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Eoin Brennan watched timely goals powered St Flannan’s College to a 5-10 to 3-7 defeat of St Francis Rochestown (Cork) in the Munster Under 15A Post-Primary Schools Football Championship Final SAINT Flannan’s produced an emphatic start to the Munster Post-Primary Schools Championships when firing five timely goals past St Francis Rochestown to cement the Under 15A Football honours for the first time in five years in Ballyagran, Limerick on Tuesday afternoon. Carving out a 3-6 to 0-2 half-time cushion after goals from St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield duo Graham Ball (2) and Leon Talty, the Ennis school would actually power 17 points clear by the two-thirds mark before their Cork opponents finally found their feet. A backlash was inevitable but perhaps a little too close for comfort as St Flannan’s cushion was slahsed to just eight after a 2-3 unanswered blitz that included goals for chief threats Ciaran Fitzgerald and Cillian Murphy. A 53rd minute goal for Luke Vaughan finally clinched the …

SIX schools in Clare are set to join the Creative Schools initiative, the Arts Council have announced. The local schools are among 186 schools and centres across Ireland who applied to be part of the initiative. The Clare schools to take part are: Scoil Naisiunte Eoin Baiste, Ballyvaughan NS; Connolly National School; Ennis Community College; Scariff Community College; Scoil na Mainistreach Quin Dangan and Eidhneach National School in Inagh.  According to the Arts Council the very high level of applications to be part of this two-year process reflects the importance that schools and youth reach centres put on creativity and their ambition to celebrate and put creative thinking at the very heart of what they do.  Participation in the Creative Schools initiative aims to empower children and young people to develop, implement and evaluate arts and creative activity throughout their schools/centres and stimulate additional ways of working which reinforce the impact of creativity on children and young people’s learning, development and well-being.  The initiative is designed to provide opportunities for children and young people to build their …

A JUDGE has asked if a few weeks in jail would cure a “smirking” Shannon man who threatened to “karate kick” a garda. Judge Mary Larkin was speaking at Ennis district court after hearing details of a public order incident that occurred in the Fairgreen, Ennis on June 29, 2022. Outlining the facts of the case, Sergeant Aiden Lonergan told the court that gardaí responded to a health call at the popular public park on the date in question.  Sergeant Lonergan said gardaí spoke to Lee Mulqueen who became verbally abusive and aggressive.  The court heard Mulqueen told gardaí, “F**k off ye fat b******s. Ye are nothing but scumbags. Come near me and I will karate kick you into the head, go f**k yourself”.  Sergeant Lonergan said Mulqueen refused to comply with a direction to leave the area and continued to be abusive.  Mulqueen, with former addresses in Shannon and Connolly Place, Waterford city, pleaded guilty to engaging in behaviour …

ENNIS’ Marie Molony has been named as Clare Older People’s Volunteer of the Year winner for 2022. Around 150 people attended an event in the Woodstock Hotel in Ennis during Positive Ageing Week, to celebrate with the 13 people nominated for the award. The function was hosted by the Clare Older People’s Council and supported by Clare County Council. The 13 nominees from all over Clare had been invited to bring a few supporters with them, and they did! Marie was a very popular choice, winning the award based on her contribution to the Alzheimer Society, Eire Óg GAA Club and St Joseph’s Apostolic Society. She received an engraved glass trophy and a one-for-all voucher from Leonard Cleary, Deputy Chief Executive, Clare County Council. Opening the event, Leas Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Councillor Ann Norton, spoke of the importance of voluntary work to local communities and of how such work contributes to the resolution of challenges faced by those …

THE CEO of Vitalograph Ireland has said plans for the development of a new Centre of Excellence in Ennis “will offer many opportunities” with confirmation that the move will create 72 new jobs. As reported in last week’s Clare Champion, Clare County Council and Ennis 2040 are selling the Ballymaley Enterprise and Innovation Centre building to Vitalograph Ireland for the development of its new Clinical Trials Services Centre of Excellence. Speaking this week on the plans Frank Keane, CEO, Vitalograph Ireland, said, “This expansion represents a significant development for our company and Vitalograph’s commitment to its Irish operations as well as the local community in County Clare. “The new premises will enable us to support the international growth of our ground-breaking clinical trial solutions. Creating a ‘Centre of Excellence’ here in Ennis reflects the talent and skill that exists in the Vitalograph workforce and will offer many opportunities to people looking to build their careers in this exciting business.” Vitalograph, …

DEVELOPERS of a controversial East Clare wind farm have been urged to honour a promise to fund local sports clubs, in the event of a legal challenge to the recent grant of permission for 19 turbines on the slopes of Slieve Bearnagh.  In correspondence seem by The Champion, Deputy Michael McNamara told FuturEnergy Ireland that the funding promise would amount to “an ugly bribe”, if it were to be withheld in the likely event of a challenge.  The Scariff TD, who headed up the Carrownagowan Concern Group, also repeated fears originally voiced in a major submission, over the potential for landslides. In his letter to FuturEnergy – a renewable venture between Coillte and the ESB – Deputy McNamara said he was still not satisfied that those risks have been addressed.  The Independent TD said that one of the aspects of the planning application that concerned him most was the promise by Coillte to fund local sports clubs, contingent on the …

WITH the Saturday morning Parkruns at Illaunmanagh now having been going on for six months, the organisers are looking to get more local people taking part.  “It is going well, but we would still like to have more people. We would normally have around 25-30 people each week and we’re hoping to get more because Shannon is a big town and this is quite close to the Town Centre,” said Rob Stephen, who has been involved in staging the runs since the outset. “The Clare Sports Partnership are doing one of these couch to 5k things at the moment and at the end of that, in November, they’re aiming to join us then to do the 5k parkrun at the end of it. “There are about 40 people doing that, so hopefully once that’s done some of those people might be encouraged to participate.” He feels it’s important that people aren’t put off by the name, and they should know …

CLARE still has only one NCT centre, but work is underway to put a second one in place according to the Road Safety Authority’s Chief Operations Officer Brendan Walsh. There had been plans for one in Shannon but they fell through and Clare TD Michael McNamara recently put forward a parliamentary question asking for information on the provision of a new NCT centre in Shannon. He subsequently received correspondence from Mr Walsh which said, “I write further to your Dáil Question Number’s 154 in relation to the provision of a new National Car Test centre at Shannon, Co. Clare. “The provision and development of new NCT centres is a matter for the National Car Testing Service (NCTS) Contractor. “The NCTS Contractor has confirmed that following a recent advertising campaign for a suitable NCT premises in the Clare area, a number of submissions have now identified two potential sites that are currently undergoing a design and costing analysis. “It is the …