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OVERFLOW parking may have to be provided at one of East Clare’s premier tourist attractions due to the boost in visitor numbers in recent years.  The increase in popularity of the Two Mile Gate Lakeside Amenity Park, which includes a state-of-the-art aqua park and a Blue Flag bathing area, was widely welcomed at the recent meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District Committee. With Ballycuggeran Woods on the other side of the main road from Killaloe to Scariff, some concerns were raised about parked vehicles obstructing the route. The matter was raised by Councillors Joe Cooney and Pat Burke, who were told that the Council is exploring options to facilitate visitor demand.  “Fantastic work has been done around Two Mile Gate,” Councillor Cooney said. “Lots of people stayed local during Covid and have found out about it. The problem now is parking in the area.   The place has been chock-a-block in recent days. That’s fantastic to see, but we need …

The term ‘larger than life’ can be over-used, but in the case of Oliver Moylan RIP it’s the perfect description, writes Margaret O’Brien. Oliver was never short of an opinion and had the courage of his own convictions. However, his arguments were tempered with charm and wry humour. An Ennis man through and through. With Oliver it was town first and county second. He grew up in Ennis, he swam at the Turret, played tennis at Ennis Tennis Club, golfed at Ennis Golf Club and ran a successful family business in the heart of town. He had a strong civic spirit and served as President Ennis Golf Club, Ennis Tennis Club and Ennis Chamber, while also serving on the board of Chambers Ireland. He was a director CLDC and served as Chair of the Clare Association of An Taisce. Oliver has been at the helm of Ennis Cash Company since taking over from his father Dr Patrick Moylan in 1958. …

Eoin Brennan previews the senior and intermediate ladies football championships which get underway this weekend   With a vice-like grip over the Clare senior ladies football championship over the past 15 seasons, will Banner Ladies latest challenge be a potentially lucky or unlucky 13th title bid? With their age profile rising with every passing year, the Ennis-based side still possess a vastly experienced core and remain the team to beat but what do the chasing pack hold in terms of threat to potentially knock them off their perch? Having contested five of the last six senior deciders, Kilmihil, who managed to take the Banner’s scalp in a historic 2019 final breakthrough, are the main contenders. The only other side to lower the Banner were West Clare Gaels in 2010 but there were precious few survivors for the peninsula amalgamation when humbled by the Banner in the 2020 final. Senior B winners St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield look to be the side best …

AFTER 41 years of service to Shannon Airport, most recently as Operations Director, Niall Maloney will soon be departing. Mr Maloney is set to be succeeded as Director by Niall Kearns, who will lead the airport’s Operations and Commercial team. Being Operations Director at Shannon involved responding to countless challenges and in a previous interview with the Clare Champion Mr Maloney said, “In our business there are challenges every day. Some of them are quite minor, some of them are a bit more detailed and you have to treat each passenger’s needs on a case by case basis. “You have people who have died, you have people who are going to a wedding, people who have left a passport behind, people who have lost a set of keys, people who don’t know the country at all and want some help and service. “You’ve a whole myriad of various issues, some of them quite serious, some of them less than serious, …

Following back-to-back Junior A Final reverses in only the space of three months last year, Ballyvaughan will be determined to dust themselves off for a real drive for silverware this time around. The North Clare side’s strength in depth isn’t overly healthy while their age profile isn’t getting any lower either but they do possess quality with their spine to be vying for honours come October. For the first time though, there are five more flagship sides looking to overtake Ballyvaughan including their most frequent championship rivals Killimer, a Liscannor side just down from intermediate level, Junior B champions Parteen and sleeping giants St Senan’s Kilkee and Clooney-Quin. Indeed, Ballyvaughan are embroiled in a real group of death with Killimer and Liscannor for only two quarter-final spots while in contrast Group 1 is an all-second string pool comprising of Cratloe, St Joseph’s Miltown, Lissycasey and Clondegad. It will be also interesting to see what the reserves of last year’s semi-finalists …

University of Limerick is to construct a new 20-house student village off its main campus which will accommodate up to 80 students. Located in Rhebogue just over 2km from the University’s main campus, the new student village will comprise 20 new A rated houses increasing the UL managed student accommodation by an additional 80 bedrooms. With full planning permission in place, construction of the 20 new houses is set to commence next month with full completion and occupation due by August 2023. The new student village at Rhebogue will be constructed by a private developer and purchased by the University through the UL subsidiary Plassey Campus Centre adding a 9th student village to its portfolio. In order to maintain affordable rental charges for students at the new UL student village, the university has estimated a 27-year period in which the capital costs will be fully recouped. UL Provost and Deputy President Professor Shane Kilcommins has warmly welcomed the announcement of …

AWARD winning Clare songwriter Susan O’Neill has announced a new EP ‘Now You See It’ to be released September 14, and has this week released the title track as the first single from the six-track offering. Currently on tour in the US, Susan returns to these showers in September and a heavy touring schedule will include concerts at glór in Ennis, on October 8, the Milk Market in Limerick on October 1 and Roisin Dubh in Galway on October 14. Recorded between Los Angeles, Maine, Clare, and Wexford, during the spring of this year, the EP sees Susan working again with Tony Buchen – producer of ‘In The Game’, the 2021 collaboration record with Mick Flannery, Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter, Lake Street Dive), and her fellow bandmates, brothers Cillian Byrne and Lorcan Byrne. ‘Now You See It’, was written whilst on the road with Mick Flannery in the US last year. Her partnership with Flannery has yielded ‘In The Game’ …

A MAN kicked and stripped his then partner and gave her a black eye five days after the woman miscarried her pregnancy earlier this year, a court has heard. At the Family Law Court, the woman said that in an earlier assault this year “he gave me a black eye and beat me while I was pregnant”. The woman said that the maternity hospital where she was going do have records of bruises on her body. Recounting another alleged assault on her by the man last year, the woman said that her then partner “hit me across the face, bit my nose and stripped me naked”. Recalling the alleged assault five days after she miscarried this year, the softly spoken woman said that after the couple got home from a family event, “he kicked me and stripped me again”.  She said: “He hit my head off the wall. Gave me another black eye and that went on for two hours …