The Clare Echo 13/11/25

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CLARE’S FASHIONISTAS One third of Ennis off limits for housing

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

A THIRD of Ennis is blocked from building houses or commercial development due to wastewater capacity problems in Clare.

Insufficient capacity at the Clareabbey wastewater treatment plant has one third of Ennis off limits from housing and commercial developments.

Raising the matter at Ennis Municipal District, Cllr Pat Daly (FF) remarked, “This is very serious for Ennis”. Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy

(FF) said the Government are not treating the matter of Munster’s largest town “not being able to grow” with enough urgency.

Meanwhile, an estimated €26,000 will be paid on interim waste disposal measures to keep the Banner Plaza operational.

High Court proceedings taken by Friends of the Irish Environment against Uisce Éireann have prohibited Supermac’s from utilising the Clareabbey plant, which it previously received the green light for.

 Diarmuid Murphy, Brenda Monaghan,Asta Lee, Mary Howard, Mayor of Ennis, Diarmuid McMahon, Ennis Chamber President, Celia Holman Lee and Erica Benson at the launch of the Ennis Street Fashion Show Photo by Eamon Ward

All-Ireland winner in the mix for Clare GAA top job

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

A SIX-person shortlist in the race to become the next Head of Operations with Clare GAA includes an All-Ireland winning hurler.

The Clare Echo understands that an All-Ireland winning Clare hurler has emerged as one of the leading candidates to be appointed as Deirdre Murphy’s successor.

Interviews for the post commenced on Thursday last.

Among the three-person interview committee tasked with questioning hopefuls is twotime All-Ireland winner and former Hurler of the Year, Seán McMahon.

Clare GAA have said the new Head of Operations will commence employment in January with the incumbent Murphy to finish up following County Convention next month.

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Thursday, Nov 13, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 6, 2025

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Milestone for Ennistymon NS Ask the Expert

lFarewell Victory for Cilléin Mullins

Banner support in Ennis

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Corofin’s Cilléin Mullins, Marc O’Loughlin and Luke Neylon celebrate after beating Waterford side Stradbally in the Munster IFC Photo by Joe Buckley club quarter-final. It was the last involvement of the season for Crusheen’s Mullins who departs for Australia.

Photograph: Burren Eye Photography

Mickey Guilfoyle, Robert Clancy and Brian Pyne supporting Clare during the Oscar Traynor (Munster region) quarter-final vs Kerry in Frank Healy Park

Councillors encounter gridlock in Mountshannon lion was attempts to get Blake’s Corner update

actually a ‘friendly mouse’

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

ELECTED members

by Dearbhla Parry of have now discovered that was a deer. “I’m not saying news@clareecho.ie Clare County Council are the ‘lion’ is in fact a beautiful for certain that it is a lion, but encountering their own KILLALOE GARDAÍ have Newfoundland dog, with a it does look to have a mane gridlock attempts to get solvedinthe mystery of a very snazzy haircut, named and a long tail. Some people reported clarity on the‘lion-like’ status ofanimal plans in ‘Mouse’. Hats off to the even think that someone guards for clearing all of this might have shaved their dog the woodstraffic of East Clare. to alleviate congessightings and up - I think this is one of the as a joke,” O’Reilly remarked tion atReported Blake’s Corner. footage of aonpotential Three weeks from thelion humorous stories that will at the time, a comment which emerged last week with go down in the lore of our turned out to be true.

High Court dismissing county”.

“At a time when AI imagery reports made to Gardaí. an application to bring a judicial The video was captured by and confusion as to whether However, once on the review challenge against Forest the a passing truck driver who online content is real or fake scene in Woodpark proposed pur-any had been hauling timber. It is so rampant, it fell on the Park in compulsory Mountshannon, chase order trace of for the the lion Ennistywas gone shows Mouse walking into guards in Killaloe Station to garda investigators were the woods and disappearing. investigate and to establish monand inner relief road, elected Forest manager John O’Reilly the true facts,” Deputy Crowe unable got to stuck confirmin whether members their lGRIDLOCK: Blake’s Corner said that harvesters working explained. the identity of the animal was efforts to source further inon the site had the Municipal District, can you in fact a lion.

They reported “The outcome of spotted the High formation from the top table “lion”case before, but only from that “enquiries were carried Court in relation to the have a reply for next week”. of Clare County Council. a distance and assumed out” accordingly. inner relief road at Blake’s it Director Kirby confirmed a In aGardaí statement released last in Killaloe have Corner, it said it dismissed a reply would be furnished for month the that Highthe sincefollowing confirmed Court ruling,lionthe so-called wasCouncil in fact a judicial review project allow- the meeting.

Ennistymon’s inner relief saidNewfoundland they “in partnership dog named ing the project to proceed. Is whose coat and that the definitive position,” road is intended to address with‘Mouse’ Transport Infrastructure notorious traffic congestion tail (TII)” had been Ireland would shaved proceed to he asked. resemble that of of the a lion.

“The Director of Services of at Blake’s Corner. The scheme to the next stages N67/ video Inner of a Relief lion-like Transportation, Carmel Kir- includes the construction of N85recent Ennistymon animal roaming around the by offered little detail when a new bridge upstream of the Road project.

These stages in-fact woods in East Clare is in clude design Mouse, devel- a replying, “I will come back to Michael Conway Bridge, pethedetailed very friendly opment, conclusiondog of who land is you in the coming days on it destrianisation of the existNewfoundland ing bridge, and public realm acquisition delightedand withplanning his recentfor viral with correspondence”.

More surprisingly was the improvements. A CPO was the video construction clip”. phase.

TD, Cathal At Clare Monday’s meetingCrowe of lack of reaction from elected approved by An Bord Pleaná(FF)County told The Clare Cllr Echo, members. Cllr Bill Slattery la in June 2022, however the Clare Council, “Like many was (FG) stated, “I have a motion process was paused as the reShane Talty (FF)people, referredI to intrigued the amused project’sand mention in by thethe down on the exact question sult of a judicial review until reported sighting of a lion in as Cllr Talty has asked for our the High Court decision. monthly management report.

Mountshannon.

The guards

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‘It took a while but everything is worth waiting for’ Supermac’s open Banner Plaza

Opening Banner Plaza among biggest challenges in career of Pat McDonagh

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

SUPERMAC’S have opened the Banner Plaza on the outskirts of Ennis.

An unofficial opening of the Banner Plaza took place on Friday (November 7th) with hundreds of visitors flocking in to sample the offering in Kilbreckan, Doora on the outskirts of Ennis, situated just off junction 12 on the M18.

A total of 120 jobs have been created with the opening of the Banner Plaza which includes a Supermac’s, Eurospar store, Texaco forecourt, Mama Rich and Supersubs.

Plans for the motorway service station were first lodged in January 2016 with the projected costs of €10m for the Plaza rising to €18m given the long-running difficulties encountered with objections.

Last month, Uisce Éireann suspended its work on completing the wastewater connection at the service station. This is pending the outcome of a legal challenge taken by Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE). The environmental group in August launched a High Court legal action against Uisce Éireann over its connection agreement for the plaza. The com-

mercial semi-state company is to give FIE fourteen days’ notice before resuming any works.

This case has been adjourned until the beginning of February, Supermac’s are utilising the services of Clare Drains to lead a temporary waste disposal solution until the matter is resolved.

Managing Director of Supermac’s Pat McDonagh told The Clare Echo, “It took a while but everything is worth waiting for at the end of the day if it works. It’s fourteen years since we stood on this site and decided to buy it, it is a long journey but it has worked out fairly well, we’ve had great help and support along the way, there is always a few detractors but the support we’ve got from the locality and from Clare County Council has been very helpful all along the way, I’m delighted to see it come to fruition today”.

In December 2020, planning permission was granted for the Plaza. In 2018, it emerged that bogus letters of support were submitted to the local authority for the development. Plans were withdrawn in 2019 following a request for further information.

Fresh proposals were submitted in 2020 before getting the go-ahead.

MULTI-MILLIONAIRE Pat McDonagh has said the long-running battle to open The Banner Plaza has been one of the most challenging projects of his career.

Nine years after submitting plans to construct a motorway service station on the outskirts of Ennis, McDonagh had a smile on his face as The Banner Plaza opened on Friday, creating 120 new jobs in the process.

Bogus letters of support, withdrawn plans, revised applications and judicial reviews have been part of the drama accompanying the efforts over the last decade to construct the Plaza with costs rising to over €18m.

Speaking to The Clare Echo, Supermac’s MD McDonagh admitted this venture was among the most challenging since he founded the fast food company in 1978. “Fourteen years is a long time in the project and process.

There’s times you say ‘what am I doing wrong’ or ‘what is the point’ but I always knew this was a very good site because I know it from being in Ennis and going to Limerick.

“In any project it is the

Photo by Joe Buckley

community and people’s needs that should come first, not somebody that is objecting for the sake of objecting.

“It is a different game that we are now compared to 20 or 30 years ago when we started off but something will have to be done with it, otherwise Ireland will stagnate”.

On planning alone, costs for the Banner Plaza have hit €2m. “The costs have escalated, we built the Obama Plaza a year after we bought here, the costs of construction have gone up by 80 per cent in the meantime. The costs of planning for this alone

between judicial reviews and An Bord Pleanála is escalating from year to year. The cost of planning alone was about €2m and it is continuing to grow. It is worth it, anything that you can have a vision for and a team with you that will aim to achieve the same result is great. Thanks to all our own team and our own construction team who did this job in a record time of 34 weeks despite all the obstacles along the way even when we started construction, we still got here on time”.

Given that it took 34 weeks for his team to construct the Plaza, it was put

to Pat that his team may have been a better choice for finishing the €2.24bn National Children’s Hospital which has failed to meet its deadline on 15 occasions. “When you have a project, a vision and a great team behind you then you can achieve almost anything, that is what we had here”.

Friday’s unofficial opening brought huge crowds to Doora and was quietly announced on social media in the days prior. “We opened because we were ready, it is simple as that, we don’t wait for an official opening, when the job is ready we open it, we were lucky that the weather was good for the most part of the summer, great credit is due to our own guys and to the whole team,” McDonagh stated.

He commented, “It is up and running today, there are a few more bits of work to be done but it will be over the next couple of weeks and then we’ll be happy with it then, we’re happy with it at the moment, it will be an official opening then not an unofficial opening”.

Meanwhile Supermacs set to pay €2k per week towards waste disposal over environmental legal challenge.

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One third of Ennis off limits for housing & commercial development

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

ONE THIRD of Ennis is hindered from future housing and commercial development due to capacity issues at the Clareabbey wastewater treatment plant.

Describing the matter as “a very serious situation for this town,” Cllr Pat Daly (FF) called on the Ennis Municipal District to seek funding from the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD (FF) to upgrade the Clareabbey wastewater treatment plant.

He flagged, “there isn’t sufficient capacity of water and sewerage to cater for future residential and commercial developments in Ennis and its surrounds”.

Ennis Chamber in recent weeks together with the Local Property Development Group arranged for Director of ‘People & Place’, Justin Gleeson to brief elected members and staff of the Ennis MD on the ‘Ennis Residential Zone Profile’ where the

potential impacts were underlined.

Acting senior engineer in the Ennis MD, Paddy Tiernan stated, “It was a very productive meeting with Developers outlining the major obstacles and making recommendations to Councillors on what needs to happen for the situation to improve. Following this meeting an invitation was extended to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne to meet with the group. Ennis MD subsequently received a response which stated ‘Our office has made note of this invite for when the Minister visits Clare in the future. I will liaise with your office once a date is set for this visit’,”.

For Ennis to have “an insufficient supply of water for future housing and commercial development” is very worrying, Cllr Daly commented.

“This is affecting a third of the town of Ennis,” he said. “This is very serious for Ennis, we’re talking about shortage of housing and we can’t build in a

third of Ennis”.

Mayor of the Ennis MD, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) confirmed both she and Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) spoke with Clare TD, Joe Cooney (FG) on the matter and suggested Fianna Fáil representatives do likewise with their Oireachtas members.

Clarecastle is also impacted, Cllr Tom O’Cal-

laghan (FF) flagged, “We are all trying to develop Clarecastle with the Roche site, the Kildysart Rd and behind Maxol wherever possible”. He informed the meeting he had spoken with Supermac’s Managing Director, Pat McDonagh on their difficulties connecting to the plant. Cllr O’Callaghan said he has

lodged a formal complaint with Uisce Éireann over the smell emanating from the treatment plant.

Minister Browne was criticised by his party colleague, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF). “The response from Minister is not good enough, we’re not saying we want this issue to be tagged on to some other reason

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for why he is visiting Ennis, we want this to be a reason for him to come and visit Co Clare, that is not good enough, we’re not happy with this, it is conditional on another reason for visiting, we’re saying it is of primary importance for the biggest town in Munster not being able to grow”. She said Cllr Daly needed to

“double down on this request”.

Action is needed, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) stressed. “It is beyond belief that we’ve come to the stage where we can’t develop the southern side of Ennis or Clarecastle, it is critical but the reality is if there was a land check in the morning this won’t happen overnight.

It is beyond belief but it is critical that something happens now”.

Infrastructure development from Government must allow for improvement in the future, Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) maintained. “The fact we’re building facilities that aren’t adequate when they were built, we didn’t allow for further development of one of the largest towns in the country”.

Cllr Daly said he agreed with the views of Colleran Molloy, “it is not good enough but it is important he comes fairly urgently”.

He added, “It is stopping the upgrade of so many houses in this town and Clarecastle”.

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Mid-West Oireachtas members take united stance following HIQA review

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

A UNITED front has been mounted by politicians in the Mid-West in views expressed to the Minister for Health on future emergency healthcare services in the region.

Political consensus has been reached by TDs and Senators in the Mid-West on the options for delivering healthcare services in the region following HIQA’s report on urgent and emergency healthcare.

HIQA’s review listed three potential options. Option A is expanding capacity at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), Option B is extending the UHL campus with a new second site in close proximity under a shared governance and resourcing model, Option C is the construction of a new hospital in the Mid-West with a second emergency department.

Two meetings have been held by the Mid-West Oireachtas members from Clare, Limerick and Tipperary in recent weeks, one with the HSE Mid-West management team and another with the Mid West Patient and Service Users Council.

They are now seeking to meet the Minister for Health.

Having initially hit out at attempts to build a united front as “a political stunt”, Sinn Féin’s Oireach-

tas members in the region have backtracked and have rowed in behind the efforts.

Clare TDs, Joe Cooney (FG), Cathal Crowe (FF), Donna McGettigan (SF) and Junior Minister Timmy Dooley (FF) are among those to have signed the letter to Health Minister, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (FG). They have urged the Minister “to recognise the hardship that has been endured by our citizens, and to accept the policy shortcomings of the past, there must be no further delays”.

Senator Martin Conway has also engaged in the meeting, his signature is included on the correspondence along with Minister for the Arts Patrick O’Donovan (FG), Junior Minister Niall Collins (FF), fellow TDs, Willie O’Dea (FF), Maurice Quinlivan (SF), Richard O’Donoghue (IND), Ryan O’Meara (FF), Senator Maria Byrne (FG), Senator Joanne Collins (SF), Senator Dee Ryan (FF) and Chairperson of the HSE Patient and Service User Council, John Wall.

The Clare Echo has obtained a copy of the correspondence issued to the Minister where their views are outlined in a cross-party proposal.

On Option A, the Mid-West Oireachtas members stated, “Op-

HIQA REVIEW:Patrick Madden, Jennifer Carroll Macneill and Bernard Gloster

tion A as outlined by HIQA, is almost fully reflected in The Acute Bed Capacity Plan 2024 and the undersigned fully support the continued development of this proposal on the existing University Hospital Limerick (UHL) site in accordance with the current capital plan. The 96-bed unit must be progressed as a matter of urgency and be completed before 2029. However, any further expansion beyond this plan at the existing UHL site is neither feasible nor deliverable given the site’s extreme congestion.

“Furthermore, Option A alone will barely deliver what is neces-

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sary for the very short term, will clearly not futureproof healthcare services across the Mid-West region and would deny its citizens of a standard of healthcare comparable to that of other health regions in the country. We note that the UHL group have previously acknowledged the current maternity building is “not fit for purpose”, it is imperative the plans to relocate the Maternity Hospital should not be further delayed.

“It is therefore our view that you should immediately direct the senior management team of the HSE Mid-West to identify and acquire

a suitable new site, along with a fully costed and time-bound delivery plan, prioritising bed block delivery in tandem with proposed capital investment in clinical infrastructure, to be submitted no later than 1 April 2026. This would clearly demonstrate to us as elected representatives, and to the public, your intention to deliver Option B in a timely manner. We further request that you instruct the HSE Mid-West management team to establish a Hospital Development Board tasked with preparing a comprehensive plan for the delivery of a new hospital in the region, Option C”.

All three options must be viewed “as a suite of measures, rather than choices, offers the only pathway to restoring hope and achieving equity in healthcare for future generations here in the Mid-West”.

Costings for the proposals must be included in the revised National Development Plan, the correspondence noted, “in order to provide clear evidence to our constituents and service users across the MidWest of the commitment from you Minister, your Department, and that of Government, to delivering equitable and sustainable healthcare for all citizens”.

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THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 13, 2025

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Michael D hailed ‘a great ambassador’ for Co Clare

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

AS HIS term as President of Ireland comes to an end, Michael D. Higgins (LAB) has been hailed as “a great ambassador” for County Clare.

At midnight on Monday, Michael D’s 14-year term as President of Ireland officially came to a close. He left Arás an Uachtaráin on Monday evening with his wife Sabina.

