Clare County Council are planning to open the new interpretative centre for Holy Island in Mountshannon in the first quarter of 2025. The local authority is working closely with utilities to put in place the necessary infrastructure to support the refurbishment of the old rectory. Theresa Lannon Hughes of Clare Tourism outlined at a recent Killaloe Municipal District meeting the refurbishment of the old rectory is continuing with the objective of opening it as a visitor centre in the first quarter of next year. It is expected plans for a Part Ten planning application will be completed for An Bord Pleanála in September , while a tender will be sought for the fit out of the interpretative centre in the coming weeks. The public realm works in Mountshannon are due to start in the second week in June and will involve 75 metres sections to avoid as much disruption as possible. One side of the street in Mountshannon will be …

The new €6.8 million LEADER 23-27 is open for business following its launch on the scenic Shannon Estuary yesterday. Clare Local Development Company, who were selected to roll out their sixth LEADER rural development programme in Clare, will be offering a range of supports to rural communities and businesses to develop eligible projects in economic development, social inclusion and community development, rural environment and climate change. CLDC Chairman, Mike Hogan, from Kilkishen Community Development, welcomed CLDC’s successful appointment to deliver LEADER to rural communities in the county, saying “LEADER is a community-based programme, so we’re delighted that it will once again be delivered by our community-led organisation”. “The Board and staff are committed to ensuring that LEADER makes a real difference to sustaining the life of rural areas and gives people a chance to change their future for the better,” he added. The new LEADER 23-27 was launched at the Shannon Estuary Way Retreat in Ballynacally, one of several tourism …

EXTENDING the lifeguard season on Clare’s popular beaches will save lives in the future, according to Councillor Liam Grant. The former lifeguard has welcomed Clare County Council’s decision to introduce lifeguard cover for the last two weekends in May at Lahinch, Spanish Point, Kilkee and Fanore. The Green Party Councillor tabled a motion to the local authority in October 2022 highlighting the need to increase the lifeguard cover at “big beaches” to include weekends in May. He also pointed out extending the lifeguard season for Clare’s bathing areas is a great boost for tourism. “Since joining the council I’ve got the lifeguard season extended to include weekdays in June and the last two weekends in May. Clare are the first and only county in the country to do this so I’m happy with the progress so far. “However, when you look at the UK, many of their beaches are lifeguarded from Easter until the end of September. I think that’s …

A lifelong friendship with Irish actor and singer, Richard Harris, is featured in a new book written by well-known Kilkee fisherman, lifeguard, diver, restaurant operator, and Marine Rescue Centre founder, Manuel Di Lucia. The 83 year old has published a new book about his action-packed life living in the West Clare popular seaside resort. Entitled “You Will Only Live Once”, it will be launched in Sheils’ Showrooms, Ennis on June 14 at 5.30pm. The proceeds of the book will be divided between the RNIL, Kilrush and West Clare Cancer Centre in Kilkee. His thirty years of fishing experience proved very useful when Mr Di Lucia and his wife, Doris, opened a seafood restaurant in 1973 in a premises owned by film star and friend, Richard Harris, which the couple were looking after at the time. “Richard Harris came one day to see us with a friend. We made lunch for him with lobsters, crayfish and crabs. He said that is …

A new Special Olympics Athletics Club is on the right track in Killaloe following research and planning undertaken by a local disability activist. Derg AC Inclusive Athletics was unveiled as a Special Olympics Athletics Club at an official launch in Clarisford Park, Killaloe on Saturday. This ensures that children can enter Special Olympics competitions, while Derg AC can now cater for more young members with special needs who want to participate in these events. This is in addition to the inclusive one-hour training session hosted by Derg AC in Clarisford Park on Saturday mornings. Nicola Welford, who set up the Inclusive Athletics Club in Derg AC, recalled it has taken a year to get through a lot of hoops and put all the necessary arrangements in place for the new club. Last year, five or six children won medals in competitions run by the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA), which was a source of great pride to the club. However, it …

A KILLALOE tennis coach is serving up more free coaching sessions for underprivileged children and adults in memory of his parents in Romania from June 23 to 29. Wesley O’Brien is raising money to fund his latest overseas trip through his charity “Hit and Hope”. Mr O’Brien set up this charity to bring free tennis lessons and equipment to kids and youth affected by war and conflict. It has grown to provide tennis coaching in refugee camps, disadvantaged communities, underprivileged kids and special needs families from all over Europe. His latest venture will be done in memory of his parents who died within three weeks of each other earlier this year. Mary O’Brien, née Reddan, Crossroads, Killaloe, died on Christmas Eve, 2003 before her husband, Eddie on January 14, 2024. “I was doing these trips for a long time before my parents passed away. But these trips are particularly relevant to me now. I like to think that my parents’ …

A local hospital lobby group has called on Health Minister Stephen Donnelly (FF) to instruct the Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry to undertake a full new clinical review of hospital services in the UL Hospitals’ Group. The call was made by the Friends of Ennis Hospital (FEH) who expressed concern about the “systematic failures” identified during an inquest into the death of Aoife Johnston, (16), Cronan Lawn, Shannon. Limerick Coroner, John McNamara said he was personally “concerned about the overcrowding as a native of Limerick”, but he accepted changes were being made. “There were systemic failures and issued opportunities in Aoife’s care. There were breakdowns in communication, clearly, throughout her care,” he added. It comes after HSE CEO Bernard Gloster apologised again to the Johnston family after admitting in an RTE Radio One interview that, “We failed Aoife, our failure led to her death and we failed them as a family”. “The Coroner’s recommendations will be fully considered, along …

THE UPGRADING of an East Clare route into a new greenway could become a major tourist attraction, according to a local historian. Ger Madden believes there are few roads in the Sliabh Aughties as worthy of being kept in repair as the old road from Mountshannon to Flagmount linking Lough Derg and Lough Graney, which was built in 1841. Unfortunately, it is probably one of the worst roads in the country. Describing this as the “road less travelled” and a real “gem”, Mr Madden believes it should be developed into a greenway at a fraction of the millions of Euro being spent on developing other similar developments in the county. “It is a vital link if tourism is ever going to be developed in the Sliabh Aughties. It is a mystery in this age of greenways why it is so neglected,” he said. “This road and an off shoot to Woodford through the nearly deserted village of Derrygoolin has the …