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On my 100k trek for Guide Dogs Ireland at Lees Road.

100k – nearly there

Well, I have the paws walked off me this month. It’s all down to the Guide Dogs for the Blind. I admire them greatly for the job they do so I’m delighted to be doing the 100k challenge for the month of May. Imagine, I have to go walkies for a full 100 kilometres – it’s no wonder I’m whacked. I never thought I’d be able to complete the full distance but I’m well over 80k now so I know I’m going to do it. I’ve had some lovely walks in Lees Road and Coole Park and a lot of walkies end with a dogguccino so all the hard work is worth it. Of course, the real reason I’m doing all these walks is to raise money to train Guide Dogs so if you’d like to help, the link is guide-dog-day-2021.raisely.com/walkieswithdaisymay. I had a wonderful walk last week with my friend Cassie and I hope to complete my 100k with …

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Clare celebrates Africa Day with virtual event

CLARE County Council is celebrating Africa Day this May 25 with a virtual event that can be viewed on the local authority’s YouTube channel. https://youtu.be/5ssGQSAQFkQ With Covid restrictions hampering the usual gatherings and celebrations, the Council, in collaboration with the Association of Nigerian Community in Clare and the Clare Immigrant Support Centre, has created a video that contains a wide variety of content sharing the African Irish culture here in Clare. Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr Mary Howard, said: “In Clare, Africa Day represents an opportunity to acknowledge a diverse and important group of people who enrich and make a valuable contribution to Irish society.” The Cathaoirleach, along with members of Clare’s African Irish community, planted a tree this year as part of the celebrations to symbolise the deepening roots of those living in County Clare. The positive impact and influence of Ireland’s African communities is evidenced across many aspects of life in County Clare, not least the worlds …

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Clare’s charms on RTE as Today broadcasts from Ennis

COUNTY Clare’s tourism sector will be showcased nationally this week when RTÉ’s Today show broadcasts live from Ennis. This Wednesday, May 26, Dáithí Ó Sé will broadcast part of RTÉ’s popular afternoon programme from Ennis. Dáithí will meet John McCarthy from Lahinch Surf Club, who’ll show him a few moves. Also featuring will be Harry Hughes from the Willie Clancy Summer School, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Mary Howard, and John Burke and Aoibhin Garrihy from The Armada Hotel at Spanish Point. TV chef Mags Roche will be cooking up a storm at The Old Ground Hotel where Dáithí will also meet local food producers, Siobhan Ni Ghairbhith from St Tola Goat Cheese and Patricia Farrell from Wilde Irish Chocolates. Dáithí be chatting to All Ireland champion hurler, Anthony Daly, and Clare camogie star, Orlaith Duggan, but he’ll also be putting his own hurling skills to the test. Dáithí will complete a hurling challenge with Clare senior hurler David McInerney …

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Backroom stalwart crosses Clare 250 finish line

Leading light of the Clare 250 Cycle Claire Nugent tells Fiona McGarry about the epic work in running the event THE Clare 250 Cycle is known the length and breadth of the county and has involved hundreds of participants from every town, village and townland since it first took to the road in 1980. The event has been the vital fundraiser for the Clare 250 Lourdes Pilgrimage, whereby cyclists have nominated cancer patients in their own communities and undertaken the challenge of raising funds for them to travel. The cycle has also funded the Clare 250 Centre in Ballygriffey, an oasis of calm in a woodland setting. What isn’t as well known is the military-style operation that has gone on behind the scenes of the cycle, keeping participants fed and hydrated on the 250-mile journey into almost every corner of Clare. For four decades, Ennis woman Claire Nugent has been to the forefront in rallying the troops and keeping the …

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WATCH: Dancing with Dusty in Clare’s magical underwater world

Kevin Corbett spoke with members of the Burren Sub Aqua Club about their fantastic experience with Clare’s famous dolphin Dusty on a dive off Miltown. See our video below TEN days on from their magical underwater encounter with one of Clare’s most famous marine residents, Jennifer and Jessica Smith are understandably still buzzing. The sisters, from Sixmilebridge, found themselves on RTE news last week after their interaction with Dusty the Dolphin was filmed while on a dive off Miltown Malbay with Burren Sub Aqua Club. Escaping the exam pressure that May typically brings, Jennifer, in her first year of mechanical engineering in Galway, and Jessica, a Leaving Cert student in St Caimin’s, Shannon, took to the pristine waters for a bit of relaxation with dad Finbar and other members of the club. Then, quite literally out of the blue, who should appear but Dusty the Dolphin. Jessica told The Champion, “We’ve only ever seen her once prior to this, the …

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Gort musician to take music world by storm with global song-writing competition win

A GORT student is set to create a storm in the music world having being named a winner in a global song-writing competition. Jenna Coughlan, a sixth year student at Gort Community School is one of six young musicians from across the world to be included on a new album with her award winning song ‘Smoke Storms’. The recording is being released by Future Youth Records,  a non-profit record label dedicated to helping youth create and distribute music promoting social justice based in California. In previous years winners of the song-writing competition would have been flown to LA to record their track, however due to Covid-19 this was not possible. Speaking to the Clare Champion, Jenna reveals that she managed to record her song for Think Earth Vol 1 from her very own bedroom in Gort. The Leaving Cert student says, “It would have been a nice experience to over there, but at the same time it’s a busy time …

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Drain art proves sewer-fire winner with people of Ennis

THE town of Ennis has been making waves with a new artistic initiative which has proven to be anything but a drain. Reports of something fishy happening in the town began to emerge last week, with sightings of sea creatures on Ennis’s streets. While robots and dinosaurs were also spotted hanging around the drains of the county capital. However there was nothing to fear from these colourful creatures which have been the result of a new ‘drainart’ project of public art instigated by Ennis Chamber. The artwork has already proven to be a massive hit, with the hashtag Everybody Loves Ennis, trending as people from around the world shared photos across social media of the designs. The images were shared on RTÉ’s social media, with Margaret O’Brien of Ennis Chamber telling us that according to the national broadcaster it was one of the most positive engagements they had across all their platforms that day. The paintings were created by artists …

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Training scheme for film makers launched

FILM MAKERS in Clare will have the opportunity to produce their own documentaries as part of a newly-launched scheme in the Mid-West. A training and production scheme for emerging documentary film makers has been launched by Innovate Limerick through Film in Limerick. ENGINE Docs, supported by Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board and delivered in partnership with the Sheffield DocFest in England, will train and support regional up-and-coming talent to work as documentary directors and producers. Up to 12 shortlisted teams will receive training from Irish and international documentary experts to develop their project ideas leading to four teams being awarded production funding of up to €10,000 each to produce a short 10-minute documentary film. Shortlisted directors and producers will also receive accreditation for the Sheffield DocFest’s 2021 online programme running from June 4 to 13. Paul C Ryan, regional film manager at Film in Limerick, said, “This new scheme will offer aspiring and emerging documentary talent a professional …

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