Sanctuary Runners, a running group made up of Irish citizens, migrants, asylum seekers and refugees and of which Higgins is a patron, formed a guard of honour outside the gates of the official residence as he began to drive through Phoenix Park and return to Galway.

Earlier on Monday, his contribution to the office during his two terms were acknowledged by elected members of Clare County Council.

In June 2012, he was bestowed with a civic reception

by Clare County Council and in February 2013 he was made an honorary freeman of Ennis, only the second person to ever receive the accolade, the other being the late Muhammad Ali. Speaking at Monday’s meeting of the County Council, Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) took time to honour the Presidency of the 84-year old. “On the

Michael D. Higgins in his study in the Arás Photo by Tony Maxwell

last day of our President in office, it is fitting that we acknowledge the great ambassador to our county Michael D. Higgins has been. We voted 14 years ago to give him a civic reception and I had the honour of leading that.

“We can be proud of the legacy Michael D. Higgins has left in our county, on our nation and worldwide. He is recognised as a President to support the arts, to support music and support people.

His picture hangs with great honour in our Chamber,” Cllr Hayes added.

Slightly unsure as to how best to mark the occasion given that a minute’s silence would seem too morbid, elected members on the suggestion of Cllr Hayes took to their feet and stood in applause to mark Higgins’ contribution as first citizen.

In a statement, Mr Higgins said that serving as president of Ireland was “a great privi-

lege”. He said, “I would like to thank the people of Ireland for the warmth of reception which they gave to both Sabina and myself over the past 14 years”.

Born in Limerick on April 18, 1941, Michael D moved to Ballycar in Newmarket-on-Fergus at the age of five with his brother John where they lived under the care of their uncle and aunt.

They attended primary school in Ballycar before attending second level education at St Flannan’s College.

He was an active handballer in Newmarket-on-Fergus and also represented the Blues on the hurling field.

From Clare, he moved to Galway where he secured a position working with ESB. He then took the decision to study at University College Galway where he graduated with a BA in 1965. In 1967, Higgins graduated from the American Indiana University Bloomington with a Master of Arts degree in Sociology.

Although he originally joined Fianna Fáil as a student in UCG, Higgins moved to the Labour Party and was unsuccessful in his first two local elections. Michael D. was appointed in 1973 to the 13th Seanad Éireann by Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave (FG).

He was first elected to Dáil

Éireann at the 1981 general election as a Labour Party TD. He served in the Dáil for 24 consecutive years between 1987 and 2011.

In 1993, he was appointed Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht. He was responsible for setting up the Irish language television station, Teilifís na Gaeilge which is now known as TG4.

Michael D met the actress Sabina Coyne in 1969, they got engaged in 1973 and tied the knot a year later. They have four children: Alice Mary, Daniel, and twins, John and Michael Jr.; Alice Mary (IND) was elected to Seanad Éireann in 2016.

He has produced many works of non-fiction. He has contributed widely to political and philosophical journals on numerous subjects, among them ideology, the sociology of literature, clientism in politics, regionalism and the politics of the media. He is a regular attendee at League of Ireland fixtures and is former President of Galway Utd. With 39.6% of first preference votes, Higgins beat six other candidates to become President of Ireland in 2011.

In April 2014, he became the first President of Ireland to make a State visit to the UK, during which he delivered a historic address at

Westminster. In 2018, he welcomed Pope Francis to Áras an Uachtaráin during the first papal visit to Ireland in 40 years. He told the pontiff of the anger felt by those in Ireland who were abused as children by Catholic clerics. The Marriage Equality Referendum and Eighth Amendment Referedum were both passed during his first term.

Labour, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael backed Higgins as he sought a second term in office. He prevailed with 55.8% of the vote defeating five other candidates. Housing was labelled in June 2022

by President Higgins as our great great failure”. He has been a vocal critic of the war in Gaza. He twice had the honour of greeting the Clare hurlers on All-Ireland final day on the field of Croke Park before they lifted the Liam McCarthy in 2013 and 2024.

After being elected in 2011, the President’s Bernese Mountain dogs soon became a beloved fixture at the Áras, greeting dignitaries and interrupting events in pursuit of belly rubs. Known for his affection for the breed, he currently owns five-year-old Misneach. His previous dogs, Bród, died in 2023, and Síoda died in 2020 following a short illness.

Clare councillors send congratulations to President Connolly

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

ENNIS native Brian McEnery has taken up new residence at Áras an Uachtaráin alongside his wife, Catherine Connolly (IND) who on Tuesday was inaugurated as the 10th President of Ireland.

President Connolly said she will make sure all voices are heard during her term. At a ceremony in Dublin Castle, she was inaugurated as President. Her first official engagement was a lunch at an Áras followed by a State reception held in her honour, later that night.

For her first official day in office, she was in Dublin, Meath and Galway visiting Gaelscoil Inse Chór in Dublin 8, Trim family resource centre and Merlin Park Community Nursing Unit 5 and 6 in her home county of Galway.

Joining her along the way was her husband Brian who hails from Hermitage. A former woodwork teacher, he taught for 25 years at Garbally College in Ballinasloe and a further nine at St Joseph’s Patrician College in Galway City. They have been married for 33 years and have two adult sons, Brian and Stephen.

He moved to Galway with his family in 1988, one of five children he played football and hurling as a child before becoming a keen motorcyclist, driving a Harley-Davidson.

When he retired from teaching, Brian became active in community groups in 2009 such as the local men’s shed and the residents association in the Claddagh. His life changed significantly when he suffered a serious stroke in 2013. McEnery had been very active prior to this, running four Dublin Marathons and five triathlons.

On Monday, Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) requested Clare County Council “write to the Arás to formally extend our fraternal congratulations”. He added, “We commend her lifelong commitment to public service, social

justice and democratic values, and we recognise the significance of her election for communities across the island of Ireland as we take steps towards reunification under the Good Friday Agreement. We also extend our warmest wishes to her family, her husband, Ennis native Brian McEnery and their two sons who have supported her throughout her distinguished career”.

An attempt by Cllr Guilfoyle to amend his motion to include a request for a civic reception for the Galway woman did not proceed as the matter had not been put before the Corporate Policy Group of Clare County Council, as per standing orders.

Both Cllr Guilfoyle and Cllr James Ryan (SF) were among the Connolly canvassing team in Clare. Seconding the proposal, Cllr Ryan noted, “Because of the great Clare connection, it is really important that we congratulate her officially”.

President Catherine Connolly with her husband Brian McEnery alongside past Presidents Mary McAleese, Michael D. Higgins, Mary Robinson and their respective spouses Martin, Sabina and Nicholas

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November garden notes: bringing colour indoors and preparing for the cold THE DAYS are getting chilly and cold but that’s ok because we are in the month of November and when the sun shines, we appreciated it and welcomed it.

If you haven’t yet and want to keep some of the geraniums for next year now is the time to bring them indoors before the frost comes and nights, get colder.

They can continue to bloom indoors, the new Guiney bizzy Lizzy are another one and the Coleus plant all of these can continue to bloom indoors away from the cold.

Bird Food is on special offer at the moment, peanuts fat balls and feeders while stock

last.

The last of spring bulbs now on special offer and when they are gone, they are gone.

Our perennials are on special offer also at the moment which includes a range of heuchera and many others.

We have a wide range of evergreens in stock so if you want evergreen for pots, we have some lovely pink cordyline and red burgundy ones.

There is also, a lovely range of heathers for low growing areas on special offer.

Cyclamen and primroses are great colour this time of year and are great to replenish pots and add new life to them.

If you do find yourself in the garden take some time to cut back dead wood on shrubs and perennial that are finished and also by adding mulch you are giving a lovely lush look to your beds and borders.

So, with Christmas on the way we are taking booking for wreath class.

We are taking orders for wreaths and Christmas tree.

So, if you needed a bigger Christmas tree now is the time to order. There are some samples available to view at the moment in the garden centre.

Happy Gardening

12

Thursday, Nov 13, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

News

Inagh’s Crawford elected first female chair of Fianna Fáil’s Clare branch

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

INAGH’s Mary Crawford picture has been elected as the first female Chair of Fianna Fáil’s Clare branch with the party’s AGM hearing if any apologies have been sent by Taoiseach Micheál Martin (FF) to the county following the Presidential election.

For the second year running there was no contests at the AGM of the Fianna Fáil Clare Chomairle Dáilcheantair.

Former Chairperson Mike Enright opted not to seek a return to the role despite being nominated. The Newmarket-on-Fergus dairy farmer took the position of Vice Chairperson.

Former local election candidate, Louise Roche McNamara (FF) was elected as secretary, succeeding Garret Greene who stepped down earlier in the year.

Tom Costelloe remains as joint treasurer, this time assisted by Christy Kelly after Pat Murphy’s exit. Liam Hayes makes the step up from youth officer to PRO, a role which has been vacant following Cillian Murphy’s resignation from the party in January.

Ex Shannon Town Councillor, Geraldine Lambert continues as membership officer with Angela Coll returning to the fold, this time as women’s/equality officer.

As apologies were read out from members unable to attend the meeting, Enright asked if Taoiseach Micheál Martin or Sean Dorgan, secretary general of Fianna Fáil issued apologies to party members for their calamity which

was their Presidential Election campaign. His comments led to applause and laughter from party members.

Provincial organizer of the party, Colm Leahy advised prior to the meeting that access to the meeting was not open to the media. As Fianna Fáil battles with declining support in opinion polls and continues to pick up the pieces from the Jim Gavin fiasco, the move was a different tack to the 2024 AGM when no such barriers were raised.

“It was your article that filled the room,” remarked Cllr Alan O’Callaghan (FF) as he left the meeting and entered the lobby of Hotel Woodstock. Leahy and senior party officials keen to keep the fourth estate away from proceedings may not have heard the comments at the time but will be sure to come across them in the near future.

Among those present at the AGM were Junior Minister, Timmy Dooley (FF), TD Cathal Crowe (FF), former Minister for Defence, Tony Killeen (FF), Cllr Pat Hayes (FF), Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF), Cllr Alan O’Callaghan (FF), Cllr Rachel Hartigan (FF), Cllr Michael Shannon (FF), Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF), Cllr Pat Daly (FF), Cllr Shane Talty (FF) and Cllr Joe Killeen (FF).

Retired councillors, Pat McMahon and Patrick Keane were also present along with Martin O’Loghlen and Ben Sweeney, parliamentary assistants of Dooley and Crowe.

Outgoing Chairperson, Darragh McAllister was among those to depart proceedings early and described his year-long stint as “a stop gap”.

Junior Minister Dooley told the meeting that Taoiseach Martin would be leading Fianna Fáil into the next General Election and Deputy Crowe put forward his rationale for nominating Jim Gavin for the Presidency.

More frequent meetings of the party branch are needed, Cllr Hayes argued while Cllr Daly flagged the impact of the Clareabbey wastewater treatment plant hitting full capacity. The ballot paper for the Presidential election should have allowed for more candidates, Cllr Shannon told the meeting.

Housing is the most important issue in the county, Cllr Killeen stressed while the case of keeping a viable post office network was underlined by Cllr Tom O’Callaghan. The need to improve health services in the region was outlined by Cllr O’G orman.

Mary wants to empower members as FF Chair

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

FIANNA FÁIL’s new Chairperson in Clare has said she aims to “empower” members in the wake of their anger with the Presidential Election.

Mary Crawford of Inagh was elected as the first female Chairperson of the Fianna Fáil Clare Chomairle Dáilcheantair on Friday evening, having been Vice Chairperson during Darragh McAllister’s sixteen month stint in the top seat.

Speaking to The Clare Echo, Mary outlined what she can do on a local level to try restore the hurt felt among party members amid the ongoing unease in Fianna Fáil, Mary stated, “We are where we are with things that have happened, because I feel I really want people to be empowered that is where I’m going to come from so whether there is upset which there could be, it will be everybody empowered in so far as we possibly can and to try overcome those issues which presented themselves and those can happen in different ways at different times.

“There can be disaffection with people, events and leaders with questions asked, a time comes when you have to move

on and listen to the people on the ground, engage the people and to try build up, we have to do that and we have had an absence of that in the past, there is a lot of work to be done with terms of engagement”.

Engagement with members will increase, she stated, “I see it as a role where there will be a lot of engagement with the membership and collaboration. I’d like to think we will engage as many members as we can by setting up sub-committees, looking at revitalising the party in different comhairle ceanntairs which is one of the first things we have to do. I have sat on several sub-committees in the past, I see they are of huge benefit and it brings more people into the party at ground level, it gives you a real sense of partnership and that is what I’m about, I want to see an engagement all around, make the party relevant to the people and above all to have younger people involved. Our new PRO is a young man, we will have another young person coming in from Ógra as our youth officer, I can see there is great scope”.

Mary admitted she was “surprised” that she was the branch’s first female Chairperson.

She noted they have a strong female representation on the officer board.

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Fianna Fáil members expected apology from Taoiseach for Clare AGM over Presidential disaster

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

A FIANNA FÁIL officer has said party members in Clare were owed an apology from Taoiseach Micheál Martin (FF) for their disastrous Presidential Election campaign.

Mike Enright was elected Vice Chairperson of the Fianna Fáil Clare Chomairle Dáilcheantair at Friday’s AGM in Hotel Woodstock.

During the meeting, he asked if any apology had been issued to the party branch in Clare by the Taoiseach following Jim Gavin’s (FF) withdrawal in advance of polling day which left Fianna Fáil with no candidate for the Arás.

Speaking to The Clare Echo, Enright outlined, “There was different items on the agenda, I saw ‘apologies’ and I presumed that there was something coming from Micheál Martin or Seán Dorgan which is why I asked the question, I presumed our Director of Elections Ger-

 APOLOGY: Mike Enright, Eamon Ó Cuiv and Tony O’Brien [inset image: Taoiseach Micheal Martin]

ry Reidy or someone from headquarters was coming to the grassroots, I was expect-

ing something but nothing came, we will have to wait for this report from Margaret

Murphy O’Mahony, whatever will be in that, it seems to be coming from headquar-

ters but there d o e s n’t seem to be anything for the grassroots”.

Newmarket-on-Fergus native Enright was nominated for both Chairperson and Vice Chairperson but opted not to contest Mary Crawford for the top seat.

Explaining his decision not to run against Crawford, he said, “I took a decision, I know Mary Crawford a long

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time, I contested her before and actually beat Mary in the previous Convention in 2016, I’ve worked with Mary on different events in Clare like the 1916 commemoration for the election of Eamon de Valera, she was brilliant on that committee. I wish Mary all the best, I think she will be a great Chair in Clare, she is the first lady elected to the role, I’m looking forward to the coming year, it will be 100 years of Fianna Fáil”.

After serving as Chairperson for eight years, Mike was away from the officer board for sixteen months, returning at Friday’s AGM. “I’m going to go back in and help Mary, we have a big year coming up to mark the 100 years of Fianna Fáil, I’m delighted to be part of that and do everything to support Mary and the Fianna Fáil organisation in Clare,” he stated on what he hopes to offer after a break from the board.

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News

Clare man who pleads guilty to possessing of child porn can’t be named

by Gordon Deegan news@clareecho.ie

A JUDGE has ruled that a 33-year old Co Clare man who has pleaded guilty to two separate counts of the unlawful possession of child pornography can’t be identified, for now.

At Ennis Circuit Court, the man was arraigned and pleaded guilty to the possession of child pornography on a OnePlus mobile phone and Alba Tablet under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, 1998 at his Co Clare home on February 10th 2021 When first charged in Ennis District Court, the man was accused of have in his possession the Alba tablet containing 38 images of child sexual abuse material and 38 videos of child sexual abuse material.

The man was also charged with having a OnePlus mobile phone containing 1,846 images of child sexual abuse material and 771

open to it and I will make a more detailed application at the sentencing hearing and it is not something you can deal with on the hoof ”.

Mr Connolly said that “it is an important point”.

Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Sarah Jane Comerford BL (Instructed by State Solicitor for Clare, Aisling Casey) said that the State has no objection to a stay on the accused being named at this stage.

Ms Comerford said that “once we have more thoroughly canvassed the issue we will have instructions at that point”.

Mr Connolly said that his client “has had addiction issues in the past and psychiatric issues and I would ask that the legal aid certificate be extended for the purposes of getting a report from a consultant psychiatrist”.

Mr Connolly added, “This man has had an

 ENNIS COURTHOUSE: Clare man who pleads guilty to possessing 2,693 videos & pictures of child porn can’t be named for now rules judge

videos of child sexual abuse material.

When the matter was before the district court, solicitor, Daragh Hassett for the accused said that the matter is particularly serious and asked that the legal aid certificate be extended for two barristers to represent the man in the Circuit Court.

Now, at Ennis Circuit Court, Lorcan Connolly SC told Judge Francis Comerford that he was seeking reporting restrictions on the identity of his client in circumstances where there a number of children in the background here.

Mr Connolly said that he would address Judge Comerford at the sentencing hearing “to put meat on the bone” of his application for his client not be named.

He said, “Where there are children in the background the court has certain options

involvement with the Probation Services a number of years and I would ask the court to prepare a Probation Report”.

He said that his client has moved to another county and is gainfully employed.

Judge Comerford said that would be direct that reporting restrictions remain in place for now pending Mr Connolly’s application for a permanent restriction on reporting restrictions at the sentencing hearing.

Judge Comerford further remanded the accused on bail to November 14th for a call over of cases.

The CARI Helpline offers support to children, parents, adult survivors, professionals, and the general public with concerns about or affected by child sexual abuse or sexualised behaviour. Call 0818 924567, Monday– Friday 9am–5pm.

