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BOAT users are being urged to ensure their vessel is serviced and in safe working order as Lough Derg RNLI helped two vessels in difficulty in back-to-back shouts at the weekend. On Sunday afternoon July 3, Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat to launch to assist three people on a 25ft motor cruiser adrift with steering failure near Williamstown on the country Clare shoreline. At 2.30pm Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat Jean Spier launched with helm Owen Cavanagh, Joe O’Donoghue, Chris Parker and Ciara Moylan on board. At 2.35pm the lifeboat arrived on scene. The lifeboat transferred a volunteer across to the casualty vessel who established that all on board were safe and unharmed and wearing their lifejackets. The cruiser had power but its steering had failed. The skipper had dropped anchor to prevent drift across the navigation channel. Given the location and weather, the RNLI lifeboat helm made the decision to take the vessel under tow, and as …

A LARGE bottle cap mural has been installed at Kilnaboy National School, the result of much work from the whole school community. Teacher Fiona Corry Forde drove the project, and she said the mural reflects the Burren’s landscape, which she said is important to the school. “Traditionally the children would always learn a lot about their own local environment and we take part in the Burren Beo programme as often as it comes around.” The mural is 14.3 metres by 3.5 metres and she explained where the idea came from. “Basically it came about because this time last year I heard an interview with a principal down in County Cork, in a school called Ballymoney, down near Clonakilty. She was interviewed by Kathryn Thomas about a bottlecap mural they had done. I googled pictures of it and I thought that’s fabulous and I’d love to have a go at it with the kids in Kilnaboy.” School principal Gerry Connors was …

FRIENDS and family of the late Ashling Murphy arrived in County Clare this week having joined a cycle travelling from Tyrone to Miltown Malbay’s Willie Clancy Summer School festival in memory of the popular teacher. The 23 year-old primary school teacher and traditional Irish musician, who had been a regular visitor to the Willie Clancy summer school, was tragically killed in January of this year while out running in Tullamore. Her life has also been remembered with the announcement by Comhaltas  Ceoltóirí Éireann of three scholarships in her honour, with the organisation describing Ashling as “a light of inspiration”. The ‘Wheels & Jigs’ cycle is raising funds for the Ashling Murphy Memorial Trust which has been set up by the Murphy family and at the time of going to press close to €10,500 had been raised. The cycle was founded in 2015 and has raised funds for a number of different charities over the years. Ashling had performed with Fermanagh …

IT may be high summer, but the usual activities are being run by Clare Youth Service in Shannon. “We’ve decided to continue on our programmes throughout the summer because the attendance at them is still quite high. Usually with people going away and doing different things you’d see a drop off, but because young people are still engaging with the programmes we’ve decided to keep them going and add in a few other ones,” said youth worker Thomas O’Hara. Young people about to start secondary school are being catered for, he said. “We’re starting our transition programme this week, our transistion to first year programme with groups of young people moving from sixth class to first year. That’s on Wednesday afternoons and it’s all based on discussions around what they can expect going into first year. We’ll be running through different communication games and exercises and stuff like that, a bit of team building and introducing them to the programmes …

WITH schools now on summer holidays the dangers that farms can pose to children have been highlighted by gardaí in Clare. “Now that schools are over and the weather is hopefully starting to get good, kids are out and about on farms, but farms are a workplace and unfortunately children are killed every year on farms,” warns Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks. “Never allow a child onto a farmyard unless they are closely supervised by an adult. It’s not possible to safely look after your child and work on the farm at the same time.” She has issued advice to those who live on a farm saying, “Keep children out of work areas. Have a fenced off safe play area in view of your home. Have easy to read danger signs and tell children what they mean.” All unattended vehicles should be locked and the keys removed and kept away from children. Safety measures should be put in …

THERE were 59 homeless adults in Clare during the week from May 23-29, according to figures from the Department of Housing.Across the Mid West region there were 71 families, with 135 children accessing emergency accommodation during the same week. Jackie Bonfield, Mid West Simon Community CEO said that the homeless situation is disimproving, and likely to continue to decline. “The numbers nationally are getting worse. The ban on evictions has been lifted, which absolutely isn’t helping the situation. There is still a shortage of accommodation, a shortage of properties to rent. “I don’t believe we have seen the wave yet from the increase in the cost of living, but it is going to come, I’d say over the next few months. “People are struggling to pay bills now and there’s only so long they can afford to keep paying the rent at the rate they were paying it, and trying to survive, with food and everything else increasing.” Support is …

FROM all across the United States members of the O’Dea clan will be in Ennis and Dysert O’Dea this weekend for their 11th annual clan gathering. The international O’Dea clan gathering, from July 8 to 10, will see more than 50 clan members travelling from various parts of the USA, including California, Florida, Missouri, Ohio and other states to attend the event. Unfortunately, clan members from Australia and New Zealand will not be attending due to Covid 19 restrictions. Nevertheless, a fully packed weekend programme for those attending includes lectures, DNA workshops, a visit to Dysert O’Dea castle, a sightseeing tour to the Cliffs of Moher, Ballyvaughan and Corcomroe abbey and a farewell gala dinner in the Old Ground Hotel. The highlight of the weekend will be the inauguration of the incoming Clan Chieftain (Taoisigh) Ennis man Shane O’Dea at Dysert O’Dea castle on, Saturday. In honour of the weekend event, the Ennis Municipal District will host a mayoral reception …

THERE was friction between Clare TDs yesterday, when two Government party deputies voted to pass the controversial Bill underpinning the new grant for homeowners with defective blocks.  Deputy Michael McNamara, who drew up some of the 160 amendments sought by campaigners and the Opposition, was the only Clare TD to oppose the guillotining of the legislation yesterday (Wednesday, July 6). Deputy Violet Anne Wynne was not present in the chamber when the Bill was passed the Bill by 74 votes to 69. Frustrated at lack of time for amendments, and the stance of his constituency colleagues, Deputy McNamara was sharply critical of those ‘talking out of both sides of their mouths’. Despite voting for the guillotining of the Bill, Deputy Cathal Crowe made a number of points about the defective blocks issue. “It is very important that, while this €2.7 billion is ring-fenced, redress be expedited and further improved and refined by regulation in the autumn,” he said. The Meelick …