A coat belonging to Daniel O’Connell has been “totally forgotten about” and now languishes in the Clare Museum, according to an Ennis historian. Brian Dinan, while carrying out research for his book celebrating the centenary of St Flannan’s Terrace, A Terrace of Houses – A Passion of People, uncovered the history of the coat. He is calling for the garment to be put on public display in the county capital.“It has languished in the museum and never been displayed. Not displaying such an item of local historical importantce is akin to killing off an historic artefact. Such action is depriving the local community of gaining benefit, honour and pleasure from having such a treasure on display in our own museum,” he said.Museum curator John Rattigan has confirmed to The Clare Champion that the coat is in the Clare Museum, stating that there has been no funding available to allow it to be displayed in an appropriate manner. However, he added …

THE Labour Court has made a recommendation that workers being made redundant at Servisair be given an enhanced redundancy package.The workers are represented by SIPTU and according to the Labour Court recommendation, the matter relates to nine employees.Setting out the background, a Labour Court document said, “The company is part of an international corporate group that provides ground-handling services at Shannon, Dublin and Cork airports. Due to the downturn in business, management was left with no option other than the introduction of redundancy for a number of workers in the baggage, operations and ramp sections at Shannon Airport. “The dispute concerns nine proposed redundancies and management has issued notice of redundancy to the workers concerned offering a statutory package only. The union has rejected this offer and is seeking to negotiate an enhanced package for the workers.“The dispute could not be resolved at local level and was the subject of a conciliation conference under the auspices of the Labour Relations …

  The Dulick Motors charity four-mile road race and walk was held in Ennis on Saturday in aid of four charities, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Cahercalla Community Hospital, Clare Cancer Centre Kilnamona and Clare Crusaders. The event attracted more than 200 competitors. The rain stayed away as the athletes set out over the four-mile loop and four athletes made an early break, Michael Shannon, Kenneth Rodgers (both St John’s), Julio Cesear F Castro (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) and Mike Cunningham (Mooreabbey Milers). Going towards Drumcliffe, two athletes were away, Michael Shannon and Kenneth Rodgers, and going through the mile mark in five minutes flat. At the two mile-mark, in 9.55, they had almost a minute of a lead built up on Julio Cesear F Castro, winner of the Kildare half marathon in the Curragh last Sunday. The leaders were shoulder to shoulder at three miles and making their way onto the final stretch, it was Kenneth Rodgers who was starting …

Clare’s newly promoted cricket team took the spoils against Midleton XI in Cork on Sunday. It was Clare’s first ever game in the top division of Munster cricket.

STAGING the event in Clare for the first time, the involvement of New York-based Clare natives and the popularity of the recipients of this year’s awards all contributed to making the 2013 annual dinner of the Clare Association in Dublin one of the most successful and best supported in its long history.The decision to come to Clare as part of the association’s contribution to The Gathering proved a popular one and the event, held in The Falls Hotel, Ennistymon, last Saturday night was supported by over 300 people.Honoured at this year’s function were Ann Norton, Barefield, a founder member of the Clare Crusaders charity, who was named Clare Person of the Year and Bealaha, Doonbeg-native PJ Harvey of New York, who became the first recipient of the International Person of The Year award.The large attendance included past person-of-the-year and hall-of-fame winners, as well as association president Pat O’Donnell, chairman Liam O’Looney, Bill Lewis (New York) who made a presentation to …

CLARE Rose Marie Donnellan is rallying her supporters to follow her to Portlaoise, for the Rose of Tralee Regional Festival from May 30 to June 3.It’s a major tourism event on the Irish festivals calendar attracting 61 Roses, their families, friends and festival-goers from Ireland and around the world.Rose of Tralee host Dáithí Ó Sé will interview each of the 61 Roses over three nights before two judging panels select 23 Roses to go forward to the International Festival and Rose Gathering in Tralee next August.Newmarket-on-Fergus’ Marie is a qualified accountant working in Apple and has just returned from a year travelling the world, in which she gained huge international personal and professional life experiences. She is secretary of her local Tidy Towns committee. Marie describes herself as a true country woman at heart, who loves every tiny detail of country life.Roses representing 29 counties in Ireland, 14 regions in the United States, Scotland and seven major cities in the …

THE Ennis-owned Laoises First was the star of the show when first-round heats of the Galway Sea Festival A6 and A7 Stakes got underway at the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium last Thursday night.

MICHAEL Hourigan has his string in top form at the moment and the Patrickswell trainer was on the mark at his local track when sending out two winners at last Sunday’s all jumps card at Limerick.