To this day, Pat Guthrie vividly remembers the summer of 1954.  His father purchased a battery radio for the princely sum of £16. It was also the year he listened to his first All-Ireland hurling final radio commentary, leading 60 years later to his book which chronicles the careers of RTE’s radio sports commentators. IT was the first weekend in September and John Guthrie headed the few miles down the road from his thatched home in Commons North to Corofin village, to Pat Reidy’s bicycle repair shop on Church Street. It was a chore he was growing accustomed to, having the recently-purchased wet and dry radio battery charged and at the ready. That weekend was particularly special for the Guthrie family, as they tuned into their first All-Ireland hurling final radio broadcast. It was a final that elevated Ring to legendary status as he won his eighth All-Ireland medal, eclipsing the record shared in hurling by Kilkenny’s Sim Walton, Dick …

Gardaí in Shannon have seized a large quantity of fireworks under Operation Tombola. The assortment of fireworks have an estimated street value of up to €2,000 and were discovered and seized as part of an intelligence-led operation. Gardaí from the Shannon Detective Unit carried out a planned search of a house in the Rossbracken Housing Estate in the town on Wednesday afternoon and uncovered the fireworks. No arrests have been made but the investigation is ongoing.

SPECULATION is mounting that Clare’s longest serving county councillor, PJ Kelly, may not be a candidate in the 2014 local elections next May. The Lissycasey Fianna Fáil councillor has sat on the county council since 1974 and has served with 97 councillors over that period. He was first elected as an Independent councillor in the Miltown Malbay electoral district. He stood for Fianna Fáil in the 1979 local elections. Speaking to The Clare Champion on Wednesday, Councillor Kelly described himself as “undeclared.” A source said that Councillor Kelly will not run if what was described as a “winning substitute” can be located. “I’m in consultation with local supporters,” was all Councillor Kelly was prepared to say on the matter. Fianna Fáil are due to meet next Tuesday to decide upon their local election strategy. By then they will know what Councillor Kelly’s intentions are.  Councillor Bill Chambers has confirmed he will be seeking a nomination to run in the new …

MEMBERS of the general public are being urged not to supply any waste material to persons who do not hold a valid waste collection permit for fear the material will be used to fuel bonfires. Last year the Clare Fire Service sustained substantial costs responding to bonfire-related incidents as well as cleaning up after Hallowe’en bonfires. The fire service attended 10 bonfires at a cost of €11,826 in 2012. “Bonfires are an illegal, dangerous and a costly tradition,” explained Adrian Kelly, Clare Chief Fire Officer. “Bonfires are often built close to houses and other property presenting risks to personal safety and property. Hallowe’en is one the busiest times of the year for the fire services and responding to bonfire call outs creates a strain on existing resources. “I would like people to be aware of the fire safety hazards that arise from illegal bonfires, where the burning of highly combustible materials may lead to serious injuries or death,” he added. …

KILRUSH town councillor Tom Prendeville has predicted “Armageddon” for business in the town if rates are increased by up to 16.5% from January 1, 2015. Currently Kilrush has the lowest rates in Clare but with the abolishment of town councils likely to go ahead next year, business rates across Clare will almost definitely be harmonised. “What you will find is that more businesses will go to the wall. The result of that will be that rates will probably increase pro rata. Those that survive will have to pay more money to survive. It’s an Armageddon state of affairs for anybody in business in Kilrush if this harmonisation is going to occur, which it will do from January 2015,” he claimed. “The annual rate of valuation in Kilrush at the moment is €61.93 per square foot. That is sometimes refereed to as the general rate. Clare County Council has a rate of €72.99. So if there is harmonisation of the rates …

LIVING in Ennis has its price it seems. The cost of residential development contribution levies for homes built within the boundaries of Ennis Town Council is over €5,000 more the charges of Clare County Council, writes Jessica Quinn. This has led to one local councillor writing to Minister Phil Hogan urging him to request Ennis Town Council to “immediately” amend its newly adopted development contribution scheme. However, the town council has insisted that the levies are vital for the investment in facilities for the town, adding that the scheme was prepared in accordance with regulations and that the levies have been reduced from what was previously in place. According to the Development Contribution Scheme, levies for residential developments are €9,000 per unit within the town boundary, while Clare County Council’s charge is set at €3,876. Councillor Johnny Flynn this week described the scheme as “flawed” and “unfair” as he called on the minister to intervene. The councillor stated in a …

THE Clare Champion has been selected as the winner of the Headline Regional Newspaper of the Year Award 2013 for journalism relating to mental health or suicide prevention. Headline, the national media monitoring programme for mental health and suicide, created the award in recognition of the vital role regional newspapers play in promoting positive mental health and stigma reduction in their local communities. “From Headline’s media analysis, The Clare Champion’s coverage was notable for its dedicated focus throughout the year on locally available programmes and support services and endeavouring to discuss the important issue of suicide, while consistently providing further sources of help and information to readers,” media project co-ordinator Jane Arigho said. She continued, “With particular reference to the work of Dan Danaher, the newspaper provided an invaluable channel for real life experiences of mental health problems, which will, no doubt, not only contribute to greater public understanding but also encourage those experiencing difficulties to reach out and seek …

THE Clare County Board’s protracted efforts to re-fix the Cooraclare v Doonbeg senior football championship quarter-final had, at the time of going to press on Wednesday evening, failed to find a solution. The game was due to be played last Monday at 2pm in Kilmihil but Cooraclare did not field as one of their players, Enda Considine, father’s funeral mass was at 12noon in Cree on the same day. Had the game gone ahead, it would have been Cooraclare’s third senior football championship match in eight days. They had to wait 78 days between their first and second-round fixtures. Once it became clear that Doonbeg were not about to accept a walkover or hand over a signed team sheet to match referee Michael Talty, the football championship timetable was thrown into chaos. Had Doonbeg submitted a team sheet to the match official, it is likely that the county board would have awarded the game to the Magpies and, in their …