The Clare Echo 27/11/25

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Nov31, 27,2024 2025 THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Oct

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Minister not in favour of Clare hospital

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

NO NEW hospital for Co Clare is to be constructed as per recommendations from the Health Minister.

At a briefing with Oireachtas members from the Mid-West on Wednesday, Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (FG) outlined her plans to expand University Hospital Limerick (UHL) and extend the campus with a second nearby hospital under a shared model instead of building a new hospital in Co Clare.

Clare TD, Cathal Crowe (FF, inset) told The Clare Echo, “The Minister’s proposal will be

of disappointment to some people who had hoped for a new build hospital in Ennis and surrounds, but the proposals from the Minister represent a huge and long-awaited reinforcement in the healthcare provision in the region and to the people of Clare”.

Friends of Ennis Hospital Chairperson, Angela Coll stated, “We still believe that the best solution for the people of Clare is a hospital in Clare for Clare. We will not give up that fight even though it has now become obviously a more difficult task”.

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THAT WINNING FEELING

 Ennistymon U21 captain Joshua Vaughan lifts the John Marrinan Trophy as his teammates begin the celebrations Photo by Ruth Griffin

Commercial rates to increase by 8%

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

COMMERCIAL RATES are to be increased by 8% in Clare next year after elected members of Clare County Council approved a record Budget of €204m.

For the second time since 2022, commercial rates in Co Clare are on the rise after elected members of the Council on Wednesday opted to include an 8 percent increase as part of the Annual Budget.

It is the first Budget during the tenure of new Chief Executive, Gordon Daly who said, “It is the first time the revenue of the Budget will exceed €200m this will accelerate housing delivery and

infrastructure. It is a record level of infrastructure”.

President of Ennis Chamber, Diarmuid McMahon described the rates increase as “a hammer blow to businesses”.

Many traders particularly those in the county town are furious that a rates rise was even considered after the difficulties to business encountered since the €11.5m Ennis public realm works began in October 2023.

After the Budget was adopted on the proposal of Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) and Cllr John Crowe (FG), Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) stated that he could not support its approval,

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THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27 2025

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Christmas in Gort

‘This one was for Éanna’

p24-29

NEWSDESK

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kieran@clareecho.ie or ross@clareecho.ie Unit 9, The Mall, Clare Road Business Centre, Ennis, County Clare Telephone: 065 671 9021 This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Press Council’s Code of Practice.

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Caitriona, John, Dara, Brid-Áine and Eoin Rouine hold a picture of their beloved Éanna, his number fifteen Ennistymon jersey and the John Marrinan trophy Photo by Ruth Griffin following the club’s U21A success on Sunday

50 plus parking spaces to be provided for Christmas at old Boys NS site in Ennis

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

OVER 50 parking spaces are to be provided on a temporary basis at the Old Boys National School in Ennis for the Christmas shopping period.

Officials within the Ennis Municipal District on Tuesday evening confirmed that the site which was acquired

by Ennis 2040 DAC in September would be utilised in a temporary capacity to offer parking for shoppers in the county town over the festive period.

In excess of fifty spaces will be available, the local authority confirmed.

Additional car parking will be provided daily from 8am to 8pm effective from Saturday December 6th until Monday January 5th.

Ennis 2040 DAC purchased the 4.2 acre site for €3.1m following an independent valuation. It is zoned as a large mixeduse development including commercial, residential, and retail with car parking.

At the October meeting of the Ennis MD, Cllr Tommy

Guilfoyle (SF) was the first to suggest utilising the Old Boys National School as a car park over the Christmas period. “It is lying idle and it would be a valuable asset to allow people to come in to Ennis and shop. It wouldn’t take a lot to turn that into a temporary car park and I think it would be a great idea”.

Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) agreed that it was “a fantastic idea, embrace what we have but increase the footfall”.

Then senior engineer, Seán Lenihan was reluctant such an aspiration could be achieved. “It would require a fair bit of work at the Boys National School site, it is not just a case of opening a gate, you can’t bring them in without the risk and we cannot have injuries”. He added, “there are 180 spaces proposed as part of that overall development, we’ve just acquired the site”.

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THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27, 2025

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Record €200m Council One week left! budget passed with 8% HomeTrends Black Friday hike in commercial rates event ends November 29th

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

AN EIGHT percent increase in commercial rates has been approved by elected members of Clare County Council.

Elected members of the local authority on Wednesday overwhelmingly adopted the Budget which is the first during Gordon Daly’s tenure as Chief Executive.

“It is the first time the revenue of the Budget will exceed €200m this will accelerate housing delivery and infrastructure. It is a record level of infrastructure”. The revenue budget has gone from €130m in 2021 to €204m for next year.

It is the second time since 2022 that Clare County Council have increased commercial rates. This move has been slammed by Ennis Chamber with President Diarmuid McMahon labelling it as “a hammer blow to businesses”. The vote took place one day before the scheduled completion of the main construction phase of the long-running €11.5m public realm works in Ennis town which has served as an incredibly challenging period for businesses in the county town.

Keeping councillors on side is the proposal to retain the General Municipal Allocation (GMA) at the same rate for 2026. The GMA is used by elected members to fund local groups and organisations which they find helpful in securing votes come election time but also to deliver projects that would be left on the back-burner due to funding shortfalls from Central Government.

Chief Executive Daly told the meeting that the budget “endorses the priorities and key objectives as set out in our discussions since I took on the role”. The Budget includes an additional €1m for road infrastructure next year and €500,000 for housing activation. He outlined, “we have sought to strike balance between generating income and expenditure”.

A quarter of the Council’s income for 2026 will be from commercial rates and another quarter from the local property tax which is expected to be in the region of €3.5m. “The commercial rates increase will deliver additional income,” Daly advised. “Our capital programme reflects Clare County Council’s ambition

to have a significant investment in Clare,” he added while committing to provide a list of detailed investment capital priorities early in 2026.

Director of Finance, Investment and Enterprise, Noeleen Fitzgerald stated that the Council intended to spend €190m on roads and housing delivery next year which she labelled as “substantial expenditure”. She said €1m in increased costs have been experienced in operating homeless services rising to €5.6m. To run the Fire Service is costing over €11m, she stated.

On the rates increase,

was passed, Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) stated that he could not support its approval, he spoke earlier in the meeting that the “crux of the problem is how local authorities are funded by Central Government, it is far below the European norm”.

Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) stated, “The greater the ambition the greater the deficit we have, we want to stay with our own ambition and have the best Council and local authority in the country”.

More detail on the Budget needs to be provided to elected members with Cllr Rita McInerney (FF) describing the rates increase

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Rita McInerney (FF) describes the rates increases as “difficult”

Noeleen commented, “a third of our customers will be asked for €1.28 extra a week, another percent of an increase would bring it to €3”. She continued, “for three out of every five businesses, we’re looking for €5 extra in order to have a stable financial environment for the local authority”. She said the rates increase was “a real opportunity for businesses” and referenced how the cost of the Limerick Toll and Sunday newspapers has also increased in recent years.

This breakdown according to Cllr Pat Daly (FF) “makes it very easy” to support the Budget. “There’s lot of benefits out of the rates, the public works that has the county town looking fantastic, it all has to be paid for,” remarked Cllr Michael Shannon (FF).

Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) proposed the adoption of the Budget with Cllr John Crowe (FG) seconding its approval. After the Budget

as “difficult”. Spending half a million on housing activation was welcomed by Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF).

Of the €2m spent by the Council on street cleaning, €1m is in Ennis. The need for “fairness and balance” across the entire county was stressed by Cllr Ian Lynch (IND) and echoed by Cllr Shane Talty (FF). The failure to put revenue generated by the Cliffs of Moher into improving North Clare roads was criticised by Cllr Bill Slattery (FG).

Following a query from Cllr Pat Burke (FG), the Finance Director confirmed she met with Ennis and Shannon Chamber before Budget Day, the meeting with Ennis Chamber taking place “early” on Tuesday morning.

Footfall must be driven to small and medium enterprises as a result of increasing rates, Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) outlined.

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political giant Carey remembered Clare Donal Carey dies as a political hero

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

CLARECASTLE’S Donal Carey (FG) has been hailed as a “a political hero” following his death.

A Clare TD for two decades and a Junior Minister for two years, Donal died on Tuesday night at University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

At Áras Contae an Chláir on Wednesday evening, elected members of Clare County Council gathered to approve a €204m budget for 2026. Cathaoirleach of the Council, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) took a moment to remember and pay respect to Donal.

Councillors stood for a minute’s silence for the former councillor who was elected in the Ennis and Miltown Malbay areas before progressing to Dáil Éireann.

Cllr Murphy who is a close family friend of the Careys described Donal as his “political hero”. He also acknowledged the death of Donal’s wife Evelyn in

1993 when expressing his sympathies to his children, siblings, grandchildren and many friends.

Tánaiste Simon Harris (FG) said he was “extremely saddened” by Donal’s passing. He stated, “Donal was deeply committed to public service, dedicating well over 20 years of his life to the people of Clare, as a councillor, TD, Senator and Minister of State. He was someone who brought a real sense of kindness, humour and wisdom to the job, always willing to support younger colleagues who were starting out on their political journeys.

“Without doubt, one of Donal’s overriding passions was serving the communities and people of county Clare. Communities that will always Donal for ensuring their voices were heard in Dail and Seanad Eireann.

Donal, of course, made a huge impact within our Fine Gael party, building so many friendships along the way,” the Minister for Finance added. “Donal’s legacy of service and his contribution

Donal Carey (FG) former Clare TD and ex Junior Minister

to Irish public life and to our Fine Gael family will always be remembered”.

Clare TD, Joe Cooney (FG) said Donal’s death brought “great sadness” to the county. “Donal dedicated his life to public service and to the people of this constituency,” he stated.

“His work, particularly for rural renewal and the Gael-

tacht, showed how deeply he was committed to supporting communities and safeguarding our heritage.

Donal was a gentleman, loving father and grandfather, a committed public representative, and the embodiment of quiet, steady service to the people of Clare,” the O’Callaghans Mills native added.

FORMER Clare TD and ex Junior Minister, Donal Carey (FG) has died, one month after celebrating his eighty eighth birthday.

A giant of Clare politics and the head of one of the county’s biggest political dynasties, Donal died on Tuesday evening.

Donal served as a Clare TD for two decades, prevailing in six General Election campaigns from 1982 to 2002. He was a Senator on the Labour Panel serving for one year following his election in 1981.

Following unsuccessful Dáil bids in 1977 and 1981, Donal took the final seat in February 1982 at the expense of then TD Madeline Taylor-Quinn (FG) and would remain a constant Clare representative until the 2002 General Election when he initially missed out on a party nomination at convention despite being a sitting TD. In 1989, he topped the poll in Clare with 19.7 percent of the vote in the constituency which saw him elected on the third count in what was his greatest electoral performance.

During his spell in Dáil Éireann, he was appointed Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach with responsibility for western development

and rural renewal and Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht with responsibility for the Gaeltacht holding the posts from January 1995 to June 1997.

Clarecastle’s Donal began his career in politics when he was elected to Clare County Council in 1974 securing the highest vote of the four Fine Gael candidates in the field.

He retained his seat on the local authority in subsequent elections in 1979 topping the poll with 1,485 first preferences, 1985 and 1991. For his successes in 1985 and 1991, he was elected in the Miltown Malbay area.

Politics was in the blood with Donal’s son Joe winning a seat on Clare County Council in 1999 before serving as a Clare TD from 2007 until 2024, exiting politics on medical grounds. His daughter, Leonora contested the 2024 General Election amassing 5,251 first preference votes in her first run for office, she later contested the Seanad Election on the Labour Panel at the beginning of this year. His son, Donal is the co-founder and co-owner of Carey Corbett Financial Solutions.

An astute political analyst, Donal remained engrossed in all matters in the world of politics as he progressed in years.

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Tánaiste says another hospital is needed in Mid-West & that Ennis has been ‘under-utilised’

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

TÁNAISTE, Simon Harris (FG) has said an additional hospital facility is needed in the Mid-West region, weeks before the Health Minister is to issue recommendations on actions to follow in the aftermath of HIQA’s review.

Ennis Hospital is under-utilised and another hospital is a necessary requirement in the region, the Tánaiste stated during a visit to Co Clare while stressing that reconfiguration which resulted in the closure of the accident and emergency unit in Ennis has not served the area well.

After turning on the Christmas lights in Kilkishen, the newly appointed Minister for Finance detailed that he believes the MidWest needs another hospital which is certainly top of Santa’s list for all health advocates in the region.

At the end of September, HIQA published a review of urgent and emergency healthcare services in the region with three options outlined. Option A is to expand

University Hospital Limerick (UHL) at its current site, Option B is to extend the UHL campus with a second nearby site under a shared model, and Option C is to build a new Model 3 hospital with a second emergency department for the region.

Speaking in Kilkishen, the Tánaiste commented, “I am of the view that the MidWest will need an additional hospital facility, that is my view, we have to look at what we do to get from here to there because there are people in the region today who need more bed capacity and how we can better use our hospitals like Ennis is really important, we have a roadmap now and I think HIQA have done a good piece of work done. I look forward to the Minister coming back with recommendations by the end of the year”.

He added, “I’m really pleased to see the outcome of this review, when I was Taoiseach I was very determined this review would take place because the people of the Mid-West have not been well served by hospital reconfiguration, they have not been well served at all, I welcome

Tánaiste, Simon Harris (FG) is welcomed to Kilkishen by Clare TD, Joe Cooney (FG) and Cllr Conor Ryan (FG

some of the improvements we have seen in UHL like extra bed capacity, it is a statement of the blinding obvious that that in itself will not be enough. The HIQA report has a menu of options, one is to continue to grow capacity at UHL which is a no

brainer, it needs to happen, the second is to look at an additional site and the third is the idea of having a further model three hospital in the region. The Minister for Health is due to come back to the Government by the end of the year which is not far away, on the next steps she intends to take and I will be guided by that.

Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (FG) is considered to be Harris’ biggest internal threat for the leadership of Fine Gael. “I don’t have political rivals in my own party, I’m the leader of the Fine Gael party,” he remarked.

Her proposal to Cabinet will determine which of three options presented by HIQA is endorsed by the Government. “People who work in our health services work bloody hard and they do a great job. We now have a record level of funding in health, we have seen huge increases in health, we have to see the health service work for the people that depend on it, that means hospitals not basing things around what works for them but what works for the region.

I’ve always when I think of the Mid-West know there is a network of hospitals with huge potential to better network them, hospitals like Ennis whilst more is happening remain under-utilised, there is much more that could be done there. I do think the HIQA piece of work which was commissioned when I was Taoiseach was a really important piece, it basically says and we all knew this to be true, it gives us an evidence based that the current situation and the status quo

is not an acceptable situation. We are accelerating bed capacity in UHL which is a really good thing to do, that in itself will not be enough, I look forward to Jennifer bringing that proposal back to Cabinet in the next few weeks”.

Friends of Ennis Hospital have called on the Minister for Health to enact emergency legislation to fast-track the development of a model three and four hospital in the region. Harris acknowledged that such projects need to be delivered quicker once construction commences.

“Step one is for the Minister to bring forward her plan for how she recommends the Government responds to the HIQA’s report and we expect that very shortly, in fairness to the Friends of the Hospital that is a very fair point. It is a cause of huge frustration for people right across Ireland and I can assure you it is a cause of huge frustration to me that it takes too long to deliver key infrastructure projects even when funding is in place the length of time it can take from announcing for a project to a project being delivered.

“We’re currently carrying out a piece of work broader than health about how to deliver huge infrastructure more quickly, how do you consider emergency legislation, we did it for Brexit where we allowed Rosslare Europort both be developed in a quicker manner, we also did it for temporary gas storage so I wouldn’t rule out health projects being part of it, Jack Chambers will bring proposals to Cabinet by the start of next month about the terms of key infrastruc-

Photo by Kevin Donovan

ture and certainly health is critical infrastructure”.

Given that forty percent of the Clare population live outside the ‘golden hour’ of reaching an emergency department, there is anger locally at the continued under-investment in emergency health services. The Tánaiste maintained another hospital in the region deserved to take precedence over The Metro in Dublin which is likely to cost over €9.5bn. “I want to say to the people of Clare what I say every time I visit because I mean it and I believe it, the people of the Mid-West and Clare have been badly served by reconfiguration, that is the history of it, our job is to rectify that situation, the extra capacity going into UHL will make a meaningful difference, we’re already seeing some benefits of that but it ain’t enough of itself, we have to do more, HIQA is very clear on that so it is no longer my political view or the view of Friends of Ennis Hospital the good people that they are, now HIQA have said more needs to be done.

“We will take the report very seriously, we want to work on a cross-party basis, I hate this idea of politicians playing politics with people’s health, this is about everybody in Dáil Éireann pulling together, the last Dáil was about identifying there was a challenge in the Mid-West, this Dáil has to be about getting on with rectifying that, nothing is off the table in terms of how we move forward and I know the Minister will be very eager to engage with hospital groups like that,” he added.

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Proposal for one-way system on Mill Road scrapped

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

PLANS to introduce a oneway traffic system to the Mill Road and to alter the Gort Rd roundabout by Lynch’s Centra have been scrapped.

Over 2,200 submissions were made in relation to the contentious draft of the Ennis local transport plan which proposed a one-way traffic system at the Mill Rd and altering the Gort Rd roundabout to remove the lane by which motorists could access and exit the adjacent shopping centre which is home to Lynch’s Centra and McDonald’s among others.

Both of these proposals have now been removed from the plan following backlash from the public and businesses. Elected representatives, Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF), Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF), Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua (FF) and Cllr Pat Daly (FF) had been particularly vocal to object to the proposals.

Within the 118-page draft of the local transport plan, there were 116 schemes proposed. Elected members of the Ennis Municipal District are to receive an updated report on what the revised plan looks like next month.

Despite initially rejecting requests from Cllr O’Callaghan and Cllr Guilfoyle, Clare County Council at the end of June extended the public consultation period for the draft plan by two weeks.

Acting senior engineer in the Ennis MD, Paddy Tiernan confirmed on Monday that the one-way plans and alterations to the Gort Rd roundabout were removed from the plan.

He also outlined that the final draft was to recommend an independent pedestrian and cycling bridge which will retain the existing twoway traffic flow at Drehidnagower Bridge (linking Gort Rd and Drumcliffe Rd) with no traffic lights. “This local transport plan has received unprecedented feedback which is what we want, we had over 2,200 respondents, it is fantastic that everyone is engaging with the plan, we are listening to what they are saying”.

Cllr O’Callaghan, Cllr Guilfoyle and Cllr Daly requested in September that alterations to the Gort Rd/Ennis Hospital roundabout be removed from the plan. Cllr O’Callaghan in July requested that all two-way traffic routes be maintained in Ennis Town. Clarity was sought

by Cllr Guilfoyle in July on why plans for the Post Office Field and The Old Mill Rd were included in the draft. In

a separate motion, he looked for information behind their plans for Drehidnagower Bridge. In July, Cllr O’Callaghan asked for the removal from the local transport plan of the paused Ennis 2040 projects in Abbey Street and Parnell Street.

As per the draft transport plan, the four-arm roundabout at the Gort Rd was to be made a three-arm roundabout removing the access and exit point for the Gort Rd shopping centre. While it will now be unchanged, some roundabouts in the town will be changed as part of the plan, said Mr Tiernan without referring to specific examples.

Tiernan confirmed plans no longer exist for a one-way system on the Mill Rd, Carmody Street, Old Mill Rd and Considine’s Terrace. “I can report the revised final draft of the local transport plan will retain the existing system and there are no longer any plans for a one-way system on Old Mill Rd. We met the owner of the property which is jutting out and causing a difficult, we will be able to work with the owner to provide two way traffic and a footpath”.

Ennis 2040 projects have not been omitted from the local transport plan. “The Chief Executive announced a review of the strategy (Ennis 2040) and he also announced a reviewed plan will be included in the upcoming variation of the County Development Plan and the local transport plan will be included as a chapter within the variation, therefore it is vitally important that all documents are aligned and signing off the same hymn sheet. With that in mind for Abbey Street, Parnell Street and the Post Office Field, all I can say is the outcome of the review will determine their inclusion or omission or otherwise in the local transport plan”.

