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WORLD Wetlands Day will be celebrated in Shannon this Thursday, February 2, at a lunchtime event to explore their importance to the environment. Wetlands are critically important ecosystems that contribute to biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation, freshwater availability, world economies, and more. Yet, nearly 90% of the world’s wetlands have been degraded since the 1700s, and we are losing wetlands three times faster than forests. It is urgent that we raise national and global awareness about wetlands in order to reverse their rapid loss and encourage actions to conserve and restore them. World Wetlands Day is the ideal time to increase people’s understanding of these important ecosystems and two community events are taking place for Clare. The Shannon Town Community Wetlands Project in conjunction with the Local Authority Waters Programme will host a very special lunchtime event to explore how wetland restoration work has occurred on this important site. The event, led by LAWPRO’s Community Water Officer, Ruairí Ó Conchúir, …

A SURFER who rescued a swimmer caught off the Clare shore by a rip current and an Ennis lifeguard named Volunteer of the Year were among those honoured at Water Safety Ireland’s national awards. Patrick Gordon’s quick actions saved the life of a man in difficulty at Spanish Point last summer. He received a SEIKO Just In Time Awards and Rescue Appreciation Award at the annual ceremony which was held online. Last July, Patrick was out surfing in strong winds with a friend at Spanish Point. They heard a swimmer shouting for help after getting pulled from shore by a rip current. He immediately paddled towards the swimmer and told his friend to make for shore to get help. Patrick took his friend’s board, reached the exhausted swimmer, and got him to hold onto the board until he regained his breath and was able to make it safely back to shore. Also honoured on the night was Sinead Mortell from …

SWEET music will ring out once again around the historic village of Kilfenora, when some of the finest local and national players and singers gather there from April 21 to 24. In just over two months’ time, the village will stage the 14th annual Kilfenora Traditional Music Festival. The hugely anticipated event first got underway in 2009 in tandem with the 100th anniversary of the Kilfenora Céilí Band. As always, this year’s programme will include a wealth of great concerts, céilíthe, CD launches, pub sessions and a young musicians’ workshop. The main concert will be staged on the night of Saturday, April 22. This year, the event features a mighty array of talent and All-Ireland winners, including Órlaith McAuliffe, Daithí Gormley, Dylan Carlos and Brian McGrath, supported by three fine singers – Katie Theasby, Kathleen Lynch and Theresa Garrihy, plus an award-winning young musician from the 2022 Meitheal Summer School. Tickets are €20 and will be available online as well as in various …

THIS year’s Ennis St Patrick’s Day parade will celebrate ‘Communities in Action’ as it wends its way through the streets from 11am on March 17. The Ennis Municipal District are inviting individuals, groups, clubs and societies from across Clare to participate in the 2023 Ennis St Patrick’s Day parade. The local authority stated it was looking forward to its regular participants showcasing their talents again this year while also encouraging new groups and individuals to take the plunge, submit an entry and get in on the fun. The deadline to apply to get involved is Thursday, February 16. Mayor of Ennis, Councillor Clare Colleran-Molloy commented, “The St. Patrick’s Day parade is a wonderful event where people from all over Clare unite, from the world of sports and the arts in addition to our many community groups to celebrate our Irish culture. “I would like to thank all the other agencies, who work alongside Ennis Municipal District to co-ordinate this event.” …

MORE than six Whole Time Equivalent posts were vacant in different health disciplines of the West Clare Community Healthcare Network (CHN), new figures have revealed. The Mid-West Community Healthcare has confirmed the CHN manager post was vacant at the end of November for the West Clare CHN, which covers a population of 70,652 in Ennis, Ennistymon, Kilkee and Kilrush. A GP lead working one day a week was also vacant, while there was 1.1 Whole Time Equivalent absent in Occupational Therapy Services in this network, 2.1 WTE short in Physiotherapy Services where eight WTE were filled by agency and three more WTE were required in Dietetics Services. The East Clare CHN covering a population of 33,945 in East Clare, Shannon and Sixmilebridge also had one administrative support WTE vacant; it required a GP lead and had no Podiatry Services staff as this speciality was covered by the West Clare CHN. Ballina and Killaloe are covered by the East Limerick CHN …

A CELEBRATION of the traditions and beliefs that have sprung up around St Brigid’s Well in Liscannor is taking place in North Clare currently. The exhibition ‘Dabhach Bhríde’, which is centred around Lá Fhéile Bríde, opened at The Courthouse Gallery and Studios earlier this week and will run until Saturday, February 4. Tying in with the new Bank Holiday to celebrate Ireland’s only female patron saint, the exhibition is located at The Red Couch Gallery space. It is the creation of Clare-based artists Frances Bermingham and Mary Fahy and the opening last Tuesday involved a gathering to make traditional Brigid’s Crosses and share stories of the rich tradition around the medieval saint. Both Mary and Frances are involved in a study of aspects of St Brigid’s Holy Well at Ballysteen, Liscannor currently. “I am intrigued by the traces we leave, through our contact with people, objects and places,” Galway native Mary said. “My current body of work explores ritual grief …

PERMISSION has been granted for the creation of four serviced sites in Quin, with outline permission for four detached homes. Concerns had been raised by local authority planners over a number of aspects of the proposals. Developer, Jimal Investments, addressed these in a Further Information (FI) submission made at the end of last year, and the green light has now been given subject to 21 conditions. Among these are controls on the height of any future dwellings on the sites. Conditions relating to external finishes, landscaping, the name any future residential development and public lighting have also been applied. Outline permission applies for a period of three years and the Council has stipulated that any residential development granted within that time must be subject to a development contribution and the lodgement of a cash bond. Plans for the creation of the sites in Quingardens were lodged last September, with the developer telling the Council that they would involve demolishing an …

GARDAI in Ennis seized some €8,800 worth of suspected cannabis herb when they stopped and searched a car in an industrial estate in the town. On Tuesday, January 24, uniformed Gardaí from Ennis stopped the car, driven by a male in his late 20s. Upon searching the vehicle, they discovered approximately €8,800 worth of suspected Cannabis Herb. The driver of the car was arrested and detained under the provision of Section 2 Drug Trafficking Act 1996 at Ennis Garda Station. He was later released from custody pending submission of investigation file to the office of the DPP for directions. The suspected controlled substances have been forwarded to Forensic Science Ireland for examination.