More than 2,830 young Clare people began their State exams on Wednesday. In glorious sunshine, 1,313 pupils filled study halls across the county starting their Leaving Certificate, while a further 1,441 kicked off their Junior Certificate with English Paper 1. According to the State Examinations Commission, 667 girls and 646 boys were expected to sit the Leaving Cert in the county, compared with 690 girls and 751 boys undertaking their Junior Cert exams. A further 76 pupils began their Leaving Cert Applied exams at 9.45am on Wednesday, made up of 29 girls and 47 boys.Wednesday marked the start a two-week slog for the Junior and Leaving Certificate pupils, with examinations concluding for the junior cycle on June 20, and June 21 for the senior cycle. Meanwhile, Leaving Cert Applied exams conclude on June 13. Leaving Certificate pupils will receive their examinations results this year on Wednesday, August 14 from 12 noon, with a deadline of August 20 to return …

NORTH Clare councillors have reacted angrily to the redrawn electoral area boundaries announced last week.

IT isn’t just the political landscape that will be affected by upcoming changes to the Ennis constituency, with the mayor of the county capital expressing his fear that the abolition of the town council could lead to a “death knell” for business.

LOOP HEAD Tourism chairman Cillian Murphy has expressed his group’s annoyance that RTÉ’s Late Late Show asked them to supply 230 bed nights, which would have included breakfast and activities, in order for the group to appear on the Friday night talk show.

SHANNON had more sunshine than any other Met Éireann weather station in spring of this year, according to the agency. However, it was still very cold, with the mean temperature for the season almost two degrees below normal.

MOST of Kilkee was in darkness over the bank holiday weekend as a blown fuse caused much of the town’s public lighting to fail. In fact, once darkness fell, only the newly installed promenade lights on the Strand Line worked. Ironically, the town was exceptionally busy throughout the June Bank Holiday weekend.

THE HSE have said they will meet with the widow of an Ennis man who told of her “upset” that hospital staff at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick did not know where her husband’s remains were after his organs were removed for donation.

A LOCAL councillor has called for additional gardaí to be drafted into Lahinch after “at least 20 to 25 campers and vans” were parked there over the bank holiday weekend.