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FEARS have been expressed that farmers and dwellers in East and North Clare will be forced to take the law into their own hands in a scenario akin to the infamous Padraig Nally court case following a spate of rural crime. Councillor Pat Burke has revealed one farmer told him he has a “shotgun loaded at the head of the bed” at night to protect himself from any intruder, while former councillor Bill Slattery has warned there could be another Padraig Nally scenario involving North Clare farmers who are being “bullied and threatened”. In December, 2006, Padraig Nally was cleared of the manslaughter of John Ward by the Court of Criminal Appeal, which overturned an initial six-year sentence. Mr Nally, of Funshinagh Cross, Claremorris, shot the father of 11 at his farm on October 14, 2004. In court evidence, Mr Nally said he believed Mr Ward had been on his land to commit a burglary and confirmed he had been …

Adrian O’Brien is certainly looking forward to patrolling the sidelines of Semple Stadium this Saturday. The Limerick native was faced with the unprecedented conundrum of seeing two clubs he’s currently coaching clash in the Munster Senior Club Semi-Final a fortnight ago when Ballyea and St Finbarr’s met for the very first time at competitive level.. “As such, there is a huge sense of relief that he can finally get back down to work after stepping back from both the Clare and Cork champions ahead of their Cusack Park bout. “It has definitely been a strange few weeks. That said, the two boys have been brilliant, both Ger [Cunningham] and Robbie [Hogan] and both sets of players and clubs too. “You don’t envisage something like that happening at the start of the year but just the way it came together I suppose was just a very unique situation. “So I watched the game from home. I wanted to remove any emotion …

CLARE HAVEN Services has launched four “powerful hard hitting” poems on a short video as part of the annual 16 Days of Action on Violence Against Women campaign. Den of Iniquity: Behind Closed Doors – Poetry on Film, is a collective of four short videos created by Paul Corey using the words of Feakle-based domestic abuse survivor, Liz Pouch, which were recited on camera by Ennistymon actor, Jacinta Sheeran. This novel media production was unveiled by Clare Haven manager, Dr Siobhán O’Connor who welcomed the participants for what proved to be an emotionally charged session on Friday afternoon in their educational and administration building. “It is a raw and gritty testimony of living through the horrors of abuse as both an adult and child. The films use the incredible acting skill of Jacinta Sheeran, who gave powerful recitations of the poems cutting to the heart of the pain and torment of the domestic abuse experience. The films can be viewed …

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 …