The Clare Echo 03/04/25 by The Clare Echo

Landowners will reject CPOs for Moher trail

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

THE potential of compulsory purchase orders (CPO) arising from the Tobin Report on the future management of the Cliffs of Moher walk has infuriated landowners in North Clare.

Consultant engineers Tobin, in a report which is due to be published this week, have recommended that the future management and responsibility of the 18km Cliffs of Moher walk be taken over by Clare County Council.

All options should be explored by the Council to secure ownership, including long-term leases and acquiring the land by compulsory purchase order (CPO) if necessary, the draft report detailed. There are 36 landowners along the route.

Using CPOs is “never the preferred op-

tion,” a spokesperson for the County Council stated. “Clare County Council cannot comment on the report at this stage. The local authority does acknowledge however the upset to landowners following the leaked report of the initial draft, with much of the attention from the leaked report focusing on the possible use of CPO”.

IFA President, Francie Gorman said, “This is nothing short of an attempt to intimidate and bully the landowners and will be resisted outright”.

Ex Clare IFA Chair, Tom Lane called on the Council to immediately withdraw the CPO option and threat from the draft report. He said the threat of CPOs has sent shockwaves to landowners all over the country who have facilitated walkways in their local communities and benefited tourism.

Ennis 2040 puts more emphasis on housing IN SAFE HANDS

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

A STRONGER emphasis on housing will be part of the altered plan for Ennis 2040.

Plans to build on Ennis’ riverside car parks, Abbey Street and Parnell Street have been paused under the strategy which will now divert greater energy into increasing the housing

stock of the county town. Behind closed-doors briefings in Clare County Council have seen plans outlined for developments at Causeway Quarter, Ashfield House and Claureen.

Elected members of the local authority were told the shortage of housing is restricting Ennis’ economic growth.

l Caroline Shea, Karolina, Amber, Sarah, Ciara and Evie lift Filip Mostowy at the Luke Shea memorial tournament in Shannon which saw sixteen teams compete. The second annual tournament was held in memory of the former Clare defender who died in February 2023

Photo by Joe Buckley

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Record number of 350 cyclists for Odd Socks Cycle in Clare

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

A RECORD 350 cyclists took park in the fourth annual Odd Socks Cycle in Clare.

Down Syndrome Clare have said they are thrilled with the turnout on Sunday which saw 350 cyclists partake in the 50km and 100km routes which started in Shannon and took in the scenic routes of East Clare.

Club Rothaíochta na Sionnaine organised the cycle, bringing cyclists together with the common goal of raising an awareness of Down Syndrome and funds for the local branch whilst wearing odd socks.

People with Down Syndrome are born with three copies of chromosome 21 and when viewed under a microscope, the chromosomes appear like odd socks, hence the name of the cycle.

Branch secretary, Maeve Crawford said, “We are immensely proud of the over-

whelming response and support we have received for the Odd Socks charity cycle and raffle. It is heartening to see so many cyclists take part in the cycle and support the Down Syndrome community here in Co Clare”.

She confirmed, “All proceeds from the event will be directed towards supporting the services and initiatives of Down Syndrome Clare, enriching the lives of individuals with Down syndrome and their families. The branch has recently obtained planning permission to renovate a property in Ennis for use as its Branch headquarters, where services and therapies can run from and act as a community and social hub.

“The success of the Odd Socks cycle would not have been possible without the generous contributions from the cyclists, volunteers and rest stop venues and the branch would like to extend its heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to its success,” Maeve added.

Concerns raised over zebra foal appearance at Ennistymon horse fair

by Lisa Mullaly lisa@clareecho.ie

PHOTOS of a zebra foal and a pony being paraded through the streets of Ennistymon during the town’s annual horse fair on Sunday March 30 have sparked outrage and concern among animal welfare groups.

The viral images show Johnny Cross, a horse trainer from Limerick, walking the zebra foal on a leash through the town. Another image shows Cross drinking a pint in a local pub while the zebra and a pony stand beside him.

There is currently no speciﬁc licensing requirement for owning exotic pets like zebras in Ireland, but any individual wishing to buy or sell exotic animals is still subject to general animal welfare laws. Animal welfare charities have been advocating for stricter regulations regarding exotic species in Ireland for some time and the presence of the African animal at a local horse fair has reignited the urgency of this cause.

After becoming aware of the animal through photographs shared on social media, Martina Kenny co-founder of My Lovely Horse rescue contacted Ennistymon Garda station. Martina told the Clare Echo that she spoke to a policewoman who said that a colleague had spoken to Cross and conﬁrmed that he legally owned the animal.

Martina asked the policewoman if they had checked if Cross had a passport for the zebra or if the animal was microchipped. The policewoman replied saying she would make a call in regards to Martina’s questions and get back to her. Martina has had no follow-up

contact.

Several locals contacted Martina to express their disappointment over the incident

“People in the town are outraged. I have personally been contacted by three locals from Ennistymon telling me that apparently the horse fair is a cruel place and the animals are mistreated. They have said that about time something was done about it.”

Martina is disappointed at the lack of communication and action from the gardaí on the issue.

“He is known to the gardai. They know his name and they know where he is but to my knowledge nothing has been done about the situation” said Martina..

“At the end of the day, he brought a zebra and a pony into a pub. It’s a conﬁned space.

Photo by Joe Buckley

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Strong focus on housing in revised 2040 approach

A FOCUS on housing forms part of the revised vision for Ennis 2040 with Causeway Quarter and Ashfield House central to this along with ongoing land acquisition at Claureen.

Causeway Quarter which is also known as the Francis Street and Ashfield House were acquired by Ennis 2040 DAC. Plans for a housing development of 200 units is also earmarked for Claureen.

Interim Chief Operating Officer of Ennis 2040 DAC, Padraic McElwee has briefed elected members of Clare Co Council behind closed doors in recent weeks over plans for

ing and increasing footfall, the briefings were told. AIB Insights have indicated the spend in Ennis is below the national average.

Population projections for Ennis are expected to reach 45,904 by 2040, the population for the county town increased from 30,910 in 2016 to 33,939 in 2022.

The Causeway Quarter site is owned by Clare County Council, a judicial review has been withdrawn which is allowing plans to progress. Ennis 2040 DAC intend to apply for Section 179A planning to construct 39 units which are duplexes and apartments, the mix includes five one-bedroom units, thirty two-bedroom units, four three-bedroom

the economic and spatial strategy.

Providing enhanced residential accommodation which is accessible, affordable, sustainable and is for all tenures is among the new primary focuses of Ennis 2040. A shortage of housing is restricting economic growth in Ennis.

The activation of key sites be they brownfield, restoration or vacant has also emerged as a primary theme. Work is ongoing to determine what sites can ‘add value’ to enhance economic vibrancy of Ennis.

Ennis’ economic base needs to be diversified, by enhancing the retail offer-

units while the site will also have thirty nine car spaces. It is expected that the properties will be available under the Secure Tenancy Affordable Rental Investment Scheme (STAR). STAR is intended to bring forward Cost Rental dwellings with the aim of assisting eligible households who are experiencing acute affordability pressures in the private rental sector, particularly in urban centres where prevailing rents are especially high. These dwellings will be more affordable to the tenant than current market rents, being at least 25% below market rents in a given area.

Ashfield House’s acquisition was first reported by The Clare Echo. The listed building had been formerly the Deegan family home. It has been speculated that the property will be used to aid companies struggling to source accommodation for their employees .

At the behind doors briefing, elected members were told the restoration of the old period house in close proximity to the town centre will meet the demand for short-term accommodation. The operator will require a public tender, the briefing was told.

In 2017, approval for the Claureen project was given where it was sanctioned for funding of €3.66m. The development is taking place under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF). Initially 200 units can be delivered but the site at Claureen has potential to deliver 500 units overall with 29 hectares due to benefit from the delivery of the road.

Land acquisition is ongoing for lands in Claureen with officials hopeful of signing a construction contract this month with a scheduled completion date of March 2026.

Claureen is identified in the Ennis Municipal District Settlement Plan as one of the strategic neighbourhoods in Ennis. There is no history of flooding at the site and CFRAMS mapping and climate change adjusted modelling did not identify any risk to the subject lands. There is also no impact on statutory environmental designations such as Special Protection Areas (SPAs), Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs) or Special Area of Conservation (SACs) or no protected structure or recorded monuments.

by Gordon Deegan news@clareecho.ie

PENNEYS’ operator has stated that its planned new ﬂagship waterfront outlet In Ennis will generate estimated revenues of €14.26m per annum.

That is according to planning documents lodged with Clare County Council concerning Primark’s plans for a three storey over basement outlet on a 1.3 acre site in Harmony Row, Bank Place and Bindon Lane, Ennis. The planned development site lies close to a pedestrian bridge across the River Fergus opposite the Abbey Street car park.

A retail impact assessment lodged with the application states that the new Primark proposals have “the potential to act as a catalyst for the local economy, with increased inward investment and a significant level of new employment during both the construction and operational phases of the development”.

The new store in Ennis is also part of Primark’s commitment to invest over €250m in Ireland over a ten-year period, which includes the development, relocation and/or refurbishment of its stores across the country.

The Primark scheme for Ennis comprises a gross ﬂoor area of 3,550 sq metres including ancillary uses comprising staff area, stockroom, plant rooms and other ancillary areas.

The proposal also involves the construction of a new public riverside pedestrian walkway from Bank Place to the existing pedestrian bridge over the River Fergus connecting to the existing pedestrian path from Harmony Row and modiﬁcations to the walkway of the existing pedestrian bridge.

Landowner of the site, Galway company, Briarlane Developments Ltd has given its consent for the application to be lodged.

In a retail assessment drawn up by MKO and lodged with the application states that the proposed development, in line with

the Clare County Development Plan provides for a “ﬂagship waterfront development” of outstanding design and quality making a signiﬁcant contribution to the overall appearance and amenity of the area.

The assessment states that the new Primark store “will also serve as a primary retail destination and encourage smaller retailers and other businesses to location within its vicinity creating a town-centre ambience and increasing both resident and visitor footfall within the area”.

The assessment contends that the planned interventions to the existing pedestrian walkway will further strengthen the connectivity to the riverwalk, seamlessly integrating the development with the rest of the neighbourhood, establishing the proposed development as a key landmark within the historic town centre.

The assessment also states that the proposed scheme will enhance the vitality of the town and integrate well with the existing shopping facilities, further improving suitability of the town centre retail accommodation for modern retailers whilst also maintaining the town’s historic character.

On vacant premises in Ennis town centre, the retail impact assessment states that recently the vacant rate increased to 18.6%, the highest in County Clare, reﬂecting a signiﬁcant

rise over the past year. It stated, “However, despite this, Ennis has generally fared better than other regions, particularly during and after the pandemic, and there have been positive efforts to reduce vacancies”.

The retail impact assessment also contends that the proposed development “will not have any adverse impact of any signiﬁcance on the existing retail provision in the identiﬁed catchment area”.

The report states, “There is signiﬁcant expenditure available to help support the existing retail providers within the key town of Ennis”.

The report also states that the qualitative and quantitative Assessments carried out “indicate that there is demand for new comparison retail within the key town of Ennis, which the proposed development will respond to and cater for”.

The report states that its ﬁndings demonstrates that the proposal “will not impact on the viability of the key town of Ennis, rather it will serve as a landmark waterfront development which will enable / encourage additional retail and commercial activity including attracting more residents to the area”.

The new outlet is expected to replace Penneys’ existing Ennis outlet in the Ennis Shopping Centre on Ennis’ Francis Street.

Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

Ashﬁeld House

Photo by John O’Neill

Bareﬁeld family fun run & walk to raise funds for Clare group volunteering in Uganda

BAREFIELD hosts a 6km family walk and fun run this Friday to raise funds for a Clare group travelling to Uganda on a humanitarian mission.

New Quay native John Conroy will lead twelve Clare based volunteers to Uganda on the humanitarian mission in July. They will volunteer with Hospice Jinja which is a facility established to assist with palliative care, assist on educational training children with special needs and mainstream children in a primary school with an enrolment of 1200 childre.

They will also coach gaelic football and hurling at Africa’s newest GAA club, Nile Óg Cusacks which Conroy helped to form. Fundraising efforts will also be undertaken by the group to help with the construction of a new dormitory to cater for 100 deaf children at Walukuba West Primary School.

The volunteers making up this years team include Enda Collins, Michelle McNamara, Maire Lynch, Hillary Davis, Aine Quigney, Melissa Purcell, Joanne O Donnell, Ger Keane, Lucy Galvin, Josephine Ryan, Emma and Dominic Regan.

Ahead of their trip, Frank and Siobhain Landy from SweetnGreen Café have very kindly sponsored a

fundraising 6km family walk and fun run taking place in Barefield village on Friday (April 4th) at 7.30 pm.

Since 2017 over 50 volunteers from Clare have raised in excess of €275,000 for charities based in Uganda. All flights, daily expenses and living costs are paid for by the volunteers themselves with all donations going direct to those most in need of support and assistance.

John explained, “Our big fundraising goal this year is to fundraise €25,000 euro to help construct the building of a new dormitory for 100 deaf children. Plans have been drawn up with the building due to begin in mid-June and to be complete by mid-September. The building will be built on the grounds of Walukuba West Primary school in Jinja and is also home of Nile Óg Cusacks G.A.A. Club”.

Within the Jinja district, there are over 100 deaf children who cannot access education however the construction of this new building will change this. “Special needs children in Uganda have many challenges, with a lack of educational resources and lack of teacher skills and also this often brings much shame to the family having a special needs child within the family, often times the family believe the child has evil spirits and might resort to witch-

craft to take the evil from the child,” John outlined.

Volunteers have a busy summer ahead and will be dividing their

tend the games to other schools in the district. Training takes place three afternoons per week with the first official game planned to take

time volunteering with Hospice Jinja, teaching deaf children ,supporting and guiding teachers in the classroom and coaching future stars in Nile Óg Cusacks GAA Club. The GAA club was formed last July, initially coaching Gaelic Games began with a group of 30 deaf children but now this has spread throughout the school of 1200 and indeed the plan is to ex-

place next month. He said, “We are in regular contact with the G.A.A. in Croke Park and receiving good support and guidance from Robert Frost from Clare GAA and plans are in place in the coming weeks to have the club as the first officially registered club in Africa. Last October, Gaelic Football and Hurling were registered as part of the Ugandan

Official Sign Language dictionary and this is the first time Irish words were used as part of (USL).We brought the thirty kids to the Irish embassy where Ambassador Kevin Colgan launched the two new sign words in Uganda.

It’s an exciting time for the growth of Gaelic Games in Uganda, with a population of 50 million and half the population under 15, the potential for growing the games are huge. We are hosting ten sports students from D.C.U. this Summer who will be concentrating on coaching the children”.

Hospice Jinja provides a palliative care service to a population base of four million people in the Busoga province, the Hospice improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life threatening illnesses. In most cases, it is a home-based hospice care. The team relieve their pains and other symptoms and help them live to their last day in peace , comfort and dignity

John is urging people to come out and get involved in the Barefield event and show their support for the work that is being undertaken in Uganda. He said they are very grateful for the phenomenal support received over the years.

Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

Nile Óg Cusacks

Judge triples prison time for Scariﬀ bottom biter CSBS are always there to listen

by Gordon Deegan news@clareecho.ie

A JUDGE has tripled the prison time to three months on an intruder who bit the right buttocks of a married woman during the course of a latenight assault at her family home.

At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Francis Comerford imposed three concurrent three month prison terms on Martin Gooney (28) of Riverview, Scariff, Co Clare for two assaults on the woman and trespass at her home in East Clare on December 22nd 2022.

Judge Comerford said that there was “a sexual element” to the assaults and as a result, the complainant was entitled to anonymity in the case.

Judge Comerford said that these are ‘serious Section two assaults and there was a serious trespass”.

Judge Comerford said that the headline prison sentence for the offences would be ﬁve months and reduced the concurrent prison terms to three months based on Mr Gooney’s guilty pleas.

Mr Gooney had pleaded guilty to two counts of assault against the woman and one count of trespass at her family home.

In the District Court last September, Mr Gooney received a concurrent one month prison term for the offences.

Solicitor for Mr Gooney, Daragh

Hassett told Judge Comerford that Mr Gooney wishes to drop his Circuit Court appeal but Mr Gooney did want a deferral in entering prison as he has issues to attend to.

However, Judge Comerford refused the application for the severity appeal to be withdrawn and also refused the application to defer activation of the prison term.

Judge Comerford said that “once Mr Gooney starts the appeal process he doesn’t have an automatic right to stop it”.

Outlining the December 22nd 2022 incident, State Solicitor for Clare, Aisling Casey told Judge Comerford that the assault incident at the woman’s home only ended after the woman screamed and this resulted in her seven year old son coming downstairs and Mr Gooney then leaving the house.

Ms Casey said that earlier Mr Gooney had tried to kiss the woman at her property where he was trespassing.

Ms Casey said that the woman fell “and Mr Gooney bit her on the right buttocks cheek. She got back up and on entering the house he followed her and bit her on the right shoulder and pushed her against the dish-washer”.

Ms Casey said that during the course of a Garda interview, Mr Gooney had claimed that he had been in a brief romantic relationship with her the year before

Ms Casey said that in a statement to Gardaí, the woman said that at no time was she ever in a relationship with the man “and there is no evidence at all to suggest that they had any relationship”.

Mr Hassett said that Mr Gooney is a father of young children and a digger driver.

The complainant was present in court for today’s appeal hearing and

Ms Casey stated that with the appeal to the Circuit Court “there has been a re-traumatisation of the victim in this case”.

In response, Mr Hassett said, “There is no wish to re-traumatise anyone. My client pleaded guilty in the district court in September and he has taken responsibility for his actions and there has been no change to that”.

Clare Suicide Bereavement services is an organisation made up of trained befrienders or listeners.

