A traffic light system is operating on the Tulla Road (the R352) in Ennis to facilitate surfacing works at the new roundabout at Cappahard and Oakleigh Wood. Long delays are being experienced along the route and motorists are advised to use an alternative route where possible. The traffic light system will be in operation for the remainder of this week. The system also affects access and egress to Oakleigh Wood which is also being controlled by traffic lights. Access to Cappahard will remain via the diversion route through Cappahard. To ensure the safety of motorists and the construction team Clare County Council have requested and stressed the importance that motorists obey the lights at all times.

TWO school chaplains from Clare will this week launch their thought-provoking book, which sees many of Ireland’s finest thinkers share where they have found, and continue to find, God in their lives. The book, which is the brainchild of Cora Guinnane from Clarecastle and Joanne O’Brien from Quin, features contributions from former president Mary McAleese, Brent Pope, Finbar Furey, as well as Bishop Willie Walsh and Fr Harry Bohan. Where I find God will be launched in Ennis on Friday and all royalties from the book will go to the Peter McVerry Trust and Focus Ireland. Joanne is a secondary-school chaplain at St John Bosco Community College in Kildysart and Cora, who is on a career break currently, is a secondary-school chaplain at St Caimin’s in Shannon. Joanne said as they share an interest in spirituality, they liked the idea of exploring where people find God. She said they felt that people in general are moving away from the traditional …

This week’s Prize Bond Star Prize of €50,000 has gone to someone in County Clare. The lucky Prize Bond number YX 406933 is held in County Clare and was bought in 2015. There were over 6,400 prizes awarded in this week’s Prize Bond Draw, amounting to over €380,000. In addition to a €1 million prize awarded on the last weekly draw of each quarter there are weekly draws where the top prize is €50,000. Other cash prizes awarded each week include 10 of €1,000, 10 of €500 and over 6,000 of €50. Prize Bonds are a State Savings product which, instead of paying interest, offers bond holders the chance to win cash prizes every week.  All winnings are tax-free, and Prize Bonds can be cashed in at any time after the minimum holding period of three months.  

AN incident room has been set up at Kilrush Garda Station following the discovery of a teenager’s body in Killimer this morning (Tuesday). The circumstances surrounding the death of the 15 year-old is under investigation after a motorist contacted gardaí and emergency services at 6.40am. The young man’s body was discovered on the Burrane Road outside Killimer GAA pitch and he was pronounced dead at the scene.  The youth is from the locality and was out celebrating Hallowe’en on Monday night. His family have been notified, but his name has not been released. Although the 15 year-old was last seen by family members on Hallowe’en night at 11pm, gardaí believe his death took place closer to 6.40am this morning. The scene has been technically examined and forensic experts were also at the scene today. A post mortem examination is to be carried out by Dr Margaret Bolster  at University Hospital Limerick later today. Gardaí say at this stage it is unclear as to …

Gardaí in Ennis investigating the armed robbery of a shop in Ennis last night (Sunday) are now hunting for a man in his early 20s. The incident occurred at around 10.19pm on Sunday, when a man entered Hogans shop at Claureen, on the Lahinch Road brandishing what appeared to be a short firearm. He intimidated the staff and made them hand over the contents of the till before fleeing on foot in the direction of Shanaway Road. The man is described as in his early 20s and was wearing a black leather jacket, gloves and a dark hoodie. At the time of the robbery he had the hood up, and used a white scarf to hide his face. He is also believed to have been wearing dark jeans, dark shoes with a white trim at the bottom of the shoes, and he is understood to have spoken with an Eastern European accent. Anyone who may have seen a man matching …

Defence attorney Dean Strang, who was the co-counsel for Steven Avery, the central character in the Netflix documentary series Making a Murderer, is to attend an event at the University of Limerick tonight, Monday. The Wisconsin-based lawyer will discuss the implications of the Steven Avery case and the documentary series that followed at the University Concert Hall at 8pm. The evening talk, which was organised by U.L Law Society, will be chaired by Professor Shane Kilcommins, who is the head of UL’s School of Law and will be followed by a question and answer session. Mr Strang, along with Jerry Buting, represented Mr Avery after he was accused of the murder of photographer Teresa Halbach in 2005. The murder occurred against the backdrop of a civil case Mr Avery had initiated, having been wrongly convicted for sexual assault and attempted murder. He had served 18 years in prison before being exonerated in 2003. The documentary series, Making a Murderer, in which …

The episcopal ordination has taken place of Fr Fintan Monahan, as Bishop of Killaloe at Ennis Cathedral this Sunday afternoon. The newly ordained Bishop of Killaloe was joined by his parents Tom and Peg, his sister Caitriona and brother Sean, extended family, close friends and neighbours at the celebration. Among the great many clergy present to participate and witness this event, were: Bishop Willie Walsh (Bishop of Killaloe 1994-2010); ordaining metropolitan Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly; Archbishop Charles Brown, Papal Nuncio; Archbishop Eamonn Martin Primate of All-Ireland; Archbishop Michael Neary; Fr Des Hillery, consecrating bishops, concelebrating priests. The sermon was delivered by Very Reverend Brendan Canon Kilcoyne PP of Athenry, a close friend of Bishop Monahan’s for the past 20 years. In his homily, he said “We will not be led by small men”. Addressing Bishop Monahan he added, “You must give everything to it, you must lead from the front. You must have more than we need”. He reminded Bishop Monahan …

LOUGH Derg and its Islands: A Voyage of Discovery by Road and by Water, is the latest publication by East Clare historian Gerard Madden and Tipperary man Shane Creamer. The book will be launched this Saturday at 8.30pm in the Mountshannon Hotel by Éanna Rowe of Waterways Ireland and contains the only map of Lough Derg showing all the access points to the lake by road. According to Gerard, to map out the whole lake to travel around it by road, you would need to buy three separate Ordinance Survey maps. “This is the first time where you have one map of Lough Derg showing all the access routes to the lake,” he said. It is also a great angling resource, as it names all of the known spots around the lake. The authors have also seen to it to name 376 of the islands on Lough Derg. To date, the Ordinance Survey Discovery Series only provides names for 113 …