Dogalogue With Bev and Daisy AS the colder weather approaches and Christmas is around the corner, while we are enjoying the rich foods and putting up decorations, please look out for your pets. Pets are vulnerable to poisons but the risk can be even greater during the winter. Some poisons are very toxic, while some are minimally toxic, like ant baits and silica packs. When in doubt, call your vet. Take special care to keep these toxins out of your pet’s reach and pet-proof your house. Antifreeze poisoning is the most common emergency at this time of the year. Ethylene glycol is the main constituent of antifreeze and is poisonous for dogs, cats and other animals. Pets are attracted to the sweet taste of ethylene glycol and many will lap antifreeze spilled or leaking onto garage floors or driveways. Make sure all antifreeze containers are leak proof and have tight-fitting lids. Cats can knock them off shelves and sometimes get …

TWELVE months ago, morale was very low in Miltown after the GAA club lost its senior status for the first time in its 125-year history. Beaten by Lissycasey in a replay, they were sent crashing to intermediate ranks last November. Now the club is buzzing, after the adult team bounced back to reclaim their place in the top group. For Miltown St Joseph’s followers, in particular, and for Clare football fans, in general, all roads lead to the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick this Saturday for their provincial decider appearance. “Last year was awful. Everyone felt they had let themselves and everyone in the parish down. No-one had any problem in telling us we let them down. It really didn’t hit home until draws were made at the beginning of the year for this year’s championship and we weren’t in it. “We simply had to win the Clare title this year and we probably put pressure on ourselves without realising it,” …

THIS generation of Cratloe players just keep on giving to their club. Their latest delivery is the Jack Daly Cup and a first senior football championship title in the club’s 126-year history. They landed Jack with the minimum of fuss and without playing close to their optimum. This was underlined when the new champions played significantly better on Sunday in their provincial semi-final defeat of Ballinacourty. Even in winning, Cratloe were somewhat understated. They greeted an era defining championship win in the same manner another club might celebrate a league title. Of course, the fact that they had to play again the following day was unquestionably a factor in that. There was a nice symmetry to their success in that Óige Murphy captained Cratloe, 33 years after his father and Cratloe selector Martin, captained Kilmihil to their only senior championship in 1980. What will disappoint Doonbeg most is that they didn’t really go for it. They defended fairly well as …

THE general manager of an Ennis-based company at the centre of a major data protection breach, has said he regrets “any distress caused by the criminal attack by an unknown third-party.” He has not, however, commented on the length of time the company stored customer data. Loyaltybuild, an international firm based on Station Road in Ennis, was the subject of what it described as “a sophisticated criminal attack”, which resulted in the full payment card details of more than 370,000 customers being accessed illegally, the details of an additional 150,000 clients being potentially compromised and the contact details of 1.12 million clients throughout Europe also being taken. The breach has affected people who availed of SuperValu Getaway Breaks and AXA Leisure Breaks between January 2011 and February 2012. Customers of ESB Customer Supply (now Electric Ireland), who availed of a similar discounted hotel break scheme between 2007 and 2008, were also affected. A number of other companies have also notified …

Sixmilebridge  1-17 Midleton  1-13 AFTER a somewhat tentative start, Clare senior hurling champions Sixmilebridge produced an outstanding performance to overcome Midleton in the provincial senior club championship semi-final at Pairc Úi Caoimh on Sunday. The ‘Bridge were fully deserving of the win, which gives them a Munster final date with Na Piarsaigh from Limerick on Sunday. The involvement of former Sixmilebridge great, Sean Stack, as manager of the Limerick outfit, will add spice to the tie. Midleton, who had ended a 22-year wait for victory, in the Cork championship, had a two week break ahead of Sunday’s meeting, while the Clare champions captured their 11th title when defeating the holders Newmarket just seven days previously. It took the Clare champions a while to settle and they can count themselves fortunate not to have been a few points behind at the end of the opening quarter, when Midleton were guilty of some poor shooting. They hit five wides in that period, …

AN Ennis couple were left devastated after the grave of their stillborn son was damaged by vandals last week. Christina Quinn and her husband Eamon buried baby Patrick almost three years ago. They regularly visit the grave and were stunned when they arrived there last Thursday evening to find it had been interfered with. Speaking to The Clare Champion, Christina said, “We were devastated, still are devastated. It’s a baby’s grave, why would they do that to a baby’s grave? That’s all I want to say, to get that put in the paper to let people know what’s happening out in Drumcliffe and I think there should be CCTV cameras installed there.” Christina said that they go to the cemetery two or three times a week and the damage was done at some point between 7pm on Wednesday evening of last week and 5pm the next day. The two were stunned at the scene that greeted them last Thursday. “I …

FOUR members of Cratloe’s senior football championship winning squad are faced with an agonising dilemma – do they travel to Hong Kong with the All-Star hurling team next week or stay at home to play with their club in the Munster final. However, that scenario may yet change as the Cratloe club has lodged a request with Munster Council for a postponement of their final meeting with holders, Dr Croke’s from Killarney. A meeting of the council’s Competitions Control Committee on this Thursday evening will deliberate on the request. The final is scheduled for Sunday, December 1 at The Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Podge Collins, Conor Ryan, Conor McGrath and Brendan Bugler were named on the All-Stars hurling team and they are due to travel to Hong Kong on Wednesday next where an exhibition match against the 2012 All-Stars team is scheduled. They will return the following Wednesday, December 3, two days after the provincial club football final is due …

Cratloe  1-10 Ballinacourty (Waterford) 0-11 GETTING stronger as the game wore on, Cratloe defied the perceived wisdom that playing a Munster club semi-final, the day after their first Clare football championship win, would derail them. Instead they showed that they have the most admirable collection of lungs in Munster GAA. Rather than celebrate the clubs historic county final win on Saturday night, Cratloe spent the evening in the ice chamber, preparing for Sunday’s provincial semi-final in Cusack Park, which was watched by 873 paying customers. Come Sunday evening, they had plenty of time to party with a Munster club final appearance on December 1 also in the bag, against reigning Munster champions Dr Croke’s. Sadly for Cratloe and particularly for Conor McGrath, they will have to take on the Kerry champions without their inspirational corner forward. Quiet against Doonbeg in the county final, McGrath was magnificent against Ballinacourty. His daintily finished goal was the games pivotal score, while he also …