Tag Archives: clare

AN Ennis family’s home is set to make things merry and bright this festive season – and all in the name of a very worthy cause. For the seventh year in a row the home of Gerry and Carmel Keane in Ashfield Park has been donned from top to toe with a dazzling array of Christmas lights to raise money for charity. Over the years the Keane family’s stunning festive displays have raised funds for a variety of organisations, with people who visit encouraged to leave a donation in a secure box outside of the home on the Gort Road. This year the family have chosen the Samaritans as their chosen charity with all funds raised going to the worthy cause. The Christmas lights will be officially lit this Friday at 6pm with Gerry telling us he is really looking forward helping to bring some festive cheer. He reveals that the energy crisis and rising electricity costs meant that this …

THE Kilfenora Dramatic Society return to the stage this week performing in the acclaimed comedy ‘It’s the Real McCoy’. The players are looking forward to getting back on stage in Kilfenora Hall following a break due to Covid and they will be performing shows on December 2, 3 and 4 at 8pm. The phenomenally successful play was written by Tommy Marren, a playwright and radio broadcaster from County Mayo. The action takes place over two days in the spring of 1964 in the humble abode of Madge Molloy – a woman in her mid-60s who has for 40 years wondered why her husband Tom, to whom she was married for just four months, disappeared without trace or reason. The cast of this production comprises John Howard, Paul Carkill, Willie Cahir, Mary Buckley, Lisa Carkill, Caroline O’Dea and Eileen Hegarty; the stage crew is Mary McCormack, Michael O’Loughlin, and Pat and John Lynch under the direction of Fr Ned Crosby. A …

REPRESSION of protests in China made headlines across the world in the last week, but weren’t even mentioned when the Chinese ambassador met with Clare County Council on Monday. The local authority hosted China’s Ambassador to Ireland, He Xiangdong, to mark Clare’s twinning relationship with Yunnan Province in China. Yunnan Province, which has a population of more than 46 million, is in the far southwest of China and borders Vietnam, Laos, and Burma. In a statement issued through Clare County Council, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council Tony O’Brien said he had been honoured to host the ambassador. “A lot of work and time has been invested in nurturing the relationship between Clare and Yunnan Province and it was an honour to welcome the Ambassador to County Clare. “Though separated by thousands of miles, the twinning relationship has already made significant strides towards bridging this gap through a shared spirit of cooperation, mutual understanding, exchange of knowledge and more importantly, friendship.” …

MACDARA Ó Conaola is a man with a vision. Recently appointed  Language Planning Officer for Ennis he believes the county capital has the potential to become a bilingual town within the next decade. He feels Ennis and Clare has the capacity to become a “beacon” to the rest of the country in changing how people view Irish, a language which, he laments, is currently “hanging by a thread”. Speaking to The Clare Champion recently MacDara talks about, amongst other topics, his work in Ennis, infectious passion for the Irish language, involvement with the hit movie The Banshees of Inisherin and love of music. Growing up on Inis Oírr completely bilingually MacDara says he was “very fortunate” in his upbringing. However he acknowledges, that for others, there can be a “negative attitude” towards Irish. This is something he wants to counteract, urging people to embrace the language in whatever little way they can and encouraging younger generations to engage. He tells …

A NEW appeal has been launched seeking Clare properties to house people who have fled the war in Ukraine. Clare County Council is urging those who have unoccupied properties to offer them as temporary homes. The call is part of a new government initiative, led by local authorities, to make use of unoccupied houses, apartments or holiday homes to house Ukrainian people and families. A tax-free recognition payment of €800 per month is available for properties used to house those arriving from Ukraine. This payment rate applies from December 1, 2022. More than 60,000 people have arrived in Ireland from Ukraine seeking safety and the vast majority need accommodation. Under a new programme, Clare County Council will take offers of houses, apartments, or holiday homes for temporary accommodation, liaise with owners to assess suitability, and arrange for their use by Ukrainian people and families. Property owners can offer homes at offerahome.ie or by contacting Clare County Council via email at: offerahome@clarecoco.ie. …

DISCUSSIONS are set to begin between the Ennis Municipal District and Office of Public Works on the possibility of automating flood gates at the Maid of Éireann. The local authority confirmed the move as fears were recently raised about the effects increased levels of rainfall on nearby farmland could have on the town’s water supply. However, the council have cautioned that while the automation of these gates is “not impossible” it would be “a very complex process”. Councillor Johnny Flynn, speaking at a meeting of Ennis Municipal District councillors, highlighted his “concern for public health” in Ennis’ water supply if contaminated water from flooded lands was to enter at Drumcliff. He recalled how Ennis households were placed under a boil notice in previous years when cryptosporidium was detected in the water supply. The councillor pointed out that the parasite can spread when animal waste is washed off lands as he called for action to be taken to help prevent flooding …

A GRAPHIC designer has created coloured prints of iconic Clare lighthouses on his journey to capture every lighthouse guarding the Irish coast, inspired by his boyhood hero Tintin.  Bert DuFour has spent the last three years and travelled over 2,000km trying to capture all 80 operational lighthouses dotted around our coastline, including Clare’s Beeves Rock, Blackhead, Kilcredaun and Loop Head.  Fifty-five lighthouses across the country have so far been framed as artworks – and now his huge project will go on public show at Gifted, Contemporary Craft and Design Fair at Dublin’s RDS from November 30 to December 4. “There is a beauty to these towers, and how they stand over the ocean,” said Belgian native Bert, who moved to Clonakilty, Co Cork, in 2011.  “I am gobsmacked by how these structures were created 150 to 200 years ago. I find how they were built and where they were built utterly fascinating.”  Bert, who started design business, The Designer of Things, …

A CELEBRATION of the men and women of Clare who contributed to Ireland’s independence will take place next month in Ennis. ‘Breith (Birth): A Clare Celebration of Irish Independence’ is a production to mark the centenary of the War of Independence in County Clare. The work is the vision of Dr Tim Collins, composer, musician and member of the world-renowned Kilfenora Céilí Band. The event will take place in glór Theatre, Ennis, on Saturday, December 10, at 8pm. This is a fully booked event but will be live-streamed on the night – details will be available on www.clarearts.ie “It is indeed a great privilege to bring together such diverse and illustrious artistic talent to commemorate what is one of the most important events in modern Irish history,” says Tim Collins. “My vision for Breith is to create an artistic space to remember and celebrate Clare men and women who lived through, and participated in, the Irish War of Independence. It weaves their local stories …