Long: 2 Short: 11 Shots: 2 On Target: 0 Wides: 2 Crosses: 0 Tackles: 6 Interceptions: 3 Frees Won: 1 Frees Lost: 0

l BEST OF THE BUNCH: Shane Cusack had a busy day in goals for Clare Photo by John Mangan

MATCH STATS CLARE FREES FREES WON: 15

(7 IN FIRST HALF, 8 IN SECOND HALF)

FREES LOST: 13

(8 IN FIRST HALF, 5 IN SECOND HALF)

PENALTIES CLARE: 0 WEXFORD: 1

CORNERS CLARE: 6 WEXFORD: 5 THROWS CLARE: 31 WEXFORD: 32 OFFSIDES CLARE: 0 WEXFORD: 2

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National joy for Lifesavers

CLARE surf lifesavers finished in first place in ten categories at the recent National Championships. Held in UL, Clare lifesavers fared very well with over a dozen gold medals.

Boys 14-16 Éanna Rouine 1st 10 manikin tow, John Blake 2nd 50 manikin carry, 3rd 200 Superlifesaver and 200 manikin carry 4 x 25 manikin relay – 2nd John Blake, Hugh Cronin, Cormac Keogh & Lee Tierney Obstacle Relay & 200 Medley Relay – 3rd Hugh Cronin, Cormac Keogh, Eanna Rouine, Lee Tierney Line Throw Relay – 1st Hugh Cronin, Lee Tierney, 3rd Oisin O’Grady, Sean O’Connor.

Girls 14-16 Line throw relay – 2nd Ella Bohannon, Grainne Hayes Obstacle Relay – 3rd Elin Blake, Olivia Cosgrove, Grainne Hayes, Ellen McEnery Senior Men Bernard Cahill 1st 200m superlifesaver, 1st 50m manikin carry, 1st 100m rescue medley, 2nd 200m obstacle, 3rd 100 manikin tow Clare Senior Mens team of Bernard Cahill, Tommy Nunan, Dylan O'Brien & Eoin Rouine – 1st 200 Obstacle Relay, 1st 200m medley relay, 2nd 4x25 manikin relay 25m Line throw relay – 2nd Tim Collins, Cathal Garrihy, Senior Ladies Roisin Cahill 1st 100 rescue medley, 2nd 100 manikin carry, 2nd 50 manikin carry,

No Confusion as Cratloe dog makes it 20 wins

A Clare Senior Ladies team of Roisin Cahill, Aoife Madigan, Katie Shannon & Tara McEvoy – 1st 4x35 manikin relay, 1st 200m medley relay, 2nd 200 obstacle relay Line throw relay – 1st Tara McEvoy, Aoife Madigan, 3rd Laura McDonnell, Jane Hillery 200 medley relay – 3rd Jane Hillery, Danielle Organ, Laura McDonnell, Hannah Garrigan Masters Mens Colm Fitzgerald, 1st 100 Obstacle, 1st 100 Manikin tow, 1st 100 manikin carry Pat Finn, 3rd 100 Obstacle John Staunton 1st 50 manikin carry Clare Mens Masters team of Pat Finn, Colm Fitzgerald, Bernard Madigan & Gareth McCullough 1st 200 Obstacle relay, 1st 200m medley relay Clare Mens Masters team Bernard Madigan, John Staunton 2nd 25m line throw relay Masters Womens Sinead Mortell – 1st 100 manikin tow, 1st 100m Obstacle, 1st 100m manikin carry

HUGE crowd was at Galway Greyhound Stadium on Friday where the top performance of the top night was by Confused Reilly, owned

by Cratloe’s Ger Manly.

Headlined by the A1 graded seventh contest, the Barreori Na Gaillimhe 525, torrential rain forced the track to be rated .20 and .40 for the two and four bend trips during the ten race card.

Confused Reilly recorded his 20th career success in the A4 graded fifth contest, he saw of the persistent challenge of Sellout Craytur by a length at the line in 29.86. Racing down the back Sellout Carytur moved in to the cat bird seat as Confused Reilly continued to show the way and at the penultimate bend Sellout Craytur went for a run on the leader’s inner but the door was shut in his face and although the latter switched outside off the home turn, Confused Reilly dug deep to record his milestone success.

