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PREPARATIONS are now fully underway for homelessness campaigner Josie O’Brien’s last year cooking Christmas dinner for vulnerable people in the county. Josie is busily getting ready to cook her final batch of festive meals, and she is urging the county’s homeless as well as others in need of a hot meal at Christmas time to get in touch with her on 087 1868530. She has also revealed that the work she began is set to continue with Fiona Faulkes and Dean Billet taking over supplying food to the homeless and others. Josie described the pair as “very passionate” as she wished them well in the endeavour. Earlier this year The Clare Champion highlighted a fundraising campaign by Fiona to develop shower facilities for the homeless. Donations can still be made at https://www.gofundme.com/f/uusbyp-mobile-shower-for-the-homeless Josie is stepping back from her volunteering work after 18 years assisting the homeless as well as struggling families and others. Over the years Josie has invited people …

REPRESSION of protests in China made headlines across the world in the last week, but weren’t even mentioned when the Chinese ambassador met with Clare County Council on Monday. The local authority hosted China’s Ambassador to Ireland, He Xiangdong, to mark Clare’s twinning relationship with Yunnan Province in China. Yunnan Province, which has a population of more than 46 million, is in the far southwest of China and borders Vietnam, Laos, and Burma. In a statement issued through Clare County Council, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council Tony O’Brien said he had been honoured to host the ambassador. “A lot of work and time has been invested in nurturing the relationship between Clare and Yunnan Province and it was an honour to welcome the Ambassador to County Clare. “Though separated by thousands of miles, the twinning relationship has already made significant strides towards bridging this gap through a shared spirit of cooperation, mutual understanding, exchange of knowledge and more importantly, friendship.” …

EFFORTS by Deputy Cathal Crowe to obtain the current deficit in Clare Garda numbers following a dramatic decline in national recruitment proved unsuccessful at a joint Policing Committee meeting on Monday. Commenting on Budget 2023, Deputy Crowe recalled funding was provided for 1,000 new Garda recruits and 400 new civilian recruits. Shortly after this announcement, the Fianna Fáil Deputy said he was contacted by a number of Gardai who stressed that more analysis was required to examine these figures to ascertain the figures for retirement, those on illness benefit and to take into account there are 110 members who are currently suspended on full pay at home when they could be back on the streets once an investigation is concluded. Deputy Crowe asked Clare Gardai for a breakdown of retirements, resignations, suspensions and new recruitment as well as how this has impacted on overall Garda numbers in the county in recent years. Superintendent John Galvin confirmed he would not comment …

Three caravans have been destroyed by fire at the same location where a mobile home was targeted last Sunday. Emergency services were alerted to the fires at Kilbreckan, Doora at around 6.15pm. Gardaí responded to the incident followed soon afterwards by units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Ennis station. On arrival, Gardaí found three caravans ‘well alight’. Fire crews extinguished the fires but all three caravans were destroyed. It’s understood they were not occupied at the time and no injuries have been reported. This evening’s incident is the latest in a series of similar calls emergency services have responded to since last weekend. Last Sunday, a mobile home was destroyed by fire at the same unofficial halting site close to the M18 motorway. On Saturday, a car was discovered burned out near Woodstock in Ennis while on Monday evening, an incident involving petrol bombs was reported at a halting site on the Gort Road. On Wednesday evening, …

SINN Féin will set out its stall as to what dairy farmers can expect from any future government involving the party, when its leader addresses ICMSA members in Limerick next week.  On December 5 at the Castletroy Park Hotel in Limerick, Deputy Mary Lou McDonald will become the first Sinn Féin leader to address a major farmer meeting and ICMSA officials say that her take on the future of Ireland’s biggest indigenous economic activity will be eagerly anticipated. The Agriculture Minister, Charlie McConalogue will be in attendance too to address farmers’ concerns over forthcoming regulatory changes for the sector.  Farmers, including the many from Clare who are likely to travel to the event, will also hear from Assistant Garda Commissioner, Paula Hillman. She will address the increasingly fraught issue of gangs of trespassing ‘hunters’ intimidating, threatening and even assaulting farmers in their own yards or fields. ICMSA has been to the forefront in demanding a much more effective and practical …

ENNIS fitness fans have been exercising their generosity as part of efforts to help local families in need while spreading some early Christmas cheer. Ken O’Malley, founder of Ozone Health and Fitness, has along been busy this festive period not only keeping his clients fit and healthy in the current climate but extending that help to the wider community.  Throughout the month of November and right up to Christmas they have organised a Christmas Food donation drive which will provide help to families in need in the locality. “For the third year in a row, we have teamed up with local community volunteers, headed up by Kathleen Austin, who organises the logistics around these donations actually arriving to those who need them most,” said Ken. “Essentially, we have a food drop off point here in reception in Ozone, in the Quin Road Business Park, where our clients and anyone in the community can drop off non-perishable food stuffs and essential …

MACDARA Ó Conaola is a man with a vision. Recently appointed  Language Planning Officer for Ennis he believes the county capital has the potential to become a bilingual town within the next decade. He feels Ennis and Clare has the capacity to become a “beacon” to the rest of the country in changing how people view Irish, a language which, he laments, is currently “hanging by a thread”. Speaking to The Clare Champion recently MacDara talks about, amongst other topics, his work in Ennis, infectious passion for the Irish language, involvement with the hit movie The Banshees of Inisherin and love of music. Growing up on Inis Oírr completely bilingually MacDara says he was “very fortunate” in his upbringing. However he acknowledges, that for others, there can be a “negative attitude” towards Irish. This is something he wants to counteract, urging people to embrace the language in whatever little way they can and encouraging younger generations to engage. He tells …

Both Avenue United and Newmarket Celtic will be away from home in the fifth round of the FAI Junior Cup. Avenue United will face a trip to Cork as they come up against St Marys FC. Meanwhile, Newmarket Celtic will also be on the road for their fifth round tie. They will play either Raheny United of Dublin or Offaly side Clara Town. David Russell’s Avenue United side secured an emphatic 4-0 win over Tuam Celtic last weekend to reach this stage of the competition. The reigning Maloney Hardware Premier Division champions proved too strong for their Galway opponents. Ronan Kerin’s brace alongside efforts from Tomas Hehir and Gary Roche powered them through. Avenue United will be aiming to replicate last year’s run to the Round of 16 as they face a St Marys FC outfit that progressed to this stage after securing a 1-0 win over Wilderness Rovers FC (Tipperary). Tiernan Daly grabbed the only goal of that tie …