15

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 13, 2025

Regional News

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Shannon

Obair Newmarket-on-Fergus wins Pride of Place

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

OBAIR Newmarket-on-Fergus beat off competition from across Ireland to claim success at the annual IPB Pride of Place Awards.

Co Clare celebrated a fourth year in a row of success at the Pride of Place awards when Obair was named joint winner of the Creative Community category in recognition of its leadership in local development and promotion of social inclusion, education, and environmental sustainability.

Nominated by Clare County Council, Obair was commended by competition judges for its efforts to date, which have included its flagship Meals on Wheels service that delivers hot meals to older and vulnerable people across a wide rural area. The organisation also operates a community crèche, shop, and the recreational and performance spaces at O’Regan Park, runs afterschool and youth programmes through the Tradaree Youth Project, and supports local green initiatives and adult learning in partnership with the local education and training board.

Meanwhile, Clare Comhairle na nÓg was named runner-up in the Community Youth Initiative category

in recognition of the leadership shown by its young members as agents of change on issues such as mental health, discrimination and inclusion. The group developed a creative project on discrimination, which led to the introduction of the ‘Free Period Products’ initiative.

With support from Healthy Ireland, they also produced the short film ‘It Should Be Like Toilet Paper’, promoting period dignity and positivity, which premiered during Women’s Health Week 2025.

Clare County Council also nominated Inagh Development and Feakle Community Council to take part in this year’s Pride of Place, which is organised by peacebuilding charity Co-operation Ireland and sponsored by IPB Insurance. Inagh was shortlisted in the Climate Action and Biodiversity category in recognition of its leadership in community-led environmental projects. Initiatives include solar panels and LED lighting, native planting, rainwater Feakle Community Council represented Clare in the 0–300 Population category at this year’s awards.

Clare has a strong record of success with recent wins for Lisdoonvarna Fáilte (2024), Tourism East Clare and the Rekindle Festival of Lost Skills (2023), Loop Head (2022), and Clare Youth Ac-

lAWARD: IPB Chairman John Hogan presents representatives of Obair Newmarket on Fergus CLG, Eimear Murphy and Orla Meaney with the award for winning the Creative Communities category at the IPB Pride of Place Awards, joined by staff and elected members of Clare County Council

tion (2020).

Speaking following the ceremony, Clare County Council Leas-Cathaoirleach, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF), said, “Clare was well represented by four great communities at this year’s Pride of Place Awards, each of which showed the same community spirit and pride that has always made Clare stand out in this competition. This is a very proud day for the volunteer members of Obair and is testament to collective efforts of so many people over a number of years.”.

Obair Newmarket-on-Fergus was represented at the awards ceremony by Orla Meaney and Eimear Murphy. “We are absolutely delighted to be recognised in Pride of Place. This award reflects the commitment of everyone at Obair to supporting our community, whether through Meals on Wheels, youth programmes, or initiatives that bring people together and create a welcoming space for all. It’s a celebration of the difference a dedicated group of volunteers can make every day, and it will certainly motivate

us to keep going,” Orla said.

Reacting to Clare Comhairle na nÓg’s runner-up award alongside members Niamh McManus and Isabel Gurure, co-ordinator Brian McManus of Clare Youth Service stated, “We’re incredibly proud to see the work of Clare Comhairle na nÓg recognised on the national stage, which is testament to the power of young people to make a real difference in their communities. From tackling important issues like mental health and inclusion to leading projects that challenge stigma, our members have shown that when young voices are heard and supported, positive change can happen”.

According to Clare County Council Director of Services, Planning, Economic, Rural & Community Department Jason Murphy, “There are many examples in County Clare of community groups and organisations who give freely of their time out of devotion to their community. In nominating Comhairle na nÓg, Feakle, Obair, and Inagh this year, Clare County Council highlighted ideal examples of the dedication, hard work, and creativity of voluntary groups making a positive difference in their local areas”.

The four nominated Clare projects were visited by IPB

Pride of Place judges in July when group representatives made formal presentations before hosting tours that highlighted the elements of the community and volunteer efforts of which they are most proud. This year’s adjudicators were Brendan McGrath and Declan Nelson, former Chief Executives of Galway County Council and Monaghan County Council, respectively.

Pride of Place Coordinator for Clare County Council Kathy Coleman, commented, “Judging day is always a proud moment for participating communities, affording them a valuable opportunity to showcase their work.

It was heartening to see the Comhairle na nÓg members and the communities of Inagh, Feakle, and Newmarket-on-Fergus engaging so enthusiastically with the adjudicators.

“We are already looking forward to hearing from communities who may be interested in representing the county in next year’s Pride of Place competition and following in the footsteps of this year’s four nominees. In the meantime, Clare County Council looks forward to continuing its collaborative work with voluntary groups in making a real difference to the lives of people in their communities,” she added.

Ryanair add four new routes for summer schedule

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

RYANAIR have announced the addition of four new routes from Shannon Airport for next summer.

Madrid, Poznań, Rome and Warsaw will be four new destinations on Ryanair’s summer schedule with increased frequency also confirmed for routes to Alicante, Barcelona-Reus, Lanzarote, Malta and Manchester.

This expansion brings Ryanair’s total summer 2026 offering at Shannon to thirty routes which will be the largest amount of services operated by the airline at Shannon Airport.

Extra services and flights will result in 1.4m passenger seats on Ry-

anair routes from Shannon Airport which is an increase of 180,000 and a fifteen percent increase compared with summer 2025. Previously announced plans for a fourth based aircraft at Shannon will also be in situ for next summer.

Passengers will enjoy twice weekly flights on three of the new routes.

Flights to Rome commence on March 31st running on Tuesdays and Saturdays; flights to Poznań will run from March 31st on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and the yearround service to Madrid will switch to Wednesdays and Sundays for the summer season, beginning 31st March. There will be four weekly flights to Warsaw from March 30th on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and

Saturdays.

Interim CEO of the Shannon Airport Group, Ray O’Driscoll praised Ryanair’s “continued commitment to Shannon Airport”. He stated, “This expansion is a strong vote of confidence in Shannon’s growth trajectory. It reflects our ongoing investment in infrastructure and passenger experience, as well as our strong commitment to working with airline partners to expand our route network and deliver greater choice for customers across the country. These new services enhance Shannon’s connectivity to key European cities, supporting tourism, trade and regional development, and will be warmly welcomed by both holiday makers and

business travellers alike”.

Chief Operating Officer of Ryanair, Jason McGuinness outlined that the addition of a fourth Ryanair aircraft at Shannon and the extra services represented a €345m investment. “Next Summer Ryanair’s US$400m investment in the Midwest will deliver more than 1.4m low-fare seats from Shannon to a record 30 European destinations,” he commented.

McGuinness continued, “Ryanair’s four based aircraft and US$400m investment in Shannon is a clear commitment to growing Ireland’s regional connectivity. This Summer Shannon will benefit from +180,000 (+15%) additional seats and 4 new routes thanks to the

hard work of The Shannon Airport Group, who recognise the need for efficient, cost-competitive facilities to attract growth and drive inbound tourism to the region, supporting year-round international connectivity. However, the Irish Govt. needs to support regional airports by expanding the scope of the Regional Airports Programme 2026-30 to at least 3m passenger p.a., which would allow regional airports to grow traffic even more without being penalised for doing so”.

In June, Ryanair announced plans to introduce a fourth based aircraft at Shannon Airport. New routes to Lapland, Madeira and Madrid also took flight for the winter schedule.

16

Thursday, Nov 13, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

Regional News

East Clare

Time to build bridges between Scariff & Tuamgraney?

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

BRIDGES may need to be built between Scariff and Tuamgraney to link up resources and give both adjoining parishes the same level of opportunity.

SPC, Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) noting the strong pride in each area’s identity quipped, “do you want to build a bridge between Scariff and Tuamgraney Denis”.

Tuohy responded, “there is a good conver-

the wider region”. He said the question from Mary was “very valid” and “we will hopefully answer in the future”.

Committed and energetic people have been central to the success of Town Teams, Cllr Hayes outlined. “Key

knows better than myself how the system can let you down”.

Absence of longterm funding remains a barrier, he said, “we are coming back to the theme of bringing people to the point and not having the funding to

Bog Road in Clooney 'quite poor' Council acknowledge

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

SENIOR ENGINEERS in Clare County Council have acknowledged that ‘The Bog Road’ in Clooney “is quite poor” and in need of repairs.

An appeal to carry out works on the L-8176 “known locally as the Bog Road from Clooney GAA Grounds to the Cross” was made by Cllr Alan O’Callaghan (FF) at a sitting of the Killaloe Municipal District. He flagged that the road “is in reed of repair”.

Declan Flanagan, senior executive engineer noted the road “has suffered from degradation and settlement due to the poor nature of the existing terrain. This particular section of road is quite busy for traffic leading to the GAA grounds with Satellite Navigation systems directing traffic to this

Local Secondary road for those travelling from Ennis to Clooney/Quin GAA Grounds”.

Flanagan confirmed that the current Pavement Surface Condition Index (PSCI) rating for the road “is on average between three and four indicating the road is quite poor. We will be considering this road to be included as part of the 2026 Restoration Improvement Works programme which is subject to budgetary allocations for next year”.

“When there’s matches in Clooney, it is heavily trafficked,” Cllr O’Callaghan stated. “Hopefully it gets into the 2026 restoration programme,” he added. Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF) seconded the proposal.

Ballymorris Pottery Christmas Fair BALLYMORRIS Pottery will host a Christmas fair on the weekend of November 22nd and 23, featuring a great range of local products. Beautiful paintings, pottery, patchwork, timber crafts, jewellery, facepainting, candles and more will all be showcased.

The fair is open on Saturday evening from 4pm to 8pm, offering visitors a chance to enjoy the festive atmosphere, and which continues Sunday from 11am to 4pm.

You can also try your hand at mak-

BUILD BRIDGES: Tuamgraney

Ongoing work of the Scariff Town Team was hailed at a meeting of Clare County Council’s Rural Development Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) held on Tuesday morning.

Agricultural advisor Denis Tuohy who is also a member of Scariff Town Team told the meeting, “when it goes right and it is working with the supports in the background it is a very positive thing. There is huge money in rural development, it is very busy. Inis Cealtra is an example of the positive things coming in the area in the future”.

Community and voluntary representative, Mary Coffey from Tuamgraney suggested both adjoining parishes develop stronger links.

“A little place like Tuamgraney which has all the industry and is 500 yards from Scariff but is not in some way linked to this, I don’t know how that can be brought about. I’d probably be shot in Tuamgraney for saying it but it is a missed opportunity”.

Cathaoirleach of the

sation needed. Should Scariff Town Team be Scariff anymore, should it be Scariff and Tuamgraney because we are the key market town in the area, should you instead have a strategic planning committee for

stakeholders are doing an awful lot of work in the towns and villages, that is something we should look forward to expanding”. He continued, “There’s a level of expectation that you will deliver but no one

help them deliver. People have an expectation to deliver. I was part of the Scariff Town Team, we’ve been hugely successful but only for people like Denis, a lot of things would not get done”.

ing your own Christmas decorations during special making sessions in the pottery (booking is required; fee €18, call 061-357118).

Complimentary refreshments will be provided, making this a delightful event not to be missed—conveniently located just off the N18 between Bunratty and Cratloe.

Ballymorris Pottery’s Christmas fair runs November 22-23, featuring local crafts. Saturday 16:00–20:00, Sunday 11:00–16:00. Festive atmosphere guaranteed.

SECTION 38 OF THE ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 1994 PROPOSED BUS STOPS FOR ENNIS TOWN BUS SERVICE Notice is hereby given that Clare County Council, pursuant of Section 38 of the Road Traffic Act 1994, propose installation of new bus stops and construction of associated works at the following locations:

ENHANCED DEFECTIVE CONCRETE BLOCKS GRANT SCHEME WALK IN CLINIC Date: 28th November, 2025 Venue: Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, County Clare Time: 9.30 to 16:00 Clare County Council’s Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Facilitator will host a clinic in Clare County Council Head Quarters, Ennis, to support homeowners applying for the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme, as well as those who have already received their grant and need guidance on next steps on the scheme.

The clinic will offer one-to-one assistance, including:

Cloughleigh Road (W) Fergus Lawn (S) Ennis General Hospital (S) Gort Road Business Park (S) Ballyallia (S) Lahinch Road – Shanballa (W) Lahinch Road – Shanballa (E) Francis Street (N) GAA – Tesco Francis Street (S) Tesco Lifford Road (N) Lifford Road (S)

Carmody Street (W) Cloughleigh Road (E) Shanaway Road – Lahinch Road (W) Shanaway Road (E) Shanvogh (E) College Green (E) Tulla Rd – Hillcrest (W) Ballymaley (N) Lahinch Road Terminus Station Road (E)

Plans and particulars of the proposed works will be available for inspection at the following locations from Friday 14th November 2025 to Friday 12th of December 2025.

•

Help with completing applications

•

Clare County Council Website.

•

Advice on required documentation

•

•

General information about the scheme

The offices of Clare County Council, Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare between the hours of 9.00am to 5.00pm.

•

Scanning and uploading documents

No appointment is necessary. We encourage anyone seeking guidance on the application process or their grant to attend.

If you cannot attend on the scheduled date and have questions about your application or grant, please email the Defective Concrete Blocks Team at dcb@clarecoco.ie

Submissions or observations in relation to the proposals may be made before 4:00 p.m. on Friday 12th December 2025 by: •

email to ennismunicipaldistrict@clarecoco.ie

•

or in writing to the Senior Engineer, Ennis Municipal District, Clare County Council, Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare.

17

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 13, 2025

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West Clare

Bringing honour to the name of Ballyea

by Seamus Hayes news@clareecho.ie

A NEW book charting the first one hundred years of Ballyea GAA club has been launched.

Before a packed house at The Local Inn in Drumquin on Saturday evening, the history of Ballyea GAA (1884-1984) was launched

by Clare hurling captain and Ballyea’s own Tony Kelly.

Entitled ‘Bringing honour to the name of Ballyea’, editor Michael O’Shea explained that the book name was taken from “one of Michael McTigue’s many inspiring quotes to Ballyea GAA club annual general meetings”.

At the outset club chairman Diarmuid Considine welcomed all and thanked the history project committee of Michael O’Shea, Vincent O’Connor and Seamus O’Reilly for their work in bringing the project to fruition.

Clare GAA chairman Kieran Keating congratulated all involved and wished the club continued success in the years ahead.

A native of Darragh, O’Shea has lived in Kent in England for much of the past forty years but never lost touch with his home parish.

In the introduction to the publication Michael says, “Ballyea GAA club is now well known amongst the hurling fraternity 16 to its unprecedented success due at county and provincial levels Contributers over the past decade. However it had very humble beginnings

Regional News

Photo booklet traces the growth of West Clare Resource Centre in Miltown Malbay

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

A PHOTO BOOKLET documenting thirty years of the West Clare Resource Centre in Miltown Malbay has been launched.

CEO of the Clare and Limerick LCETB, Bernadette Cullen officially launched the publication and presented a copy to the County Librari-

into disrepair but was resuscitated thanks to the vision and foresight of then councillor and local teacher Christy Curtin (IND) and the late Michael McMahon.

Their efforts combined with the support of then Adult Education Officer of Co Clare VEC, Dr Seán Conlan and CEO of the VEC, Jim Lyons led to the refurbishment of

PHOTO BOOKLET: Bernadette Cullen CEO of the Clare and Limerick LCETB presenting a copy of the booklet to County Librarian Helen Walsh BALLYEA: Tony Kelly at the book launch

having been re-formed by a small group of local men in Blake’s Car house in Ballyvulligan in April 1934. Little did the ‘founding fathers’ at that meeting imagine the success Ballyea would achieve nearly a century later, four county senior titles, a Munster club title, an All-Ireland final appearance in Croke Park, and one of their own accepting the Liam McCarthy cup on behalf of Clare. Their sole intention was to give local boys and men the opportunity to play hurling”.

Photo by: Jane Flanagan

Launching the publication Tony Kelly thanked the editorial committee and paid tribute to all who had been involved in playing for and running the club over the years. “Without what ye have done we wouldn’t have been able to achieve what we have achieved in the last few years. It’s a fantastic thing to have in the club”, he said when urging all to buy the publication.

The publication is available through the club and from local shops.

an Helen Walsh.

An archive of photos from 1993 to 2025 is included in the booklet which was launched at the end of October. Services on site at the West Clare Resource Centre now include the Dr. Patrick J. Hillery Public Library, the further education and training college, HSE health services such as the health centre and dental clinic, Spraoí Childcare Centre and Páirc Laichtin Garden.

Thousands of young people from the locality were educated at the Miltown Malbay Vocational School from its opening in 1939 to its closure in 1985. The building had fallen

the building in the early 1990s and its opening as a resource centre in 1992. The Clare VEC’s vocational training opportunities’ scheme opened in 1993 with the Youth Reach programme added in 1996.

The Mid-Western Health Board opened a dental clinic at the centre in March 1995.

April 1995 saw Clare County Council open its modern multi-purpose library on site which has since been renamed after former President, Patrick Hillery. A community Thursday, Oct 24, 2024 THE CLARE ECHO creche was established on site and opened in 2008. The campus is now part of the College of Further Education and Training.

Lamb, Chickpea and Pumpkin Tagine INGREDIENTS n1 onion, sliced n2 cloves garlic, crushed n1 red capsicum, diced n1/2 butternut pumpkin or sweet potato, cut into chunks n400g can diced tomatoes n400g can chickpeas, drained n2 cups water n1/2 cup halved dates or pitted prunes n2 teaspoons sea salt grated rind 1 lemon n1/2 cup coriander leaves nflatbread, for serving or cous cous, or both

METHOD Step 1 Coat lamb in spices.

