‘HEY, Quinn, leave our kids alone’. That was the strong message shouted through the streets of Ennis as parents of children with special needs and their supporters marched in protest over cuts to education resources. They have vowed to continue their fight until their voices are heard by Education Minister Ruairí Quinn.Wednesday’s protest march saw around 100 people take to the streets demanding that the Government’s cap on the numbers of special needs assistants (SNAs) in schools be lifted and that no further cuts be made to resource teaching hours. Minister Quinn earlier this week reversed a decision to cut resource teaching hours to school children with special needs by 10%, following a backlash by parents and teachers. However, the u-turn did not stop the Clare Special Needs Parents Support Group’s planned protest, with ­organisers saying it is important to send out a clear message to Government and fight for the rights of vulnerable children to ensure their futures. …

ENNISTYMON and West Clare Gaels will represent Clare at this weekend’s national Féile in Derry. Ennistymon will compete in Division 4 this weekend, having won the national Division 5 title last year. Most of last year’s winning panel are eligible again. Ennistymon are captained by Ross O’Doherty, while their management team is Michael Rouine, Brendan O’Doherty and Gerry Murphy.  Ennistymon will play their host club, St Oliver Plunkett’s on Friday at 1.30pm, while on Saturday at 9.30am, they play Saughanvale from Derry followed by a tie against Louth champions, St Mary’s, Ardee, at 12.30pm. Ennistymon will be staying in Greenlough, south-east Derry, for the weekend. Ennistymon beat Cratloe in the Clare Féile final. The following panel was on duty that evening: Dara McInerney; Conor Murphy, Cian McInerney, John Murphy; Conor Dillon, David Mescall, David McNamara; Seán Rouine, Conor Murphy; Aidan McCarthy, Ross O’Doherty, Patrick O’Rourke; Cian Shannon, Eoin Fitzgerald, Cillian Rouine, Matthew Davenport, Tiernan Hogan, Darren Cullinan, Conor Malone, Daniel …

PERSONAL experience of spending more than 17 hours on a trolley has prompted new Mayor of Clare, Joe Arkins, to request an overhaul of acute services for Clare trauma patients at the University Hospital, Limerick (UHL).

UNLESS Clare turn their season around in the qualifiers and defeat a top-tier county, 2013 will go down as the year in which the progress of this group of players, under the current management, irrevocably stalled. At a minimum, they will have to reach the All-Ireland quarter-final and at the very least perform in it or it will be time to look to Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor or possibly an outside manager in the shape of Liam Sheedy. It cost thousands of Clare supporters €25 to get into the Gaelic Grounds last Sunday. Any more of this calibre of performance from their county and the clamour for change will be impossible for even the county board to ignore. Davy Fitzgerald won’t go easily as manager but for the good of Clare hurling he will have to, unless management change their tactical tune and up their game for the qualifier series. With respect to early season physical preparation, this management …

LOOP Head lighthouse hosted its first wedding ceremony last week. Eric Williams and Kendall Stratman, from Jefferson City, Missouri, were the ones to create a little bit of local history.

THE Justice Committee is expected to recommend the criminalisation of those who obtain the services of prostitutes, as well as those who access websites to obtain the details of prostitutes.

Before either of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship semi-finals were played, Tipperary and Clare were the raging hot favourites to qualify for a July 14 meeting in the final. While one could understand patrons making both favourites to progress to the final given early season results, the manner in which the chances of both Limerick and Cork were written off was most surprising.It clearly suited both Limerick and Cork, who remained out of the limelight but produced big performances to upset the odds.The disappointment throughout Clare this week is understandable. Following the win over Waterford, hopes of a Munster Championship title increased and fans seemed to get carried away with those hopes when Tipperary made their exit. Last Sunday’s defeat has hurt fans all the more because of this.A number of Clare players failed to play to the form they are capable of but Cork must take a lot of credit for this, as they clearly had their homework done. …

A NORTH Clare man who strangled a woman before dumping her body into the sea will be sentenced to life imprisonment this Thursday.