The Clare Echo 05/07/2018

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5 July 2018

2018 Munster Fleadh set to be ‘biggest one ever’ PÁRAIC McMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

F

OR the first time in 44 years, the Munster Fleadh returns to Clare and it will be the “biggest one ever”.

On Tuesday, Fleadh Cheoil na Mumhan Inis 2018 was launched at the Daniel O’Connell Monument in Ennis ahead of its eight day run which commences on Sunday July 15th.

Joe Arkins is the Chairman of the Fleadh committee, he is convinced it will be a success. “Munster Fleadh is the second biggest Fleadh in the world and it will be bigger in Ennis than it has been anywhere else, it’s forty four years since it was

lTALENTED: Dancer Zoe Keane With Joe Arkins and Clare Colleran Molloy.

Photo by Martin Connolly

CONCERTS GIG RIG FLEADH TV COMPETITIONS PUB SESSION TRAIL and much more...

The Fleadh is Back!

here last, a very small affair that time, it will be a huge affair this time”.

100,000 visitors are expected in Ennis throughout the course of the Munster Fleadh with people coming from destinations such as Japan, the UK and all of Ireland.

“It will be the biggest one ever, I’m serious, I’m not confident, I’m sure”, an adamant Arkins told The Clare Echo. He explained why he was so certain, “We’ve two things, we’ve the weather which we’re sure of this year, we can’t get three in a row bad ones, but we have Ennis which is Ireland’s friendliest town, Ireland’s best town for trad sessions”.

TURN TO PAGE 2 for more

AOIBHÍN GARRIHY TALKS ABOUT BECOMING A NEW MUM AND HER ‘AMAZING LITTLE BUNDLE OF JOY’ SEE PAGES 14&15

2 NEWS

THURSDAY, JUL 5 2018

Index ENTERTAINMENT

AOIBHÍN GARRIHY

12

14-15

SCULLY COMMUNITY

17 18-19

FARMING

21

MOTORING

24-25

SPORT

26-27

CLASSIFIEDS

28-29

The Square, Ennis, County Clare Telephone: 065 671 9021

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

SALES Email: ciara.farrell@clareecho.ie or ger.naughton@clareecho.ie

l TRAD SESSION IN THE SUN: Uilleann Piper Frank Whelan leading a session at the Height.

Photo by Martin Connolly

Munster Fleadh to bring “significant windfall” PÁRAIC McMAHON

paraic@clareecho.ie

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RANK WHELAN was Chairman of the Fleadh Cheoil Committee for the All-Ireland event staged in Ennis last year. He was present at this week’s launch of the Munster Fleadh and is confident it will leave a positive impact on the town. “The Munster Fleadh is the biggest of the provincial Fleadhs in Ireland, it’s a big event and it does attract. You have the same number of competitors as you do for the All-Ireland so you will have the numbers coming into the town, there will be quite a significant windfall for businesses in the town and hopefully the windfall for traditional music and Comhaltas that it will attract more young people into the music”.

“We always said that we were going to try have a legacy after the two big Fleadhs so it was great, we were delighted to be able to host the Munster Fleadh now and there will be a huge influx of people because they know the town and they know what it’s like after 2016 and 2017 and I would hope that this Fleadh will be the first of many new festivals that will be attracted into the town of Ennis,” Whelan told The Clare Echo.

Tadhg Ó Maolcatha is the Chairman of Munster Fleadh, he feels has a lot to offer the competition. “It brings a lot to the Fleadh because of the great tradition in Ennis itself and Co Clare and following on from two very successful All-Ireland Fleadhs, I’m sure the Munster is going to be an outstanding success, a memorable occasion and it will attract a lot of singers, musicians and dancers in from surrounding provinces”.

A native of Tempglantine in West Limerick, Tadhg highlighted that the Munster Fleadh is growing in popularity each year. “I think it will be a big Fleadh because of it being in Co Clare and being in Ennis, people having come here and experienced the joy and entertainment over the past couple of years, I’m sure a lot of people will come again and I just hear of people from other provinces who intend visiting for the Fleadh”.

As the Chairman of the committee in Clare overseeing the eight day long event, Joe Arkins is setting their targets high. “What we’re trying to achieve in the Munster Fleadh is the same ambiance, craic and comraderie on the street that we had in 2016 and 2017 we want to bring that back. Munster Fleadh is the second biggest Fleadh in the world and it will be bigger in Ennis than it has been anywhere else, it’s forty four years since it was here last a very small affair that time it will be a huge affair this time”.

Arkins expects “a strong carry on” from the two All-Ireland Fleadhs held in Clare in as many years. “If you look at the vast crowds we had in the town fifty percent of them were local, we expect the same thing will happen with the Munster Fleadh. We have visitors coming from the UK and Japan but the ones from Carrigaholt, Cree, Lahinch and Lisdoonvarna are going to outnumber them. The indigenous audience for Irish music is here in Clare and that’s what makes the Fleadh it’s the spirit the camaraderie, the fun, there are people out there some of them eighty years old and they’re jigging their legs it’s in us and all it takes is a bit of ceol to revive it”.

3,000 musicians, singers and dancers will take part in wide range of competitions during the Munster Fleadh in Ennis.

Concerts in Glór Clare Youth Trad Orchestra Thursday 19 July, 8pm, €15

Téada

Friday 20 July, 8pm, €20

Ceol na mBan

Saturday 21 July, 8pm, €20

The Kilfenora Céilí Band Sunday 22 July, 8pm, €27.50

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NEWS

THURSDAY, JUL 5 2018

Starbucks opens its doors in Shannon Clare’s first ever Starbucks opened its doors on Tuesday PÁRAIC McMAHON

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news@clareecho.ie

HANNON Free Zone has become home to one of the country’s first drive-thru Starbucks as the US coffee house chain opened the doors of its latest outlet to the public this afternoon.

The 204sq metre unit will employ fifteen people. The single storey unit will include outdoor and indoor seating.

FDI companies will be enticed by a coffee

dock/meeting hub that will service the entire industrial estate and prove an additional draw for FDI companies, who typically look for such facilities in new investment locations.

The US based giant, which is among the world’s largest coffee companies and coffee house chains, operates over 20,000 outlets globally but this is the very first drive-thru in the Republic of Ireland. Starbucks opened its first Irish store in 2005.

Its development is part of the ongoing investment by Shannon Commercial Properties in the Shannon Free Zone, the 600 acre

business park adjacent to Shannon Airport.

The business park is currently home to 160 companies employing almost 8,000 people.

By year end, Shannon Commercial Properties current investment programme will have seen over €40million invested in the Free Zone since 2015.

Ray O’Driscoll, Managing Director of Shannon Commercial Properties said, “We are currently working on the biggest investment programme of the millennium years in the Shannon Free Zone. We’re developing world-class property solutions and providing facilities for amenities such

as Starbucks is a key part of our redevelopment strategy. Attracting global brands like Starbucks is a great vote of confidence for the region.

“Companies want their locations to have these types of services and brands in place.

The meeting hub there is also a great idea and everything has been built to the highest standard. We’re just looking forward now to our first cup of coffee there”.

The unit was built by Moloney Contracts from Tralee in Co. Kerry and 40 people were employed during the construction phase.

lGLOBAL BRAND: Starbucks with very first drive-thru in the Republic of Ireland.

Parts of North Clare hit by water restrictions PÁRAIC McMAHON news@clareecho.ie

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ATER restrictions have been put in place in areas of North Clare and will last for the foreseeable future.

Arising from the “unprecedented demand on the water supply net-

work”, Irish Water has announced a number of restrictions will apply in an attempt to redistribute supply as a result of the prolonged dry weather conditions.

On Monday night, restrictions came into effect at Lahinch, Lisdoonvarna, Doolin, Liscannor, Ballagh-Cahersherkin (Ennistymon) and surrounding Group Wa-

ter Supply schemes. This will occur from 10pm to 6am “until further notice”.

Customers in Ennistymon may continue to experience disruption due to ongoing watermain repair works while those in the Ballyvaughan and Fanore areas may also be impacted by these ongoing supply issues.

Photo by: Arthur Ellis

lDISRUPTION: Water restrictions

THURSDAY, JUL 5 2018

Chinese tourism boost for Clare

NEWS

7

‘The Chinese market is lucrative and the potential is huge’

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P TO 20,000 extra bed nights could be generated in County Clare by a huge increase in the numbers of Chinese tourists visiting the County next year, a North Clare Tour Operator has revealed.

Marcus White, Managing Director of White Tours Ireland International is currently in negotiations with two of China’s top tour companies; CITS and TUNIU to bring Chinese tour groups into Ireland in 2019.

Last year there were 120,000 passengers between Ireland and mainland China with journeys to and from Beijing accounting for more than a quarter of those trips.

“The Chinese market is lucrative and the potential is huge. We expect the number of Chinese visitors travelling to Ireland to grow dramatically in the next couple of years.

We know this because we have been actively working in this market for over seven years, with trade visits to China with Tourism Ire-

land and we have had meetings with Chinese embassy officials.” Mr White said.

Statistics from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation revealed that around 130 million Chinese people travelled overseas in 2017, spending $258bn (€216bn). Most trips are taken close to home, with about six million Chinese travelling to Europe every year.

Ireland has now got its own direct link to China, with Cathay Pacific and Hainan Airlines flying direct from Hong Kong and Beijing direct to Dublin airport since June.

“The direct services into Dublin airport are a game changer for us, before the Chinese operators were dealing with UK handling agents, as there were no direct flights to Ireland. Now we will be able to deal direct with the Chinese operators and provide all ground handling services to them.” he added.

Last week, Hainan Airlines along with Dublin Airport hosted a Travel Agent Roadshow in Limerick to

promote the direct flights between the two countries.

At this event, Marcus White along with Julie Carr, Marketing and PR for White Tours Ireland International met with Frank Wang, Sales Manager from Hainan Airlines (Ireland) and Edel Redmond, B2B Marketing from Dublin Airport at the event in Limerick. (pictured) “It was a great opportunity for us to meet representatives from Hainan Airlines and Dublin Airport and see the potential for tourism in the west. Frank Wang from Hainan Airlines shared insights revealing that Chinese tourists are very interested in seeing the natural landscapes of Ireland, as well as the urban centres of Dublin and Belfast.”

