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The Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Mr Malcolm Noonan has announced that €29,520 will be allocated to archaeological heritage projects in Clare under his Department’s 2022 Community Monuments Fund. The three Clare projects are Kilofin Church, south west of Labasheeda, which will receive €9,102; Templemaley Church, Ballyalla, which will also receive €9,102; and finally Kilchreest Chuch, Carrowkilla, which will get €11,316. The core objective of the Community Monuments Fund is to support the conservation, maintenance, protection and promotion of local monuments and historic sites. It contains a number of different measures aimed at enabling conservation works to be carried out on archaeological monuments which are deemed to be significant and in need of urgent support, encouraging access to archaeological monuments and improving their presentation and also building resilience in archaeological monuments to enable them to withstand the effects of climate change. Minister Noonan said “I am delighted to announce the Community Monuments Fund awards for 2022. The …

Derek Dormer was in Clarecastle to witness the home side defeat Éire Óg 2-18 to 0-15 in the Clare Cup A GAME with all the hallmarks of a local derby – ferocious tackling, fierce exchanges, yellow cards and a vocal crowd – provided an excellent spectacle on Wednesday evening in Clarecastle. Éire Óg started the game at a frenetic pace racing into a five points to one lead by the tenth minute but failure to score for the remainder of the half was hugely detrimental to their hopes of success. Dominanation at restarts, winning their own easily and overturning the opposition’s, provided the platform for three David McNamara points, an Oran Guilfoyle beauty and a fine Michael Heneghan score. From here though until the half time whistle Clarecastle simply took over with Killian McDermott inspiring his teammates with some fantastic scores. With Stephen O’Halloran, Rory O’Connell and Darragh Healy now dominating primary possession the Magpies moved through the gears and …

IT WAS a fairytale at Fairyhouse this week for one Clare man who watched his horse romp to victory in Ireland’s biggest race. Owner Pat Blake has admitted he might need a few days yet to come down from the clouds after seeing his Lord Lariat take the BoyleSports Irish Grand National on Easter Monday. The Kilkee man told the Clare Champion, “We’re a bit on the hoarse side after it. We knew there was a big day in him and he picked a good day to do it, it was brilliant, we had a great day.” The horse was brought down from his County Meath stable this Wednesday to parade in front of a big crowd in the seaside town with those that supported him at 40-1, and bigger, most vocal in their appreciation. Pat watched Monday’s drama unfold in the Fairyhouse parade ring accompanied by family and friends and trainer Dermot McLoughlin and there were joyous scenes as …

UNIVERSITY Hospital Limerick has set an unwanted new record today with 126 patients being treated on trolleys at the Dooradoyle hospital. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has called for an emergency plan to be activated for UHL in the wake of the figures the highest number of patient overcrowding in any Irish hospital since the INMO began its TrolleyWatch in 2006. A spokesperson for the INMO said the level of overcrowding “is dangerous for patients and staff and requires an immediate hospital group-wide response”. The number of patients on trolleys in UHL this Thursday makes up over 28% of the total number of patients on trolleys across the country today (442 patients). INMO Assistant Director of Industrial Relations, Mary Fogarty said, “The fact that we are seeing a record number of patients on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick on the 21st of April means that the bed management system is completely broken. “The INMO has been sounding the alarm …

THE CHAIR of Clare County Council has asked that Shannon Airport be marketed as “the gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way”. At the April meeting of the local authority, Councillor PJ Ryan called on the Council to request Shannon Group, Clare Tourism, Fáilte Ireland and other tourism-related bodies to undertake the marketing initiative. A written reply from Deirdre O’Shea, Acting Head of Tourism said that the success of Fáilte Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way brand “presents a unique opportunity for the marketing of Shannon Airport”. “The Clare Tourism Advisory Forum, as an industry stakeholder-led forum comprises of representatives from Clare Tourism Department, Tourism businesses and State agencies, to include Fáilte Ireland and Shannon Group, meets on a bi-monthly basis,” the response said. “The marketing of Shannon Airport is a recurring agenda item. This facilitates all partners on the forum working collaboratively to ensure that Shannon Airport and air connectivity to the West of Ireland receives continued priority through collaborative marketing nationally …

Clare minor footballers fresh from a 4-18 to 0-4 win over Waterford in the opening round of the Munster minor football round robin series travel for a round 2 encounter with Limerick in Rathkeale this Thursday evening with a 7pm throw in. In the opening round Tipperary who face Clare in round 3 accounted for Limerick on a 1-15 to 1-8 score line next week at a Clare venue named as St Joseph’s Miltown Malbay but suggestions are that it may be Wolfe Tones, Shannon once more. The four sides, Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, and Waterford play a round robin with the winner playing the loser of a Cork v Kerry side in the semi-final. The winner of the Cork v Kerry tie plays the winner in the Munster minor final on the 1st June. Clare manager Dermot Couglan has made one change from the side that defeated Waterford with Ronan Kilroy from the Banner coming in for Niall Fitzgerald. Clare …

LAHINCH Seaworld and Leisure Centre will open its doors for the first time in two and a half years, after extensive input from the local community. The board of directors made the decision to close in December 2019, just before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, to find the investment needed to enhance the facility. Eoin Conlan, manager at the centre, emphasised the importance of Clare County Council in getting the facility up and running again, as well as a range of philanthropic donations to that end. He said, “Pat Dowling and all his team, with other local councillors, made funds available for us. Roughly €6 million has gone into the facility in the last two years, and the massive community effort came as much from the local businesses and the regular people.” One feature which the local community asked for was a learning pool, because of the lack of a communal pool in Lahinch; campaigns began to surface on …

John Galvin was beguiled by the cultural wealth, fabulous food and warm hospitality of the Mediterranean island. When we think of Malta, perhaps nothing immediately springs to mind, except for vague notions of sandy beaches and blue Mediterranean waters. Malta in fact is an intriguing mix of cultures, having spend much of its history conquered by other countries, only gaining its independence in the 1960s. We explored the islands as guests of Visit Malta, to mark the start of direct Ryanair flights from Shannon to Valletta. We managed to pack a lot into three days but I’d suggest that the delights of the islands should be enjoyed at a more leisurely pace. With two flights a week, it would be easy to tailor the perfect trip. Malta’s first capital, Mdina, gives the feel of an open air museum, with its narrow, traffic free streets and mix of architectural styles, dating back to medieval times. The ramparts impart breathtaking views of …