They offer 1:1 and monthly group support, family and community support to those bereaved by suicide. They are based in Roslevan shopping Centre where they have 2 lovely rooms and people can come and feel safe and comfortable. It is a free service and 100% confidential.

There is no waiting list and they are available 7 days a week day time and evenings, people just need to call them to arrange a meeting.

They also offer support to younger people and children who very often deal with grief in a very different way to adults. Each year they facilitate an eight week healing program which this year kicks off on Thursday the 10th of April at 7.30pm.

During this program they facilitate peer to peer support for people bereaved by suicide and aim to help people find support and healing in a caring, safe and confidential environment.

If anyone would like more information about this programme or their 1:1 and family support services they can contact them at 086 056 5373 | 087 369 8315 Or email them at sbs.clare@gmail. com

McMahon to become Ennis Chamber President for second time

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

DIARMUID McMahon is to become President of Ennis Chamber for the second time.

Managing Director of estate agents, Sherry FitzGerald McMahon, Diarmuid begins his twelve month tenure as President of Ennis Chamber on Thursday (today). He succeeds Sheila Lynch who has held the post since April 2023.

Siobhan Berminghan who heads up HR as Essilor, also known locally as Organic Lens will be Ennis Chamber’s new Vice President.

McMahon was first appointed President in April 2018 and had been an active member of the steering committee involved in the Ennis 2040 economic and spatial strategy.

A qualified chartered accountant, Diarmuid is the fourth generation of McMahon’s to manage his family business, which has been trading in Ennis since 1900. He also follows in the footsteps of his father, in the context of Ennis Chamber, with his father Dermot McMahon having served three years in the role of president from 1975.

Ahead of his second stint as President, Diarmuid has stressed the urban requirement for an upgrade to the Clareabbey wastewater treatment plant which according to Uisce Éireann is at full capacity.

Speaking in Dublin last week at the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) and Academy of Urbanism conference, Uisce Éireann Chairman Jerry Grant described Ireland’s water system as being “in a desperate state”.

This is a view shared by McMahon who noted Clareabbey, one of two wastewater treatment plants in Ennis, is designated at red on Uisce Éireann’s traffic light system meaning no capacity is available. He said, “To think that the county town, and economic driver for Clare has only one functioning wastewater treatment is preposterous. It renders ridiculous any conversation around future population growth for Ennis Municipal District. How can developers have confidence to purchase zoned land if one half of the town currently offers no opportunity for connectivity? It’s a shocking state of affairs. Not only does

this basic lack of infrastructure stymie any future promise of delivering private or affordable housing to large swathes of Ennis and the Municipal District, it also thwarts the possibility of attracting investment in commercial and industrial development”.

According to Diarmuid, this gross lack of infrastructure calls into question many elements of the County Development Plan. “The 2023 to 2029 development plan immediately needs to be reviewed to ensure that serviced lands zoned for residential strategic reserve, that are serviceable by the second plant with capacity, are redesignated for residential use now. We cannot wait for 2029 to review the plan as we are shutting half of the town down for residential development. Lands that are zoned for residential use in the 2023 to 2029 development plan that would be serviced by the Clareabbey Wastewater Treatment Plant have effectively been sterilised for use”.

Also at the Sustainable Urban Regeneration Conference, Grant told attendees that Uisce Éireann has “no mandate” to

provide for future housing growth, something which was “very poorly understood and very often misrepresented”.

Ennis Chamber has urged the Government to invest in water infrastructure, otherwise all of the plans for population and jobs growth for Ennis are just words without foundation. CEO, Margaret O’Brien said the situation regarding lack of connectivity at Clareabbey Wastewater Treatment Plant, was confirmed at a recent Chambers Ireland CEO forum held in Dublin, which was addressed by two senior representatives of Uisce Éireann. She commented, “Investment in Clareabbey Wastewater Treatment Plant is now a top lobbying priority for Ennis Chamber, both locally with elected councillors and TDs and nationally. We need the facility at Clareabbey to be upgraded, if we are to realise the potential of Ennis”.

McMahon has made a commitment to make this a key policy issue for twelve month tenure.

Pictured Diarmuid McMahon Photo Tom Micks

Tobin Report urges Council to take full ownership of Cliﬀ walk

A DRAFT report on the management of the Cliffs of Moher walking trail has recommended that full ownership of the walkway be taken over by Clare County Council.

Commissioned by Clare County Council, Clare Local Development Company, Fáilte Ireland and the Department of Rural and Community Development, the Tobin Report recommends the future management of the 18km scenic coastal walk be taken over by the County Council.

Safety works commenced along sections of the trail at the beginning of August in the wake of health and safety concerns raised following the tragic deaths of a 12 year old boy in Julyat the Cliffs of Moher and the death of a woman in her twenties af-

ter she reportedly lost her footing when walking with friends. Sections of the route have remained closed since then.

In order to ensure the long-term development and safety of the trail, the Tobin Report recommends that the best option is for the Council to take it into its ownership. This view had previously been expressed by former Chief Executive of the County Council, Pat Dowling in November.

All options should be explored by the Council to secure ownership, including long-term leases and acquiring the land by compulsory purchase order (CPO) if necessary, the report detailed. The report does acknowledge a “perceived inequality” associated with the significant annual fees which the visitor centre receives, and farmers, given that the coastal walk is an important part

of the overall cliffs amenity, feel they are not properly compensated for providing access to their lands for the enjoyment of visitors.

Calculations from the report estimate that it will cost €460,000 per annum to manage the trail. The report suggested that €275,000 of this should be funded via entrance fees to the Cliffs of Moher. The remainder should be provided from either the Department of Rural and Community Development or a subvention from Fáilte Ireland.

On top of the annual maintenance fee which is just under half a million euro, payment to the 36 landowners who own the trail is suggested, this could be done by either a long-term lease agreement or by selling the land to the Council, the report said. A timeline of works provided in the report outlines that the Cliffs of Moher walk is unlikely to be reopened fully until the 2028 tourist

season, with some sections potentially reopening this year.

Annual benefit fund can reopen Cliff Walk says Cooney

suspect was the purpose for which it was commissioned”.

A CLARE TD has proposed an annual benefit fund as part of the solution for the reopening of the Cliffs of Moher coastal walk while an MEP has said the approach of Clare County Council is to “clobber” landowners.

Clare MEP, Michael McNamara has taken aim at Clare County Council prior to the release of the Tobin Report, the draft of which has recommended the local authority take full ownership and responsibility for the future management of the scenic coastal walk. “Clare County Council commissioning consultants to recommend it use compulsory purchase orders against local landowners rather than engaging with them is, unfortunately, typical of the approach regularly adopted by the Council”. Recommendations that the Council “should have full title of the lands by outright purchase” through long-term leases or CPOs according to McNamara “will now be used to clobber those landowners, which one might reasonably

He stated, “The problems with the Cliffs of Moher Walking Trail are years in the making with the Council, which made big profits through a private company, adopting a high handed approach and refusing to fairly share revenues with landowners whose private property was being used to generate that profit”.

There is “an obvious conflict of interest”, McNamara maintained while pointing to the route of the walking trail which includes the Council-owned Cliffs of Moher Experience. He said the recommendation for the Council to assume ownership rather than Clare Local Development Company “is highly significant given CLDC’s efforts over recent years to broker a deal between the landowners and Clare County Council which, I understand, were focussed on delivering a fairer share of revenues generated to local landowners through whose land the walking trail passes”.

Scariff native Michael added, “As Ireland’s most used walking route by far, the Cliffs

of Moher Walking Trail is of great importance not just to the landowners but also the border communities in Doolin and Liscannor. To serve their interests, Clare County Council needs to take a very different approach and to drop the implicit threats and talk to, not at, those involved”. Creating an annual benefit fund has been suggested as the solution to reopening the walk by Joe Cooney TD (FG). He explained that this would be supported through a financial contribution based on the per head entry to the Cliffs of Moher Experience. In a written submission prior to the Tobin’s Report publication, he said such a fund would support social, economic and environmental projects within the community and would expedite the opening of the popular attraction.

He said, “It could be administered by an independent group, possibly made up of Council staff, elected representatives, and local community members. To acknowledge the importance of the coastal pathway a significant percentage of that fund could be ring-fenced for the

landowners involved. For example, if the fund was based on €1 per head per annum it would deliver roughly €1.6M for distribution, if 30% was set aside for the landowners at the coastal path, it would create a significant fund to be divided annually between the 36 landowners, leaving the balance to be distributed for other community projects across the wider Ennistymon Local Electoral Area and to support other sustainable tourism networks across the county.”

Mention of a CPO in a leaked report was “regrettable” due to the “adversarial and divisive nature of such a process”.

Risks identified by Sport Ireland to close the walk last August were “obviously legitimate,” he said.

The TD said the prospect of Clare County Council having full operational control of the walk was “a logical recommendation”, however added that he preferred a long-term lease agreement with landowners. Ownership of the trail needs “much more discussion and clarity,” he said.

FARMERS have said the option of a compulsory purchase order (CPO) for the 36 landowners along the Cliffs of Moher walk should be totally removed from a draft report on its future management.

In recommending Clare County Council take over full ownership of the coastal walk, consultant engineers Tobin said all options should be explored by the local authority to do this including long-term leases and acquiring the land by compulsory purchase order (CPO) if necessary.

Potential of CPOs has infuriated landowners in North Clare. However a spokesperson for Clare County Council said a CPO was “never the preferred option”.

In a statement to The Clare Echo, the Council said, “As the “Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk Management Plan” or the so-called Tobin Report, is still a draft and not signed off by the relevant partners, Clare County Council cannot comment on the report at this stage.

The local authority does acknowledge however the upset to landowners following the leaked report of the initial draft, with much of the attention from the leaked report focusing on the possible use of CPO. This is never the preferred option of Clare County Council who remain committed to continue working with local landowners in the area to ensure a walk can ultimately exist from Doolin to Hags Head. Clare County Council looks forward to engaging and discussing future plans for the Cliffs of Moher Walk with all interested parties following the publication of the ﬁnal report”.

IFA President Francie Gorman has strongly rejected the prospect of using CPOs to take private land from farmers, calling it “nothing short of an attempt to intimidate and bully the landowners and will be resisted outright”.

Former Clare IFA Chair Tom Lane, who has been leading negotiations on behalf of landowners, called on Clare County Council to immediately withdraw the CPO option and threat from the draft report.

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

The Cliffs of Moher coastal walk

Bank debt of €1m plus cleared by members of East Clare Golf Club

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

A BANK DEBT in excess of €1m has been cleared at East Clare Golf Club by its members.

Members have worked to clear the huge bank debt and have now charted a new future for the club.

Having started life as a nine-hole course, it was driven by local community efforts and funding from 230 members via a Trust. It became a full eighteen-hole course in 1998, with bank borrowing, which enabled this transition, but soon became the club’s greatest liability.

Burdened by the recession, the club found itself unable to repay the bank until, once again, the resilience of club members, led by five in particular, culminated in the bank debt being settled last year. Now financially sound, members are focused on repositioning the club as one of the finest in the county and

are pulling out all the stops to make this happen.

This determination is evident in the fact that all members are involved in the club’s functioning. A group of volunteers work tirelessly on the course, maintaining very high standards. The office and shop are run by members on a voluntary basis, via weekly rosters of four to six hours per member per week, and the welcome for visitors projects the friendly ethos of the club.

Nick Ryan, chair of a new marketing committee established this year explained, “There is a renewed pride in what East Clare has to offer. It has breathtaking panoramic views, which, when paired with the numerous on-course water features, combine to make it one of the most talked about courses in the region. It has especially challenging greens, which golfers relish”.

Completion of the Killaloe Bypass will make the Bodyke course more accessible

for visitors to the Mid-West, Ryan maintained. “We have already seen the benefits this accessibility will offer to the Club, which has prompted us to join forces with local hotels to put a ‘stay and play’ offer in place and we look forward to welcoming new members and visitor categories, partic-

ularly societies. We have already initiated contact with the corporate sector putting some new fresh ideas forward, which we hope will convert into membership or increased usage of the course for corporate outings. While our location may have heretofore been considered off

the beaten track, this is now being heralded as a major attraction. Golfers love the serenity of the course setting, which is less than thirty minutes from Ennis and Limerick, and close to Co. Tipperary”.

He added, “We are so proud of our huge junior

section, and we hope they will continue to be great ambassadors for our club. They are our future and the future looks bright. We have a junior golf camp at Easter and look forward to seeing their young fearless enthusiasm on the fairways”.

President, Teddy O Hanlon; lady captain, Helen Downey; men’s captain Paul Hayes, past president, TJ McNamara; lady vice-captain Mary Farrell; and club treasurer, Sean Ahern.

Double inquest hears mother Claire Collins was smothered

body in an upstairs bedroom.

COUNTY Clare mother of two, Claire Collins was smothered to death with a pillow by a third party an inquest heard yesterday.

At the Clare Coroner’s Court in Kilrush, a jury returned an open verdict into the death of Claire Collins (50) and a verdict of suicide into the death of her husband, Joe Collins (54) at their home at Crossard, Kilnaboy on November 9, 2023.

The jury returned the verdicts following a recommendation from Clare County Coroner, Isobel O’Dea that they were the appropriate verdicts to make.

On the open verdict for Claire Collins, Ms O’Dea said there will be no criminal trial into her death and there was no evidence that her death was self inflicted or an accidental death.

Ms O’Dea said that in an open verdict it simply means that the evidence doesn’t fully disclose the means by which the cause of death occurred or doesn’t meet the required standard of proof for another verdict.

At the inquest, Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster said that Claire Collins’s cause of death was asphyxia due to smothering.

Presenting her post mortem findings, Dr Bolster stated that “the findings are consistent with pressure by a pillow over a face put in place by a third party”.

Dr Bolster said that there was bruising on Ms Collins’s right wrist joint and back of her right hand indicating defensive type injuries.

Dr Bolster said that there was no evidence of bruising to the neck and no evidence of strangulation.

Dr Bolster said, “I will add when the brain is deprived of oxygen the person becomes unconscious very, very rapidly and they are not suffering.”

Dr Bolster said that the cause of death for Joe Collins was also asphyxia caused by a ligature around the neck.

The brother of Joe Collins, Brian Collins discovered the bodies of Joe Collins and Claire Collins at their home on November 9, 2023.

In a deposition read out at the inquest, Brian Collins said that he found his brother’s body suspended from a basketball post at the back of the house while he discovered Claire Collins’s fully clothed

John’s spirit will live on through his photography

Brian Collins said that a note was on the stairs inside the front door saying ‘upstairs and out the back’ and he went upstairs to see Claire Collins’s body laid out on top of a bed and she was blue across the nose and mouth.

In evidence a work colleague of Ms Collins, Caitriona Murphy at the Burren Centre in Kilfenora gave evidence of speaking to Claire Collins by phone twice at 6.52pm and 8.40pm on November 8 on work related matters.

In her deposition to Gardai read out by Insp Ronan McMahon, Ms Murphy said that Ms Collins sounded fine.

However, at the inquest today, Ms Murphy said, “There was a discernible difference in tone and demeanour between the two phone calls. I asked her if she was okay and she said that she was.”

The inquest heard how an anonymous male caller rang the National Ambulance Service at 3.09am on the morning of November 9 to say there was “a tragedy” at the home of Joe and Claire Collins.

Call taker at the NAS, Brian Sammon said that the male caller “refused to expand”.

When pressed further about he meant about tragedy, the caller replied “just come or words to that effect”.

Emergency services would not arrive at the scene for almost 12 more hours after Brian Collins had discovered the bodies of Joe Collins and Claire Collins.

Ms O’Dea told the inquest that the National Ambulance Service has made recommendations as to how it should improve its service around the taking of calls.

At the conclusion of the inquest, Clare Coroner, Isobel O’Dea said to the families: “Hopefully today will give you a little bit of closure.”

At the end of the inquest, Ms O’Dea also read out a statement of behalf of the Meere and Collins families.

The families stated “while we take in the findings of the inquest we are still processing the grief and loss we feel every day for both Claire and Joe”.

The families stated “this is a deeply personal, painful matter for both the Meere and Collins families and we sincerely ask for privacy” as they continue to mourn “the loss of two irreplaceable people who we love so very much”.

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

PICTURES tell a thousand words and the legacy of John Mangan will live on thanks to his ability to capture memories through his wonderful photographs.

After a very tough four months, John lost his battle with cancer late on Wednesday last at Milford Hospice. He had encountered several health setbacks since July 2023 before his untimely passing, aged 65.

Though a native of Rochfordbridge in Westmeath, he made his mark in his adopted county of Clare where he ran businesses, helped raise a family, made friends, founded two camera clubs and always did his best.

His working life began at the tennis ball factory in Westmeath. It also included running Mangan’s Store in Newmarket-on-Fergus and Yvonne’s Takeaway in Turnpike to name a few.

An ever-present member of The Clare Echo’s team since its foundation in the autumn of 2017, John‘s photography brought life to the newspaper’s pages. As a founding member of the Clare Camera Club, he instigated the strong ties that still exist between the club and this newspaper, which has resulted in his work along with that of the late Martin Connolly and Gerard O’Neill greatly strengthening The

Echo’s coverage.

Demonstrating John’s loyalty to The Clare Echo was the presence of our latest newspaper at the foot of his cofﬁn at his reposal in Kennedy’s Funeral Home on Friday. When it came to assignments for The Echo, John always tried his best to go above and beyond to capture the perfect shot to accompany a story. His sensitive approach helped to put interviewees at ease.

Skilled when it came to capturing landscapes behind the lens, his photograph of Doonagore castle in Doolin proudly hangs in the ofﬁces of The Clare Echo in the Clare Rd Business Centre.

It is fitting that John’s first and last assignments marked key milestones for The Clare Echo. His first assignment was The Echo’s launch party at The Temple Gate Hotel in October 2017. His last gig was the hugely successful Electoral Chair: Election Debate in front on a live audience at Hotel Woodstock in November.