“We have created a specific itinerary for the Chinese, which will include one or two nights in the Dublin area with two nights in County Clare and two nights in County Kerry. Our aim is to show the Chinese the real Ireland; we have included a visit to an Irish

lEXCITING: Hainan launch in Limerick, Ireland has now got its own direct link to China

farm, a tour of historic Ennis, and of course a visit to the Cliffs of Moher. There will also be a chance to experience traditional Irish culture, through music and dancing, “said Julie Carr.

The White Hotel Group are also taking part in the ‘China Ready’ programme, an initiative by Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland aimed at educating Irish Tourism businesses about the opportunities available from the Chinese tourist market.

Businesses who have taken part in this programme have introduced signage in Chinese, brought in QR codes on all products and

introduced Union Pay, which is the number one payment system used in China “We are working closely with a Chinese Media company in Dublin and will be getting all our hotels China Ready for 2019. We already have Cantonese speakers in many of the hotels in order to deal with the huge influx of Chinese visitors.” she added.

Last year, the White Hotel group generated over 300,000 bed nights into Ireland and are now the biggest group tour handler for the German market arriving into Ireland.

8 NEWS

THURSDAY, JUL 5 2018

Ennis company comes to rescue of Liveline caller PÁRAIC McMAHON news@clareecho.ie

A

N Ennis company came to the rescue of a hospital patient that said she felt like being locked into a car such was the volume of heat entering her ward.

Kelly RAC reacted to a call from Sinead Johnston on Liveline and delivered a brand new air conditioning unit to the ward of the Kerry woman who detailed her suffering in University Hospital Limerick caused by the heatwave.

Sinead has been a patient for over six weeks, she had entire bowel removed and later developed septicaemia. A nurse herself, Sinead was in the same unit for both recent good weather spells with no air conditioning in the ward. She said that only a small window existed with very little air coming through it despite the room temperature being over thirty degrees.

“They are cruel conditions for both patients and staff ”, the forty eight year old told Joe Duffy. She said the stress levels for nurses was “palpable”. Sinead outlined that from 3pm to 11pm the sun comes directly through the window and

as she is unable to leave her bed, she has “no way of escaping it”.

“It’s cruel, where is HIQA, where is management, the conditions we have gone through in the last ten days are horrendous”. Ringing the RTÉ Radio show “was the last resort” for Ms Johnson who herself is a director of nursing in the private sector. “I don’t have the flu, I’m extremely sick”, the current conditions were allowing the multiplying of bugs in the ward she highlighted.

Having heard Sinead on the radio, Terry Kelly, the owner of Kelly RAC organised for an air con unit to be delivered to her in the Regional Hospital. Employee Fintan

lREACTED QUICKLY: Kelly RAC refrigeration and air conditioning

Meaney was in Limerick on Friday morning installing units at Milford Hospice and was directed by Kelly to accommodate Ms Johnston.

Fintan revealed that there wasn’t “a device left in the country” and were grateful to a generous customer who agreed to give back their unit. “There are no more to be got”, Meaney stated.

“We have never seen anything like it, people are scheduled to go on holidays so we have to deal with the resources we have. All the lads are at this morning noon and night,” Fintan said of the demand.

He delivered the air con unit to Sinead later that day, at the time of installing it the room temperature was forty two degrees and this dropped by ten degrees in as many minutes.

A spokesperson for UHL said: “Management is acutely conscious of the discomfort the hot weather is causing our patients and staff.

“UHL has deployed eight mobile air cooling units to older wards in the hospital and has been trying to source additional appropriate equipment.”

New Mayor of Clare says he is ‘honoured’ to take on role Cllr Michael Begley is hopeful the new position won’t put his seat it jeopardy for next year’s local elections

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LLR MICHAEL BEGLEY is the new Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council. He is “honoured” to have the role.

“When you get into politics you can aspire to a lot of things but as I said in my speech only 45 people in 119 years have worn this chain, people would wonder how that could be the case but there wasn’t any definition on the length of time you could wear it in the early days, some fellas had it for quite some time. If you look at the next 100 years, there’s a population of 120,000 people in this county and only 100 of them will wear this chain, it is a great honour and hopefully we’ll be able to carry it with distinction and get some results if at all possible”.

A fluent speaker of our native language, Cllr Begley is committing to increasing its promotion and believes Coláiste Eoghain Uí Chomhraidhe can take advantage of Loop Head Lighthouse’s success. “Uí Chomhraidhe college in Carrigaholt is there for over 100 years and it really hasn’t developed in a way that it should have been maybe because the idea of a Gaeltacht in that locality didn’t seem to get standing or recognition in the way that it should have and there were some scary moments a few years ago when it had to close for renovations and concerns about where the funding would come from. We’re glad it happened and that it’s going again and we’ll be able to do something to develop it further and now that you have the Loop Head lighthouse and its success they should complement one another”.

He explained to The Clare Echo how he plans to further drive the Irish language in Clare.

“The Council are just about to appoint an Irish

Officer and that’s the first step, then we would hope that some elements of our meetings, at the moment I wouldn’t wish that we impose the language on the councillors to conduct their business but there are elements of the agenda every month that you can conduct and everybody understands what is being said and so forth and I would hope to do that on a fairly regular basis”.

With regards to his political future, the Independent councillor confirmed that he would be running in the Shannon Municipal District in next year’s local elections with his native Clonlara now moved into the area. He said, “At least there’s an extra seat there, Killaloe is reduced to five so it would be impossible absolutely”.

His new role will absorb a lot of his time but Cllr Begley doesn’t want to suffer the same fate as Joe Arkins who lost his seat whilst being the sitting Cathaoirleach. “I hope it’s not a hindrance but past history might put a question mark on that but my term of office will actually overrun the local elections, they’re fixed for the 24th of May next year so I’ll be in it for a month later so I hope I won’t be coming back just for the day to hand the chain to somebody else.

“The last change was brutal because the size of the constituency and the distance as an Independent I had to travel the entire constituency, this is worse because I’m now boxed in to a very narrow corner, my own two polling booths are the end of the constituency, I have lost a third of my vote in my own parish so there are some challenges there. On the plus side I did represent an element of the Shannon Municipal District as it is now in previous council terms so they may remember me”.

lNEW ROLE: New Mayor of Clare with wife Fidelma.

Photo by Eamon Ward

NEWS 9

THURSDAY, JUL 5 2018

Sinn Féin to run more Clare candidates in 2019 local election PÁRAIC McMAHON news@clareecho.ie

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INN FÉIN plan to take advantage of the recent local electoral area changes by running more candidates in Clare according to their sole representative on the County Council.

Cllr Mike McKee was elected to Clare County Council on his first attempt in 2014 having previously served on the Town Council in Shannon. He is a Sinn Féin candidate for the next General Election and admitted that this is his priority but remains confident the party can increase their representation at Áras Contae an Chláir.

“We’ll certainly run more candidates in the county as a whole, in

Shannon I’m not a hundred percent sure, it’s a known fact we’ve contested one election and we gained that seat. I’m a general election candidate for Co Clare and of course my goal is to take a seat on behalf of Sinn Féin representing Clare but on behalf of the Shannon Municipal District there is no sitting TD or Oireachtas member in that area so we will certainly be running candidates and we’ve a great team of personnel dotted throughout the county and we do intend to take more seats on Clare County Council come this time next year”.

McKee and Noeleen Moran are confirmed to run in the next General Election. He is optimistic about their prospects of becoming the first Sinn Féin Clare TD’s since 1922. “I am fairly confident

we can do it, obviously it’s going to be a major task to do that because you’ve to unsit a sitting TD which is not the easiest thing to do. I think the party has grown tremendously nationally and certainly in Clare we are growing very substantially, we are increasing in the polls not just nationally but in Clare we’ve tended to stay around seven or eight percent but we’ve grown that to twelve percent, we are on the increase and I think the bounce with Mary Lou McDonald taking over as Party President to come and when it does our percentage should really increase on that. We’re cautiously optimistic not over confident, we’ve a lot of work to do on it but we’re confident we’ve a very good team behind us, we’ve good policies, great leadership and we’re going to do

lCANDIDATE: Mike McKee is a Sinn Féin candidate for the next General Election.

Photo: Gary Collins

our utmost to win that seat”. He has had no engagement with Mary Lou McDonald since she succeeded Gerry Adams as the party leader. “I’ve known Mary Lou for quite some time and she’s a very able president for the party. You can see even at this stage the different styles that she’s coming out with as opposed to Gerry. Gerry was a good friend of mine, he played a

blinder and a very important role in the last number of decades but it’s good to get a change and a new fresh face with new policies, new ideas and Mary Lou is the person for that. We’ve an upcoming group of young TD’s and young representatives and party members who would be great to have as party representatives so I’m very confident for Sinn Féin’s future”.

lCONSIDERING FUTURE: Cllr Tom McNamara.

Photo by Eamon Ward

McNamara to consider a future in politics

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LLR TOM MCNAMARA is to take some time before deciding whether he will contest the 2019 local elections.

On Friday, the Fianna Fáil councillor passed on the mayoral chains to Cllr Michael Begley. Reflecting back on the past twelve months, he said “I had a good year, I really enjoyed it, I love serving people and I feel I did everything in my power to promote the county for the last twelve months. The seeds that we have sown in the last twelve months will hopefully reap a lot of reward for the people of Clare for a lot of years to come”.

A new schools programme is to be introduced by the Council in the coming months to educate secondary school students on the work of the local authority. Tom explains the background to it. “I had a group in from Kilmihil and they were second year students and the teacher that was involved with them for the year that started off their programme and they said they’d visit Clare County Council, we had about fifty of them in and the teacher spoke at the end and she said ‘when we sat down at the end of September and talked about our programme for the year and coming to Clare County Council, I asked the

students what did they think Clare County Council did and 90% of them said they fill pot holes’.

“That’s where I’m coming from, we did a presentation of our four directorates, how we deliver services, the budget we deal with and the importance it is that we’re the people that have to make sure that there is employment for these people into the future, giving them an idea of what happens within the political field, that in itself if we could encourage more people in and let them know the value of politics and what politics means to people and how we can improve the quality of life of people in the county, that’s what it’s all about”.

Now that he is no longer the Cathaoirleach, the Kilmaley man will have more time to devote to retaining his seat on the Council. With the redrawing of the electoral areas, he could depart the Ennis MD for Kilrush. When asked by The Clare Echo where he intends to run next year, he stated, “That’s a big question. With the way the new divides are going I’ve a lot of thinking to do, I was absolutely delighted to serve the people of Ennis and would love to continue to serve them.

