Canadian woman Brenda Cavillin has been busy mapping her Clare heritage, writes Carol Byrne TG4 recently featured a Canadian woman with Clare roots as part of its Tar Abhaile (Come Home) series, which focuses on the Ireland Reaching Out initiative. Brenda Cavillin (nee Killeen) came to County Clare this past week to watch the programme with the family members she has managed to connect with through the series and with the help of Tulla’s Reaching Out volunteers. Brenda is a direct descendant of James Killeen and his brother, Rev Charles Killeen, her third great-grandfather and her third great-granduncle, whose roots are in West Clare. Through her research and some happy coincidences, Brenda learned that their father, Thomas Killeen, enlisted with the British Army in 1808. After giving seven years service fighting in the Canadian War of 1812, he became eligible for a land grant in the Perth District in Canada. However, he instead opted to come home to his wife …

THE public disagreement between two State bodies regarding the proposed fish farm off the North Clare Coast is “a very poor reflection of the public sector”, the head of one of them has admitted. Inland Fisheries Ireland and Bord Iascaigh Mhara have come out on opposite sides of the plan by BIM for the development of a 456-hectare organic salmon farm between the North Clare coast and Inis Oirr. BIM submitted an application for the farm, which would produce 15,000 tonnes of salmon per year, to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine last January. Speaking to The Clare Champion Bord Iascaigh Mhara CEO Jason Wholly described the disagreement between BIM and IFI as beyond unseemly. “Unseemly is putting it mildly and it shouldn’t be the case and it is a very poor reflection of the public sector in Ireland and, indeed, the Government that this is the case,” he stated. A key area of disagreement between the two sides …

WELL known Ennis-based writer, Maureen Cronin, wanted to be only one thing as a child – a teacher. So, it was no surprise to her family when she went on to secure a scholarship, allowing her to attend Our Lady of Mercy College, Carysfort, Blackrock to qualify as a national school teacher. However, after teaching in many schools after her graduation, falling in love could have meant the end of her time in the classroom. The introduction of the marriage ban in 1933 meant any female teacher who married after the rule came into force, had to give up their permanent job. That wasn’t to be for Maureen, who defied convention by carrying on working for 12 months without pay, then continuing her career until well after the ban was eventually lifted in 1958. For many she was a pioneer, but the mother-of-four modestly says she was only able to take this dramatic step because she had the means to …

Food connoisseurs will be left salivating at the prospects of what three award-winning chefs can serve up in the kitchen. The chefs are sure to whet the appetites of all with some culinary delights at The Inn at Dromoland next Thursday night at a cookery demonstration, organised by the 14th Clare scout group from Sixmilebridge and Kilmurry in a bid to boost the coffers and their efforts to provide a new scout den. Fergal McGee (The Inn at Dromoland), David McCann (Dromoland Castle) and Garry McGorrian (Bunraty Manor) will put their talents on display and provide some seasonal recipes for those in attendance. Guests will be greeted on arrival with a glass of mulled wine, and can browse and shop at the exhibitor stands as on display will be goods that may help sorting out some Christmas presents. All attendees will be presented with a souvenir brochure, which will also contain a copy of the recipes demonstrated on the night. …

THE Mayor of Ennis is calling on the people of Clare to repeat the support they showed for the hurlers this year by supporting local businesses this Christmas. Councillor Mary Coote-Ryan issued her “Back The Banner” rallying call this week as the town gets set for the start of a parking incentive scheme aimed at promoting Christmas and New Year shopping in the county capital. Free parking will be available in the town’s 759 off-street and 783 on-street public car parking spaces up to 12noon daily from this Saturday to January, 6 2014 inclusive. Mayor Coote-Ryan said the message being promoted by Ennis Town Council, supported by the business community, is that the people of Clare can help sustain employment within the county by supporting local businesses. She continued, “By supporting street entertainment, like Ennis Street Radio, in tandem with the introduction of free car parking, pedestrianisation and an impressive Christmas lighting display, Ennis Town Council is once again playing …

Ronan Scully, Spancilhill, writes about his recent visit to Uganda with teachers and pupils from Coláiste Lurgan in Inverin, Galway IT takes two days to travel from a school tuck-shop in Inverin, County Galway to the poor homes of Kayunga in Uganda but, in a very real sense, the journey is one of a million miles. After two days of travel, your eyes are heavy and your legs are stiff but, in Kayunga, your mind is racing. Your first thought is to wonder how people could live in such poverty; your second is to wonder how you can help them out of it. I had travelled to the rural district in East Africa to see the work of Irish development organisation Self Help Africa, in the company of a very special group. For the last 12 years, the pupils of Coláiste Lurgan in Inverin have been raising money, through the school tuck-shop, to support projects that work with some of …

STOVES and heating systems had to be replaced at six council-owned homes, which are just a decade old, at a cost of about €45,000, it emerged this week. A meeting of North Clare Electoral Area, councillors heard that over €2 million has been spent on six Traveller accommodation units in Ennistymon and it would cost a further €100,000 to install CCTV at the site. According to figures from Clare County Council’s housing section, the initial construction of St John’s Park in Ennistymon was €1.7 million in 2003. Maintenance costs to date have been “in the region of  €10,000 per annum. However, this will rise to €45,000 in 2013 due to the replacement of heating systems and kitchen units in the six houses.” Fires at two houses in the development caused a total of €85,000 worth of damage, according to the council. “Refurbishment costs for the two fire-damaged houses are estimated at €25,000 and €60,000,” Niall O’Keeffe, administrative officer in the …

A LOGGERHEAD turtle, which is unsuited to cold water, was obviously uncomfortable in the sea around Quilty, where it was stranded last week. On November 9, the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) and the Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation were alerted after the stranded turtle was discovered. It was subsequently brought to the Galway Atlantaquarium, where it is being cared for. The turtle was given the name Leon after the famous shipwreck in Quilty. Simon Berrow of the IWDG said things are looking up for the unfortunate turtle.  “It’s in the Galway Atlantaquarium and it’s quite active now. The local county council vet in Galway is providing some veterinary input and she’s very thorough. As of Monday, it’s in a bigger tank and it’s now in fully salt water. It had been in fresh water because it was dehydrated and they can absorb water through their skin. It has a bit of an infection on its shell and they’re …