Hundreds of spectators are expected to flock to the twin communities of Killaloe and Ballina for their annual St Patrick’s Day Parade this Friday. Participating floats are asked to assemble at Ballina GAA pitch from 1.30pm and will head across Killaloe Bridge between 2 and 2.30pm, up the Main Street and past the Reviewing Stand at the Green once the organisers get the green light from local gardai. The parade is organised by the Féile Brian Ború committee, which consists of Paddy Collins, Arlene White, Cillian and Eugene McDonagh. Speaking to the Clare Champion about the preparations for the parade, Paddy Collins said there is a great sense of anticipation ahead of this year’s parade. “The parade was one of the first major events that united Ballina and Killaloe. It is an important to keep this tradition going. It provides a great family day out, particularly for kids,” he said. Mr Collins confirmed the committee has got great support from …

St Anne’s Community College has captured a remarkable rugby double, winning the Munster Girls Senior and Junior Cup finals in Musgrave Park, Cork on Wednesday.   Having won the Senior Cup last year, St Anne’s retained the title for the second successive year thanks to a 17-5 win over Ardscoil Mhuire, Limerick, who defeated their junior team in last year’s cup decider. To crown a glorious day for the Killaloe secondary school, their junior side mauled Coláiste Ide, Dingle by 47-0. This is the second successive year St Anne’s qualified for the Munster Senior and Junior Cup finals. St Anne’s defeated Clonakilty and ISK Killorglin on route to the senior final. Ard Scoil Mhuire Limerick and Colaiste Pobail, Bantry were defeated by St Anne’s on their way to the junior decider. When coach Grace Kearney set up rugby in St Anne’s back in 2015 there were very few girls playing the sport. She is thrilled to see girls winning the …

THE Irish Coast Guard Volunteer Representative Association (ICGVRA) has welcomed the decision to hold a coroner’s inquest into the death of Irish Coastguard volunteer and mother-of-two Caitriona Lucas (41) – more than six and a half years after her death. The Limerick Coroner’s Office has confirmed this inquest will take place at Kilmallock Courthouse in County Limerick on April 12 after Ms Lucas lost her life during an Irish coastguard search operation at Kilkee in west Clare on September 12th 2016. ICGVRA chairman, John O’Mahony said the association are in close contact with her husband, Bernard Lucas and its considers it is about time this inquest was held. Mr O’Mahony said he received an email from the Limerick coroner on Friday last and sent it to Mr Lucas. The group chairman said the association hopes to engage with the coroner’s office and plan to send them their issues with the MCIB report into Caitríona’s death and a list of those …

A WELL KNOWN colorectal surgeon has called on An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to engage in continuing dialogue to increase acute hospitals services and personnel throughout the Mid-West. Professor Calvin Coffey recalled reconfiguration of acute hospital services was supposed to be followed by the introduction of a co-located hospital, additional funding and extra health infrastructure across the region. This didn’t happen due to the economic crash and have not been implemented in recent years by the present government. This has resulted in doctors, nurses, consultants and health care professionals all providing health care above and beyond what they should be providing. Professor Coffey, who is one of the signatories of an open letter signed by 87 consultants and doctors, agreed that chronic overcrowding increases the risk of an adverse outcome for patients on trolleys due to the sheer volume of number and the lack of adequate staff. Stressing the need for investment in hospitals throughout the …

THE long term ambition of a new Killaloe Tidy Towns committee is to enter the annual national competition in the coming years. In view of the great work being completed in recent years by Ballina Tidy Towns across the bridge, the return of a Tidy Towns committee in Killaloe will be welcomed by locals and businesses. It is understood the last Killaloe Tidy Towns committee operated in 2014, and its absence has been a talking point for such a picturesque heritage town with numerous tourist attractions. The new committee includes Eddie O’Gorman, Councillor Tony O’Brien, Ger and Carmel Manning, Bobby Reynolds and Ger Ahern, who was involved in Kildare Tidy Towns committee. It will work in co-operation with the Killaloe Enhancement Group, which has completed several major clean-ups throughout the town and the new Killaloe Community Council. Initially, the new committee will meet once a fortnight, but meetings may happen more frequently if this is deemed necessary. Mr O’Gorman told …

HEALTH Minister Stephen Donnelly has admitted “mistakes” were made implementing the controversial removal of 24-hour Accident and Emergency services in Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals in April 2009. Speaking in the Dáil, Minister Donnelly acknowledged “sufficient capacity” was not provided for when changes were made to emergency departments in the Mid-West, which was now being addressed with more beds and health workforce. “UHL is under significant pressure. I turned the sod recently on an additional 96 beds. There are two more plans that will provide a further 200 beds. We are also putting in a surgical hub. There is an awful lot of investment going in. “We will be investing in Nenagh, Ennis and further in St. John’s Hospital and other hospitals. This is the way to do it.” He said changes were being introduced in the new consultant contract to have more senior decision-makers rostered in the evenings and at weekends for patient assessment, treatment, admission and discharge. Addressing the …

A 90-year-old Shannon man, who was living independently prior to hospitalisation, was emotionally traumatised by spending two nights on a trolley in University Hospital Limerick (UHL), family members have claimed. Mick Phelan endured a “horrendous” time on a trolley in December 2014, according to his son, Blaise, who has called on the UL Hospitals’ Group to address chronic overcrowding in the hospital. His daughter, Marena, said Mick went from someone who had bought spare ribs and cabbage for his family before hospitalisation to a person who suffered emotional distress after his trolley experience. A GAA fanatic and one of the founder members of Wolfe Tones GAA club, he trained club underage teams and was manager of the club’s best football teams in the early seventies. In addition to travelling to see GAA games all over the country, he regularly acted as a steward for Leinster matches and All-Ireland finals in Croke Park up to the age of 83. His last …

THE establishment of the North Burren Community Group has been hailed as an example of what small rural communities can achieve when they unite under a new umbrella organisation. Niamh Wiley, Rural and Community Development Officer (RCDO) provided an example of a “partnering of parishes” approach operating in North Clare at a recent West Clare Municipal District (MD) meeting. The setup and growth of the group was aided through the work of the RCDOs. Following a series of local consultation and engagement, the North Burren Community Group was formed last year, consisting of active stakeholders from all the various parishes, selected with specific skill sets. The group represents the parishes of Carron and Noughaval, Belharbour, New Quay, Finavarra Peninsula and Aughinish Island, spanning a radius of 30km, to include approximately 1,000 residents. This partnership of parishes model was adapted by the group because of the need to address the lack of shared community and enterprise space in this area of …