A MILTOWN Malbay father who died in an air crash at the weekend has been remembered as a “gentleman” with his loss described as a “terrible tragedy” ahead of his funeral mass this Thursday. Michael Flynn of Kilcorcoran, Miltown Malbay lost his life when a powered hang glider he was piloting crashed in a field off the Ballard Road about a kilometre from Miltown Malbay on Sunday. Family and friends gathered for an emotional goodbye at his funeral mass on Thursday in St Joseph’s Church, Miltown Malbay. Speaking to the Clare Champion Fr Donagh O’Meara said Mr Flynn “was a lovely character, a lovely man, just a gentleman. He was very well got in the community, very well liked.” Mr Flynn’s death has sent shockwaves across the local community. He was well known in the local area and worked as a plumber as well as being involved in farming. “It has been an awful shock for everybody. It is just …

IN an act described as “wanton vandalism” a sign which had been erected by a community group to highlight the history of Clarecastle Quay has been stolen. However the Clarecastle & Ballyea Heritage Group has vowed not to let this stop its plans for a ‘heritage trail’ of the area, with some signs already in place and more planned for the future. The stolen metal sign for ‘Dromoland Road’ was taken sometime overnight on Monday, September 12, after 9pm. Eric Shaw of the Clarecastle & Ballyea Heritage Group told The Champion the group was very disappointed to discover that the sign had been taken under cover of darkness. He fears that it may be offered for sale to an unsuspecting pub as a decorative feature, urging anybody who comes across it to contact their local gardaí. Gardaí have been notified of the incident and are checking CCTV footage from the area in a bid to identify the culprit. The sign …

A VISUAL and aural delight awaits at Mná ag Gaire’s Women’s Shed in Ennis this Culture Night when the acclaimed Hands in Harmony deaf community choir will take to the stage. As well as showcasing their performance skills on Friday with a mix of songs which have been translated into Irish Sign Language the choir is also launching a brand new film. The Hands in Harmony choir is made up with a mixture of deaf and hearing members with a mission to raise awareness of deafness and the Irish Sign Language in a positive way, highlighting the beautiful language and culture of the deaf community. Their performances have been described as being both emotional and visually stimulating, opening minds to something new and exciting. A film made with Grey Heron Media which has been created highlighting the experiences of members of the choir will be officially launched on the night. The film has been made in collaboration with Clare Local …

THE Willow Counselling Centre was recently presented with funds raised from the annual When in Doubt – Pedal it Out cycle for mental health. A total of €1,575 was raised for the Ennis based service from the cycle which took place last October. Plans are now underway for this year’s cycle which is due to be held on October 29. The Willow Counselling Centre is an affordable counselling service established in 2016 to meet the needs of the people in County Clare and surrounds. They are based on Chapel Lane in Ennis and together with a team of 10 qualified and dedicated counselling/psychotherapists provide support and often a life line to those with mental health issues. They offer one to one, phone and on line counselling and deal with a variety of issues with clients of all ages. The centre recently started to develop a Play and Art Therapy Room which now has new flooring and furniture.  It is ready …

A POPULAR Ennis chipper announced “with sincere regret” that it was shutting its doors for the last time this week. Brannock’s Fish and Chips in Market Place made the sad announcement they would be closing as of last Monday, September 19. A notice was put on display at the shop thanking their customers for their support. The notice read, “It is with sincere regret that we inform you that the Brannocks’ Fish and Chips takeaway is closing its doors as of Monday, September 19. We would like to thank all of our very loyal customers for your support over the years.” The take-away was a popular eaterie in the town with news of the closure sparking dismay on social media. Among those to comment, Rene Cusack’s Fish Ennis stated, “So sad to lose our neighbour. Wishing them all well for whatever the future holds.” A fan of the take-away wrote, “Sorry to see Brannock’s Fish and Chips in the Market …

ENNIS actress Denise Gough has taken off to a galaxy far, far away having joined the Star Wars universe in her latest role. The multi-award winning actress is starring in Andor the latest TV show in the Star Wars franchise which debuted this week on Disney Plus. Denise plays Dedra Meero, a high-ranking Imperial officer in the show which is a spin-off prequel series to the hit film ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’. The show sees the return of Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, the much-loved character from 2016’s Rogue One, with the trailer depicting Denise’s villainous character hell bent on his capture. This isn’t the first time that Denise has featured in a show on Disney plus, with the three part ITV drama Too Close with Emily Watson also streaming on the channel. She is also an acclaimed stage actress winning two Olivier Awards for her roles in People, Places & Things and Angels In America on Broadway.

AN Ennis family has been left heartbroken following a tragic diving accident in Lanzarote. 18-year-old Hernán Lopéz Shanahan, son of Leona Shanahan from Ennis, lost his life while free diving at Playa Chica on the Canary island. During his now short life he had lived in Ennis, France and Lanzarote.  Hernán went to primary school in Ennis Educate Together before moving to France with his mother and later to Lanzarote where he was a student. Ennis remained close to his heart and he regularly returned to see his extended family including grandparents Cornelius and Nora Shanahan. A resident of Tías in Lanzarote, Hernán was a student of Underwater and Hyperbaric Activities at the Escuela de Pesca in Arrecife. His death on August 29 was met with shock and among the local headlines in Lanzarote were, “The death of young Hernán Lopéz Shanahan makes Lanzarote cry.” Paying tribute to her grandson Hernán’s grandmother Nora describes this headline as “touching” with the sentiment evident by the huge …

A MAN who died when the microlight aircraft he was piloting crashed near Miltown Malbay on Sunday evening has been named locally as Michael Flynn. Mr Flynn, a plumber who is understood to be in his 60s and well known in the local area, lost his life after the aircraft crashed at around 4.45pm in a field off the Ballard Road about a kilometre from Miltown Malbay. The local community has been shocked by the tragedy and are rallying around the Flynn family, says Chair of the West Clare Municipal District Councillor Shane Talty. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Michael Flynn at this time. This is a tragic and sudden loss and a difficult time for his family,” said Councillor Talty. “The community, friends, and neighbours will have them in their thoughts and try and help them to get through what is a difficult experience. “This is a very close knit community, he was very well …