West Clare

SINCE the foundation of the Kilrush RNLI station in 1997, the make-up of the crew were mainly all men bar one female, Pauline Dunleavy. In the 14 years, some girls had joined but due to family or job commitments had to leave. In recent weeks, the station’s latest crew member, Hungarian girl, Csilla Trungel completed her week’s intensive training at Poole in Dorset, passing all examinations and returning to Kilrush RNLI as a fully fledged crew member.  Last week with family members, together with members of the public, the all female crew were kitted out and took their place on board the Kilrush Lifeboat. Helm for the evening was Pauline Dunleavy, while the crew consisted of Csilla Trungel, Bríd O’Mahoney and Eve Brennan-Browne.  The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the Irish and UK coasts. The RNLI operates over 230 lifeboat stations. The RNLI is independent of CoastGuard and government …

MINISTER for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald visited the West Clare Family Resource Centre in Kilrush last Friday to mark the centre’s 10th anniversary. While in Kilrush, Minister Fitzgerald launched the centre’s new volunteer handbook. Last Friday also marked National Volunteer Day across the country.

CUBAN Ambassador, Teresita Trujillo visited the Loop Head Lighthouse last Saturday. The visit was part of the Ambassador’s visit to West Clare to open the inaugural Che do Bheatha festival in Kilkee to commemorate the visit of Che Guevera there in 1961.

THE Glynn family’s contribution to industrial development in West Clare from 1798 to 1930 was the subject of a talk in Kilrush last weekend.

KILKEE has yet to be associated with Cuban music, salsa dancing, Latin American food or even Cuban cigars. That will change this weekend, however, when the West Clare seaside resort will host a Latin American festival. The town will mark the 50th anniversary of the visit to the town of Che Guevara and his entourage in September 1961, with a three-day celebration of Cuban/Latin American cultures. The Cuban Ambassador to Ireland, Teresita Trujillo has accepted an invitation to open the inaugural festival, which runs from Friday until Sunday. The Ambassador will open the festival at 5pm on Friday at the Strand Hotel.The festival will include performances from Cuban bands, fancy dress, American classic cars, dance and music workshops and demonstrations.Che Guevara and Kilkee might sound like a rather unlikely combination but when one of the world’s most famous revolutionaries stayed in Kilkee in 1961, the iconic image, seen throughout the world on posters and t-shirts, was born. The world-renowned image …

THE possibility of developing a tourist ferry between the Loop Head peninsula and the Kerry coast was raised at this week’s Kilrush Electoral Area meeting.Councillor Pat Keane proposed that Clare County Council, in conjunction with Kerry County Council, examine the possibility of a ferry link between the two peninsulas during the summer months.The meeting heard suggestions that the ferry on the Clare side could operate from Kilbaha, Kilcredaun or Carrigaholt, depending upon the depth of water required at the pier on the Clare side.“It is hoped that the pier in Carrigaholt is going to be extended,” Councillor Gabriel Keating commented.“On the basis that the motion is agreed by the members of the West Clare Electoral Area, this council has no difficulty in engaging with Shannon Development and representatives from Kerry County Council to assess if potential exists for the development of a ferry service between the two peninsulas,” Ger Dollard, director of services, said on behalf of Clare County Council. …

A tempest of creative energy is about to be unleashed in Kilkee in mid-October (14 and 15) with the inaugural Play Wrighters’ Festival of Kilkee. In what’s primed to be a key west coast event on the literary calendar, a clarion call is going out to writers around the county to set fire to their imaginations impelled by the incendiary times we live and record the consequences in pieces of transformative theatre. Hosted by The Stella Maris Hotel and The Greyhound Bar, play readings and writing workshops will be the main features of the two-day event with political activist/writer John Arden and his wife Margaretta D’Arcy taking centre stage. They will read two extracts from their acclaimed treatise to George Moore.  Leading the local literary charge is drama activist Jenny Walsh Bassett, who has spread her contact net wide and bagged some big fish, cultivating her friendship with the Galway-based dissident writer Arden and his wife and artistic collaborator the …

A band with strong West Clare connections has made it to the final two of a national competition and is now looking for the public’s support to see them interviewed in the country’s best-known music magazine.Swords drummer Ian Frawley is from Kilrush and singer Diane Anglim’s father is from Kilmihil. They are joined by Jarlath Canning in the alternative-pop trio. Swords is one of two bands remaining in contention for the coveted exposure in Hot Press magazine.“We are constantly looking for good opportunities as a band. Good, credible opportunities for gigs and getting our music out there. We saw the competition in Hot Press and submitted one of our tracks, Chasm. There was a judging process, completely based on the songs, and we are now down to the final two, which is open to public vote and we really need people to vote for us online once every day,” explains Cappa man Ian. Winning the competition, Ian believes, will be …