By Seamus Hayes The 2014 Clare senior hurling championship will have to be completed by the third weekend in October at the latest as the winners will be in action in the provincial championship quarter-final on October 26. The county football champions won’t see provincial action until the middle of November as, for the second year in-a- row, Clare have received a bye to the semi-final. The draws for the provincial club championships (senior, intermediate and junior) were made at a meeting of the provincial council on Thursday night when the Waterford and Clare hurling champions were drawn to meet in a quarter- final on October 26. The Waterford representatives will have home advantage for that fixture, the winners of which will face the Tipperary winners in a semi-final tie on November 9. The final will take place on November 23. In intermediate hurling, the Clare champions have a bye into the provincial semi-final where they will play either Tipperary …

A 23-year-old Ennis woman has been sentenced to five years in prison, with the final year suspended, for what was described as a “vicious” and “frenzied” attack on a young woman in Ennis this year. Charlene Sherlock, 23, of 41 Dromard, Lahinch Road, pleaded guilty to causing serious harm to Nicole Keane on April 13, 2013 at the Holy Family School, Station Road in Ennis and with production of a steak knife capable of inflicting serious harm on the same date at the same location. At a sitting of Limerick Circuit Criminal Court on Friday, Judge Carroll Moran said this was “a vicious and protracted attack with a knife””.  He said the CCTV footage of the assault gave the impression that this was “a frenzied attack”. The injured party was stabbed 22 times but survived the attack. Judge Moran imposed a five-year prison term and he suspended the last year on the condition that the accused enter a bond to …

Gardaí have issued a warning in relation to cold callers claiming to be water inspectors or trades people after receiving a report this week of a theft under these circumstances. Superintendent Derek Smart of Ennis Garda District said the incident occurred between 2pm and 3pm on Monday, December 2 when a man gained entry to a house in Connolly Villas, Ennis on the pretence of checking the water connections. While there, he stole a sum of money. Superintendent Smart said, “This person just turned up to the door. The advice is not to let anybody into your house. Legitimate people who are carrying out water metering checks do not need to go into your property, so you don’t need to let them into your house. If you are at all in doubt, just say you are closing the door and you are phoning the gardaí to establish their bona fides. Anybody doing this door to door stuff should have identification”. …

THE December meeting of Kilrush Town Council was abandoned in chaos on Thursday night following a heated row between town manager Anne Haugh and Councillor Tom Prendeville, who claimed he was more qualified than the town manager. During the row, it emerged that the town council executive had wanted Councillor Prendeville to apologise for a comment made to a council official earlier this year at a meeting discussing the placement of double yellow lines on both sides of the Back Road, outside St Senan’s National School. At this week’s meeting, Councillor Liam O’Looney asked the manager to report on any progress on the proposed layby on the road. The motion, inadvertently, led to the row igniting between Councillor Prendeville and Ms Haugh. “I have studied. I’ve a lot more qualifications than you have,” Councillor Prendeville told MsHaugh. “Could you withdraw that? Withdraw that comment. What qualifications have I got? How dare you,” the town manager replied. “I won’t be attending …

THE annual Team Hope Shoebox Appeal has, as usual, received phenomenal support in Clare, particularly from children, who are embracing the concept of sharing with those who have very little. Schools, families, communities and businesses across the county have helped bring great hope at Christmas to more than 4,000 needy children in disadvantaged areas overseas. By taking part in the 2013  appeal, they have turned just another day in a child’s life into something special in Africa, the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. In total, 163,513 shoeboxes were collected throughout Ireland. According to Niall Barry, Team Hope executive director, receiving the shoeboxes from Ireland is the highlight of the children’s year. In the receiving country the Team Hope network of partners are currently delivering the shoebox gifts right into a child’s hands ­ in hospitals, schools, shelters, churches, orphanages, community centres or family homes.

MICROBIOLOGICAL compliance in Clare County Council’s public water supplies was 100% for the third successive year in 2012, according to a new report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The report, entitled “The Provision and Quality of Drinking Water in Ireland: A Report for the Year 2012”, also shows Clare’s chemical compliance levels to be amongst the highest in the country at 99.2%. The EPA also featured a summary of boil water notices and water restriction notices active or issued to consumers by Clare County Council during 2012. One water restriction notice, affecting approximately 80 customers of the Ennis Public Water Supply, remained active at the end of 2012 while no new boil water notices were issued during the year. Clare County Council is responsible for the operation of 21 Public Water Supplies serving a population of 79,913. The EPA is the supervisory authority over public drinking water supplies and provides powers of enforcement to ensure actions are taken where …

IF the Shannon Free Zone project was starting today, what would it be called? That’s the question Shannon Chamber president, Kevin Thompstone posed when addressing attendees at the chamber’s annual president’s lunch on Thursday. While the Free Zone has strong global brand recognition, Mr Thompstone suggested that in today’s environment, a descriptor such as Shannon Economic City or Shannon Economic Zone might better reinforce the concept that Shannon is not just a business park but a Special Economic Zone in Ireland offering a mix of airport, industrial, residential, commercial and green areas to facilitate economic activity. Almost 300 business people attended the lunch at Dromoland Castle to hear keynote speaker Barry O’Leary, IDA Ireland’s chief executive, comment on Shannon’s potential as an international investment location. “IDA is looking forward to working on behalf of Shannon and the wider region under a new structure. Our aim will be to support companies in the region, helping them transform their operations and also …

THE annual Festival of Christmas Cribs will be held at Liscannor Church from Saturday to Monday next. More than 550 cribs, representing the traditions of over 50 countries around the world, will be on display. According to parish priest, Fr Denis Crosby, this is a great opportunity to see the variation of interpretations of the Christmas story in different cultures. The display should be of particular interest to young children, so families are being encouraged to visit the church over the weekend. The festival will be open each day from 10am to 6pm.