Step 2 Heat oil in a tagine or large pot and brown meat on all sides.

Step 3 Stir in onion, garlic and capsicum and cook for 1 minute.

Step 4 Stir in pumpkin, tomatoes, chickpeas, water, dates and salt.

Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 1/2 hours until tender.

Step 5 Remove lid and simmer a further 10 minutes until slightly thickened.

Step 6 Grate lemon rind over the top, garnish with coriander and serve with flatbread, cous cous or both.

Enjoy!

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Thursday, Nov 13, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

Regional News

Ennis

€424k enhancement scheme for Ennis businesses following public realm works

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

A STREETSCAPE enhancement scheme worth a total of €424,000 has been announced for Ennis businesses and residential properties impacted by the long-running public realm works in the county town.

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, acting senior engineer Paddy Tiernan announced details of the scheme which aims to help businesses in the town refresh their shop fronts next year following the conclusion of the €11.5m public realm works.

Tiernan outlined that a total of 406 commercial and 18 residential properties were eligible for the grant. All properties are located “within the architectural conservation area of Ennis,” he explained. This area encompasses from Steele’s Terrace to Waterpark House out to the Bishop’s Residence on Cusack Rd to Station Rd incorporating the town centre. Full uptake of the scheme gives it a “potential value of €424,000,” the senior engineer stated.

Applicants must be the owner of the property or have the owner’s written consent. “We are proposing a scheme to enhance the historic character and traditional street scene of Ennis and create properties which are more attractive for residents”.

He said the grant would “create properties which are more attractive”. €1000 is the maximum grant per property. “The grant is to be used for painting, improvements to facades and repairs of gutters and downpipes,” Tiernan advised. Appli-

ENHANCEMENT SCHEME: Photographed at the launch of the Ennis Streetscape Enhancement Scheme are Ennis Municipal District Acting Senior Engineer, Paddy Tiernan, Director of Services, Planning, Economic, Rural & Community Development Jason Murphy, Mayor of Ennis Cllr Mary Howard and Morgan Lahiffe, Senior Engineer, Capital Infrastructure Delivery

cations for the scheme can be made between February 2nd and 26th 2026 with the scheme itself closing on October 31st 2026 “which gives us all spring, summer and autumn to get organised”.

Combining this with the public realm works and the boways and laneways project, Tiernan said “it is an almost €15m investment in Ennis”. He continued, “we’re approaching a conclusion and this is good times for the scheme, this is another positive story to bring the town forward and have it looking the best it can into the future”.

Mayor of the Ennis MD, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) who had sought a paint scheme for businesses impacted by the public realm described the streetscape enhancement as “great news for

residents and business owners in the town centre”. She admitted that when proposing this motion, “I didn’t think it would be as good as what has been announced”. The Mayor added, “We can only imagine how good it will look when properties are done”.

She questioned if businesses who have already completed works in recent months can avail of the scheme. Tiernan responded, “we’ll talk to anybody within reason, if it is going back five years and pulling receipts from the attic it might be a different story. This scheme is designed to give something back to the town”. In a statement, Cllr Howard declared,

“Together, we are making Ennis shine brighter than ever.”

Giving back to businesses is important, Cllr Pat Daly (FF) stated, “It is welcome after the public realm works which have taken so long”. He asked if businesses on the Clare Rd, Gort Rd, Quin Rd, Kilrush Rd and in Roslevan could be included, “they are ratepayers too”. The senior engineer stated, “We’re trying to get it as wide reaching as possible, the only way to extend it is to cut, we’re trying to put the money into the town centre, boost tourism and make it for the businesses who have been most affected, it has been tough, it has been hard”.

Clarity was sought by Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua (FF) on how long businesses would be waiting to be reimbursed after applying for the grant. She also asked could the local authority just provide €1000 per businesses as opposed to eighty percent of the costs.

In response, Tiernan stated, “we thought eighty percent was fair, it is costly to do business now and we expect most businesses will spend in excess of €1000, if they spend in excess of that they will get the full €1000 and if somebody spends €500 then they get €400 which we think is fair”.

Grá for Gaza live podcast fundraiser

GRÁ FOR GAZA present a Live Podcast fundraiser on Thursday November 20 at 7pm in Hurst Café in Clarecastle.

Independent journalist Audrey Kissane’s The Clear Lens podcast will be recorded live as she interviews Niamh Ní Bhriain, head of TNI War and Pacification Programme. Their conversation is entitled “Coming out of the fog - the plain truths about economics, militarisation and the press”.

The Clear Lens is a political podcast where listeners can learn about important and sometimes confusing political issues of the day from guest experts, academics and advocates.

The Transnational Institute (TNI) is an international research and advocacy institute committed to building a just, democratic and sustainable planet. For over 50 years, TNI has served as a unique nexus between social movements, engaged scholars, and policymakers. Niamh Ní Bhriain holds an LLM in International Human Rights Law from the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG). Before coming to TNI, Niamh spent a number of years living in Colombia and Mexico working with civil society organisations and the UN in the areas of peace-building, transitional justice, the protection of Human Rights Defenders and conflict analysis.

Doors open at 6pm with tea, coffee and toasties available in the café. The podcast will be recorded from 7pm to 8pm and advance booking is essential as there is limited seating. The podcast will be followed by a trad session in the pub.

All proceeds on the night will go directly to families in Palestine.

Admission is €10 and tickets can be bought through Revolut @sarahger.

NOTES Primary School Cross-Country Final Primary Schools Cross-Country Finals 2025 are taking place at Lees Rd on Tuesday November 18. First Race is at 11.00am. Please arrive early.

Centra Celebrations

Evan Aherne, Centra, Fitzgerald Kane’s Clarecastle, rising star award winner pictured at the Centra Pride Awards Night, The Round Room at The Mansion House, Dublin 2.

Picture credit: Damien Eagers

19

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 13, 2025

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Regional News

North Clare

Condition of N85 & failure to progress realignment project ‘not acceptable’

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

A GATEWAY to North Clare is “an embarrassing piece of road” with top officials in Clare County Council failing to follow up on intent from six years ago, one councillor has said.

Failure of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and Clare County Council to progress the N85 realignment project in six years has been criticised by elected members of the local authority.

Director of Service, Carmel Kirby stated in December 2019 that consultants would be appointed “in early 2020” to upgrade a 3km section of road from west of Kilnamona Cross and an additional 1.5km to Whelan’s Quarry.

No funding has been sanctioned for the scheme by TII in 2023, 2024 or 2025 but the energy exerted by Council officials in their bid has also been questioned.

In a fresh proposal, Cllr Shane Talty (FF) asked the Council to request that TII “ensure that the N85 realignment project from Ennis to

Inagh be recommenced and project development funding be allocated in the 2026 roads budget”.

He recalled raising the project in December 2019 when he was told a project brief was to be developed for 2020. “We haven’t seen any action on it since, what had been an annual allocation of €40,000 to €50,000 hasn’t been forthcoming.

This road is carrying north of 1.5 million visitors into North Clare, it is an embarrassing piece of road which is also carrying commuters to Ennis and Shannon daily for work”.

Talty continued, “There is no place to overtake, there’s dangerous bends, ongoing crashes and incidents from Kilnamona to Inagh, it is an embarrassing piece of infrastructure”. He questioned the top table on what roads they were trying to secure funding for and progress. “The intent from December 2019 hasn’t been followed through in six years”.

Seconding the motion, Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) commented, “All that has changed is dif-

NOT ACCEPTABLE: condition of N85 unacceptable

ferent posters for election candidates going up on the section of road. 100km/h is the speed limit there but you would want all wheels on the ground to be able to do it, there was a sign in Kerry ‘do 100 if you dare’ and you won’t be able to do 100 on this road. People get impatient on it when stuck behind a car, it creates frustration and tailbacks. The road edge is inadequate in places”.

With Clare to host the Irish Open and Walker Cup next year “the road is not

good enough,” Cllr Pat Daly (FF) flagged. “We got substantial funding previously when Tom Carey was engineer for new road from Ennis to Inagh but it wasn’t taken up, we’ve several buses on the road every day, people heading to work and people visiting where tourism is a big earner”. He added, “a lot of money has been spent in Dublin, it is time the West got its bit”. When the motion was discussed in December in 2019, Cllr Talty remarked “If we were in Mayo we could

have get €280m in funding for a motorway to Ennistymon”.

Airing his views, Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) said, “we can’t be blaming ourselves or the Executive, look at the Ennis MD where in fact funding has been reduced on the fact standards of our roads are okay for now and funding increased elsewhere. This is the part of infrastructure we’re trying to develop”.

Clare is not getting fair treatment from the TII, Cllr Michael Shannon (FF) felt.

“I am going to Shannon to work for nearly thirty years and for twenty of those years there has been plastic bollards on certain parts of the N85, the TII are not treating us fairly in Clare. They are main arteries to West Clare and North Clare, carrying tourism, people going to work in Ennis, Shannon, Limerick and Galway, we need to be more ambitious with our plans and more creative with how we get them to fruition. At best we can only alter small bends on the N68 for the big golf tournaments, this project needs to

come on line and be reignited”.

There needs to be a strategic approach for developing road projects in Clare, Cllr Rita McInerney (FF) affirmed, “identify the main ones and plan them accordingly from a funding and infrastructural perspective”.

Senior engineer, Cyril Feeney told councillors, “the Executive share the desire for the upgrading of our road network. Some of our elected members accompanied the Executive to a meeting with the TII in Dublin in May, we outlined many of the concerns articulated here today, TII at the meeting explained the situation for funding on overlays”.

Chief Executive of the Council, Gordon Daly said, “We will prepare a document, I am not sure what it look like but as soon as we can we will and we will prepare it for Government”. He added, “We’re talking about a case which outlines the need for investment. I acknowledge the two-events which are welcome for the shortterm”.

Thursday, Nov 13, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

20

Community

Ennistymon NS opens doors of new school to the community

by Stuart Holly editor@clareecho.ie

ENNISTYMON National School is welcoming members of the community to visit their state-ofthe-art facility which opened to pupils in September.

Based on a shared campus with Ennistymon Community School,

the primary school will open its doors on Wednesday, November 26 from 5-7pm.

Principal of Ennistymon National School, Noreen Murphy told The Clare Echo, “It’s for the whole community. The school is at the heart of that so we want to invite the community in. We’re going to have tours, teas & coffees, meet the staff, and visitors can see what we have to offer. We’re looking forward to that.”

When children returned to school in September, parents were invited in to see first hand the new state-of-the-art, two-storey facility which is a huge step to delivering top class primary education in Ennistymon and its surrounding areas. Noreen notes, “They were struck by the warmth, the light, the space, the comfort their kids will have now.”

An Edmund Rice School under the catholic ethos, the school is served by a teaching staff of seven along with five SNAs. The new development heralds a landmark moment in the history of the school which was established as a Convent of Mercy primary school in 1915, before amalgamating with the local CBS primary school in 2007.

The fully air-conditioned building is a beacon of modern architecture, with light and space flooding every room in the picturesque location overlooking the Falls Hotel and the River Inagh.

The new school boasts five spacious classrooms, a beautiful library, a modern PE hall, fully equipped staff room, a special autism class and two sensory rooms and a sensory garden which are awaiting sanctioning.

Noreen stresses that the new development means children who

attend Ennistymon NS have it “all on our doorstep now”. Prior to the facility’s completion, staff and pupils spent almost four years in a prefabricated facility from 2021 after planning was initially granted in 2018. “We couldn’t all be together anywhere. Now we can do activities together in the hall rather than going to the community centre; pre-

viously we’d have to walk down in any weather conditions, it’s all here on our doorstep now. Even in the morning parents can drop the kids to the door, before they had to drop them to the church carpark and they had to walk up that hill every morning no matter the weather. It’s all so much easier now.”

Currently, there are three classrooms in use to facilitate their 60 pupils, with long-term plans to expand numbers in the school to meet the pupil threshold for five classrooms.

Impact on morale “If you ask the kids their favourite place, it’s the library. It’s bright, it’s carpeted so it’s cosy, it’s a really nice calming atmosphere,” explains Noreen, noting that both pupil and staff morale are at an all-time high following the move.

Noreen, herself an Ennistymon native who attended the school as a child, reflected on the changes since her childhood. “The education is still excellent, I loved my time when I was in primary school.

It has become more multicultural, but it’s still the same at the heart of it.

“The other big positive has been the addition of SNAs. We didn’t have them when we were in school.

We’re so lucky here, we’d be lost without them. There’s also a brilliant parents association in place now.”

Noreen also works as SET teacher in the school, admitting, “The best part of the day is when you have the kids. They keep you grounded.”

Acting Vice Principal Deirdre Walsh has been at the school for nine years, witnessing the many changes that have happened in that timeframe including an influx of Ukrainian students, many who have since departed the school. She tells The Clare Echo that due to a lack of space previously, classes had to stagger breaks but now they can all be together during breaktime, ”It’s fantastic to move to this fabulous facility. It’s such a diverse and inclusive school, welcoming everybody.

“It’s great that the kids see each other. There’s much more connectivity between the classes and the children, we can go into the library, do assembly together in the halla, the possibilities are endless.”

The Tipperary native adds that it will have a positive impact on their children’s development.

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THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 13, 2025

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‘We link with the secondary school as much as we can,’ says principal

by Stuart Holly editor@clareecho.ie

A SHARED campus with Ennistymon Community School means a shared vision between the schools, says Principal of Ennistymon National School Noreen Murphy.

Having joined the Ennistymon staff in 2022, Noreen admits that a key support in the delivery of the new school and its smooth transition was their relationship with Ennistymon Community School.

“We were very lucky that we had a great relationship with Orla C o nw ay, the principal in the Commu n it y School, and Karen O’Neill the Deputy Principal,” Noreen tells The Clare Echo. “She allowed us to share their facilities such as the yard while we were in prefabs and that cooperation between the two schools is very important. Even with the build, they really helped us out because they had been through it.”

Ennistymon National School’s relationship with the Community School goes further than this, with programmes in place to forge links between students and staff. “We link with the secondary school as much as we can as we are a feeder school here on campus,” Noreen tells this reporter as we tour the new library. “These are transition year boys who are here to do a four-week buddy reading programme with our second and third class students. After four weeks we will rotate and have different groups coming in here.

“Meanwhile our children went over for a Cultural Day in September and they are coming here to do a languages day in November with us. We’re really trying to forge the links there.”

Noreen explains that they also have strong ties to Little Deers preschool who arrange pick-up for pupils after school.

Delving deeper into the school life, Noreen notes that sport plays a major role at Ennistymon NS with swimming, gymnastics, and GAA all an integral part of their programme with the assistance of GAA development officers Dermot Thornton and Peter Casey.

Meanwhile, every Friday all the classes are mixed together “for what we call Golden Time” where children learn on iPads in one room; lego and construction in a creative room; and finally PE. She adds, “The kids must be happy before they learn. That’s the very first step. I know child-centred learning is really important in the academics, for us their wellbeing and a positive atmosphere is utmost.”

N o r e e n stressed the vital role played by volunteers on the board of management, including chairperson Kevin Byrne, Pascal Malone, Maria Cullinan, a nurse, parents Grainne Casey and Thomas O’Halloran, Fiona Moloney the teacher representative, and Gerry Reidy.

Anne Connaire, an SNA at the school who is from Liscannor, has worked at the school since December 2003 when Sister Rosarie was

principal and prior to the school amalgamation.

“I’ve seen a lot of changes, it’s my third move,” she tells The Clare Echo. Speaking about the move, she adds, “The kids are coming in with a smile on their faces. Noreen is wonderful. Full credit to her, she was thrown in at the deep end when this was happening, she was always calm and has a great way with the kids. The one thing about our school here, we’ve always had a wonderful staff. Anyone who comes in subbing, they always say it. There’s great teamwork.”

Thursday, Nov 13, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

22

Community

“We’re very proud of our new school building” The Clare Echo speaks to Ennistymon’s student council

by Dearbhla Parry news@clareecho.ie

THE Ennistymon primary school moved into their new building in September, and students were “shocked” when they found out that they would now be learning in the big, two-storey school.

“It’s definitely way different than it was last year,” said James Ryder (5th class) before the kids described their previous educational site: “freezing,” leaking prefabs.

Darragh McMahon (6th class) said, “They were broken because

we were in them so long.”

The student council, made up of four students, meets up every couple of weeks to share ideas and make suggestions to improve school life for everyone. Darragh explained, “The student council gives pupils a chance to take part in decision-making and to help organise different activities and events throughout the year.”

Not only has a new chapter begun for Ennistymon students, but also for the school library, which has transformed into a “cosy” retreat, freshly decorated by the childrem themselves. With captivating views of the Falls Hotel and a new soft carpet, the student council described the 5th and 6th classes’ decorating process to The Clare Echo, which included deciding book locations and shelf colours to appeal to different age groups.

“It’s become a calm and quiet place where we can relax and en-

joy reading,” said Cecile Couglan (5th class).

W h e n asked about their favourite subject, a shared answer of “PE” was called out, an understandable response with their brand-new, bright and spacious sports hall. The hall will allow the school to continue encouraging health and fitness among students, who helped choose new sports equipment expected to arrive within the next few weeks.

The hall is also used during break times when it is raining, instead of walking down to the community centre in the old school. Along with this, and the opening of their basketball court last week, space is apparent and breaks are no longer staggered. “Before this, we had to have staggered breaks because there wasn’t enough room,” explained James. Cecile said that now “you get to hang out with your friends in other classes.”