Race four had a thrilling finish, Pinnacle Rio got up close to deny the pace setting Kilbannon Pedro to prevail by half a length in a time of 19.74 in the S5 graded contest. Fanore’s Michael Costelloe is the owner of Pinnacle Rio, who was part of the chasing pack approaching the opening bend. Between the two bends, Kilbannon Pedro maintained a wide berth as Pinnacle Rio saved valuable ground along the rails. Off the final bend Pinnacle Rio began to bridge the gap with every stride before striking the front close home for his second career success.

Burnpark Floyd was the star of the show following Saturday’s ten race card in Galway. It’s eight wins from eight for Michael Browne’s dog who defeated Newhall Torpedo by a length and a quarter in the S4 graded sixth contest. All six runners were on terms in race of an S7 graded contest with Wilbrook Blonde just about first to break rank as they raced towards the opening bend. Nearing the bend Wilbrook Blonde was closely attended to by both Another Mattie on her outer and Lissatouk Timber along the rails with the latter striking the front as they hit the crown of the home bend. On straightening for home though, Wilbrook Blonde who is owned by Ennistymon’s Mikayla Davoren was back in front as Callanna Phsyco challenged out wide but it wasn’t enough with as Willbrook Blond was a length and a quarter to the good at the line in 19.69.

Roomtomanoeuvre returned to winning ways in race three. The Martin Griffin of Lissycasey-owned runner led rounding the opening bend in his way to a three parts of a length success over Totos Sprite in 19.60. The winner was away well enough in the centre as the red jacketed Kilbannon Voight broke smartly but he drifted outwards on the run to the bend forcing the winner to switch side which would prove advantageous. Railing well at the bend Roomtomanoeuvre led by over a length rounding the home turn and although Totos Sprite closed as the line loomed the winner was always in control of matters.

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Ennis u18s sink Skibb for Munster semi spot

E

NNIS U18s were victorious in the Munster Cup quarter-finals in very tight match in Lees Rd against Skibbereen, last year’s Munster and All-Ireland U18 Champions.

Both teams started strongly, with defences to the fore in the early exchanges. Ennis began to establish some field position through some strong carrying from the forwards.

Skibbereen successfully repelled several attacks from the home team, but eventually after half an hour the breakthrough came when after a long period of pressure in the Skibb 22, Cormac Browne crashed over from close range. Tony Butler slotted the conversion to give Ennis a 7-0 lead.

Ennis continued to put pressure on Skibbereen and were further rewarded with a kickable penalty, duly converted by Tony Butler to leave Ennis with a 10 point lead at half time.

Skibbereen increased the tempo in the 2nd half and began to get more territory and eventually got the breakthrough when defensive pressure just inside the Ennis half led to an intercept and a converted Skibbereen try to bring the score to 10-7.

Ennis picked up another penalty, kicked

by Butler to take their lead out to 13-7 10 minutes into the 2nd half.

Defence continued to dominate proceedings with both sides going close, eventually though with 15 minutes to go, Skibbereen were rewarded for their efforts with another converted try to give them the lead for the first time in the game with the score now 1413 in the visitors’ favour.

Ennis piled on the pressure for the next 10 minutes and after a powerful 25 metre driving maul from a lineout just outside the 22, Skibbereen conceded a penalty for pulling down the maul. Butler coolly converted to give Ennis the slenderest of leads going into the final three minutes.

Skiberreen fought back into the Ennis half, but some strong defence and a final turn-over and kick to touch brought the game to an end with Ennis victorious 16-14.

Next step for Ennis is a Munster semi-final against Abbeyfeale on Sunday at 1pm in Old Crescent RFC. Meanwhile the Ennis adults 1st XV defeated Scariff RFC 15-10 in the Munster Junior League 3, however will have to settle for a place in the promotion playoffs after Killorglin were declared champions having won

l WAR OF ATTRITION: Ennis forwards on the rampage against Skibbereen Photo by Helen McQuillan

all 10 of their league games. Ennis, sitting in second, have only lost one match.

