MAYOR of Clare Pat Hayes and TV presenter Bláthnaid O’Donoghue have been enrolled as the first patron and friend of Clare Youth Service in a new sponsorship scheme that gives parents, young people and businesses an opportunity to support youth services in the county.Clare Youth Service currently operates 68 projects in 25 locations throughout the county. These include music projects, youth clubs, certified training, information points, youth cafés, justice work and education programmes.Some of this work is under threat in the current economic climate and the organisation has restructured internally in order to address cutbacks. It is now asking the wider community to help maintain its core frontline services.Individuals and companies can become a patron for a donation of €50 or become a friend for €20. Friends will receive a car sticker, while patrons will receive a certificate for their business premises or home, in addition to the car sticker.CYS chairperson Michael Byrne explained, “There have obviously been serious cutbacks …

A SIXMILEBRIDGE woman, who is a devoted Clare Champion reader, recently joined the small club of centenarians in the county.

COOLE Music will host its fifth annual Coole Music Orchestra Festival in the Community Centre, Gort, on Sunday, March 4.

WHEN she’s not on front-line peace-keeping duties in South Lebanon, gunner Emma O’Reilly from Shannon likes nothing better than to spend her spare time in an orphanage in Tibnin.

CLARE County Council this week cleared the way for the construction of a playground in the village of Crusheen.The local authority granted permission on Tuesday for the development, which will consist of the construction of a children’s playground with play equipment, four car-parking spaces, a boundary fence, parents seating and associated site works.The Crusheen Playground Committee submitted the application in December to build the facility at Stonepark in the village.The committee stated as part of the planning file that its aim is to build a playground “on the Iarnród Éireann site and provide car parking and fencing around the playground”.In July 2011, Iarnród Éireann received full planning permission for a railway stop, car parking and a proposed green area in Crusheen.When this happened, the committee contacted the landowner, John Galvin, of John Galvin Construction, Faunrusk, Barefield and following a meeting with him, Iarnród Éireann and Clare County Council, it was agreed that a playground could be built on the site, …

Kilrush people are being asked by the local town council to participate in the public consultation process for the preparation of the Kilrush Development Plan 2014-2020, details of which were announced this week.Kilrush Town Council has commenced the period of public consultation as part of a review of the 2008 Development Plan for Kilrush, due to expire in 2014. The revised plan will determine the ­future land-use needs of the local ­community in terms of economic development, recreational and community requirements, as well as residential, transport and infrastructural needs.The review of the plan, which is being carried out in accordance with Section 11 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, will feature informal public information events at Moore Street (former Clohessy Electrical Sales store) on Tuesday, February 28 and Wednesday, February 29 from 12noon to 7pm. Council officials will brief also local children as part of development plan process during visits to local schools on Monday, February 27. Meanwhile, an …

  Beauty advisor Aisha Kelly spoke to Nicola Corless about the most common make-up bag blunders and how getting good advice from an expert can save you money on your cosmetics IF the inside of your make-up bag is a clutter of worn mascara bottles, foundation stains and twice-used moisturisers, or even if you just can’t remember when you bought that coral lip gloss, then Aisha Kelly’s advice is definitely for you.Aisha, Estée Lauder counter manager at Rochford’s Pharmacy, Parnell Street, Ennis, has twice been a winner of the prestigious Estée Lauder Beauty Advisor Award.As February gives way to March and the new season really takes hold, now is a great time to spring clean your make-up bag. As well as lightening the load you carry around with you, a little bit of organisation might even lead to better skin.“I love make-up and I love trying new things. At the moment I have three mascaras, four foundations, five glosses, four …

Scariff man, Ray McNamara died just a short few days after his 30th birthday in 2004. After his passing, the people of East Clare raised more than €10,000 to the cause of people with cystic fibrosis in Ray’s memory. “He was my older brother by two years. I suppose it is better to say he is my older brother. He had cystic fibrosis. Ray wasn’t diagnosed until he was 12 years old. Back in the ’80s, it was, at best, poor standards. Maybe I am being unfair, maybe I am not the best or most objective person to ask but I can picture my mum carrying my brother as a small child from doctor to doctor and all the while being told she was daft, that her child was ok but she knew something was wrong,” PJ said.The life of a CF carrier born in the ’70s wasn’t great in outlook and according to PJ, in the 1980s life expectancy …