Editor and Managing Director of The Clare Echo, Stuart Holly said, “Everyone at The Clare Echo is deeply saddened by the loss of our friend and colleague, John Mangan. I ﬁrst met John in 2017 when I called Clare Camera Club looking for local photographers to work with The Clare Echo. John was extremely supportive,

not only working with us but also introducing us to a number of talented photographers many of whom we continue to work with today.”

He added, “A photo taken by John in Doolin hangs proudly in The Clare Echo ofﬁces, and will do so forever as a reminder of everything he contributed to our team”.

His colleagues in Clare Camera Club provided a guard of honour when his cofﬁn was carried out of

Saint Peter & Paul Cathedral in Ennis on Saturday morning.

Symbols brought forward at the funeral mass included his beloved camera, photographs of his loved ones including his late parents Patricia and Michael plus one featuring him and his partner Deirdre.

John’s love of music and his home county was noted when a Joe Dolan CD was brought before the altar.

Scariﬀ Greenway is ‘well

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

AN EAST Clare greenway is “well behind schedule” with elected members worried about how quiet the project has gone.

Waterways Ireland, together with Limerick City and County Council and Clare County Council are working to develop the Limerick to Scarrif greenway. The proposed greenway has been identified as a signature project in the Shannon Tourism Masterplan and would provide a gateway to and from the heart of Limerick City to Lough Derg.

Subject to the selection of the preferred route, the proposed greenway would link Limerick City to Scariff with connections to nearby villages and towns such as Clonlara, O’Briensbridge, Killaloe, Ogonelloe and Tuamgraney. The contract for the design of the greenway was signed in June 2021.

It is anticipated to cover a distance of 43km, the project is funded under the TII Greenways funding scheme. A steering

group for the project exists and comprises of Waterways Ireland, Limerick City and County Council, Clare County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

An update on the progress of the greenway was sought by Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) at the Killaloe Municipal District’s March meeting. He said, “Given the potential economic, tourism, and environmental benefits of the project, I am for clarity on the following issues, the current status of feasibility studies, planning, and public consultation, any funding secured or pending applications for the project, the anticipated timeline for the next phases of development and how engagement with local landowners and communities along the proposed route is progressing”.

In a response from a senior engineer with Waterways Ireland provided to the meeting, councillors were informed, “the Preferred Route corridor reports for the Greenway have been completed and reviewed by the project steering group.

As part of the TII Project Guidelines a TII Peer Review of the final documentation is required. The Peer review for this project has been completed and additional information identified as part of the review is currently being addressed and discussed with the TII to meet all necessary requirements, this documentation includes additional ecological and corridor assessments.

“Upon agreement of the final documentation with the TII Peer review team, Waterways Ireland will be holding a series of public consultation evenings to display the Preferred Route corridor. These public consultations will be advertised locally when finalised. Once the public consultation of the Preferred Route Corridor is complete, the project will progress

by Gordon Deegan news@clareecho.ie

l NEVER FORGOTTEN: John Mangan, who sadly camera, where he was happiest; a photo taken in

passed last week, with Marty Morrissey. (inset top to bottom) John behind the Cloughleigh during Covid; a photo of Doolin that hangs in The Clare Echo ofﬁces

“Those symbols tell the story, they don’t the whole story,” commented Fr Tom Ryan. “As a photographer he knew the value of capturing moments of time, he knew time wasn’t measured in hours or minutes but love given, kindness shared and memories made”. He added, “John’s time on this earth may be complete but his 65 years of living continues to live on in all of you”.

Michael O’Brien of the Clare Camera Club gave a heartfelt tribute to his dear friend from the altar. Reflecting on John’s working life, Michael described him as “a bit of a trail blazer, he knew how to make a few pound”. “He loved to the centre of attention and making peo-

ple happy,” Michael recalled. John’s love of the Bay City Rollers and platform shoes were also referenced.

O’Brien continued. “his camera was his constant companion, capturing the world around him. He had an uncanny ability to capture different shots, through his lens he shared his ability with us and we were all ye better for it”. He commented, “he founded two camera clubs, he taught us all to frame a picture and to capture memories to last a lifetime, his enthusiasm for photography was infectious and he inspired countless other photographers because of this.”

behind schedule’

to the detailed design and environmental evaluation phase. This phase will include more detailed consultation with impacted landowners,” the response added.

Senior planner and Killaloe MD coordinator, Brian McCarthy suggested inviting a representative of Waterways Ireland to address the May meeting of the Killaloe MD.

Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe MD, Cllr Hayes noted it had been a full twelve months since Waterways Ireland addressed them. “It is gone very quiet,” he remarked. “They have some idea about a preferred route, a lot of people are asking what will happen, €300,000 is going into it so we’re wondering what is happening”. He continued, “It is a significant proposal, it is something we want to see brought forward and extended forward” while agreeing with the suggestion to invite Waterways Ireland to the

next meeting.

Works are behind schedule, Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF) claimed, “I believe following their attendance here and public consultation in Clonlara, a preferred route was supposed to be out in May or June of 2024, we’re well behind the schedule, there is a lot of uncertainty for landowners, clarity needs to be given to people and ourselves as to what the plan is”. He backed the call to have representatives before their next sitting. “It will be a hugely important piece of infrastructure, it will support some people but we need to know what is happening, we need to be informed”.

Reports on the preferred route corridor exist somewhere but elected representatives in East Clare have yet to see them, Cllr Pat Burke (FG) flagged. He asked for a definition of peer review, “it is a new one” he observed ,”we’ll have to google the meaning of peer review”. He said, “this was a hot topic before last local election, it has gone to ground since”.

The summer gardening range has arrived in store

APRIL brings sunshine and as gardeners we welcome the new month with a smile.

Lots going on in the gardens with the bedding range now expanded into the summer range, we have a lovely selection to choose from.

The petunias are out, and we have a full range of colour available now so if you were thinking of starting your summer baskets or pots, we have a great selection.

Tomato plants are now available from Moneymaker to cherry tomatoes which can be growing in pots, we have cucumber plants in 10.5cm pots.

With a large range of vegetable plant to choose from you will have the garden full quickly and for those who do container plant let-

tuce is an easy one to start with.

With lots of colours in perennials arriving daily the range expanding each week and some of my favourites are the perennial Geum and Scabiosa they are both long flowering with lots of colour.

Roses are now available with a wide range from Hybrid to patio roses and the colour selection is vast not to mention the sweet, scented flowers they will produce.

Shrubs variety have also expanded one that stand out is Little Red Robin the way the tips change colour and it’s a dwarf variety so will do in a pot too. Lovely selection of Hebe available especially if you want shrubs that won’t get too wide or tall.

Lavender now available another

great shrub for the garden or in a container its scent is just beautiful and refreshing.

If like me you are starting to put together some summer pots we have a lovely range of geraniums and Bidens. Just add some bedding plant and by easter you will have a full pot of colour.

This time of year we have so much coming in to the shop its hard to pick and choose what to add to the garden I always find by asking some key questions it helps to narrow down the choose for people so, if you have an area and you are puzzled with what can be done come in and we can help you.

I hope everyone is enjoying the time in the garden this April.

MIC to host a range of events for Limerick Lifelong Learning Festival in early April

MARY Immaculate College (MIC) is once again delighted to host a range of events for the 15 Limeick Lifelong Learning Festival, taking place across Limerick City and County from Monday 7 to Sunday 13April.

MIC—which is a member of the Learning Limerick Steering Group and Festival Organising Committee—will host several events at the College on Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 April dedicated to the ‘Literacies for Life’ theme of the festival.

Curated and organised by staff, MIC extends a warm invitation to members of the public to attend the festival activities at the College which are listed below:

lMIC Choir Open Rehearsal, Tuesday 8 April, 1-2.30 pm in G37.

This event is an opportunity for those who have always wished to sing in a choir to participate in one of MIC Community Choir’s lunchtime rehearsals. Come, join us and have some fun! Open to anyone who likes to sing! Refreshments will be provided after the rehearsal.

lWith Love Limerick, Wednesday 9 April, 10am -12pm in G08

With Love Limerick is an invitation to play with words and to write. In this collaborative workshop, you will be guided through a series of creative writing prompts and exercises to release the writer in you; it is an opportunity to discover new ways of expressing your ideas and experiences in a supportive creative space. No experience in

creative writing is necessary. Please bring a pen and paper with you on the day.

lIntroduction to MIC for Mature Students, Wednesday 9 April, 11am-12:30pm in G10

Join us for an information session on the pathways and supports available to mature students. It will detail resources—academic, financial and other—that are available to mature students and there will also be an opportunity to speak with current mature students attending the College.

lGundermann - Work, Life and Music in the GDR and his Legacy in Ireland, Wednesday 9 April, 1-2pm in G08

An introduction to Andreas Dresen's Gundermann film and to Dave Robb's translation of Gerhard Gundermann's songs. Lunch will be provided courtesy of the Faculty of Arts.

There will then be a screening of the film in the Belltable on 15 April at 2pm followed by a Q&A with renowned German filmmaker Andreas Dresen, and a concert at 8pm with songs by Gundermann in English by Dave Robb and his Belfast band. The event is sponsored by the German Academic Exchange Service, the Centre for Irish-German Studies, and MIC's Centre for Transnational Studies.

lAn Introduction to Life Writing, Wednesday 9 April, 3-4.30pm in G10

Fighting Words Limerick is de-

lighted to present an introduction to memoir writing. Fighting Words Ireland is a creative organisation co-founded by Roddy Doyle which helps people of all ages and backgrounds to discover and harness the power of their own imaginations and creative writing skills. This session will give attendees a background to life writing, as well as some independent writing time to kickstart your memoir. No previous experience of writing is required, and perfect spelling and grammar is not important for this workshop. Everyone has a story to tell, so come share yours with us. MIC is also partnering with TUS and Engage in Education for a ‘University Supports Information Session for Parents/Guardians’ on Friday 11 April at 10am in the LEDP campus in Roxboro.

lPatricia O’Sullivan, Enterprise and Community Engagement Manager at MIC, highlighted the importance of the lifelong learning festival and MIC’s involvement in holding festival events: “MIC has a longstanding commitment to the promotion of lifelong learning right across the region and has been a partner of Learning Limerick and the festival since its inception. The theme of ‘Literacies for Life’ enables MIC staff an opportunity to impart their expertise in addressing some of the literacy challenges faced by the public today. The College is delighted to once again this year to host range of events that will encourage members of the public to try new disciplines and to learn something new and exciting.” Officially launched Friday 21 March in Newcastle West Library

by the Mayor of Limerick, John Moran, the festival will feature over 120 free events and activities throughout the week both online and in-person across a wide variety of interesting and diverse topics that include Art, IT Skills, Language Tasters, Entrepreneurship, Guided Tours, Open Days, Educational Pathways, Dance, Music, Cookery, Wellbeing and much more.

Noting the positive impacts of the festival, Mayor Moran said: “Limerick City and County Council is proud to support all of Learning Limerick’s projects and delighted to be a core sponsor of this festival. At the heart of the festival is the belief that learning should be fun and accessible for everyone.

Following our motto – Communities, Connecting, Learning - we invite you to come with us on a journey of exploration, engagement, and pure celebration. I anticipate strong participation from our local communities and the broader public, both from within Limerick and beyond, mirroring the high levels of engagement we have witnessed in previous years. It is a mark of our commitment to promoting learning in all its forms and the interest shown in lifelong learning across all groups across Limerick.”

For more information on any of the events being held at MIC for the Lifelong Learning Festival, please contact patricia.osullivan@mic. ul.ie

Growing all year around with Clare Garden Festival

CLARE GARDEN Festival wants to inspire everyone to grow their own food all year around by Extending the Season of growing vegetables in our garden.

The popular festival returns for the 11 th year to Ennis Showgrounds as usual on the last Sunday in April, the 27 th April this year. The

festival will be back with an impressive range Garden Experts – to be announced shortly - speaking on its main stage all-day supported by demonstrations in several areas all over the grounds. As usual there will be music, food and children’s entertainment and of course

the festival’s popular Garden, Plant, Craft & Food Fair with over 75 stalls from all over Ireland.

Speaking at the festival launch, Healthy Clare Coordinator Sam McCarthy outlined the great fit of Gardening to grow our own food with the Healthy Clare ‘Community Food and

Health’ initiative to improve health and wellbeing by growing, cooking and eating well: “Seasonal eating focuses on eating foods that are in season to maximize health benefits, tasting fresher, having the lowest calories and the highest nutrition.”

She continued by saying: “Upon speaking with festi-

food from our own gardens – it is indeed a sad time of year when some crops like cucumbers stop their vigorous production, but others like tomatoes can continue on into October and November. The trick is of course to grow them under cover and I am delighted to welcome plenty of expertise to our

workshops around forest school and biodiversity again and plenty of good food, local and national garden, plant and craft stalls will join us. I look forward to sharing more information, so keep an eye on our social media and website.”

Clare Garden Festival is running in partnership with

val manager Carmen Cronin about this core message, we decided that as we are talking to Gardeners, we need to look beyond the season by supporting them to Extend the Season and grow even more healthy foods all year around.”

“We gardeners love a challenge and we love eating

stage and demo areas this year to tell and show how it’s done. Of course, we will also be having a Masterclass in Growing in Polytunnels, which can be booked already now from our website,” said festival manager Carmen Cronin.

“For our smaller gardeners we will be featuring two

Co Clare Agricultural Show Society and is held annually at Ennis Showgrounds this year on Sunday, 27 th April.

Clare Garden Festival is a treat for Gardeners with Expert talks, Workshops, Demos and Masterclasses as well as over 75 Garden, Food and Craft stalls and provides a wonderful day out for all the family with great entertainment and sumptuous food.

Clare Garden Festival is proudly supported by Fruithill Farm, Healthy Clare, Pobal, Clare County Council Local Community Development Committee, Ennis Municipal District, IOMST Insurance, Blossoms on the Go Garden Centre, Colourful Creations Garden Centre, ClareEcho, Deerpark Timber Products, Frequency Domes, Gee-Up Soil Enricher, MrBinman and Visit Caherhurley Nursery. For further details visit the festival website www. claregardenfestival.com and regular updates from www. facebook.com/claregardenfestival.

lCLARE GARDEN FESTIVAL: Launching the 11th Clare Garden Festival with the theme ‘Extending the Season’ were Healthy Clare Coordinator Sam McCarthy, Master Gardener Jo Newton, Mayor of Ennis Clare Colleran Molloy, Festival manager Carmen Cronin, Chair of Clare Agricultural Show society Joe Lillis and stallholder Niamh McGuiness of Frequency Domes

l Stallholders and supporters of Clare Garden Festival 2025 including festival manager Carmen Cronin, Healthy Clare Coordinator Sam McCarthy, Lieke Schoenemann of Lieke’s Natural Way, Ennis councillor Mary Howard, Siobhan Gallagher of Colourful Creations Garden Centre and Niamh McGuiness of Frequency Domes.

l Growing under cover and in polytunnels. Master Gardener Jim Cronin other Expert gardeners will be speaking about this topic at length on the 27th April. A Masterclass is now available to book on the festival website

Regional News

North Clare

Clare-based podcast ‘Weshtern Philosophy’ returns for season 3

by Lisa Mullaly lisa@clareecho.ie

MUSICIAN Bart Lever and Chinese medicine practitioner Anthony O’Connor are set to launch the third season of their podcast ‘Weshtern Philosophy’ next week.

Staying true to its tagline, ‘Two friends with oceans of notions discuss the unseen forces in our lives through the lens of music, mystery and craic’, Season 3 of the podcast will feature more interviews, banter and deep dives into the obscure and the magical.

The duo started their podcast during the rainy springtime of 2024, with the goal of creating a warm, welcoming space in which to discuss

Pilot shuttle bus for Burren & Cliﬀs of Moher ‘has to remain a positive news story for North

A PILOT bus service for the Burren and Cliffs of Moher is expected to commence at the beginning of May and “will only work if people use the bus”.

In a new pilot project between Clare County Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the free ‘Burren and Cliffs Explorer’ will be operating this summer from May 1 to August 31 with the potential to extend into September. Prior to this, public consultation and engagement sessions will be held in Miltown Malbay on Monday (April 7) and Tuesday (April 8). Those attending must register in advance at https:// www.cliffsofmoher.ie/cliffsof-moher-shuttle-bus. Both sessions take place from 5pm to 7pm at Miltown Malbay Community Centre on Monday and at the Burren Centre in Kilfenora on Tuesday.

Corofin, Carron, Kilfenora, Doolin, Liscannor and Lahinch will be served by the shuttle bus along with the hub locations of Lis-

doonvarna and Miltown Malbay, where free car parking will be provided. The scheduled service will also serve landmark attractions such as the Burren National Park and the Cliffs of Moher Experience.

Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) welcomed the “potentially transformative initiative” but asked Clare Tourism, Clare County Council and Fáilte Ireland for “a clear plan and partnership with host communities, towns and villages where the shuttle will visit and have bases. Each area’s selling point must be promoted to match “the top class visitor experience at other sides owned by Clare County Council. This host community base and approach is absolutely necessary to set this potentially transformative initiative up for success from the outset”.

Director of Service for Tourism Development, Siobhán McNulty said the partnership “will deliver a sustainable transport solution on a pilot basis in North Clare serving tourists and host communities”. She said the project “is following a

procurement process and will be delivered subject to contract”. The upcoming sessions “will inform the service and help shape the experience development on board the coaches. An onboard visitor experience plan will be developed to include in person welcome and supported by video. An extensive marketing plan is being actively worked on to promote the service, assets of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Experiences as well as the unique attributes of each of the towns and villages to ensure there is maximum economic benefit”.