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FOOD ACADEMY START TRAINING PROGRAMME EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST SOUGHT A programme for those looking to develop and grow small-scale food & drink production businesses Local Enterprise Office Clare is currently seeking Expressions of Interest to participate on the Food Academy Programme.

Food Academy is a training programme aimed at supporting and nurturing start-up food businesses.

The Local Enterprise Offices in Clare, Limerick and Tipperary have joined forces with Bord Bía and SuperValu on this initiative to provide a consistent level of food marketing knowledge to new and early-stage food business owners.

More information on www.localenterprise.ie/clare or call 065-6821616.

Closing date for EOI Forms 27th July 2018.

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10 NEWS

THURSDAY, JUL 5 2018

‘At the time people thought we were mad’ buying The Armada

Hotelier John Burke talks exclusively to The Clare Echo and reflects on the last 50 years of The Armada Hotel STUART HOLLY

editor@clareecho.ie

W

ITH the 46th Willie Clancy Scoil Samhraidh kicking off this weekend it only seems fitting that down the road in sunny Spanish Point, The Armada Hotel will celebrate its own 50 years of hooleys.

Nowadays, The Armada Hotel is one of Ireland’s most popular wedding. Humble beginnings on that front began in 1984 when Brendan and Nessa Sexton celebrated the very first wedding at the old lounge bar. At the time there were no rooms at the Burke family-run pub, so the bride and groom were chauffeured by the best man to The West County - coincidentally also celebrating its 50th anniversary this year - where they availed of

a bridal suite. “Thankfully we’ve come a long way from that,” reflects owner John Burke.

Mick Flavin and his band kick off The Armada’s festival of music and dance during Willie Clancy week, however it’s another name on the bill, PJ Murrihy, that will catch the eye of many longtime visitors to The Armada.

John believes PJ first played there in 1968 and is an integral part of the success story of The Armada.

He takes up the story, “In 1968 my Dad [Johnny] bought the premises. It was the Armada Bar at that stage, it was a small little roadside sibín pub. Just a ladies toilets inside and the men’s outside, an open toilet area outside up against the wall basically with a bit of shelter around it, a galvanized roof over it.

“When he bought it first, he kept onto his job in the factory in Miltown Malbay. There wasn’t enough business in Spanish Point to sus-

tain him at that stage so he had to keep the day job and then open the pub by night.

“I suppose at the time, people kind of thought he was mad. They said, to try to buy a pub outside the main street in Miltown, it would never work and it had never worked before. There was a couple of owners before in the Armada Bar and it had never worked so I suppose it was by pure grit and determination and sitting it out for the long haul that it started to build, bit by bit by bit.

“During the first phases of the business that worked really well for him, soon after he took over, he started to introduce the country music. PJ Murrihy, Michael Sexton and Jimmy Ward started playing there and that kind of got the place moving on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and his tagline for that was ‘The swingiest singiest pub in the west’ when he was promoting it,”

Fir

laughs John. “What’s incredible is PJ Murrihy is still performing here and he is headlining our marquee throughout Willie Clancy week – all these many years later he’s still our headline act.”

John himself knows the hotel inside out having spent much of his youth living over the bar before the first rooms were introduced in 1998. The family built a house a mile and a half down the road from The Armada when John was 15 but continued to spend their entire summers living in the hotel “just to make sure it was all hands on deck”.

John’s life has revolved around the hotel since those days. With the exception of college, some time spent working in London and Belgium and a short stint in Dromoland Castle, he’s been “very much based at the mothership”, as he describes it. The Armada has gone through a number of phases, with the years of social dances leading onto discos before the current phase which is weddings.

“The nightclub was a big part of the business - for about 20 years we had the nightclub every Saturday night … they were fairly wild

NEWS 11

THURSDAY, JUL 5 2018

rst staff in the Armada, JJ and Mary Clancy

times,” says John. “I think people described it as the wild west out here and it very much felt like that at times but they were great memories.

There were a lot of people that met at discos that would still come into us now, maybe 30 or 40 years later they’re still coming into us to celebrate their anniversaries.”

John returned from his two-anda-half years away in ’99 shortly after the first rooms arrived, when the Burkes began shifting their focus towards weddings. “Around 2001 was our last disco here and that’s when the weddings really started to take off,” says John.

This is something which can’t be understated. The Armada has won multiple awards for their weddings and, while they began with the objective of one wedding a month, they now host in the region of 125 a year.

“That was the target at the time. If we could have one wedding a month it would replace not having discos and I suppose it built up and built up from there.”

John explains that in order to consistently deliver high standards The Armada relies on an energetic workforce. “We have to deliver an experience that’s special and that comes down to manpower and I suppose our big contribution to the community is that we’re up to 150 employees at this time of year.

This business has allowed us to build up a big workforce and it’s something we’re very proud of.”

John also credits his staff, which he praises for their creativity as much as their work ethic, as the main secret to success however there’s no denying that the seaside location helps, with the wildlHOTELIER: John Burke

Band - Jimmy Ward, Micheal Sexton, PJ Murrihy

ly beautiful Atlantic providing the backdrop to wedding receptions at The Armada.

“We can see that more than ever with this weather,” admits John.

“We’ve done a good number of weddings on the lawns and people are moving a little bit away from the traditional in the church – about 30 to 40 per cent of our weddings are having a ceremony in the hotel and we’ve been able to deliver ceremony after ceremony on the lawns in the last number of months, and the experience is like nowhere else in the world to be honest.”

While John – himself a new dad - takes immense pride in continuing on the work of his parents, he’s continually looking forward to the next step.

“It’s something I’m immensely proud of. My mom joined my dad a few years after he took on the place and I suppose it was their hard ground work that put in the foundation which has allowed me and the team to build on. We’ve a lot done but we’re planning our new phase of development in 2021 already,” he explains, revealing plans for a new spa.

“We want to develop an entire new spa product here – we’ve an amazing connection to the sea. The original licence, if I can take you back a long time age, we operate off a licence that was granted on site here in 1808, would you believe, it was called the Atlantic Hotel. That closed around the 1920s and the licence was transferred onto the sibín which we operate off but that hotel was a spa hotel in 1808. They were using seaweed baths in the hotel, they were pumping in seawater … and our spa in the hotel in 2021, we’d like to bring things back to.” nThe Armada Hotel is inviting all past staff members to get in touch to celebrate 50 years.

Johnny Burke

Entertainment

GAA meets theatre Spliced is “a play for GAA people about GAA people” according to its writer, Timmy Creed

I

T COMES to Clare this weekend as part of the Ennis Street Arts Festival running on Saturday and Sunday. “I started pursuing more creative, artistic pursuits and I felt that seeing things through an artistic lens did a lot for me personally and my mind.

The people I played GAA with growing up I wouldn’t have been able to talk to about theatre or arty things and I wondered where they missing out on things by not allowing those kind of things into themselves like art or the theatre, the idea was to make a play to give them a theatrical experience and show them how beneficial the theatre and art can be,” Timmy told The Clare Echo.

Timmy agrees that relying on GAA folk to buy tickets and experience Spliced is a

risk, but it’s one he is willing to take.

“A non theatre audience aren’t used to buying tickets for theatre but I had to take the risk in order to get them to see it, it’s much more difficult I think to get someone in the doors of the theatre who is not used to it because they have notions and ideas about what happens in a theatre and even when you go in there you’re expecting one thing and because the performance is stripped back and quite raw and honest and I figured to have it in the setting of a sports arena was more fitting and it localised it and adds to the experience because it gives it a setting and a location”.

Earlier this year, Spliced had a five night run at the Dublin Fringe Festival and the Corkman said the response was “really emotional”.

lFOCUSED: Timmy Creed

“It feels like the play has held a mirror up to the life of a GAA person. People are texting me now saying that they felt the same and they’ve been really moved by it, there were guys on the team who said they’ve been brought to tears by it, it’s quite moving for me to be the person that facilitated that experience for them”.

Creed is no stranger to the GAA, he played on teams with Bishopstown from underage all the way to senior in hurling and football, winning numerous minor hurling championships with the urban club. He feels the lack of a platform within the association negates the ability to express one’s self.

“It’s not that we’re not speaking about mental health enough, there isn’t an outlet there to be vulnerable and to express a certain side of yourself and when you build it up for years of solely focusing on the art of playing, winning, training and all the gym work when that’s what the focus is there is no platform for people to see the other side of you and that’s where I think it falls down in a way because it’s not important to winning if you have this other side or this emotional thing happening in your head. Naturally it can build up and come back to do harm if there’s not a platform, it’s a social group when you’re playing on a team and it’s an outlet for talking and being with people and it’s in a particular way, there’s an unspoken way of how you behave when you go up training and when you play a match. There’s this other side to all of us waiting to be let out and waiting to express”.

Having been labelled as “one of Ireland’s most exciting upcoming writers”, how does the tag sit with Timmy.

“There is a pressure to it but I personally wouldn’t consider myself one of the most exciting upcoming writers. The play is a honest account of an experience and that’s what people have responded to and that’s what they’re speaking about. To just

tell my own story and be honest about it is enough in terms of a story and maybe our own story when we speak it truthfully and honestly is enough of a story to impact on people.

“Fellow theatre makers were taken aback that there was a show made just about an honest account of someone’s story without trying to add too much padding to it, I got some great help from Gina Moxley which helped shape the structure of the play. I’m interested in theatre that is raw, honest and about the person who is performing as opposed to playing a character and embodying an imaginative character and world, I like the idea of it being truthful and honest on the stage so the audience can really connect”.

This new multi-disciplinary collaboration written and performed by Creed, with David Mathúna, (visual artist), Chris Somers, (composer), and directed by Gina Moxley, will shine a light on the fragility of the sportsman behind the mask and begin a conversation about identity and mental health in the GAA. He promises that it will be “whirlwind of sensual experience” with speakers situated all around the audience.

n Presented by Chalk It Down Productions, with glór and Ennis Street Arts Festival, Spliced takes place outdoors in the CBS Ennis Squash Club, as part of the Ennis Street Arts Festival 2018.

The show runs from Saturday July 7th to Sunday July 8th, 2018.

Tickets are €15 with a concession of €12 and are available from www.glor.ie.