ENNIS: Colm Kearney, Sean McGrath, Fionn Langan, Seanie Keane, Evan Wood, Tony Butler, Ethan Coughlan; Bence Benko, Joey Keane,

Cormac Browne, Darragh O’Callaghan, Eoghan Hahessy, Aidan Roland, MJ Malone, Conor Maloney. Replacements: Brendan Cleland; Hope Omododian, Ryan Murphy, Mark Halpin, Matthew Hanrahan, Calum Barrett, Daniele Andrioli, Jason Downes

The Scorecard in association with

EAST CLARE GOLF CLUB Men’s Seniors 1st Danny Minogue,Mick Ryan, Teddy O Hanlon 2nd Terry Coughlan,Willie Hayes, Batt Skehan, 3rd Ger Shortt,Tony McNulty, John Fielding ENNIS GOLF CLUB Saturday Scramble 22nd Feb. 2020 1st Joe O’ Brien, Johnny Kearse, Paul Mockler (722) 70pts 2nd Paul Kenny, Tommy Heath, Leo Herbert ( 68-2) 66pts Gent’s Singles 15 holes S/F 22nd & 23rd Feb.2020 Spring League Week 2 1st Noel Normoyle(13) 38pts 2nd Fergus O’ Brien(16) 37pts 3rd John Brack(16) 37pts 4th David O’ Loughlin(20) 36pts 5th Peter Quinn(15) 36pts 6th Adrian Rushe(14) 35pts

LADIES RESULTS 12th FEB to 18th FEB 2020 14H S/F 1. Rose Enright (27) 31pts 2. Sinead Hegarty (18) 29 pts 9H S/F 1. Margaret Flanagan (27) 14 pts Senior Social Group Results 20/02/2020 1st Tony Lawler & Joe O’ Brien 39pts 2nd Pat Rutherford & Matt Flynn 39pts 3rd Michael Considine & Tim Scanlon 39pts 4th Ger O’ Brien & Tom Greene 38pts 5th Paul Mockler & Pat P Mc Inerney 38pts 6th Noel Connellan & Willie Donnellan 37pts 7th Martin Coffey & Fintan Mc Evoy 36pts 8th Frank Sheedy & Sean Fitzpatrick 36pts 9th Connor Murphy & Terry Hughes 35pts 10th Tom Glynn & Padraig Ryan 35pts SPANISH POINT GOLF

CLUB 23rd February Ladies’ Weekly Singles 13-Hole S/F 1st Valerie Shannon 27pts 2nd Mairead Bergin 24pts 22nd February Men’s 9-Hole Weekly Singles S/F 1st Oliver McNamara 17pts 2nd Martin White 15 pts 3rd Bernie O’Halloran 14pts 20th February Actively Aging 9-Hole scramble 1st David Eastham, John Daly, Bernie O’Connor 28.9 2nd Maurice Murphy, Ann White, Harry Crowe 29.09 3rd John O’Brien, Val Shannon, Pat Cooke30.02 18th February Senior’s 18-Hole S/F 1st Maurice Murphy 30 pts 2nd Michael A Hennessy 27 pts 3rd Paul Moloney 27 pts

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THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

PLANNING CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL 4, DOOLIN HOLIDAY COTTAGES, DOOLIN, CO CLARE V95 W310

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 Take notice that Fiona of 5 weeks beginning on Hyland intends to apply for the date of receipt by the permission to build a new authority of the application. storage shed and carport CLARE COUNTY connecting onto the rear COUNCIL of the existing dwelling house and all associated KILLASPUGLONANE, site and ancillary works LAHINCH, CO CLARE V95 W2T4 at the above address. The planning application may Take notice that Maura and John be inspected or purchased McDonagh at a fee not exceeding the Kelly intend to apply for reasonable cost of making permission to retain the a copy, at the offices of the changes to the fenestration planning authority, during of the existing dwelling it’s public opening hours. A house & the conversion of submission or observation the garage for domestic use

RUBBISH REMOVAL

065 671 9021 sales@clareecho.ie

and all 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 LISDOONVARNA ROAD, KILFENORA

Take notice that Thomas Connole T/A Connoles Garage intends to apply for permission to build a Machinery Shed with Staff Office/ WC, Storage area and all 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 it’s 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 BEAGHY, LISCANNOR CO CLARE

Take notice that Fiona Hillary intends to apply for outline permission to build a new dwelling house and garge, install a waste water treatment system and all 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 it’s 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.

STORAGE

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CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL ROSLEVAN, ENNIS, CO. CLARE.

Take notice that Michael Keating Dip. Arch. (phone 085-8421780) intends to apply to Clare County Council, on behalf of J.J. Fahy, for full permission to construct 22 no. houses, to include the following: (a) 3 no. two-bedroom detached bungalows; (b) 4 no. blocks to include a total of 8 no. threebedroom semi-detached houses; (c) 3 no. blocks of 3 no. terrace type houses to include 2 no. threebedroom and 1 no. fourbedroom house in each terrace (9 no. houses in total); (d) 2 no. three-bedroom detached houses.