Speaking at a meeting of the West Clare Municipal District, Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) said there was potential to tie in both the Michael Cusack Centre and Lemenagh Castle as potential stops along the route while linking in with Ballyvaughan. “There’s plenty parking in Kilfenora, space could be created by engineers in order to accommodate meeting of two bus routes,” he said. A safe pickup already exists at Lemenagh Castle but he stressed

Clare’

the importance of frequency, “if you’re coming from Japan waiting thirty minutes in the rain for a bus it won’t encourage you to come again”. McNulty outlined that “a lot” of consultation has occurred directly and on an individual basis, this has “predominantly” been led by Geraldine Enright and the Cliffs of Moher Experience team, she advised. “This has to work, we’re not looking for own goals, we have a number of irons in the fire, there’s a transport plan, bus routes and supporting other tourist attractions. It is not just about the Cliffs of Moher site, it is about the other attractions, we are amenable to extending a bus service from Lemenagh on R480 to pick up those attractions including Caherconnel, Poulnabrone and Ailwee Caves”. The Director said, “this is a pilot for 2025 and 2026, we absolutely want it to work and it will only work if people use the bus, they don’t it will be consolidated because ultimately it is taxpayers money going into this”.

ethereal topics in a grounded way through long-form conversation.

So far they’ve had writers, musicians, artists, psychics, craniosacral therapists, theatre directors, athletes, politicians, men’s work facilitators and womb workers on the pod digging into topics like ‘Dreams’, ‘Boundaries’, ‘Peace’ and ‘Failure’.

Since conversation and connection are so important to the podcast so far they record all guests in person, sitting together at Anthony’s kitchen table in North Clare.

“We’re very excited to be back. The response to the first two seasons was wonderful. It seems many people are really connecting with what we’re trying to do. For

Season 3, we are planning to live up to this by addressing more current and perhaps trickier topics, and by connecting people with guests who can give perspective and guidance on the issues we’re facing now”, says Anthony. “Alternatively we might also just end up having a lovely chat, which is its own kind of healing!”

The new season premiers on Monday April 7th and a new episode will come out every Monday thereafter. You can find the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, and can also follow them on Instagram and Facebook. Search for ‘Weshtern Philosophy’ (don’t forget the ‘h’!)

X-PO ﬁlm screening & Q&A with Deirdre O’Mahony on small-scale farming

by Lisa Mullaly lisa@clareecho.ie

X-PO Kilnaboy will host a screening of ‘The Quickening’, a thought-provoking film by artist Deirdre O’Mahony, on Thursday, April 10 at 7:30 pm.

The event will be followed by a Q&A session where O’Mahony will engage with attendees and record farmer’s responses to the key issues explored in the film, as part of her ongoing project, ‘The Message’.

‘The Message’ is a new initiative by O’Mahony that amplifies the voices of farmers across Europe, aiming to establish a direct line of communication with the EU Parliament. Inspired by the wave of farming protests across Europe in recent years, the project seeks to channel the frustrations of small-scale farmers into a new, collaborative work, which will be performed for EU lawmakers in 2026.

Building on the success of her 2024 film ‘The Quickening’, O’Mahony has gathered

insights from Irish farmers, scientists, and politicians through open conversations and feasts. The script for the film’s libretto was developed through these discussions, and the film itself has sparked further responses from farmers, forming the foundation of ‘The Message’. As part of this project, O’Mahony is now extending her research to Germany, Italy, and Poland, with plans to collaborate with a writer and composer to create a cycle of songs that will bring attention to the future of smallscale agriculture in Europe.

O’Mahony, who founded X-PO in 2007 before passing it on to the local community, has long been involved in fostering cultural and social connections in Kilnaboy. The event marks a special return to the venue, where the community continues to host a variety of cultural events.

The screening is free of charge, though donations to X-PO are welcome. Due to limited capacity, attendees are encouraged to arrive early to secure a seat.

l SEASON 3: Anthony O’Connor and Bart Lever podcast hosts

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

West Clare

Two Clare Women amongst Gradam Ceoil awardees

by Lisa Mullaly

TWO Clare musicians have been named recipients of Gradam Ceoil TG4 2025 awards.

Now in its 28th year, Gradam Ceoil TG4 continues to honour the absolute best in performance and cultural impact across seven categories. The recipients of Gradam Ceoil TG4 2025 have been officially unveiled at a special event held at Iveagh House Dublin, marking another milestone in the celebration of Ireland’s rich traditional music heritage.

Ennis fiddler Siobhán Peoples has been named ‘Musician of the Year 2025’ and Miltown Malbay’s Áine Hensey has been announced as recipient of the ‘Outstanding Contribution’ awardee.

The selection process is carried out by an independent panel of previous awardees and leading figures in the traditional music community. Gradam Ceoil TG4 not only acknowledges artistic excellence but also amplifies the success of the recipients by bringing their music, song, and dance to global audiences through TG4’s extensive broadcasting platforms.

This year, the awards’ global reach is further amplified by collaboration with Ireland at Expo 2025. Gradam Ceoil TG4 and its 2025 honourees will feature in Ireland’s programming at the upcoming World Expo in Osaka, Japan.

The Gradam Ceoil TG4 2025 concert and award ceremony will take place at the University Concert Hall, Limerick, on Sunday, 4 May. This highly anticipated event will be broadcast live on TG4 and worldwide via the TG4 Player, offering audiences the chance to experience an unforgettable night of music, celebration, and entertainment. The honourees will be joined by an array of special musical guests and presenters for this prestigious occasion.

Speaking on the announcement of the recipients, the Tánaiste said: “Ireland’s presence

at Expo 2025 Osaka provides us with an exciting opportunity to showcase the best of Ireland to an international audience, and this includes celebrating our vibrant musical heritage. I congratulate the recipients of Gradam Ceoil 2025 who encapsulate the richness and depth of Irish traditional music, and I look forward to seeing their talents taking centre stage as part of our cultural programme at Expo 2025”.

Speaking at the event, Proinsias Ní Ghráinne, Commissioning Editor of Gradam Ceoil TG4 stated that “we are proud to be able to honour such excellence through Gradam and celebrate with artists who are shaping the future of our music, song and dance.

“Don’t… Visit Miltown Malbay!” - West Clare town’s humorous tourism video showcases all it has to oﬀer for visitors

by Lisa Mullaly

lisa@clareecho.ie

MILTOWN Malbay Development Company has introduced a new “anti-promotional” video to show off the town’s beauty and unique charm.

The video features local actor Michael Healy as a grumpy resident who overlooks the town’s stunning views, lively music, and fun activities.

The video gives a fresh, funny look at what Miltown Malbay has to offer beyond the famous Willie Clancy Festival, hoping to encourage more visitors to come and explore.

“We wanted something that would truly resonate with people and leave a lasting impression,” said Eileen Ryan, Treasurer of Miltown Malbay Development Company. “Watching the creative process unfold was in-

spiring, and we couldn’t have chosen a better lead than Michael Healy. The team’s passion, creativity, and collaboration have produced something special. If I were seeing this video from abroad while planning my holidays, I’d certainly be tempted to visit Miltown Malbay.”

Beyond attracting tourists, the project has instilled a renewed sense of local pride. “Creating this video reminded us of just how special our town is,” Eileen continued. “The stunning walks, the world-class live music, the friendly atmosphere – we have the full package here in Miltown Malbay.”

The video is now available for viewing online and will be widely shared through social media channels and tourism networks. The team hopes it will inspire travelers to take a detour from the well-trodden paths and discover the hidden gem that is Miltown Malbay.

Over €110,000 for St Flannan’s Cathedral under this year’s Historic Structures Fund

by Lisa Mullaly lisa@clareecho.ie

MINISTER of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan, TD, announced that €114,600 will be awarded to help repair and protect St. Flannan’s Cathedral in Killaloe as part of this year’s Historic Structures Fund (HSF).

The awarded funding will go towards phase four of extensive conservation works on the 13th century cathedral and focus on the repair and re-slating of the North Transept.

In response to the announcement of the allocation of funds, a representative from St.Flannan’s Cathedral wrote in a facebook post; “We are delighted to have been awarded a grant from the Historic Structures Fund for work on our north transept roof. The grant of €114,600 is timely as we suffered significant damage in the recent storm. We are grateful to Minister of State Christopher O’Sullivan and to all those who worked so hard to put the bid together.

It is a great achievement in our 800th year.”

The HSF scheme aims to conserve, protect, and promote the use of historic buildings across our cities, towns, villages, and countryside. Approved projects will benefit from the preservation of their historic structures, ensuring their long-term sustainability and usability.

Speaking about the Clare project spokesperson from Clare County Council said:

“The Historic Structures Fund is very important for owners of larger properties which require significant conservation works to keep them in active use and the funding allocated to St. Flannan’s Cathedral, Killaloe is very much welcomed.”

“Works in 2025 focus on the repair and re-slating of the North Transept.”

Tulla Scouts triumph in ﬁrst-ever Scout MasterChef Finals in Clare

by Lisa Mullaly lisa@clareecho.ie

THE Scout MasterChef finals held at Tulla Scout Hall marked a historic moment for the county, as it was the first time the event had taken place in Clare. Six teams competed in a thrilling culinary contest, with Tulla

Scouts emerging victorious, claiming first place.

The competition, which featured a challenging Italy-themed menu, saw each team cook up a starter, main course, and dessert using only raw ingredients and gas camping stoves. Tulla Scouts took the top spot, followed closely by Sixmilebridge in second place and Killaloe in third. Participants were tasked with creating dishes inspired by Italian cuisine, showcasing their cooking skills in a fun yet competitive environment. The success of this year’s event has left everyone eagerly anticipating next year’s competition.

East Clare

lGRADAM CEOIL: Fiddle player Siobhán Peoples

lisa@clareecho.ie

lBON APPETITE: Tulla Scouts

lFUNDING: St. Flannans’s Cathedral

Shannon

Shannon Airport unveils two new services and an extra 190,000 seats for summer ‘25, up 11%

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

SHANNON AIRPORT’s first flight to Madiera took off on Sunday while the end of March has marked the beginning of its summer schedule for 2025 which includes two new services.

An eleven percent increase on Shannon’s services for its summer schedule are visible which represents 190,000 extra seats.

Across its summer schedule, Shannon Airport will operate thirty six services to eleven countries including a brand-new twice weekly service to the Portuguese island of Madeira which celebrated its inaugural flight on Sunday, and a new charter service to Palma with TUI, providing even more options for sun-seekers.

This expansion aims to enhance travel options for passengers seeking city escapes and holiday breaks across Europe, the UK, and the USA.

Overall, Shannon Airport will see an 11% increase in summer 2025 services compared to 2024, including 16 extra weekly departures with Ryanair to popular locations like Faro, Malaga, Alicante, Barcelona, Edinburgh, and Porto.

Mary Considine, CEO of the Shannon Airport Group said, “We are anticipating a bustling summer with 332 weekly flights on our 36 services, including new routes to Madeira with Ryanair and Palma with TUI. The increased frequency on thirteen services, add-

ing 190,000 extra seats, reflects Shannon Airport’s growing popularity as a vital gateway for European, UK, and transatlantic travel. We are committed to providing a seamless experience from the moment passengers arrive. With ease of parking, our hi-tech security screening, US Preclearance facility, age-friendly measures, and airport sensory room, travellers can look forward to a hassle free and enjoyable journey”.

She continued, “Our numerous awards and accolades for customer service highlight why Shannon is Ireland’s favourite airport. We proudly rank first in the travel category for customer experience excellence in the Ireland Customer Experience Insights (CXi) Report. Thanks to our loyal customers and the dedication and hard work of our staff, we also maintain our status as the country’s top airport brand according to the RED C Brand Reaction Index (BRII) Ireland”.

According to management of the airport, its new summer schedule is supported “by a comprehensive advertising campaign targeting audiences across Ireland through TV, radio, press, YouTube and social media advertising. Additionally, an enhanced Shannon Airport mobile app is now available to download on the Apple App Store and Google Play. The App offers real time flight status updates, an augmented reality feature to measure cabin bags, and a pin your car feature to help locate your car in the airport car park on your return,” a spokesperson outlined.

Sentencing of Pepper Group laptop thief postponed

by Gordon Deegan news@clareecho.ie

A JUDGE has postponed to July the sentencing of a gambling addict who stole an estimated €84,000 of laptops from his Shannon based employer as his daughter is sitting her Leaving Cert in June.

At Ennis Circuit Court, Andrew McMorran (43) has pleaded guilty to 21 sample counts of 117 counts in total of stealing Dell Latitude Laptops from his employer, the Pepper Group of Westpark Business Campus, Shannon on dates between July 1 2021 and March 31 2023.

Judge Francis Comerford said that Mr McMorran “is at significant risk in this case” in the sentencing for the offences.

The court has heard that Mr McMorran was hooked on sports betting on his smartphone at the time when he was able to steal the laptops due to ‘very lax’ stock supervision procedures in place.

Mr McMorran of Rosewood Rise, Bandon, Cork was stealing the laptops and putting them up for sale on DoneDeal in order to fund his gam-

bling addiction.

Counsel for the State, Sarah Jane Comerford BL (instructed by State Solicitor for Clare, Aisling Casey) told the court that Mr McMoran had a previous conviction for a similar offence where he received a suspended two year six month prison term and fined €15,000 in June 2023 for 29 counts of stealing Lenovo laptops from a Cork based multinational pharma firm between October 2020 and January 2021.

For imposing sentence, Judge Comerford queried if the Pepper Group thefts took place while Mr McMorran was on bail for the Cork offences.

Ms Comerford said that the indictment covered Mr McMorran’s date of employment June 2021 to March 2023.

She said that Mr McMorran may have been on bail for some of the offences but the State has no evidence to that effect and if there is any doubt, the benefit of any doubt has to accrue to the accused.

Judge Comerford adjorned the case to the next call over on May 30 to fix a date for sentence in July and

Judge Comerford agreed.

Mr McMorran worked in the IT department of Pepper Group formatting computers. Det Garda Colm Moriarty previously told the court that when the laptops would be returned, Mr McMorran would mark them as ‘damaged’ or ‘unusable’, remove them from the premises and then put them up for sale on DoneDeal.

Dt Garda Moriarty said that the estimated cost of laptops stolen by Mr McMorran is €84,000 though “it is unknown as we don’t know how many were new and how many were old”.

Det Moriarty agreed with counsel for Mr McMorran, Patrick Whyms BL (instructed by solicitor, Daragh Hassett) that Gardai at interview stated that he was able to steal the laptops because of ‘very lax’ stock supervision by his employer.

Ms Comerford said that Jason Palmer, Head of Financial Crime at Pepper, first made a complaint to Rathfarnham Gardai in March 2023 concerning the suspected theft.

This followed a stock take of laptops at Pepper’s Shannon operation.

Mr McMorran was suspected of being the thief and he was first suspended and then fired by his employer.

The Pepper Group was able to confirm 116 stolen laptops as their own.

Det Garda Moriarty said that an internal audit by Pepper showed that there were 234 laptops unaccounted for but said that there is no evidence to suggest that Mr McMorran was involved in any thefts beyond the 1176counts on the indictment before the court.

Det Garda Moriarty said that the IT system was so poor at Pepper they were unable to say where the other laptops went.

Garda Moriarty agreed that Mr McMorran had no trappings of wealth and payments from his accounts showed evidence of his gambling addiction at the time.

Mr Whyms said that Mr McMorran is in recovery from his gambling addiction and has deleted all gambling Apps off his phone.

Mr Whyms said that Mr McMorran is a native of Durban, South Africa and arrived in Ireland 24 years ago and lives in Cork.

Notes

NEWMARKET-ONFERGUS PLOUGHING CHAMPIONSHIS

NEWMARKET-on-Fergus will host its annual ploughing championship this Sunday, April 6.

Taking place at Quinn Farm Lemenaghbeg (V95RF66), there will be a variety of ploughing competition along with a vintage machinery and ploughing display, as well as modern tractor ploughing in what promises to be a fun family day.

An organiser told The Clare Echo, “We are looking forward to running our annual ploughing championship this year. We are holding it in stubble which we haven’t had access to in County Clare for about 20 years caused by the lack of tillage. Most competition ploughing is held in stubble and with the weather promising to be warm and dry, conditions couldn’t be better.”

l MADEIRA: Pictured at the Madeira boarding gate at Shannon Airport are Caragh, Oisin (2) and Daithi Ó Ceallaigh

Photo by: Arthur Ellis

Six month pilot launched to provide greater access to arts & culture

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

A SIX month pilot programme is to be launched in Galway City to provide greater access to arts and culture.

‘Thursday Lates’ is the new six month pilot programme announced by Galway City Council Night-Time Economy and Galway Arts Centre. From today (April 3rd), the Galway Arts Centre will remain open every Thursday evening from 10 am to 9 pm, for a six-month period.

This initiative directly aligns with feedback from consultations for the Galway City Night-Time Economy Action Plan 2024–2025, which highlighted the extension of cultural venue opening hours as a key priority for the community. It also aligns with the Night-Time Economy Taskforce recommendations and the Programme for Government’s objective to promote later opening hours at cultural venues, offering flexible access for visitors and supporting the expansion of related services.

In addition to the existing exhibitions, a series of events will be added during ‘Thursday Lates’ to enhance the evening experience further. A detailed schedule of these events will be available on the Galway Arts Centre website.

Throughout the pilot, Galway Arts Centre will gather public feedback to understand visitor motivations and identify any operational challenges or opportunities. This information will improve public access, reach

a wider audience, and develop sustainable models for future extended hours.

“We are thrilled to launch ‘Thursday Lates’ in partnership with Galway City Council to offer our community the opportunity to en-

gage with the centre outside of traditional daytime hours,” said Megs Morley, Director of Galway Arts Centre. “We encourage everyone to take advantage of this pilot program and experience the vibrant arts scene in a

Trad group Kíla returns for year two of fundraiser to rewild Irish woodlands

by Paddy O’Reilly

TRAD group Kíla returns for year two of the fundraiser for Abhainn Dá Loilíoch Woodlands who aim to rewild and restore our native Irish woodlands.

They will be performing in McCarthys bar and lounge for the second year in row, doors will open at 8.30 with the first act starting at 9pm.

Uisce Jones will be the opening support act on the night, Uisce is an Indie Artist from south Galway who records his soulful music in a small remote cabin in the Oak forests of South Galway.

