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A MILTOWN mum-of-six is facing a bill of €200 per month so that her children can avail of their entitlement to be educated through the medium of Irish.  Erica Burke has been making intensive efforts, over the last 18 months, to secure school bus transport from the family home in Miltown to Gaelcholáiste an Chláir in Ennis, the county’s sole provider of secondary education through Irish.  The school is highly supportive of the family and has made every effort to accommodate the two children attending. Due to the schedule of public transport, the children, who are in first and second year, are unavoidably late, by at least half an hour every day. That has resulted in them losing out on what Principal Brian O’Donoghue estimates is four full school days to-date, through no fault of their own or their family. Mr O’Donoghue noted that the Gaelcholáiste is the county provider of secondary school education through Irish and “absolutely thrilled” to …

THE commercial rates bills faced by Clare businesses could increase by 2.5% next year. Commercial rates increased by 3.8% in 2022 and it was anticipated that there would be no further increase in 2023. However the level of inflation seen this year was not forecast, and county councillors have been warned that if a 2.5% increase is not agreed their General Municipal Allocations (GMA) will have to be cut. Further discussions between elected representatives and the executive are set to take place ahead of November 25, when the Council is due to agree a budget. The Shannon Muncipal District’s draft budget meeting took place this week, and afterwards Independent Gerry Flynn said that giving indicative figures in advance of an overall budget being passed is pointless. “Really and truly it was a non event. Having these meetings before the budget is approved is ridiculous. “The granting of the GMA budget is connected to the buoyancy of the main budget, if …

THE story of the life of Ernest Shackleton and the legendary voyage of the HMS Endurance on its expedition to cross the Antarctic continent is being told as part of a new show in glór this weekend marking the centenary of the explorer’s death. County Kildare Orchestra presents ‘South! Always South’, a concert commemorating the death 100 years ago this year of Irish explorer Shackleton. The performance, on Saturday, November 12 in the Ennis venue, is a new work composed by fellow Kildare native and traditional musician Brian Hughes who performs uilleann pipes and whistle, accompanied by the County Kildare Orchestra and conductor Lorcan Daly. Shackleton was born in Kilkea near Athy, and had already gained a reputation for courage and leadership on previous Antarctic expeditions. However, what started as a great geographic and scientific adventure turned into a dramatic rescue mission when the Endurance became trapped in the ice floes in the Weddell Sea, and sank. Over the following …

THE parents of a Cross teenager, who suffered a rare spinal stroke that occurs in an estimated one in three million, have revealed the strong bond he developed with Dublin Gaelic football All-Star, Dr Jack McCaffrey. In an extensive interview with the Clare Champion, Diane Roche admitted when they first met Jack McCaffrey in Temple Street Hospital, they didn’t recognise him with his face mask, but were quickly informed by a nurse who he was. Her son, Liam was paralysed at the time from his neck down before he received extensive physiotherapy and other treatment in Temple Street and the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dublin placed him on a strong road to recovery. “Liam would be slagging Jack that Dublin senior footballers weren’t playing well and joked Jack would have to come out his retirement. When we saw Jack coming out of retirement, I said to Liam, you put that idea in his head. “I used to say to Liam …

THREE men have appeared in court on charges of witness intimidation and assault causing serious harm arising from an alleged inter-family feud in Ennis. Bernie McDonagh (55), Michael McDonagh (32) and Thomas McDonagh (20), all with addresses at the unofficial halting site, Kilrush Road, Ennis, appeared before Ennis District Court this week. All three men were released on bail after lodging sums totalling €2,500 in court. Their cases were adjourned to November 16. The three men are each charged with intimidating Kelly O’Loughlin at Pearse Avenue, Cloughleigh, Ennis, on April 12, 2022. The charge states Ms O’Loughlin is a witness in proceedings and the three men allegedly carried out the offence with the intention of causing the investigation or the course of justice to be obstructed or interfered with. The offence is contrary to section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1999 and carries a maximum 10 year prison sentence in the circuit court. Bernie McDonagh, Michael McDonagh, Thomas McDonagh …

THE inspirational story of a community that said no to domestic abuse has been brought to life in a brand new book which will be launched in Ennis next week. The public are invited to come and celebrate an important milestone in Clare – the launch of the book ‘Light on the Horizon’ at a wine reception in The Old Ground Hotel, Ennis on November 10 at 6.30 pm. The book tells the story of Ennis women Mary Fitzgerald and Colette Redington who met by chance in 1992 when they both helped women who were victims of domestic abuse. Clare Haven was born and three decades later there is a refuge, second-stage houses, a full range of outreach services and education programmes are available to victims of domestic abuse in County Clare. It is an enduring statistic that one in four Irish women who have been in a relationship has been abused by a current or former partner. It became …

TWO Clare projects will share just under €7.5m in grants from the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund it has been announced this morning. Kilrush will benefit from a grant of €3,536,919 which will go towards the development of the Kilrush Maritime Training Centre; while the Inis Cealtra (Holy Island) Visitor Experience tourism project in Mountshannon will see an injection of €3,906,252 in funding. The Kilrush grant will be augmented by a further €700,000 contribution from Clare County Council, according to Deputy Joe Carey. The training centre in the west Clare town will provide a range of specialist mandatory maritime training courses, creating 28 jobs and catering for 1,200 trainees each year.  The Creek Lodge in the marina area will be purchased and renovated, to include retrofit and upgrades to the layout. Deputy Carey hailed the investment as bringing “an immediate and tangible boost to the local economy” in Kilrush. “The development of a training and research base for the offshore …

THERE is no prospect of the second phase of the Northern Distributor Road going ahead, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has said. The minister emphatically ruled out the prospect of the contentious relief road going ahead on a visit to Moneypoint last Friday. “The road isn’t in the Metropolitan area strategy. It has no Government funding and no prospect of it any time in the future,” he said. Subsequently, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council Tony O’Brien said that the Minister’s attitude to the proposal will have a terrible impact, not just on Clare, but on surrounding counties also. “What I’d say is that this NDR has gone through every feasibility study, every phase of planning, it is included in the Mid-West Area Strategic Plan 2012-2030, it’s an integral part of that,” Councillor O’Brien pointed out. “It was in the Limerick-Shannon Metropolitan Area Strategy, it was an integral part of that, to provide an orbital route around Limerick City and to improve …