Darragh shared that he and his twin brother, Cahill, were given a “VIP tour” on their first day at the new school. “I was expecting it to be smaller,” he said and admitted later that he got lost due to the size.

Their spacious classrooms are much easier to focus in, compared to the thin walls of the prefabs.

“It’s a lot easier to focus, but not if you sit at the window,” Darragh laughed. “In the prefabs, you could hear everything that was going on,” said Cecile. But now, she happily claims that they can no longer hear what’s going on in the next room.

Caroline Jackson (6th class) said, “We’re very proud of our new school building and all the exciting things happening here.”

As part of the student council election process, each student was required to speak in front of their peers and explain why they wanted to participate. However, these future doctors, businesswomen, caddies, plant hires, and hairstylists said that the process was not scary at all; “We were all good friends, so you knew everyone, and it was great.”

The primary school have a wonderful relationship with Ennistymon Community School, with whom they share the campus.

Every Wednesday, the Transition Year students visit to participate in ‘buddy reading’ with the 2nd class. They are also working together on the Shoebox Appeal this year, in hopes of collecting one box per family. Aesha Abed Elwahed (5th class) added, “It’s really nice to get to know the older students, and our Student Council even had the chance to meet their Student Council too!”

The 5th and 6th classes have been undergoing some exciting projects as of recent. They completed the Ballymacraven River Project, where they explored their local area and learned more about the world around them, and also availed of their new kitchen to bake some delicious queen cakes and scones. Caroline commented, “It was a great way to use our maths skills to measure ingredients and follow recipes.” Currently, they are taking part in the Burren Beo project, where they are learning all about nature and the unique environment of the Burren, and are doing ten weeks of French lessons. “It’s a great opportunity to start learning the basics of the language and get a head start for secondary school.”

23

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 13, 2025

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Thursday, Nov 13, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

Regional News

Gort & South Galway

Clarinbridge claims success at Pride of Place awards

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

CLARINBRIDGE has been named winner of the ‘300 – 1,000 Population’ category at the 2025 IPB Pride of Place Awards.

Nominated by Galway County Council to represent the county in the all-island competition, the South Galway village was selected for its exemplary community development efforts.

Established in 1979, the Clarinbridge Tidy Towns group has played a central role in enhancing the village’s physical and social environment, with projects involving the maintenance of local landmarks such as The Green, Parish Hall, Kilcornan Estate, and Cowpark.

The village also promotes heritage and environmental care through the development of walking trails and green spaces.

Judges commended Clarinbridge’s partnerships with organisations including the

Clarinbridge Men’s Shed and SCCUL Sanctuary, as well as its annual events such as Clarinbridge Market Day and Halloween on the Green.

Ronan Kavanagh and Mary Daly represented Clarinbridge Tidy Towns at the awards ceremony. “We are absolutely thrilled and deeply honoured that Clarinbridge has been named overall winner of its category, which is a true testament to everyone in our village.

From the Cowpark and Kilcornan Trails to Market Day and Halloween on the Green, every initiative reflects the spirit of collaboration and pride that defines Clarinbridge,” Mary said.

“This award belongs to everyone who has ever picked up a paintbrush, planted a flower, or simply anyone who volunteered or shared our journey,” Ronan remarked.

The Pride of Place Awards, now in their 23rd year, are organised by Co-operation Ireland and sponsored by IPB Insurance. The pro-

Kinvara schoolchildren to lead protest walk for safe road crossings

KINVARA schoolchildren will took to the streets on today Thursday, November 13 at 12pm to highlight the urgent need for safe road crossings in the village, particularly along Main Street, which serves as the main route between the town’s two schools.

The Protest Walk for Safe Crossings will begin at Seamount College and proceed to St. Joseph’s National School, with 1,000 students, teachers, and families walking together to call for safer infrastructure for children travelling to and from school.

Organisers say the protest aims to draw attention to the lack of pedestrian crossings and the dangers faced by children each day on the busy N67 through the village.

“Every morning and afternoon, children are crossing Main Street in heavy traffic with no safe crossing points. We’ve had too many close calls, we need change before a tragedy happens,” said a spokesperson for the Community Council supporting the walk.

The Kinvara community is being invited to line Main Street and join the walk in solidarity with local students. Residents, parents, and local businesses are encouraged to show their support by joining the walk, displaying banners, and wearing bright colours or high-visibility vests.

“This is a community issue. Everyone in Kinvara wants our village to be safe for our children,” added one of the organisers. “We’re asking Galway County Council to prioritise safe pedestrian crossings as a matter of urgency.”

The walk is part of a growing local campaign called “Kinvara Schools & Community for Safe Crossings,” which aims to ensure that all children can walk safely to school.

lSUCCESS:Pictured at the 2025 IBP Pride of Place ceremony at the Strand Hotel in Limerick (left to right) Helen McGrath (Galway County Council); Ronan Kavanagh (Clarinbridge Tidy Towns); Cllr David Collins (Cathaoirleach); Mary Daly (Clarinbridge Tidy Towns); Liam Conneally (Chief Executive, Galway County Council); Theresa Donohue (Galway County Council); and Michael Owens (Director of Services, Galway County Council). Credit Galway County Council.

gramme recognises voluntary groups that demonstrate a strong commitment to improving their local areas

through collaboration and civic engagement.

Cathaoirleach of Galway County Council, Cllr David

Collins (FG) said, “Clarinbridge’s Pride of Place win is a fantastic endorsement of the dedication and creativity shown by its residents. Their commitment to building a vibrant, inclusive community is truly commendable.

I also want to recognise the Marconi Men’s Shed, whose pioneering work and promoting wellbeing sets a powerful example. These groups reflect the best of what Galway has to offer, and my elected member colleagues and I are proud to stand behind them”.

Liam Conneally, Chief Executive of Galway County Council, stated, “Clarinbridge’s success is a proud moment for County Galway and a testament to the strength of community spirit in our towns and villages. I want to warmly congratulate everyone involved in achieving this national recognition.

I also want to pay tribute to the Marconi Men’s Shed in Clifden, whose remarkable work in promoting wellbe-

ing and inclusion continues to inspire. Both groups exemplify the values of collaboration, resilience and local pride that the Council is committed to supporting across the county. Well done to everyone involved, including our dedicated Council staff ”.

The Marconi Men’s Shed in Clifden also represented Galway County in this year’s competition, competing in the ‘Community Wellbeing’ category. Although not a category winner, the group was recognised for its innovative approach to supporting male family carers and promoting health and wellbeing in the Connemara region.

The two nominated County Galway projects were visited by IPB Pride of Place judges in September when group representatives made formal presentations before hosting tours that highlighted the elements of the community and volunteer efforts of which they are most proud.

Hidden Hearing opens Galway Centre of Excellence to tackle dizziness and falls among older adults HIDDEN Hearing has announced the opening of a new Centre of Excellence for Diagnostic Audiology and Vestibular Assessments in Galway, the first dedicated regional hub of its kind in the West of Ireland.

The centre offers advanced diagnostic services to address hearing loss, dizziness, vertigo, balance disorders, concussion-related vestibular issues, and fall risk.

Dizziness, vertigo, and balance dysfunction are often overlooked, yet increasingly common, particularly among older adults. International research (Age and Ageing, Volume 51), shows that approximately 30% of adults aged 65 and over experience a fall each year, with vestibular dysfunction significantly increasing this risk. In Ireland, the TILDA study reports that at least one fall annually among older adults rose from 24% to 31% over the 14 years of the research project, highlighting the urgent need for specialist diagnostic and rehabilitation services.

The vestibular system, a sen-

lHIDDEN HEARING: Johane Mouton, Hidden Hearing Clinical

sory system located in the inner ear, works with the visual and proprioceptive systems to maintain balance, spatial orientation, and motion awareness.

Disruptions within these systems, due to illness, injury, or aging, can lead to dizziness, vertigo, imbalance, or spatial disorientation, negatively affecting daily life. A vestibular assessment evaluates both inner ear (peripheral) and brain (central) function to pinpoint the cause and guide treatment.

“Early diagnosis and treatment can restore mobility, confidence, and independence,” explains Johane Mouton, Hidden Hearing Clinical Diagnostic Audiologist.

“For too long, dizziness, vertigo, and balance disorders have been overlooked. Our new Centre of Excellence gives patients a clear pathway to diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation.”

“Galway’s growing senior population and strong existing healthcare network make it a natural hub for integrated audiology and vestibular care. By providing local access to advanced diagnostics and rehabilitation, we’re aiming to reduce travel burden and delays for patients across the West.”

The expansion of services is designed to support GP practices in providing timely care for patients with hearing, balance, or related concerns linked to chronic disease management care plans for stroke, diabetes, or other long-term conditions. Hidden Hearing’s GP referral pathway allows doctors to refer patients direct-

ly for diagnostic testing, and is an innovative development addressing long public waiting lists.

Following assessment, patients receive a detailed report from their GP, ensuring clear coordination of care and rehabilitation. Members of the public, particularly older adults or those with a history of head injury, are also encouraged to seek early assessment.

Vestibular assessments at the Hidden Hearing’s Centre of Excellence may include: lComprehensive case history and audiology. lBPPV assessment and treatment, with immediate treatment for positional vertigo if diagnosed. lvHIT (Video Head Impulse Test) to evaluate all semicircular canals and detect subtle deficits. lVNG (Videonystagmography) to evaluate eye movements to diagnose vestibular dysfunction and guide tailored rehabilitation.

To learn more, visit www.hiddenhearing.ie.

25

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 13, 2025

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Thought for the Week In the Quiet of Winter

AS THE light fades earlier each day and the first chill of frost touches the air, winter quietly arrives, not with noise or rush, but with stillness that is soft, quiet and reverent.

The earth slows its breathing; trees stand bare against the sky, the ground hardens, the air grows crisp and even the birds seem to pause.

Spiritually, winter calls us to do the same, to slow our pace, quiet our minds, and draw closer to the heart of God. November is a month of remembrance, a tender time when we light candles, visit graves, and whisper the names of those who are no longer with us. It is a sacred season of the soul, part grief, part gratitude, part love that refuses to fade.

We remember mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, uncles and aunts, cousins, friends and neighbours, all who have touched

An bhfaca tú mo shéamuisín?

Macalla an Chláir

LE MACDARA Ó CONAOLA

Spreading the word of positivity RONAN SCULLY

Contributors

our lives. For some, this remembering still carries a raw ache. Many were denied the comfort of traditional goodbyes — funerals shared over screens, hugs postponed, rituals incomplete. Yet even when parting was painful or imperfect, love endures. The heart remembers what the eyes can no longer see. Grief, at its deepest level, is love transformed.

C.S. Lewis wrote, “The pain I feel now is the happiness I had before. That’s the deal.” Our tears honour the depth of our love. Our sorrow is the echo of joy once known. And in that space between memory and mourning, God gently reminds us that love never dies, it simply changes form.

Thought for the Week As you thought for the week, let your life be a quiet reflection of God’s love in action.

Speak your love — tell someone what they mean to you, while their heart can still hear it. Offer kindness — reach out to someone who is lonely or grieving; let them know they are not forgotten. Winter reminds us that though life is fleeting, love endures.

FEAR a bhí go mór sa nuacht ar fud an domhain le deireanas ná Jimmy Kimmel, an réalt teilifíse a bfuil a chlár fhéin, ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’, aige ar ABC i Meiriceá.

Mar sin b’iontach an rud é nuair a tháinig sé fhéin agus a chlann ar cuairt go Páirc agus Caisleán Bhun Raite le deireanas. Daoine an-deas agus lách a bhí iontu agus labhair muid gur tráthúil go raibh sé ina bháiste i

lÓ LOS ANGELES GO BUNRATTY: Séamuisín (Jimmy) Kimmel agus mé fhéin i siopa Kilkenny i bPáirc Oidhreachta Bhun Raite le deireanas

Imeachtaí/Events:

l SIONNA – 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 SIONNA – Siúlóid Dúlra/Nature Walk, Dé Domhnaigh, 11am, Community Room (Gaeilge le Chéile ar Facebook) 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

Los Angeles freisin ag an am céanna.

Ní thiteann an oiread sin báistí ansin is cosúil. Ar aon chaoi, d’fhiafraigh mé dhe arb ea de shliocht na gKimmels i Lios Uí Chathasaigh é, dúirt sé nárbh é agus gurb as Maigh Eo sean-mhuintir a athar.

Mhol sé muintir na tíre seo go hard na spéartha ar a chlár teilifíse cúpla lá ina dhiaidh sin. Rud a bhí go deas.

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

Free solar panels for medically vulnerable people WITH cold, damp winter weather well and truly upon us, most Clare households are feeling the squeeze of rising electricity bills.

But for homes where someone relies on powered medical or life-supporting equipment, keeping the lights on is not just about comfort it is about safety and peace of mind.

That is why a national scheme from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is such welcome news.

It provides free solar photovoltaic (PV) panels to eligible medically vulnerable households, helping to reduce bills, strengthen energy security, and ensure that essential equipment keeps running during short power cuts.

Why it matters & What the scheme offers

Homes with medically dependent occupants often have higher power

needs and face serious risks during supply interruptions. Solar panels provide a degree of energy independence generating clean electricity right at home, reducing bills, and maintaining essential devices when the grid goes down.

Each two kWp system can generate around 2,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, cutting annual electricity costs by €400–€500 on average. It also reduces carbon emissions and contributes to Ireland’s clean-energy goals.

Solar PV Scheme for Medically Vulnerable People, eligible homes are provided with a fully funded solar PV system at no cost to the homeowner.

Each installation typically includes: lAround five 400 W solar panels, lAn inverter to convert sunlight to usable electricity, lFull installation and commissioning, and

lA small battery backup to power essential medical equipment during brief outages.

The programme is funded by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and delivered by SEAI, in partnership with the HSE, ESB Networks, and Ireland’s main electricity suppliers.

Who can apply?

You may qualify for the free solar panel installation if: lSomeone in your home is registered under the life-support category of the Priority Services Register (maintained by ESB Networks) as of 22 November 2022. l That person relies on electrically powered medical or assistive de-

vices, such as ventilators, dialysis machines, feeding pumps, or mobility aids. lThe property was built and occupied before 31 December 2020 (or the earlier cut-off date specified by SEAI). lYou own your home or have consent from co-owners or tenants for the work to proceed.

The scheme covers situations where someone in the household: lUses life-supporting electrical equipment lDepends on assistive technologies for independent living, or lIs especially vulnerable to power cuts due to age, disability, or medical condition.

If this sounds like your home, it is well worth checking a there is no cost for assessment, installation, or maintenance.

How the scheme operates

Most eligible households are being identi-

fied and contacted directly by their electricity supplier, since energy providers manage the Priority Services Register.

If you think your home should qualify but you haven’t heard anything yet: 1. Check that the medically vulnerable person in your home is correctly registered under the life-support category with your electricity supplier (e.g. Electric Ireland, SSE Airtricity, Energia, Bord Gáis Energy).

2. Contact your supplier or SEAI’s customer helpline (1800 83 44 34) to confirm your eligibility or express interest.

3. Once confirmed, SEAI arranges an approved contractor to survey your home and install the system at no charge.

The government announced in October 2025 that eligibility has been extended, all homeowners registered

under the life-support category with any supplier can now benefit, not just those in the original pilot phase.

Find out more If you think your household might qualify, contact the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) at 1800 83 44 34 or visit www.seai.ie.

Locally, you can also contact Clare Local Development Company (CLDC) on 065 6866800 or email the Just Transition Officer at hgriffey@ cldc.ie for advice or support with checking eligibility and registration.

Free solar panels through this scheme are a simple but life-changing upgrade, helping those who rely on medical equipment to stay safe, secure, and in control of their energy. Why wait?

Let the sun do its part this winter.

26

Thursday, Nov 13, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

Healthy Clare

Primary school staff in Clare invited to join the staffroom steppers challenge CLARE Sports Partnership, Clare Education Centre, and Healthy Clare are thrilled to launch the Staffroom Steppers Challenge, a brand new initiative aimed at promoting physical activity and wellbeing among primary school staff across County Clare.

Running from January 19 to February 13, 2026, this free challenge invites all primary school staff — teachers, SNAs, secretaries, caretakers, and more — to walk as many kilometres as possible over four weeks. Whether it’s a

Samantha McCarthy, shared, “This is the second time this year that Clare Sports Partnership, Clare Education Centre and Healthy Clare have come together to work on joint initiatives.’

Samantha stated that “Working in a collaborative manner, highlights the embedding of health and wellbeing within all communities across Co. Clare. This project is striving to support all schools, big and small to get out and get active at the beginning of the new year, fostering a sense of team-

to boost morale, encourage movement, and foster a sense of community among school staff.

Whether you’re walking solo or with colleagues, every kilometre contributes to your school’s success.”

Participants will track their progress using the Strava app, which Clare Sports Partnership will use to monitor each school’s total distance walked. At the end of the challenge, the school with the highest combined kilometres, within each category will be crowned the

lSTEPPERS: Pictured at the launch of Staffroom Steppers walking challenge for Clare Primary School Staff in Tim Smyth Park were Healthy Clare Coordinator at Clare County Council, Samantha McCarthy, Director of Clare Education Centre, Martin Moloney, Sports Development Officer with Clare Sports Partnership, Lizzy McNicholas.

Photo: by Eamon Ward

lunchtime stroll or a weekend hike, every step counts!

Healthy Clare Coordinator at Clare County Council,

work for school colleagues and setting a great example for children. This initiative is a fantastic opportunity

Staffroom Steppers Champions and awarded a €100 voucher to purchase sports equipment for their school.

