Breaking News

The year is 1874. In America, the Great Chicago fire rages, destroying 47 acres of the windy city. In Hungry meanwhile, the soon to be world famous magician Harry Houdini is just being born. While in Boston, in the heart of the Burren, Boston National School is officially being opened. Over the past 150 years, thousands of young Clare people have taken their first steps in education in Boston National School. Next Sunday, May 5, the school will mark this great milestone with a day of celebration while also officially opening its new, state-of-the-art extension. A day of festivities will kick off at 2pm with the celebration of mass, followed by refreshments, family fun and games, live music and entertainment and the sharing of old school photographs and memorabilia. Over the past few weeks the level of excitement and anticipation among the students has reached fever pitch. “Everyone is very, very excited. All the students are getting very wound-up about …

Sinn Féin have announced they are fielding a West Clare candidate to contest the local election for the Kilrush local electoral area with the party revealing Dawn Bennett from Kilkee as their chosen candidate. Ms Bennett, who owns CocoLemon hairdressers in Kilrush, becomes the fifth Sinn Féin candidate in the county for the upcoming June elections. She said she first became interested in politics from listening to what party leader, Mary Lou McDonald had to say. “She was offering common sense solutions and was so down to earth. Mary Lou and Sinn Féin are for the people and I love to help people whenever I can, so it was the right party for me. I’m a carer myself so I know how difficult it is to get access to the services people need,” she explained. Originally from Limerick, Ms Bennett moved to West Clare five years ago where she has made home. “It’s a beautiful place to raise a family, …

Clare senior camogie manager John Carmody is targeting an All-Ireland quarter-final spot for his young team, but before that they’ll have an historic first ever outing in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday, writes Joe Ó Muircheartaigh. The All-Ireland is where it’s at but there’s no better preparation for the gruelling group stages to begin in late May than by having a Munster Championship tie to look forward to on Sunday. As Clare supporters make their way in numbers to the banks to support the men in their crucial clash against the Rebels, the fact that the curtain raiser involves the camógs is something that Banner boss John Carmody and his team are eager to embrace. “That’s huge preparation for us ahead of the All-Ireland series,” he told The Clare Champion this week. “Are we improving? How close can we put it up to Cork next Sunday? That’s what we’re looking for. “It’s great for the girls to get the exposure …

No alteration to form lines as St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield maintained their perfect start to this year’s Clare Cup in a relatively comfortable victory over Wolfe Tones in Gurteen on Friday night. Always an intriguing tie particularly as there’s no shortage of recent history and trauma between this pair in relegation battles, the big difference here was in terms of clinicalness in front of the posts as the Parish were far more efficient than the visitors who will ultimately rue a wasteful first half. The Tones did start with a bang as talisman Billy Connors stunned their hosts with an early goal but by the turn of the second quarter, St Joseph’s not only cancelled it out but powered clear thanks to goals through Eoghan Thynne, following a powerful Alan O’Neill shot, and Cian Barron at 2-6 to 1-4. The home side’s wide spectrum of attacking threats is unrivalled in the county as they can triple aerial threat of Alan O’Neill, …

The sun will no doubt be splitting the Burren rocks this Sunday when the mighty Kilfenora Céilí Band take to the stage at the Square in the village for the hugely popular open-air céilí. The céilí, which has been the cornerstone of the Kilfenora Traditional Music Festival for the past 16 years, has never yet seen a rainy day, with musicians and dancers usually basked in early summer sunshine. “The biggest event always in ‘the Kilfenora’ in Kilfenora. I’ve met people from all over Ireland who travel to hear the band playing in the village square,” said John Morgan. “We have 200 seats out for the people who are not dancing and lots of space for those who are. I remember I met a woman when the first festival was starting in 2009 who hadn’t seen set dancing in the village for 30 years, so we had to change that. “The band always play out of their skins in the …

A Clare man who sexually abused and raped his daughter over a 13-year period has been jailed for 11 and a half years. Patrick Honan (69) was found guilty following a Central Criminal Court trial in February of 48 sample counts including 25 of rape and 23 of indecent assault. The victim in this case, Noreen Honan, has waived her right to anonymity to allow her father to be named. The abuse took place at the family home at Lake View, Doonbeg, Co. Clare between 1977 and 1989 when she was aged between three and a half and 16. It included inappropriate touching, vaginal and oral rape, forced kissing, masturbation and digital penetration of her vagina. Honan of Lake View, Doonbeg, Kilrush, Co. Clare does not accept the verdicts of the jury and maintains his innocence, the court was previously told. Today, Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford imposed a 13-year custodial sentence, with the final 18 months suspended. She also directed …

ENNIS-based FASD Ireland, the country’s first national hub to support individuals, families and carers living with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), is to be awarded €200,000 in funding. The announcement was made by Minister for Disability Anne Rabbitte (FF) in the Dáil recently. Minister Rabbitte said, “Approximately €200,000 in funding will be awarded to the FASD Ireland in Clare for the national hub. I commend the work it has done in putting in place the telephone line and supporting families when there is such a deficit in Departments and the HSE in terms of taking on the mantle of providing support. I compliment the team in Clare on what it is doing. I am very supportive of it.” Welcoming the announcement, CEO of FASD Ireland, Tristan Casson-Rennie, said, “I am delighted that Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder has been discussed in detail in Dáil Éireann. FASD Ireland has some key asks of Government, importantly that FASD is recognised as a disability …

Rural Clare is on the verge of collapse and, unless urgent action is taken, the current generation of rural Clare people will be the last one raised outside of towns and cities. That is the message that Clare Macra will be presenting to politicians this Friday night at a special lobbying event which takes place in Ennis. The Chairperson of Clare Macra, Caitríona Power, says that the difficulty of securing a home in rural Ireland is driving young people away and scores of Clare Macra members have been forced to emigrate in recent years. “There are a lot of things which are forcing young people to move into towns and cities or to go abroad. Rural Ireland is dead really. Our members say that Macra is the only social outlet available to them,” she told The Clare Champion. “One of our members was looking to rent an apartment in Limerick City and it was €1,000 a month. That was only …