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Gort Cancer Support Group will host the Vicky Phelan Campaign and Portrait Tour in Gort, in conjunction with the Lady Gregory Hotel, next week. The triptych portrait, painted by the renowned Irish artist, Vincent Devine, was inspired by Vicky Phelan’s incredible courage. Measuring an impressive 150 x 300 cms, Vicky Phelan’s life is conveyed as the past, present and future with the backdrop of Doonbeg beach in West Clare, which she described as her favourite place on earth. Vincent’s aim was to convey the tragedies and the joys in Vicky’s life, through symbolism in the anatomy of her body and different objects. The portrait was purchased at a charity auction by Vicky’s lifelong friend and fellow Kilkenny native, David Brennan. The two grew up together and their families share a close bond. David wanted to ensure the painting remained close to Vicky’s family and friends. Vicky was a prominent women’s health advocate prior to her death from cervical cancer in …

Clare students wishing to take part in this year’s BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE) have until Monday, October 2, to enter. The county has a long and rich tradition in the competition, with Clare projects regularly winning prizes, often with projects focussed on the rich biodiversity of the county. A survey conducted by BT Ireland has found that almost two thirds of secondary school students in Ireland, do not believe that the public celebrate the nation’s achievements in STEM subjects, such as science, technology, engineering and maths, enough. People from Ireland have changed the world with their inventions, including the submarine, invented by Liscannor man John Philip Holland, the binaural stethoscope and the hypodermic needle. The BT survey, conducted in 500 secondary schools across the country, found that 64% of respondents felt that Irish scientists and engineers did not get enough credit for their work. A large cohort of Clare students are expected to enter this year’s competition, …

In an era thriving on digital interactions, parkrun is setting the stage for a refreshing initiative that encourages individuals across Clare and Ireland to step outside and be part of their communities, while prioritising their wellbeing through the simple acts of volunteering and walking. #VolunteerWalkConnect is a campaign that encourages individuals to explore the realms of volunteering and walking at timed parkrun events for the first time, while simultaneously fostering a deeper connection with nature, their communities and overall wellbeing. Through walks, community engagement, and a strong online presence, the campaign aims to create a positive impact on individuals and society as a whole. “Modern life too often keeps us indoors and disconnected, leading to a lack of engagement with our environment and limited opportunities to connect with others,” said Matt Shields, Country Manager for parkrun Ireland. “#VolunteerWalkConnect is designed to break through these barriers by enticing people to take their first steps into the world of volunteering and walking, …

There will be no shortage of motivation as the race for the intermediate ladies football championship is reduced to just two on Sunday. After all, a harrowing 2022 at senior level has seen Cooraclare understandably rebuild confidence once more in the second tier as they look to bounce back even stronger but face a Kilrush side with their own point to prove after being edged out in last year’s decider by Fergus Rovers. It’s a West Clare derby to savour on Sunday at 2pm, with Cooraclare’s senior experience giving them the slight favourite’s tag. Miltown Malbay’s issue hasn’t been the penultimate stage, more a final hoodoo as three successive intermediate decider reverses between 2019-21 have fuelled their return to form after a disappointing 2022. Éire Óg caused an upset in the final group match to lower Miltown but will face a much sterner task this time around for their rematch as the recently crowned Minor A champions look to maintain …

YOU might hear Michael Lorigan on the radio. You could find him in the gym a couple of days a week. Or you could find him volunteering to help young people who are visually impaired. For the last 11 years Michael has been visually impaired himself, after a terrible accident that left him blinded in one eye and with 15-20% of vision in the other. He was also left with a brain injury. “More sugar on the cake,” he says, wryly. How does that brain injury impact upon him? “I suppose it varies, it’s kind of mixed. It could be concentration sometimes, certain noises too would be very irritating. It’s memory too to a certain degree. Some things you remember, others are gone completely.” Michael lives in Kilmurry McMahon and one of the greatest problems he faces is the near total lack of public transport in the area. “You’re stuck here where buses are only a dream.” In May of …

THE summer of 2023 was like a meal with an outstanding starter, terribly disappointing main course and a surprisingly pleasant dessert, even if it arrived a bit late. The Met Éireann report for summer 2023 showed that the weather station in Shannon had the warmest mean temperature at 16.5 degrees celsisus. But on the other hand it was also exceptionally wet, with 45% more rainfall than an average summer. Met Éireann’s summary for the season said, “Summer 2023 saw the warmest June on record on land and at sea, the wettest July on record with 17 stations having over 200% of their Long-Term Average (LTA) monthly rainfall and finished with two named storms in August that downed trees and caused flash and coastal flooding. “The season began very dry with widespread climatological dry periods up to mid-June, before breaking down with eight consecutive days of intense thunderstorm activity. Atlantic westerlies took hold towards the end of June. July saw Atlantic …

ANXIETY levels for young families usually rise as the summer ends and school returns, but an already stressful time has been worsened in many homes this week as a number of school bus services around Clare have been cancelled. With full employment the retention of bus drivers is now far more difficult than it was just a few years ago and a number of services had to be cancelled at the eleventh hour. Parents who had expected their children to use the services have been left to scramble, in many cases having to take time off work or look to family members for help with drop offs and collections. This week East Clare based Senator Timmy Dooley found himself trying to act as a recruiter, as he posted on social media asking people licensed to drive buses to get in touch with him. On Wednesday he told the Clare Champion that the school bus service crisis is quite widespread. “There’s …

A woman, believed to be in her fifties, who was airlifted to hospital after she became unwell while swimming on Lough Derg, died at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) on Thursday evening. Emergency services were alerted to assist a woman who got into difficulty while swimming near the fishing stands on the Killaloe side of the Twomilegate bathing area. Killaloe Coast Guard was tasked to the scene at about 6.40pm and arrived to Ballycuggeran within seven minutes practically at the same time as one HSE paramedic. Members of the public had commenced cardiocompulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a fishing stand near the forest area at Ballcuggeran. This was continued by two advanced HSE paramedics with assistance from Coast Guard members. It is understood that there were a lot of people swimming in the water at the time due to the hot weather. Assistance was requested from the Emergency Aeromedical Service, which sent the HSE’s Cork-based air ambulance, Aeromed 01, to the scene. …