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A new community group has just been established in North Clare whose aim is to preserve and protect the delicate ecosystem in Liscannor Bay. The group, which is called BannerGleo: Liscannor Bay Association, formed in the wake of a series of high profile threats to the bay, including incidents of pollution in the water off Lahinch and Liscannor as well as the Inagh River. The association aims to take a community-led approach to improving the management of the bay by organising projects such as voluntary beach clean-ups, but also by seeking funding from state agencies to help monitor and protect the water. The association was recently awarded a grant by Community Foundation Ireland and the National Parks and Wildlife Service to create the first ever biodiversity action plan for the entirety Liscannor Bay. BannerGleo aims to bring together experts, the local community and local land-owners to complete a comprehensive assessment of coastal biodiversity in the bay, and establish and important …

More than seven out of ten people living in the Crusheen area are travelling to work by car, according to preliminary research carried out by consultants appointed by Clare County Council. It has also emerged there has been a 50% increase in population to approximately 5,800 in the Crusheen area over a 20-year period since the 2002 Census. Mark O’Connell of Repucon Consulting outlined its initial work on the preparation of a Socio-Economic Study on the benefits of reopening the Crusheen Railway Station on the Western Rail Corridor at a recent Killaloe Municipal District meeting. Mr O’Connell told the meeting the consultants have seen what projects like this can do for rural regeneration and help the social and economic fabric of communities. The consultants plan to adopt an evidence-based approach by consulting with people in the locality of which about 4,500 people are older than 15. This will involve extensive community research, linking in with all the various community groups …

THE popular TV series Raised by the Village is back on RTE 1 and episode 2 features troubled Dublin teen Alex come to stay on a dairy farm in Tulla with the Hayes family. It airs this Sunday night, March 31, and Maureen Hayes says she got her family got involved after she saw a post on Facebook, looking for participants. “I had seen the previous shows and I thought it was a lovely thing to do for a city kid to bring them down and give them a baptism of fire on a dairy farm,” she said. “I always thought when I was younger that I’d like to be an emergency foster mother. It never materialised but I have four children of my own and I thought this would be an opportunity to give a child an opportunity and a different perspective on life.” Her own children range in age from 12 to 19, and they had a few …

AN art exhibition entitled Horizons, featuring work by members of Shannon Men’s Shed is going on display in the Library on this Thursday. It is part of Creative Places Shannon, an initiative of Clare Arts Office, which saw a six week art course run with participants from the Men’s Shed. Working under the guidance of artist David O’Rourke, the group has produced magnificent vibrant landscape paintings. David has exhibited nationally and internationally and has also been involved in almost all aspects of art locally, from setting up artists’ collectives to working with community groups and as an educator in local schools. Derek Clune is a member of the Men’s Shed and is one of those that has been taking the art classes over the last number of weeks. He says that all those participating have got a lot out of it. “It’s great for the men. There are people who would never have thought of art and wouldn’t have painted …

Over the past 48 hours, almost €5,000 has been raised locally to help support North Clare woman, Helga Himmelsbach. Helga, whose husband Jerry O’Connor lost his life in a road traffic collision outside of Ballyvaughan last year, has been struggling to come to terms with his loss in recent months while also attempting to continue her life in North Clare. On top of her grief, she has just found out that she needs a new roof on the house she and Jerry shared together. In more normal times, Jerry would have done much of the work to repair the roof himself, and Helga is struggling to fund this enormous and unexpected bill. A number of her friends have come together to set up a GoFundMe page to support the necessary repairs to the roof. The campaign has got off to a great start with a large number of people pledging money to help with the repair works. Ms Himmelsbach, along …

Clare councillors have called for a comprehensive framework to regulate burials, exhumations, and burial grounds at Clare burial sites, and are asking the Minister for Rural and Community Development to update the outdated legislation that governs burial grounds. Councillors Pat Hayes (FF), Mary Howard (FG), Cillian Murphy (FF), Pat Burke (FG), Shane Talty (FF), Joe Killeen (FF) tabled a joint motion at the March meeting of Clare County Council requesting the local authority to ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys (FG) to update the Public Health (Ireland) Act, 1878 and the associated rules and regulations for the Regulation of Burial Grounds Act, 1888 to provide a comprehensive framework to regulate burials, exhumations, and burial grounds. “A recent review of burial ground management in Clare referenced the need for updated and consolidated national legislation to support the oversight and management function of this essential service at local level to bring it in line with current burial ground …

The stage is set for a group of talented youngsters from Knockanean National School in Ennis who have qualified to perform at the National Concert Hall in Dublin early next month. The school has been chosen as one of just six national schools from all over Ireland to take part in the final of the Walton’s RTÉ Lyric Music for Schools Competition, which takes place in Dublin on April 8. Guided by teachers Amy McEnnis, Conor O’Loughlin, Tina Gavin and Louise Conheady, the young musicians and singers crafted a five minute long musical video together, which combines a number of existing songs and tunes to explore the theme of ‘Music Moves’. The school has a rich tradition in music and the arts and the successful group was made up of 63 students from the school’s music club and choir. According to second year teacher, Amy McEnnis, the children did much of the creative work for the composition themselves, with the …

Sinn Féin’s chances of winning a seat in the Killaloe Electoral Area have been boosted by the entry of Dr Martina Cleary to the Local Elections race. The chairperson of the Clare Pyrite Action Group Dr Martina Cleary has been announced as Sinn Féin’s candidate in the East Clare constituency. Dr Cleary is the founder and chair of the group since 2020 and successfully lobbied for a Defective Concrete Block Scheme for Clare homeowners affected by the pyrite issue. This included the securing of half a billion euros in funding for Clare and Limerick families. In a statement issued to The Clare Champion, Sinn Féin stated the Crusheen resident will continue her campaigning work but hopes to also tackle many other issues when elected. Dr Cleary is a Teachers Union of Ireland rep at the Technological University of the Shannon, where she is a lecturer. When asked why she became involved in politics, Martina said she has always been unofficially …