The main event, of course being Kíla, renowned Irish trad group formed in Dublin in the late 80s during their schoolboy days.

Their mix of traditional Irish music and captivating rhythms from all over the world helped them to win over the hearts of many over the past five decades. Kíla are well known for being advocates for nature and the environment, which only makes it

more fitting that that they perform at this celebration of the environment.

The closing support act will be Will Softly, a well-known DJ with a career spanning over 4 decades he will be sure to end the night in style, wrapping up his final set at 2am.

ADL Woodlands aim is to work towards collaboration with the community and to recover, restore and increase the native forests between the Abhainn Dá Loilíoch river and the three native oak forests ten kilometres southeast of Gort Town. They currently have 45 volunteers working with them and have raised close to three thousand euros.

Tickets for the event are now available on eventbrite for €27.79 after booking fees. All tickets sold will go towards ADL Woodlands. The night is sure to be an exciting appreciation of nature filled with three great performances who each have a great respect for the preservation of nature and the rewilding of our native Irish forests.

Clare man wins Gort GAA lottery

by Paddy O’Reilly news@clareecho.ie

A NORTH Clare man has ended an almost 1.5 year drought in south Galway, landing the lucky numbers to win the Gort GAA lotto that has gone unclaimed for 88 weeks.

Eoghan Reidy, who is from Liscannor, has won a whopping €20,000 as his winning numbers were announced on Monday evening via the club social media channels.

Reﬂecting on his win, Eoghan told The Clare Echo, “It was a bit of a shock” and that he “didn’t really believe it until he saw the video of the draw online”.

Eoghan – who is not a club member –has only been entering the club lottery for “about a month or two now” and that winning was “just pure pot luck to be honest”.

Eoghan explained that he would probably do the sensible thing and put the sum towards a down payment on a mortgage.

Eoghan’s win comes 88 weeks after the last winner in July 2023. His sum came out to €20,000, and the pub where the ticket was bought, Dicey Reilly’s will get a €600 sellers’ prize.

They will be presenting Eoghan and Dicey’s pub with their cheques this weekend.

new light. Your participation is vital to the success of this initiative and will help shape the future of cultural access in Galway Arts Centre,” she added.

Galway City Council Night-Time Economy Advisor, Kate Howard stated, “‘Thursday Lates’ aligns with the goals of the Night-Time Economy Action Plan, and we believe it will enhance the cultural offerings available to our residents and visitors after traditional working hours”.

The Night-Time Economy Taskforce recommended the creation of Night-Time Economy Advisors and Committees in key cities and towns across Ireland, including Dublin, Cork, Galway, Kilkenny, Drogheda, Longford, Sligo, Limerick, and Buncrana. These roles are intended to harness the social, economic, and cultural potential of Ireland’s night-time economy.

This taskforce was established under the Programme for Government and published its report in September 2021, offering 36 actionable recommendations to improve regulation, transport, planning, safety, and the diversification of nightlife. One of these actions, Action 19, led to the appointment of Night-Time Economy Advisors in key locations across Ireland.

The Galway City Council Night-TIme Economy Action Plan 2024 – 2025 is supported by three core goals, infrastructure, experiences and communications. The core goals are underpinned by three key principles, safety, sustainability and inclusion.

Brazilian Day Festival returns to Gort

by Paddy O’Reilly news@clareecho.ie

BRAZILIAN Day Festival, the west of Ireland’s biggest Brazilian festival returns to Gort again after the major success of last year’s event.

Due to the major success of last year’s Brazilian Day Festival, it will make a return on Saturday, July 5, with last year’s Brazilian samba dancers making a return.

The event is organised by Isaias Silva, the honorary consul in the Brazilian embassy.

Announcing the event, Mr Silva said, “this event is usually fantastic” and that “whoever is (going) will not regret it”.

This is the second year that the highly anticipated event has been organised by Isaias Silva, along with others in the local community.

This event is set to be a great celebration of the Brazilian culture which thrives so heavily in the town of Gort.

Last year the event took

place on Saturday, June 8th and there were opportunities to listen to leadership and mentoring speakers, tents to enjoy traditional Brazilian food & beverages, performances from Samba dancers and remote offices with representatives from the Brazilian embassy, Galway city partnership help desk, and a Gort Family Resource Centre desk.

l6 MONTH PILOT: Galway Arts Centre

Parking causes division amongst councillors

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

LACK OF PARKING in Ennis town centre caused further division and debate between elected members in the county town.

Parking spaces have not been lost but “repurposed” according to an Acting Director in Clare County Council while the Mayor of Ennis said regularly discussing a parking shortage is harmful to the town while a Sinn Féin councillor has said the conduct of Ennis 2040 supporters in the local authority shows “ye are losing the argument” with a member of the board for the DAC expressing the view that Ennis had insufficient parking as “bunkum”.

An update on car parking spaces lost due to public realm works, Active Travel, safe school routes, construction of the new library in Ennis on Causeway Link and Ennis Community College were sought by Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF).

In a reply to a motion on the subject in November 2023, the Ennis Municipal District stated that 159 on and off-street car parking spaces were lost over a fifteen year period in the county town.

Acting Director of Services, Seán Lenihan began his response by flagging that the amount of parking spaces in Ennis “is somewhat fluid and can go up and go down. Overall, in Ennis, we have almost 3000 spaces throughout the town which favours very well in comparison to towns of similar size throughout the country. For example, we have one parking space for every 13 people living within the town, while Waterford City has one parking space for every 29 people and Navan has one parking space for every 24 people”.

Noting that the reply didn’t answer his question as to how many more than the 159 spaces had been lost, Cllr O’Callaghan repeated, “how many more have we lost since then”. He said he supported public realm works, “for each space we lose it impacts on economic activity, each space lost is €8 per hour”. Spaces have been lost on O’Connell Street, at glór and Bank Place, “I fully support the work that is ongoing, to lose those spaces it affects the economic viability of our existing businesses”.

lLACK OF PARKING: Car parking Ennis

Of the almost 3000 spaces in Ennis, Cllr O’Callaghan said he didn’t dispute the figure but flagged 1400 of which were in private ownership. He referenced a 2008 report on parking in Ennis which was often cited by former councillor, Johnny Flynn which detailed there was short of 1000 spaces in the town. “I don’t think we’ve created more than 1000 spaces, I welcome the Cloister development, we have to look at where we can build more car spaces and multi-storey is something I believe in,” he said.

Seconding the proposal, Cllr Pat Daly (FF) remarked, “parking in Ennis is at a premium, until we can provide parking for business owners and staff there will always be a shortage of car parking spaces, it will probably mean building a multi-storey car park”.

“You’re referencing a planning report which is twenty years old,” said Cllr Mary Howard (FG). She said an upcoming behind-closeddoors briefing with traffic wardens would detail between sixty to eighty percent car parking spaces in Ennis are “taken up by staff”.

She continued, “Using a report from 2008 is very disingenuous to what is in Ennis today, we need to stop referencing the report from 2008, it is no relevance to the town and how we live our life, you’ve a couple of hundred parking spots that have come in since 2008, Ennis is a completely different place, internet shopping has taken over since COVID”.

Lenihan voiced agreement with the comments of Cllr Howard, “looking back on historical reports written in a point of time and context isn’t how we do our business, we’re data driven, we’ve a number of more recent surveys which give us the facts and figures to show us the reality on the ground, I don’t like looking back, I’m looking at the here and now”. Provision of a multi-storey car park was initially envisaged in the Ennis 2040 strategy, he noted, the same strategy also initially planned to remove two riverside car parks in the town.

Cheaper parking on the edge of town could be explored to entice people away from the centre, he suggested.

Mayor of the Ennis MD, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) sided with both Cllr Howard and Lenihan. “It is harmful these ongoing debates about the lack of parking, I’ve shared my own personal experience and that is that I never have a problem parking in Ennis, we know private car parks are lying idle for a very high percentage of time, I consider this debate harmful to Ennis, if you go on in public sessions where media are listening, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy in Ennis, if people think there isn’t parking then there will be because people will stop coming”. Adding to the Fianna Fáil division on the topic, Cllr Daly said he “totally disagreed” with the Mayor. “Go down to Market, Abbey St and Parnell St you won’t get a parking spot, I agree with Cllr Murphy, a multi-sto-

Autumn ‘the earliest’ date for restoring of normal traﬀic ﬂow on High Street

by Páraic McMahon

paraic@clareecho.ie

NORMAL traffic flow can only be restored to High Street in Ennis in autumn 2025 at the earliest, officials in Clare County Council have said.

Ennis’ ongoing public realm works which started in January 2024 has led to “bottleneck trafﬁc”, Cllr Pat Daly (FF) stated.

He sought clariﬁcation from the Ennis Municipal District on when High Street/Upper Parnell Street “will reopen to motorists, so that trafﬁc from

Abbey Street Car Park and Bank Place will be in a position to drive into Parnell Street car park, thus alleviating a lot of the bottleneck trafﬁc that Ennis town centre is experiencing presently”.

Executive engineer, Shane O’Grady outlined that Shareridge Ltd, the appointer contractor for the €11.5m public realm works “is currently progressing four separate work areas, in accordance with the agreed phasing plan. At present, signiﬁcant major works are underway at O’Connell Square,

and the priority is to have this area completed at the earliest opportunity to restore traffic flow through the town centre. The works will move to Bank Place, once O’Connell Square has been significantly completed”.

He continued, “This sequential approach has been adopted to minimise the impact on the town centre during the construction works, and to optimise traffic flow through Abbey Street and O’Connell Square at all times. As High Street / Old Friary lane through traffic depends on connectivity through Bank Place, it will only be possible to restore normal traffic flow to High Street in the Autumn of 2025, upon completion of works at Bank Place. It continues to be necessary to close streets to allow these works to be completed safely, and the project team and contractor, together with Ennis MD are working hard to coordinate activities to keep traffic impacts to a minimum and ensure that Ennis is kept open for business throughout the remaining months of this

rey might be the option, business people have no option but to park in the car park but the customer needs to be the bread and butter”.

An “excellent rate” was previously negotiated by Ennis Chamber of Commerce for a dedicated parking space “but it was not taken up by the staff,” Cllr Howard replied. “a parking permit for a business works out at €1 per day which they can offset at their accounts, it was tried in the past”. She like Lenihan and Colleran Molloy has not had any issues sourcing a parking spot.

“Ye have gone off track, Tom never said there was no parking, it is ye did that,” Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) flagged. “Seán said if the market want it then they will build it but with Ennis 2040 the plan was to build it and then the market will look for it, it you can’t go throwing back the opposite argument months later,” he said. “He questioned and asked for data on what is available, there seems to be a built-up pushback where other arguments come out in the surface,” Cllr Guilfoyle observed. “To push back with arguments made against ye on Ennis 2040 shows ye are losing the argument”.

Cllr O’Callaghan said “I’ve never been so shocked in my life” with the stance taken by his colleagues. “We spend money on reports and we ignore them. I simply ask to conduct which would be logical request is to conduct a parking audit and present the numbers. There is nothing wrong with sitting around and having an open discussion”. Money was “well spent” on the 2008 report, he believed. “Where are the audited reports up to date and can we look at them logically.”

The beneﬁts of celery juice to your health

HAVE you heard of the celery juice? And does it really work? Well, what does it do?

At the Clare Wellness Clinic, people often present for conditions that are hard to describe, or they feel like they have a strange symptom.

I believe that every symptom is a real and has a cause. Anthony Williams, who is from America, has been speaking for years about the benefits of celery juice as part of a protocol for restorative health. He talks about the fact that he believes that all symptoms come from a viral overload in the body. He also says that removing certain food is necessary and supporting the body with supplement specific to each condition is necessary for the body to heal.

Over the years I have used the protocol of juicing celery myself. It's just been transformative in my own life. I recommend gently introducing celery juice into some

of my clients lives where I feel it's necessary or appropriate. Over the course of the four-week programme, the introduction of the celery juice starts slowly. However, it is an acquired taste and some people may find it easy and some may find it challenging.

Beneﬁts of celery juice:

Digestive health: Celery juice is high in minerals such as salt, which helps promote a balanced pH in the gut flora.

Detoxification: Many believe that celery is wonderful to support and detox many of the organs of the body and in particular the liver.

Skin Health: Celery high in vitamin C and water content which may give a glow to the skin.

Anti-inflammatory: Antioxidants, phytonutrients and mineral salts help in the reduction of inflammation in the body

After revealing exactly how celery juice does its anti-inflammatory, al-

Thought for the week - A life of prayer

Spreading the word of positivity

A WHILE back a reader of my column asked me to give them help for a talk about “the importance of prayer” that they were asked to give for a retreat.

They said they couldn’t think of a better example of the importance of prayer than someone who writes about it and prays for people all the time and asked me if I had a moment, could I write down a few pointers about prayer for him.

So this week’s thought for the week is part of the reply I gave him.

First off I would never claim to be an example of prayer, but these are a few things I’ve learned so far on my prayer journey of life. My immediate thought after deliberating this request was how inseparable faith and prayer are and that we need to be always blessed by the virtue of humility.

In my world I try to live my life as “a life of faith” but in action it’s “a life of prayer”, a call if accepted is no different from any person’s call to be a servant of Jesus in this life. For me no one can really do “good works” without a serious prayer life enhancing and nurturing them.

Prayer makes us humble. We realize how awesome and mighty and powerful God is and in comparison how small and weak we are. We realize we cannot do anything of our own and we stand in need of God’s grace, compassion, forgiveness and mercy. Prayer is simply asking for it and thanking God when we get it.

In that action the relationship of love is formed. We begin to see the awesome, tremendous love God has for us and as His sons and daughters how deeply in need of Him we are.

Obviously, you can’t have a relationship without communication. But without that close deep intimate contact with Him, you cannot aspire to become like Jesus because you won’t know Him and you won’t know what’s in His heart. You have to spend time, lots of time, to get to know and to love someone and it also takes a lot of patience.

Thought for the week

As your thought for the week, hold in tenderness and prayer the collective suffering of our world at this time. We grieve for those precious lives lost and vulnerable lives threatened because of so many wars and conﬂicts and many types of illness. Let us be enlightened with prayers always for our loved ones,

friends, neighbours and ourselves, facing an uncertain future at times.

I will leave you with the following prayer that I adapted a bit by Chris Antenucci that I like to pray daily;

“Jesus, help me to always be a reflection of your glory in all possible ways and at all possible times, so that when others look at me, they don’t see me at all, but only see You. When I’m angry, help me to reflect Your kindness. When I’m sad, help me to reflect Your joy. When I’m scared, help me to reflect confidence in You. When I’m depressed, help me to reflect happiness. When I’m tired, help me to reflect Your energy. When I’m weak, help me to reflect Your infinite power. When I’m feeling hopeless, help me to reflect hope in You. When I’m feeling worthless, help me to reflect the infinite worth You’ve bestowed upon me by becoming one of us and raising us to your divinity. When I’m feeling stressed, help me to reflect Your peace. When I’m feeling vengeful, help me to reflect your mercy, compassion and forgiveness. When I’m feeling sinful, help me to remember that You took on the burden of my sins, and forget about them once I repent of them. Help me always to help others in most need no matter who they are. Amen. “

kalizing, life changing work to provide these benefits and many more, the celery juice journey is definitely worth some consideration. Celery juice is everywhere for a reason, as it's possibly to restore people's health one symptom at a time. It's extremely popular in America from celebrities posting from all walks of life, sharing pictures and testimonials on their recovery stories. Celery juice is revealing itself to ignite healing when all odds seem against it. What began decades ago as a quiet movement has become a global healing revolution. Having juiced myself for many years and seeing the benefits the programme I suggest for each individual, I would have no hesitation in saying that celery juice will put “years in your life and life in your years”. It's important that when starting to juice that the correct amount is taken and put up over a few weeks with correct recommendations over the programme provided at the clinic.

Éistigí le Gaeilge dhúchasach ar RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta

Macalla an Chláir

LE MACDARA Ó CONAOLA

DIA DHAOIBH a chairde. In Oileáin Árann is cuid lárnach den saol againn Raidió na Gaeltachta. Díreach cosúil le Clare FM anseo i gCo. An Chláir, is é RnaG an stáisiún áitiúil atá ag na ceantair Gaeltachta. Bíonn cláracha scaipithe ar fud an lae a fhreastalaíonn ar Ghaeltachtaí Uladh (Dún na nGall), Chonnacht (Maigh Eo, Gaillimh, agus Rath Chairn i gCo. na Mí), agus na Mumhan (Ciarraí, Corcaigh, Port Láirge), agus bíonn roinnt chláracha

dhóibh siúd taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht freisin. Éistíonn muid leis na cláracha óna réigiúin eile freisin, mar go mbíonndar rud beag ‘exotic’ húinn! Tá an t-ádh oraibh a mhuintir an Chláir go bhfuil an Ghaeltacht bheo, Oileáin Árann, ar leic an dorais agaibh, gan m’oileán dúchais fhéin ach turas báid seacht nóiméad déag as Dúlainn. Agus cé go bhfuil blaise beag bídeach de chanúint na Mumhan againne in Inis Oírr is í canúint Chonnacht

AN BHFUIL SCÉAL LE ROINNT AGAIBH ?!

atá againn. Ach ná stopadh sé sin sibh ó a bheith ag éisteacht le cláracha Connachtacha ar RnaG! Ach más í canúint na Mumhan is gaire go bhur gcroíthe bainfidh sibh fíor-shásamh as, ‘An Saol ó Dheas’, ‘Cartlann Bhóthar na Léinsí’, ‘Togha agus Rogha an tSathairn’, agus ‘Cuireadh Chun Ceoil’, chomh maith le cláracha speisialta eile. Is féidir éisteacht beo nó éisteacht siar leis na cláracha seo uilig ar www.rte.ie/ radio/rnag .

