Tag Archives: Feakle

A NEW Folk Club is being established by broadcasters Ruth Smith and Paula Carroll, starting this Wednesday night at Pepper’s bar, writes Owen Ryan. Ruth presents Simply Folk on Sunday nights on RTE and speaking about the spark for the new Folk Club, said it has been an idea long in the making. “Myself and Paula Carroll, who’d be well known to Clare FM listeners (she presents the West Wind), had an idea of doing it back in 2018. Just with our different schedules we were never able to kind of pull it together at the right time. “The pandemic had a couple of silver linings, with people slowing down. We applied for the live performance support scheme grant, which we were successful with. “That was with Gary Pepper and the venue being Pepper’s pub in Feakle, and it’s all systems go now, which is great.” She said that the two broadcasters became fast friends on meeting in Feakle. “Myself …

HEART-FELT tributes have been paid to the late Feakle singer and poet Dun Purcell who passed away in his 99th year on Saturday (August 14). Dun, who was a native of Bauregegaun, was a much-loved character with a wide circle of relatives, friends and admirers of his talent, wit and care for his community. Having battled Covid-19, which he recovered from earlier of this year, Dun demonstrated huge spirit – one that had already seen him overcome the threats of TB and Scarlet Fever in his youth in East Clare. His contribution to life in Feakle and the wider community have been very fondly remembered in recent days. A renowned singer, Dun handed the musical tradition down to his family, with his daughter Kate an accomplished folk singer and guitarist. He was a popular participant at musical gatherings of all kinds in the area. Dun was a life-long volunteer in a host of ways in his local community and was …

AN ANTIQUE piece of furniture linked to a man who conspired, along with the legendary wisewoman Biddy Early, in a notorious East Clare murder is to go on display in Kilkishen next month. The blanket box, a large wooden chest, belonged to a James Mac Namara who was accused, along with the husband of the legendary Feakle healer, of murdering their landlord. The item, which was salvaged by local Kilkishen historian Cathal O’Hagan, has been carefully restored and will go on display at the Kilkishen Cultural Centre. “I think it’s fitting on the 161st anniversary of the murder that people would be able to see this,” Mr O’Hagan said. “According to lore, this historic blanket box came out of the farmhouse of James Mac Namara who one night in October 1860 with Biddy Early’s husband Tom Flannery and three other evicted tenants and, with help from Biddy, killed the landlord.” Legend has it that Biddy, who foretold Mr Sheehy’s demise …

MONDAY saw the return of outdoor drinking and dining, with hundreds of people taking the chance to return to Clare’s bar and restaurants. Since then the Abbey Street car park in Ennis saw large numbers gathering in specially assembled areas linked to the various licensed premises in the area. General manager of Knox’s Declan Kelly said that the reopening has gone well, and the bar/restaurant has done quite a lot of business. “It’s been very good, people have been enjoying it and behaving themselves. There has been no drama, it’s been very good to be honest. “We’ve been tipping away. We were very busy on Monday as it was the first day. Last night (Tuesday) we filled all our tables out the back, which was great. We were very happy with that, we weren’t expecting it as such. There’s a good oul buzz around it, people are looking to come back out and socialise.” One thing about outdoor drinking and …

AS A wheelchair user, 29-year old Jessica Keegan has always made the most of the cards that life has dealt her. A native of Manchester, Jessica was born with cerebral palsy, a condition which restricts her movement and affects her balance and coordination. She spent much of her childhood in Feakle and attended Dromindoora and Flagmount national schools and later Scariff Community College. “Feakle is beautiful,” she said, “but it’s not such a great place to be if you happen to use a wheelchair. It’s really hard to access services from there and you can end up being very isolated.” Jessica, a graduate of Mary Immaculate College, describes herself as “bubbly and sociable”. Her friends and the staff of Enable Ireland Adult Services at Quinn’s Cross in Limerick, are a lifeline for her in what has been a time characterised by isolation and loneliness. But while the pandemic has presented huge challenges, Jessica has faced them with characteristic courage and …

A VERY special lady celebrated her 100th birthday last Saturday at Raheen Community Hospital, where she has been a popular and cherished resident for the past three years. Peggy Tuohy (née Smyth) was born in Cleaveland, Ohio, where she spent the first six years of her life. When her family returned to Ireland, they lived in Kilbarroe and Peggy attended national school in Feakle and later Annaghneal. The eldest of seven siblings, Peggy went on to study home economics in agricultural school in Portumna, while also helping her mother to look after the family. Peggy worked in Dublin for a time as a carer for an older person before she met and married her husband Frank. The couple had six children Helen, Marie, Harry, Fergal, Gerard and Deirdre and Frank passed away in 1998. Three of Peggy’s children live in America, and she has 13 grandchildren 13 great grandchildren and one great great grand child. Frank  was a farmer so …

TWO Clare men have been keeping postal staff on their toes with a series of riddles designed to test their local knowledge. Gearóid Kelly from Feakle and Tony McTeigue from Kilnamona have exchanged Christmas cards over the last five years. Rather than simply writing a name and address on the envelope, the pair have taken to coming up with cryptic instructions that have, almost always, led to the successful delivery of their post. While Gearóid works in Dublin and Tony in Australia, the two have sent cards and letters to each other’s home address, in the hope that local ties will help postal staff to decipher their destinations. “We’ve known each other since going to college in NUI Galway,” Gearóid told The Champion. The Business Information Systems graduate, an accordion player, met fellow Clare native, Tony, who plays banjo, at the college’s Trad Soc. “We were always up for a laugh and a few practical jokes alright,” he said. Now …

GREATER efforts must be made to keep key local link roads passable during the current winter lockdown, according the Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe Municipal District. Councillor Pat Hayes made his remarks at this week’s meeting of the district committee noting that during the recent lengthy spell of sub-zero temperatures, there were particular issues around Flagmount and between Feakle and Scariff. In a motion calling for a review of the Winter Gritting Plan, the Fianna Fáil member noted that the Feakle-Scariff road and the Gort-Tulla road are among some key routes currently excluded from the plan. “These roads need to be included as a matter of urgency for the safety of motorists,” he said. “Now that people have to stay within 5km of their homes, it’s particularly important that they can safely access local services. If you take O’Meara’s in Flagmount, people have to be able to get there safety for essential food and supplies. I’m calling on the council to …