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The Rainbow Warrior – Eddie McGuinness speaks about his battle with cancer and HPV vaccine

April 2020. As the first Covid 19 lockdown brings life in Ireland to a shuddering halt, Eddie McGuinness, the founder of the world’s first LGBTQ+ matchmaking festival, The Outing, is busy doing exactly what you’d expect him to be doing, calling balcony bingo for his neighbours from his second floor apartment. But after weeks of calling numbers and rallying local spirits, Eddie began to realise that something wasn’t quite right. His throat was increasingly sore at the end of each session, he was losing weight and low on energy. His first thought, naturally, was Covid 19. But when his symptoms worsened week after week, he began to fear that his health was facing something altogether more serious. Unbeknownst to Eddie, he was suffering from stage four throat cancer and he was about to face the fight of his life. “I was being extra careful at that time, we all were, every time you felt unwell you thought it might have …

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Dog foulers should be ‘shamed’

ENNIS local councillors are crying foul over irresponsible dog owners who do not clean up after their pets while walking along the popular River Fergus Walkway. Meanwhile, users of the amenity who have reported flooding on the route, have been reminded that the walkway was created on a flood plain as part of flood relief works to protect the town. Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) made a request for ‘doggie poop’ bins to be provided along the walkway at the monthly meeting of the Ennis Municipal District council. However, while the local authority in conjunction with Clarecastle Tidy Towns has recently installed anti-litter and anti-dog fouling signage on the walkway, the council have said they are not in a position to install bins. “We would have difficulty servicing this site at this time, given the distance from our normal street cleaning and litter bin maintenance route,” said Paddy Tiernan, A/Senior Executive Engineer. “We would appeal to all users of this …

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Councillors warn of ‘necklace’ of windfarms

A CHAIN of windfarm developments is on the way to East Clare, with turbines up to 180 metres in height, unless An Bord Pleanála makes appropriate decisions, members of Clare County Council warned this week. At Monday’s council meeting they discussed the development of a windfarm at Oatfield, which the council executive are making a submission to An Bord Pleanála on, while the Killaloe area councillors are making a separate submission. Killaloe councillor Tony O’Brien (FF) said there could be “a proliferation of massive, industrial size wind turbines stretching from Bodyke and Ogonnelloe right down across Broadford, the 12 O’Clock Hills, Sliabh Bernagh, right down into Meelick and all areas in between.” A number of East Clare residents were at the meeting and he said the councillors fully understand their opposition to having huge turbines built close to their homes. “Your concerns are our concerns,” he said. Councillor Gerry Flynn (Ind) also said the Oatfield development is just the start. …

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Ríoghnach Connolly comes west in the footsteps of Willie Clancy

CULTÚRLANN Sweeney in Kilkee plays host to the renowned BBC 2 Folk Singer of the Year, Ríoghnach Connolly, next week. Fresh from a recent performance on the Tommy Tiernan Show with guitarist Stuart McCallum, the Armagh woman is looking forward to their upcoming Kilkee concert on Monday, February 19. Ríoghnach, who is signed to internationally renowned musician Peter Gabriel’s Real World record label, is on a short Irish tour with McCallum before they tour Britain and Scandinavia for a few months. The duo is known as The Breath, and Ríoghnach is also lead singer with the Afro Celt Sound System. She is also nominated for Best Original Folk Song this year at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards for her collaborative single ‘Not Your fight’ with The Henry Girls. Speaking to The Clare Champion, she is modest about the BBC2 award. “As far as I think I broke the whole competition – it hasn’t happened since. I am still dining …

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Seed Savers take root at the Áras

AN EAST Clare non profit seed bank has branched out to Áras an Uachtaráin after presenting president Michael D Higgins with a special tree in memory of his dog. Irish Seed Savers Association received the presidential seal of approval recently after a Lough Key Crab tree was planted at Áras an Uachtaráin in memory of the beloved Bernese Mountain Dog, Bród owned by President Higgins and his wife, Sabina. President Higgins expressed his gratitude for the meaningful gesture from the Irish Seed Savers Association, emphasising the importance of preserving Ireland’s agricultural heritage. The planting of the Lough Key Crab tree at Áras an Uachtaráin serves as a poignant tribute to Bród and contributes to the protection of Ireland’s apple tree heritage. Four members of the ISSA attended the planting ceremony including Communications Development Co-ordinator, Gillian Lattimore, Executive Director, Elaine Bradley, Orchard Team members, Marie Collins, Scariff, and Anne English. Áras an Uachtaráin Head Gardener, Robert Norris showed the ISSA the …

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DNA search for lost Clare father

AN ENGLISH woman of Clare descent is appealing to the people of Clare to help her trace her long lost biological grandfather. Born in Coventry, Louise McNamara has always known that half of her family tree was from County Clare. Her father, Francis McNamara, was born in London in 1956 but was unofficially adopted soon after his birth and has no memory of his birth mother or father. After years of research, the family managed to learn the identity of Francis’ mother, who was originally from Ennistymon. Unfortunately, Francis’ mother had passed away shortly before the family learned of her identity. Last Christmas, Louise McNamara, convinced her father to undergo DNA testing in an effort to discover the identity of his Clare father. The DNA tests revealed that both of Mr McNamara’s parents come from the West Clare or South Clare area and, to the families great surprise, the test also showed a match in the Ennis area. This match, …

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One person arrested after seizure of drugs, cash and designer goods in Ennis

Gardaí have arrested one person following the seizure of a quantity of drugs, cash and designer goods in Ennis. Gardaí in Ennis arrested a motorist last Saturday afternoon after he failed to stop when instructed. During a follow-up operation which included searches under warrant of a residential property in Ennis, suspected cocaine and cannabis to the value of approximately €15,500 were seized. A sum of cash and a quantity of designer goods were also confiscated. The drugs have been sent for forensic analysis and investigations into the matter are ongoing. The arrested individual who is a male in his 20s, was subsequently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at a Garda Station in County Clare. He has since been released without charge, and a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

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Drugs, cash and designer items seized by Ennis Gardaí

INVESTIGATIONS are ongoing after gardaí seized €15,500 worth of suspected drugs along with cash and designer goods during a search in Ennis over the weekend. The search was carried out following the arrest by gardaí attached to Ennis Garda Station of a motorist who failed to stop when instructed on Saturday afternoon. “During the follow-up operation, including searches under warrant of a residential property in Ennis, approximately €15,500 worth of suspected cocaine and cannabis were seized, awaiting forensic analysis. Additionally, a sum of cash and a quantity of designer goods were confiscated,” confirmed a garda spokesperson. The arrested individual, a male in his 20s, was subsequently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at a Garda Station in County Clare. He has since been released without charge, and a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

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