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Tag Archives: Clooney

Clooney man’s final letters: ‘We are dying as martyrs of Ireland’

One hundred years ago today Patrick Hennessy wrote his final letters before he was executed the following morning with his friend and fellow IRA man Con McMahon. Joe Ó Muircheartaigh looks at the bravery of the Clooney man’s words, who at the time of his death was secretary of the Clare County GAA Board.   It wasn’t until the last Wednesday of October in 1924 that Patrick Hennessy and Con McMahon were given the dignity of a proper burial — a resting place among their own people in Clooney, over 21 months after they had been executed in Limerick Gaol by an Irish Army firing squad. The bodies of the two volunteers had been kept at the gaol after their execution, with one theory being that the Bishop of Killaloe, who was a staunch supporter of the Cumann na nGaedheal government headed up by his personal friend, WT Cosgrove, refused to allow the bodies to be buried on consecrated ground …

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‘Dying for Ireland and still true to the Republic to the last’

Ahead of a special commemoration at Clooney Cemetery at 1pm on Sunday, January 23, at which he will be the guest orator, Dr Tomás Mac Conmara writes about the controversial Civil War executions of Clare republicans, Con McMahon and Paddy Hennessy.   Readers of the Clare Champion on 3rd March 1923 were informed of the outcome of a Clare GAA Convention, held over the previous week. It was announced that the new County Secretary of the GAA in Clare, a position of some significance, was twenty-three-year-old, P.V. Murphy, better known as Vincent, from Knockanimana, outside Ennis. No reference was made to the man he replaced. Five weeks earlier, when it carried a brief report on eleven Anti-Treaty IRA prisoners, executed by the Free State on 20th January, the Clare Champion referred to two men shot in Limerick as ‘C McMahon’ and ‘P. Hennessy’, with no elaboration on their identity. The men, both from Clooney, were IRA Volunteers, Con McMahon and …

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East Clare ‘numbed’ by two road tragedies in quick succession

TWO fatal road collisions, which happened within days of each other, have left the community of East Clare reeling.  The incidents, which claimed the lives of a two men, have also prompted an appeal from Gardaí for vigilance on the part of all road users, particularly in bad winter weather.  Last Saturday night, Billy Hickey, a man in his 80s died in an incident on Main Street, Mountshannon, shortly before 8pm. Warm tributes were paid by those who knew him. Senator Timmy Dooley, a Mountshannon native, extended his sympathies to Mr Hickey’s family.  “I’ve known Billy all my life,” he said. “The entire community is just shocked at his untimely passing. He was a kind and friendly gentleman and deeply rooted in the area, even though he was a native of Tipperary. “His wife is from Scariff and the community is in shock there too. His grandchildren are part of the GAA community and well known, particularly in Clare camogie. …

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Late athlete Michael John a stalwart of Tulla and Clooney

THE recent passing of Michael John Quigney was greeted with a deep sense of sadness, especially in the Clooney and Tulla areas. Michael John was well known and popular through his employment and involvement in many organisations. Born in 1940, Michael John lived all his live in the townland of Toonagh in Clooney Parish adjoining the Tulla boundary. A hard worker and helpful neighbour, he worked for many years in Shannon Airport with Aer Lingus and Tedcastles Oil. He also ran the family farm. He was a member of the Tulla Macra na Feirme club that staged the Tulla Agricultural show, a show that attracted the world-renowned show jumper Tommy Wade. Michael John was also an athlete, a piper, an FCA member, a competitive card player and a fanatical GAA supporter. He followed the fortunes of Clooney-Quin and Clare with a boyish enthusiasm, right to the very end. He actually attended the Muster Hurling Final a few weeks before he …

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Appeal to be made for action over speed limits in Clare village

SERIOUS concern has been expressed about speeding through the village of Clooney, despite recent measures to slow traffic there to 50kph. The matter was raised at the recent meeting of Killaloe district councillors, when Councillor Pat Hayes called for the speed limit reduction to be extended on the Ennis side of the village. After being told that limits are reviewed every five years by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), Councillor Hayes urged the Council to use an appeals mechanism to progress the issue. “Exceptional work has been done in Clooney and I’m only talking about the Ennis side of the village,” Councillor Hayes said. “We are all very proud of the work and a fine job has been done. If anyone is assessing the situation from the Ennis side, you’ll see that the speed signs are on the bend. You’re in the village before you see them. They are hidden to some degree.” The Caher man thanked the Council for a …

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Pre-school for Clooney NS given the green light

THE provision of a pre-school at Clooney National School has been given the green light by the Department of Education. Consent has been granted for the operation of the service by a third-party childcare provider in an empty classroom in the school. The move has been welcomed by Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara who said, “I was delighted to be able to assist in securing go ahead for this preschool service, which will help the school to retain its three-teacher status and increase enrolment numbers. “Clooney NS, like many other rural schools across Clare, faces the ongoing challenge of consolidating and growing the number of students enrolled there,” he commented. Deputy McNamara continued, “I want to acknowledge the Principal and Board of Management for their efforts in seeking out a third-party childcare provider to operate a preschool at Clooney NS.  “Up to a dozen children are already provisionally enrolled in the new service, which bodes well for future enrolment numbers …

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Horse road safety event in Clooney

THE Pass Wide and Slow campaign will be taking to the road on September 19, to raise awareness about the dangers associated with how drivers and horse riders interact on Irish roads. In Clare, this campaign will be brought to the public’s attention in Clooney, via a walk involving riders and their mounts, as well as cyclists, walkers and children from the local national school, close to which the walk will start. The main aim of the initiative is to promote road safety in the context of how drivers and horse riders must respect each other’s right to the road; one of the central messages of Pass Wide and Slow is to do just that- leave at least two metres between vehicle and animal. Spokeswoman for the event, Máire Gleeson, said: “As soon as a driver sees a horse on the road, they should slow to a maximum of 15km per hour. We have been working for two or three …

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Clooney works to get underway in the next fortnight

WORKS which are due to begin in Clooney in the coming weeks “will put the village on the map on the main road from Ennis to Portumna”, in the words of the Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe Municipal District. Councillor Joe Cooney said that, thanks to an allocation under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the village, which has a very active development association, would soon see a major boost to its infrastructure. A contractor has just been appointed and work on a new footpath/cycleway as well as public realm infrastructure and a pedestrian crossing are set to get underway in the coming days. “ML & S Boldand Civil Engineering Ltd will be working to complete the works within three months,” the Fine Gael member said. “It’s fantastic news for Clooney and the Clooney-Spancilhill Community Development Group deserve a huge amount of credit as do the council staff and councillors who have worked so hard to progress the issue. The work …

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