Speaking at Monday’s meeting of the Physical Development Strategic Policy Committee (SPC), Cllr Guilfoyle welcomed the decision

that “a lot of these contentious issues will be removed from the local transport plan and the three issues in the Ennis 2040 plan that are being reviewed and we wait on an update on them”.

Cllr O’Callaghan commented, “I flagged from the beginning that I felt we were rushing it, we are waiting for the town bus to come in which will be invaluable, there is only 2% of the population using bikes and we were going to rip up the whole town”. He said the Council should have been quicker when reacting to the issues flagged by businesses.

Removing the one-way plans will bring a sense of “relief ”, Cllr Daly added.

Former CEO of Ennis Chamber, Cllr Rita McInerney (FF) felt the level of “robust” consultation and “huge response” was welcome.

Models used for determining increased traffic flows need to be examined, she felt.

“This is a bit of a chicken and egg situation with the bus service, it will have a very positive impact on the town so therefore are some of the plans premature without knowing the impact of the bus service on traffic flow because it will take a year for habits and journeys to change once bus is introduced.”

According to Tiernan, “it will be three to four years before we see a difference in traffic flow from the town bus. I don’t think we can wait two to three years with our plan, a lot of work has been done”. He expressed confidence that the draft plan would be presented to the Ennis MD in December. He confirmed the Road to Nowhere would be included as “a strategic route” in the local transport plan.

“It is a critical plan for Ennis, we’ve seen the importance of some of the plans we have made,” Cllr Ian Lynch (IND) outlined. The town bus service will help Ennis, Cllr Conor Ryan (FG) believed while pointing out the “tremendous success” it has been in Portlaoise.

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THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27 2025

News

Parents of Shannon Airport pro-Palestianian activists provide independent sureties to secure release on bail

by Gordon Deegan news@clareecho.ie

PARENTS of three 23-year old pro-Palestinian activists charged with the criminal damage of a US military plane at Shannon Airport last Saturday provided independent sureties to allow the release of their three adult children from prison.

The three accused who have no previous convictions have spent three nights in custody since their arrests at Shannon Airport on Saturday and at Ennis District Court on Tuesday, Judge Alec Gabbett approved the parents’ independent sureties to allow the three be released on bail as DPP directions are awaited in the case.

The three are facing charges from an incident at the airport last Saturday where members of the Defence Forces tasked to protect a US military aircraft at Shannon Airport drew their weapons briefly in response to an alleged airport incursion by the three.

At a special late night sitting of Ennis District Court on Sunday night, Det Garda Colm Moriarty told the court that a US military aircraft parked overnight allegedly sustained criminal damage when spray painted with green paint from a modified fire extinguisher on top of a modified van in a taxi area on the airfield on Saturday morning.

The three were remanded in custody with consent to bail to appear before the court today via video-link.

In the case, Kaspar Aiden Cantwell

Shannon Airport’s fencing and inset a Palastinian flag and Boeing planes

Strattra (23) of Manorlands Crescent, Trim, Co Meath, social science student, Emily Cathcart (23) North View, Knocknagin Rd, Balbriggan, Co Dublin and Conan Kavanagh (23) of New Cabra Rd, Dublin 7 and St Joseph’s Drive, Montenotte, Cork are charged with the criminal damage of the main body of a Boeing 737-700 belonging to the US Navy Reserve at Shannon airport on November 22nd.

The three are also charged with the criminal damage of a Shannon Airport airside vehicle barrier and with trespass at the main apron and taxi-way 11 at Shannon Airport on the same date.

One of the three accused, Mr Cantwell Strattra replied after charge: “The use of Shannon Airport by the US military breaks Irish neutrality. The US is a belligerent power

complicit in the genocide of Palestinians”.

In court on Tuesday, the father of Emily Cathcart, Jeffrey Cathcart a retired ESB Information Systems worker, appeared to provide an independent surety of €10,000, Solicitor for the three, Tara Godfrey said that Ms Cathcart’s parents are “people of means”.

In the witness box, Mr Cathcart said that he was happy to lodge €10,000 to secure bail for his daughter who was appearing via video link in court from Limerick women’s prison.

Sgt Frank O’Grady said that DPP directors were not yet available in the case and Ms Godfrey said that she is happy with all of the cases to be adjourned to December 17th to Ennis District Court.

On behalf of Kaspar Aiden Cantwell Stratta, his mother, energy consultant, Olivia Cantwell confirmed to Judge Gabbett that she was in a position to lodge €5,000 cash in order to secure bail for her son and provide an independent surety of €5,000.

On behalf of Conan Kavanagh, Ms Godfrey said that Mr Kavanagh’s mother, Dolores Mullahy was in court to provide independent surety.

In the witness box, Ms Mullahy confirmed that she works as an ad-

ministrator at the Munster Technological University (MTU) and is able to provide independent surety of €10,000.

Ms Mullahy told Judge Gabbett that she expects that her son will abide by his bail conditions and turn up at any future court date.

Judge Gabbett said that all of the parents who have provided surety for the three accused need to be very aware of the bail conditions that the three must stay out of Co Clare save for court appearances, not protest at any other airports and sign on at their local Garda stations.

Judge Gabbett told the parents “there are a lot of opportunities to lose your money here and I would like you to be very conscious of this and bail conditions here can be easily breached. That money can be very easily lost”.

In court on Sunday, Det Garda Moriarty said that the Defence Forces personnel near the US navy aircraft “had their weapons drawn briefly until the situation was under control” He said that the airport had to be shut down for 30 minutes and one incoming aircraft was placed in a holding pattern before the airport could re-open.

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THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27, 2025

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News

Christmas is just around the corner NOVEMBER is a month that always seems to fly by for me. We have lots going on in the garden centre this time of year.

It may be too wet or cold to be outside but I never mind extra layers and off we go.

Bareroot season has kicked off and we have some in stock. The evergreen available are Grislinia and Laurel both good hedging and give privacy, easy to maintain.

The Hawthorne is always good in the country and we have some rosa rugosa if you are doing a mix hedge available. Why get bareroot? Well, it is affordable, especially if you have a long boundary to do and it is easy to plant, and can come in a range of size depending on which variety you

require. Call in to have a look and chat about what may suit you best.

Christmas is just around the corner so we have some Christmas trees in stock and we can deliver too. Nothing beats the smell of the Xmas tree. Fresh wreath now available, and are all custom made to suit your requirements. We have a lovely Christmas tunnel with lots of beautiful stock to help enhance your home with your chosen theme this year.

It’s such a magical time and with our lovely forest it quite enchanting towards the evening in the garden centre. Definitely worth a look some evening i may be biased.

Preorder your Christmas wreath now and chat to us about your require-

ments.

The birds are grateful as we keep the feeders full to help them during this cold spell, we have some feeders on special offer and limited bird food available on special too, so why not add another feeder and remember to leave some fresh water out or why not treat yourself to a ceramic water feature a lovely addition to the garden.

There is a lovely range of ceramic pottery available and by adding a beautiful winter arrangement you would be all set for Christmas. Call in to see the lovely readymade festival pottery, a beautiful gift for anyone Including yourself.

Have a fantastic week.

14

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27 2025

News

Man appears in court over Kilmaley social dancing raises €2k for Grow Mental Health defecating on floor of Catholic Church building

by Gordon Deegan

news@clareecho.ie

A 42 year old Ennis man has appeared in court charged with criminal damage of a Catholic Church building when defecating on the floor of the St Peter and Paul Cathedral in Ennis earlier this month.

At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, Richard McDermott of no fixed abode pleaded guilty to the criminal damage of the church on Ennis’s O’Connell Street on November 12th last.

Mr McDermott has also pleaded guilty to a separate criminal damage charge to a cell at Ennis Garda Station on the same date when urinating in the cell.

In evidence, Sgt John Burke said that Mr McDermott had to be manhandled by Gardai into the cell after his earlier arrest at the church.

Sgt Burke said that Mr McDermott urinating in the cell rendered the cell inoperable and professional cleaners were required.

Sgt Burke said at the earlier Church incident, Mr McDermott verbally abused mass goers and a priest.

Judge Alec Gabbett remarked “Mr McDermott is not a teddy bear, that’s for sure” and expressed sympathy for Ennis parish priest Fr Tom Ryan who would have had to clean up the mess at the Ennis Cathedral.

Solicitor for Mr McDermott, Tara Godfrey asked Judge Gabbett “not to rush to judgement” in the case.

Ms Godfrey said: “My client has Irritable Bowel Syndrome and his bowels are loosened by certain difficulties. He was extremely drunk on the day.”

She added: “For the majority of his life, Mr McDermott

St Peter and Paul Cathedral in Ennis

was in the care of the Brothers of Charity. If we had a different regime in this country to protect Mr McDermott we would not have his dignity compromised to the extent that it has been.”

In response, Judge Gabbett said: “You are not talking about bringing back the asy-

lums?”

In response, Ms Godfrey said: “I am not asking the court to bring back the asylums but there should be supported accommodation for someone like Mr McDermott.”

She said: “His health has deteriorated considerably and he had been in a 9am to 9pm accommodation situation and Mr McDermott had not got the capacity to cope and his bed was given away.”

Ms Godfrey said: “He is compromised intellectually and in his ability to cope and he finds himself being sensationalised then in the public eye and public conscience for defecating on the floor of the Cathedral in circumstances where Mr McDermott needs our compassion and our support.”

Ms Godfrey said: “The shame and embarrassment is tremendous for Mr McDermott who doesn’t have a mother or a father to protect him in this world at this time and that is something that weighs on his spirit.”

Ms Godfrey said that Mr McDermott’s physical health has deteriorated “and that is not to diminish the difficulties Gardai had to face on the day.”

Judge Gabbett further remanded Mr McDermott in custody for two weeks for a Probation Report for sentencing.

Concert in honour of Olivia Tuohy CANTARE Choir and Orchestra are delighted to announce their forthcoming concert in St Peter and Paul’s Cathedral Ennis on

favourites to usher in the festive season, they will be joined by guest local choir the Quin and Tonics, En-

Cantare Choir and Orchestra In Ennis Cathedral at last year’s concert and inset Olivia Tuohy

December 19 at 8pm.

In what promises to be a wonderful night of music and song with secular and sacred

nis based soprano Helen Catherine Ball and Conor Prenderville from Kerry.

This is a very special event in

aid of the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, in memory of Olivia Tuohy RIP who passed away in Edinburgh in May. Olivia from Ennis was working as a nurse in Edinburgh and had completed a mini marathon when she tragically collapsed and died.

The Tuohy family are deeply grateful to the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust for their support, care and guidance in ensuring that Olivia was brought home to her family.

Cantare Choir are privileged to support this worthy cause as Olivia’s father Kieran sings in the tenor line with Cantare.

Tickets are €20 and available from the glór box office or on www.glor.ie Please help to make this a sell out concert.

(L-R): Ann McLaughlin Michael Maher Mary Custy, Mary Purcell Regional Manager in the South & West Midwest, Celia Brett Midwest Area Coordinator and Paddy Maher

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

€2000 has been presented to Grow Mental Health following a recent fundraiser in Kilmaley.

A social dancing fundraiser held at The Kilmaley Inn at the end of October

has brought in €2,005 for the Ennis branch of Grow Mental Health.

Organised by Michael Maher and friends, the evening proved to be an enjoyable one but also raised much-needed funds for the charity.

Grow Mental Health is a

registered charity with over 55 years’ experience supporting people in personal growth and recovery. It’s peer-support service has been operating in Ireland since 1969, is a testament to the vital role that other people play in the recovery of the individual.

Toonagh Céilí brings in €1.2k for Clare branch of Alzheimer Society

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

AN ALL-IRELAND winning singer and her crew with velvet voices hit the right note to raise more than €1,000 for the Clare branch of the Alzheimer Society.

Proceeds from a Céilí session held in Toonagh at the end of September raised €1,200 for the Clare branch of the Alzheimer Society which is based in Cahercalla.

Denise Whelan who has won the All-Ireland Scór title with Ruan along with her friends Martina O’Donoghue

and Rosemary Foudy, both of whom are talented singers themselves organised the Céilí.

Clare based, The Star of Munster Céilí Band were the stars of the night.

Founded in 1992, the band lived up to its reputation for energising céilí dancers with their lively and rhythmically precise performances.

Loyal followers of the band flocked to Toonagh Hall for the session as did set dancing regulars where they were treated to tea and cakes, typical of the hospitality from the local ladies that is synonymous with Toonagh Hall.

Martina O’Donoghue, Rosemary Foudy and Denise Whelan presenting the cheque to Linda Kelly and Mary Ryan of the Clare branch of the Alzheimer Society

15

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27, 2025

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16

Thursday, Nov 27, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

Regional News

Ennis

Quin Rd ‘an accident waiting to happen’ for Traveller children

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

ENNIS politicians have said they are “duty-bound” to highlight the dangers for ‘unsupervised Traveller children’ who are at risk of an accident due to the absence of a footpath from the Quin Rd to the Ballaghboy site with principals describing it as “an accident waiting to happen”.

Nine serviced bays are situated in the Ballaghboy halting site in Doora, two of which are vacant. The lack of safe walking infrastructure for residents in the traveller accommodation has been brought to the attention of county councillors by principals of the Holy Family NS. In a joint proposal, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) and Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua (FF) brought the matter before the Ennis Municipal District where they sought the delivery of “immediate interim safety measures such as warning signage, reduced speed limits, or temporary walkways, and to develop a permanent footpath solution”.

Principals of the senior and junior school at the Holy Family asked the situation “be treated as a matter of critical child safety, not long-term planning”. They expressed “deep concerns for the safety of children who walk this route daily, that every morning at approximately 8:30am during peak traffic young children from the Ballaghboy Halting Site must walk nearly 700 meters along a busy stretch of road with no footpath, from the site to Jonno’s Bar. There is no safe walking infrastructure to protect them from fast-moving vehicles”.

According to the principals, two staff members “have been involved in serious traffic

accidents on that same stretch of road in the recent past due to drivers, in one instance being intoxicated and the other, texting while driving. The situation is not only dangerous; it is untenable. In our view, the children’s current journey to and from school is an imminent accident waiting to happen. Currently, children from three families at Ballaghboy are enrolled in our school, with more expected as younger siblings and other Ballaghboy families reach school age. This means that the risk is ongoing and likely to increase unless immediate action is taken”.

Acting senior engineer in the Ennis MD, Paddy Tiernan acknowledged the concerns raised by the principals and “the genuine worry that motivates such correspondence.

Safety on our county roads is of concern for all our citizens and the safety of our children heightens this sense of urgency to implement all possible measures at every location. Mem-

bers will be aware that Ennis MD receives a significant number of requests each year for new footpaths, active travel infrastructure, and road safety improvements. We endeavour to carefully assess all requests on their merits, but unfortunately, not all can be accommodated”.

Estimated costs of the proposed project are €350,000 excluding land costs, Tiernan advised. “In the context of all possible road safety projects and funding availability we cannot, unfortunately, commit to this project at this time. We will, however, continue to review the options and measures to address the concern”.

Speaking at the November meeting of the Ennis MD, Cllr Colleran Molloy noted it “it is a tricky one to locate a source of funding but at the same time both Cllr Baker Bashua and I have been speaking about this, I met the principals of both the junior and senior school at The Holy Family, there is no doubt about it, they are very worried that a serious accident is going to occur here, most especially for the young Traveller children staying on the Ballaghboy site who in some cases are not supervised by their parents, you can talk about parental supervision or lack thereof but in some instances it is not possible”.

There is “big money involved in constructing the footpath,” she accepted. “We are duty bound to highlight this, there is a real danger here. I’m a bit disappointed that the response doesn’t address any interim measures”.

Reducing speed limits are some “simple steps” that “would make a real difference,” Cllr Baker Bashua maintained. “I understand budgets are limited and there are many com-

Memorials to be built for unmarked Clarification graves at Drumcliffe Cemetery

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

MEMORIALS are to be placed on four unmarked graves in Drumcliffe Cemetery.

Cllr Mary Howard (FG) has twice tabled motions this year before the Ennis Municipal District seeking the erection of permanent markers at the four unmarked graves in the St Bridget’s Section in Drumcliff Cemetery.

Tubber based Irish Natural Stone have “been with the putting in place of memorials to those who, in recent years, have been buried in Drumcliffe without being identified. Work is in progress and should be completed shortly,” senior staff officer with the Ennis MD, Joe Spellissy confirmed.

Speaking at the November meeting of the Ennis MD, Cllr Howard outlined, “I used to put flowers there myself but now Ennis Tidy Towns do it twice a year. Me and maybe two other people know where the unmarked graves are. The

wooden crosses have disintegrated. Please God, someday their families will know where their remains are”. Her proposal was seconded by Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF).

Raising the matter in March, Cllr Howard described Drumcliffe as “a very important part of our town”. She said she was initially aware of two unmarked graves at the cemetery but “discovered a third and fourth” when she became Chairperson of Ennis Tidy Towns. “One is a woman and the others don’t identify so I assume it is men, they are not necessarily suicides but have never been identified,” she explained.

“It is no skin off my nose maintaining these graves,” Cllr Howard admitted. She recalled Brian Flynn discussing the matter on Clare FM “years ago” which led to fundraiser for a headstone. “I have a thing about visiting these graves, there is great reassurance that people are visiting them so to me it is hugely important”. She said, “We don’t know

their nationality or where they come from, I won’t be around forever so it is important we know where these graves are and that we remember these people”.

She was praised for raising the matter by Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua (FF), “it is not something I was aware of, I look forward to visiting them”.

“It is a very nice motion, it is a sympathetic motion, it reflects on us as society if we best respect those that have passed before us,” stated Colleran Molloy.

Responding to the matter in March, Spellissy stated, “A small number of graves in the newer Saint Bridgid’s section in Drumcliff Cemetery are the final resting place of people, who unfortunately have had to be buried without being identified. The Burial Grounds Unit will consider a more permanent memorialisation of each of those involved”.

In last week’s edition of The Clare Echo (20/11/2025) on p26, The Clare Echo published an article titled ‘Knockanean NS’s building delayed to 2030’.

In that article and headline, it was incorrectly stated that the Knockanean NS project would not be com-

peting demands across the Municipal District,” she added.

Extending the footpath beyond Ballaghboy to Frank Healy Park is worth exploring so that funding steams open to sporting organisations could be utilised, Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) flagged.

Active Travel is another funding stream worth examining for the request, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) maintained. “Health and safety of children has to be paramount”.

Recalling that he had a previous motion to bring footpaths to Bruach na hÁbhann, Cllr Pat Daly (FF) commented, “it should be extended to the halting site, it is too dangerous to have children walking on the road”. Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) remarked, “We’ve the fastest growing economy in Europe but basic services like providing footpaths to help young children and families we are not doing”.

Responding to the councillors, Tiernan outlined, “We’re very cautious about temporary or partial measures which would create a false sense of security that it is safe to walk on that road, if we are doing something I’d like to do it right”. He said the extra few hundred metres to Frank Healy Park “is another couple of hundred thousand of euros, it is really expensive because of the necessity to purchase lands”.

Cllr Colleran Molloy told her successor as Mayor of the Ennis MD, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) that letting the proposer of a motion in to respond “is the normal procedure in how we run meetings” then asked if warning signs could be considered. “I don’t want to give anyone a false sense of security,” the senior engineer repeated.

pleted until 2030.

The Clare Echo would like to clarify that this information was incorrect and that the new building is due to be completed by February 2027. We would also like to clarify that while the school was approached for comment, The Office of Public

Works was not approached for confirmation. The Clare Echo would like to apologise for this oversight and error to planners at the Office of Public Works and everyone at Knockanean National School.

17

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27, 2025

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WEST CLARE

Case for Quilty to become leading overnight Christmas market is camping home in Clare put forward Ballynacally

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

QUILTY’s has been labelled as an “ideal location” for the potential development of overnight camping facilities while attempts for such a proposal led to a “pile on” in Lisdoonvarna.

In a proposal before

hook ups, shower facilities, wastewater services, laundry and associated services, accessible for wheelchair users and to be both private and secure, Cllr Shannon stressed.