Director of Clare Education Centre, Martin Moloney, stated, “Clare Education Centre is proud to partner with Clare Sports Partnership and Healthy Clare on the Staffroom Steppers Challenge. This cross-sectoral initiative highlights the power of collaboration in promoting staff wellbeing, connection, and energy in our schools.

When we invest in teacher and staff wellbeing, we strengthen the entire school community.”

Schools will compete in

three categories: category one will involve small schools with less than 100 pupils, category two will be open to schools with between 101 and 499 pupils and finally category three will see applications from schools with over 500 students.

Sports Development Officer with Clare Sports Partnership, Lizzy McNicholas, added: “We are proud to support the Staffroom Steppers Challenge, an exciting new initiative that encourages primary school staff across County Clare to get moving

while boosting their health & well-being, in a fun way! We are delighted to be partnering again with Healthy Clare and Clare Education Centre on this initiative.”

To register and learn more, visit https://claresports.ie/ staffroom-steppers/ Closing date for receipt of entries, January 9, 2026. For those new to Strava: The app is free to download on smartphones.

Let’s get Clare’s staffrooms stepping!

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 13, 2025

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Healthy Clare

27

Managing Diabetes Together: Support from the Ennis Chronic Disease Hub TYPE 2 diabetes is a common condition where blood sugar levels become too high, either because the body isn’t making enough insulin or isn’t using it properly.

It’s a serious condition, but it can be well managed with the right support. In Ireland, around 275,000 people are living with Type 2 diabetes, with 1 in 10 people over the age of 50 affected.

To mark World Diabetes Day on 14th November, we are highlighting the supports available through the Clare Diabetes Team, based at the Chronic Disease Hub in Ennis.

Our team includes Diabetes Clinical Nurse Specialists, Dietitians, Podiatrists, and a Psychologist. We work together to help people manage their diabetes and lower the risk of complications.

What Services Are Available? lDiabetes Clinical Nurse Specialists Our nurses provide one-to-one diabetes assessments and education. They help people understand important health indicators like HbA1c, blood pressure, and cholesterol. hey also support medication management and onward referrals. l Dietitians Healthy eating plays key role in managing diabetes and supporting overall health. Our dietitians offer evidence-based

guidance on food and lifestyle to help manage diabetes, pre-diabetes and obesity. They also deliver DISCOVER Diabetes, a free fourweek group programme that builds skills and confidence for managing diabetes. lPodiatrists Diabetes can lead to foot problems due to poor circulation and reduced feeling in the feet. Our podiatrists carry out foot checks, assess risk, and treat any issues to help prevent serious complications. l Clinical Psychologist Living with diabetes can be challenging, and it’s common to feel overwhelmed or distressed at times. Our Clinical Psychologist works closely with the diabetes team to support mental health and emotional wellbeing. They also run workshops to help people manage the emotional impact of living with a long-term condition like diabetes.

As the service grows, we are looking at new ways to make it easier for people to get the care they need. One recent example is a pilot joint clinic, where people can see a nurse, dietitian, and podiatrist in a single visit. Feedback so far has been very positive from both patients and healthcare staff.

If you think you could benefit from any of these services, speak to your GP or Practice Nurse for further information.

l DIABETES CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT TEAM: (L-R) Michelle Collins – Podiatrist, Laoise Buchholtz – Podiatrist, Hazel Hynes – Podiatrist, Cillian Custy – Dietitian, Lorna Molloy – Dietitian, Deirdre Mulhern – Clinical Nurse Specialist and Edel McGuane – Clinical Nurse Specialist

Support for people living with COPD from the Ennis Chronic Disease Hub CHRONIC Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a long-term lung condition that cause breathing difficulties due to narrowing of the airways and damage to the air sacs in the lungs.

It includes chronic bronchitis-inflammation and increased phlegm in the airways and emphysema-damage to the air sacs, which often develop slowly after years of smoking or long-term exposure to dust, fumes, or air pollution.

Many people live with COPD without realising it. Common symptoms include breathlessness, persistent cough, wheezing, and frequent chest infections.

The 2025 theme for World COPD Day is “Short of Breath, Think COPD.” This year’s message emphasizes the importance of recognising breathlessness as a warning sign of COPD, a common, preventable, and treatable lung condition that remains widely under-diagnosed.

Earlier detection and treatment of COPD can improve symptoms, lung function, and quality of life.

To mark World COPD Day, we are highlight-

apists provide individual assessments and self-management education in the areas of Exercise prescription, Breathlessness management and Airway clearance.

They also co -ordinate the Pulmonary rehabilitation service for people living with chronic respiratory conditions in Co Clare.

l RESPIRATORY CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT TEAM: (L-R) Grainne Casey Physiotherapist, Priyanka Balu Thitme Clinical Nurse Specialist, Anjitha Babu Clinical Nurse Specialist, Brian Fitzgibbon Physiotherapist and Enda Collins Physiotherapist

ing the supports available through the Ennis Chronic Disease Hub in Station Road Primary Care Centre. Our Respiratory Integrated Care Team includes Respiratory Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) and Physiotherapists collabo-

rating to help people manage their condition closer to home.

Our aim is to provide the right care, at the right place, at the right time!

What services are available?

Respiratory CNS provide

specialist assessment, education, and ongoing care for COPD and asthma patients.

These services include disease education, inhaler technique reviews, individualised self-management plans and onward referrals to other healthcare professionals.

The CNS also supports people after hospital discharge, liaising with GPs, the acute care respiratory team, and allied health professionals to ensure continuity of care and prevent hospital readmissions.

Respiratory Physiother-

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Pulmonary rehabilitation is an important treatment strategy for individuals living with chronic lung conditions.

It is an 8-week exercise and education program proven to improve quality of life, increase fitness, reducing breathlessness and the risk of hospitalisation.

The program involves supervised exercise, breathing techniques and education on topics like importance of exercise, medication management, planning for flare-ups and managing breathlessness.

It also aims to improve emotional well-being by building confidence and providing support.

28

Thursday, Nov 13, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

Green Clare

€108k allocated to develop walking trail at The Bridges of Ross

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

A WALKING trail at the Bridges of Ross has moved a step closer to getting extended following the allocation of €108,000 in funding.

Clare County Council has been awarded €108,000 in the latest round of the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) to help develop a walking trail at iconic tourist spot.

An extension of the walking trail has been sanctioned to enhance the visitor experience in West Clare. It will now provide a looped walking option.

Led by the West Clare Municipal District in partnership with the local community group Loop Head Together, the works to be undertaken will be sensitive to the environ-

lWALKING TRAIL: Bridges of Ross

ment to ensure the natural beauty of the site is preserved.

Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary (FF) confirmed the allocation for the Bridges of Ross among 63 outdoor recreation projects in a combined national package worth €16.5m.

Clare TD, Cathal Crowe (FF) said the announcement was “a real investment in our communities”. He stated, “Outdoor spaces such as walking trails and cycleways need regular maintenance so that we can continue to enjoy them with our friends and loved ones. They do not remain perfect on their own and require continued investment and care. The funding ensures that these facilities remain in excellent condition throughout the year. Walkways are places where com-

munities gather and connect, and it is essential that we protect and sustain them so they can be enjoyed for generations to come.

“This investment will further enhance these amenities, encouraging more people to use them and helping to strengthen community life and the tourist offering in the area,” Deputy Crowe said. “This is a great opportunity to remind everyone of the wonderful outdoor amenities we have here in Clare. We should make the most of them and continue to cherish them. This funding will help ensure that many more people can enjoy the Bridges of Ross walking trail for years to come”.

Director of Services of Transportation, Climate Action, Recreation, Environmental & Emergency Services at Clare County Council, Dr Carmel Kirby, said, “We are looking forward to delivering an upgraded trail to locals and tourists alike at the Bridges of Ross.

This funding in the latest measures of the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme ensures we can deliver the best quality work possible and provide a trail that promotes the beautiful outdoor areas available in Ireland, particularly here in Clare”.

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 13, 2025

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Green Clare

29

Replacement of Coore watermains underway & to continue until summer 2026

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

UISCE ÉIREANN have commenced works replacing over 6.3km of aged water mains which they expect to last for over six months and promise will result in a reliable water supply for Coore.

Supply is to be improved and leakage reduced at Old Doolough, Cree according to Uisce Éireann who have began replacing over 6.3km of old and damaged water mains.

Works are part Uisce Éireann’s National Leakage Reduction Programme and take place along the L-2116 Cloonlaheen West, Mullagh and L-2098 Doonogan, Mullagh. The mains have been prone to bursts.

Jack Cronin, Uisce Éireann Programme Manager stated, “The re-

placement of over 6.3km of aging watermains marks a significant investment in the region’s water network. This project will reduce the frequency of bursts and outages on the network, eliminate existing leaks and provide locals and visitors alike with an improved confidence in the security of their water supply. By strengthening the resilience of the network, we’re enabling communities like Coore to thrive with a more secure and reliable water supply”.

Areas of work will be limited to short sections and carried out in two phases to minimise impact on customers. Traffic management will be in place at this time, in the form of two road closures. A signposted diversion route will be in place. Local and emergency traffic will always be maintained.

The road closures will take place in a phased approach. The first road closure will be along the L-2116 Cloonlaheen West and will be in effect from Monday (November 10th) until the end of the year. Following which, a second road closure will take place along L-2098 Doonogan, Mullagh. Further details will be communicated regarding the second road closure, closer to the time.

Ward and Burke Construction Ltd is carrying out the works on behalf of Uisce Éireann with the project expected to be complete during the summer of 2026.

lWATERMAINS: Uisce Eireann workers

30

Thursday, Nov 13, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

Arts & Culture Brushstrokes for Dylan: art exhibition

by Edelle Costelloe to open in Ennis

by LISA MULLALY lisa@clareecho.ie

CLARED-BASED Contemporary visual artist Edelle Costelloe will present her new exhibition, ‘Brushstrokes for Dylan’, at De Valera Public Library, Ennis, from Friday November 28 to Friday December 19 2025.

This special collection features Edelle’s expressive abstract paintings, portraits, minimalist landscapes, and line drawings. Created in memory of Dylan, the exhibition is both a tribute and an act of compassion.

All proceeds will support The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust and homeless services in Dylan’s name, reflecting a commitment to community and wellbeing. “The exhibition also reflects Dylan’s compassionate spirit. He had hoped to do charity work helping the homeless in Sydney, but sadly didn’t get the chance. In honour of that wish, I chose to support homeless services as part of

this exhibition. The De Valera Library was the perfect venue, as it also supports local homeless projects and community wellbeing. It also highlights Clare County Council’s strong support for communities and local artists, making this collaboration especially meaningful.”

Based in County Clare, Edelle is a self-taught contemporary artist, professional life coach, and County Council worker. “I grew up in the countryside, where solitude and nature nurtured an early love of drawing and making. At 16, I won my first art competition, a formative moment that stayed with me even as life took me in other directions.”

Edelle revived her love of art during lock down while redecorating her home.

Encouraged by her family Edelle began to share images of her artwork on social media and received a positive response. This reaction inspired her to continue developing her work.

She later won the overall prize in a UK based art competition with a self-portrait.

Edelle says this experience validated her voice and vi-

EXHIBITION: Artist Edelle Costello

sion.

Dylan; Edelle’s only son was a great supporter of his mother’s work, encouraging her to her her talents publicly.

Dylan had been living and

working abroad and had a deep passion for health, fitness, and helping others.

Dylan passed away following an accident while travelling in Bali.

The Kevin Bell Repatri-

ation Trust supported the process of returning Dylan home to Ireland, including arranging travel and handling paperwork, coordination with embassies, consulates, and funeral services.

Their assistance eased the practical burdens during an extremely difficult time.

The decision to support the Trust and homeless services through this exhibition reflects both Dylan’s compassion and the community support that surrounded his family.

In memory of her son’s passing and as a tribute to his compassionate generous nature Edelle created an exhibition of 32 contemporary paintings which reflects her own personal artistic style.

Edelle competed these paintings in 12 months while also working with Clare County Council and running her own life coaching business.

“Every day after work I was continuously creating so I did something like 32 paintings in a year while working full-time” Edelle said.

The exhibition includes a portrait of Dylan as a fitness instructor which Edelle hopes will display Dylan’s

West Clare Drama Festival returns to Doolin THE WEST CLARE DRAMA FESTIVAL, held in Doonbeg from Saturday, November 8th to Monday, November 10th, 2024, under the auspices of the Joint Committee of the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland (ADCI) and the Drama League of Ireland (DLI), was a great success. Over three nights, audiences enjoyed a rich variety of performances, from comedy to tragedy, presented by talented theatre groups from across Ireland.

Adjudicator Paula Dempsey of the Amateur Drama Association (ADA) provided insightful evaluations as the groups competed for places at the All-Ireland One Act Drama Finals in December.

The festival also featured the Doonbeg Drama Group’s own

DRAMA FESTIVAL: Award winners along with Adjudicator Paula Dempsey and Noilin Hayes, Secretary, Rita McInerney, Festival Director, and Andrew Killeen, Chairperson

production of Willow

by Catherine McKiernan.

Chairman An-

drew Killeen and the Festival Committee expressed their appreciation to all par-

ticipating groups and audiences for contributing to another memorable weekend

of drama in “the long village.”

For photos and updates, visit

www.westclaredramafestivaldoonbeg. com.

dedication and passion to his work.

Edelle told the Clare Echo; “the portrait of my son Dylan is a powerful tribute to Dylan. His dedication, discipline and spirit live on through every bold line. This silhouette honours not just his form but the strength of his presence and legacy.”

The exhibition also includes work inspired by music, hiking, and local landscapes, including the Cliffs of Moher and Motton Island.

Her minimalist landscapes are based on personal memories and places meaningful to her and her family, such as the Cliffs of Moher and Motton Island.

The collection features model-inspired portraits created entirely from the artist’s imagination.

The exhibition launch and preview will take place on Thursday 27 November 2025 from 1.30 p.m. to 3.00 p.m., and will be officially opened

by Deputy Timmy Dooley.

Also in attendance will be Cllr. Paul Murphy, Mayor of Clare, Cllr. Mary Howard, Mayor of Ennis, and Ms. Helen Walsh, County Librarian.

‘Mary, Mary’ Exhibition Visits Kilkee

CLARE COUNTY Council’s Arts Office, in conjunction with Cultúrlann Sweeney Library Gallery, present ‘Mary, Mary’, an exhibition by Mary Musgrove.

Previously shown at the London Irish Centre in Camden, London, the ‘Mary, Mary’ exhibition is in Cultúrlann Sweeney in Kilkee through November 29, 2025.

‘Mary, Mary’ is set during the period of 1921 to 1998, a time when the Catholic Church had significant influence in Irish society.

Mary has used therapeutic photography to express a semi-autobiographical account of her own family’s generational trauma. This project researches the story of Mary’s mother Teresa and her stolen sister, ‘Mary’, in a journey of understanding and forgiveness. Mary focuses on the Irish landscape, on which many families were destroyed, leading to the largest diaspora of Irish people across the world, many of whom have never fully recovered or returned to their homeland.

‘Mary, Mary’ is a photovoice project for victims and survivors of the mother and baby homes scandal.

For more information, visit: https:// www.marymusgrovephotography. com

31

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 13, 2025

Business

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60 seconds with ... Frank Holly

Ahead of the Clare Business Excellence Awards 2025, The Clare Echo spoke to Frank Holly, Owner of Holly’s Pharmacy

Fact File : Frank Holly Position: Business owner Age: 47 Lives: Lahinch Family: Married to Emer. Three children; Ella (19), Mia (16), and Dan (15) Pets: Dachshund (7) name: Louis Favourite thing about Clare: Lahinch Beach Least favourite thing about Clare: Nothing. I love everything about Clare One thing you would change about Clare: A better road to Lahinch

1. Tell me about your business?

I’m part owner of five different pharmacies, 2 of which I’m in partnership. Ennis is the original, which my father Tom opened in 1982. It’s a community pharmacy on Abbey Street and employs 10 people.

2. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

All I knew was I wanted to be in business.

3. What was your first

job?

My first job was working in the pharmacy when I was 12, helping to wrap gifts at Christmas time 4. What has been the biggest challenge in running your business?

The biggest challenge is keeping the customer happy.

5. How do you stay motivated when business gets tough?

Just being consistent, so waking up every day and doing the same thing day in, day out.

It doesn’t mean that you’ll be as productive as you were the week before or the weeks coming up, but that’s how I stay motivated; ensuring we provide excellent customer service and patient care always keeps me motivated 6. What’s the first thing you do after a long day of work?

I’d probably go to the gym or go down to the sauna in the local leisure centre.

7. If you won the lotto, what’s the first thing you would do?

I would do something boring like pay off my mortgage or invest it for my kids. I’m extremely fortunate I don’t want for anything so helping them with their future would

be nice. And maybe take a long holiday!

8. What’s your book recommendation?

‘Skin in the Game’ by a guy called Nassim Taleb.

It gives a great insight into what really matters.

9. As a Liverpool fan, who’s your favourite player?

I’m going to go with Van Dijk. He’s the captain and he’s a great leader in the team.

10. If you could instantly master any skill, what would it be?

Probably to play an instrument. It’s something I never did or never mastered, so it’d be nice to play an instrument like the guitar.

I’m sorry I didn’t stick at it or learn properly when I was a kid.

11. If you could give your 20-year-old self advice, what would it be?

“Be a little bit more focused”, I think, would probably be what I’d say.

12. What has been your proudest moment as a business owner so far?

Number one is seeing the teams and staff I’ve built across the five shops and the relationships I have with them.

