Clare Crusader’s Clinic is facing the threat of closure by 2020, unless major Government funding is provided on a annual basis. While neither of the co-founders, Councillor Ann Norton and Frank Cassidy, want to close the clinic, they have warned its current losses are unsustainable without Government funding. In the wake of the Console scandal, the co-founders have decided to open the accounts for the first time to dispel the perception that it has loads of spare cash. According to profit and loss accounts provided to The Clare Champion, the clinic has accumulated losses of €107,341. The charity made a slight profit of €1,495 in 2012, a profit of €14,615 in 2013 before sustaining a major loss of €48,523 in 2014. The clinic suffered further losses of €17,587 last year and €41,231 for the first six months of this year. Fundraising from 2005 to 2016 generated a gross return of €2,684,779, less €395,931 in costs, giving a net figure of …

SUPERMAC’S have agreed to sponsor Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann Inis 2016 in a six-figure deal. The well-known food company has come on board as a gold sponsor, contributing towards the organisation of what promises to be one of the most successful musical events that Ennis, and the wider county, has seen to date. At the launch Pat McDonagh, Supermac’s founder said, “Sponsoring the Fleadh Cheoil here in Ennis was an obvious choice for us, as we are a 100% Irish brand, working with over 250 Irish suppliers. We have strong ties with sports and music throughout our history and as a company that was born here in the west, we are delighted to be able to engage with such a huge event as the Fleadh Cheoil. “We have no doubt that it will have huge benefits for not only the county but for the entire region.” “Opening in Ennis was one of the key stepping stones in Supermac’s becoming a …

THE head of Clare’s garda division has criticised the process whereby gardaí have to investigate each other when complaints relating to garda discipline are made to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. Chief Superintendent John Kerin of the Clare Garda Division also said he is aware of incidents where false allegations were made to GSOC against members of the force in the county. “Neither myself nor superintendents are overly happy with the situation whereby members of the public make a complaint to GSOC regarding garda misconduct and we end up investigating 95% to 96% of these complaints, even though they were made to GSOC. I appreciate that GSOC review the investigations but, in fairness to members of the public who have issues with the gardaí, I feel those complaints should be dealt with by GSOC and not garda officers to ensure the integrity of the investigation and that gardaí are not investigating gardaí.” The GSOC Annual Report 2015, published this week, …

Visitor figures at Loop Head Lighthouse are up almost 5% in 2016. Clare County Council, which manages the facility in conjunction with the Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL), says 7,129 people visited the West Clare landmark between April and June compared to 6,806 people during the same period in 2015. June was the busiest month at the Lighthouse with 3,202 visitors recorded during the period. The total visitor numbers at Loop Head Lighthouse from March 18 last to July 15 was 9,440. Approximately 22% or 2,072 of these visitors were children. The nationalities of visitors to Loop Head Lighthouse during the same period were Irish (39%), German (27%), American/Canadian (10%), British (6%), Italy (2%) and other (16%). Loop Head Lighthouse is a landmark location on the Loop Head Heritage Trail which was named winner of the ‘Culture and Heritage’ category of the 2015 World Responsible Tourism Awards. It is also one of 12 lighthouses which make up Great Lighthouses of …

THE plight of those evicted from their homes was highlighted at this week’s meeting of Clare County Council, with one councillor voicing fears that someone could take the law into their own hands. Calls were made for the Government to introduce a moratorium on evictions until the social housing crisis has been resolved. Councillor PJ Ryan commented, “One of these days I can see somebody taking the law into their own hands if the situation is not rectified. The banks are 95% the cause of the problem and they need to take a reality check.” Councillor Mike McKee raised the issue with the local authority where he outlined increases in the numbers of people evicted across the country, those in mortgage arrears and families being made homeless. “Hard-working families are being dragged through the courts by the banks, the very same banks that were bailed out,” he stated. “There is a crisis in social housing at the moment and until …

A debilitating and sometimes life-threatening condition became the focus of international attention after the Duchess of  Cambridge’s battle with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) during  her pregnancies. Dan Danaher spoke with Clare Champion staff member Priscilla Lernihan about her own experience with HG Priscilla Lernihan shares a common experience with Kate Middleton. Both of them suffered from Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) but Priscilla would rather not be able to draw any comparison with the royal family member’s experience of the condition. Speaking about the “living hell” she endured during her pregnancy, Priscilla underlines the importance of early diagnosis in the treatment of HG. Her daughter, Sophie, will be 12 in August. A devoted mother to her, Priscilla says she could not have coped with a repeat of her HG experience with another pregnancy. “If I had known back then what I know now, it would have been a very different experience. I was lucky to have a healthy, beautiful baby girl, Sophie, at the …

THE incident-packed career of Ballinruan jockey Kieren Fallon came to an end this week, as it was announced that he is retiring and is suffering from depression. Speaking to The Clare Champion on Tuesday, Turf Club medical officer Dr Adrian McGoldrick said, “He has significant depression. We are waiting to get him in for management of it and will just take it from there really.” The depression has been affecting the 51-year-old for a long time, he added. “It’s been going on at least three years, if not longer; possibly even dating back to the court case he had back in 2007. It’s fairly shocking but people can carry it for years. Kieren is one of the greatest jockeys of all time and it’s terrible that it just slipped through the net to a certain extent. But he’s a fine fellow; he will pick himself up and move on with his life. He has a lovely family in England. There …

An Italian TV crew has been filming along the Wild Atlantic Way for an episode of Geo & Geo, a popular magazine show that airs on one of Italy’s national TV stations, Rai 3. The TV crew’s visit was supported by Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland and their filiming will be broadcast next December, showcasing the spectacular scenery of the Wild Atlantic Way to more than one million viewers across Italy. Niamh Kinsella, Tourism Ireland’s manager Italy, said, “We were delighted that the Geo & Geo TV crew decided to film along the Wild Atlantic Way. With about 1 million viewers per episode, it’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase the Clare to a huge Italian audience – helping to inspire them to come and explore the landscapes and locations which will feature in the show for themselves.” In 2015, we welcomed about 321,400 Italian visitors to Ireland, up +25% on 2014.