Bígí i dteagmháil linn agus leanaigí ar Facebook agus Twitter muid ag: @macallaanchlair R-phost: macallaanchlair@gmail.com

Imeachtaí/Events:

lSIONNA – Gaeilge le Chéile, Ionad Siopadóireacht Skycourt, 11am, chuile Dé Domhnaigh

l CILL ROIS – Preab-Ghaeltacht chuile oíche Dé Ceadaoin ag 8pm i mBuggles Bar l LUIMNEACH – AIFREANN GAEILGE, chuile Dé Domhnaigh, 10.30am, Mainistir an tSlánaitheora, Sráid San Doiminic, Luimneach

l Clare FM - Cúl-chaint le Domhnall Ó Loingsigh chuile Dé Sathairn, ag 9am ar Clare FM l CILL INÍNE BAOITHE - Ciorcal Comhrá san XPO, chuile Dé Céadaoin ag 7.30pm

l INIS – CAINT AGUS COMHRÁ, chuile Dé Luain ag 11am sa gCopper Jug, Dé Máirt ag Zest 11am, Dé Céadaoin ag 11am in O’Brien’s, oíche Déardaoin sa Temple Gate (8pm), Dé hAoine The Market Bar 11am, agus Dé Sathairn i nGlór, 11am-12pm. Déan teagmháil leo ag: caintaguscomhra@outlook.com

l LUIMNEACH – Ciorcail Comhrá. Chuile Dé Céadaoin ag 10.30am, Bialann Eden, Ollscoil Luimnigh.Tuilleadh eolais ar fáil ó Noel ag 086 792 8389.

lAN SCAIRBH – Lón i nGaeilge, 1-2pm, CHUILE DÉ MAIRT i gcaifé An Gáirdín, fáilte roimh chuile dhuine.

Collection of over 2,500 tonnes of litter the target for spring clean in Galway

APRIL’s National Spring Clean can be the most successful to date in Galway according to targets from the local authority.

Galway County Council and An Taisce are bidding to make this month’s National Spring Clean campaign the most successful to date by getting every parish in Co Galway involved in the annual initiative.

More than 200 local groups joined volunteers from across Ireland last year to remove 2,500 tonnes of litter from roadsides, parks and coastlines. Thirty percent of this collected waste was recycled.

Householders, schools, businesses and communities across Galway are once again

being encouraged to register and take part in the 26th annual campaign.

Cllr Martina Kinane (FF), Cathaoirleach of the County of Galway said, “I very much appreciate the year-round efforts of local volunteers and groups to enhance the appearance of their local communities and for making a huge effort during National Spring Clean. We are fortunate to live in a beautiful county, so it is important that we respect it by ensuring it is litter-free for residents and visitors alike”.

Liam Conneally, Chief Executive of Galway County Council commented, “We are urging people who have never been involved in Spring Clean before to register their interest in taking part this year. Participation can range from one or two neighbours getting to-

gether to pick up litter in their local area to a larger team of community volunteers playing their part in keeping County Galway litter-free. Cleanup kits are available to support registered groups in County Galway”.

Kieran Coyne, Acting Director of Services for Rural & Community Development, Integration and Environment said, “National Spring Clean plays a key role in the county’s ongoing Anti-Litter Programme and Litter Management Plan, encouraging everyone to take part in the effort to keep Galway litter-free”.

He added, “Last year, 30% of all waste collected during the National Spring Clean was recycled, as the campaign continues to highlight the importance of a circular economy

and waste reduction. While the campaign supports local cleanup initiatives, it also raises awareness about the impact of litter and the benefits of maintaining cleaner, healthier communities”.

National Spring Clean is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce in partnership with Local Authorities and supported by the Department of Climate, Environment and Energy and Mars Wrigley. Registrations are being accepted on www. nationalspringclean.org and further information is available from the Environment Section of Galway County Council on 091509510 / environment@galwaycoco.ie.

Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

l SPRING CLEAN: Martina Kinnane, Cathaoirleach of the County of Galway, launches the National Spring Clean programme in County Galway alongside Mark Molloy, Assistant Environmental Awareness Ofﬁcer, Galway County Council; Liam Conneally, Chief Executive, Galway County Council; and Christopher Harrington, Senior Community Warden, Galway County Council

Photo by: Ray Ryan

Quin Village Tidy Towns joins ‘Return to Nature Church Project’ to boost biodiversity at St. Mary’s Church

by Lisa Mullaly lisa@clareecho.ie

QUIN Village Tidy Towns has joined the ‘Return to Nature Church Project’ aiming to bring nature and biodiversity back to the beautiful grounds of St.Mary’s Church in Quin.

The ‘Return to Nature Church Project’ is a natonal enviornmental initiative to return 30% of church grounds in Ireland to nature by 2030.

This project is a response to the global biodiversity crisis. The call of Laudato Si’ and the agreements made at the recent UN Conference on Biodiversity (COP15). All are called to arrest the decline of biodiversity for the sake of the next generation.

Quin Village Tidy Town volunteers Fr. Tom Ryan & Fr. Rock, recently met with ecologist Karina

Dingergus to explore ways to implement positive changes into the grounds of St. Mary’s Church.

The community organisation is working on a Biodiversity Action Plan with a number of project options to help achieve their goal.

Some possible projects put forward by the action plan are:

• Nest boxes for birds like swifts, barn owls, robins, and spotted flycatchers

• Bat roost boxes and bird boxes placed in mature trees

• Planting native apple trees that support pollinators

• Leaving a patch of grass unmown to let wildflowers bloom and feed bees and butterflies

• Putting up biodiversity-friendly signage to help share the project with visitors

A representative from Quin Village Tidy Towns said; “The aim is

to create a pollinator space where wildlife can thrive, right in the heart of our village—supporting pollinators, birds, bats, and wildflowers for years to come.”

lRETURN TO NATURE: St.Mary’s Church Quin [inset image: volunteer meeting with ecologist Karina Dingergus]

Ennis-based ‘My First Steps’ becomes first Irish retailer to offer SizeWise AI technology for perfect fit shoe shopping

by Lisa Mullaly lisa@clareecho.ie

ENNIS based independent shoe retailer, My First Steps, has become the first Irish eCommerce site to offer SizeWise - a cutting-edge piece of AI that aims to revolutionise how we buy shoes online, with digital measurement.

Founded in 2023, by Quin woman, Alison McGrath, My First Steps are childre=n’s shoe specialists with two ‘super store’ branches (Ennis & Galway) and a digital flagship store (www.myfirststeps.ie).

Alison was inspired to create My First Steps after the birth of her two children, and having spotted a gap in the market for shoe brands she would want to buy for her own children, that not only look great, but are good for their feet and always the perfect fit.

Alison explained; “studies have shown that up to 83% of children are wearing shoes that do not fit their feet. By ensuring a well fitting shoe for your child, you are protect-

ing them from the risk of a lifetime of foot problems - from blisters, pressure sores and ingrowing toe nails in the short-term, to feet deformities like hammer toe and knee and posture problems in the longterm.”

“We pride ourselves on our expert fitting service in store, and we are delighted to be able to extend this level of accuracy to our eCommerce store with the help of SizeWise.”

SizeWise (https://www.sizewise. ai) is an award-winning precision scanning technology that brings convenience, accuracy, and trust to online shoe shopping. Consumers can scan for size with ease from their mobile device. By providing highly precise size recommendations, SizeWise helps families find the perfect fit, reducing the hassle of returns and ensuring com-

Seven Clare Graduates Set to Join AirNav Ireland’s Skilled Workforce

by Lisa Mullaly

lisa@clareecho.ie

SEVEN cadets from County Clare have graduated from AirNav Ireland and are poised to join the organisation’s team of skilled professionals. The new graduates will contribute to managing Irish airspace and enhancing aviation safety.

Among those graduating were Shane Kavanagh from Miltown Malbay, Cathal McDermott from Sixmilebridge, and Jose Luis Fernandez, who is originally from Spain but now resides in Shannon. The trio are now qualified as Air Traffic Control Officers. Additionally, Diarmaid O’Loughlin from Shannon, Eoin McClay from Clare, Gaurab Rijal, originally from Nepal and now living in Shannon, and Adnan Malik,

originally from Pakistan and now based in Shannon, all graduated as Air Traffic Safety Electronics Engineers.

The graduation event, held in Limerick, saw a total of 23 cadets graduate, with nine completing their training as Air Traffic Control Officers and 14 qualifying as Air Traffic Safety Electronics Engineers. The graduates represent a wide range of locations, including Clare, Cork, Dublin, Mayo, Monaghan, Offaly, Wicklow, as well as Pakistan and Nepal.

These graduates have completed internationally recognised training programmes, equipping them to uphold the highest standards of aviation safety. They will now be part of AirNav Ireland’s expert team, responsible for managing nearly 500,000

End of an era in Ei as Mick

Guinee

steps down as

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

MICK GUINEE’s tenure as CEO of Ei Electronics concluded this week.

Management and staff of the 1,100 strong Shannon workforce hosted a reception on Friday to pay tribute to Mick for his leadership over the past four decades.

Amid applause and cheers from staff lining the corridors of the facility where General Electric established the original Ei Company in 1963, Mick made his way to a reception attended by management and staff.

In his address Mick paid

tribute to the generations who have played a role in the success of Ei down through the decades. He particularly noted the support of fellow founders Jim Duignan and Dr. Mike Byrne, who along with him secured the management buyout of the EI Company from General Electric in 1988, giving birth to Ei Electronics.

Mick was presented with a bronze replica of the letter he wrote to the Ei Company Staff in 1988 formally advising them of the management buy out from GE and his conﬁdence that ’together the team could build a suc-

CEO

cessful indigenous Irishowned company, trading on international markets’.

Despite trading during a very challenging period of recession and emigration, Mick’s vision was indeed prophetic. Ei is a global leader in its ﬁeld, last year it had a turnover of €425m and is one of the largest employers in the Mid-West region.

On Tuesday, Mick formally handed over the reins to Leo Clancy, the former CEO of Enterprise Ireland and Head of Technology with the IDA.

square kilometres of Irish airspace and ensuring the safety of flights arriving at and departing from major airports like Dublin, Cork, and Shannon.

Dr. Peter Kearney, CEO of AirNav Ireland, emphasised the company’s continued investment in its workforce, stating, “Today’s graduation is an important milestone in our strategic plan to invest in the best talent to maintain Irish aviation safety at the highest level. Over the next decade, we aim to train 240 suitable candidates, further reinforcing our leadership in air traffic management and aviation safety.”

fort and healthy foot development. With SizeWise, shopping for the right size is easier, smarter, and more reliable than ever.

Announcing the news of this partnership, CEO of SizeWise, Alan Power, said “we’re delighted to partner with My First Steps, a leading footwear retailer in Ireland. It is a natural fit for us. They truly care about helping parents find the right shoes for their little ones, and that’s exactly what we do at SizeWise. Together, we’re making it easier for families to get the perfect fit the first time; saving time, reducing waste, and ensuring kids are comfortable and supported as they grow.”

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR DEVELOPERS AND BUILDING CONTRACTORS FOR THE PROVISION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN COUNTY CLARE –EXTENSION OF DEADLINE

Clare County Council is extending the deadline for expressions of interest for the provision of turnkey housing developments by Housing Developers and Building Contractors for delivery of affordable housing across County Clare.

Further details of this scheme and a guide to making a submission are available on the Clare County Council’s website under www.clarecoco.ie or by emailing affordablehousing@clarecoco.ie

The latest date and time for receipt of submissions is 4.00pm on Monday 30th June 2025.

Please note that Clare County Council is not obliged to enter into any agreement with a developer as part of this process.

Dated 03rd April 2025.

Signed: Adrian Headd, Senior Engineer, Housing Department.

l A PERFECT FIT: Alison McGrath demonstarting new sizewise technology

Maintaining the learning curve: the key to lifelong professional growth

IN TODAY’S fast evolving professional landscape, the ability to learn and adapt is not just a competitive advantage, it is a necessity. Professionals who fail to keep up with changing technologies, market dynamics, and industry trends risk falling behind. The learning curve, which represents how quickly an individual acquires and masters new skills, must be consistently maintained to remain relevant in the workforce.

As time progresses, new technologies, tools, and business models emerge, making previous knowledge obsolete. This means that professionals who once mastered a skill or domain cannot rely solely on past expertise. Instead, they must embrace lifelong learning to stay ahead.

This article explores the importance of maintaining a strong learning curve, the impact of technological advancements on professional development, and practical habits to ensure continuous learning. Understanding the Learning Curve

The learning curve refers to the rate at which an individual acquires and masters new knowledge or skills. In early career stages, professionals often have a steep learning curve due to high exposure to new challenges.

However, as careers progress, responsibilities become more routine, reducing the necessity for new learning. This stagnation can lead to skill obsolescence, reduced adaptability, and limited career growth.

A declining learning curve is particularly dangerous in industries driven by technological advancements. Without continuous learning, professionals risk being replaced by more adaptable workforce or, in some cases, automation and AI-driven solutions.

The Impact of Technological and Market Changes on Learning

The pace of change in technology and industry standards has never been faster. Here is how these shifts impact the learning curve:

1. Automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI and automation are reshaping industries, making many traditional roles redundant while creating demand for new skill sets. Professionals who fail to upskill risk being replaced by technology.

2. Digital Transformation Across Industries

From finance to healthcare, industries are undergoing digital transformations that require professionals to adapt to new tools, platforms, and workflows. Those who resist digital adoption struggle to remain efficient.

3. Shift Toward Remote and Hybrid Work Models

The rise of remote work has changed how teams collaborate, requiring proficiency in virtual communication tools, project management software, and digital leadership skills.

4. The Gig Economy and Freelance Opportunities

More professionals are moving toward independent work, requiring them to diversify their skill sets, learn digital marketing, and adapt to new ways of networking and business development.

5. Increased Globalisation and Cross-Cultural Collaboration

As businesses expand globally, professionals must navigate cultural differences, multiple time zones, and international regulations, demanding continuous learning in areas like communication and negotiation.

Why Professionals Must Prioritise Lifelong Learning

Given the rapid pace of change, professionals must commit to lifelong learning for the following reasons:

lStaying Relevant in the Industry: As industries evolve, professionals must update their skills to remain competitive. Learning new tools, methodologies, and market trends ensures continued relevance.

lEnhancing Problem-Solving Skills: The ability to think critically and solve complex challenges is essential for leadership roles. Continuous learning fosters adaptability and innovation.

lIncreasing Career Longevity:

Professionals who invest in continuous learning are more likely to extend their career lifespan, either by staying in their current role or transitioning into new, dynamic opportunities.

lMaintaining Mental Agility: Regular cognitive engagement helps prevent mental stagnation and may even delay age-related cognitive decline.

Habits to Keep the Learning Curve Up

To stay ahead in a changing world, professionals should adopt these habits:

1. Develop a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset, is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort and persistence. Professionals with a growth mindset view challenges as learning opportunities rather than obstacles. To cultivate this mindset: Embrace challenges rather than avoid them, seek feedback and use it for improvement and reframe failures as learning experiences.

2. Read Regularly and Diversify Knowledge Sources

Reading remains one of the most effective ways to stay informed and mentally active. To maximise learning: Read books, research papers, and articles across various disciplines, Follow industry trends through credible publications, and Listen to audiobooks and podcasts for alternative learning methods.

3. Learn a New Skill or Language

Learning a new skill, whether professional or personal, helps keep the brain engaged. Some effective ways to do this include: Taking online courses or attending workshops, Learning a foreign language, which enhances cognitive flexibility, and Developing technical skills such as coding, data analysis, digital marketing, etc.

4. Engage in Continuous Profes-

sional Development (CPD)

Many industries have CPD programs that allow professionals to stay updated with new trends and best practices: Enroll in certification programs, Attend seminars, webinars, and networking events, and Participate in mentorship or coaching programs.

5. Challenge the Brain with Problem-Solving Activities

Regularly engaging in problem-solving exercises can slow cognitive decline. Some effective activities include: Solving puzzles, crosswords, or Sudoku, playing strategy games like chess and engaging in analytical discussions and debates.

6. Maintain a Learning Journal

Writing about newly learned concepts helps reinforce understanding and retention. A learning journal can include: Key takeaways from books, courses, or meetings, personal reflections on learning experiences, and actionable insights for applying knowledge in professional settings.

7. Network with Diverse Professionals

Interacting with professionals from different backgrounds fosters exposure to new perspectives and ideas. Join professional groups and associations, participate in cross-industry discussions, and collaborate with younger professionals to stay updated on emerging trends.

8. Stay Physically and Mentally Active

A healthy body supports a healthy mind. To optimise learning efficiency: Engage in regular physical exercise, as it boosts brain function, practice mindfulness and meditation to improve focus, and get adequate sleep, as sleep plays a crucial role in memory consolidation.

9. Teach Others What You Learn

Teaching is one of the best ways to solidify knowledge. By explaining concepts to others, professionals reinforce their own understanding. This can be done through: Mentoring junior colleagues, conduct training sessions, and write blogs or create educational content.

The Link Between IQ and the Learning Curve IQ (Intelligence Quotient) is often associated with cognitive ability, but it is not a static measure. The ability to learn and apply knowledge depends on continuous engagement with new information. A stagnant learning curve can lead to: Slower problem-solving ability, reduced adaptability to new technologies, and difficulty retaining and applying new information. By consistently challenging the brain and embracing lifelong learning, professionals can maintain a high level of cognitive function and adaptability, regardless of industry changes.

Conclusion

In a world where change is the only constant, maintaining the learning curve is essential for long-term professional success. As technologies evolve and market demands shift, professionals who actively engage in continuous learning will remain competitive and future-proof their careers. By cultivating a growth mindset, embracing digital transformation, and adopting proactive learning habits, professionals can thrive in any industry. The choice is simple: keep learning, or risk becoming obsolete.

