The Burren this week moved a step closer to becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site when it was named on Ireland’s new Tentative List being submitted to the organisation for consideration later this year.

EIGHT-year-old girls across Clare are preparing to walk down the aisle over the next few weeks to receive their First Holy Communion and will be putting the final touches to their look for the big day.

It’s that time of year again when pupils in Clare’s primary schools are preparing for one of the most important days in their young lives so far, their First Holy Communion. Carol Byrne spoke to Kathy McMahon about this year’s trends in Communion wear for boys and girls. WITH First Holy Communions just around the corner, boys and girls are getting ready to recite their prayers and to receive the sacrament.

One of Harbour Air Ireland’s first seaplane test flights took place last Tuesday morning in Mountshannon Harbour, drawing interested spectators, public representatives and concerned residents to Lough Derg. Local objectors had planned protests for the initial test flight, which was due to take place in early April but had to be cancelled due to bad weather conditions. However, no group protest was mounted by those opposed to the seaplane. When Harbour Air Ireland’s planning application for a pontoon and slipway to service a seaplane on Lough Derg at Dooras, 12 objections were lodged by individuals, as well as clubs and organisations in the area. Arising from local concern, a meeting of anglers and residents was held last month and a committee was formed. Secretary of the Mountshannon Angling Club, Adrian Hickey, explained that the committee is happy to let the planning process take its course at this stage but said the club was “very disappointed” with the short notice given …

Clare county councillors have urged the council to write a letter of protest to Agriculture Minister Brendan Smyth over the planned closure of two Teagasc offices in Clare under a radical cost-cutting programme, which is designed to save about €14 million.

FROM an initial entry of 40 teams, only four remain in the race for the Clare Junior Cup and the pairings for this year’s semi-finals will be decided on Friday evening.

AFTER 42 years of providing a local service to farmers all over Clare, the offices of the Department of Agriculture on the Kilrush Road in Ennis, are closing to the public this Friday.

Time Line The press coverage leading up to the US Masters Golf Championship in Augusta, Georgia, dealt more with Tiger Woods and his reappearance in a golf tournament than on the tournament itself.