Following the completion of the Campervan Review Report and the Fáilte Ireland-led Accom-

Quilty village Photo by Ann O’Connell

the West Clare Municipal District, Cllr Michael Shannon (FF) encouraged Clare County Council “to identify a secure suitable site in Quilty Village for the development” of new RV camping facilties and public restrooms.

Such a site needs to be equipped with power

modation Audit for Clare, a series of webinars were held to “incentivise potential private developers to expand alternative accommodation provision across the county,” Head of Tourism with Clare County Council, Deirdre O’Shea explained. “This work is being augmented through the development of a Busi-

ness Prospectus for Clare, which aims to highlight investment opportunities and position the county as a prime location for accommodation development,” she said.

O’Shea outlined, “Any future developments will be aligned with the objectives of the Clare County Development Plan and will take into account the availability of essential services, environmental considerations, and community impact. We are committed to identifying suitable locations and supporting initiatives to include the above proposal, that enhance the visitor experience, while safeguarding the interests of local residents and businesses”.

Speaking at the West Clare MD meeting, Cllr Shannon observed, “this is on the tourism radar”. He stated, “Quilty village itself, we have our wastewater system and it is about encouraging a private investor to invest in a site which has public toilets in the village that everyone can use, Quilty is an ideal

location for us to participate in the roll out of these when the tourism department will finalise their list.

There is keen interest in the area for one of these to be erected and given a go, the tourism product is a relatively new aspect since 2020”.

Seconding the proposal, Cllr Rita McInerney (FF) highlighted, “We have to be mindful of the planning and how it is zoned in the village in particular”. She suggested working with the Clare Local Development Company to try secure funding and make people “who own the land aware of the opportunities which exist, it is nearly getting site specific and looking at sites and approaching people in that regard”.

Campervans have caused problems in Lahinch, Cllr Bill Slattery (FG) reminded his colleagues. “Eoin (Troy senior executive officer) has been active in trying to identify a site and it isn’t easy because not at all sites are suitable”.

“We’ve only been talking about it for a year and a half

which is a relatively short period for us,” Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) remarked.

He recalled bringing forward a proposal in Lisdoonvarna where he was “piled on by the locals over the concern of the impact of Lisdoonvarna”.

He said a business case assessing the wraparound finances requires was completed while looking at a location with the existing infrastructure, “I shot myself in the foot, following two years of consultation and everyone saying they wanted it for tourism then they objected, people have a fear of something new”.

Cllr Garrihy added, “I could be shot for saying Kilmurry Ibrickane is a good site for it”. He continued, “I wouldn’t invest money in it unless it is in prime location, we had local groups objecting because they felt there would be an incursion into it”.

Issues already occur in Quilty, Cllr Shannon acknowledged. “We do have illegal overnight camping on cul de sac roads and parking there for a long period of time”.

bound

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

BALLYNACALLY holds its Christmas market this coming Sunday.

From 11am to 3pm, a host of stalls will be in operation in Ballyncally for the annual Christmas market.

Home baking, crafts, cards, fuel and more unique items will be on sale accompanied by a Christmas cheer and festive music.

Davina and Molly, the village’s four legged friends will be paying a visit, organisers have confirmed to The Clare Echo.

Costs involved in having a stall will go towards funding the renovations of Ballynacally Hall.

Public invited to have their say in shaping the future of Kilrush CLARE County Council and Kilrush Town Team are inviting the public to have their say on the future development of Kilrush town.

Drop-in consultation sessions for the Town Centre First (TCF) plan will take place in Kilrush Town Hall on Thursday, December 4, from 4pm – 5pm and 5.30pm – 6.30pm. Alternatively, citizens can also have their say via the official online portal at https:// yoursay.clarecoco.ie/kilrush-towncentre-first-plan

Traditional christmas pudding INGREDIENTS • 50g blanched almonds • 3 large Bramley cooking apples • 1 whole nutmeg • 1kg raisins • 140g plain flour • 100g soft fresh white breadcrumbs • 100g light brown sugar • 3 large eggs • One shot of brandy, plus extra to light the pudding • 250g butter For the brandy and ginger butter • 175g unsalted butter, softened • Grated zest of an orange • 5 tbsp icing sugar • One shot of brandy

2 pieces of stem ginger, finely chopped METHOD Step 1: Get everything for the pudding prepared. Chop the almonds coarsely. Peel, core and chop the cooking apples (you can chop the almonds and apples in a food processor). Grate three quarters of the nutmeg.

Step 2: Mix the almonds, apples, nutmeg, raisins, flour, breadcrumbs, light brown sugar, eggs and one shot of brandy in a large bowl.

Step 3: Grate a quarter of the butter into the bowl, then stir everything together.

Repeat until all the butter is grated, then stir for 3–4

minutes – the mixture is ready when it subsides slightly after each stir.a Step 4: Generously butter two 1.2 litre bowls and put a circle of baking parchment in the bottom of each. Pack in the pudding mixture. Cover with a double layer of baking parchment, pleating it to allow for expansion, then tie with string (keep the paper in place with a rubber band while tying). Trim off any excess paper.

Step 5: Stand each bowl on a large sheet of foil and bring the edges up over the top.

Then put another sheet of foil over the top and bring it down underneath to make a double package (this makes the puddings watertight).

Step 6: Boil or oven steam the puddings for 8 hours, topping up with water as necessary.

Remove from the pans and leave to cool overnight.

Step 7: To make the brandy butter, cream the butter with the orange zest and icing sugar. Gradually beat in the brandy and chopped stem ginger. Put in a small bowl and place in the fridge to set.

Step 8: On Christmas Day, boil or oven steam for 1 hour. Unwrap and turn out. To flame, warm one shot of brandy in a small pan, pour it over the pudding and set light to it.

Enjoy.

Happy Christmas Pudding.

18

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27 2025

Thought for the Week Living with a Grateful Heart RONAN SCULLY Writing From the Edges of Hope I write this Thought for the Week from East Africa, where I am visiting communities particularly in Uganda and Sudan after visiting Kenya and Ethiopia earlier in the year. Here, among people living in extreme poverty, displacement, and the aftermath of wars and climate shocks, gratitude is not a holiday, it is a lifeline, a daily choice, a quiet act of courage. At the same time, many around the world are preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving, a day devoted to giving thanks for life, family, and blessings. Whether we celebrate with feasts, prayer, or quiet reflection, Thanksgiving is a reminder to pause and acknowledge the gifts that surround us.

As Robert Louis Stevenson wrote: “The person who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life.”

Counting Blessings in a Busy World

What are you thankful for?

Better yet, in what ways has God blessed you in abundance? If the answer does not come immediately, perhaps it is a sign to slow down and count your blessings. Amid lives packed with constant demands and noise, it’s important to occasionally step outside the rush of clock-time. Moments of stillness and silence help us reconnect with ourselves.

By intentionally creating these quiet spaces, we stay attuned to the seasons of our heart. The more we see and name the gifts God has bestowed upon us, the more our hearts expand. “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!” (Psalm 100:4). Gratitude is a discipline that transforms our experience of our lives and our world.

The Blessings Hidden in Plain Sight I remember my first-year teacher, Mrs. Carroll, asking our class to write an essay on what we were thankful for. I stared at the blank page. I assumed everyone had food, clothing, family, and shelter.

Only later did I realize these were extraordinary blessings. Walking through communities in East Africa, I see gratitude in its purest form. A mother sharing a small portion of food with her neighbor.

A child laughing despite hunger. Communities celebrating life in the simplest, yet most profound ways.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above.” (James 1:17.)

Giving and Receiving There is a profound truth, in giving, we receive. A father shares his last meal in Uganda. A woman gives handmade goods to children in Ethiopia.

Gratitude and generosity are inseparable, creating ripples of hope and love that extend far beyond what we can see. “The Lord is my strength and my shield…” (Psalm 28:7.)

Notice ordinary miracles around you such as the sky, the trees, the laughter of children. Give thanks daily, silently, aloud, in prayer, and in action.

The Blind Boy: A Lesson in Perspective A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with

a hat at his feet. His sign read: “I am blind, please help.” A man passing by rewrote the sign: “Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it.” That afternoon, the boy’s hat was full. Sometimes, it is not the circumstance itself that shapes our hearts, but how we see it. Gratitude transforms perception, turning scarcity into sufficiency, despair into hope.

A Deeper Gratitude Albert Einstein once said: “There are only two ways to live your life: as though nothing is a miracle, or as though everything is.”

Great power comes into our lives when we choose to live with thankfulness and gratitude.

A Thought for the Week As we approach Thanksgiving, let us embrace gratitude in every corner of our lives. Let me leave you with one of my prayers of Gratitude – “Lord, I thank You for life, love, family, friends, colleagues and all the blessings that surround me… May I carry Your love into the world, multiplying blessings wherever I go. Amen.”

Duine de Laochra móra gaeilge an chonfae imithe are shlí na fírinne Macalla an Chláir

LE MACDARA Ó CONAOLA D’fhág muid slán an tseachtain seo leis an bhfear lách, cóir, agus Gaelach, Paddy Flynn, go ndéana Dia grásta air. Bhí aithne ag go leor ó bhaile na hInse ar Phaddy, agus go deimhin ar m’oileán dúchais fhéin, Inis Oírr, áit a mbíodh sé ag múineadh na scoláirí Gaeilge chuile Shamhradh ag Coláiste Laichtín Naofa. Aireoidh muid uainn an meangadh beag gáire agus an comhrá suimiúil a bhíodh againn leis.

Cuimhneoidh muid go deo air agus é ar a bhicycle ag dul ó háit go deas réidh dhó fhéin thrí shráideanna na hInse. Comhbhrón lena chlann agus lena chuid cairde.

AN BHFUIL SCÉAL LE ROINNT AGAIBH ?!

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

Imeachtaí/Events:

• SIONNA – Gaeilge le Chéile, Ionad Siopadóireacht Skycourt, 11am, chuile Dé Domhnaigh • CILL ROIS – Preab-Ghaeltacht chuile oíche Dé Ceadaoin ag 8pm i mBuggles Bar • SIONNA – Siúlóid Dúlra/Nature Walk, Dé Domhnaigh, 11am, Community Room (Gaeilge le Chéile ar Facebook) • LUIMNEACH – AIFREANN GAEILGE, chuile Dé Domhnaigh, 10.30am, Mainistir an tSlánaitheora, Sráid San Doiminic, Luimneach • CLARE FM - Cúl-chaint le Domhnall Ó Loingsigh chuile Dé Sathairn, ag 9am ar Clare FM • CILL INÍNE BAOITHE - Ciorcal Comhrá san XPO, chuile Dé

Céadaoin ag 7.30pm • 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 • LUIMNEACH – Ciorcail Comhrá.

Chuile Dé Céadaoin ag 10.30am, Bialann Eden, Ollscoil Luimnigh.

Tuilleadh eolais ar fáil ó Noel ag 086 792 8389.

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

19

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27, 2025

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Regional News

East Clare

Feakle’s Hogan receives Gold Scholarship from MIC

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

FEAKLE’s Adam Hogan has been awarded a Gold Scholarship from Mary Immaculate College (MIC).

For his stand out contributions on the hurling field, Adam was named as a recipient of a Gold Scholarship from MIC which is worth €4,000.

The scheme is delivered through a bursary and additional benefits.

Last year, Adam enjoyed one of the most successful campaigns any hurler could dream of, winning an All-Ireland SHC, Young Hurler of the Year, an All Star, the Allianz National Hurling League, a Clare SHC with his club Feakle and the Fitzgibbon Cup with MIC which also earned him the Electric Ireland Higher Education Hurling Player of the Year award.

Such success saw him presented with the MIC Outstanding Achievement Award in 2024.

A fourth-year Bachelor of Arts (BA) student,

Adam has now been named as the winner of the Gold Scholarship from the college. Kerry Ladies Footballer, Aoife Dillane and Wexford FC Soccer Player Michael McCarthy were awarded Silver Scholarships. Tipperary Camogie player Lucy Purcell and Munster Rugby Academy player, Fionn Carney received Bronze Scholarships.

Regarded as one of the toughest corner backs in the game, Adam first won honours with Feakle/Killanena at U14 level before making his mark with the Clare minors and U20s to earn a senior call-up from Brian Lohan in 2022 resulting in his senior debut in 2023.

MIC’s elite sports scholarship is in its sixth year and honours the legacy of former staff members, Noreen Lynch and Leonard Enright. The scholarships are designed to help recipients balance the demands of their academic work with their sporting ambitions.

Local history of Sixmilebridge revisited in new publication

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

SIXMILEBRIDGE HISTORICAL Society have recently launched a history of Clare’s third biggest settlement.

Over the past decade, Sixmilebridge has experienced enormous growth to become the third most populated area in Co Clare.

Within the parish is a dedicated group of personnel who form the Sixmilebridge Historical Society, their work has resulted in the unveiling of a life-size statue of Dr Brendan O’Regan in July

2023 and an annual primary school quiz in his honour.

Their latest endeavour has been to publish ‘Sixmilebridge Local History Revisited’ which was launched last month.

Chapters include the origins of Sixmilebridge and its placenames, the Land War in Rossmanagher, Thomond Woolen Mills, the post office dating back two centuries, the tragedy of public voting in 1852, the War of Independence in Sixmilebridge, the history of Mount Ievers’ construction and electioneering Sixmilebridge style.

RTÉ journalist and Sixmilebridge native, Marie Crowe was on hand to launch the book in St Finnachta’s NS in Sixmilebridge.

John O’Brien was editor of the publication which was sponsored by Metaltech Engineering.

Photographer Paddy Higgins was also honoured for his contribution to the historical society at the launch event.

Copies of ‘Sixmilebridge Local History Revisited’ are available for €20 at O’Flynn’s Centra, Jamie’s Butchers, the post office, Crowe’s Gala and Minister’s Cross.

lSCHOLARSHIP: Adam Hogan

Congratulating this year’s awardees on their achievement, Professor Niamh Hourigan, Vice-President of Academic Affairs at MIC, said, “As ever, the calibre of this year’s sporting ambassadors has been outstanding. Our talented awardees have proven their sporting excellence at inter-county,

national and international levels, with two All-Ireland winners among them. They have also dedicated themselves wholly to achieving academic success at MIC, and balancing the two commitments is no easy task. So, we are delighted to offer our support to such worthy recipients”.

lHISTORY: John O’Brien (editor), RTÉ’s Marie Crowe and Ronan Murphy (Metaltech Engineering) at the launch of Sixmilebridge Local History Revisited

Photo by Paddy Higgins

20

Thursday, Nov 27, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

Regional News

North Clare

Swim shelters to be installed in Lahinch & White Strand

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

SWIM shelters are to be installed in Lahinch and White Strand Miltown Malbay.

Funding has been secured by Clare County Council under the Healthy Ireland Outdoor Swimming Infrastructure Capital Fund. This will result in the installation of two swim shelters in the county, one in Lahinch and the other at White Strand, Miltown Malbay which local authority officials expect to be completed within the first four months of 2026.

Senior executive officer in the West Clare Municipal District, Eoin Troy outlined, “In addition, we will investigate the feasibility of installing solar-powered showers in Lahinch.

This will involve identifying and assessing a suitable location to ensure the infrastructure complements the existing environment and meets the needs of users”.

In a proposal before the West Clare MD, Cllr Bill Slattery (FG) tabled on behalf of the “Lahinch sea swimmers community,” he requested “the development of a changing shelter, installation of solar powered showers on the car park adjacent to the lifeguard station.

Providing shelter from the prevailing winds and enhancing Lahinch’s reputation as a modern and welcoming seaside destination”.

“There are lots of people swimming in Lahinch from morning till night,” Cllr Slattery stated. He explained that people were currently changing at the back of their cars on the promenade. “There are people up to the age of eighty three swimming there, some people take their lunch break if they are working remotely and refresh in the water but unfortunately they have no place to change,” the Cathaoirleach of the West Clare MD added. “There was a shelter before but

lSWIMMING: Lahinch Beach promenade car park

there was a lot of anti-social behavior and it was used as a toilet,” he recalled.

Seconding the proposal, Cllr Shane Talty (FF) commented, “it is an active and popular topic throughout seaside locations, it is only right that we try support them. The answer is welcome that funding is coming. The group in Lahinch is very active, they are communicating on all party lines”. He quipped, “One

‘Does anybody understand it’

Confusion for councillors in New Quay

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

“DOES anybody understand it,” were the remarks of Cllr Shane Talty (FF) as North Clare councillors discussed a shared-ownership loan applied to a property in New Quay.

At this month’s sitting of the West Clare Municipal District, elected members approved a Section 183 for the disposal of a property in Curranroo in New Quay.

Section 183 Selling Council lands is an important reserved function of elected members, the prevailing location for which is Section 183 of the Local Government Act 2001.

Although typically routine in character, it is a process which ensures transparency, propriety and, ultimately, democratic oversight of the disposal of council assets. Land and related rights in Council possession are, in effect, held in trust for the public.

Land disposal can embrace more than the transfer of real property. It may also include the disposal of way leaves and easements. It is used very frequently to complete the freehold transfer of a property on which the Council may have a lien but no ownership in a practical sense. Most

often this means the final transfer to freehold of a house which has been purchased by its tenants or residents from the Council.

When the Curranroo property in New Quay came before elected members this month under a Section 183 notice, Cathaoirleach of the West Clare MD, Cllr Bill Slattery (FG) asked, “Does anybody know anything about it” to which Cllr Talty replied, “Does anybody understand it”.

Staff officer in the housing department of Clare County Council, Frances Clair explained to councillors that the item was a Section 183 and the tenant in the property “was subject to a shared ownership loan, the property is registered to Clare County Council until the loan is redeemed in full. We have to get permission from yourselves and it then goes before the full Council to dispose of property to transfer from Clare County Council to her name”.

Cllr Talty questioned if the agreement had been honoured and the loan paid back to which Clair confirmed, “the loan is paid back, there is equity and part of the deal is that it won’t be transferred”.

Clarity was sought by Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) on whether the original loan was paid.

The tenant “has been paying it back since, she hasn’t the means to pay in full until the transfer is completed,” Frances advised.

Future uses of the property were queried by Cllr Ian Lynch (IND), “will it stay in long-term residential”. Council officials “don’t have access to the information on that,” Ms Clair outlined. “I don’t know who is a potential buyer in this case, we haven’t been given that info by the solicitor”. Cllr Killeen asked, “can we insist on that” with Cllr Lynch adding, “it is probably too late but going forward we should ask for that, we’ve said for ten year residential”.

Elected members were told the property “has been operated as a private dwelling” and that shared ownership loans were no longer distributed. “It is a private sale, I don’t see how we could dictate terms of it, I doubt we have a remit outside of it,” Cllr Talty commented.

Proposing the approval of the Section 183, Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) stated, “It has been debated, so long as we got our money back and equity is part of the closing for the sale”. This was seconded by Cllr Dinny Gould (IND).

Photo by John Mangan

elderly swimmer feared that she may no longer be an active swimmer by the time we deliver, let’s give her something to keep swimming for”.

Advocacy from elected members prompted the Council to seek the funding, Troy confirmed. “I’ve a meeting on when we can draw down funding, we are looking to install in the first four months of next year”. The struc-

ture will be from pre-cast concrete so can be dropped in and sit in place once designed. “It will be located beside the existing showers,” he said.

Welcoming the progress, Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) quipped, “we might all go for a swim”.

Support was also voiced by Cllr Joe Killeen (FF).

21

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27, 2025

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Regional News

Shannon

‘We need to make Ballycasey Avenue safe’

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

WORK albeit not to a “massive” level is required to make the entrance along Ballycasey Avenue safer in Shannon.

Cllr Tony Mulcahy (FG) in a proposal before the Shannon Municipal District asked Clare County Council to cost the placement of a footpath along the Ballycasey Avenue from the Radharc na Coille entrance to Ballycasey House. The motion was seconded by Cllr Pat

 SAFETY: Ballycasey

Avenue

Photo by Joe Buckley

O’Gorman (FF).

Acting senior executive engineer in the Shannon MD, John Strand confirmed they would “include this footpath for consideration in future capital footpath projects”.