14 COLUMNIST

THURSDAY, JUL 5 2018

lBEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL: It’s great to be back in the Banner County with our little darling Hanorah Burke

Aoibhín Garrihy

LOVE

CLARE

THE NOTEBOOK

I

T’S been a busy fortnight! My pregnancy due date was fast approaching and as the temperatures were soaring so too were my anxiety levels! The solution: stay busy while awaiting baba’s arrival.

I couldn’t resist an evening of Jazz (minus the Gin) in the sunshine at the Old Ground Hotel. The atmosphere was wonderful as a full house enjoyed a party on the lawn before dining in the newly refurbished banqueting suite upstairs.

I was delighted to join sisters Roseanne and Caitriona, the ladies responsible for the brand new K2 Hair Salon in Quin, as they celebrated the official launch and next stage of their business last week. The new salon is fabulous and it’s so great to see more and more Clare Women in Business thrive. Congrats girls.

Last week I joined the uber stylish Marietta Doran in Kerry and am thrilled to be announced as this year’s Judge for the McElligotts Honda Ladie’s Day in Listowel on Friday 14th September. I wore a Clare design by the wonderful Margaret O’Connor on the day and it went down a dream (pic right)!

Lastly, and most importantly, I became a Mom to a beautiful baby girl, Hanorah Burke, last week. She is the most amazing little

lFUN IN THE SUN: Gin&Jazz (minus the Gin)

lLAUNCH: New K2 Hair Salon in Quin

bundle of joy and we are completely besotted. The team at University Hospital Galway were incredible despite working in an extreme heatwave and I cannot thank them enough. It’s great to be back in the Banner County with our little darling now and to celebrate, my Covet in Clare section is very much baby focused this week, forgive me while I indulge!

COVET IN CLARE

TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE I used to love Spot as a baby and so when a gift arrived for Hanorah this week in the form of this “Where’s Spot?” book, I shed a little tear of nostalgia.

I’m hoping to share the love with the little one and hopefully have her loving books right from the start! Available in most good book shops.

DIZZY DECORATING Little Ones in Ennis has been catching my eye for quite a while but I’ve had little reason to indulge before, so you can imagine my excitement when it came to nursery decorating. This musical mobile at €46 is part of a fabulous unique range of room decor for that new little bundle’s arrival. Available in store and online.

HEAD IN THE CLOUDS Penney’s latest range of babywear will have you oohing and ahhing with delight. The cute sleepsuits and cardis complete with bear ears would make even the less broody utterly melt!

Available in their Ennis store now.

STAY COOL We’re not cut out for the heat lads!

When it comes to babies, travel and even labour in this weather the struggle is real!

I picked up this little godsend in Boots in Ennis last week and it has not left my side.

Available in store and online.

SUMMER LOVIN This is the perfect post-partum (or not) summer dress with its floaty tropical skirt complete with slits and it’s breastfeeding friendly top. At just €34.95 in Carraig Donn you can’t go wrong!

COLUMNIST 15

THURSDAY, JUL 5 2018

HAPPENINGS FLEADH CHEOIL NA MUMHANMUNSTER FLEADH While we’ll all miss this year’s Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann, all is not lost as the Munster Fleadh takes to the streets of Ennis from the 15th-23rd July with outdoor entertainment, concerts, ceilithe and more.

See munsterfeadh.ie for more.

Top 5

SPLICED In a unique site specific piece of theatre, Timmy Creed, brings his one-man show Spliced to Ennis on 7th & 8th July as we get a glimpse of what goes on in the heads and hearts of GAA players.

Staged in Ennis CBS Squash court.

See glór for more details.

FÉILE BRIAN BORÚ Celebrate Ireland’s Greatest High King and keep alive the name of the Great Brian Ború in his native place, Killaloe/Ballina, from where he ruled this country the Féile Brian Ború offers a full itinerary of drama, guided walks, workshops and more.

Wednesday 4th to Sunday 8th July. See www.feilebrianboru.com for more

Ice Cream Stops

in Clare 1

CAFE LINALLA

Located in the heart of the Burren, Cafe Linalla in New Quay is the perfect location stop if Ice Cream is what you fancy. Using the very best dairy from their shorthorn herd, Linalla’s artisan produce is the ultimate creamy treat pre or post seaside ramble along the stunning nearby Flaggy Shore overlooking Galway Bay.

2

ROWANTREE CAFE, ENNIS

Depending on what day of the week you visit, there is always a desert surprise on the menu. However, in the Sunny weather the most favorable dessert has got to be the Berry Eton Mess with Toasted almonds and creme de chassis jelly. De-lish!!

PIPERS CHAIR, DOOLIN

3

Now home to Clare’s newest artisan addition, The Pipers Chair, Doolin is a must. Now serving up tubs and cones of Bó & Bainne’s unique range of Ice Cream flavors, the trouble is deciding which one! My personal favorite has got to be the Dooliner Brown Bread...trust me, it’s a little taste of heaven!

4

O’CONNORS, ENNISTYMON

If a good old 99 is your thing with all the bells and whistles, look no further than O’Connors Ice Cream, Ennistymon. It’s pink shop front lures you in and it’s cones will leave you smiling. This little commuter town on route to the coast is perfectly situated to tend to your every ice cream need on route to or from the beach!

NO. FORTY ONE, ENNIS

5

Introducing Clare’s newest Dinner and Brunch offering, No. Forty One and what a welcome addition to Ennis town! While there is plenty on offer for the clean eater, the Ice Cream Sundaes and Knickerbockerglories caught my eye from the start! Call in just to experience the fabulous decor alone.

Health&Living The Mindset Corner with Cillian Keane Fitness, Personal Trainer

Rest and reflect

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ACH week I take a few minutes to sit back, rest and reflect on what I have achieved in the previous few days. We can all be guilty of not taking enough time out but you can get so caught up with working around the clock and become so engrossed with it, that you never take time for yourself. We all lead busy lives but to just relax, be away from it all is so good for your mindset.

It will help you see things more clearly and a timeout is beneficial for you to make progress with your own career and fitness.

The most productive thing you can do to reset and relax the mind is to just do nothing. For me, giving my mind an opportunity to relax prevents me from over-working and overthinking. I used to be running around from job to job and have very little downtime. In turn it lead me to burn out very fast and resulted in a lack of performance with training and my business.

As we all lead busy lives, we do need to get work done in our careers and in our business.

But try for this week give yourself and your mind the chance to switch off and disconnect.

You will feel all the better for it.

MY SIMPLE TIPS TO SWITCH OFF:

lGo for a long walk in the countryside/seaside. lMeditate lTake a breakaway for the weekend/book a holiday abroad to get in some downtime. lRead one of your favorite books. lTry and go without checking your phone notifications for a period of the day instead of being constantly distracted by them.

Resting your mind is just as important as your body. Rest is key to success. Resting is part of the program too.

GO WITH YOUR GUT FEELING IF there’s one thing we’ve learned after 30 years in business at Open Sesame it’s the importance of a healthy digestive system within the body, so we’re always on the look out for quality new probiotic supplements. All Open Sesame staff have intensively trained in the benefits of friendly bacteria, and our gut feeling is that Zenflore is going to help a lot of people.

Thanks to the Cork Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, the latest research and innovations have been poured into the development of this exciting new supplement which we are now stocking in Gort & Ennis.

The digestive system has been referred to as our “second brain” in recent years, as it has proven to play a key role in areas such as skin health, immunity and hormone production. Some recent research which really piqued our interest was looking at how our gut bacterium affects our stress levels and mood. Daily life has undoubtedly become more stressful in modern times, and the Cork APC have discovered bacteria which can reduce the level of the stress hormone Cortisol. Their work looked at the “gut-brain axis” and how our gut influences brain func-

tion and development. Over 90% of Serotonin – the “happy hormone”, is made in the gut.

Serotonin levels can have a profound effect on our mood, again illustrating the importance of a healthy digestive system for our mental wellbeing.

Zenflore contains a pyschobiotic bacteria culture which has been shown to increase activitity in the areas of the brain associated with emotions, learning and memory. It’s an easy to swallow capsule which can be taken daily with or without food and doesn’t need to be refrigerated. It is safe to take alongside prescription medication or other supplements and with added B vitamins, Zenflore provides complete support at a cost of only about €1 per day, with a month’s supply costing €32.95.

We’re excited to be stocking Zenflore in our shops, and we’ve been delighted with the media coverage.

So if you’d like to try and improve your gut health with Zenflore, mention this article for a 10% discount on your first purchase. n For more info follow us on facebook, check out www. opensesame.ie or ask us instore, we’re happy to help!

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK 17

THURSDAY, JUL 5 2018

Ronan Scully

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK Author spreading the word of positivity

Dare to achieve your dreams You too can develop the single-minded focus, commitment, and desire to achieve excellence

T

HE 2016 Olympic games are one of my greatest sporting memories in all of its unscripted glory from Rio in Brazil. It was a special time where many who dared to dream achieved their dreams rather than just dreaming about them. I am a sportaholic and I feel sad at times at not being able to watch even half the amount of the soccer matches of the present World Cup that I wish I could! But, whether I am actually watching or not, I can still feel the memory of spirit of The Olympics in 2016 inspiring me and hopefully instill the people of Ireland with more energy, hope and passion for living, after the heroics of the O’Donovan brothers and the many Irish athletes taking part in the Olympics that year. They made us so proud as a country. It’s hard to explain it, but things just feel different somehow after their Silver medal in the rowing and hopefully other medals will follow as other Irish athletes achieve their dreams in the next Olympics. In a good way, Ireland’s been a little more “shiny and silvery“ for the time being since then. For me rather than just focusing on the competition itself and the various country medal counts, I have been focusing also on the values promulgated in 1903 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin (1863 -1937), founder of the modern Games: “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.” ACHIEVEMENT: Paul and Gary O’Donovan

FOCUS: What is your dream and what are the steps you need to take to achieve it?

WATCHING AND DOING

I just love watching the Olympics; just ask my family about it! So what is it about the Olympics that we find so utterly captivating? It’s not just going for the medal. It’s reaching for your goal and daring to dream and grasping it. In this case, it’s the Olympic dream. It’s seeing those athletes like our own Paul and Gary O’Donovan on the podium and hopefully a few more in the next games in two years time. For most of us on some level, we equate winning a medal to achieving. We see these athletes giving everything they have to achieving their goal and dreams. We live vicariously through their single-minded focus, commitment, and desire to achieve not the medal but excellence. The medal is just a symbol of having achieved that goal or dream. For some of us, watching these sports people inspires us to do our best at whatever we do. It helps us realize our human potential. No matter where we live.

