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If you’ve ever come across a dozen adults laughing uncontrollably while running around an empty field, chances are that you’ve stumbled upon laughter yoga. Developed in India in 1995, the practice has many proven health benefits, but is hardly known about in much of Ireland. Kinvara woman, Jenni McGinley, is aiming to change all of that and has been getting the people of Clare and Galway to laugh themselves healthy for the past six years. And like many great ideas, Jenni came across laughter yoga while walking around the Body and Soul area of Electric Picnic. “I discovered it by chance at Electric Picnic about seven years ago. I saw a sign that said laughter yoga and I immediately wanted to know where it was on and what it was about,” she said. “It was in a marquee in the Body and Soul area and I went down and signed up straight away. I couldn’t wait to see what it …

Clare County Council has expressed mixed views on the development of a proposed major tourism and commercial facility at Drumman East, Williamstown Harbour in Whitegate. While the council welcomes aspects of this development, it considers the planned holiday home units should be omitted from the scheme as the redevelopment of the existing structures on site in line with the County Development Plan would be open to consideration. Kevin and Sue Durkin, c/o HRA Chartered Town Planning and Environment Consultants in Limerick, have applied for planning permission to regenerate and redevelop existing buildings and land for tourism and recreational purposes. This includes the demolition of existing toilet block, office and ancillary buildings; development of four residential lodges for short term letting; reuse and development of existing workshop building including a change of use from workshop to café and retail unit at ground floor level with the provision for two apartments at first floor level. The planning application makes provision for proposed …

Clare Senior Hurling Championship Final Feakle v Sixmilebridge at Cusack Park Ennis, Sunday 3pm (Joe Mullins, Clonlara) While it’s the first time that this proud clubs have met each other in a senior decider, their contrasting experience of finals does provide one of the main backdrops to the outcome to the latest winners of the Canon Hamilton. After all, the ‘Bridge backed by over half the side that captured five senior titles in eight years up to 2020, are old hands at competing for senior honours and possess the necessary winning know-how and experience to be able to take things in their stride and play to their potential. That guile was noteworthy against both Clonlara and Inagh-Kilnamona in that while they didn’t dominate those ties, they were always within striking difference and managed to step things up when required most to get the job done. That’s the main fear for Feakle supporters really in their fairytale return to a first …

SENIOR CAMOGIE CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL TRUAGH-CLONLARA 2-11 INAGH-KILNAMONA 2-7 This County final took a long time to ignite but once Clare Hehir superbly blasted to the roof of the net the game came alive. Up until that moment it was pretty dour stuff. The first half was tight with space at a premium. The champions were the better of the two though and deservedly led by four at the end of the opening quarter with Leah Hawes coolly slotting to the net after a defensive error presented the full forward with the opportunity. Inagh-Kilnamona were struggling for scores and indeed only registered one point from play in that first period with Fiona Lafferty firing over a sixth minute peach. Free taker Aoibhin Ryan kept them in touch with a trio of placed balls and at the interval Foudy’s charges trailed by four on a 1-5 to 0-4 scoreline. Upon the resumption of play centre forward Aoibhin Ryan landed three of the …

Wherever the 2024 Canon Hamilton race is being discussed be it in the home of the two protagonists or hurling communities all over the County the conversation will without doubt centre around the man who has been this year’s stand out performer. Questions like Who will mark McGrath? and statements like if you stop McGrath you stop Feakle will be banded about. The Bridge management team will obviously detail someone to man mark Shane McGrath but that isn’t anything new for the Feakle wizard. “ Ah I’m well used to being man marked. To be honest about it it would feel strange not to be and I probably wouldn’t know what to do. Anyways with the likes of Conn and Adam in training it’s probably easier in a match.” he says laughing “ but seriously though I’m lucky that I’m allowed to roam wherever I feel I might find space by the management team. Ger and the lads put great …

As Jamie Shanahan prepares to lead Sixmilebridge behind the Tulla Pipe Band today (Sunday), it’s not the fact that he’s lining out for his eighth senior decider that’s surprising but the fact that he has achieved that remarkable feat by the mere age of 30. Clare’s last three year county minor and just as significantly the last Sixmilebridge underage player to blossom onto the inter-county senior championship stage, Shanahan is unquestionably the most talented player of his generation albeit that injuries have dogged his adult career. “To be honest, I’ve probably missed the bones of two or three years if you add them all up between back surgeries, a shoulder injury when I was 18 and then missing all of last year with an ankle injury. “It is frustrating but just part and parcel of sport. I mean last year I didn’t puck a ball and I won’t say it’s something you get over because it’s not, it’s extremely frustrating …

Hundreds are expected to descend on the Burren later this month for the annual Burren Winterage Weekend, which runs from October 25 to 27. One of the highlights of the weekend will be the ever popular cattle drive and Burren Food Fayre which takes place on Sunday, October 27. This annual cattle drive and food fayre is organised by four of the key groups operating in the region with BurrenBeo, the Burren Ecotourism Network, The Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark and the Burren National Park will all take part. The traditional Burren Beo Winterage cattle drive will start at the newly acquired McGann’s Farm, now in the ownership of the Burren National Park, while the Burren Food Fayre will have food and drink producers from the Burren Ecotourism Network showcasing their products and celebrate the best local food. This will take place in a marquee at the farm, right at the head of the walk, and will …

When they gathered on Feakle’s Fair Green on the second last Saturday in July it was in hope and hurling that history was at hand as the village’s famous festival came a month early. A balmy evening with tunes to the power of hurling played into the night and when people like Fr Harry Bohan and Tommy Guilfoyle among those who held court on the eve of the All-Ireland final in Croke Park as Marty Morrissey and his RTÉ camera crew came calling. They were ‘Up for the Match’ – up for the All-Ireland as that hope and history rhymed in this bedrock and foundation stone of Clare hurling that has always weaned itself on stories and songs about the game and what the wider meaning of it all. Thing is, they’re up for this match more. That’s Feakle, but more than that in the local vernacular of any one of a gold and green hue it’s ‘Faykell’. The club …