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PLANS have been floated for a new end of season celebration in Killaloe next month, marking people’s ever-evolving relationship with wild water. One of the organisers, Rev Paul Fitzpatrick hopes this inaugural event will grow and develop into an annual celebration, marking the end of the season. The Dean’s Vicar of Killaloe and Stradbally Group of Parishes is keen to extend hospitality and “the extraordinary ambience” of Killaloe to all visitors. “All personal contact is now made and there is such amazing collaboration support and generosity around for this celebration,” said Reverend Fitzpatrick. “The inaugural event will complement so much all that has and is presently happening. Flags are really flying for Clare, Tipperary and Killaloe. “Our human relationship with wild water is ever-evolving. In past times water seemed to bear greater symbolic significance when a body of water represented a liminal interlude on the way to another world. It was used as a transport vector for cultural, pastoral, and …

A young man has been airlifted to hospital in Dublin after he was injured in a road traffic collision in East Clare on Wednesday afternoon. The incident, which involved a tractor but no other vehicle, happened at around 5.45pm at Knockaveen off the main R461 Scariff to Feakle road. It’s understood the driver, believed to be in his late teens, was working in the area for a contractor and was drawing bales when the collision occurred. It’s thought that he lost control of the tractor on the country road and overturned. Two units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Scariff station responded to the incident along with National Ambulance Service paramedics and Gardaí. The Cork-based charity-funded Irish Community Air Ambulance was also requested to attend the scene. After the injured driver had been safely removed from the tractor by fire crews and paramedics he was airlifted to hospital in Dublin. It’s understood his injuries are serious but not …

WATERFORD GAA have declined to comment on reports that Davy Fitzgerald could be appointed as the county’s senior hurling manager in the near future. PRO Taylor Murray declined to comment on who is in the frame for the job when approached on Wednesday. She said that the Waterford county board’s chairman and secretary are part of a committee appointed to find a new manager, along with a former player and an external person. This four-person group is to come up with a recommended candidate, whose name will go before a future county board meeting. The third round of the Waterford senior hurling championship is due to take place this weekend. Fitzgerald managed Waterford from 2008 to 2011, with the county reaching the All Ireland final in his first year, and winning a Munster title in 2010. Liam Cahill has departed as the Decies manager this year to take up the reins at his native Tipperary. This year saw Fitzgerald coaching …

DATA on deaths associated with Covid-19 in Clare, in the first two years of the pandemic, show that more than half of fatalities were in the 75+ age group. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) published figures in recent days showing a total of 97 deaths in this county of people who had Covid-19 between March 2020 and February 2022. The youngest was in the 45-54 age range. There were six deaths of people aged 55-64; 11 in the 65-74 age range; 36 in the 75-84 age range and 43 in the 85+ group. Clare had the lowest number of deaths in Munster. Deputy Michael McNamara who was Chairperson of the Special Committee on Covid-19 said every death was a tragedy. “Like all deaths from all causes and of all ages in Clare during that period of time, each death was a tragedy,” he said. “During most of that time, the pain and loss was frequently compounded by not being able …

The CDSL season prepares to swing in to action once more with a revamped league format for the upcoming campaign. With Ennis Town unable to field a team next season, only nine clubs will play in the Moloney Hardware Premier Division ahead of the upcoming 2022/23 season. This means that 10 teams will compete in the Ann Romer Flowers First Division, nine sides in the Brian Pyne Tiles Second Division and seven clubs will be represented in the Brownies Barbershop Third Division. The Maloney Hardware Premier Division kicks off next weekend while clubs in the First, Second and Third divisions begin their season with the League Cup competitions. CDSL officials are hopeful of playing more games on Friday and Saturday evenings throughout the season, once both clubs are able to field on the day in question. With the GAA Club season having commenced, the CDSL are hoping this move allows clubs to field their best players. At the time of …

TULLA driver Robert Dwane tasted victory at the Kirkistown Speed Weekend, the Irish leg of the British Sprint Championship. A host of drivers made the journey across the Irish Sea for their annual Kirkistown event bringing the best of cars and drivers to compete against what the Irish had to offer. And Dwane was more than equal to the challenge. A double header with round 6 of the Northern Irish Sprint Championship taking place on the same day saw the locals mixing it with the visitors. NI Championship leader Dwane, in his OMS 25, proved to be the man to catch opening the weekend timed runs a full four seconds clear of Terry Holmes of Cornwall in his Lola Judd. Run 2 saw both improve with Dwane finding one tenth of a second scoring a 107.04 from his earlier time and Terry finding another half of a second by the end of the day on a 110.29 with Pete Goulding …

On Monday evening August 8, Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat to launch to assist four people on a 36ft motor cruiser with engine failure. Valentia Coast Guard informed the lifeboat volunteers that the casualty vessel was at a location west of the Corakeen Islands in Dromineer Bay and that the skipper had dropped anchor to prevent drift. At 8.10pm Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat Jean Spier launched with helm Eleanor Hooker, Joe O’Donoghue and Chris Parker on board. The wind was westerly Force 2. Visibility was excellent. The skipper of a passing 45ft cruiser had taken the casualty vessel under tow and when the lifeboat arrived on scene at 8.10pm, both vessels were underway and making way through the Urra Channel. All four people on the casualty vessel were safe and unharmed, and the skipper of the towing vessel, with nine people on board, told the lifeboat that he was happy to continue the tow to Dromineer Harbour. …

The story of a shocking and harrowing incident of cannibalism in 1835 aboard a ship skippered by a Clare man is the subject of this weekend’s RTE Documentary on One. The return journey from Canada of Limerick ship The Francis Spaight, entered infamy when four of the crew were eaten by their own crewmates. The sailing ship, the Francis Spaight, was registered in Limerick in May 1835 and was advertised in the newspapers of the time as the “grandest ship Limerick had ever seen”. Built in England earlier that year, it was destined for the Canada trade and was intended to be “one of the most superior vessels ever offered to emigrants”. It was named after its owner, the Limerick merchant, Francis Spaight, who was also local magistrate in the area. In September 1835, on its second ever voyage to Canada, the Francis Spaight ship left the Limerick Quays with a crew of 18 men on what was to be …