FORMER Irish Rugby international Rosie Foley has dived into an elite group of about 279 people who have achieved the gruelling Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming. The 49-year-old Killaloe native recently followed in the footsteps of her mentor, Fionnuala Walsh, by completing the 32.3 km swim across the Catalina Channel between Santa Catalina Island and the Southern California mainland in the United States. In July 2014, Rosie completed the 33.5 km swim across the English Channel between England and France and the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, a 45.9 km circumnavigation around Manhattan Island last June. She has also become just the second Irish woman to finish a marathon swimming challenge consisting of three historically important swims around the world. The mother-of-three undertook the charity challenge in memory of her brother, the late Munster and Irish rugby legend Anthony Foley, who died on October 16, 2016. All proceeds will go to the Mid-Western Cancer Foundation, children’s charity CARI and CRY, …

THE increasing pressure on the Emergency Department at the University Hospital Limerick (UHL) has resulted in longer triage times for patients, which poses a “clinical risk”, a new report has warned. The Deloitte Report on patient flow and overcrowding at UHL expressed concern about the 7% increase in ED attendances between 2019 and 2022, a growth rate far in excess of demographic growth. This demand demonstrates an increasing reliance on acute hospital care and is associated with an increase in self-referrals to the ED as capacity constraints in primary care and particularly within general practice continue. Acknowledging the chronic lack of adequate bed capacity in the region, this new study recommends an additional 302 inpatient beds required by 2036 to meet current unmet demand, future demand and to replace outdated infrastructure in multi-occupancy nightingale wards. It proposed the provision of additional 63 day beds by 2036, and stressed additional medical consultant, non-consultant hospital doctors and nursing staff in the Emergency …

SECONDARY school students in South-East Clare have left in “limbo” after Bus Eireann suspended their bus transport to St Anne’s Community School suddenly on September 19. Frustrated parents who have been seriously discommoded by the sudden withdrawal of this vital school transport for about 25 children can get no firm date for when it will return, despite numerous phone calls and emails to Bus Eireann. This suspension has caused serious difficulties for households in Broadford, Kilbane and Bridgetown where there are two working parents who are stressed trying to juggle lifts for children with their work commitments. The well established bus service, which is believed to be operational for the last two decades, resumed operation on August 28 until September 16 when parents were informed by the company their bus service would no longer continue from Monday, September 19. This bus also transports children to St Senan’s National School, Clonlara, after dropping off students in St Anne’s, which is still …

A KILLALOE tennis coach is continuing his drive to bring a smile to the faces of refugees who are living in camps in a bid to secure a better life. Wesley O’Brien recently returned from his sixth overseas trip and his fourth “Hit and Hope” programme in a third country, which included one in Turkey, two in Greece and one in Bosnia. Having flown into Sarajevo, Wesley completed a full week of tennis classes at Usivak Refugee Camp, which is a temporary reception area for refugees fleeing from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran. Most of the refugees who are hoping to travel to one of the wealthier European countries such as the United Kingdom stay, on average, in the camp for a week or two. One of the distinguishing features of this camp is the exclusion of single men as its accommodates children from the age of three in families of all age groups. In total, the camp caters for …

THE long-awaited transfer of Shannon Heritage sites to Clare County Council hangs in the balance after Chief Executive, Pat Dowling told councillors he was informed by two senior government officials a funding package estimated to be €15 million over three years would not be approved. While some councillors who attended a two-hour briefing behind closed doors to the public and media on Wednesday are adamant that no final decision has been taken by the council, this latest bombshell represents a major setback to the proposed transfer. An Taoiseach Micheál Martin gave a vague response about the future of this deal when questioned by Deputy Michael McNamara this week. Speaking in the Dáil on Wednesday, Deputy McNamara recalled the Taoiseach had told him on Tuesday he had met Mr during his recent visit to the Shannon Industrial Estate and the CEO had identified there was a funding gap from the council’s perspective. Deputy McNamara said the Taoiseach also stated, “I have …

PATIENTS are left to “wallow” in pain on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick for long periods after they are assessed, a local Dáil deputy has claimed. Having attended the ED recently with a family member, Deputy Cathal Crowe told a recent Dáil Health Committee meeting there isn’t enough follow up with patients who are left waiting in corridors. “Charts and extensive data can be seen by someone going to the toilet or the shop, people going into see their relatives can see patients with bedpans. There is no privacy there. There is very few people who come along with a cup of tea or a slice of toast to perk patients up.” “There is enduring pain when you are sitting on a trolley. People feel from triage to trolley, you are left to wallow.” Professor Brian Lenehan said UHL are focusing on providing privacy and dignity for patients following the HIQA report. He explained patients are triaged for care based …

THE creation of a new government office tasked with getting one million electric vehicles on Irish road by 2030 has been described by a local Dáil deputy as akin to providing for “pigs driving cars”. Deputy Michael McNamara opposed an amendment to the 2021 Road Traffic and Roads Bill concerning electric vehicles on the basis it is not grounded in reality. In fact, the Independent Deputy claimed this amendment is as useful as an amendment “providing for pigs driving cars or pigs flying and the absolute necessity to regulate that”. While Deputy McNamara admired the hopes and ambitions of Energy Minister Eamon Ryan and isn’t opposed to electric vehicles, he stressed at some stage policy has to be grounded in reality. “I do have a problem with forcing cars off the road. There are very few charging points in rural Ireland even now. A bigger problem, however, is that most people in the Dáil would drive perhaps 50,000 km annually. …

THE Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) in Clare is suffering serious decay after official figures reveal almost 3,000 fewer local medical card holders were treated over a two-year period. This is despite a dramatic increase in the number of Clare patients who are eligible for treatment under the DTSS, which increased from 31,909 in December 2019 to 33,064 in August 2022. In total, 8,683 Clare dental patients were treated under the DTSS in December 2019, according to figures provided to Councillor Cillian Murphy at a HSE Forum West meeting on Tuesday. This slumped to 5,762 in December 2021 and the latest statistic for 2022 is for August, which stands at 3,661. Private dental practitioners contracted under the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provide dental services to medical card holders adults who are 16 years of age or older. The latest shocking figures come hot on the heels of an anti-poverty strategy commissioned by the Clare Public Participation Network, which showed …