As you explore the transformative potential of NLP coaching with ERA Ltd, we invite you to take the next step towards unlocking your full potential. Our expert coaches are dedicated to helping you achieve your goals and overcome challenges. To discover how our personalized coaching can align with your aspirations for growth and development , we offer a complimentary Exploratory Session. This session is designed to help you understand what you can gain from our coaching services and how we can tailor our approach to meet your unique needs. By engaging in this session, you will gain clarity on your objectives and experience first-hand the supportive environment we provide. Reach out to us today to schedule your Exploratory Session and embark on a journey of personal growth and empowerment.

lLIFELONG PROFESSIONAL GROWTH: the ability to learn and adapt is not just a competitive advantage, it is a necessity

Mother daughter duo brings East Clare music to glór

by LISA MULLALY lisa@clareecho.ie

When Mary MacNamara takes the stage at glór on April 4, alongside her daughter Sorcha Costello, it won’t just be a performance; it will be a celebration of a musical tradition that has been passed down through generations.

As a distinguished concertina player Mary has received a number of awards for her music throughout her career. Claiming All-Ireland titles aswell the ‘Traditional Music Album of the Year’ award by The Irish Times for her her debut album“Traditional Music from East Clare,” Mary is an influential figure in East Clare music.

In recognition of her significant impact on traditional music, Mary was awarded the MÓRglór Award in 2019.

Speaking to Mary in her family home in Tulla, The Clare Echo heard about Mary’s introduction to traditional Irish music and how she continues to share her love and passion for the tradition with her community, international audiences and her family.

Mary’s journey into the world of Irish music began at home in Tulla, County Clare, where music was always a part of her everyday life.

Growing up in a home where musicians often visited, and where sessions in Lena’s Bar in Feakle were a regular feature, Mary and her siblings were immersed in the sounds of traditional Irish music from an early age learning from Lena’s Bar in Feakle. Learning from local legends such as Bill Malley, Joe Bane, P Joe Hayes, John Naughton, and Martin Rochford.

Mary is largely recognised for her East Clare style of playing; a relaxed and swinging way of playing that’s distinct from other regions of Ireland. The style is recognised for its space and long notes.

Over time, she realised the significance of the East Clare sound, which she now carries with pride.

Despite travelling internationally and immersing herself in a variety of styles of music, Mary is committed to preserving the East Clare musical style.

“I immersed myself in the world of music and I dibbled and dabbled in all sorts of styles myself but I always

come back to what I learned. That’s my style, it’s what I love and I can’t move away from it.”

“There are so many people across the world that are interested in Irish music, who are very drawn to it,” she says.

Her performances have taken her across Europe, the US, and beyond, and the respect for Irish music is stronger than ever.

For her upcoming concert in glór, Mary will be sharing the stage with her daughter

Sorcha Costello. Like Mary Sorcha grew-up listening to Irish music being played in the house from the moment she was born.

“I think she [Sorcha] considered it as part of her life; she didn’t see it as learning. I brought her to all the concerts and sessions and she travelled with me and she met so many musicians, so she saw it as a natural part of her daily life and she just did it naturally. Now she loves it and she’s a full time musician herself travelling the world

Award winning Irish poet to run writing workshop in Ennis

by Lisa Mullaly lisa@clareecho.ie

AWARD winning poet Molly Twomey is coming to glór to facilitate the Clare Poetry Collectives Latest workshop.

The Clare Poetry Collective, a group established over 30 years ago aims to create a supportive and inclusive community for established creatives and would-be poets throughout Clare. Through open-events, live performances and professional workshops, the Clare Poetry Collective hopes to inspire and support writers and readers of poetry.

Cork-based poet, Molly Twomey (29) will be the featured poet at the workshop taking place in glór on April 5.

Molly found her love for poetry while completing an undergraduate degree in english literature. Although she was apprehensive about the medium, she soon fell in love with the creative writing style and published her first book “Raised by Vulture” in 2022 just three years after graduating from her Masters Degree in Creative Writing.

“The form of a poem is very small so it can hold a bit more of an intense feeling, more than that of prose if you’re working with something with an intense feeling in a larger prose than it can be really difficult to hold that,” explained Molly

Her award winning debut collection was inspired and informed by her own journey of living with an eating disorder. Throughout her work Molly tackles provocative and challenging themes of mental health and the pressures put on women in daily life.

“When I was writing ‘Raised by Vultures’ I wasn’t really thinking about enjoyment or accessibility. What was on my mind because of the topic, which was I had an eating disorder, trying not to do harm because people with eating disorders came across my book and the last thing you want to be doing is creating harmful material”

Molly told the Clare Echo that she found poetry a helpful way to communicate her experience of going through the recovery process.

“At that time I was quite unwell and I wasn’t really able to express what was going on with me. Poetry kind of just gave me another way of communicating what I wasn’t able to talk about so it really freed me and gave me back my voice.”

Molly is currently working on her second book. She explained that while she will be incorporating similar themes to her first book Molly hopes to integrate more of her unique sense of humour into her second book.

“I am really hoping that this book is funnier it’s just a little bit cheekyI

and certainly I know that she goes back to her roots very often when she’s thinking about music and she finds that what she learned from when she was a child is very important to her now. It has been a very good foundation for her in her music going forward.”

As her teacher Mary has been playing alongside her daughter from the beginning of Sorcha’s musical journey. This made their transition from a teacher and student relationship into a duo very natural.

“It’s very natural for us to play together because we have been doing it all our lives, whether it’s here in Tulla or in Milwaukee, it’s a very natural thing for us to do and we both enjoy it. We do it with great ease. We don’t have to think about it, we don’t have to work at it, because it has been a work in progress since the day she started playing at the age of four.”

The upcoming concert at Glór will see the mother daughter duo playing together in the smaller theatre, which offers an intimate setting where the audience can truly connect with the performers. Mary and Sorcha plan to share a mix of

traditional tunes, some that are specific to East Clare and others from musicians who have influenced them over the years, such as Charlie Lennon and Tommy Potts.

“We would pick a variety of material, it wouldn’t all be tunes from East Clare. We might pick tunes from some of our favourite musicians, like Charlie Lennon for instance who only died last year. He is a wonderful composer. I love Charlie’s music, so I will probably play one of his compositions and maybe talk a little bit about him.

Sorcha has huge influences from other musicians as well the likes of Tommy Potts, the late Tommy Pottss from Dublin, she could play a selection of tunes that she learned from his playing and then we will come back to some things that we learned here from P. Joe Hayes or the Tulla Céilí band. So it’s a mixture of stuff that we love and we like to play.”

Despite Mary’s extensive performing career, she still finds the act of playing in front of a live audience daunting.

“I try and find my comfort in what I love and that is the style of the music and the people that I got the music from”

‘Paddy the life and times of Paddy Armstrong’ in glór

am hoping that this book feels a bit more playful. ”

Molly also shares her knowledge and expertise with the public through events and workshops. She has established her own online international poetry . Molly also travels around the country facilitating workshops with groups such as The Clare Poetry Collective.

Molly amidst that her workshops can be ‘intense’. Through these workshops Molly hopes to help poets learn to trust themselves and to allow themselves to write without thinking critically about their work.

“For this workshop with glór i am hoping, especially for the morning portion of it to be as generative as possible, for people to just kind of let themselves write in response to the prompts in response to the poems and to not be worried about the end material it’s much more about the process.”

These workshops are not only of benefit to the participants but Molly finds them just as inspirational and motivational.

“I get a great buzz. I always come away from a workshop like that really excited especially if it goes well because creating is so exciting. It kind of touches on a playful part of us that is so alive in childhood that we try to suppress as we go about our daily lives in adulthood.”

GLÓR is delighted to bring Paddy: The Life and Times of Paddy Armstrong to the stage on Saturday 12th April. With a masterful Don Wycherley in the titular role, this one-man play was inspired by Paddy Armstrong’s memoir Life After Life, a Guildford Four Memoir.

On 5th October 1974 a bomb exploded in the Horse and Groom Pub in Guildford, Surrey which killed ﬁve people. In December 1974, the police arrested four individuals (“the Guildford Four”) one of whom was Paddy Armstrong. In October 1975, they were convicted of the bombing and sentenced to life imprisonment. Almost ﬁfteen years later, all four were released and their convictions were quashed.

Now Paddy, in his seventies, is in his sitting room in Clontarf as he recalls the events of his life in Belfast and London along with his

arrest and interrogation, the trial, his years of incarceration and the ultimate quashing of the convictions.

Don Wycherley brings unflinching honesty, pathos and humour to his portrayal of Paddy, a man failed and scarred by a flawed system yet refusing to be defined by it.

Paddy is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of forgiveness, reminding us that the privilege of freedom and love, family and everyday life can restore us and mend the scars of even the most savage injustice.

“This is writing and acting at its most powerful… a totally engrossing experience. It truly is a show not to be missed.” Michael Harnett, playwright.

“If it were a work of ﬁction, it would be worthy of the Man Booker shortlist” Guardian

lMOTHER DAUGHTER DUO: Sorcha Costello & Mary McNamara

JOE HAYES ENTERS NEW WORLD OF MANAGEMENT

by Eoin Brennan news@clareecho.ie

ONCE monikered ‘Mr Clare football’ by fellow county stalwart Gary Brennan, former goalkeeper Joe Hayes, who donned the No 1 jersey for 13 years at inter-county senior level, opens a new chapter in a first managerial role with the Clare minors who commence their Munster Championship campaign at home to Limerick on Monday evening.

Based in Toomevara, the Lissycasey native initially dipped his toes at backroom level in a goalkeeping coaching capacity with the Tipperary seniors in what would be a famed 2020 season under David Power that garnered a first Munster Senior title in 85 years. However, his heart remains in Clare.

“I would have always wanted to go back to Clare in some capacity. The Tipp coaching role just opened up at the right time when Clare wasn’t open so with Thurles right on my doorstep, a senior coaching position was a great opportunity but the hope was always to come back with Clare at some level.

“Having gotten so much out of football, I feel it’s important to give back something to the county and also to my club Lissycasey as well.”

With Colm Collins bringing him in as a goalkeeping coach for Clare’s flagship side in 2023, it proved the perfect homecoming that has only blossomed since, first as a coach under Dermot Coughlan at minor level 12 months ago before taking the reins himself for 2025.

“When Colm stepped down from the seniors, Dermot offered me the chance to get involved with the minors and I jumped at the opportunity because I would be very interested in the future of Clare football and would like to contribute in some form to perhaps help players develop.”

So how has the transition been from being a coach to manager?

“I’m really enjoying it and obviously eager to finally get started on Monday but just comparing a manager’s job to the coaching role I had last year under Dermot [Coughlan], it’s two different worlds really if I’m being totally honest.

“All this was very new to me. However, before I put myself forward for the job, I had a good bit of thought put into it and lots of plans made and have also been learning over the last few years from Colm [Collins] and Dermot [Coughlan] in relation to the managerial side of things.

“I’m eager to put my own slant on things too so overall while it has been very different, I’ve really enjoyed the experience so far and am excited to see what the next few weeks can bring for this great

group of players.”

Backed by a 35-strong panel, Hayes is confident he has the right balance and strength-in-depth to be able to negotiate the intensive three-match Phase 1 series over the next month.

“We’ve only a couple of survivors from last year in Conor Burke, Ruben Fallon, Sean Hegarty and Tom Spelman so the majority are from last year’s U16 panel along with a few players that have come back to the Clare football side of things from other sports like our captain Donncha O’Dwyer, Kieran Doyle and Danny Lyne. We’ve also eight lads that are U16s this year that are not there with an eye towards 12 months time, they are there on merit and are putting up their hands for places too like every other panelist.

“The competition for places is high so we couldn’t ask for anymore from a management perspective.”

Having competed in a six-match Leinster League already this year in order to become accustomed to the new rules as well as provide valuable game-time to his sizeable squad, how does Clare’s former custodian feel about his side’s Phase 1 chances, having captured the Daryl Darcy Cup in 2024?

“You just don’t know how Munster will go from year to year. Obviously last year it was great to win some silverware and get a shot at a Munster Semi-Final against Cork and it’s important for the players to see that if you put in the work, you can get the rewards.

“I’d be the first to say that coming into the first round on Monday, all four counties will genuinely feel that they can beat each other. I don’t necessarily think there are any favourites between Clare, Limerick, Tipp and Waterford and I don’t believe there is any weak team either, it’s very much 50/50 on each given day and it’s all down to the day.

“At the end of the day, these are all 15, 16 and 17 year olds that are all developing across all levels and counties so it will probably come down to which side clicks better on the day in terms of scoring and tactics.

“So we just have to make sure that we’re ready for the challenge of Limerick in Quilty on Monday evening (7pm).

'Huge pride' in home displays

CLARE footballers take “a huge sense of pride” in winning all their home games in the 2025 Allianz National Football League, writes Páraic McMahon

Wins over Leitrim, Fermanagh, Kildare and Offaly saw Peter Keane’s charges record a 100 per cent record in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Cíosóg, their away run is not as pretty with defeats to Antrim and Sligo along with a Portlaoise victory over Laois. The two defeats ultimately cost them promotion to Division 2.

Captain Cillian Brennan explained the importance of home games for the Clare side and the value they place in the support received. “That is something we have real pride in, performing here in Cusack Park, we look forward to having a big crowd in here again for Munster championship.”

Ever-present at full-back for the league, Cillian admitted that their final round win over Offaly brought a sense of deflation when the realisation hit they were unsuccessful in their bid to be promoted. “It will take a little bit of time to process it, you’re looking at the scoreboard and it doesn’t feel like a five-point win, our objective was first of all to go out and win the game, we achieved that, after that we didn’t give ourselves much of a platform

to chase that score”.

Seven scoring opportunities in the first 11 minutes saw Clare bring great gusto to their final round with Offaly, knowing they needed to win by 10, ultimately efficiency let them down as in this period alone they only converted two of these chances. They were also rocked by the concession of Jack Bryant’s goal.

There was renewed energy from Clare at the beginning of the second half and the Clondegad man acknowledged that Antrim’s interval lead over Kildare was

mentioned but it was not their primary focus. “They mentioned it at half time but the reminder and the message all week was we had to go out and win.”

Speaking to The Clare Echo, Cillian said Clare will have to use the disappointment of missing out on promotion as fuel for championship. “We were coming in today with the objective of trying to get promoted, obviously disappointed with that but we have to reset and get right for championship”.

Clare U20s suffer defeat in opener

Joe in his playing days

Clare’s starting team and kit man Jim Marrinan stand for the national anthem. Photo by Gerard O’Neill

SCAN HERE FOR MATCH REPORT

l Seán Fennell tries to take flight in possession under pressure from a Cork defender

Photo by Gerard O'Neill

Clare remain in second tier after Antrim loss

CLARE were not the best team, manager John Carmody has admitted following their National Camogie League final defeat to Antrim, writes Seamus Hayes.

On Saturday, Antrim defeated Clare 3-10 1-11 at the sports centre of excellence in Abbotstown ensuring a long journey home from the capital for Carmody’s charges.

Speaking to The Clare Echo before making that journey, he said, “The best team is going home with the cup”. He added, “They got a great start, they had 2-3 on the board before we knew we had arrived here and ultimately that was the difference. They are a good side and they showed that”.

Kilmaley’s Carmody continued, “We showed great character to bring it back to level with ten minutes to go but they kicked on and got some fantastic points.

"The best team is going home with the cup today, we are a work in progress. We are happy enough with what the league campaign has given us. Today we ran out six or seven subs from the bench, all making a good impact. We will learn from this. We came up to win but sometimes you have to take your beating. Antrim are deserving champions”.

There's a longer story in 29-point loss to Galway

“There’s a longer story than today," said Clare Ladies football manager Graham Shine, after his side's 4-22 to 0-05 point defeat against Galway in Doonbeg.

Following the Division 2 outing, he told Eoin Brennan, "I was involved last year as coach and we got up from Division 3 but there are 12 of that panel gone since... We’ve ﬁve Leaving Cert students, four of them started today and all of them did very well but just lack experience.

“So we didn’t really get relegated today, we probably got relegated last November when we didn’t get commitment from the players who brought us up.

"In the last three years in Clare, there has been roughly a turnover of about 25 players. So it’s not today or yesterday that these things happen and of course it’s disappointing. I’m absolutely gutted for this group of girls who had put in four or ﬁve days a week training."

NATIONAL CAMOGIE LEAGUE DIVISION 1B FINAL

ANTRIM 3-10 CLARE 1-11

Venue: Abbotstown Compiled by Seamus Hayes

STORY OF THE GAME

ANTRIM

Frees For: 12 (3/9

Wides: 9 (4/5)

Scores from play: 3-7

Spread of scorers: 5

Top scorer: Caitrin Dobbin (2-2)

Own puckouts won: 13 out of 18

Bookings: Roisin McCormick (50)

CLARE Frees For: 15 (6/9)

Wides: 6 (5/1)

Scores from play: 1-6

Spread of scorers: 7

Top scorer: Zi Yan Spillane (0-5)

Own puckouts won: 11 out of 22 (50%)

Bookings: None

REFEREE: Patrick Murphy (Carlow)

Meeting organised to discuss soccer calendar

PLANS to have an aligned calendar year in soccer will be discussed at a meeting in Limerick on Monday, writes Páraic McMahon

Implications of the planned introduction of an aligned calendar will be debated at a meeting in Castletroy Park Hotel on Monday (April 7th) at 7pm.

Representatives from leagues and clubs across the province are anticipated to attend the meeting. Clubs are invited to give their views on the impact of the changes.

At the beginning of December, a resolution was passed with a 57 percent majority at a meeting of general assembly delegates of the FAI. The meeting had a large attendance online.

As a result of the vote, a key pillar of chief football officer Marc Canham’s Football Pathways Plan (FPP) will be introduced from 2026 onwards with all leagues in the country switching to a season that will effectively run from February to November.