Then number two is the service that they give to the customers. It’s so important in community pharmacy. It’s very front-facing; You have to engage with them daily. You can’t hide from the customer in a pharmacy, and none of my staff do, so I’m very lucky.

13. Where do you see yourself and your business in 10 years?

My hope for the business over the next 10 years is just to

continue to grow the businesses, continue to stay engaged, and to continue to provide excellent patient care across all pharmacies. That’s the nature of the game. It’s all about patient care and customer service at the end of the day, so that would be the focus.

If I can keep doing that across all pharmacies, I’d be very, very happy.

14. How does it feel to be nominated for two Clare Business Excellence Awards?

I’m over the moon. All the credit goes to Supervising Pharmacist Connie, Front and Shop Manager Sinéad, and the team here.

You’ll see a lot of pharmacies that put most of their energy and focus into the dispensary, whereas we would put just as much energy into the front of the shop and being a retailer as we would into the dispensary.

It’s a very proud moment for the shop because it’s a recognition of what a good retailer we are, which is really important, but also it’s a recognition of the customer service that we provide, because both of those awards are based on mystery shoppers - somebody coming in and judging the shop based on the customer service they’ve received.

We’re up against really tough competition across the county in very competitive categories, so it’s very, very proud moment for the pharmacy.

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‘Ennis must embrace town centre living”

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

STREETS in Ennis town centre would make national headlines if ‘to let’ signs were placed on empty first and second floor buildings, a county councillor has claimed.

An audit on the amount of empty retail units within the town has been sought by Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF).

This piece of work can “establish potential opportunities in conjunction with property owners in having unlettable sites converted into residential units” Senior executive planner with Clare County Council, Candace Ingram confirmed they are planning “to undertake a ground floor use survey of Ennis town centre which will include recording any vacant units”.

Carmel Greene, senior executive officer outlined, “The Derelict sites Team have engaged with a number of property owners in the Ennis Town Centre and they are at various levels of engagement”.

She explained, “Where the property is considered derelict and there is no engagement, the Team serve the required notices under the Derelict Sites Act, 1990 and those that are then on the Derelict sites register will be liable to a levy of 7% of the value of the property each year until it is rendered non-derelict.

In addition, there are a number of properties subject to the Compulsory Purchase process at the present time”.

Speaking at a meeting of the Ennis MD, Cllr O’Callaghan detailed that he tabled the motion following discussions with auctioneers and property owners.

He admitted, “I’m concerned with a steady increase in empty properties”. He continued, “I strongly believe that property owners should be incentivised and supported. Like many successful towns and cities, Ennis must embrace town centre living. I accept the ground

floor residential will not be appropriate to Abbey St and O’Connell St but I believe there is a significant opportunity for all of Barrack St, Mill Rd, Clare Rd and the stretch from Parnell St from Arc Cinema to the Mill Rd”.

According to Cllr O’Callaghan, a “prominent auctioneer” informed him, “if we placed a to let sign on all first and second floor buildings in the town centre that are unoccupied we’d make national headlines”.

The Kildysart native noted that a Parnell St property was sold at private auction but had planning refused and has been listed for sale again. “Areas where

commercial units vacant for more than two to three years should be considered for residential conversion,” he said. “We have a real opportunity, people are struggling to get a home, we turned properties in Limerick back to residential and it was successful”.

Seconding the motion, Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) commented, “it is a straight forward motion which makes nothing but sense. We have dereliction at the heart of Ennis, we can paint up all the roads and businesses but if we have derelict buildings it takes away from what we are trying to achieve”.

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

• Temporary Senior Resident Engineer (24 Months) Closing Date Closing date: 12 Noon Friday 21st of November 2025.

• Temporary Assistant Resident Engineer (24 Months) Closing Date Closing date: 12 Noon Friday 21st of November 2025

• Executive Facilities Manager Closing Date Closing date: 12 Noon Friday 28th of November 2025.

• Retained Part-Time Firefighter Panel – Kilkee & Killaloe Closing Date Closing date: 12 Noon Friday 14th of November 2025.

Please complete online application form available on www.clarecoco.ie under Careers Section.

Only applications completed online will be accepted.

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

Scriobh chugainn as gaeilge más fearr leat.

32

Thursday, Nov 13, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

Sport

Éire Óg eager to take 'next step' in Munster MUNSTER SFC CLUB QUARTER FINAL

ÉIRE ÓG 0-20 RATHGORMACK 1-13 Venue: Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg, Ennis Compiled by Páraic McMahon

STORY OF THE GAME ÉIRE ÓG RATHGORMACK Frees for: 17 (6/11) Frees for: 11 (5/6) Wides: 4 (2/2) Wides: 5 (2/3) Spread of scorers: 5 Spread of scorers: 6 Scores from play: 0-13 Scores from play: 1-11 Top scorer: Mark McInerney Top scorer: Jason Curry (0-16 2TP 2TPf 3f) (0-5 1TP 2f) Bookings: Gavin D’Auria Bookings: None (54) Own kickouts won: 15 from Own kickouts won: 14 from 24 (63%) 19 (74%) REFEREE: David Murnane (Cork) ÉIRE Óg’s senior footballers are determined to continuing progressing in Munster but must rectify “stupid mistakes”.

A fourth win in seven Munster outings since 2021 has secured Éire Óg’s place in the Munster SFC club semi-finals on November 23 where they will face the winners of Clonmel Commercials versus St Finbarr’s.

Speaking to The Clare Echo, Éire Óg manager Shane Daniels outlined that they are anxious to push on in the province. “We knew

SCAN HERE FOR MATCH REPORT

it was going to be a really tough game, every year they (Rathgormack) have been in Munster they l Luke Pyne gets away from Liam Mulligan and Máirtín Powerand (inset) Mark McInerney Photos by Gerard O'Neill have given teams really tough games.

Rathgormack was their first outing stuff to work on and we do. I don’t "It is great to win which is what in four weeks since they defeated think that will stop, we’re delighted we wanted to do. Every year we’ve St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield in the that we have another two weeks to won a championship in the last work on stuff again”. couple of years we have won a Clare SFC final.

Still unbeaten in all championship Mark McInerney was the star game in Munster so we’ve won games in 2025, there is plenty that man for the Townies, kicking 0-16 another game now, it is a matter of Éire Óg need to improve on, Daniels over the hour. “We all know Mark’s taking the next step”.

Sunday’s four-point win over insisted. “Every day I’ve talked to quality, it is about getting him the you after a game I’ve said we have right ball in the right area, for large

Corofin make most of home advantage MUNSTER IFC CLUB QUARTER-FINAL

parts of the game we did that, some of Mark’s scores were phenomenal with kicks from fifty or sixty metres out going over the bar, we know he can do that”.

Focus is predominatly on hurling in the Ennis club this week as they face Loughmore-Castleiney on Sunday in the Munster SHC club semi-final. Those not lining out with Gerry O’Connor’s side and involved in the football panel will not be resting, Shane outlined. “The football-only crowd will work very hard for seven days and the lads will focus on their game against Loughmore, we will meet again and have a couple of good sessions before the semi-final, it is nothing we’re not used to”.

SEMI-FINALS DECIDED

U21A HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP SCAN FOR REPORT

COROFIN 1-14 STRADBALLY 0-11 Venue: Páirc Finne, Corofin Compiled by Seamus Hayes

STORY OF THE GAME COROFIN Frees For: 20 (11/9) Wides: 9 (4/5) Scores from play: 1-9 Spread of scorers: 8 Top scorer: Gearoid Cahill (0-5 4f) Own kickouts won: 13 out of 17 (76%) Yellow Card: Gearoid Kelly (22) Black: Cilléin Mullins (22) REFEREE: James Regan (Cork) HOME COMFORTS of Páirc Finne is leading to increased workrate for Corofin’s footballers.

Corofin booked their place in the Munster IFC club semifinals with a 1-14 0-10 victory over Waterford intermediate champions Stradbally on Sunday.

Speaking to The Clare Echo shortly after the final whistle sounded, Corofin manager Peadar O’Brien stated, “I’m delighted. They are an

STRADBALLY Frees For: 19 (11/8) Wides: 7 (2/5) Scores from play : 0-6 Spread of scorers: 3 Top scorer: Michael O’Brien (0-5 1TP 1f) Own kickouts won; 18 out of 24 (75%) Yellow Cards: Shane Aherne (22); Jack Mullaney (42); Michael O’Brien (54)

SCAN HERE FOR MATCH REPORT

l Kevin Keane powers out of defence for Corofin and (inset) Seanán

Kirby celebrates scoring a goal

Burren Eye Photography

all season, O’Brien flagged.

“In fairness to him he has been doing it all the year. He is a good goalie, a good shot stopper”.

Defensively Corofin were well served with Cilléin Mullins, Marc O’Loughlin and Kevin Keane exceptional.

“They tackled in numbers. We have good defenders, they are honest lads and once they work hard you are halfway there”.

In front of their home crowd, Corofin had to get down to work,

Peadar insisted. “You expect them to work at home and if they’re not prepared to work at home then we are all wasting our time”.

He added, “We have another two weeks now and we are facing a big challenge against An Gaeltacht. We have it at home, it’s a big challenge. Having it at home is worth a couple of points.

All we can do is keep at it and see where we will finish up”.

experienced team. They played Munster championship last year so they weren’t coming in out of the blue, they knew what it was about. We pulled away in the finish. We made a bit of hard work of it really, could have a few more scores tacked on. It was a good team performance”.

With only one point between the teams in the final quarter, Luke Neylon made a tremendous save for the winners. The goalkeeper has been stepping

Darragh Ball and Niall Brigdale collide

Photo by Gerard O'Neill

33

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 13, 2025

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Sport

Proposal to change Clare SHC format is heavily defeated

by Seamus Hayes news@clareecho.ie

CLARE’s senior hurling championship will remain under the same format for 2026 after a proposal to introduce preliminary quarter-finals was rejected.

Hotel Woodstock was the venue on Tuesday night for the annual structures meeting of Clare GAA when a big attendance debated the seven motions on the agenda.

Four were carried but one of these is dependent on the CCC finding a formula which will not cut across general rule.

Eight motions were listed for discussion but a proposal from Kilfenora looking for a change to the format of the senior and intermediate football championships was withdrawn earlier on the day, Clare GAA Chairman Kieran Keating informed the meeting.

A proposal from Broadford to

amend SHC format from next year onwards was heavily defeated.

Putting the proposal forward, Danny Chaplin said as the senior hurling championship stands in Clare, senior teams are guaranteed a minimum of three championship games per year. With the exception of Cork, this is less than all the other prominent hurling counties such as Tipperary and Galway who each have a minimum of four. He added that Limerick clubs have a minimum of five while Kilkenny and Waterford have six.

“Our proposal is a small amendment to the existing format to ensure all senior clubs are guaranteed a minimum of four championship games each year and this will put our championship on a par with the other adult hurling grades within the county,” the Broadford man said.

Newmarket-on-Fergus’ Pat Keogh seconded the proposal while

Tulla’s Karl Quinn also supported the proposal. St Joseph’s Miltown delegate Michael McDonagh spoke strongly against the proposal saying “this will not be good for football, not good for the dual clubs and not good for the dual players. It will not help player welfare”.

Banner delegate Liam O’Reilly said “this is a proposal to change from what was decided following the hurling review report last year.

The structure put in place then came after a lot of consultation with the clubs and it was put in place for three years”.

Commenting on this point, chairman Kieran Keating said, “the hurling review structures were put in place for three years. Structures are set each year but we can change structures and clubs can bring motions.

Masters fixtures committee chairman Colm Browne said “if we

Plans to seed Munster SFC scrapped

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

MUNSTER GAA have confirmed the senior football championship will not be seeded for 2026.

An online meeting of Munster Council on Monday night voted to postpone for one year the decision taken in July to alter the seeding of the Munster SFC for 2026.

As a result, the seeding process which has been in place in recent years will apply which gives the finalists of the previous year direct access to the semi-finals. The Munster championship draws take place on Thursday November 27th with Clare and Kerry now receiving byes to the semi-finals, they could be paired against each other in an open semi-final draw.

Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford will be competing in the quarter-finals which are scheduled to be held on

l Manus Doherty

Photo: Gerard O'Neill

April 11th with the semi-finals down to be played on April 25th.

Following a vote in July, Munster Council had intended to keeping the top two-ranked counties in the National Football League in opposing semi-finals. This was to result in Kerry and Cork receiving byes to the semi-finals. Such plans were never raised when Clare were competing in Division 2 of the League for eight seasons.

Intent still remains from in-

fluential figures to use league standings to determine who qualifies for the semi-finals with a statement from Munster GAA confirming the postponement was “for one year”. This makes the upcoming National League campaign of even greater importance for Paul Madden’s Clare side. Under Mark Fitzgerald and Peter Keane, Clare have finished in third position of Division 3 in 2024 and 2025.

The Clare Echo previously reported on the plans to scrap the proposed seeding format. Officials in the provincial body and Clare’s representatives on the Munster Council were unaware that moves were afoot to pause the structure changes when contacted by The Clare Echo at the end of October.

Strong pressure is understood to have been put on Munster GAA by the GPA not to relent from their plans.

l Clare GAA Chairman Kieran Keating with Clonbony junior hurling manager Derrick Lynch

introduce more rounds, we have a limited window as it is. Citing Galway as an example is not a reasonable comparison as their winners do not have to be ready for a provincial championship in Connacht.

If this is passed we are going to

have to find additional weekends”.

On a show of hands the motion was heavily defeated.

There was an even bigger defeat for a proposal from Clondegad which asked that a team which wins championship in adult competition can’t be relegated the following season so as to give a chance to adjust to the higher grade. The motion failed to get a seconder. A proposal from Wolfe Tones seeking a change in the relegation format in competitions where there is an odd number of teams involved was also lost.

Sixmilebridge successfully proposed that where a club with two teams in the same competition, they can nominate 18 players for their top team (A) who may only play with this team while team B can have access to all other players eligible for this grade. Team B players may be promoted to team A

TULLA TAKE DOWN BRIDGE UTD CDSL PREMIER DIVISION

SCAN HERE FOR MATCH REPORT

Donal O’Halloran’s boot almost hits the head of his teammate and Ennis Dons captain Alex Akujobi Photo by Gerard O'Neill

Phelan steps down from PRO role

ST FRANCIS Credit Union Clare Community Games held their AGM on Tuesday last week at Treacy’s West County Hotel. Fifteen of the 26 areas from Clare were represented by delegates.

President Cecilia O’Sullivan couldn’t be in attendance, her address was given by Kevin O’Loughlin. She thanked all the County officers, sub committees, co-ordinators, officials, managers, coaches, referees and volunteers who have worked tirelessly demonstrating unwavering commitment to the organisation over the year.

She thanked main Sponsor St Francis Credit Union for their continued support.

Chairman Rob Stephen welcomed all present. He thanked all who volunteered with Clare Community Games and congratulated all the children who participated during the year, noting increased participation in 2025.

He thanked St Francis Credit Union and Clare County Council for their support.

Secretary Maurette Crowley gave a detailed & extensive account of all the happenings during the year.

Treasurer Mary

Browe detailed the Income & Expenditure.

She thanked St Francis Credit Union, without whose sponsorship Community Games would not be able to offer the wide range of events.

Public Relations Officer Mary Phelan submitted her last report as she was vacating her position after 15 years. She thanked everyone who helped her in any way over the years, Count Committee, Area Committee, Co Ordinators, The Clare Champion, Clare Echo & former Clare People and Clare Fm.

ELECTED OFFICERS President – Cecilia O’Sullivan, Ennis St John’s Vice President – Mary Phelan, Sixmilebridge/Kilmurry Chairperson – Rob Stephen, Shannon Secretary – Maurette Crowley, Doora/Barefield Ass. Secretary – Minute Secretary – Paddy Vaughan, Crusheen/Ballinruan/ Tubber Registrar – Michelle Normoyle, Coolmeen/ Cranny Public Relations Officer – Games Director –

Sarah O’Donoghue, Newmarket-on-Fergus Ass. Games Director – National Delegate – Graham Meakins, Sixmilebridge/Kilmurry Munster Delegate – Rob Stephen - Shannon Munster Delegate – Youth Officer – Hopes are high that all positions will be filled at the next county meeting where there will also be elections to several sub committees.

MUNSTER ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Annual General Meeting of Munster Community Games will take place on Sunday

December 7 in Charleville Park Hotel.

HALL OF FAME The St Francis Credit Union Clare Community Games recipient of The Hall of Fame Award for 2025 is Irene O’Sullivan, Ennis St John’s. Irene is a very deserving recipient of this award as she has been involved in Com-

munity Games all her life as her late dad John O’Sullivan was one of the founding members.

As Irene was unable to attend on night of All Star Presentations, she was presented with her award by President Cecilia O’Sullivan (her mam) and Mary Phelan PRO.

34

Thursday, Nov 13, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

Sport

Matchplay winners honoured at Shannon Golf Club

by Seamus Hayes news@clareecho.ie

SHANNON GOLF CLUB: SHANNON GOLF Club hosted a presentation night last weekend for their matchplay competition winners of 2025.

Club captain Colm Hanley congratulated the prize winners on their successes.

Presentations were made to Niall Fitzgerald (scratch matchplay), Adrian Tracey (Drumgeely Cup), Frank Casey and Colm Ryan (club fourball), Eoin Hogan and Pat McHugh (McCavana Cup), Pat McHugh (Rineanna Cup), Jody O’Connor (Thomond Cup), Michelle Pyke and Willie O’Brien (Knappogue Cup) and Sean Óg Murnane (Tullyvarraga Cup).

ENNIS GOLF CLUB: Winners of the mixed scramble last week were Maureen Moloney, Eileen Holly, Steve Burns and Michael Torpey with 68 points.

