Deputy Michael McNamara (Ind) has rejected claims that he “latched on to the immigration issue now to gain traction in the European elections”. In a statement issued to The Clare Champion, Irish Freedom Party Ireland South candidate, Micheal Leahy IFP claimed Sinn Féin and Michael McNamara have recently latched on to the immigration issue to gain traction in the European election, but neither of them will be effective on this issue. Mr Leahy stated the IFP’s stance on immigration has been consistent since the party’s registration in 2020 as it believes immigration should be controlled effectively to suit the interests of ordinary Irish people. “Sinn Féin and Michael McNamara have both finally come round to mentioning the immigration issue now that they are in an election,” he said. “Sinn Féin have, until literally the last few weeks, been a strongly pro-immigration party and they are allied with the Left groups in the parliament. It is very difficult to see how …

Eddie Punch, a dedicated advocate for Irish agriculture, has joined the Independent Ireland alliance in his bid to win a seat in the new European Parliament. Speaking this week the Cratloe native reiterated his commitment to addressing not just agricultural challenges but broader regional and social issues affecting his Ireland South Constituency. “Joining Independent Ireland is a crucial step in strengthening our collective voice in Brussels, ensuring our diverse needs are addressed effectively,” he said. Deputy Michael Collins, Party Leader of Independent Ireland, warmly welcomed Mr Punch to the party. “We are delighted to have Eddie on board. His extensive experience and profound understanding of both local and European issues are exactly what Ireland South needs for effective representation in the European Parliament,” he said. Married to Una with whom he has four children, Eddie stepped down from his role as Secretary General of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) after 25 years to enter electoral politics. A …

Killaloe Ballina Tennis Club has served up a major volley after completing a state-of-the-art €1 million development with two permanently covered tennis courts, which are the first of its kind outside Dublin. More than a decade of countless hours planning and sourcing the best materials and facilities for a huge steel frame dome means that 700 members can book a slot to play tennis all year round regardless of weather conditions. Club chairman, Patrick Seymour pointed out the committee didn’t employ any overall contractor or site manager as various elements were broken down and managed using the expertise of committee and club members, which saved a lot of money. “Building on the project started in August 2021. It was a long construction project. During the project work had to be parked to allow us to plan for the next phase. “Construction of the dome started last October, which has just been completed. There were times during the project when we …

AN Ardnacrusha heart patient whose life was saved by a double heart bypass, is urging the government to allocate €1.2 million in annual funding to the Irish Heart Foundation. Pauline O’Shea, (50) recalled the National Stroke and Heart Charity helped her to pick up the pieces after the shocking diagnosis she had the heart of a 70 year-old and a heart function of between 10% and 20% before surgery. The mother-of-three required emergency life-saving intervention to deal with Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) when a tear appeared in the wall of a coronary artery, which supplied blood to her heart. When her heart function improved to about 35% following medication and intensive rehabilitation work, Ms O’Shea started volunteering for the Irish Heart Foundation in 2018 before she applied for and was appointed as their Patient Advocacy Campaign Manager since September 2022. Using her marketing and communications experience, she draws on her personal near death experience as a heart failure patient …

    A group of East Clare volunteers have united to join in the Waterford Gaeltacht initiative Solas do Pháistí- Light for Children of Gaza this Wednesday night at 9.30pm. People are invited to participate in lighting a candle at playgrounds in Scariff, Mountshannon , Feakle and Quin after sunset, in support of their campaign to light up Ireland to remember the many thousands of children who have been killed, maimed and orphaned by Israel in Gaza. This May 1st vigil has been organised to show the children of Palestine that they have not been forgotten or abandoned by the world. Participants are urged to post a photograph or short video on the night and to share this on social media, using the hashtag #GaeilArSonGaza The aim is to make Ireland glow and to show love and support for the children of Gaza. Participants will light a candle and pledge a donation on a GoFundMe page. More than €10,000 has …

Waterways Ireland has been urged to proactively engage with landowners once the preferred route for the proposed Limerick to Scariff Greenway is selected. This was stressed by Councillor Pat Burke (FG) following a presentation by Waterways Ireland, Western Regional Manager, Brian Treacy at a recent Killaloe Municipal District meeting. As a farmer working on the shores of Lough Derg near Dromann Harbour, Burke recalled he has received phone calls from land owners on the Limerick and Clare side of Lough Derg enquiring if the final route selection has been made. “If someone gets on a bike in Limerick and arrives in Scariff along the greenway and asks where is Iniscealtra or Holy Island and how do we get there, in my view, it should have continued to Mountshannon,” he said. “Even if the greenway went north of Scariff, it doesn’t have to run by the lakeshore. It should connect to Mountshannon in some form from the low or the high …

ADDITIONAL actions were required to meet national standards at Athlunkard House Nursing Home Westbury, when Health Information and Quality Authority inspectors returned for a follow-up inspection, according to a new report. While the overall provision of care was found to be of an appropriate standard, some further action was required in the monitoring and oversight arrangements in place to ensure compliance with national regulations. There were 89 residents in the centre during the unannounced HIQA inspection on December 7, 2023. Residents told the inspectors that the “staff are so good’’, and that they ‘’feel safe’’ and at “home”. Staff interactions with residents were observed to be kind and person-centred throughout the inspection. Residents were observed to be engaged in activities throughout the day and residents told the inspectors that they were satisfied with the variety of activities available. Inspectors observed that some communal rooms and some bedrooms were not cleaned to an acceptable standard. Housekeeping audits to support infection prevention …

  Communities in South-East Clare have been rocked by the tragic death of a seven year-old boy following an incident at a swimming pool in Ballina, Killaloe on Saturday. Extending his sympathy to the family, An Taoiseach Simon Harris described the death of Shay Lynch, Shannonview, Ardnataggle, O’Brien’s Bridge as “absolutely heartbreaking”. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mr Harris stated: “I know people right across Ireland are keeping this family and the community of Clonlara in Clare in their thoughts and prayers at such a sad and difficult time”. Clonlara National School has implemented its Critical Incident Management Plan. The school is liaising with the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) to ensure support structures are in place to help our school community cope with this tragedy. Funeral arrangements for Shay James Lynch have been announced following what has been described in his death notice as “tragic accident”. Shay was predeceased by his grandmother, Christina. He is …