From 2026 onwards, 5 to 12-year-olds will operate on that schedule, with FAI national competitions also being run across the same year, 13 to 16-year-olds would switch to that schedule from 2027 with all remaining

NEWMARKET, BRIDGE & FAIR GREEN COMPLETE CLARE CUP SEMI-FINAL LINE UP

Clare minor hurlers look to make mark as championship begins

by Seamus Hayes

news@clareecho.ie

CHAMPIONSHIP commences for Clare’s minor hurlers this Saturday, they are without one of seven survivors from last year’s panel with promising forward Paul Rodgers missing out.

Clare minor hurling manager Ger O’Connell and his backroom team are bracing themselves for a strong challenge from Tipperary when the teams clash in the Munster championship at Zimmer Biomet Páirc Cíosóg on Saturday at 2p.m.

While Ger wasn’t surprised with Waterford’s victory over the Premier outfit in last Saturday’s first round, he expects that Tipperary will be going all out for victory this week as they seek to get their challenge for progress back on track. “Last week’s result wasn’t a shock to us. Waterford won the under 15 A and they are a strong side”, the Clonlara clubman told The Clare Echo this week.

Ger is in his first season as Clare minor manager but he has worked with this group since under 14 level. “We have trialed eighty (80) players and we now have that down to thirty one (31). We wanted to make sure that we did not miss any player. We have played seven challenge games and we got to see all of the players”, according to Clare’s All-Ireland winning minor goalkeeper from 1997.

Graham Ball from St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield will captain the team and he is likely to play at midfield, Dara Kennedy from Ballyea is the vice captain and both were members of the St. Flannan’s Harty cup side this season and both were on last year’s minor team.

Scariff’s Paul Rodgers, a key member of the forward line will miss Saturday’s game due to a one match suspension as a result of being sent off in the team’s final outing in last season’s championship.

O’Callaghans Mills forwardf Liam Murphy is another survivor from last year’s team.

Ger’s backroom team includes coaches Damian O’Halloran (Inagh/Kilnamona), Barry Corbett (Clooney/Quin), Kevin McNamara (Kilmaley), Ryan Morris (Clonlara), Kevin Sammon who is the current Roscommon senior hurling manager, Paul Mannion (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield), Clare All-Ireland medal winner Podge Collins (Cratloe), Denise Lynch (Kilmaley) as goalkeeping coach and Barry O’Connell (Clonlara) on video analysis.

On Saturday week Clare will face Cork at Dr. Daly Park in Tulla in round 2 with two away games to Limerick and Waterford to follow. The top two teams at the end of the round robin series of games will contest the Munster final while the teams that finish third and fourth will go on to play in the All-Ireland series, meeting teams from Leinster.

Leon Talty (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield), Conor Keogh (Sixmilebrige) and Cormac

Barry (Meelick-Parteen) are the goalkeepers in the panel.

Amongst those likely to be in the backline on Saturday are Niall Doyle (Éire Óg), Jack O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge), Dara Kennedy (Ballyea) and Evan Crimmins (Newmarket-on-Fergus).

Team captain Graham Ball is expected to line out at midfield while Liam Murphy (O’Callaghans Mills) and Ian O’Brien (Cratloe) are expected to be in a forward line which will be without Rodgers.

l Lynda Daly, Aoife Anderson and Susan Daly following the ﬁnal whistle

Photo by Gerard O'Neill

l St Joseph’s Doora/Bareﬁeld’s Eoin Lahiffe holds off the challenge of Cratloe’s Cathal Lohan Photo by Gerard O'Neill

Players from 17 clubs make up the panel which includes; Ben and Leon Talty, Colm Daly and Darragh Ball (St Joseph’s Doora/ Bareﬁeld) Cathal O’Doherty, Ian O’Brien (Cratloe), Conor Keogh, Jack O’Halloran, Zak Phelan (Sixmilebridge); Cormac Barry, Gavin Marshall (Meelick/Parteen), Cormac Gunning, James O’Donnell (Broadford), Dara Kennedy, Eoin O’Connor, Evan Cleary (Ballyea), Darragh McInerney, Evan Crimmins (Newmarket-on-Fergus), Harry Hodgins (Clonlara), Donnacha Mahon, Isaac Hassett (Clooney/ Quin), Jake Gibbons (Whitegate), Jason Keane Hayes (Kilmaley), Darragh Murrihy, John Barry (Inagh/Kilnamona), Liam Murphy (O’Callaghans Mills), Luke Vaughan, Niall Doyle (Éire Óg), Nikoloi Belenko (Tulla), Paul Rodgers (Scarff), Rory Ralph (Clarecastle).

SCAN FOR ROUND-UP SOCCER: CDSL ROUND-UP

Ronan Kerin and Jack Kelly in action

Photo by Gerard O'Neill

by PÁDRAIG MCGRATH

DUNDONALD links was a golf course I was not familiar with until I arrived there two weeks ago, but it is certainly a course I won't forget in a hurry.

I was blown away with the resort. We landed into the resort and parked up in the car park which is also surrounded by dozens of wooden pod lodgings and a brand newly opened stunning eco-friendly clubhouse.

The ground floor of the clubhouse is built in a beautiful yellow stone and its upper tier is completely finished with glass so you can see the panoramic surroundings of the course while you dine. The roof is covered fully in a meadow of grass and blends very well into the surrounding landscape. If I was blown away by the outside, the inside of the clubhouse was even more breath-taking. It was one of the highest quality finishes to any clubhouse I have ever entered. I first went into the locker room to a vast open space with a seated area by a log fire with a TV above. Behind this wall in the same

room sat another seating area with a sauna and steam room along with the shower facilities. Outside the lockeroom was a state-of-theart gym and beyond the gym you entered the pro shop which would be something you would expect to see in Adare or Augusta National. Upstairs the views of the golf course and surrounding landscape was amazing.

The golf course at Dundonald links is tough but fair. The starter gave us a 15-minute talk on the ﬁrst tee about the course and what holes to look out for and areas to make sure we avoided. When we mentioned we were playing Prestwick the following day, he gave us a history of The Open Championship and how Prestwick held the ﬁrst ever Open Championship.

A lot of the holes have wider easy-to-hit fairways but others are narrower where you have to make sure you keep your tee shots on the short grass. All the courses we played have several quirky features with cleverly located bunkers and slopes on greens you would only see in Augusta National. On one par three for instance any ball that goes over the green will ﬁlter into a deep bunker that you have

to enter with a ladder it is so deep. It.is situated about 30 yards from the back edge of the green and even though I am 6ft 4in tall you would struggle to see me inside of it. If you found this bunker you could be a while coming back out. And if you do manage to reach the green it is quite narrow and slopes from back to front where there are a further two pothole bunkers awaiting on the opposite side. Good distance control is important from the tee on this tricky par three.

A common feature with most of the courses in this area is they are built adjacent to the railway tracks. Dundonald is no different the 13th and 16th holes run parallel within meters of the railway line so it's

Play in Pink at Lahinch Golf Club

by Seamus Hayes news@clareecho.ie

LAHINCH GOLF CLUB:

LAHINCH ladies club will hold their annual Play in Pink Invitational day in aid of Breast Cancer Research on Monday April 14 on both the Old and Castle courses.

The format on the Old Course is a team of 4 ladies only and the cost per team is €100 payable on entry on the day. The format on the Castle Course is a mixed team of any combination and the cost per team is €60 payable on entry on the day. A minimum of one member is required per team.

EAST CLARE GC:

Sunday’s ladies fourball betterball competition was won by Siobhan Shanahan and Brid Gurnett with 49 points, three more than second placed Brid Hayes and Siobhan Mulcahy.

Last week’s ladies 18 hole stableford competition winner was Celia Moloney with 36 points.

The ladies Wednesday competition was won by Deirdre Tuohy, Pauline Nugent, Mary Farrell and Phil Burke from Mary Jo Minogue, Connie McKenna, and Brid Hayes with third spot ﬁlled by Evelyn Skehan, Kay Grimes and Margaret O'Brien.

Sunday’s men’s singles competition was won by Noel Nash (24) with 44

points from Michael Hayes (21) with 42 points and third ﬁlled by Tony Duggan (16) also with 42. The gross was won by Anthony Sweeney (36 points).

The winners of last week’s senior men’s comp were Steve Lynch and Batt Skehan from Nick Ryan and Brian Torpey with third ﬁlled by Ger Lenihan and Dominic Stuart. Friday’s mixed scramble was won by Mary Hogan, Brian Torpey and Tony Nelson from John Fahy, Brendan Moloney and Evelyn Skehan with third place ﬁlled by Noreen Skehan, Pat Duggan and John Nihill.

DROMOLAND:

The men’s Winter league concluded recently with victory going to Peter Doyle, Jimmy Neville, James Purcell and Brian Ahern. In second place were Billy O’Mahony, Shane Collins, Brian Maloney and Alan Brennan. Third was Christy Cusack, Denis Minihane, Robert Bailey and Eamon Power.

Last week’s ladies 18 hole stableford was won by Marie Meaney with 35 points from Siobhan Dyar with 32 points and Dorothy Meaney with 31 points.

The 9 hole competition was won by Sinead Burke Keogh with 20 points from Sandra Moylan with 18 and Mairead Bergin with 17.

Ruairi Price was the winner of the men’s 18 hole stableford competi-

tion with 48 points from Jobn O’Grady with 43 and John McCarthy with 41. Eamon Power won the category for handicappers 20 and over with 39 points while Jason Towney won the gross with 38 points.

Last week’s senior men’s outing saw John O’Shaughnessy win category A from Willie Delaney with Jimmy Neville in third. Category B was won by Ger Ryan from Jerry O’Gorman with George O’Carroll in third place.

WOODSTOCK:

The weekend’s club singles was won by Niall Reynolds (18) with 48 points while the gross was won by Kieran Cunnane (scratch) with 37 points.

Category 1 (0 to 10) was won by John Clune (8) with 34 points on a count back from Mark Sweeney (8). Category 2 (11 to 18) was won by Tony Neville (12) with 42, one more than Paddy Meehan (12).

The category 3 (19 plus) winner was Jarlath Fahy (24) with 41 points

The annual Costello Cup ﬁxture between Woodstock and Ennis will take place on Sunday week, April 13 at Ennis.

The Costello Cup is an annual match open to men from both clubs. Woodstock retained the cup in October last year.

ENNIS GOLF CLUB: Rose Enright (22) was the winner of the ladies 17

hole singles at Ennis last week with 36 points. She won by ﬁve from Bridie Hanrahan (18) with third spot ﬁlled by Ethna Murphy (32) with 30 points.

The Lions and Cubs 13 hole scramble in aid of Clare Haven was won by Martina Corbett, Mary Kearns and Margaret Flanagan (26) with 35 nett.

Last week’s senior ladies scramble was won by Maureen Moloney, Mary Murray and Martina Corbett from Alice D’Arcy, Brid Cunningham and Mary Kearns.

GORT GOLF CLUB:

The winner of the men’s singles stableford competition at the weekend was Ben Geoghegan (17) with 40 points. Category 1 was won by Jean Luc Bellevergue (11) with 39 points, category 2 by Danny Losty (15) with 40 points, category 3 by Martin Whelan (26) with 40 points while the gross was won by Kris Finnegan (scratch) with 33.

FANNY O’DEAS:

Fanny O’Dea’s golf society Lissycasey had their first trip abroad to Alicante last week. 26 members went for the five days with some playing 4 rounds. Winners over the weekend were James Clancy, Michael McMahon, Peter O’Leary, and Pat Bohannon with second place filled by Danny Lynch, Marty Meaney, TJ Monahan, and Paddy Corcoran.

common to see a high-speed train rolling past you.

One of the things I like most about Dundonald is every hole is unique. The course designers did an incredible job in making each hole exciting from the tee shot all the way to the challenge of the severe undulating greens. The starter informed us the course design is known as an American Stadium Links Course because every hole is enclosed like a stadium by large banks that run along on both sides of the hole in order so you only get to see the hole you are playing. This clever design means you don't get any sneak peek at any other hole as you walk around. I can't offhand think of any weak

hole which indicates how good a course it truly is.

After nine holes there is a lovely halfway hut with a great outdoor space to eat and drink. They have a vast array of food offerings along with any drink you desire.

After our round we enjoyed a quick sauna before heading upstairs to sample some of the menu washed down with a Scottish ale. The food was exactly what you would want after a long day on the links. They have a classy red velvet pool table in the corner of the bar where you can win even more sterling from your golﬁng buddies.

In the peak season Dundonald Links is £245 a round however in the off-season they have an offer up to April for £199 for two rounds and an overnight stay at the course which includes breakfast.

The on-site lodgings are fully self-service, ﬁnished with a kitchen and dining space. This deal is deﬁnitely well worth trying out in the near future should you desire to pop across to Scotland for a pre-season few rounds. I for one know I will be back here again next year to experience another great day out only 10 minutes from Prestwick Airport.

Paradise Gomez prevails for Miltown's Meade

by Michael Maher news@clareecho.ie

MILTOWN MALBAY’s Sean Meade was in paradise on Saturday night or rather celebratory form in Galway following the success of Paradise Gomez.

The chief supporting contest in Galway on Saturday last was the Final of the N2 Novice 525 Sweepstake and from traps the Sean Meade of Miltown Malbay-owned Paradise Gomez hit the ground running. The daughter of Ice On Fire and Paradise Asia led Frenchfort Queen and Sues Lark by over two lengths rounding the opening bend. Racing along the back straight the leader's advantage became seven lengths and although her rivals began to reel her in, Paradise Gomez prevailed by two and a half lengths over Frenchfort Queen at the line in 29.17.

The opening contest was an A6 graded contest in which the red jacketed Bumblebee Lottie trapped well along the inner. Racing down the back straight Bumblebee Lottie led by three lengths to Drombeg Nifty as the Clare natives John Colllins and Albert Long-owned Brickhill Rosie began to close on the outside. Between the final two bends Brickhill Rosie closed with every stride and striking the front off the home bend the daughter of Ballymac Bolger and Twentylittletoes eased clear to score by three lengths in 29.67.

In heat one of the A3 Dual Dis-

tance Sweepstake, Claudegreengrass broke smartly in the centre and on the long run towards the opening bend he disputed the lead with Cloneyogan Sydny. Racing down the back straight Claudegreengrass went three lengths clear and the order remained unchanged to the home bend when the Siobhan Garrahy of Lahinch-owned Cloneyogan Sydny (Droopys Sydney-Tiermana Rum) swept through to score for the Donie Duggan of Tulla kennel by a length from Rosshill News in 30.76.

In the third heat the Pat Hogan of Ennis owned Aulton Jim trapped well and the son of Ballymac Cashout and Jumeirah Genie stayed on under pressure to score a three parts of a length win over Borna Show in 30.28. Friday night’s Galway card featured the opening round heats of the Bet On the Tote A5 Dual Distance Stake with the opening round heats over the 550 Yards trip. In the third heat the Donal Duggan of Tulla owned and trained Aunty Clare (Out Of Range Ash-Airfield Biddy) swept through to win by two and a half lengths in 30.95.

In the A8 graded contest the Gary & Damien Pepper of Feakle-owned Astro Kevin (Droopys Roddick-Teecee Clipper) was on command as he scored by two and a half lengths in 30.26.

l Dundonald Links in Prestwick

Cronin, Colum Ennistymon

Hasty, Thomas Shannon

Kett (née Horan), Julie Doonbeg

Kett (née Horan), Julie Kilkee

O’Neill, John Labasheeda

Sexton(née Fox), Geraldine Miltown Malbay

Recent Deaths

Walsh, Gerry (Gerard) Kilrush

Heffernan (née O’Gorman), Maura Kilkee

Hodges, Ronnie (Ronald) Shannon

Corey, Brian Ennis

Cullinan, James Doolin

Cullinan, James Kilnamona

Hogan (née Daly), Biddy Ennistymon

Collins, Monica Kilkee

Czerlinski, Michael Lissycasey

Moroney, Martin Feakle

Costello, Mary Kilkee

McNamara, Francie Ennistymon

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL

BALLYVASKIN, MILTOWN MALBAY, CO CLARE V95 EO42

Take notice that Ellen McMahon and Cathal Whelan intend to apply for permission build an extension onto the existing dwelling, upgrade and relocate the existing sewerage system & all other associated site and ancillary works at the above address.

The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority, during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the authority on payment of the prescribed fee of €20.00, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL KNOCKANAIRE, DARRAGH, ENNIS, CO CLARE.

Take notice that Elaine Keatinge intends to apply to the planning authority for permis-

sion to construct a bat roost along with ancillary works at the above address. The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority, Clare County Council, Aras Contae an Chlair, New Road, Ennis during its public opening hours and that a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the planning authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL, 47 WESTFIELDS, LIMERICK RD, ENNIS, CO CLARE

Take notice that Ruairi & Ettie McNamara are applying to Clare Co Council for planning permission to carry out alterations to an existing dwelling house. The works will consist of, an extension at first floor level to the southern elevation, as well as an extension at ground floor level along the eastern ele-

vation to the rear of the property. 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 within a period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL CAPPAGH MORE, BAREFIELD, ENNIS, CO. CLARE

Take notice that Ciara Fahy intends to apply to the planning authority for permission consequent on the grant of outline permission (Ref: 21/1394) to construct a Dwelling House and Garage, new Site Entrance, Waste Water Treatment System, a bored well and ancillary works at the above address. The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices

of the planning authority, Clare County Council, Aras Contae an Chlair, New Road, Ennis during its public opening hours and that a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the planning authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL, 14 SAINT MUNCHIN’S DRIVE, SHANNON BANKS, CORBALLY, LIMERICK, CO. CLARE.

Take notice that P. & A. Clancy intend to apply to the Planning Authority for permission to alter Condition No.2 of P24/356. This will involve having a separate vehicular access to serve the proposed development at the above address.

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, BALLARD ROAD, MILTOWN MALBAY, CO. CLARE

Take notice that Spraoi Miltown Malbay and District Community Playgroup Limited intends to apply to the Planning Authority for permission to retain the changes made to the building as granted under P03/1267 and for permission to add a new extension along with ancillary site works at the above address.

That the planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours and that a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the

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