Speaking at this month’s sitting of the Shannon MD, Cllr Mulcahy remarked that ORIS funding “would have been helpful” to deliver the infrastructure. “The Brothers of Charity have taken on three units” with their residents also working at The Shannon Springs, “we need to make the avenue safe, I appreciarte it is something to look at”.

“In addition, a friend of mine lives up there, right at the top of Ballycasey there is a pathway going to back of Dr Flynn’s hosue and the craft centre, it is a loop we need to look at it, if we fix that one going up to the craft centre and tidy up the link loop at the top, it doesn’t need massive work,” he added.

Charity concert raises €3.4k for Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

A CHARITY concert in Shannon raised a total of €3,420 for the Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice.

Treacy’s Oakwood Hotel in Shannon hosted the charity concert on September 19th.

At a presentation of the cheque by concert producer, Aidan White to Elaine Buckley of Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice,

it was announced that the concert raised a total of €3420. The Hospice cares for an average of 350 children per year and includes siblings and parents at a very traumatic time.

Ms. Buckley praised everybody involved in the concert and added that it costs over €10 million to fund the charity and they receive €2 million from the Government and must fund raise the remainder.

Sod turned on €14m investment in Shannon Free Zone

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

SOD has been turned on a €14m development in the Shannon Free Zone.

Two state of the art industrial units, Blocks Y and Z will be delivered as part of the development adding approximately 100,000 sq. ft. of flexible, sustainable space to one of Ireland’s most prominent business locations.

Situated in the Shannon Free Zone, adjacent to Shannon Airport, the development is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2027. The Business Park is close to full occupancy and the investment highlights the continued demand for industrial and commercial facilities in the region.

Speaking at the sod turning on Monday morning, interim CEO of the Shannon Airport Group, Ray O’Driscoll outlined, “We are proud of our record in delivering high-quality commercial property space that meets the needs of modern businesses. This latest development is another step in driving economic growth for the region. By attracting new companies and creating opportunities for people to live, work, and spend locally, we are generating a positive impact that extends far beyond the business park itself ”.

Limerick based Conack Construction have been awarded the contract for the €14m project.

Unit One will measure around 35,000 sq. ft. and is de-

 SHANNON FREE ZONE: Sod has been turned on a €14m development

signed with the flexibility to be subdivided into two individual units, while the second unit will be approximately 65,000 sq. ft. and can be subdivided into three individual units.

The development has 180 on site car parking spaces with designated EV charging locations. This flexibility ensures that the buildings can accommodate a wide range of tenant requirements. Both units will be NZEB compliant and EU Taxonomy aligned, delivering sustainability standards that exceed current regulations.

The buildings will be constructed to a shell-and-core standard, offering maximum adaptability for tenants across

‘Past times maps of memories’ book launch  LAURA LYNN: Aidan White pictured handing cheque

to Elaine Buckley. Also pictured (L-R): Noelle Fogarty (Committee), Stella Walsh (Committee), Anne Barnes (Committee), Breda Fogarty (Treacy’s Oakwood Hotel Shannon)

Photo by Joe Buckley

THE launch of the book ‘Past Times Maps of Memories’ by Conor Madden and Maire Ní Ghruagáin will be held in the Newmarket-on-Fergus Parish’s small hall on Main Street.

The event includes a foreword by John O’Brien and promises to be a memorable occasion for all those interested in local history and storytelling.

The book launch is scheduled to take place on Saturday, December 6th, from 2pm to 5pm. Everyone is invited to attend and participate in celebrating the publication of this unique collection of memories.

sectors such as med-tech, life sciences, research and development, light manufacturing, logistics, and future air mobility technologies. Features include high bay areas with a clear internal height of 8.5 metres, and optional mezzanine floors for additional office and production space.

Blocks Y & Z will incorporate advanced energy efficiency measures, low-carbon materials, solar PV panels, rainwater harvesting, and biodiverse landscaping, among other features.

With over 600 acres of commercial space, the Shannon Airport Business Park is Ireland’s largest multi-sectoral

Photo by Arthur Ellis

business park outside Dublin.

It is currently home to over 300 companies with more than 10,000 employees.

Commenting on the Group’s investment record, Mr. O’Driscoll said: “Since our establishment in 2014, we have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to driving economic development in the region. This commitment is evident in the fact that, over the period from 2014 through the end of 2025, we will have invested a total of €200 million across our airport and commercial property businesses as part of our long-term development strategy”.

Newmarket-On-Fergus presents ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’

NEWMARKET-ON-FERGUS Library Film club will be showing ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ on Wednesday, December 3rd, at 3pm.

The film is based on Truman Capote’s bestseller.

‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ is full of sharp wit and exuberant larger than life characters. The film vividly captures the restless, madcap spirit of 1940’s New York.

Please contact NMF Library on 061 368411 or newmarket@clarelibrary.ie for further information.

22

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27 2025

News

Milford Care Centre announces annual Light Up a Memory ceremony Milford Care Centre warmly invites you to join us for our annual Light Up a Memory ceremony on Sunday, December 7th, 2025, taking place this year at the earlier time of 4pm. For the first time, this special event will be held outdoors on the grounds of Milford Care Centre, adjacent to the Reception area.

Attendees are encouraged to dress appropriately for winter conditions.

For over 25 years, Light Up a Memory remains one of the Centre’s most meaningful traditions - an opportunity for families, friends and neighbours to come together in remembrance. We invite you to sponsor a light on the Memory Tree in honour of a loved one. The tree will shine brightly from the conclusion of the ceremony on December 7th, 2025, through January 1st, 2026, each light symbolising the enduring bonds that are especially treasured during the Christmas season.

Mary O’Brien, CEO of Milford Care Centre, extends a heartfelt invitation to all: “We’d be delighted to wel-

come you to Milford Care Centre on December 7th for our Light Up a Memory ceremony. This special tradition is about coming together, remembering those we love, and celebrating their lives in a meaningful way. It’s a moment of reflection and connection that means so much to our community and to us.

We hope you can join us.”

Milford Care Centre also extends sincere appreciation to Cook Medical, the event’s long-standing sponsor. Bill Doherty, Executive Vice President EMEA at Cook Medical, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting Light Up a Memory and acknowledged Milford Care Centre’s special place in the community.

You can sponsor a light on the Memory Tree for €5, and each sponsorship comes with a commemorative “Light Up a Memory” card to honour a loved one’s memory. To sponsor a light, please visit www.milfordcarecentre.ie or call the Fundraising Department at 061 485859.

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27, 2025

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

Gort & South Galway

Free affordable housing scheme webinar

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

A FREE public webinar on how the Affordable Housing Purchase Scheme works takes place next Thursday.

Galway County Council hosts the public webinar at 1pm and 7pm on Thursday (December 4th). It follows a Council survey earlier this year in which almost a third of respondents said they were not familiar with the scheme.

The survey highlighted the need for clearer information about the supports available to households seeking to buy a home.

The webinar will set out how the scheme works, who can apply, what documentation is required, how prices are set and how the Help to Buy Scheme run by Revenue can support firsttime buyers. The information session comes as Galway County Council continues to assess new sites for affordable housing

in towns across the county.

Seventeen homes have been completed at Garraí na Gaoithe, Baile Chláir, with a further 16 due by the end of 2025 and 28 scheduled for Quarter 1, 2026. Construction is advancing on 66 homes at Droim na Gaoithe, Baile Chláir, while 44 homes are planned for Raheen and Páirc na hAbhainn, Athenry. Both projects are expected to be delivered between 2026 and early 2027. The Council is also exploring additional opportunities on its own lands and through Part V. Surveys carried out in September and October indicate strong demand for affordable homes. Further targeted surveys are planned to assess demand across the county.

Registration for the webinar is available at www.tinyurl. com/galwaywebinar.

23

Major housing scheme to break ground in Loughrea

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

WORKS on one of the largest social and affordable housing schemes in East Galway is to commence before Christmas.

As they signed off on a 14.95 million contract with C&N Higgins Construction for the construction of 56 homes at Cosmona, Loughrea, Galway County Council announced the works would begin prior to the festive period.

The scheme comprises 44 houses and 12 apartments and includes the first affordable homes to be delivered outside the Galway Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan (MASP). The project is situated on a 3.3-hectare greenfield site owned by Galway County Council, and completion is set for the third quarter of 2027. It is funded through the Government’s Social Housing Investment Programme.

Cathaoirleach of Galway

County Council, Cllr David Collins (FG), said the Loughrea scheme represents a “major step forward” in meeting housing need in East Galway.

“This development will provide high-quality homes for families and individuals in Loughrea and will form an important part of the Council’s long-term housing strategy. It is a strong example of sustained investment in our towns and reflects our commitment to increasing supply where it is most needed”.

Liam Conneally, Chief Executive of Galway County Council, commented, “Housing remains one of our highest priorities and continues to shape the work agenda of Galway County Council. We are focused on delivering homes in every part of the County and supporting people to live securely and independently in their communities”.

“Our delivery programme is accelerating, and we are work-

ing closely with elected members, the Department and our housing partners to ensure that social, affordable and cost rental homes continue to come on stream at scale,” he added. “This investment is essential not only for meeting housing need but for sustaining vibrant, resilient communities across Galway”.

The Loughrea housing scheme, for which Part 8 planning was approved earlier this year, includes 6 two-bed houses, 25 three-bed houses, 2 four-bed houses, 1 five-bed house, 6 onebed apartments and 6 two-bed apartments. Landscaped open space, a playground, car and bicycle parking and an Uisce Éireann pumping station also form part of the development.

Damien Mitchell, Director of Services with responsibility for Housing, confirmed that a second phase of the project, comprising an additional 24 homes on the same site, has already advanced to Stage 1 approval. “This

development in Loughrea is an important step in our ongoing work to increase the delivery of new homes across east Galway.

With the support of the Department of Housing through the Social Housing Investment Programme, we can bring forward high-quality housing on council-owned land”.

“Significant progress is being made in addressing the demand for social and affordable housing,” added Mr. Mitchell. “This progress is being reinforced by targeted measures such as the Disabled Persons Grants and our structured, countywide approach to the refurbishment of vacant housing stock”.

The design team for the new scheme is led by consultants Vincent Hannon Architects, along with Tobin Consulting Engineers, Coffey Consulting Engineers and Tom McNamara & Partners.

l HOUSING: Pictured at the contract signing for the construction of 56 homes at Cosmona, Loughrea. (L-R) Front Row: Brian Fahy VHA & Associates, Damien Mitchell, Director of Services Housing, Liam Conneally, Chief Executive Galway County Council, Cllr. David Collins, Cathaoirleach Galway County, Mr. Colin Higgins, C& N Higgins Construction Ltd, Tom McNamara, Quantity Surveyors. Back Row: Rachel Murtagh, Michael Kerrigan of Galway County Council, Cllr. Laurie Harney, Daithi Flood, Galway County Council, Niall Higgins & Graham Maher, C&N Higgins Construction Ltd, Karen O’Donnell, Galway County Council, Cllr. Michael Regan.

24

Thursday, Nov 27, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

Mini Gort making big waves

by Stuart Holly editor@clareecho.ie

A MINIATURE version of Gort town centre is proving a big hit with locals and visitors alike.

Gort is preparing to undergo major redevelopment as part of the Gort Town Centre First plan so the Gort Model Club decided to create a visual representation of this for people to enjoy.

Currently on display at Gort Library, visitors will recognise details in the model including the Market Square, shop fronts including the Gallery Café, O’Sullivan’s Hotel and even recently opened Inkbound Bookshop.

Other details which have not gone unnoticed include the A-Team van going around a roundabout on two wheels; while the Mona Lisa and the Girl With The Pearl Earring are proudly on display in t h e

public art section; meanwhile a bystander is in the process of being arrested for relieving himself in public.

The model begins at Farrells Auctioneers and goes as far as the Church, whilst also taking in the Market Square from O’Sullivans Hotel to the Resource Centre.

Gort Model Club is a dedicated group of amateurs which was formed by Kevin Guerin and Loughrea resident Jimmy Hynes in October 2024 and has since gone on to attract 14 members. After hours of painstaking work, the incredibly detailed production was recently unveiled at O’Sullivan’s Hotel prior to being moved to the library.

Kevan told The Clare Echo that planning began in March of this year, when thousands of photographs were taken before 3D designs could be created and printed while much of the structures were created using recycled materials from Gort Frame Shop.

“For me personally, the standout is the church,” Kevan notes. “It was made by our member Carl Walker, he has a laser cutter. We took about a million pictures of the church and then he was able to design it using his laser cutter.

It came out perfect.”

He continued, “It was a lot of work to get there and everyone in the group contributed. We’re a bunch of amateurs with no funding.” Kevan, originally from Limerick, also noted the contributions of two

American ladies in the group. “It’s not a hobby that has many women members and the fact that we have two, we’re very proud of that.

Melissa Spencer painted all the figures with a friend of hers, Shayna Hansbury. They did a great job on that, those things are tiny.”

Kevan praised the “brilliant” Gort Resource Centre who provided the group with a space to meet and somewhere to plan along with John O’Sullivan of O’Sullivan’s Hotel who donated €200 towards the purchase of materials.

Building models has been a hobby for Kevan since his teenage years however he admits to being “flabbergasted” that so many people showed up to see the model being unveiled at O’Sullivans Hotel.

Looking ahead, the group have announced that they hope to run the Gort Model Show next year.

“We’re hoping we could start with a one-day event and put on a show that people would like to come to, that’s one of our big plans for next year.”

The model will be on display in Gort Library for the coming fortnight before being redressed for Christmas when it will go on display in the Resource Centre window.

PICTURED: Members of the Gort Model Club pictured with their incredible creation and (insets) close-up shots of the intricate figurines, streetscapes and shopfronts.

25

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27, 2025

A festive hello from Open Sesame Gort Your local health and happiness hub Many people know Open Sesame from our long-loved store on Parnell Street in Ennis — proudly serving the community for almost 40 years — but did you know we also have a wonderful sister store in the heart of Gort, Co. Galway?

Tucked into Minihane’s SuperValu Shopping Centre, Open Sesame Gort brings all the warmth, knowledge and natural goodness people have come to expect from us.

One thing owner Sally has always believed in is supporting local producers, and it shows the moment you step inside. From freshly baked sourdough to zingy small-batch kimchi, handmade soaps, free-range eggs, local honey, natural skincare, kombucha and an impressive range of supplements, the shelves are full of personality — and often full of things made just down the road. In fact, Open Sesame has been lucky enough to be one of the first stores to support many now-well-known Irish brands from the very beginning, including favourites like Kinvara Skincare and

lOpen Sesame’s shop floor in Minehane’s SuperValu Shopping Centre and (inset) the store front

Revive Active.

Our Gort shop thrives on personal service. Whether you’re after a one-off order, a product you spotted on social media, or just some friendly advice, our team is ready to help. And speaking

Gift Vouchers, Xmas Gift Sets

Hampers Made To Order Vegan Gluten Free Diabetic Keto *while stocks last

of social media — our online community is wonderfully vibrant. We share product spotlights, wellness tips, new arrivals, staff favourites and plenty of behind-the-scenes fun. Customers often discover their next must-have

Ennis, Co.Clare

through our posts, stories and reels!

Open Sesame’s website makes browsing even easier.

You can check product ranges, explore seasonal offers, keep up with new trends, and stay connected to everything happening in both the Ennis and Gort stores. Many customers use it as their first stop before popping in for a chat.

And now that Christmas is around the corner, the magic has arrived instore. Customers come looking for something special for loved ones (and, let’s be honest, often for themselves too!).

We’ve got beautiful gifts

for every budget, and our staff are always delighted to help you find “the one.”

We also offer gift vouchers for any value — ideal for hard-to-buy-for friends — plus festive hampers and gift-wrapping to make your life a little easier.

At this time of year, we see lots of questions about immunity and joint health, and our long-time qualified staff are here to guide you through the best options.

After decades in the healthfood world, we’ve learned one thing for sure: not all supplements are equal. That’s

why we back trustworthy ranges like Viridian, known for their “No Junk” philosophy and clean, ethical formulations.

Of course, part of the joy of being in Gort is the town itself — fresh paint, a lovely river walk, and a strong community of independent businesses that give it a warm, cultural buzz. Sally is deeply involved locally through Gorgeous Gort and the Burren Lowlands Business Group, and we also work alongside local GPs to support patients’ wellbeing in a holistic way.

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26

Thursday, Nov 27, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

Lights, shop window competition, action!

GORT’S Christmas lights turn on December 7, marking not only the start of the festive season but also the beginning of a Christmas Window Competition.

Craughwell resident Megan Flynndixon spent her Tuesday delivering over 200 leaflets to locals and business owners, spreading the word. “Dress your front window so that people can see if they come past in Christmas decorations,” along with a QR for passersby to vote, Megan tells anyone wanting to participate.

Megan is a consultant for the Burren Lowlands, funded by Enterprise Ireland, working hard to improve the business network in Gort. “I listen to what the businesses need and try to set up a formalised business network,” she explained.

“It’s so hard for the independent business owners to make ends meet because with the cost-of-living crisis, people have less disposable income. If I can help them in any way, that’s what I’d like to do.”

“I think the overall complaint that we hear from is that people don’t spend time in the town,” added Megan.

With a variety of tourist opportunities, Megan aims to create and encourage an environment where people can “do a bunch of shopping, have a meal, and spend a bit of time in the town of Gort.”

“I love Gort… You really can spend

lMegan Flynn Dixon, Gort Business Network volunteer alongside Fiona Griffin, owner of Wild Folk on Bridge St, outside the delicious Wild Garlic Cafe

a bunch of time with family in Gort, and that’s the kind of message we want to get beyond people who live in Gort.”

When asked about other projects that the Burren Lowlands are working on, Megan revealed the possible expansion of the Geo Park bound-

aries. “The Geo Park at the moment finishes at the Clare boundary, which is really kind of arbitrary because we know that the limestone karst land-

scape extends into South Galway,” she told The Clare Echo. She said that the Burren Lowlands are looking to partner with international organisations that have a similar landscape.

“There’s actually a similar limestone landscape in Slovenia,” she said, and therefore, the Burren Lowlands are trying to reach out to the Slovenian Embassy to compare what those regions are doing to highlight the uniqueness of their landscape.

Megan commented, “Wouldn’t it be lovely to have that knowledge exchange between somewhere else in the world that has a similar landscape?”

Another possible project that Megan mentioned is a tourist bus that would visit Coole Park and the surrounding area.

She said that the Burren Lowlands are meeting with the National Parks and Wildlife Centre to discuss the possibilities of making those tourist locations more available to people.

“It can be hard to get around those locations unless you’re driving,” she added.

The Christmas Window Competition lasts from December 7 to the 24th, with the winner announced on the last day.

The prize for business owners is an advert with The Clare Echo, and for residents, it’s a voucher for the Gort Garden Centre.

Christmas trees arrive at Gort Garden Centre

by Dearbhla Parry news@clareecho.ie

CHRISTMAS is in full swing at Gort Garden Centre and Church Street Flowers.

Located opposite SuperValu in Gort, the garden centre and florist offers a wide range of handmade Christmas products. From a wide variety of door and grave wreaths, table arrangements, and bouquets to Christmas trees, owners Ed and Ruth Somerville are excited for customers to see “our wide offering and what we can do for them.”

The personal service they provide is hugely important to Ed, Ruth and their staff at Gort Garden Centre as is the quality they offer. “We make all our Christmas produce in house and by hand, we do it all ourselves,” said Ed. “It’s really nice for us to see the results of our hard work going out. Our customers’ really appreciate what we offer.”

The centre’s journey began 14 years ago, “out of a love of gardening.” According to Ed, when the shop opened in 2011, Gort had no garden centre and gardeners had to travel further into Galway or Ennis to shop. He said, “We saw an opportunity and took it”.

In 2017, the pair felt that they needed something else for the quieter times of the year, “so we decided to set up the florist in conjunction with the garden centre.”

It has proven to be a great success. Ruth makes all arrangements herself out of nothing but the best quality cut flowers available.

She has completed numerous flower arranging and bouquet courses, and when time allows teaches people herself. They offer a bouquet delivery service through-

out the South Galway and North Clare area – made by Ruth and delivered by Ed. Customers can order over the phone or through their website www.galwayflowers.ie Ed and Ruth pride themselves on their honesty. “If something we sell doesn't suit the customer’s requirement, we'll tell them it doesn't suit. We’re not in the business of trying to cod people just to make sale! We will give what we feel is the right advice.” Ed added, “Honesty is the best policy.”