No matter what language

we speak. No matter our religious affiliations, political persuasions, circumstance or struggle. No matter our place on the road of life we must travel, we each have our unique chance to “earn our place”, to “achieve what we came here to do” and to embrace our “opportunity”. We get up and exercise.

We write. We work harder. We do something to improve ourselves.

For others, it brings up fear: “What if I fail? I could set out to win the race only to disappoint myself and others.” This, of course, applies to life, work and relationships. If you allow fear to stop you from doing what you want to do, you won’t achieve your highest potential. So use the Olympics to actually get yourself off the couch and moving toward your dream, whatever it is! Get out your calendar and block out time to begin actually moving toward those dreams, no matter how scary that might feel. Don’t ever quit or give up on your dreams no matter what they are keep going. A story from my Nana Scully’s prayer book might be in order.

“DON’T GIVE UP ON YOURSELF”

‘One day a Man in his 40’s got fed up and decided to quit. “I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality, in fact I want to quit my life”, he said. Then He went to the woods to have one last talk with God. “God! Can you give me just one good reason not to quit?” He said.

But God’s answer surprised him.

“Look around”, God said. “Do you see the fern and the bamboo tree’s?” “Yes”,The Man replied.

Then God continued, “When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds at the same time, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth.

It’s brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed.

But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit! In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed.

But I would not quit! Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. But just six months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots but six months to Shoot to the Sky! Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed not just to Survive but to be Significant amidst its peers. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle because I love them too well!” God said to Him, “Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots.”

“I would not quit on the bamboo.

I will never quit on you. Don’t compare yourself to others.” “The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet, they both make the forest beautiful. “Your time will come and You will rise high!”, God said. “How high should I rise?” The Man asked. “How high will the bamboo rise?” God asked in return. “As high as it can? The Man replied. “Yes!” God said, “Give me glory by rising as high as you can!” You see God will never give up on us because we are close to His Heart.

Never regret a day in your life.

Good days give you happiness and Bad days give you experiences. Both are essential to life!

A happy and meaningful life requires our continuous input and creativity. It does not happen by chance. It happens because

of our choices and actions. And each day we are given new opportunities to choose and act and, in doing so, we create our own unique journey. Keep going. Remember, God will not give up on you. Don’t give up on yourself!!

THE ROWERS DREAMS DO COME TRUE!

Like Gary and Paul O’Donovan, you will have to actually get into the boat and start rowing if you want to become a rower or whatever it is you want to do. You will have to sweat.

You can’t just edge your foot inside the boat. Be prepared to actually take the jump. No messing around on the edge. Move through your fear by simply jumping into the middle.

If you end up getting stage fright, get help! Get a coach.

Get a friend who knows more than you. Hang on to the oars.

Do whatever it takes until you can row your way clear. But start rowing towards your goal.

Eventually you will find yourself getting courageous and more likely to become the person you want to be.

You’ll develop the single-minded focus, commitment, and desire to achieve excellence. And you, too, can grasp the medal and grasp your goal! You have nothing to lose by taking a chance.

If you don’t reach for the boat, you’ll never grasp it. Paul and Gary O’Donovan dared to dream and grasped it for themselves, for Skibbereen, for Cork and for Ireland.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

As you’re thought for the week, never doubt yourself or your dreams or the genuine goodness of another human being, as soon as you feel even vaguely inspired, get up and take some action.

I pray that for all of us who have a goal to get over an illness, the loss of a loved one, a worry in life, or a fear that is stopping us from achieving our potential in life might get over that worry that is stopping us from moving forward and that we too can achieve our dreams whatever they maybe.

Keep the Dream going!

18 COMMUNITY

Community

THURSDAY, JUL 5 2018

CONTACT NEWSDESK

065 671 9021 news@clareecho.ie

WEST / NORTH CLARE WATER SAFETY Clare Water Safety are running classes every weekday for the next two weeks at Whitestrand, Miltown Malbay.

It is a pilot scheme being run by CWS in association with Clubify. Online registration can be completed at clarewatersafety.com.

Week 1 Monday, 2nd – Friday, 6th July, 2018 Rescue 1-4 with B.L.S. 2 & 3, Survival, Safety 1*, 2, 3 & 4 (Safety 4 with B.L.S. 1) Week 2 Monday, 16th – Friday, 20th July, 2018 Seal 1, 2, Marlin 6, 7/8, 9, 10 & Safety 1* *Safety 1 will run Week 1 & Week 2 (register your child for Safety 1 for which ever week suits you best).

ARCHAEOLOGICAL OUTING Clare Archaeological and Historical Society are hosting an outing to Caherconnell Stone Fort in Carron, Kilfenora and a visit to Poulnabrone Dolmen, led by Archaeologist, Joseph McCooey, taking place on Sunday 8th July.

Meet at Caherconnell Stone Fort at 2.00 p.m.

Admission charges: Fort €5 (tea-rooms and shop at Caherconnell site).

Enquiries to fogorman51@gmail.com Tel 087 2262259

ENNIS CÚPLA FOCAIL Looking to practice your cúpla focal?

Ciorcal Cainte (Conversation circle) Dé Máirt 12 Nollaig ag 11 am The Food Emporium, Francis Street, Inis (across from Clare FM).

Bígí Linn!

Tuilleadh eolais ó: anclarasgaeilge@gmail.com. Má tá treoir uait ar an lá glaoigh ar 087-6390496/0872117395.

If you need directions on the day ring 0876390496/087-2117395.

SOMME MEMORIAL Clare’s annual Somme Memorial of Remembrance will take place at 2pm on Saturday 14th July at the county’s World War 1 memorial at the Causeway Link Rd, Ennis.

This annual service remembers all those from Clare who died in WW1, most notably those who died during the Somme offensives in 1916 where one million of the three million who took part in the battle were killed or wounded making it one of the bloodiest battles in history. The service will include the act of remembrance, the playing of the last post, and reveille.

Clare Peace Park Initiative are the group behind the memorials construction, and they are pleased to announce that they have being awarded funding from the Royal British Legion to enhance the memorial site and include a memorial to all those from Clare who were involved in WW2.

They are currently seeking information on Clare men and women’s involvement in WW2 in preparation for this and a booklet being compiled by Ger Browne in conjunction with the Clare Roots Society. Any information can be emailed to keirmcnamara@gmail.com

EAST CLARE CIÚNAS CENTRE Ciúnas Centre - We look forward to welcoming you.

During July and August Ciúnas Centre are offering any one hour wellness treatment for just €25. This offer is available to teachers, SNA’s, health care workers, emergency service workers or anyone working in an emotionally demanding or stressful job. You can book an appointment by emailing us at ciunascentrefeakle@ gmail.com or call us on

Synergy Festival in East Clare boasts a colorful array of activities for participants partake in, from candle making to tag archery to flower garland workshops and henna artwork 061 924 837.

See http://www.ciunascentre.org/about-ciunas.html

space where attendees will be able to remember those who they have lost.

With this notion in mind, we endeavor to build a creative and authentic festival, cherishing bonds made through working side by side and creating a space where people are free to be themselves.

We look forward to opening the gates to the youth of Clare on Saturday 14th July and to welcoming you all there!

For more information please visit our Facebook event ‘Synergy 2018’.

SYNERGY FESTIVAL It’s that time of year again! When the young people of East Clare take hammer and screwdriver in hand and head out to construct the youth festival (for 14-18 year olds) that is Synergy.

The festival has blossomed since it began six years ago, set up by volunteers connected with the Clare Youth Service. Uniting an expanse of musical talent and youths from across the county each year, Synergy takes an alternative approach to creating a festival.

SHANNON The idea of Synergy is to provide a space where young people can interact in a safe and accepting environment, without the influence of drugs or alcohol. Each year the festival focuses on a different aspect of drugs, health and social education, supported by a grant from the MidWest Regional Drugs and Alcohol Forum. Through photo exhibitions, artwork and open discussions participants are encouraged to talk about these topics and to question the role that they play in society. It is this aspect of the event which makes it so special for all involved. This year Synergy looks forward to expanding its volunteer numbers, welcoming the Peaceplayers International from Belfast and also the Limerick Youth Service, to bring some fresh ideas to the festival!

Synergy boasts a colorful array of activities for participants partake in, from candle making to tag archery to flower garland workshops and henna artwork. Workshops run during the day and are open to all participants, providing an opportunity to explore something new. It is also an occasion to bask in the musical talents of the young people of Clare, who will take to the stage throughout the evening.

The theme of this year’s event is the Mexican Day of the Dead or El Dia de los Muertos. It was chosen as our theme as it has huge creative potential for a music and arts festival yet also due to its central theme of remembrance. El Dia de los Muertos celebrates loved ones who have departed, in a respectfully festive manner. For one Cllr McKee awarding a certificate to Kieran Gallagher at small part of this year’s festival, some of the colour and the Shannon Youthreach Graduation ceremony, in the life of this Mexican festival has been blended with the Oakwood Hotel on last Wednesday, June 27th more Irish style of quiet reflection, resulting in a tranquil

THURSDAY, JUL 5 2018

School makes science an art

NEWS 19

Mary Immaculate students take five awards at NI Young Scientist PÁRAIC McMAHON

news@clareecho.ie

A

CLARE secondary school is rapidly developing a glowing reputation when it comes to science.

Following their success at SciFest, Mary Immaculate Secondary School participated in the Northern Ireland Young Scientist, which was held in the Jordanstown campus of the University of Ulster on 26th June. The school had eight projects entered in the event and took home five awards.

Unlike the BT Young Scientist all the sciences are grouped together into 3 age categories. The categories are Junior (11-14), Intermediate (1516) and Senior (17-19). The school had projects in all categories. In each age category there are only two prizes awarded: a winner and a runner-up.

In the junior category, Cindy O’Leary was the runner-up with her project entitled “Do Irish mussels contain microplastics?” In her research, she looked at whether both farmed and wild mussels contained microplastics. Here, Cindy discovered that both the farmed and wild mussels contained microplastics.

Ian Woods from Ballyvaughan was a runner-up in the intermediate category with his project entitled “The effect of weather, vegetation and topography on the movement of cattle

l WINNER: Fearghal Burke

in a winterage in the Burren”.

In this project, he wanted to see if the cattle movement in the area was affected by weather conditions, topography and vegetation. He found that both vegetation and topography had an impact.