They had two to spare over Della Burns, Conor Murphy and Flan Lyons.

In third with 64 points were Carmel Verling, Pat Murphy and Ferdie O'Donoghue.

Last week’s men’s fourball

l Niall Fitzgerald , Adrian Tracey , Frank Casey, Colm Ryan,

Eoin Hogan, Pat McHugh, Jody O’Connor, Michelle Pyke, Willie O’Brien and Sean Óg Murnane Photo by Joe Buckley was won by Michael Kearney In the ladies singles stable(10) and Eddie Glenny (15) ford competition for hampers with 45 points. They had one the winner was Rose Ento spare over Senan Ryan (9) right (20) with 36 points from and David Considine (11). Sinéad O'Sullivan (40) with In third with 43 were Alfred 34 points followed by Della Jones (7) and Fergal Croke Burns (24) with 33 points. followed by Ronan Herbert The 9 hole stableford win(0) and Diarmuid Meere (6) ner was Patricia O'Reilly (16) with a similar score. with 18 points. She won on The senior ladies scramble a countback from Vivienne was won by Pat Lacey, Brid Lawless (23) with third place Cunningham and Therese filled by Geraldine O'MaLillis from Carmel Verling, honey (17) with 17 points.

Martina Corbett and Phil ButThursday’s senior men’s ler with third place filled by modified scramble was won Marie Connolly, Josephine by Cyril Lyons, Kieran Patton, Tone and Maureen Moloney. Jim Hennessey and Michael

Dempsey with 79 points.

They had three to spare over Tony Lawler, Ollie Kennelly and Declan Hanley. In third on 74 points were Richard O Connell, Tim Kelly, Tom Gallery and Conor Murphy.

KILRUSH GOLF CLUB: The men’s competition at the weekend was a 12 hole v par event which was won by Mark Cottam (10) with 3 up.

He was one ahead of Michael J Hogan (12) with third place filled by Pat Shannon (12) also with 2 up. The gross was won by Dominic Enright WOODSTOCK GOLF CLUB: The Ozone Health and Fitness Winter league continued with round two at the weekend. Winners of the 15 hole competition were Pat O'Brien (10) and Colin Higgins (10) with 57 points and they were one ahead of Aidan (6) and Noel Mulcahy (9).

The league continues this weekend when the format will be a modified team of two betterball over 15 holes.

In the club singles which was also over 15 holes were Mike Kelly (16) with 41 points from Kevin Toner (13) with 35 points with third place filled

by Ross Darmody (4) with 33.

DROMOLAND GOLF CLUB: Damian Finnerty with 39 points won the men’s 18 hole turkey competition at the weekend. He was one ahead of Joe Walsh with Gary Russell in third with 37 points.

Conor Barry won the gross with 33 points while the 20 and over handicap was won

by Evan O’Mara with 35.

The ladies 9 hole turkey competition was won by Cathy Casey with 22 points from Niamh McDermott with 20, Dolores Fox with 19 and Mairead Toomey, (also 19).

SPANISH POINT: The ladies 13 hole stableford competition at Spanish Point was won by Aine Burke with 29 points from Yvonne O’Keeffe with 24 points.

EAST CLARE GOLF CLUB: Winners of the ladies Wednesday competition last week were Mary Stritch, Maureen Clune, Mary Farrell and Connie McKenna from Mary Jo Minogue, Tricia Kerr, Pauline Nugent and Mary Noonan.

The men’s turkey stableford competition on Sunday was won by Killian Downes (30) with 45 points from Richard Meehan (27) with 42

points. Stephen B. Moloney (5) won the gross with 79.

Last week’s senior men’s competition was won by Jim Willis, Donal Fleming and Dominic Stuart from Tom Larkin, Kieran McNamara and Tadhg Murphy with third spot filled by Terry Coughlan and John Nihill.

GORT GOLF CLUB: The men’s competition last weekend was 18 hole stableford. The category 1 winner was Kevin Moran (9) with 42 points. Category 2 was won

by Niall O’Shaughnessy (14) with 40 points, category 3 by Michael Killeen (16) with 44 points and category 4 by Pat McNamara (21) with 39.

The ladies open 18 hole singles stableford, sponsored

by Smyths Toys was won by Geraldine Connors (18) with 36 points from Patricia Reddy (21) with 36 points.

The ladies mini hampers competition, played for over 13 holes was won by Fran O Reilly (32) with 26 points from Petra O Connor (15) with 25 points with third filled by Joan Fogarty (16), also with 25.

The ladies 13 hole singles stableford was won by Teresa Mahon (20) with 22 points.

Liscannor-trained Alva Chase Ennis RFC First XV taste races to Liam Brussels final defeat in trip to Waterford

by Michael Maher news@clareecho.ie

LISCANNOR-trained Alva Chase was best from trap two to claim a spot in the Liam Brussels Memorial final.

The three semi-finals of The Liam Brussels Memorial 525 were the centrepiece of Saturday night’s card in Galway with the A4 graded competition again sponsored by the Brussels family in memory of one of the great gentlemen of the sport.

The outcome of the first semi-final was effectively settled at trap rise as the Declan McDonagh of Liscannor-trained Alva Chase trapped best from trap two and from the first bend the son of Jaytee Taylor and Kishlawn Amelia led by two lengths until leaving the far side, when the leader seemed to be coming back to his rivals who were now lined across the track. However off the home bend Alva Chase held the call and although Company Man closed all the way to the line the Declan and Gerard Lillis of Cooraclare owned Alva Chase saw the challenge of by three parts of a length in 29.61.

An A1 graded fifth contest over 525 yards was the top graded event of the night. The inside duo of Brickhill Moana and Heathlawn Storm were both smartly into stride and it was Brickhill Moana who would gradually build a three-lengths lead by halfway. Striding further clear as she approached the exit from the back straight, the Clare natives Albert Long and John Collins owned Brickhill Moana (Ballymac Bol-

ger & Twentylittletoes) powered clear to defeat Heathalwn Storm by eight and a half lengths in a superb 28.57.

The opening contest of the night was an A4 graded 525 yards affair and in the early strides Ard Roxy and Mirabel were prominent with the latter, the Harper Ward of Spanchill-owned Mirabel setting sail for the judge as she entered the back straight. Racing along the back Mirabel led by five lengths from Bells Greet and as she approached the home bend Mirabel (Droopys Sydney-Cactus Sapphire) stayed on well to record her 11th career success by two & a half lengths over Bells Greet in 29.19.

All six were away virtually as one in the A3 graded 525 contest. At the bend the Gordon Vaughan-owned Laois Lightening (Ballymac Anton-Old Treasure) seized the coveted rails berth and that was enough to gain an advantage for an ultimate length and a half win in 29.27.

The final of the Race Entries By Text S7 350 Yards Stake was the feature contest on Friday.

The top graded contest of the night was the A3 graded fourth contest which was won by the Emma Lynskey-owned Fantasy Penny (Redzer Ardfert and Fantasy Lane), trained by Albert Mullins of Gort, by half a length in 29.40.

The opening contest of the night was a Novice 350 yards contest in which the Albert Long and John Collins-owned Brickhill Robin (Good News and Brickhill Daisy) came from behind to score by two lengths from Gimmie That at the line in 19.56.

The Ennis Senior Men’s team had a long trip to Waterford on Sunday but came home empty handed following a 35-24 defeath against Waterpark.

Following a couple of positive results for the Ennis men, the early exchanges of this match started positively for the Clare side with Brendan Keane breaking down the right-hand side and offloading to Calum Barrett, who then ran in from 40 metres to score the game's first try.

This was converted by Shane Punch, for Ennis to take a 7-0 lead.

However, home side Waterpark hit back straight away and scored a converted try and levelled the game.

Ennis RFC however would again take the lead in rapid succession through a short lineout, which was followed by Matty McNamara throwing two dummy passes to score in the corner, a try which was again converted by Punch for a 14-7 lead.

Ennis then won a penalty shortly after, which Punch converted to make the score 17-7.

However despite the 10-point lead, the game began to swing in the home side's favour. The Waterford outfit bounced back straight away with another converted try, making it 17-14 to Ennis.

Waterpark continuously put Ennis' defence under pressure, but knocked on five metres out, giving the scrum to Ennis.

Number eight Keelan Butler picked from the back of the scrum and made ground, clearing the danger.

Waterpark overthrew the following lineout as Barrett claimed the ball and Stephen Dolan made the clearance.

However shortly before half-time, Ennis gave away a penalty for a high tackle, with Waterpark kicking for a goal. The match was levelled out with 17-17 at half-time.

Waterpark kept the pressure on at the start of the second half, until against the run of play Ennis would take the lead for the final time as the ball came back to Barrett, who ran the length of the pitch to score his second try of the game, converted by Punch, to take the lead 24-17.

Waterpark levelled the game again with a converted try following a lineout and eventually took the lead through a controversial try, bringing the score to 29-24.

Ennis kept on going but couldn't manage a fourth try.

Eventually, Waterpark closed out the game with a drop goal and a penalty, taking a 35 - 24 win.

Additional Results: U16 Girls 5-7 Ballina/Killaloe Galwegians 39-0 Senior Women Clanwilliam 19-45 U18 Boys U16 Boys 45-7 Thurles Fixtures: Senior Women AIL Division 1: Ennis/Kilrush v Cooke; Saturday 15th November; 1pm in Drumbiggle Senior Men 2nd XV Gleeson League: Ennis v St Senan’s; Saturday November 15; 2:30pm in Lees Road U14 Boys North Munster League: Ennis v St Senan’s; Sunday 16th November; 10am in Lees Road

35

Thursday, Nov 13, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

To place a notice email kieran@clareecho.ie

Planning

PLANNING CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL LATOON SOUTH, NEWMARKET-ONFERGUS, CO. CLARE. Take notice that Arthur & Laura Lynch intend to apply to the planning authority for permission to construct a new dwelling house and garage complete with a new entrance, wastewater treatment system and ancillary works at the above address. The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority, Clare County Council, Aras Contae an Chlair, New Road, Ennis during its public opening hours and that a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the planning authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL FURTHER INFORMATION/ REVISED PLANS PLANNING REFERENCE: P25/255 DEVELOPMENT DESCRIPTION: permission to revise the site layout and garage design previously granted under reference P22/377 and for permission to retain the mobile home and container on site for temporary use during construction works and all associated site and ancillary works LOCATION: Ballymaclinaun, Liscannor, Co Clare.

Take notice that Caroline Mantle and Adrian O’Driscoll have lodged significant further information in respect of planning application P25/255. This information and planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning

Authority of Clare County Council, Planning Department, Aras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co Clare during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the further information or revised plans may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, not later than 2 weeks after the receipt of the newspaper notice and site notice by the planning authority or in the case of a planning application accompanied by an EIS within 5 weeks of the receipt of such notices by the planning authority.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL FURTHER INFORMATION/ REVISED PLANS PLANNING REFERENCE: P25/74 DEVELOPMENT DESCRIPTION: permission for retention of The house as built on site, which is a mirror image to that originally granted; The porch to the front of the house; The first floor development including additional windows; The garage on site; Revised site boundaries and site layout and all other associated site and ancillary works.

LOCATION: Cloonbony, Miltown Malbay, Co Clare. V95A0V3.

Take notice that Eileen Ryan and Francis Lynch have lodged significant further information in respect of planning application P25/74. This information and planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Authority of Clare County Council, Planning Department, Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co Clare during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the further information or revised plans may be made in writing to the planning authority

on payment of the prescribed fee, not later than 2 weeks after the receipt of the newspaper notice and site notice by the planning authority or in the case of a planning application accompanied by an EIS within 5 weeks of the receipt of such notices by the planning authority.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL SKEHANAGH, CLARECASTLE, CO. CLARE. Take notice that Jonathan & Michelle Griffey intend to apply to the planning authority for permission to construct a new dwelling house and garage complete with a new entrance, wastewater treatment system and ancillary works at the above address. The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority, Clare County Council, Aras Contae an Chlair, New Road, Ennis during its public opening hours and that a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the planning authority of the application.

NEWSPAPER NOTICE CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL We, Mincon International Limited, intend to apply for Permission for Retention for development of this site at Mincon International Limited, Smithstown Industrial Estate, Shannon, Co. Clare, V14 N993.

The development consists of the retention of a specialist grout rig testing structure comprising a steel frame surface-bolted to a concrete foundation slab, with rendered blockwork to the lower section, profiled metal cladding to

the upper elevations, an openable single-skin roof, roller shutter and personnel access doors, external signage, and all associated site development works.

The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Authority during its public opening hours.

A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the Planning Authority on payment of the prescribed fee, €20, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the application and such submissions or observations will be considered by the Planning Authority in making a decision on the application.

The Planning Authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions or may refuse to grant permission.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL: I Aidan Kelly Agricultural Design & Planning Services (ADPS, 085 7466211, www.adps.ie) intend to apply to Clare County Council on behalf of my client John, Bridget & Michael Kinnerk. Permission to construct (i) cubicles shed with loose area and slatted tanks (ii) soiled water slatted tank and all associated site works at Ballard, Doonbeg, Kilrush, Co. Clare.

The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, €20, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application and such submissions or observations will be considered by the plan-

ning authority in making a decision on the application. The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions or may refuse to grant permission.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL LISMULBREEDA, DARRAGH, ENNIS, CO. CLARE Take notice that ML & S Boland Civil Engineering Limited c/o P. Coleman & Associates, Engineers, Architects & Planning Consultants, 5 Bank Place, Ennis intend to apply to the Planning Authority for permission to retain plant, machinery and materials storage yard which includes hardcore base, storage containers and fencing and to replace part of existing fencing and gate and for the provision all 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.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL CAHERMORE, KILMALEY, CO. CLARE Take notice that Chris McMahon intends to apply to the Planning Authority for permission to renovate an existing cottage and construct an extension to the rear of it along with an effluent treatment system and all associated site works at the above address.

The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority, New Road, Ennis, during its public opening

hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the planning authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee of €20.00, within the period of 5 weeks, beginning on the date of receipt by the planning authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL CAHERMORE, KILMALEY, CO. CLARE Take notice that Chris McMahon intends to apply to the Planning Authority for permission to renovate an existing cottage and construct an extension to the rear of it along with an effluent treatment system and all associated site works at the above address.

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

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL We, Peter Donnellan & Caroline Stack intend to apply to Clare County Council for planning permission for: A: Demolition of part of rear of existing dwelling (ground floor: sun lounge, dining area & first floor: master bedroom), B: Proposed rear extension to existing dwelling, C: Proposed minor alterations to dwelling house including: C1: Alterations to existing ground & first floor layout, C2: Alterations front elevation entrance hall door & windows, C3: Proposed window to bedroom 1, northwest el-

evation, C4: Proposed alterations to hall window, northwest elevation, C5: Proposed relocation of window to first floor master ensuite, northwest elevation, C6: Proposed window to first floor master bedroom, southeast elevation, C7: Proposed window to first floor master bedroom, southeast elevation, D: Proposed upgrade of existing septic tank & soakpit to proprietary treatment system & percolation area and associated works at Drumgranagh, Barefield, Ennis, Co. Clare, V95 CCF7 The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of Clare County Council during its public opening hours.

A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, €20, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application, and such submissions or observations will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application.

The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission.

Signed: Stephen Blake, M.R.I.A.I., Registered Architect

36

Thursday, Nov 13, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

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Thursday, Nov 13, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

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Oh, most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven. Blessed Mother of the Son of God; Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh, Star of the Sea, help me and show me you are my Mother.

Oh, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succour me in my necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power.

Oh, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (Say 3 times).

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Thursday, Nov 13, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

39

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 13, 2025

Support journalism in Clare by subscribing to www.clareecho.ie/subscribe

Quiz

The Clare Echo Quiz 1.

Tony is a teacher in which Ennis school?

Rice College St. Flannan’s College Coláiste Mhuire

2.

What age was Tony when he won young hurler of the year in 2013?

19 20 21

3.

4.

5.

6.

Kelly has the record for Clare All-Stars, but how many does he have?

5 6 4

7.

Who did Kelly make his senior debut against?

Antrim Dublin Tipperary

In 2014, Tony Kelly featured in an ad for which British sports broadcaster?

BBC TNT Sky Sports

8.

How many appearances has Tony made for Clare at senior level?

100 79 61

Tony won 2 Fitzgibbon Cups with what college?

UL NUIG LIT

9.

Which man did Kelly refer to as “like our God” in his victory speech after the 2024 All-Ireland Final?

Ger Loughnane Brian Lohan Anthony Daly

Although famously hurling for Ballyea, who did Tony play underage football for?

Lissycasey Kilmihil Clondegad

Movies to see this week

Scan here to see what’s on

10. Tony scored a fantastic goal in the 2024 All-Ireland final but in what minute did he score it?

27th 36th 52nd

ANSWERS 5 Dublin 61 Brian Lohan 52nd Can you spot the difference? Spot the 7 differences.

The answers will be revealed in next weeks edition.

St. Flannan’s College 19 Sky Sports UL Clondegad

Spot the Difference

36 Parnell St Ennis, Co. Clare ennis.arccinema.ie

Last weeks Answers . Tuft of grass missing . Part of Torpey logo missing . Sliotar missing . Hole missing on helmet

. Number missing on jersey . Hole missing on helmet . Crest on shoulder missing

IPB Chairman John Hogan presents representatives of Obair Newmarket on Fergus CLG, Eimear Murphy and Orla Meaney with the award for winning the Creative Communities category at the IPB Pride of Place Awards, joined by staff and elected members of Clare County Council.

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