Ed grew up gardening in Wicklow with a natural “awareness of nature”. So, when he met gardener Ruth at her brother’s wedding, the couple worked together in Ed’s hometown until moving to Gort in 2001. “It's like something out of a Disney movie!”, admitted Ed. “We are proud of our town and love being a part of the community, as our logo says ‘Our roots run deep’” chuckled Ed. “We’re looking forward to seeing everyone taking part in the residential window decorating competition organised by the Gort Business Group and sponsored by Gort Garden Centre”.

Some of the Christmas products for sale include door and grave wreaths, table arrangements, fresh flower bouquets, plant for indoors and outdoors, ready prepared planters and Irish grown Christmas trees. Ed will also fill pots with seasonal plants for you, just bring in your empties.

Find a full range of products online (galwayflowers.ie) or visit 27 Church Street, Gort. Gort Garden Centre and Church St. Flowers open every day in December all the way up to lunch time on Christmas Eve, including Sundays.

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THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27, 2025

Gift-wrapped fashion at No.3 Boutique this festive season

by Dearbhla Parry news@clareecho.ie

“WE LOVE our adopted home in Gort and the people who have welcomed us in,” says Theresa Healy of No. 3 Boutique.

Owned by Theresa’s daughter, Niamh, the family-run Bridge Street fashion and interior shop, which turns two years old on January 18th, cannot wait to see the Christmas lights turned on around town and is eager to start decorating for the holidays.

“We always have a wee Christmas tree: One inside and one outside.”

Describing herself as the boutique’s “hired help,” Theresa, originally from Kilbrittain in West Cork, retired from her previous Clarinbridge boutique, ‘Squisito’, in 2013 after the passing of her Mum. “I took time out and then

my husband got cancer five years ago and passed away four years ago this December,” she told The Clare Echo.

Whilst working as a personal shopper, her daughter suggested she go back to running a boutique, that boutique being the now ‘No. 3 Boutique’.

“Niamh said to me, ‘Mum, if we found a nice place, would you not think about going back and doing what you’re best at?’”

Theresa helps Niamh with the buying and travelling sides of the business.

Having travelled to Copenhagen, Paris, Milan, London, and Istanbul, she said, “We do an awful lot of work to try and bring something different to the ladies of South Galway and North Clare.”

Although describing it as tiring at times, Theresa said that “the buying”

is her favourite part of the job, where she can “see a smile on the customer’s face” .

“I do a lot of consultancy with people, where we take our time going through various different options,” she added.

“Coming up to the festive season, No.3 Boutique are offering special gift boxes with ‘a lovely little saying on the inside’, as well as fashionable Cashmere beanies and scarves, and wonderful Irish Clean Slate candles and perfumes, including Scopoli.”

Theresa also added that this can “take the weight off” their customers by having a beautifully designed gift box prepared in-store.”

Theresa encourages mothers to “treat themselves” this Christmas.

“As a mother, we look after everybody else, but

we shouldn’t forget about ourselves.”

“I believe that we are the glue that keeps us all together, so we should look after ourselves,” she said.

Theresa stressed the importance of enjoying the moment when out shopping: “Pop into No.3 Boutique, go have a coffee, have some brunch, make a day out of it.

“Whether you’re a mom, an aunt, or a sister, make it about yourself and treat yourself to a nice breakfast, have a nice wander around, and pop in.”

Open 10am-6pm from Monday to Friday, and 10am-5:30pm on Saturdays, you can visit No. 3 Boutique on Bridge Street in Gort (H91NPP0).

For enquiries, including Christmas opening times, call 083 120 3449 or call into No.3 Boutique (next to Bank of Ireland ATM).

Niamh & Theresa Healy of No3 Boutique

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Thursday, Nov 27, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

Celebrate the Season at the Lady Gregory Hotel THE Lady Gregory Hotel, Leisure Club & Beauty Rooms is the perfect destination to celebrate Christmas in style.

With festive party packages designed for work teams, friends, or family gatherings, it combines private rooms, seasonal menus, and lively entertainment to make every celebration memorable.

For those extending their festive day out, the hotel also offers comfortable accommodation, making it an ideal base for visiting Galway’s Christmas Market, enjoying seasonal shopping, or taking the little ones to Santa-themed family events nearby.

A highlight this season is the Christmas Casino Night on Saturday, December 6th, a truly immersive evening featuring a Prosecco reception, a festive dinner, casino-style games, and a DJ to keep the spirits high throughout the night.

From Friday, November 28th, live entertainment in the Jack B. Yeats Bar happens every Friday and Saturday night throughout December, which adds a festive soundtrack to every visit. Visit them to enjoy a casual drink or a night out with friends where they will entertain you with wonderful live music and a fun festive atmosphere.

Dining at the Lady Gregory Hotel is designed to suit every occasion. Isabella’s Restaurant serving tasty lunch and dinner festive menus, perfect for savouring the flavours of the season.

The Reading Room provides an intimate setting for private gatherings, while the Carvery offers hearty lunches in a welcoming atmosphere, ideal

lThe Lady Gregory Hotel, Leisure Club & Beauty Rooms caters for festive party packages with private rooms, seasonal menus and lively entertainment

for colleagues or friends.

For those seeking flexible gifting, the hotel’s gift vouchers provide a thoughtful and versatile option. Redeemable for dining, overnight stays, beauty treatments, and leisure facilities, they make a perfect present for colleagues, family, or friends.

Beyond the hotel, Galway’s Christmas Market in Eyre Square is just

a short drive away, offering festive treats, handmade crafts, and entertainment. Nearby attractions such as Aillwee Cave’s Santa Experience and Bunratty Castle’s Trail of Lights provide magical family-friendly outings, making a winter visit to the region even more memorable.

Whether planning a festive party, a family adventure, or a relaxing winter

break, the Lady Gregory Hotel, Leisure Club & Beauty Rooms offers the perfect combination of comfort, convenience, and seasonal cheer.

Cosy rooms, seasonal dining, and leisure facilities ensure guests can celebrate the season in style while

exploring the best of Co. Galway and Co. Clare. Call us today to secure a place for festive events, Christmas parties, or a winter getaway in the heart of the West of Ireland.

Book your festive celebration today by calling 091 632 333 or visit www. ladygregoryhotel.ie Don’t miss out on making this Christmas truly special!

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THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27, 2025

Forge Works office is ‘like a community’ for remote workers

by Dearbhla Parry news@clareecho.ie

GORT’S remote office space is offering two days of rental for €30 during December.

Forge Works in Ballyhugh offers rental working spaces for remote workers. It’s perfect for those working in Dublin or Galway who “don't want to make the commute,” explained Forge Work’s Manager, Pamela Ward.

She added, “We all know how crazy houses can be during Christmas, so it's a great little escape.” From December 1st to December 22nd, they will be offering a discounted price of €30 for two days instead of the usual €25 a day.

Currently holding nine individual offices, the company is situated near local cafés/ restaurants and has super-fast internet, air filtration systems, printing facilities, a kitchenette with free tea and coffee, and free outside parking.

Pamela said, “It's quite unusual because in most remote working hubs, they're all hot desks,” an organisational workspace system where desks are used by different people at different times, maximising space efficiency.

She explained that the individual model was based on the fact that the company was born during COVID. Set up collaboratively with Enterprise Ireland in 2021, Forge Works has supported Burren Lowlands since its opening. Pamela

explained that for small businesses that don’t have the finances for a full office, “It’s a lot more affordable to come in and rent an office with ourselves.”

In 2014, the founder of Burren Lowlands, Cathal O’Donoghue, Lecturer at NUIG, conducted a survey with Teagasc to find out the

“detrimental effects that the crash had on the South Galway and North Clare regions, and how we were very largely dependent on the construction industry,” said Pamela. After this study, he decided to set up an organisation, the Burren Lowlands, with an ethos of “a better place to live, work, and visit.”

“In the Forge Works, it's like a community,” said Pamela. They encourage their clients to meet up for breakfast in local Gort cafés; “It's nice to have social interaction with other people there in a great little group,” she added. Coming up to Christmas, Forge Works will be holding a Christmas lunch for its clients.

“We try to create a community, especially for people who are working in an office all day by themselves.”

Forge Works are open Monday to Friday, from 9am-5:30pm, until December 22nd.

They will reopen after the New Year on January 2nd. Once-off renters are given a key and code to access the spaces, but clients booking on a weekly or monthly basis are given 24-hour access. To book an office space, visit connectedhubs.ie.

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Thursday, Nov 27, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

Green Clare

Four Clare volunteer groups shortlisted for 2025 Ocean Hero Awards

by Dearbhla Parry news@clareecho.ie

FOUR Clare groups have been shortlisted for their contributions in championing coastal care and protecting their communities.

Coffee Hatch Lahinch (Community Champion Shortlist), West Coast Surf Club (Youth Initia-

tive Award Shortlist), Wild Earth (Emerging Group Award Shortlist), and Banner Gleo (Emerging Group Award Shortlist) have been named as finalists for the 2025 Ocean Hero Awards, as part of An Taisce’s Clean Coasts Programme.

The Ocean Hero awards are an annual homage to the great efforts of dedicated volunteers. After re-

lCLEAN COASTS: West Coast Surf Club shortlisted for the Youth Initiative Award

ceiving hundreds of nominations across nine distinct categories: Group of Year, Community Champion, Youth Initiative, Campaign Ambassador, Leadership, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, Nature Guardian, Community Action, and Emerging Group Awards, a total of 45 groups, organisations and individuals were shortlisted across ireland for the title of Ocean Hero within each of the categories.

Bronagh Moore, Clean Coasts Programme Manager, said, “Community groups and volunteers are the heartbeat of An Taisce’s Clean Coasts Programme. Every year the Ocean Hero Awards affords us the opportunity to celebrate and showcase all the amazing work that these volunteers do, in their own time, all over the country.”

From humble beginnings in 2006 as the ‘Clean Coasts Merit Awards,’ the awards have grown from a single category, to honouring 45 groups and individuals in nine categories in 2025. Clean Coasts has the great honour and pleasure to engage the support of over 2,500 Clean Coasts groups and 45,000

Shared provisional grass cutting schedule would reduce headaches

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

LESS HEADACHES would arise if a provisional grass cutting contract for the year was published for Shannon and South Clare.

An appeal for elected members of the Shannon Municipal District to be furnished with a provisional grass cutting schedule for the entire year was made by Cllr Rachel Hartigan (FF).

Such a plan would give “an indication of what cuts are planned for, in order to be able to best advise our constituents,” she highlighted.

Acting senior executive engineer in the Shannon MD, John Strand outlined that the annual grass cutting maintenance contract “would normally start in early March and run till late October, these dates will depend on the weather conditions.

The number of cuts between March and October are equally spaced out, normally less than two weeks and are again dependent on weather conditions”.

Speaking at the November meeting of the Shannon MD, Cllr Hartigan remarked, “it would be a lot less of a headache if we didn’t have to get onto ye asking for the

road sweeper and if we had a provisional schedule at least four weeks in advance and just had to refresh it”.

She repeated, “Could we be provided with that provisional schedule, it would cut down on a lot of the administrative side of sending in phone calls and emails”.

Looking at the science behind the lowering of the blade, Cllr Michael Begley (IND) observed, “There is one issue I have with grass cutting by the local authority, it isn’t done and can’t be done as regularly as you cut your own lawn, the end result is a month or six week’s growth is left and cut there, the last blade of the area is worse than the first, we are nearly better off if it wasn’t cut at all rather than withered grass left there for a month”.

Cathaoirleach of the Shannon MD, Cllr John Crowe (FG) suggested a residents committee “take charge and take pride in their area, it would make sure all areas would be cut, nobody will look after an area better than the people living there once they are supported”.

Public perceptions on grass cutting need to be revised, Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF) maintained. “They are looking at lawns and it will never look

like your lawn because you won’t be cutting it every week or mulching it every week”.

He added, “Biodiveristy is a part because we are letting some sections grow into a meadow, how do we get it across to the general public, we are letting it into a meadow and they want a lawn is the reaction I’m getting back”.

Engagement of the public is dropping, Cllr Tony Mulcahy (FG) felt. “People say check the Council website but how many of them are checking the website and no disrespect to the media but how many people are looking for an advert about it in the newspapers”. He instead believed the information should be given to councillors to share via their own social media followings.

Senior executive officer in the Shannon MD, Suzy Clifford told the meeting they were reviewing the grass cutting contract and that they had engaged with numerous groups. “Grass cutting is very subjective, some people want it high and others want it low”.

volunteers nationwide.

All shortlisted nominees have been invited to attend an awards ceremony luncheon, which will take place on December 5th at the Gibson Hotel in Dublin, where the winners in each category wil be nnounced. During the ceremony, there will be panel talks and discussions on the marine environment, Clean Coasts campaigns, and the importance community actions.

“The event is always an inspiring and uplifting occasion that serves as a reminder of the power of community and how together, we can overcome the challenges we face in protecting and caring for our coastline, ocean, marine life and waterways,” added Moore.

Coffee Hatch Lahinch, shortlisted for the Community Champion Award, is a small coffee stand located on the Lahinch promenade.

Over the summer, they won their ‘Save Our Seat’ campaign after they were permitted to to retain their outdoor picnic bench. The Community Champion Award celebrates businesses that demonstrate consistent and meaningful involve-

ment in Clean Coasts community-led actions.

West Coast Surf Club, shortlisted for the Youth Initiative Award, is a long standing group, set up in 1970, of surfers dedicated to fostering a strong sense of community through a variety of programmes, including the Boardriders programme, Inclusion Sessions, and Mna na Tonnta.

The Youth Initiative Award recognises the outstanding contributions of our younger Clean Coasts volunteers.

Wild Earth, shortlisted for the Emerging Group Award, is a youth-centred, nature-based community group in Ennistymon for people aged 5-18. The Emerging Group Award celebrates groups that, despite being new to the programme, have already demonstrated commitment and initiative in their local area.

Banner Gleo, also nominated for the Emerging Group Award, is a coastal community association that works with the local community to support the natural capital and ecological integrity of Liscannor Bay.

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THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27, 2025

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

Lack of urgency to install EV charging points slammed by Cllrs

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

OBSTACLES delaying the installation of electric vehicle charging points “in the middle of a climate crisis” has been slammed by councillors in North Clare.

Elected members of the West Clare Municipal District said “you’d lose the will to live” with the continued delays and absence of drive to deliver the infrastructure in the county.

In a proposal before the West Clare MD, Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) called on Clare County Council “to facilitate the provision of two charging points at Fair Lane Carpark in Corofin Village and a further charging station at Clos Innine Bui in Kilnaboy”.

Acting senior executive engineer in the transportation section of Clare County Council, Michael McNamara said the local authority was “engaged with ZEVI (Zero Emissions Vehicles Ireland) in the Delivery of the Regional & Local Charging Network Plan, which at present is based at strategy development”.

Clare forms part of Region 7 in this plan alongside Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Donegal with Donegal the lead authority.

McNamara admitted, “The delivery shall be formed over 6 stages with the project cur-

rently at Stage 1 – Strategy Development, with consultants Systera appointed for the region for the development of the strategy earlier this year. It is hoped that the draft strategy shall be published for public consultation in early 2026”.

Once the strategy has been delivered, the network plan then progresses to infrastructure planning, business model and partnering approach, procurement, implementation and operations.

He said the Council “is committed to ensuring the delivery of an evidence based Charging Network that shall ensure the appropriate charger is provided at the appropriate location for the appropriate purpose”.

Corofin’s sustainable energy community were eager to install the charging points, Cllr Killeen explained. Within the North Clare village it was felt that a Council owned site would be the best option, efforts had been made to use Páirc Finne, the home of Corofin GAA “but the gates are locked at night and it wasn’t deemed suitable”.

After reading the response from McNamara, Cllr Killeen commented, “I didn’t have my glasses on and I thought it was at stage six of seven but then I put my glasses on and realised we are still actually on stage one. I’ll say no more, we don’t know what will happen, we will wait and see, if charging

points are in Council owned property it is probably the way to go”.

There was no need to power up the frustrations felt by elected members. Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) stated, “My God you’d lose the will to life, it’s just as well we’re a small country, in the name of all that is holy, we’re in the middle of a climate crisis how could someone come up with a process like this, we’ve been doing energy masterplans in communities across North Clare and we can’t even put a charging point in Corofin”. The lack of urgency was astounding, “you would lose the will to live reading this”.

Deliberate attempts to stall the delivery are at play, Cllr Shane Talty (FF) believed. “We’re a marvellous country for acronyms, ZEVI, this is a bureaucratic quagmire designed to wait out the situation and hope the private sector delivers, we’ve talked about this since I was first elected in 2019”.

Kilrush’s first charging point only arrived last year, Cllr Ian Lynch (IND) told the meeting. “We generated the evidence and the need for it, we had no influence in the Council and there was no representation made by the Council for us. If the community is interested, they should contact ESB directly. I hate X but I found it a very good option and used it to contact ESB about this”.

Lahinch’s car park has shared ownership,

lELECTRIC VEHICLES: Corofin Village

Cllr Bill Slattery (FG) advised which has led to the installation of six charging points with Lahinch Golf Club providing four and a further two more in situ on the Miltown Malbay road car park.

Without fast chargers, electric vehicles can “take half a day to charge,” Cllr Michael Shannon (FF) flagged. “It is like plugging them in at home, we’ll have 500,000 people in West Clare for two weeks next year and we’ve no charging facilities”.

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Thursday, Nov 27, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

Advertorial

Greenify loans available at Derg Credit Union DERG Credit Union is celebrating the launch of Greenify, a new national green loan initiative designed to help credit union members access affordable finance for home energy upgrades and sustainable transport solutions.

Greenify loans are available for energy-efficient home improvements, green transport, or equipment. Members can borrow up to €100,000 at a competitive variable interest rate of 5.5% (5.7% APR), with repayment terms of up to 10 years.

The scheme being presented by Derg Credit Union was launched by Collaborative Finance CLG, which is a group of credit unions working together to offer standardised loan products that allow member credit unions to broaden their loan offering in a standardised and collaborative way.

Derg Credit Union have branches in Killaloe and Scariff and employ about 10 people. Business Development Officer at Derg Credit Union Siobhán Durack told The Clare Echo that customers will be able to benefit from an excellent interest rate and renowned Credit Union customer service.

Siobhán, who has been with Derg Credit Union for 10 years, added, “We’re proud to be part of the Greenify initiative. It reflects everything we stand for as a credit union. Our members know they can count on us for personal service and trusted advice, and Greenify allows us to support them in making smart, sustainable choices for their homes and transport. It’s about putting people first while helping build a greener future

REPRESENTATIVE EXAMPLE: A 5-year Greenify loan of €30,000 will have 60 monthly repayments of €573. Interest rate is 5.5% variable, (5.6% APR). The total cost of credit is €4,383. The total amount payable is €34,383.

lMariana McMahon CEO of Derg Credit Union with Chairperson Yvonne Martin (also inset right) with Therese

Conway, CEO of Collaborative Finance; (top right) Conor Murphy of Ashgrove Renewables speaks to members

together.”

The latest offering aligns with Credit Union’s mission to strengthen communities and advance financial inclusion by offering fair, ethical lending and a comprehensive range of financial services to their members.

Recently Credit Unions claimed top spot in the Ireland Sustainability Reputation Index 2025. Siobhán notes

that Credit Unions also recently won the Customer Experience Award for a 10th consecutive year.

Greenify builds on the success of a pilot scheme launched in October 2021 by eight credit unions within the Collaborative Finance network.

Since then, the initiative has grown to include 30 credit unions, offering a standardised green loan product with

consistent terms and interest rates, making it easier for members to navigate their options and access sustainable finance.

Siobhán adds, “There are two elements to the loans; green transport which is for electric cars, hybrids or plug-in chargers, and green home which for any elements such as insulation, solar panels and heat pumps.

“So far it’s been very successful and we’re delighted at Derg Credit Union to do our bit to support customers on their Green journey.”

