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ANOTHER surge in Covid-19 has resulted in Clare recording the dubious distinction of having the second highest 14-day incidence of confirmed PCR cases in the country. Figures obtained by the Clare Champion reveal the 14-day incidence rate has soared to 348.4 per 100,000 after 414 cases were detected over the last two weeks including 86 cases on Tuesday. Limerick has the highest incidence in the country with 427.9% in the last 14 days after recording 834 cases during this period. The Department of Public Health Mid-West has been notified of more than 3,200 new Covid-19 cases in Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary in the past 14 days. According to provisional data, as of June 19, the department has been notified of 1,676 new cases in Limerick, 714 in Clare, and 854 in Tipperary over the past 14 days. Dr Mai Mannix, Area Director of Public Health Mid-West, said this increase in cases in the Mid-West is of concern, as Covid-19 remains …

THE Board of Management of St Aidan’s National School has sought planning permission for a significant extension to the educational facility. Permission is being sought for two special educational needs classrooms and another mainstream classroom, along with ancillary accommodation, a mainstream classroom and associated circulation space. A document prepared by Quinn Architects accompanying the application said that three proposed options were considered before the preferred option was identified. The document stated, “Having evaluated alternative options, in collaboration with the School Authority and the Department of Education, of locating the proposed new building to the north of the existing building, the agreed conclusion was that these options did not achieve all of the desired design criteria. “We then looked at the options of locating the building in the green field area to the west of the existing school which is zoned Open Space.”  It added, “This proposal has a logical extension of the existing main circulation spine to the left of …

AFTER more than 15 months filled with controversy, debate, recrimination, appeals and public votes, the most notorious sculpture this side of Michelangelo’s David has settled into its forever home. The Púca, sculpted by Aidan Harte, and originally intended for the town of Ennistymon, was unveiled this afternoon at the Michael Cusack Centre, the birthplace of the founder of the GAA. The Burren community in North Clare gathered at the Carron facility for the official unveiling of the Púca, which has famously been rejected by Ennistymon, after a backlash in the town over what objectors said was a lack of public consultation. A public vote held online by Clare County Council ultimately led to Ennistymon saying no to the artwork, and the local authority seeking expressions of interests from other entities and communities in north Clare to give the Púca a home. Harte, who was commissioned by the Arts Office of Clare County Council to produce the artwork, said, “I want …

A CALL has been made for the opening of a ‘one stop shop’ in Clare to support midwestern homeowners affected by pyrite.  Deputy Cathal Crowe is seeking the facility, which would be overseen by The Housing Agency and would support homeowners accessing the new defective concrete blocks grant scheme. The calls has been made in parallel with the progressing of the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022. Deputy Crowe said the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) is examining the option of opening regional support centres and he believes that the centre for the midwest should be located in Clare.  “The Housing Agency would oversee this,” he told The Champion. “It would provide an interface between the public and government staff and support homeowners in accessing the grant and getting remediation works done.” The new Bill, published last Tuesday evening (June 21), is a 62-page document outlining the revised blocks scheme. While Clare and …

A South-East Clare primary school teacher has scooped a prestigious Fulbright scholarship to study in the USA. Eimear Millane has won the Foreign Language Teaching Assistantship (FLTA) scholarship to teach in the University of Connecticut for ten months. One of the 40  Fulbright Irish Awardees, Eimear was presented with her award at a ceremony in Iveagh House, Dublin, recently in recognition of the excellence of her study and research. In an interview with the Clare Champion, Eimear recalled she completed an interview for this scholarship last January, having applied the previous October. Under the Fulbright Programme, she will be teaching Irish as a minority language in the University of Connecticut for ten months, having opted to take a career break from her current job as a primary school teacher in Bunscoil Bhríde in Co. Kildare, where she oversees the Coiste Gaelach. The scholarship covers her flights and accommodation, while she will also be paid during her time as a teacher. …

Having taken 30 years to contest their previous two championship appearances in GAA Headquarters, the prospect of lining out on the hallowed turf for the second time in three weeks is now a glorious reality for Clare this Saturday. Indeed, with both the footballers and hurlers lining out in Croke Park for the first time in the same season, it may be a nightmare for supporters’ pockets but the stuff of dreams when it comes to the development of both squads. The thing is that despite being overrun by Derry in the second half of their rare National League clash in late February, Clare won’t fear taking on the Ulster champions. All because Derry, despite the jolt in confidence of a first provincial crown in 24 years, are equally as unaccustomed to the environs of Jones’ Road on championship days. After all, drift back three or four seasons and Derry were languishing in Division 4 and found it difficult to …

No Clareman has more Croke Park experience than Enda Coughlan — as a player and a selector the Kilmurry Ibrickane legend goes all the way back to when he was just 18 and starting out on his inter-county career, writes Joe Ó Muircheartaigh, looking ahead to this Saturday’s All-Ireland quarter-final. “IT’S still only a field at the end of the day,” muses Enda Coughlan when talking about Croke Park, but he quickly qualifies his statement by explaining what makes the place different and how it plays differently. “You get used to playing on different pitches,” he explains, “and when you’re not used to it, it’s different for a while. I’ve been lucky enough to play there and it’s the feel of it — it seems to play bigger than probably everywhere else. “There’s a tricky wind coming in there and it’s getting used to it. When you don’t get to play there that often it takes time to settle so …

The historic Spancilhill Horse Fair returned on Thursday having been cancelled for the last two years due to the pandemic. It was almost mothballed permanently, due to insurance issues, but in April, an eleventh hour intervention by Clare County Council secured its future and paved the way for celebrations this year to mark the 400th anniversary of the world renowned horse fair. Thursday’s event was as busy and colourful as ever, as our photos show.