Fearghal Burke was winner of the senior category with his project “A statistical analysis of Irish winning lotto numbers”. He analysed the winning numbers and devised a system showing certain combinations to play or avoid to improve winning odds.

Jessica Kelly, Amy Woods, Aoife Dowling, Cealan O’Neill and Katie Thomas were the other students representing the Lisdoonvarna school.

Teacher John Burns told The Clare Echo, “It has been a successful year for the young scientists from Mary Immaculate. Our attentions now turn to next year’s BT Young Scientist and Technology exhibition. A number of students have already begun working on projects for the exhibition”.

Taste of Lough Derg wets the appetite WITH the opening of the series in June, the four-month long A Taste of Lough Derg is now in full swing.

Coordinated by the Lough Derg Marketing Group, the food series continues into July and is set to be full of varied and interesting food-related events around Lough Derg in Clare, Tipperary and Galway.

Over the month, there are a large number of scheduled events that will satisfy just about every interest. For those who like activities in nature, Lough Derg Water Sports guides visitors to paddle on the lake from Kilgarvan Quay in Tipperary and then enjoy a scrumptious picnic.

For a gentler communing with nature, Brookfield Farm near Terryglass provides a yoga class on the shores of the Lough Derg. For visitors thirsting for knowledge, Nuala’s in Tuamgraney in Clare has organised a ‘walk in the steps of Brian Boru’ with a talk about this historic town; the Wine Buff in Nenagh will demystify wines in a fun and informative tasting evening;

Cheese and wine tasting takes place at Annacarriga in Co. Clare; and Cais na Tíre open their farm in Terryglass to welcome visitors to meet their ewes and learn about their cheese making business. Visitors are encouraged to try all of the activities which are offered throughout the month on weekends and weekdays.

Children are not forgotten and will have opportunities to be on the lake, enjoy ‘taste and make sessions’ at Wilde Irish chocolates in Tuamgraney. All events will highlight excellent local businesses that are hosting visitors and locals alike to Lough Derg over the summer months.

July is set to entice the tastebuds with wine tastings, tapas, pizzas and cheeses, with the body relaxing to Yoga and walks through beautiful castle grounds in Hidden Heartlands.

The full programme of events is listed on atasteofloughderg.ie and most need to be booked in advance.

There is also a Facebook page and events will be listed there also.

l TALENTED: A piece from the exhibition of fine art photography by photographer Paul Corey will be held at Scariff Library Gallery from 9th July to 4th August

Milk price increases are absolutely imperative

STUART HOLLY

I

editor@clareecho.ie

IFA National Dairy Committee Chairman Tom Phelan said that the improvement in all international dairy market indicators makes price increases imperative at this point.

He stressed that they are also absolutely necessary as farmers’ milk receipts are squeezed and production costs bumped up by drought.

“An increase of 1c/l at the very least is fully justified for June to begin with,” Tom Phelan said.

“Through May and June, we have seen a continued general improvement in market returns, especially for butter – now stabilising – and powders.

“The Ornua PPI has improved five points for May to 105.4 or 31.4c/l incl VAT. It has been predicted by new CEO John Jordan

l COSTS: IFA’s Tom Phelan says price increases are vital after a costly spring

to rise further for June and the following months,” he said.

“EU and global commodity markets have

been strengthening, with the EU MMO returns up by just over 5c/l since January more than half of the reduction seen over

lower volumes between September and December 2017. Latest figures suggest a milk price equivalent, including VAT, of 34.63c/l,” continued Mr Phelan.

“Dutch, German and French spot quotes, based only on SMP and butter prices, suggest a milk price equivalent over 37c/l including VAT. “Despite a slight easing of prices in the last two GDT auctions, the 19th June prices for the SMP/butter combination would yield an Irish price equivalent of 33.5c/l including VAT. “This is the time of year farmers normally use the peak milk cheques to clear their financial commitments.

“After a tough costly spring, milk receipts are being squeezed and costs are rising in the heatwave. Co-ops need to lift milk prices to allow farmers pay their bills,” he concluded.

Weanling bull trade strongest ENNIS MART Thursday July 3 A SMALLER sale today with numbers back slightly on the previous week due to the weather and poor grass growth.

Weanling bull trade in particular was strong again but only for the better types with feeders and exporters active prices held on the previous week.

In general quality was good in the bull ring, but plainer type bulls hard sold.

Heifers were a similar trade this week but again quality very variable.

Suckler cows with calves ranged from €1,040 up to €1,365.

Sheep trade was less again this week reflecting the current market for lamb and factory quotes decreasing as supply increases but numbers much larger as well.

Cull ewes made up to €131. Hoggets made to €119 for 56kg. Spring lambs made up to €118 for a pen of 10 weighing 48kg.

Calf numbers smaller but expected with being so late in the season but trade remained firm.

Angus/Hereford cross calves sold from €120 up to €260.

Continental cross calves sold from

€240 up to €490.

Small number of Friesian calves and these made from €100 to €165.

BULL WEANLINGS

3 CHX 261kgs - €840 - €3.21/kg 1 LMX 400kgs - €1,125 - €2.81/kg 1 BBX 390kgs - €1,200 - €3.08/kg 2 LMX 412kgs - €1,120 - €2.71/kg 1 CHX 340kgs - €1,020 - €3.00/kg 1 HEX 260kgs - €635 - €2.44/kg 2 CHX 305kgs - €930 - €3.04/kg 1 LMX 310kgs - €980 - €3.16/kg HEIFER WEANLINGS

1 CHX 295kgs - €910 - €3.08/kg 2 CHX 347kgs - €925 - €2.66/kg 1 LMX 280kgs - €730 - €2.60/kg 2 AAX 405kgs - €745 - €1.84/kg 1 AAX 285kgs - €615 - €2.15/kg 1 CHX 310kgs - €775 - €2.50/kg 1 SIX 385kgs - €1,020 - €2.65/kg 1 CHX 310kgs - €820 - €2.64/kg

MILLIONS OF ACRES ACROSS THE GLOBE...WORK UNINTERRUPTED

OUT & ABOUT 21

THURSDAY, JUL 5 2018 GREAT DAY OUT: Johnathon, Ajay and Robbie Finn

from Ruan

WIGGING OUT: Michael and Andrew Sulley with Caroline Hueston from Ennistymon Photo by Martin Connolly

Photo by Martin Connolly

DIVINE INSPIRATION: Praying for a Clare win were Albert Murphy, Jamie Gallagher, John Considine and Sarah Murray from Shannon

Photo by Martin Connolly

l LAST MAN SITTING: Paul Mannion from Barefield reflecting on The Banners loss Photo by Martin Connolly

FUTURE STAR: Continuing the hurling tradition, Tadgh McMahon from Kilmaley Photo by Martin Connolly

22 BUSINESS

THURSDAY, JUL 5 2018

BUSINESS

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

Launch of Clare Business Excellence Awards 2018 R EJUVENATION is the theme for this year’s Clare Business Excellence Awards, the launch of which took place at Hotel Woodstock, Ennis, on Thursday, June 28th.

Diarmuid McMahon, President, Ennis Chamber, who organise these annual Awards said, “Clare Business Excellence Awards were amongst the first regional business awards in Ireland. Now in their ninth consecutive year, these awards have proven credibility and staying power.

Over the years more than 70 businesses have benefitted as category winners, proudly displaying a winner’s logo that marks them out as a leader in their sector.”

He added, “As a reflection of the county-wide ethos of these awards, we are delighted to welcome on board Clare County Council as Lead Sponsor of the Clare Business Excellence Awards 2018.“ Councillor Michael Begley, newly elected Mayor of Clare said, “Clare County Council is delighted to be Lead Sponsor of this awards scheme which focuses on those businesses that are excelling in their relevant sector and are in many ways, showing

l CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE: Carmel Kirby, Director of Physical Development Clare County Council, Diarmuid Mc Mahon, President of Ennis Chamber, Cllr. Clare Colleran Molloy, Mayor of Ennis, Mayor of Clare Cllr. Michael Begley and Susan Murphy, General Manager Clare FM at the launch of the Clare Business Excellence awards in Hotel Woodstock

the way forward for others to follow. These awards reveal a local business sector teeming with enthusiasm and great ideas, run by individuals committed to their business models and ultimately, to the communities in which they operate.”

Other key changes to the new look Clare Business Excellence Awards include the introduction of three new categories, ‘Leadership in Corporate Social Responsibility’, ‘Best Licensed Premises in Clare’ and ‘Best Community/Voluntary Group in Clare’.”

Based on feedback from previous entrants the ‘Best Place to Eat’ award this year features two sub-categories namely, ‘Best Restaurant’ and Best Bistro/Cafe’.

This to differentiate between evening dinner service versus casual daytime dining.

The start-up category has broadened to ‘Best Micro Business’ (up to 10 employees) giving the opportunity to a greater number of businesses to compete for recognition of their achievements and successes to date.

New category sponsors include Pallas Foods, HLB McKeogh Gallagher Ryan and L.I.T. as well as Clare County Council

as Lead Sponsor. Pat Dowling, Chief Executive of Clare County Council commented, “These awards are all about celebrating the contribution of our local businesses to the local economy. The level of business activity ongoing in the county is clearly reflected in the quality of entries this awards scheme attracts. I am filled with confidence that County Clare really is going places.”

Diarmuid McMahon concluded urging Clare businesses to make sure they enter.

“Entering these awards is a great way to benchmark your business, to build awareness, to open doors, and to attract and retain the best employees.”

Entry forms to each of the 11 categories can be downloaded form: www.ennischamber.ie/services/business-awards

AWARD CATEGORIES AND SPONSORS FOR CLARE BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2018 AS FOLLOWS: n Best Micro Business in Clare (employing 10 people or less) – sponsored

by Clare Local Enterprise Office

n Leadership in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) - sponsored by Essilor n Clare Professional Services Excellence Award - sponsored by AIB n Best Tourism Experience in Clare sponsored by L.I.T. n Innovative use of Technology in Business (sponsored by Microsemi) n Clare Customer Service Excellence – sponsored by HLB McKeogh Gallagher Ryan n Best Hospitality Provider in Clare – sponsored by Shannon Group n Best Place to Eat in Clare (2 sub-categories) sponsored by Pallas Foods n Best Place to Eat - Best Restaurant n Best Place to Eat - Best Bistro/Café n Best Licensed Premises in Clare – sponsored by Ennis Chamber n Clare Retailer of the Year Award – sponsored by Ennis Gold Gift Vouchers n Best Voluntary/Community Group in Clare - sponsored by St Francis Credit Union n ‘Overall Winner Clare Business Excellence Awards 2018’ sponsored by this year’s Lead Sponsor: Clare County Council

THURSDAY, JUL 5 2018

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

HAVE A SEAT TO FILL? Be seen in The Clare Echo recruitment section.