To find out more about how to access a Greenify loan, visit Derg Credit Union’s offices in Scariff or Killaloe or visit www.Greenify.ie.

Credit Unions in Ireland are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

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THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27, 2025

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

Arts & Culture

Local author launches memoir of life between “Two Islands” LISCANNOR woman Eilish McCarthy will launch her debut memoir, “Two Islands”, at McHughs Pub on Main Street, Liscannor, on Friday 6th December at 7pm.

The book chronicles her life growing up in County Clare and her deep connection to Inis Oírr, exploring what it means to be shaped by two very different places.

Born in Liscannor, McCarthy became a public health nurse, navigating the dangerous roads of the Burren at high speed to visit her patients. Her life took her from working in a New York hospital emergency unit to living on Inis Oírr for almost two years. Then onto Wales as a specialist lymphoedema nurse, followed by six years in France. She spent a spell vagabonding around northern Europe on a 31-foot sailing ketch be-

fore homesickness brought her back to Ireland.

Her connection to Inis Oírr began in the 1950s when, as the daughter of a head teacher who loved the Irish language, she was one of the first pupils sent to the island on summer courses.

There she learned what had been forbidden for a long time: her true mother language. The small rocky spot in the Atlantic became her second home.

“Ireland has changed a lot since my childhood,” says McCarthy.

“Ireland had a rough history filled with sadness and tears, but also with joy and laughter.

I’ve been writing down stories, events and observations since long ago. I want to convey some of these local anecdotes and observations from the West of Ireland and from Inis Oírr, my two beloved islands.”

Local historian and author Enda Byrt will join Eilish as special guest at the launch.

The event is free and all are welcome to attend.

A Crafty Christmas for Children at Clare Museum

CREATIVITY will shine in the lead up to Christmas this year, as Clare Museum hold four Christmas card-making workshops for children and teens in the run up to Christmas.

These workshops will be hosted by creative facilitator Aideen Sweeney and visual artist Rachel MacManus on Saturday, November 29, and on the following Saturdays, December 6, 13 and 20.

Workshops will take place in the Clare County Council run Clare Museum, from 11am to 12.30pm, and will provide children with the opportunity to tap into their creativity in a relaxed and fun environment.

Par-

ents and carers will have the opportunity to explore everything on offer around the town in the run up to Christmas.

Each workshop is intended to suit a different group; 4-7-year-olds are invited to attend the workshop on November 29; 8-10-year-olds to the workshop on December 6; 8–14-yearolds who identify as differently-abled and/or neurodivergent, to the workshop on December 13; and 11-14-yearolds to the workshop on December 20.

These workshops will coincide with Clare Museum’s Vintage Christmas Card Exhibition, which takes place from December 2, 2025, to

January 3, 2026.

Bookings are now being taken by Clare Museum for the workshops.

Admission is free, but places are limited and must be booked by emailing claremuseum@ clarecoco. ie, and specifying which workshop you would like to book including your child’s name and age. Telephone bookings will not be accepted.

For further information visit Clare Museum’s website at www.claremuseum. ie and social media

pages on Facebook and Instagram.

Pictured is a Christmas card (1903) from Clare Museum’s Georgina Frost Collection

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Thursday, Nov 27, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27, 2025

Business

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The Clare Business Excellence Awards 2025 are this week! With the ceremony to took place on Thursday, November 27th at the Inn at Dromoland, The Clare Echo has been profiling all finalists. Here, we look at 12 more of the finalists...

We are deeply grateful to be nominated for both Best New Business and the Business for Social Impact Award at the 2025 Clare Business Excellence Awards. As a social enter-

prise rooted in skill-sharing, sustainability and community, this recognition means a great deal to us. Over the past year, our team and the many people who have joined us for courses, retreats, and events have helped shape a vibrant space for learning and connection on our 50-acre site in north Clare. To be acknowledged alongside so many inspiring local businesses is a real privilege, and we are thankful for the ongoing support.

Dromoland Castle Best Green & Sustainable Practices - Sponsored

by Rengen Power Dromoland Castle’s thousand-year legacy includes caring for its 500-acre estate and surrounding communities. Today, its team advances this stewardship through strong sustainability initiatives and community engagement. Solar panels, EV transport, composting, and biodiversity programs support clear environmental goals.

A full-time Sustainability Officer drives efforts to cut carbon emissions by 2030.

The Castle leads in reducing food waste through training, measurement, and composting, sharing its

practices with local schools to educate future generations. Aware of their role as custodians, the team ensures their actions benefit guests, wildlife, and the wider community while supporting ongoing CSR initiatives.

Tubridy’s Bar & Restaurant Best Restaurant - Sponsored by AIB

Our winter hours for food is Friday to Saturday 6-9.

Sunday 1-5 Lunch menu all day.

Enjoy live music by Patrick Roche every Wednesday night, in season tradi-

tional Irish music sessions with the Browne Boys on Friday nights, in season and live music every Saturday night, all year round.

Serving delicious food, a great pint, and a love of GAA, Tubridy’s Bar and Restaurant is a long-established family-run pub and eatery located on Main Street in Doonbeg. It is a well-known local spot for delicious food, drinks, whiskeys and a welcoming atmosphere.

Cahir Enviromentalists Best SME in Clare - Sponsored by Cup Print Cahir Environmental Services Ltd T/a CES Environmental Services are delighted to be a finalist in Best SME in Clare category We deliver high-quality environmental solutions with a focus on safety, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.

As a locally family-owned business, we take pride in supporting our community and creating local employment.

Our dedication to professionalism, integrity, and environmental stewardship sets us apart and reflects our mission to make a positive difference every day.

People & Place, based at the Ennis Chamber i-Hub, specialises in data analytics and data storytelling.

We create analytics platforms that reveal the stories of people and places across Ireland, helping organisations understand

O’Connor’s Bakery Best SME in Clare - Sponsored by Cup Print At O’Connor’s Bakery, our business is driven by a strong set of values: family, tradition, quality, community, and care. These

principles have guided us for over 60 years and continue to shape everything we do—from the way we

People & Place Best Micro Business - Sponsored by Clare LEO; Professional Services Excellence Award - Sponsored by Bank of Ireland

their infrastructure, customers, and communities. Our clients include the GAA, Údarás na Gaeltachta, the HSE, and the Arts Council amongst others. Local projects include a Socio-Economic Profile of Ennis, a Socio-Demographic Analysis of the Killaloe Municipal District, and a Zoning and Housing Activation Study of Ennis. We’re proud finalists in two Clare Business Excellence Award categories; Best Micro Business and Professional Services Excellence - thank you, Ennis Chamber.

bake our products to how we treat our staff and customers.

Family and tradition are at the heart of our identity.

Many of our recipes have been passed down through generations, and we honour that legacy by using time-tested methods and high-quality ingredients in all our baked goods. This respect for heritage creates consistency, trust, and a product our customers know and love.

O’Brien Learning Solutions Best Micro Business - Sponsored by Clare LEO Micro businesses are the backbone of Clare’s economy—small teams creating big impact. O’Brien Learning Solutions embodies exactly that.

Founded by Denise O’Brien in 2016, this Shannon-based business serves two distinct needs: helping organisations navigate change through EVOLVE for Business, and supporting individuals through personal transformation with EVOLVE ME. Both use the trademarked 3-S Model™ rooted in neuroscience. Using a micro business model, O’Brien Learning Solutions delivers world-class service

through Team EVOLVE— freelance subject matter experts in sustainability, brand storytelling, lean, digitisation, and more. As Network Ireland Limerick Solo Businesswoman 2024 and Networker 2025, Denise is proving micro businesses can compete nationally whilst Wstrengthening local community.

Peaceful Paws Best Family Business Award - Sponsored by MHP

Doolin Ferry is a proud second-generation family business that has grown from humble beginnings in 1970 into a world-class passenger ferry operator.

Our commitment to innovation is evident in the launch of our custom-built, state-of-the-art vessel in 2025, setting new standards in comfort, speed, and sustainability.

Guided by strong family values, we prioritise excellence, integrity, and care in everything we do. Deeply rooted in our community, we actively support local initiatives, charities, and environmental initiatives - ensuring

At Peaceful Paws Pet Crematorium, we’re proud to be a family-run business pro-

viding compassionate pet cremation services across Clare and beyond.

Every family we meet is treated with the same care and respect we’d want for

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The Harbour Restaurant Best Restaurant - Sponsored by AIB The Harbour Restaurant in Kilrush is proud to be shortlisted as a finalist for Best Restaurant at the Clare Business Excellence Awards.

This recognition reflects the team’s dedication to ex-

ceptional food, warm hospitality, and a memorable dining experience for every guest. From locally sourced ingredients to a welcoming atmosphere, The Harbour Restaurant strives to showcase the very best of West Clare.

Being named a finalist is an honour and a testament to the hard work and passion poured into the restaurant each day. The team extends heartfelt thanks to their customers and community for their continued support.

Doolin Ferry Company Best Use of Digital Marketing & Social Media Sponsored by The Clare Echo

Doolin Ferry has transformed digital marketing and social media into powerful engines for growth, placing digital at the very core of its business strategy.

What began as a simple Facebook page has evolved into a vibrant, multi-channel ecosystem reaching millions worldwide. Story-driv-

en campaigns, such as the launch of the Cliffs of Moher Express, turned company milestones into shared experiences that inspire and engage.

By combining video-first storytelling, data-informed strategy, and genuine connection across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and TikTok, Doolin Ferry not only captures attention but converts it - turning followers into customers, and customers into loyal advocates.

My First Steps Retailer of the Year - Sponsored by Clean Ireland Recycling

Doolin Ferry Company Best Family Business Award - Sponsored by MHP our success benefits not only our family but also the people and place that have shaped our journey.

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In profile: Clare Business Excellence Awards 2025 Common Knowledge Best New Business - Sponsored by Tierney’s; Business for Social Impact Award - Sponsored by Essilor Luxottica

35

our own pets.

Since opening in 2022, our commitment to dignity, trust, and personal service has helped us build lasting relationships with our community.

Being recognised as a finalist for the Best Family Business Award reflects the heart and values that guide our business.

We’re incredibly proud that our Ennis store, where the My First Steps journey began, has been recognised among this year’s finalists.

Since opening our doors in June 2022, we’ve become a trusted part of the Ennis community, helping parents make confident choices about their children’s foot health.

Our mission has always been to combine expert advice, professional fitting, and a fun, welcoming environment where families feel

supported. What started as a vision from a Mum of two, has grown and developed so magically and it all began right here in Ennis.

Winning would be a celebration of that community spirit and passion.

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Shannon Springs Hotel Best Hospitality in Clare - Sponsored by Shannon Group; Best Café/Bistro - Sponsored by AIB At Shannon Springs Hotel, exceptional hospitality and culinary excellence are at the heart of everything we do.

We are proud to be shortlisted for “Best Hospitality in Clare” and “Best Place to Eat – Best Café/Bistro in Clare” at this year’s Clare Business Excellence Awards.

Our dedicated team takes pride in offering a warm welcome, outstanding service, and attention to detail. The Old Lodge Gastro Pub is a

local favourite, known for its fresh, locally sourced menu and cosy atmosphere.

Thank you to our wonderful guests and community for your continued support…we are proud to represent Clare’s best in hospitality.

Lahinch Coast Hotel Customer Service Excellence Award - Sponsored by Xeinadin John & Bríd O’Meara and their team had a busy season at the four-star Lahinch Coast Hotel.

The hotel has been awarded an Employer Excellence Award by Failte Ireland for the second year and recently was awarded Family Friendly Hotel of the Year by Georgina Campbell and the O’Meara’s say they attribute those compliments to the excellent hard-working team.

Work has begun already on the final phase of room

refurbishments ahead of what looks to be a very strong 2026 season with Walker Cup 2026 at Lahinch Golf Club along with the Amgen Irish Open at nearby Trump International Golf Club in Doonbeg.

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Inn at Dromoland Best Hospitality in Clare - Sponsored by Shannon Group The Inn at Dromoland is thrilled to be shortlisted once again this year, for the Best Hospitality in Clare category. Having won the award in 2024, the renowned Newmarket on Fergus hotel is eager to make it two in a row.

Catering for the people of county Clare and for guests from all over Ireland and abroad for several decades, the Inn prides themselves in the warm friendly welcome offered to any customer who comes through their

doors!

Whether it’s an overnight stay, lunch or dinner in Shannigans Gastro Pub, a workout in their Leisure Club or attendance at a wedding/event in their recently refurbished Ballyhannon Suite, the helpfulness and friendliness of the management and staff of the Inn at Dromoland always shines through!

St Francis Credit Union Customer Service Excellence Award - Sponsored by Xeinadin St. Francis Credit Union is honoured to be selected as a finalist in the Clare Business Awards, a recognition that highlights our continued commitment to excellence, community, and member-focused service.

As a trusted financial partner in Co Clare, we exist to support our members through every stage of life—offering fair, ethical, and affordable financial solutions that strengthen both individuals and our wider community. Having proudly won this award in the past, including the overall title in the same year, we remain steadfast in setting the standard for excellence in member service in Co. Clare.

HSF Health Plan Business for Social Impact Award - Sponsored by Essilor Luxottica

Torpey Retailer of the Year - Sponsored by Clean Ireland Recycling

At HSF Health Plan, we empower individuals, families, and organisations across Ireland to take charge of their health through affordable and accessible healthcare solutions.

As the trading arm of our parent charity, The Hospital Saturday Fund, all profits are passed on to help those in need.

Being recognised as a finalist in the Clare Business Excellence Awards highlights our ongoing commit-

At Torpey, we take immense pride in being a Clare-based business that combines local heritage with world-class innovation.

Our goal is to create an exceptional retail experi-

ment to care, integrity, and making a lasting difference.

ence where everyone feels valued, whether you’re a county star or choosing your very first hurley. Every customer is part of our story, and we’re passionate about sharing our craft, knowledge and love for the game. We champion quality, sustainability and community at every step.

Winning this award would celebrate not only our achievements, but the local spirit and pride that inspire everything we do at Torpey.

Holly’s Pharmacy Retailer of the Year - Sponsored by Clean Ireland Recycling Haven Pharmacy Holly’s are thrilled to be nominated in two categories for the Clare Business Awards 2025. We are especially delighted as both categories support the core of our values within the Pharmacy. Best Retailer and Customer Service excellence is what we continually strive to build Holly’s Pharmacy on.

Holly’s Pharmacy endeavours to prioritise the health and well being of all our patients and customers. Through the services we provide in the community we have deeply rooted connections with our customers and their families. The pharmacy offers a wide range of services such as vaccinations clinics, BMI checks, 24hr blood pressure monitoring medication reviews and a well renowned ear piercing service to name a few.

Holly’s prides itself with a beautiful premium store housing many brands such as Clarins Nuxe Rituals La roche posay L’occitane and many more. The perfect gifting des-

tination.

Our highly trained staff in Skin consultations and makeup advisors are always ready to talk through any skin concerns and impart our knowledge with our customers.

The team work and dedication from all our colleagues who are so knowledgeable in all the latest products and over the counter remedies is evident in the growth of our customer base.

We love to Sponsor community activities where we can.

We attend local events where we share our expertise in various environments. We are extremely grateful to all our customers who will always be at the core of our pharmacy.

We are really looking forward to an amazing evening at this year’s Clare Business gala awards Nov. 27th.

We wish all the wonderful businesses nominated in Clare the very best of luck on the night.

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Thursday, Nov 27, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

Business

Ennistymon vet wins twice in Pet Awards

by Dearbhla Parry news@clareecho.ie

A SMALL Ennistymon Vet recently took home two awards for their pet services.

Sunset Vets were the winners of two categories on Saturday, November 15th at The Local Pet Awards 2025.

Winners of the Specialist Pet Service and Pet Bereavement Service of the Year categories, Sunset Vets, provides caring and compassionate athome pet euthanasia in South Galway, County Clare, and Limerick City.

The award ceremony held at the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport was hosted by Adrian Logan, resulting in a dedicated night to celebrate the best from the pet industry in Ireland.

“We are only open since March 2025 so we are immensely proud of the support received and all we have achieved so far,” said Veterinary Surgeon at Sunset Vets, Louise Gilsenan.

l LOCAL PET AWARDS 2025: Sunset Vets win two awards

Their home euthanasia services ensure pets can spend their last moments in the comfort of their home, surrounded by the people who love them most.

“Empathy is at the centre of what we do. We are dedicated

to supporting you and providing the best care for your pet on their final journey.”

“We’re pet owners too and know what it’s like to have to say goodbye. We’re here to help and advise you on all aspects of your pets passing.”

Mountshannon Gala deemed ‘outstanding’ with award MOYNIHAN’S GALA in Mountshannon has been named amongst the best Gala Retail stores in Ireland.

Held at the Great Southern Hotel in Killarney, Moynihan’s Gala was named a Gala Retail Excellence Award Winner at the 2025 Gala Retail ‘Delivering the Difference’ annual conference.

Sports broadcaster, Jacqui Hurley, was MC for the Gala celebratory evening event, and speakers Bernard Jackman and Geoff

Ramm featured at the morning conference.

The Gala Excellence Awards are presented to Gala stores that are deemed ‘outstanding’ following a comprehensive and independent assessment process. More retailers than ever before achieved the standard, which is reflective of the Group’s focus on quality, community-centric and innovative retailers.

“Gala Retail stores in County Clare consistently feature as some of the

l DELIVERING THE DIFFERENCE: Daniel Moynihan from Moynihan’s Gala, Mountshannon, and Colin McTaggart from Gala Retail

best performing stores across the Group,” explains Gary Desmond, CEO of Gala Retail Mr Desmond adds: “I’m delighted to see Moynihan’s Gala get the recognition it deserves and would like to thank Daniel and his team for their loyalty, hard work and dedication to quality convenience retailing.

“Our theme at this year’s conference was ‘Delivering the Difference’ and this store continues to make a difference to their shoppers and communities every day.”

At the Gala Retail conference, it was announced that over €100,000 of Gala Greener Grants have been gifted to retailers by the convenience retail group – part of a €500,000 fund that’s been created to help retailers transition to energy-efficient and sustainable retailing of the future.

As one of the most progressive convenience groups in Ireland, Gala stores benefit from national expertise, coupled with local wholesaler support and a store model, which ensures that every Gala store is designed to deliver to its local community’s requirements.

To find out more about Gala Retail, visit www.gala.ie

First Irish product to win prestigious ISPO Award for sports innovation TORPEY, Ireland’s market leader in bamboo hurley technology, is proud to announce that its groundbreaking hurling glove, the Torpey Kláw, has won a coveted ISPO Award.

The Kláw combines cutting-edge protective materials with razor-sharp grip and feather-light feel. Its unique fabric stiffens on impact to protect the hand while maintaining dexterity - ideal for the demands of hurling and camogie. ISPO hosts this flagship annual global event in Munich, Germany for 80,000 businesses from 120 countries.

This recognition marks the first time an Irish company has received this prestigious international honour for excellence in sports innovation.

ISPO, founded in 1970 in Munich, Germany, is the world’s largest and most internationally influential platform for the global sports industry. Each year, it gathers over 80,000 professionals from more than 120 countries — from industry leaders and startups to technology providers, brands, and retailers. The

ISPO Award represents the gold standard in global sports product innovation, celebrating exceptional design, functionality, and forward-thinking performance.

The Torpey Kláw is the result of six years of dedicated research, testing, and collaboration between clinicians, designers, and material scientists. Conceived and engineered at Torpey HQ in Co. Clare and validated through testing at Loughborough University’s Sports Technology Institute, the Kláw integrates state-of-the-art protective textiles that harden upon impact, providing superior hand protection while remaining light, flexible, and breathable. This innovation sets a new benchmark for safety and performance in hurling and camogie.

Seán Torpey, Managing Director of Torpey, said, “Winning the ISPO Award is a landmark achievement for us and for Irish sports innovation. The Kláw represents the culmination of years of scientific research, engineering, and deep understanding of our game’s unique challenges.

This award underscores the Kláw’s breakthrough in achieving protection without compromising comfort or performance.”

