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It’s unusual to be beginning a Munster Senior Club Final preview on such a sombre note but Ballyea Manager Robbie Hogan is more than willing to go down the cathartic route of embracing last year’s nadir. Indeed, after winning what could be argued as their greatest county title, 17 points subsequently separated Ballygunner and the Clare champions in their quarter-final bout in Cusack Park almost twelve months to the day. “It’s a long time since we took a beating like that,” admitted Hogan in the safe confines of the Ballyea GAA Club dressing rooms. “I’d say Cuala were the last side to give us a trimming and they were back-to-back All-Ireland champions. Signs on Ballygunner ended up being All-Ireland champions last year but regardless it still doesn’t make up for the size of the defeat. “If you look across their results, they scored 3-20 against us and put up the exact same score against Kilmallock in the Munster Final and …

Gardaí are searching for a number of people reported to have fled the scene of a hit-and-run incident on the outskirts of Ennis this afternoon. Details are still vague but it’s known that a major ground and air search has been carried out in the area around Gauras between the Tulla Road and the Quin Road. It’s understood that around 3.00pm, a vehicle was rammed on the road between Ballaghboy and Gaurus. Gardaí are treating this as a hit-and-run road traffic collision. It’s also believed that a number of men left one of the vehicles and fled the scene by crossing through the garden of a local house and escaping into the fields behind. Uniformed Gardaí and armed detectives responded to the incident while the Armed Support Unit was also requested to dispatch a unit to the scene. It’s understood that on arrival, Gardaí found debris on the roadway indicating that a collision had taken place. Later, a helicopter from …

Twelve Clare sides remain in the hunt for Munster Post-Primary Schools honours in eleven different championship races. With the Junior (Under 16.5) Football and Under 15 Hurling Championships still to come in the new year, it’s also straight knock-out from here on in for the current candidates in the Under 19 Hurling and Football Championships, Junior Hurling and Under 15 Football competitions. St John Bosco Community College Kildysart take top billing as they impressively contest semi-finals against Waterford opposition in both codes over the next ten days. First up are their junior hurlers who take on St Paul’s Community College Waterford next Tuesday while six days later it the turn of the Under 15 footballers against Comeragh College. The rest of the Banner provincial hopefuls are at senior level where in football, St Flannan’s (A), CBS Ennistymon (B), Rice College (C), St Anne’s Killaloe and St Joseph’s Spanish Point (D) along with St Michael’s Kilmihil and St Pat’s Shannon (E) …

INDEPENDENT Deputy Marian Harkin will launch a new collection of columns by author and columnist, Jim O’Brien at the Community Hall, Ogonnelloe on Saturday, December 3 at 7pm. Matters of Great Indifference Volume II is the second collection of O’Brien’s weekly musings taken from the pages of the Farming Independent. It contains a selection of pieces published between November 2020 and October 2022 and, according to the author, matters of all sorts are covered. “From the end of the pandemic to the start of a war, from the arrival of a new pup to the departure of a Queen, I have a look at everything and anything,” he said. The pieces are inspired by the life Jim is living and the context in which he is living it. “I draw on my childhood in Kildimo, and other places I have lived including Foynes in West Limerick, Rosenallis, Co. Laois and, of course, in Ogonnelloe, Co. Clare, where I now live. …

AN Ennis family’s home is set to make things merry and bright this festive season – and all in the name of a very worthy cause. For the seventh year in a row the home of Gerry and Carmel Keane in Ashfield Park has been donned from top to toe with a dazzling array of Christmas lights to raise money for charity. Over the years the Keane family’s stunning festive displays have raised funds for a variety of organisations, with people who visit encouraged to leave a donation in a secure box outside of the home on the Gort Road. This year the family have chosen the Samaritans as their chosen charity with all funds raised going to the worthy cause. The Christmas lights will be officially lit this Friday at 6pm with Gerry telling us he is really looking forward helping to bring some festive cheer. He reveals that the energy crisis and rising electricity costs meant that this …

THE Kilfenora Dramatic Society return to the stage this week performing in the acclaimed comedy ‘It’s the Real McCoy’. The players are looking forward to getting back on stage in Kilfenora Hall following a break due to Covid and they will be performing shows on December 2, 3 and 4 at 8pm. The phenomenally successful play was written by Tommy Marren, a playwright and radio broadcaster from County Mayo. The action takes place over two days in the spring of 1964 in the humble abode of Madge Molloy – a woman in her mid-60s who has for 40 years wondered why her husband Tom, to whom she was married for just four months, disappeared without trace or reason. The cast of this production comprises John Howard, Paul Carkill, Willie Cahir, Mary Buckley, Lisa Carkill, Caroline O’Dea and Eileen Hegarty; the stage crew is Mary McCormack, Michael O’Loughlin, and Pat and John Lynch under the direction of Fr Ned Crosby. A …

RYANAIR Group CEO Michael O’Leary praised the negotiating skills of Shannon Airport’s management when he appeared at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport & Aviation on Wednesday. In a question to Mr O’Leary Clare TD Cathal Crowe rather casually mentioned that the airline plays “hardball” with Shannon, but the Ryanair boss said the Shannon management wouldn’t easily be rattled.  “Firstly Deputy, nobody hardballs Mary Considine (Shannon Airport group CEO). If anything the hardballing goes in the other direction. The management of Shannon Airport are tough operators,” he said. Looking forward to meeting with Michael O’Leary of @Ryanair at 1:30pm today to discuss further expansion of his airline’s presence at @ShannonAirport pic.twitter.com/MEUeDakSlh — Cathal Crowe T.D. (@CathalCroweTD) November 30, 2022 Mr O’Leary said that Dublin’s domination of Irish aviation is somewhat inevitable. “If you’re talking about international aviation I always like to quote the example of Bristol. Within an hour of it there are ten million people, but there’s one airport. …

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 …