Connect to public foul sewer.

Surface water to discharge to stream.

Connect to public water supply, connect to public services (telephone and electricity).

Permission is also required to access the development via development previously granted under Planning Ref. No. 99/232. Previous permission granted on this site under Planning Ref. No. 06/161 at Roslevan, Ennis.

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

Clare County Council for planning permission to renovate and extend an existing cottage, alter the existing entrance to provide a separate access for the dwelling and farm, setback the existing roadside boundary to improve the sight distance for the existing entrance 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 GAURUS, ENNIS CO. CLARE.

Development Description: Permission to construct an entrance, dwelling house and wastewater treatment system with soil polishing filter together with all associated site development works and services Take notice that “Margaret Forde” has lodged significant further information in respect of the planning application P19/572. This information and 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 of Clare County Council, Planning Department, Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare during its public opening hours. A CLARE COUNTY submission or observation COUNCIL in relation to the further KNOCKALOUGH, information or revised KILMIHIL CO. plans may be made in CLARE. Take notice that Eamon writing to the planning Downes is applying to 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 7 SHOWGROUNDS VIEW, ENNIS, CO. CLARE

Planning Ref: P19/310 Development Description: Permission to alter and extend their existing dwelling house by constructing a two-storey side and rear extension along with associated site works at the above address Location: 7 Showgrounds View, Ennis, Co. Clare Take notice that David and Orla Butler has lodged significant further information in respect of planning application P19/310. This information and planning application may be inspected or purchased, at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Authority of Clare County Council, Planning Department, Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare, during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the further information or revised plans may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, not later than 2 weeks after the receipt of the newspaper notice and site notice by the Planning Authority or in the case of a planning application accompanied by an EIS within 5 weeks of receipt of such notices by the planning authority.

The Clare Echo Planning Contact 065 671 9021

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46 PUZZLEPAGE

THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

Best Daily Word Search

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QUIZ 47

THURSDAY, FEB 27 2020

The Clare Echo Quiz

In what year did the first trans1Airport? atlantic flight land at Shannon 1945, 1955, 1950

year did the Clare hurlers 2Inwinwhat their first provincial title?

1901, 1899, 1903

Loughnane is from which 3Ger East Clare village?

Feakle, Bodyke, Tuamgraney

Durty Nelly’s (Bunratty), Gus O’Connor’s (Doolin), Johnny Burke’s (Spanish Point)

Which Late Late Show host’s 8 Great Grandfather came from West Clare?

India, South Africa, England

What river enters the sea at 6 Trump International Hotel & Golf Links, Doonbeg?

River Fergus, Doonbeg River, Creegh (Cree) River

Morrissey hails from which 7Marty West Clare village?

Mullagh, Spanish Point, Quilty

Gay Byrne, Pat Kenny, Ryan Tubridy

Muhammad Ali’s Great Grand9 father came from which Clare town?

l QUESTION 4: What well known County Clare pub did John C. Reilly lead a rendition of The Wild Rover in?

Ennis, Kilrush, Ennistymon

Which Clare location is his10 torically known as Corracatlin (Irish: Cora Chaitlín)?

Sixmilebridge, Newmarket-On-Fergus, Kilkee

Spot the Difference Can you spot the difference? Spot the 7 differences.

The answers will be revealed in next weeks edition.

Ian Lynch, Cillian Murphy and Dr Michael Harty photo by Joe Buckley

6. Creegh (Cree) River 7. Mullagh 8. Ryan Tubridy 9. Ennis 10. Newmarket-On-Fergus

Former Clare Labour TD Moosa5 jee Bhamjee is a native of which country?

ANSWERS

1. 1945 2. 1899 3. Feakle 4. Gus O’Connor’s (Doolin) 5. South Africa

4

l QUESTION 1: In what year did the first transatlantic flight land at Shannon Airport?

What well known County Clare pub did John C. Reilly lead a rendition of The Wild Rover in?

Last weeks Answers . Sign is different colour . Logo on person in black (center) missing . Bottle missing in persons pocket

(left) . Pendant on persons chain missing . Lights different colour . Logo on red sign missing (left) . Zip missing on person (center)