Call 065 671 9021 or email ger.naughton@clareecho.ie.

Take the pain out of sharing news of your vacancy today.

ONE

BUSINESS 23

Motoring MOTORING EXPERT NEIL BRISCOE GIVES HIS VIEWS

lELECTRIC DREAM: Is it the electric car to break the barrier between where we are now, and the all-electric future?

Maybe, yes

TAKE A LEAF OUT OF NISSAN’S BOOK

S

ROAD TEST: NISSAN LEAF 40KWH O, AT some point, electric cars are going to stop being electric cars and are going to become, just… cars. They’re going to stop being noteworthy for the way in which they are fuelled and powered, and are going to become notable for being simply good, bad, or indifferent. For lack of a better word, they’re going to become normal. The cars that we drive every day.

To work. To school and back. To the shops.

Even on holiday.

That day just came an awful lot closer, with the launch of the new Nissan Leaf in Ireland. I mean, just look at it — it looks like (and basically is, in spite of the batteries) a totally normal car. In fact, there’s more than a passing resemblance between it and Nissan’s so-normal-it-hurts Pulsar.

It’s only when you get up close to it that you start to see the clever surfacing and design tweaks that give it some seriously impressive aerodynamics. Those aerodynamics have a serious benefit, too, as we shall shortly see.

Under all the stylistic normalness, the new Leaf retains much of the platform and battery setup of the old model. The batteries are all mounted down low, sitting under the floor effectively, which is good as they’re heavy and you want to keep the weight down low. Incidentally, anyone worried about professional village idiot Michael Healy-Rae’s recent comments about electric cars grinding to a halt every

time they hit a puddle need not worry — in fact, because electric cars need neither air intake nor exhaust, they’re actually better than conventional cars at dealing with floods.

This new Leaf is also better at dealing with more normal driving conditions than its predecessor. The electric motor, which drives the front wheels, has been upgraded to 150hp, and there’s 320Nm of torque on offer — about what you’d expect from a good 2.0-litre diesel. With all of the torque delivered instantly, from 1rpm of the electric motor, step-off performance is more than brisk, although you do have to get used to the fact that electric motors, inversely to petrol or diesel engines, actually deliver less power the harder you press them. It’s an effect less pronounced than it was in the old Leaf, but you anyway soon learn to surf the torque wave and can make very brisk progress with the new Leaf. You can even get some hooligan-style wheelspin coming out of tight corners, although local residents will appear very confused at the sound of tortured tyres with no overlying soundtrack of high-revving boy-racer engines.

Ah, but what about range? Well, actually, it just doesn’t seem to be a major problem anymore. OK, you will have to plan your journeys a little more carefully if you’re stretching the Leaf ’s maximum battery abilities, but according to the new, tougher WLTP economy and emissions test, the

Leaf should be able to put around 270km between charge-ups, and so it proves. Testing the car in and around city streets, main roads, motorways, and even back-country mountain roads, we were seeing an effective range of between 220km and 250km. Even with the wheelspin. Drive it gently and you should go even further than that.

That’s not the best bit though. Is the cabin the best bit? No — although it is a big improvement on the outgoing Leaf ’s interior. Space is about the same (and there’s a practical 435-litre boot), but the seats are comfier (even if the driving position is a little spoiled by the lack of reach-adjustable steering) and the new mixed digital/analogue instruments are nice.

No, what’s really good about the new Leaf, what makes it feel really special, is the silence. That clever aerodynamic sculpting of the body has quelled wind noise to the point where it’s almost entirely absent, and if the cabin looks plain then at least the Nissan engineers have been through it and silenced every single squeak, rattle, and clunk. It’s amazingly quiet in here, at almost any speed, and it’s that silence that makes the Leaf feel really special.

It’s even pretty good to drive, with sharper steering and better handling balance than before. Meanwhile, the new e-Pedal (which means that when you lift off the accelerator, the car triggers maximum regenerative braking, using the electric motor to both slow the car and return some juice to the battery. By using a well-judged mix of both

FACTS & FIGURES:

Model tested Nissan Leaf 40kWh Pricing: From €26,290 Engine: 110kW electric motor Transmission: single reduction gear automatic Body style: five-door hatchback CO2 emissions: 0g/km (Band A0, €120 per annum) Claimed range: 270km (on new WLTP test cycle) Top speed: 144km/h 0-100km/h: 7.9 seconds Power: 150hp at 3,283 to 9,795rpm Torque: 320Nm at 1rpm Boot space: 435-litres EuroNCAP rating: Not yet tested

regeneration and physical brakes, it can slow you down at up to 0.2G of deceleration (so feels like firm-but-gentle braking) and can even come to a complete stop, and hold the car on a hill, without ever touching the actual brake pedal) makes the Leaf feel especially effortless.

Is it the electric car to break the barrier between where we are now, and the all-electric future? Maybe, yes. It probably now depends more on the public charging network, and how that is now invested in and developed, but the new Leaf demonstrates that the most dramatic thing an electric car can do is to feel… normal.

Dulick Motors Gort Road, Ennis. Phone: 065 682 3232

EchoSport l GAME OF TWO HALVES: Conlon’s impact was dampened in the Photo by Martin Connolly second half when Cork altered tactics

Páraic McMahon GAA

Clare joint manager Gerry O’Connor admits to reality that - yet again - the Rebels were deserving of their Munster final win over Clare, writes Páraic McMahon.

Cork are worthy champs

C

LARE losing to Cork in Munster senior hurling finals unfortunately is a familiar trait, it’s 1932 since the Banner last overcame the Rebels in a provincial decider.

Just like Fr Harry Bohan 40 years previous, Gerry O’Connor and Donal Moloney have been managers for back to back provincial final defeats to the Leesiders. Bohan used the word “heartbreaking” to describe their losses but sickening seems a more apt word for the titles let slip in 2017 and 2018.

Speaking in the aftermath of the two point loss, O’Connor was of the view that their opening 30 minutes could not have went much better. “We couldn’t have planned the first half much better until three or four minutes before half-time. A lot of the decisions that we had talked about and the tactics we discussed they came off, we were performing really well, we got a huge amount of ball into John Conlon. He was winning his battle in there and just before half time they got a goal and a point, it looked now as if it deflated us but at the time it didn’t feel like that”.

Donal Moloney stated in the lead up to the game that Cork were “not a bogey team”, rather the better team than Clare.

Post match, Gerry maintained John Meyler’s side were deserving winners. “The reality is they were worthy champions last year and they’re worthy champions this year, they played really good hurling in that 15 minute spell before half-time and that’s where the game was won and lost. We stabilised things after 15 minutes in that second half but their half-forward line appeared to get on top of our half-back line, their half-forward line seemed to storm into the game and they seemed to get a lot of scores from there and that 10 or 15 minute period just after halftime, we missed a few frees and they got a few handy scores and that’s just the nature of it, we weren’t able to get a foothold on the game after that”.

He points to their ability to cut the supply of ball to John Conlon as proof of their worthiness. “The game is played over 75 minutes and we just weren’t able to get possession from our own puckout as regularly

as we were in the first half and as a result of that there was a lot of ball being cut out by their half-back line and feeding their half-forward line and also as a consequence of that our supply into full-forward line and particularly into John - who was having an excellent game in the first half. We were being starved of possession in the full-forward line in the second half ”.

O’Connor believes the supply of ball stopped because Cork began to dominate in the middle third. “In the first half we were using our midfielders and wing backs as puckout options but I think Cork probably had a good discussion about that at half-time and pushed up on our half-backs and midfielders. We still got a few puckouts to our half-backs and midfielder but we were probably turned over or the ball was dropped but we’re going to have to refer back to the tape and see where it is we need to improve on.

“We’re in a quarter-final now so we’ll go back, we’ll feel sorry for ourselves for a couple of hours tonight but we’ll refocus and do our recovery tonight as we’ve been doing for

the last couple of weeks. It’s a short turnaround but maybe that will suit us. The reality is we’ve got to go and prepare diligently for an All-Ireland quarter-final.”

It was in the first 15 minutes of the second half that the Éire Óg clubman said Clare lost the game. “Definitely the goal and a point they got before half-time was crucial because we were really coasting up until the 32nd minute, they tacked on a point immediately after the goal so the biggest challenge for us was the 10 to 15 minutes after half time, we just weren’t able to quell their momentum and get hold of a sliotar”.

“Cork dominated and they got up a three or four point lead and we crawled it back again and with four or five minutes to go it was still there for us but credit to Cork they were the better team on the day”.

When asked on the performance of referee James McGrath, Gerry answered, “In a tight game you’d have to go back and look at the tape, it felt that there were a few questionable decisions but we’re not going to get into a debate about referees here this evening”.

SPORT 27

THURSDAY, JULY 5 2018

Clare fail to adjust as Rebels deserving of back to back titles mus Harnedy goal put them clear.

Clare hit back through Podge Collins, however, scores by Daniel Kearney and the impressive Harnedy kept the Banner men at bay. The Rebels led by five points Munster Championship Final heading into added time and a late @ Semple Stadium Ian Galvin was nothing more than Cork 2-24 Clare 3-19 consolation.

Clare will look to bounce back T PROVED to be another dev- the score at 1-06 to 0-05 after 18 in the All-Ireland Quarter-Final on astating day for the Banner men minutes. Patrick Horgan and Peter July 15 against either Westmeath last Sunday. An excellent first Duggan shared the next six points or Wexford. half and an on-fire John Conlon from placed balls before Clare Cork: Anthony Nash; Sean O’Donowith five points from play put scored their second goal thanks to Damien Cahalane, Colm SpillClare in the driving seat until just a long delivery from Donal Tuohy ghue, ane; Christopher Joyce, Eoin Cadobefore the end of the half, when and Peter Duggan was on hand to gan, Mark Coleman (0-2,1 side-line); Cork put 1-1 on the board, a set- flick the ball past Anthony Nash.