Developed with input from clinicians such as Daniel Harte of the Southern Health and Social Care Trust and product design specialists at Design Partners, the Kláw also drew crucial player insights from former Westmeath hurling captain Aonghus Clarke, who commented, “The Kláw balances comfort, protection, and performance perfectly. It’s a game-changer for players training hard and catching hundreds of fast-moving sliotars every week.”

While designed for the specific demands of hurling and camogie, Torpey believes the Kláw’s advanced impact-protection technology has potential applications across other high-impact sports — from cricket to lacrosse — marking it as a pioneering innovation with global reach.

Torpey Kláw costs €30, sizes XS-L for youth and S-XL for adults, and is on sale at torpey.ie.

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THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27, 2025

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News

2025 CLARE STUDENT ENTERPRISE PROGRAMME

LOCAL ENTERPRISE OFFICE CLARE Hundreds of students and teachers from throughout County Clare attended a Student Enterprise Programme workshop at glór, Ennis, on Monday.

Organised by Local Enterprise Office Clare with the support of Clare County Council and Enterprise Ireland, the event focused on practical sales and marketing skills.

Guesrt speakers included Garry Lowe of WhizzKids Training, Roger Leyden of RML Marketing & Business Development’s, Ollie Gleeson of Ollie’s Tours, and Una Ryan of Marketing Eye. Topics discussed in sessions included the criteria for judging, how to sell, engaging with customers, and online marketing.

Students of Rice College in Ennis.

All photos by Eamon Ward St Josephs Spanish Point Students and their teacher Colette Collins with Theresa Mulvihill of Local Enterprise Office Clare

Ollie Gleeson, Ollie’s Tours; Theresa Mulvihill, Senior Enterprise Development Officer, LEO Clare; Una Ryan, Marketing Eye; Garry Lowe, Whizzkids; and Roger Leyden, RML Marketing.

Ennis Community College and Gaelcholaiste an Chláir students and teachers

Students of St. Anne’s Community College, Killaloe

St Josephs Tulla students with teacher Sarah Woods and Theresa Mulvihill of Local Enterprise Office Clare

38

Thursday, Nov 27, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

Sport

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27, 2025

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Sport

39

Éire Óg loss 'not as bad' as scoreline suggests MUNSTER SFC CLUB SEMI FINAL

ST FINBARR'S 3-20 ÉIRE ÓG 0-14 Venue: SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh Compiled by Seamus Hayes

STORY OF THE GAME ST. FINBARR’S Frees For; 9 (6/3) Wides; 5(3/2) Scores from play; 3-17 Spread of scorers; 7 Top scorer: Brian Hayes (3-3) Own kickouts won: 17 out of 20 (85%) Bookings; Ethan Twomey (17), William Buckley (22),

ÉIRE ÓG: Frees For: 12 (8/4) Wides: 6(3/3) Scores from play: 0-10 Spread of scorers: 4 Top scorer: Mark McInerney (0-10 3TP) Own kickouts won: 10 out of 28 (36%) Bookings; Manus Doherty (28), David McNamara (39)

SCAN HERE FOR MATCH REPORT

REFEREE: Seán Lonergan (Tipperary) ÉIRE ÓG are not as bad as the scoreline of the Munster semifinal suggests while the amount of games caught up with their footballers.

Disappointed with Sunday’s result but immensely proud of the players and their efforts throughout the year. That was the reaction of Éire Óg manager Shane Daniels when reflecting on the team’s defeat in the Munster club football semi-final on Sunday.

“We were happy enough with the start, we were controlling the ball fairly well,” he reflected. Things

turned when St Finbarr’s got in for their first goal. “It was a mis kicked l Darren O’Brien holds onto possession for Éire Ógand (inset) Mark McInerney cuts a Photos by Gerard O'Neill shot that looped dejected figure at full time into the net. It came better and we are not as bad as the for his players. “The football only against the run of play and it killed scoreline suggests”. lads trained really hard on their own our momentum”.

Overall “it’s been a fantastic year while the commitment of the dual Daniels continued, “we were for Éire Óg football, competitively players was fantastic also. They pushing up at the end, trying to we only lost two games at senior never complained and they didn’t make something happen, and we level, the opening game of the miss a session or games. We were got caught for a couple of scores. year against Kilmurry Ibrickane very fortunate on the injury front As I said, they are a really good and Sunday’s game against St and that is a credit to the training”, side. They are a strong outfit, really Finbarrs. We are Cusack Cup and manager Shane told The Clare good and they were the better side Clare senior champions”.

Echo. on the day. We could have played The manager was full of praise He complimented all involved

Corofin fall short to Gaeltacht MUNSTER IFC SEMI FINAL

AN GAELTACHT 1-13 COROFIN 0-11 Venue: Corofin

by Gearóid Howley news@clareecho.ie

COROFIN manager Peadar O’Brien has said he believes his side’s first-half performance, despite having the advantage of the wind, left them with ‘too much to do’ to get over the challenge of Kerry’s An Ghaeltacht.

Speaking after their fivepoint Munster intermediate club football defeat in Páirc Finne, O’Brien expressed his disappointment with his side’s performance in the first thirty minutes but also credited his charges for never dropping their heads and producing a courageous second-half display.

“We’re disappointed by it. We probably didn’t perform in the first half, being six down after being with the breeze left us with a small bit to do and we just couldn’t get over the line in the finish,” he told The Clare Echo.

Having just a 20% conversion rate from play in the opening half, Peadar pinpointed Corofin’s shot selection as an aspect that let them down. “Lads probably felt under pressure to get a few scores with the breeze and panicked into shooting at times. We know we didn’t have a lot of the

back Cilléin Mullins and Seán O’Brien off on their respective travels. O’Brien opted to look at the positives as it resulted in his younger players, such as Leaving Cert student Seanán Kirby, seeing plenty of action. “Younger players like Seanán maybe wouldn’t SCAN HERE FOR MATCH REPORT have had seen a lot of game time if we had our more established players around. They got a good bit of game time, l Corofin’s Diarmuid Cahill tries to keep his footing under Colm Breen is another, he pressure from Brian Ó Beaglaíoch Burren Eye Photography actually pulled his hamball in the first half and took him, he’s given a good ser- string only a day or two shots when we shouldn’t vice to the club and the ago so he couldn’t play tohave taken them really. In county, and we’d be hoping day. It can’t be anything but hindsight it’s easy be wise, to knock a few more years positive for them and bring but we could have worked out of him when he comes them on football wise. We it into better positions and back from UAE whenever have a few lads in with the not rushed it as much." that may be.” county under-20s so hopeJamie Malone once again Corofin were down two fully that will bring them on returned home from the more starters from their a bit more”.

UAE to line out for the Clare IFC success with fullNorth Clare club, and he was heading straight up the road to Dublin Airport to catch a flight after the final whistle. O’Brien praised the AN GHAELTACHT: COROFIN: Frees for: 12 (7/5) Frees for: 16 (8/8) forward’s commitment and Wides: 5 (3/2) Wides: 6 (2/4) was already thinking of the Spread of scorers: 6 Spread of scorers: 3 prospect of having him at Scores from play: 1-11 Scores from play: 0-5 his peril for Corofin’s return Top scorer: Tomás Ó Sé Top scorer: Gearóid Cahill (1-2) (0-5, 1f), Cillian McGroary to the senior ranks.

Own kickouts won: 10/17 (0-5, 2tpf, 1f) “It’s a major positive, he’s (59%) Bookings: Damien a good clubman. It takes a O’Loughlin (29), Diarmuid lot of commitment to go Cahill (59) Own kickouts: 7/18 (39%) over and back from Dubai.

REFEREE: Derek O'Mahony (Tipperary) We’re delighted to have

STORY OF THE GAME

with the scheduling of training ensuring that the dual players weren’t over worked. That said he agreed that “the amount of games caught up with some of the lads which was to be expected given the amount of games they had”.

Continuing he said “a good few players made their debut this year, players like Darren Moroney and Cian Howard, and hopefully they will push on. There are a lot of good young footballers in the club”.

Asked if he will be in the role again next season he said “we haven’t thought about anything like that yet. We are still re-assessing Sunday’s game. What will happen next year will depend on a number of factors.”

Brian Mc backs footballers despite approaches to join Clare hurling panel Photo by Gerard O'Neill CLARE midfielder Brian McNamara is sticking with inter-county football for 2026 after turning down repeated offers to join the county senior hurling panel.

In what is the first big win for Paul Madden since his appointment to the role in August, he has managed to retain one of the side’s best players despite strong interest from Brian Lohan and the senior hurling management.

After returning from a J1 in the USA, McNamara linked up with the Kilmaley hurlers for what was his second senior campaign for the club. They went on to reach the Clare SHC semi-finals losing to eventual winners, Éire Óg.

Not alone was Brian one of Kilmaley’s best players in their run to the last four but he was one of the standout players of the entire championship. His versatility and athleticism in particular saw him excel whether it was a man-marking job where he kept Hurler of the Year scoreless Shane O’Donnell or his quarter-final display versus Sixmilebridge where he hit 0-3 and set up an abundance of scores.

Subsequently it came as little surprise that he was on the radar of Lohan and the county senior hurling management.

All-Ireland winning player and manager Lohan is understood to have travelled to Cree in efforts to convince the talented dual-player to swap to hurling. Initial approaches were made during September following Kilmaley’s exit but at the time his focus remained on Cooraclare’s involvement in the Clare IFC where they went on to reach the county final, losing to Corofin.

Twenty two year old McNamara gave the matter serious consideration before opting to stick with the footballers for next season. He made his league and championship debut for Clare’s seniors in 2024 under Mark Fitzgerald and remained a firstchoice starter at midfield when Peter Keane took the reins in 2025. Throughout the past two seasons, Brian has been one of Clare’s best and most consistent players.

40

Thursday, Nov 27, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

Sport

Corofin’s Moran appointed Clare GAA Head of Operations

'Surreal' run for SOD & Éire Óg

by Páraic McMahon

paraic@clareecho.ie

news@clareecho.ie

COROFIN’s Ann Marie Moran has been announced as the new Head of Operations with Clare GAA. Clare GAA confirmed that Ann Marie would take up the post in January when she succeeds Deirdre Murphy.

She had been one of six candidates shortlisted and completed two rounds of interviews before she was offered the job.

“She is a highly accomplished professional, blending financial expertise, project management acumen, and community leadership,” Clare GAA outlined.

According to well-placed GAA sources, another high-profile candidate was offered the post this week but terms could not be agreed. Officials in Clare GAA were unable to confirm this.

A chartered accountant and a former IT project manager with State Street, Moran has been actively involved in the GAA including her own club Corofin and has a member of the Clare GAA County Competitions Control Committee (CCC) since 2024.

With her club, Ann Marie spent six years as minor secretary of Corofin GAA Club, Secretary of Corofin Ladies Gaelic Football

Burren Eye Photography

Association (LGFA) and for four years of this as the Corofin/Ruan club. Her father Jimmy also held lifelong involvement with the GAA and her mother’s family, the Quains have left a strong mark in the history of Cratloe GAA. Chairman of Clare GAA, Kieran Keating said he was “delighted” for Ann Marie to join the Executive while outgoing Head of Operations, Murphy stated, "We are thrilled to have somebody of Ann Marie's experience, capacity, and dedication taking up this position.

I have no doubt that Ann Marie will drive Clare GAA forward in a dynamic and progressive way. All of us in the Clare GAA family will give her every support and assistance to ensure she will thrive in, and enjoy, the HOO role”.

by Páraic McMahon

GOING from winning a first Clare SHC title with Éire Óg to preparing for a Munster club final has been “surreal” for Shane O’Donnell.

O’Donnell and Éire Óg bid to stop Ballygunner winning a fourth provincial crown in five years when they clash in FBD Semple Stadium, Thurles this Sunday.

A whirlwind run since winning the Canon Hamilton for the first time since 1990 has been described

by Shane as “milestone after milestone” for the Ennis club. “It is surreal more than anything else. It is a mix between something completely different and the exact same as every other game we’ve prepared for, it is class, the elation around the club is great to be a part of,” he explained.

Ordinarily when he is hurling be it for Clare or Éire Óg he lives in Ennis and for the rest of the year he resides in Dublin. With Éire Óg’s season stretching on, he now finds himself commuting from the capital to the county town. “It is complicated...at the moment I am living in Dublin and travelling back. I came back on Friday night and I’m going back up on Saturday afternoon. Gerry and

Fintan Leamy will be elected as the new Games Officer Photo by Gerard O'Neill

the management have been brilliant, they are giving me the small bit of flexibility of the odd session out here and there so I’m not travelling so much. After games I need more time in the gym than I do on the pitch, there is so much rehab I need to do so the couple of days rehab following a match serves me a lot better than travelling back to training, I think they understand that as well”.

News which will lift the spirits of Éire Óg hurling fans is Shane admitting that he finally feels at full power in a year which saw him undergo

a shoulder operation and battle a chunk of injuries.

Waiting six weeks from their county final win over Clooney/Quin to facing Loughmore-Castleiney in the Munster semi-final was far too long of a gap, he felt. “It allows you to completely take the week and enjoy the celebrations but it is too long, even though I did make good use of it and got a solid three weeks in the gym doing rehab and it has really moved the needle.

"I feel like I’m finally coming out of my injuries now whereas all year I’ve been battling so many injuries on different fronts so that feels good but at the same time it is too long, six weeks is a ridiculous amount of time to have to wait for a game”.

According to the 2024 Hurler of the Year, the growth in his Éire Óg teammates has been notable over the past three months. “I think every team that gets out of the county for the first time in a long time, they throw back the shoulders and go out and express themselves, the young lads in particular are really taking that on”.

(For interviews with Gerry O’Connor and Darragh Stack, visit clareecho.ie/ subscribe)

'We're pinching ourselves' - Mills making the

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

O’CALLAGHANS MILLS have dipped into their reserves more than ever to bounce back to the senior grade at the first attempt which has also propelled them to a Munster intermediate final.

Unbeaten in championship this year, the Mills face Tipp's Upperchurch-Drombane in Saturday’s Munster intermediate final at TUS Gaelic Grounds.

Captain Aidan O’Gorman has already lifted the Paddy Browne Cup and hopes to again be making an acceptance speech this weekend. “We’re pinching ourselves at times wondering is this real, none of us could see this coming this time last year because we were the lowest of the low after Corofin putting us down to intermediate. In fairness to the boys, I’ve seen an awful difference to them this year, they have really took charge of everything when it comes to training and minding themselves outside of training, it has gone to a different level altogether”.

This is his second campaign

l Aidan O'Gorman Photo by Gerard O'Neill

as the Mills captain. “Fingers is reminding me all year that he made me captain two years ago, I don’t know why but it has stuck, I’ve been captain a few times down through the years, this is my first consistent spell,” Aidan outlined.

Bodyke’s Seán Doyle has helped to bring them to a well they’ve never gone to before, the 30 year old acknowledged.

“He has definitely helped without a doubt but lads took inspiration from Seán more than

anything and drove it on. Our leaders, Aidan Fawl, Rocky (Conor Cooney), Paddy (Donnellan), they have all drove it on, the younger lads have put their shoulder to the wheel too and took charge of everything, Seán Boyce is flying it. The whole collective group effort has been very good this year and please God we will drive it on again next week”.

Munster Club is a new dimension for the Mills where they face off with players they are not so familiar with “That is the difference of the Munster championship, you don’t know what you are up against but all you can do is give it everything."

A less complicated approach is best, the farmer and agricultural contractor learned following their Munster quarter-final versus Kerry champions, Abbeydorney. “For the Abbeydorney game I was watching a few games before, watching my own performance but I psyched myself up too much, I was over-thinking about the game so I decided I was never

doing that again, it is horses for courses”.

O’Gorman continued, “We were slow to start against Abbeydorney, we knew what they were going to come with but we didn’t match it for the first 20 minutes. In fairness to the boys they didn’t drop their heads, they drove on and got that vital goal which we so badly needed but they went down the field and got one, a well-worked goal, it wasn’t looking good for a long time but in fairness to the boys we got the crucial scores, we brought on Bryan and Paddy to steady the ship around the middle and you can’t buy that experience”.

Though they have yet to taste defeat in championship, the Mills have had “a lot of tough games,” Aidan told The Clare Echo. “We played Tulla in Clonlara and they could have beaten us, we were lucky to get an equalising score the same day, you cant take anything for granted in the intermediate championship, they are all like ourselves wanting to get back up to the top flight, it is just a

CLOONEY-QUIN UNABLE TO GO TO THE WELL IN MUNSTER FINAL MUNSTER JUNIOR CAMOGIE FINAL SCAN FOR REPORT

Clooney-Quin's run came to an end

Photo by Ruth Griffin

dogfight down there, youi have to be prepared and we had all our ducks in a line this year and thankfully we’re out of it. It’s bonus territory, we don’t get out of the county too often so we will

make the most of it”.

For interviews with Seán Doyle and Killian Nugent, visit clareecho.ie/ subscribe).

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 20, 2025

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

KILRUSH BLOW SURVIVAL RACE OPEN AND DONS WIN AGAIN CDSL PREMIER DIVISION

SCAN HERE FOR MATCH REPORT

Sport

41

'Gone in 60 seconds' - Hynes laments Clare's concession of two goals in a minute

by Páraic McMahon it so unfortunately we paraic@clareecho.ie

Kilrush in action against Bridge United

Photo credit CDSL / Natasha Barton

Ennis Men put 10 past Fermoy

Ennis moved to fourth in the Munster Junior 2 division with a 68 - 7 victory against Fermoy at the Showgrounds.

Ennis scored their first of 10 tries in two minutes. They were awarded a scrum after Fermoy knocked on, allowing Brendan Keane to run a great line through the centre, pass to Calum Barrett, who then passed back to Shane Punch to score under the posts, converted by Dylan Kenny.

Ten minutes in, Ennis won a scrum penalty, which was, following numerous pick-andgo's across the pitch, kicked to the corner for Jonathan O’Donoghue to score a try, bringing the score to 12 - 0 to Ennis.

Ennis scored their third try through captain Keelan Butler after 15 minutes. Following a lineout and run from Colm Killeen to Sam Browne, he passed out the back to Butler, who ran through from the Fermoy 22 to score, converted by Kenny.

After 20 minutes of the match, Ennis scored their fourth try.

With great defence from Ennis, they managed to push the opposition back in every tack-

le. The ball eventually came free from the ruck, allowing Killeen, quickest to react, to pass through hands from Butler to Dylan Kenny, with Punch making ground.

He then offloaded to Sam Browne, who sidestepped the defender and scored in the corner, with the sideline conversion scored by Kenny. Fermoy scored their try on 30 minutes in, following a 5m tapand-go penalty, making the score 26 – 7.

Following a lineout maul, Ennis made ground into the Fermoy 22 as Ben Benko took on the ball from the ruck, however, he was stopped just short of the line. Quick hands from the half-backs and Butler helped him to score his second try of the match in the corner, sideline conversion by Kenny. Ennis were in the lead at halftime with 33 - 7.

Ennis quickly started the second half with a break from scrum half Barrett, who offloaded to Osgar O'Gorman.

O’Gorman passed to Sam Browne midway into Fermoy’s half, while quick hands from the backs passed the ball to Luke Fitzgerald on the opposite wing. He was stopped short of the line

before Barrett passed to Conor Morrissey and then to O'Gorman to score under the posts, converted by Kenny.

From a ruck in the middle of the field, Killeen made ground and offloaded to Brendan Keane, making ground into Fermoy 22.

He passed to Barrett, who side-stepped the last defender to score the try, converted by Kenny.

From the Fermoy kick-off, Cormac Browne claimed the kick-off, breaking through several tackles. Brendan Keane made ground short of Fermoy 22 while Fitzgerald stopped 5m out.

A loose pass from Ennis was picked up by Sam Browne to Butler, who was tackled high for an Ennis penalty. Kenny kicked to the line and Ennis mauled over with Conor Morrisey scoring the try, converted by Kenny.

53 minutes in, Ennis won a penalty in their own half. The kick to the line was short and Fermoy’s defender let the ball bounce, allowing Sam Browne to claim the ball and run through, scoring under the posts, converted again by Kenny.

Going into the last

HAVING come from two goals down to get back on level terms, Clare’s Oscar Traynor side “handed back the game” to Limerick by conceding a brace of goals in a minute to bow out in the Munster region semi-finals.

