East Clare

AN EXCITING collaboration has taken place in East Clare bringing together the natural beauty of the landscape and the rich heritage of the Irish design and craft sector, writes Fiona McGarry. With the support of the Design and Craft Council of Ireland’s #MadeLcoal 2021 campaign, the 12 O’Clock Hills Project has teamed up with a locally-based designer and maker to celebrate their achievements to-date in developing the region as a destination for walkers and hikers. The group has commissioned a limited collection of unique baseball caps hats and beanies produced by skilled artisan Ailish McElroy at her design studio in Bodyke. The aim of this collaboration is to celebrate and support Irish makers and their work, calling on consumers to shop local and consider the breadth of Irish-crafted, high-quality products available here. It also promotes the hiking and walking amenity and celebrates the achievements of the 12 O’Clock Hills Project to-date which has developed three walking and hiking trails for …

WORKS on a new footpath and pedestrian crossing for Clooney will begin in a matter of weeks and the local community development group will be informed shortly about the time-frame, writes Fiona McGarry. The matter was raised at the July meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District when Councillor Pat Hayes tabled a motion seeking an update. The Fianna Fáil member noted that Clooney and Quin had been added to the East Clare district in recent years and that Clooney now has an active community group. “The group are proposing to create a sense of a centre for Clooney,” Councillor Hayes said. “They have raised issues around paths and crossings and I would like to thank the Killaloe district team for their efforts to move this up the line and get greater funding opportunities for the works,” he said. “The works will clearly show the commitment of Clare County Council to the community of Clooney. The council should always embrace efforts …

Michael O’Connor on a glorious night for Feakle as they took their first Clare Cup in 33 years THE thunder was in the air and also on the field for the first quarter of this superb Clare Cup game played in Kilmaley. For Feakle, it was the chance to dream of 1988 heroics, knowing a win of some proportions allowing for Cratloe winning against SIxmilebridge might bring the title back to Biddy Earley country. For Kilmaley, a last chance to fine tune and prepare for what many have titled the group of death. The exchanges throughout the game were fierce and uncompromising. Michael O’Malley, who made an unexpected exit soon after, opened the scoring in the first minute with a superb score. It comes as no surprise that Shane McGrath once again took the scoring honours and he had two frees on the board after five minutes as Feakle were operating with Con Smyth as a sweeper and indeed at …

A QUIN man undergoing break-through cancer therapy in Germany has issued an emotional ‘thank you’ to those who are helping to fund his treatment. Johnny Hassett of Ballyhannon House, who is a very popular and highly respected member of the equestrian community, received a lung cancer diagnosis in June and has been having chemotherapy under the care of a leading specialist in a German hospital in recent weeks. The 49-year-old specialises in producing ‘breeze up’ horses, who are galloped or ‘breezed’ in front of prospective buyers. Since his diagnosis, members of the sector have rallied around Johnny and raised over €250,000 through a Gofundme campaign. The fundraising drive was started by members of the The Breeze-up Consignors Association (BUCA) to help with medical bills and has resulted in a huge outpouring of goodwill in Clare and much further afield. John Cullinan of BUCA told The Champion that the figure raised to-date indicates the high regard in which the Quin man …

THE provision of a new Waterways Museum is one of the interesting proposals mooted for a Killaloe and Ballina in a draft plan following public submissions, writes Dan Danaher. Almost 100 submissions were made to the Planning Department of Clare and Tipperary County Councils from August 4 to September 7, 2020, concerning the Killaloe and Ballina Town Enhancement and Mobility Plan (TEMP). In total, 50 submissions were from Ballina and 48 were from Killaloe. The purpose of this stage was to bring together the key groups that contribute to the everyday operation of the town, to share ideas on those elements of the town that work well and those that are considered to undermine the town. Some submissions complained about a lack of a sense of place with spaces dominated by vehicular traffic and no outdoor activities. The lack of adequate bins across from the Spar station and Clarisford Park, near Two-Mile, Gate, the housing estate, and Riverside Park and …

CONSTRUCTION of the Springfield Flood Relief Scheme is to begin next month, with a formal launch to take place this Friday, July 30 in Clonlara. The scheme will provide protection for 18 properties in the area, and involves the construction of a flood protection embankment, land raising, penstock/sluice, pump station and associated works at the townlands of Springfield, Cappavilla North, Cottage and Illaunyregan, Clonlara. Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Carey described the news as “a relief for local residents” following decades of disruption caused by severe winter flooding. “Residents have been affected by regular instances of flooding in Clonlara on several occasions, stretching back to 1995 and more recently in 2009, 2016 and 2020,” he said. “Having been through multiple flooding events, which has had a devastating impact on their lives and on their homes, it is a relief for local residents that construction is due to begin.” The Office of Public Works (OPW), Clare County Council and Byrne Looby …

A MAJOR exhibition focusing on Inis Cealtra is under way at the Scariff Library Gallery, to celebrate the fact that the island is in the running for inclusion on Ireland’s tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Lough Derg’s Holy Island is widely recognised as one of the most important early ecclesiastical sites in Ireland. The island, which is now in the ownership of Clare County Council who are developing a visitor experience centre in Mountshannon, is closely associated with St Caiman. The seventh century saint created a major centre of learning at the monastic site. Organised in conjunction with Mountshannon Community Council, the main exhibition’s main centrepiece comes from the excavations carried out by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in the 1970s. These works unearthed a range of important artefacts and revealed the different phases of activity and occupation on the island. The island’s archaeological remains include the iconic Round Tower, the ruins of several churches, an ancient …

Finn McGeever tells Dan Danaher that the local support will give him a real boost in the pool in Tokyo A FORMER student of St Anne’s Community College has described securing a place on the Irish Olympic swimming relay team as a “dream come true”. Finn McGeever, (20) will be making history in Toyko, as he is part of an Irish swimming relay team, that will compete in the 200 metre relay event for the first time in 49 years. Securing nine Olympic places means this is the largest Irish swimming team after three qualified for the previous games. The Irish men’s four by 200 metre freestyle relay heats takes place on Tuesday, July 27, between 7 and 9.30pm Tokyo time, which is eight hours ahead of Ireland. Finn, a second year student at University of Limerick (UL) is the youngest son of Roisín and Charlie and a past pupil of Ballina National School and St Anne’s Community College. In …