Darragh Fitzgibbon (0-2), Bill Cooper back which Clare would never reAnother Conlon point extended (0-1); Daniel Kearney (0-2), Conor covered from. the lead to eight points heading Lehane (0-1), Seamus Harnedy (1-4); Peter Duggan started this game into added time; however a Cork Luke Meade (1-1), Shane Kingston, where he left of against Limerick, blitz including a Luke Meade goal Patrick Horgan (0-11,6fs,1 ‘65’).

Robbie O’Flynn for Kingston looking steady from placed ball and Mark Coleman point left the (59Subs: mins), Michael Cahalane for Meand himself and the free-scor- score at the interval 2-11 to 1-10 ade (64 mins), Lorcan McLoughlin for ing John Conlon did much of the in favour of Clare.

Kearney (65 mins), Dean Brosnan for damage early on. Clare scored Cork adjusted their tactics in the McLoughlin (70 mins). the opening goal when Tony Kelly second half to cut off the supply Clare: Donal Tuohy; Patrick O’Conwon possession and burst through to John Conlon and Clare failed nor, David McInerney, Jack Browne; the Cork defence before hand to implement a Plan B. Cork’s for- Seadna Morey, Conor Cleary, Jamie passing to David Reidy who made wards showed more energy in the Shanahan; Colm Galvin (0-1), Cathal no mistake in rifling past Anthony second half and continued to chip Malone; Peter Duggan (1-7,6fs), Tony Nash. Another Conlon point left away at the Clare lead until a Sea- Kelly (0-1), David Reidy (1-2); Podge

JAMES MULVIHILL

I

l LOSING THEIR FOOTHOLD: The brilliant Patrick Horgan ducks into the challenge of Seadna Morey Photo by Martin Connolly Collins (0-2), John Conlon (0-5), Shane O’Donnell.

Subs: Jason McCarthy for Malone (49 mins), Conor McGrath (0-1) for O’Donnell (55 mins), David Fitzgerald

for Shanahan (60 mins), Darragh Corry for Reidy (63 mins), Ian Galvin (1-0) for Cleary (67 mins).

Referee: James McGrath (Westmeath).

Galvin: We’re going to take this in our stride and come back strong PÁRAIC McMAHON Hurling

news@clareecho.ie

FOR the second time this year, Clare were beaten by Cork in the Munster hurling championship but Ian Galvin insists they’re going to bounce back again just like before.

Speaking to assembled media after the Munster final defeat in Thurles on Sunday, Ian said “It’s going to be back to the drawing boards, we’ve done this before, we’ve lost to Cork and had to come back to Waterford two weeks later and we’re going to do the same again, we’re going to take this in our stride hopefully, train hard and come back in two weeks time and do our best”.

His fellow Clonlara man, John Conlon scored 0-05 from play in the opening half yet the supply of ball to the danger man diminished on the resumption. Galvin was proud of Conlon’s efforts.

“He was doing incredibly well inside, he was winning every ball he was causing damage inside there but it’s hard to keep that form up through the whole game and obviously they’re going to cop on to that too and try stop the supply of ball going into him so he

l FLASHES OF BRILLIANCE: Tony Kelly on one of his trademark busting solo runs

Photo by Martin Connolly

did his best and they cut out the supply and I think he did fairly well,” reflected Galvin.

Moments before half-time Clare’s eight-point lead was cut in half because of a Luke Meade goal and Mark Coleman sideline cut, this was the turning point according to the twenty one year old.

“Eight points down to four points it turns into a two score game straight away and in this championship two scores is nothing, literally two minutes before half-time we were eight points up and then it’s back to four points and they came out gunning in the second half and I think that really was the turning point in the game”.

Ian scored the all-important goal to defeat Tipperary and again on Sunday he rattled the net when sprung from bench.

Management waited until the sixty sixth minute to introduce him against Cork.

“It’s up to them, I can only do what they decide and that’s the same with every other player on the field, we trust the managers and their tactics and that’s what we’ll do till the end,” he added, speaking of the lack of game-time he has been afforded in the championship.

28 CLASSIFIEDS

THURSDAY, JUL 5 2018

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30 CROSSWORD/HOROSCOPES

THURSDAY, JUL 5 2018

Your Horoscopes Jul 5 IF A blur of social obligations is working on your last nerve, get some alone time. Treat yourself to a quiet dinner out, or rent your favorite movie and just chill. It’s not selfish to want to be by yourself -- it’s healthy. Social hound friends may not understand this inward phase you’re going through, but they will accept it. Be honest with your needs.

Taurus

Gemini

IT’S important to enjoy what you’ve worked for, but it’s easy to get too comfortable and forget some nagging issues. Right now you need to work to regain a bit of your financial edge. Investigate how to funnel your resources into some smarter investments, and you could be profiting a lot more than you are. Ask friends for advice on how to fatten up your rapidly thinning piggy bank.

SOMETHING sweet you’ve been waiting for will finally arrive -- in a very surprising package. At first, you may not even recognize it.

Sometimes preconceived ideas outweigh reality, so unwrap this gift slowly and let yourself acclimate to the unexpected at an easy pace.

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

JUST because someone is out of sight doesn’t mean they’re out of mind, and vice versa. Someone has been thinking about you for a while now, and has maybe even started a few games of phone tag. Make an extra effort to connect with them. Send an email or reserve time for a long phone call. The people from your past aren’t to be left in the past. Bring the special people with you along your journey through life. It’s easier than you think.

TO GET the final inspiration you need to get you through, create a physical representation of your goals. You’ll get bonus points for utilizing your famous creativity. Whether you draw a picture, write a song or cook up a celebratory meal, your actions will help direct energy toward the direction you desire. Pretend like your success is a foregone conclusion -- and it just might be. Speed is a priority too, so feel free to take any shortcuts that appear.

SOMETIMES you just have to go on faith. You’re at a crossroads right now -- and time is running out. You need to decide soon which way you’re going, and you won’t have the luxury of knowing all the information you want to know about your options. The good news is that you’re in a very solid lucky phase, and your instincts can fill in the blanks and help you take a calculated risk.

Libra

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Capricorn

Aquarius

Pisces

AS YOU ride yet another wave of adulation, try to keep your situation in perspective -- not everyone is as lucky as you.

Not everyone has been given the opportunities you’ve had.

Recognizing this disparity may create some feelings of guilt, but luckily, selflessly helping others will get rid of all of it. Put your needs behind the needs of others. You will help create more balance in the universe.

AFTER a nice long slumber, some of your biggest insecurities are starting to wake up and look around -- don’t be surprised if you suddenly feel a twinge of doubt about an upcoming meeting, confrontation or date. But this is a clear case of letting your fear drive the rest of your brain in the wrong direction. This is your best chance at turning this stinking thinking around, so keep chugging along in a brighter direction, and remind yourself that you totally rock.

1/1

Aries

FROM time to time, a reminder of where you’ve come from is a helpful way to stay on the right path. You will encounter some familiar conflicts, but this time, instead of sending you into a panic, they will be easy to ignore -- they are vestigial remainders of a former you. When was the last time you truly recognized the growth you’ve accomplished?

THERE’S no need to candy-coat your thoughts, everyone is prepared for the bitter truth, and they’re grateful to you for dispensing it. Certain things just aren’t up to snuff, and if you aren’t completely satisfied with the quality of what you’re shown, speak up! Don’t settle for anything less than you deserve. Standing up for yourself shouldn’t be such a rare occurrence. It feels too good to stop, so integrate it into your life more!

The Clare Echo Crossword

ACROSS

1 Measure shields for some infantry regiments (4,6) 7 Reading can provide endless pleasure (7) 8 Decline and fall from grace with king (4) 10 Light-emitting diode was in front (3) 11 Dancing along, I am in shade (8) 13 Come to a terribly weak point (6) 15 Mass attended by Irish beside unknown river (6) 17 Ships ordered by Socrates (8) 18 American uncle strong man losing son (3) 20 Slightly injure fly (4) 21 One who doesn’t believe that

SOMETIMES inspiration strikes at very inconvenient times, so be prepared. Grab a pen and a pad of paper and bring it along for the day’s adventure -- you will need it. Ideas will be swirling all around you, and when you’re ready to pluck one out of the air, you should go for it, wherever you are. Bring a camera with you to capture some surprising or beautiful moments.

YOUR moods may swing back and forth like a pendulum -- and your emotional reaction might not always be in line with their cause. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself laughing hysterically at a boring comment or sobbing during an infomercial. Your emotions will be very close to the surface. Try to ride your swinging feelings without pushing back too hard, because this could be a good opportunity to get cozy with uncomfortable emotions.

he is taking part (7) 22 Gendarme in trouble, wandering aimlessly (10)

DOWN

1 Wood, the editor, is given the sack (5) 2 Get rid of some hideous trinkets (4) 3 Girl on course somewhere in Ireland (6) 4 Missing person a bee sent crazy (8) 5 Hollows singled out (7) 6 One can spin in fruit machine (9) 9 Female forge worker somewhere in South Africa (9) 12 Write to nag about military headquarters (8) 14 Ordering caviare demonstrates

greed (7) 16 Make point in case (6) 18 Support for simple

weapon (5) 19 Siamese connection, we hear (4)

CROSSWORD ANSWERS

QUIZ 31

THURSDAY, JUL 5 2018

The Clare Echo Quiz

1Where in Clare?

4 Where in Clare?

7 Where in Clare?

9 Where in Clare?

2 Where in Clare?

5 Where in Clare?

8 Where in Clare?

10 Where in Clare?

Loop Head, Black Head, Hag’s Head

Carrigaholt, Clahane, Ballyvaughan

Kilkee Cliffs, Loop Head, Cliffs of Moher

Doonbeg Pier, Cappa, Kilbaha

Carrigaholt, Killaloe, Liscannor

Cappa, Querrin, Lahinch

Connolly, Knock, Ballynacally

Killaloe, Garranroe, Mountshannon

ANSWERS 6 Where in Clare?

Killimer, Whitegate, Mountshannon

6. Whitegate 7. Liscannor 8. Querrin 9. Ballynacally 10. Killaloe

Kilfenora, Kilkishen, Kilmihil

1. Loop Head 2. Clahane 3. Kilfenora 4. Kilkee Cliffs 5. Cappa

3 Where in Clare?

OLD IMAGES OF COUNTY CLARE

Co. Clare (between ca. 1860-1883).

Photo from The Stereo Pairs Photograph Collection (National Library of Ireland)

The Clare Echo is on holidays for the week of Thursday July 12 KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR OUR GLOSSY SUMMER MAGAZINE

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