Goals from Nnabuike Nneji and Kyle Kirby saw Clare equalise with 20 minutes left in Saturday’s Oscar Traynor semi-final and in a position that few of the spectators in Frank Healy Park expected at half-time.

However Conor Coughlan picked up a hat-trick in Doora, bagging a brace in 60 seconds as Clare lost their composure and subsequently missed out on qualifying for the provincial final.

Clare manager, Denis Hynes was frustrated with how they undid all their progress within a minute. “We had a poor first half, it was too passive, we tweaked it a bit at half time and we had a good effort for twenty minutes which got us back into it, then we shot ourselves in the foot, if we kept it to one goal at 3-2 you would have always had a chance off a free kick or something but conceding two goals in a minute like that. We tell the boys if something goes wrong try not double up on

handed them back the game, the boys did well and they are a very honest bunch so they did well to bring it back to 2-2, it is a pity that in sixty seconds they undid all their hard work”.

Hynes told The Clare Echo, “You can’t be too harsh on the lads because they give everything but at this level you don’t come back from mistakes like that especially if one of our principles is if something goes wrong, calm down and clear the decks, we had a lot of younger lads on today, hopefully they will learn from that situation for the future”.

Absence of a striker led to Lissycasey’s Conor Finnucane who is lining out at midfield for Avenue Utd to operate up front for Clare in the opening half. The Clare manager acknowledged they missed an offensive presence. “You could see in the second half we basically retweaked the whole system, definitely Limerick had it far too easy in the first half, Conor made a super effort but it was a bit ask for him, we’d probably look back and say what we did in the first half certainly didn’t help us”.

Coach to Donie Garrihy’s side that won the competition on two occasions, the Ennistymon man has complet-

l Harvey Cullinan heads the ball out of defence Photo by Gerard O'Neill

ed his first campaign as manager. “It is enjoyable especially when you see younger guys coming through and starting off, it is not too demanding but no more than the Youths here today.

"We do need everyone at full pelt to have a decent chance against the Corks and the Limericks, it is purely a numbers game, we were missing a couple of lads again today and it ensured we had to throw in some new lads but the lads were credible for that twenty minutes to get us back into the game."

Absence of experienced players from within the league was

felt in their squad, he said. “In fairness the youngsters will always be there, it is the experienced players if you lose one or two or if one or two retire it is a lot of experience to try and replace.

"Some of these young lads off the back of this will be approached for League of Ireland, that is just the nature of where we are with Clare football, we’re in the shop window if you do well and if young lads get the chance to go to League of Ireland it is definitely a bigger step up, it is a good sharpener for our clubs who will kick on in Munster and the FAI competitions in the New Year”.

Watson, Keelan Butler (Captain), Calum Barrett, Dylan Kenny, Sam Browne, Colm Killeen, Brendan Keane, Luke Fitzgerald, Shane Punch, Conor Morrissey, Conan McGonigle, Ryan Murphy, Osgar O'Gorman, MJ Malone, Odhran Flynn, and Jack Dillon.

l Ennis's Mens first XV

10 minutes, Fermoy were on the attack, but Ennis' defence kept Fermoy out. With a penalty advantage in the last minute, Conan McGonigle passed to Benko, who broke through two tackles and offloaded to McGonigle and then to Barrett. When Barrett passed to O'Gorman, who then passed to Kenny, the ball continued to be passed to the on-running Jack

Dillon and finally to Sam Browne, who was fouled as he ran towards the try line. The Fermoy defender received a yellow card, and Ennis were awarded a penalty try. The final score was 68 - 7 to Ennis.

Ennis: Ben Benko, Joey Keane, Jonathan O’Donoghue, Cormac Browne, Matty McNamara, Stephen Dolan, Dale

Fixtures: U18 Boys North Munster League: Ennis v Charleville Saturday November 29th Kick-off at 12pm in Drumbiggle Senior Men 2nd XV Gleeson League: Newcastlewest v Ennis Saturday November 29th Kick-off at 2:30pm in Newcastlewest Senior Women AIL Div 1: Blackrock v Ennis/Kilrush Saturday November 29th Kick-off at 5pm in Blackrock, Dublin Senior Men 1st XV MJL Div 2: Charleville v Ennis Sunday November 30th Kick-off at 2:30pm in Charleville

42

Thursday, Nov 27, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

Sport

Neville wins in Dromoland

by Seamus Hayes news@clareecho.ie

EX-Clare hurler Alan Neville, Colin Higgins, Pat O’Brien, Barry Lee, Phil Butler, Martin Shanahan, Yvonne O’Keeffe and Paul Madden were among the winners on the fairways of Clare over the past week.

DROMOLAND GOLF CLUB: Alan Neville with 41 points won the men’s 18 hole stableford competition at the weekend. He had two to spare over Evan O’Mara with Noel O’Brien also with 39 points in third. The gross was won by Seamus Cusack with 36.

The men’s 9 hole grand final was won by Paul O’Brien with 19 points from Eamon Power with a similar score.

Billy O’Mahony, also with 19 points was third.

Liz Skehan with 26 points was the winner of the ladies 9 hole turkey/wine competition.

Leslie O’Flynn with 21 points was second followed by Linda Kochhar with 19 points and Geraldine Ryan, also with 19 points.

WOODSTOCK GOLF CLUB: Colin Higgins (10) and Pat O'Brien (10) were the winners in round 3 in the Ozone Health and Fitness Winter league at the weekend with 58 points. They won by two

l Alan Neville Burren Eye Photography

from Aidan (6) and Noel Mulcahy (9) .

In the club singles the winner was Brian Mulcahy (14) with 40 points from Neil McCarthy (11) with 34 points with third place filled by John Dreelan (10), also with 34.

While playing in the club singles on Sunday Ruairi Breen had a hole in 1 on the 4th hole.

In the 2’s competition Joe Barry was a winner at the 7th.

There will be another club singles this weekend, over 15 holes.

This week’s seniors com-

petition at Woodstock was won by Paddy Meehan, Ollie McNamara and Luke Duffy with 65 points ENNIS GOLF CLUB: The men’s competition at Ennis at the weekend was a 2 ball scramble which was won by Barry Lee and Gerard O'Brien with 63 . They won by one from Darren McGill and Senan Ryan.

The next three pairings also had 64 and they finished with John A. Byrne and Jim Griffin in third place, Ronan Herbert and Diarmuid Meere in fourth, Michael Kearney and Peter Morris in fifth spot.

Last week’s senior ladies scramble was won by Phil Butler, Maureen Moloney and Margaret McEnery from Martina Corbett, Brid Cunningham and Judith Brassil with third place filled by Mary Gardner, Margaret Flanagan and Maeve O'Grady.

KILLRUSH GOLF CLUB: Kilrush Golf club’s 12 hole men's singles stableford competition at the weekend was won by Mark Cottam (10) with 31 points and he was one point ahead of Pat J Shannon (10). In third place with 28 points was Noel Thornton (12) while the gross was won by Brian Conway.

SPANISH POINT: Last weekend’s men’s 18 hole singles at Spanish Ponit was won by Martin Shanahan with 34 points from Mike Carty with 33 points.

A similar competition the previous week was won by Noel Skerritt with 37 points from Stephen Quigley with 35 points.

The senior men’s open competition last week was won by Martin Byrnes with 38 points and he was one ahead of Martin Shanahan.

The winner of the ladies 13 hole competition was Yvonne O’Keeffe with 18 points and she won on a countback from Mairead Bergin EAST CLARE GOLF CLUB: The men's Christmas turkey strokeplay competition at East Clare last week was won by Paul Madden,(14) with a nett 64 while the gross was won by William O'Brien (4) with 77.

Last week’s senior mens competition was won by Steve Lynch, Tom Larkin and Seamus O' Dwyer from Ailbe McDonnell, Terry Coughlan, John Nihill and Steve Symes with third place filled by Nick Obolowicz, Colm Kelly and Seamus Whelan.

Meanwhile the Winter league and 9 hole re-entry competitions are continuing.

Walsh & Keane picked on Golf Ireland panels LAHINCH Golf Club members Aideen Walsh and Jonathan Keane have been selected on to Golf Ireland’s Women’s and Men’s High Performance panels for 2026, writes Seamus Hayes.

During the 2025 season Aideen from Ennis won the Bridgestone women’s order of merit while Kilfenora native Jonathan became the first local member in fifty seven years to win the South of Ireland championship.

Their selection onto the High Performance panel reflects of the wonderful golf played by both over the past twelve months.

Keane earns his first call-up to the panel alongside West of Ireland champion Dylan Holmes (Greystones) and East of Ireland winner David Howard (Fota Island), “Irish amateur golf enjoyed another exceptional year in 2025 with outstanding team and individual performances from our Women’s and Men’s HP players,” said Golf Ireland High Performance Director Neil Manchip.

“One of the highlights was seeing the historic Vagliano Trophy win for Great Britain and Ireland, and it was fantastic to see Beth Coulter and Áine Donegan play such pivotal roles under Captain Maria Dunne’s leadership. Having a record sixteen Irish players tee it up at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open, including nine amateurs, speaks volumes about the strength of our Women’s and Girls’ programmes.”

“Róisín Scanlon’s victory at the Helen Holm and the impressive runner-up finishes from Gavin Tiernan at The Amateur Championship, John Doyle at the St. Andrews Links Trophy and Olivia Costello at the Spanish Amateur underlines the progress our players are making on the global stage.

"To see Stuart Grehan and Gavin Tiernan represent GB&I at the Walker Cup in Cypress Point was a proud moment and a fitting way to cap a hugely successful year across all levels of Irish golf,” he added.

Lucky thirteen for Highview Ben

by Michael Maher news@clareecho.ie

HIGHVIEW BEN claimed a remarkable thirteenth career win for his Clarecastle and Newmarket-on-Fergus owners.

The semi-finals of both the Ballymac Kennels AO 525 and the Droopys Stud A2 525 dominated proceedings at Limerick Stadium on Saturday night.

In the opening semi-final, the Paraic Campion trained Highview Ben bounced back to winning ways to claim a remarkable thirteenth career success.

A brilliant servant for the V-H-R Syndicate which includes Clarecastle native Tommy Hegarty and Newmarket-on-Fergus’ Seanie McMahon, Highview Ben had his favoured red jacket and, although briefly headed by Crescent Emily, he quickly showcased his trademark early speed to charge up the rails.

From there, the 9/4 chance established a two-length lead into the back straight, and the remainder was a formality. The son of Pat C Sabbath and Highview Ivy crossed three lengths clear of the staying-on Crescent Emily, with Kevinsfort Spice finishing third in 28.51.

Earlier on the card, the Droopys Stud A2 525 semi-finals took centre stage, In the

opening semi, Snuggie Battie also made it back-to-back wins for Breda Casey of Newmarket-on-Fergus.

A gritty winner in 29.10 last weekend, ‘Battie’ produced a career-best here. Breaking smartly from trap one, the son of Jacob Tashadelek and Miles Girl battled his way past Carrigmore Lizzy entering the back and later chopped off the improving Brief Display at the three-quarter mark. Track craft proved decisive as he held on by a length from Brief Display, with Carrigmore Lizzy third in 28.69.

The semi-finals of the Peppers Bar of Feakle A3 600 also featured, with Black Cash setting the pace as he narrowly denied Kazankina.

Jointly owned by Jeremiah and Damien Roche, Black Cash (2/1) was unable to match Kazankina early but sticking gamely to her task, the daughter of Ballymac Cashout and Rathcoole Vixen found more on the long run home to prevail by a head in 32.90.

There was a nice performance in race two on Friday’s card as Tell Em Nothing won by a huge margin. A February ’24 puppy, owned

by Paddy and John Collins, of Doora the son of Grangeview Ten - Droopys Lullaby was arriving from Galway and stepping up to the four-bend trip for the first time. This proved

l Syndicate member Tommy Hegarty (centre) with Páraic Campion on his right

an astute move from connections as the 2/1 chance took control straight from traps be-

fore drawing clear to win by an exceptional thirteen lengths. The time was 28.81.

43

Thursday, Nov 27, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

To place a notice email kieran@clareecho.ie

Planning

PLANNING CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL LAHINCH ROAD, ENNISTYMON , CO CLARE. Take notice that Anna and Paul Ralph intend to apply for planning permission to build a new dwelling, create a new entrance onto the public road, connect to public services and all associated site and ancillary works at the above address. A Natura Impact Statement has been prepared and will be submitted along with the planning application. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority, during its public opening hours.

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

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL We, Power Capital BESS Developments Ltd, intend to apply for permission for development at this site within the townland of Coolshamroge, County Clare.

The development will consist of a 10-year permission for a Synchronous Condenser and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) across a site of approximately 2.97 hectares, co-located with an existing solar farm. The development will have an operational capacity of c. 50 MW and will consist of the construction of battery energy storage system units, power conversion units, a synchronous condenser, control modules and rooms, transformers

and bunds, cooling equipment, a generator circuit breaker, an emergency diesel generator with associated fuel tank, water tank, underground cabling, fencing with access gates, CCTV and lighting posts, a temporary construction compound, new and upgraded access tracks, and associated landscaping, and ancillary works. The development would be in operation for up to 30 years. A Natura Impact Statement (NIS) has been submitted with this application.

This development is covered by the provisions of the Renewable Energy Directive III (Directive (EU) 2023/2413) and it is important to note that the planning application may be subject to section 34D of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended.

When a notice issues in accordance with section 34D(b), the provisions of article 26A of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 to 2025 shall apply.

The planning application and Natura Impact Statement (NIS) 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 or Natura Impact Statement (NIS) 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 MAIN STREET, DOONBEG, CO CLARE. V15 Y952 Take notice that Brian McNally intends to apply for planning permission to revise the use of the dwelling granted under reference P25/212, from short term rental unit to long term rental unit at the above address.

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

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL FURTHER INFORMATION/ REVISED PLANS PLANNING REFERENCE: P25/284 DEVELOPMENT DESCRIPTION: permission for change of use of the existing industrial building to an indoor sports/leisure centre with 6 padel courts, changing rooms, toilets, seating/reception area, using the existing site entrance and parking area and all associated and ancillary site works LOCATION: Quin Road Business, Quin Road, Ennis, Co Clare.

V95 D592.

Take notice that Kevin Lernihan T/A Clipex & Stockyards has lodged significant further information in respect of

planning application P25/284. 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 Chlair, 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: P25/56 DEVELOPMENT DESCRIPTION: outline permission to construct a new dwelling house, install a wastewater treatment system and all associated site and ancillary site works LOCATION: Ballingaddy East, Ennistymon, Co Clare.

Take notice that Thomas O Dwyer has lodged significant further information in respect of planning application P25/56. 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 Chlair, New Road, Ennis, Co Clare during its public open-

ing 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 ROXTON, COROFIN, CO. CLARE. I Mary Greene intend to apply to the above authority for permission for retention of (1) 2 No. sheds and erection of wall 2.1m in height. (2) changes to the elevations of the dwelling house to include revisions to windows, velux window and chimney of the dwellinghouse and revisions to colour of fascia (3) changes to the site entrance (4) closing of pedestrian entrance onto the public road (5) Revised boundary of the property (previously granted planning under P07/701) at Roxton, Corofin, Co. Clare, V95 NF82. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Authority, during its public opening hours.

A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee of €20 within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL FURTHER

INFORMATION/ REVISED PLANS PLANNING REFERENCE: P25/297 DEVELOPMENT DESCRIPTION: permission for retention of the dwelling house as built on site, which was originally granted permission under planning reference P22/672 and all associated and ancillary works LOCATION: Loughloon, Liscannor, Co Clare. V95 P8C7.

Take notice that Ann & Seamus Durack have lodged significant further information in respect of planning application P25/297. 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 Chlair, 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 KNOCKSAGGART, BALLYNACALLY, CO. CLARE Take notice that Colette O’Grady intends to apply to the planning authority for retention permission for an extension to the side of an existing garage/shed

along with alterations to the garage/shed, the removal of a site entrance and the construction of a car port and extension to the rear of an existing dwelling along with ancillary works at the above address. The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority, Clare County Council, Aras Contae an Chlair, New Road, Ennis during its public opening hours and that a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the planning authority of the application.

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL, CARROWNAGRY NORTH, MULLAGH, CO. CLARE Take notice that F. & V. Birney intend to apply to the Planning Authority for permission for to alter the house plans as granted under P22/30 along with ancillary site works at the above address.

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

44

Thursday, Nov 27, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

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Thursday, Nov 27, 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).

Holy Mary, I place this prayer in your hands.

(Say 3 times) Amen.

Say this prayer for 3 consecutive days, and then you must publish it and it will be granted to you.

46

Thursday, Nov 27, 2025 THE CLARE ECHO

Puzzle

THIS WEEKS PUZZLES Nov 27 THIS WEEKS PUZZLES DEC 8th 12/5/22, 10:22 AM

Actions

Lining

Apple

Moss

3

8

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9

1

3

9

5

1

7

8

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

4

9

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6

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2

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Leap

ANSWERS

HOW TO PLAY

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

8

Home

How to play

9

Hand

1

2

1

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4

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5

2

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8

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1

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7

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4

8

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8

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3

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6

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7

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5

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5

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6

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Beggars

about:blank

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

Angels

55

SUDOKU

1/1

WORD SEARCH

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The Clare Echo Crossword

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Daily Quick Crossword: 5 December 2022 ,12/5/2022 Michael Curl Creator Notes: A free daily online crossword that's not too difficult - just right for solving in your coffee break. http://bestforpuzzles.com

19

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Daily Quick Crossword: 5 December 2022 ,12/5/2022 Michael Curl Creator Notes: A free daily online crossword that's not too difficult - just right for solving in your coffee break. http://bestforpuzzles.com

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Help support us by subscribing Visit clareecho.ie/subscribe to find out more

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CROSSWORD ANSWERS 21

7

DOWN 1 Speak huskily (5) 2 Rebuke (7) 3 Part of the eye (4) 4 Cloudy (8) 5 Additional (5) 6 Nap (6) 11 Announce (8) 12 One who attends to horses (6) 13 Repeat (7) 15 Eject (5) 17 Stories (5) 18 Cans (4)

R

6

ACROSS 1 Meat-eaters (10) 7 Marine mammal (8) 8 Melody (4) 9 Be acquainted with (4) 10 Eight-sided figure (7) 12 English county (11) 14 Elongate (7) 16 Encounter (4) 19 Profound (4) 20 Friendly (8) 21 Great painters of the past (3,7)

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PUZZLE

about:blank

THURSDAY, DEC 8 2022

Supporting Journalism in Clare

47

THE CLARE ECHO Thursday, Nov 27, 2025

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

Quiz

The Clare Echo Quiz 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

In what year was Michael Cusack born?

1850 1847 1870 What parish was Michael Cusack from?

Carron Ballyea Doora-Barefield In what year did Michael Cusack help to form the GAA? 1887 1888 1884 Where is Cusack buried?

Glasnevin Drumcliffe Clarecastle Where did the meeting to found the GAA take place?

Dublin Thurles Cork

6.

In what year did an image of Michael Cusack appear on a Clare GAA jersey?

2022 2023 2024

7.

In what year did Michael Cusack die?

1910 1906 1908

8.

Which character in Ulysses is based off Michael Cusack?

Leopold Bloom Buck Mulligan The Citizen

9.

Who was elected the first president of the GAA? Michael Cusack Archbishop Croke Maurice Davin

Movies to see this week

Scan here to see what’s on

10. Aside from Clare, what other county’s pitch is called Cusack Park?

Dublin Westmeath Sligo

ANSWERS 2024 1906 The Citizen Maurice Davin Westmeath Can you spot the difference? Spot the 7 differences.

The answers will be revealed in next weeks edition.

1847 Carron 1884 Glasnevin Thurles

Spot the Difference

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

Last weeks Answers . E missing on balloon . Color different in background (right) . Badge missing on Norma’s top . Foot missing in centre

Gavin Ó Cinnéide knocks over Marc O’Loughlin

. Part of text missing on the balloon . Chain missing on necklace (centre) . Spot misisng on ground

Photo by Burren Eye Photography

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