AFTER a two-week break from action for the Christmas holiday period, there is a full schedule of games listed for decision in Clare soccer this weekend.

PROVISIONAL road casualty figures for 2012 published this week show a total of 161 people lost their lives on Irish roads in 2012. This is 25 fewer fatalities compared to 186 deaths in 2011 and 51 fewer deaths compared to 2010, when 212 people lost their lives on the roads. Road deaths have now fallen every year since 2006. 2012 was the fifth year in-a-row that a new record low for fatalities in this country has been achieved. The third Road Safety Strategy 2007 to 2012, which will be replaced in early 2013 with a new eight-year strategy, set a target of reducing road deaths to no more than 252 deaths per annum by the end of 2012. Since the beginning of 2007, there has been a 56% decrease in road deaths. While the total number of serious injuries sustained in crashes in 2012 is not yet available, there has been a 51% reduction in these injuries up to the …

THE Munster Open U-15 Handball Tournament was held in recent days in Liscarroll, Cork with in excess of 50 players taking part. This is the biggest juvenile handball tournament in Ireland, with the exception of the nationals.

PLANS for the creation of a proposed new third-level campus in Ennis have been scuppered after Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) abandoned its plans to establish the Munster Technological University (MTU).In January 2012, LIT announced a proposal by Cork Institute of Technology (CIT), Institute of Technology Tralee (IT Tralee) and LIT to establish MTU.This would form the largest higher education institution in the region, with campuses in Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Clare and Tipperary and an initial enrolment of over 24,000 students.However, LIT has reviewed its future position in the higher-education landscape and recently decided to prioritise collaboration with partners in the regional cluster of LIT, University of Limerick, Mary Immaculate College and IT Tralee and to pause further development of an earlier proposal to apply for designation for MTU.Last April, LIT assumed control of the Ennis Regional Learning Centre in a move that project administrator, Anne Griffin predicted would help to widen participation in higher education in Clare by providing …

WALTER O’Brien was the singles winner at Lahinch last Thursday and Saturday.

The Tulla 8k fun run and walk in aid of the Children’s Hospital, Tallaght and Pieta House attracted a fine turnout of 110 competitors, along with walkers.

CARRIGORAN will add a daycare centre to its facilities inside the next fortnight.Speaking to The Clare Champion last week, Valerie Vaughan, who will be the clinical nurse manager at the facility, said things are almost ready to go now.“We’re opening on January 15. The building is completed, there’s nothing further to be done on that and some clients have sent in their referrals for our three specific areas. We’re ready to rock.”The service will operate three days a week, with 25 people on each day.“It’s for age 65 and over and they need to have clearly identified needs to attend, so referrals are coming from GPs, the people themselves or from public health nurses,” Ms Vaughan added.She outlined the type of facilities that are being put in place. “There was a preservation order on the original Carrigoran House so what we’ve done is to renovate that and it’s absolutely beautiful. That’s half of it and the other half is a …

LAST month’s much-feared budget has been the subject of plenty of criticism over the last few weeks but it was relatively popular with hauliers, due to the introduction of a rebate on fuel for the industry.President of the Irish Road Haulage Association, Eoin Gavin, who is based in Bunratty, said the move will be a significant help to a beleaguered sector and will also bring money currently being spent abroad back into the Irish economy.“The rebate won’t come in until July. There has to be a bit of negotiating done and the level of the rebate will vary, depending on the price of fuel at the pumps at the time. It’ll curb the rising cost of fuel and give some stability. It’ll stop the use of laundered fuel and green diesel by trucks because the difference in price will be less and it gives recognition to the legitimate hauliers because it won’t apply to those whose taxes aren’t up to …