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Ivan Smyth speaks to Ennis RFC president Dermot Hallahan in the wake of club graduates Tony Butler, Ethan Coughlan and Conor Moloney becoming Grand Slam champions with Ireland U-20s Barefield’s Tony Butler and Ethan Coughlan alongside Kildysart’s Conor Moloney were part of the first Irish squad to ever win a Grand Slam at this grade. All three men are products of Ennis RFC’s underage system with Butler and Coughlan coming off the bench in last Sunday’s thumping 59-5 win over Scotland. The former kicked three conversions while scrum half Coughlan’s pin point pass culminated in Josh Hanlon crossing the whitewash. Moloney came off the bench in Ireland’s nail biting 17-16 win over France in Round Two with the win igniting dreams of a first U-20 Grand Slam. #U20SixNations Watch: Behind the scenes at Ireland's U20 Grand Slam win.#FutureIsGreen pic.twitter.com/QCbxPlHy2P — Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) March 16, 2019 Ennis RFC President Dermot Hallahan states it was a proud day for the club …

SPRING is here, restrictions are lifted and music performers everywhere are ready and excited to rise and shine. The annual Carpe Diem (Rise and Shine) concert makes a welcome return after its Covid-induced hiatus. The brainchild of Coole Music School’s director, Katharina Baker, Carpe Diem is the theme for a series of commemorative fundraising concerts in memory of Eimear Noonan, and Eli Murray, two avid young musicians, who died tragically in 2017 and 2019 respectively. The 2021 concert, postponed due to ongoing pandemic concerns, will now be staged in Gort on Saturday, April 2, in Sullivan’s Hotel, at 7.30pm. This uplifting concert entitled Carpe Diem, Rise and Shine, celebrates a return to performing live music by young people and spans many genres. Seasoned performers of traditional and contemporary music, joining the young people, will enhance the proceedings. Irish conductor Sinead Hayes is usually found working with choir, orchestra and operas but on April 2 she will be present as master …

THE provision of out-of-hours GP services in the Mid-West will be examined as part of a wider strategic review of general practice, Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler has announced. Responding to questions in the Seanad from Senator Martin Conway, Minister Butler stated preparatory work for this review has already started this year. Since the emergence of Covid-19, the HSE provided out-of-hours co-operatives with a support grant to ensure continuity of care. Minister Butler confirmed funding for Shannondoc was increased to over €6.8 million in 2020. “Where there is increased demand in certain areas, Shannondoc can provide support from other treatment centres, to ensure services are provided where needed most,” said Minister Butler. “The service is demand-led, and the HSE has advised that Shannondoc has continued to meet the targets for urgent and routine calls set out under its service level agreement. “The Government is committed to increasing the number of GPs working nationwide and …

A group of soldiers have joined forces with a Killaloe-based sergeant and his Limerick colleague to raise funds for two hospitals that provided excellent care for their two premature babies. LIEUTENANT Jonathan Hughes, 12 Infantry Battalion and Sergeant Eddie O’Brien, 1 Central Medical Unit will hold a fundraiser titled “Marching for the Maternities” in conjunction with the Regeneron Great Limerick Run half marathon on May 1 next. This event will raise funds for the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) in University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL) and Coombe Women and Infants’ Hospital, Dublin. A platoon of between 30 and 40 officers and soldiers representing every corps and every barracks in the Defence Forces will complete the run in uniform, wearing chest rig and day sack, carrying 14 kg (30 lbs). Simultaneously, members of the 119 Infantry Battalion serving in UNIFIL United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon will also be “Marching for the Maternities” by completing various distances carrying the same weight. …

PROGRESS with the building of a number of new classrooms for Scariff Community College has been welcomed, following un update from the Minister for Education.  Approval for the construction of two mainstream classroom as well as metalwork and woodwork rooms, was given in 2017 and last week Minister Normal Foley gave positive news to Deputy Cathal Crowe. The Fianna Fáil member said he received a call from the minister who was in Boston for St Patrick’s Day. “She confirmed that her department has been examining tenders submitted for the development of two new mainstream classrooms and a metalwork room and a woodwork room for Scariff Community College and they’re now happy for this to now proceed to construction,” Deputy Crowe said. “There should be no further delays and I’m hoping the works can begin in earnest. I’ve been out to visit the school and saw how many of the classes were still being taught in prefab rooms – something rarely seen …

Ruan’s own Bríd MacNamara has earned more success for Clare camogie at a national level. The 2021 Camogie Association Media Awards and Mick Dunne Memorial Awards were announced on Tuesday morning with a Clare winner in the Best Match Programme category. Clare Camogie PRO, Brid MacNamara produced the publication for the senior decider between Scariff/Ogonnelloe and Truagh/Clonlara which has now been named as the best of its type in the country. The accolade has been secured three times previously under her stewardship, in 2016, ’17 and ’18. Aidan Ryan, based in Meelick, received the photography award. He submitted two photos for the award. The first one was of Truagh/Clonlara’s Eimear Kelly in action during her side’s county final replay against Scariff/Ogonnelloe in November. The other featured Limerick’s Áine Cunningham competing against Kilkenny duo Colette Dormer and Grace Walsh in the league quarter-final last June. Former Clare FM broadcaster Darren Kelly, has also been honoured. SportsDaz received the award for Digital …

A SPECIAL Goal Mile in aid of the victims of the war in Ukraine will be held in Ennis, on Sunday, March 27, in the Fairgreen. Participants can complete distance any time between 11 and 1 and donate what they can. If you can’t make it or prefer to donate on line they can do so at https://goal-ukraine-appeal.raisely.com/ennisgoalmileforukraine. A spokesperson for the organisers explains, “Right now, thousands upon thousands of Ukrainian women, children and the elderly are amassing in the west of the country and flowing into neighbouring countries, namely Poland, Slovakia and Moldova. “The conflict has already seen over 160,000 people internally displaced and a mass exodus. In all, UNHCR estimates that as many as five million refugees could be generated by the conflict. “GOAL’s teams are well positioned to deliver humanitarian services to those affected, but they need help to do so. I am therefore kindly asking, as a special appeal, to give what you can to help …

PLANNING permission has been granted for the construction of a residential development near an Ennis retirement village, despite numerous objectors including one dubbing the plans a “Mini Manhattan”. The green light has been given for Leadlane (Drumbiggle) Ltd to construct 56 residential units on lands to the west of Pairc na Coille Retirement Village in Drumbiggle. The plans had been the subject of dozens of submissions, with objectors creating a YouTube video highlighting concerns for nearby wildlife in an area the retirement village residents call “our nature reserve”. A revised ecological impact assessment on behalf of the developers submitted to the council concluded, “there will be no significant impacts on biodiversity”. Among the 27 conditions of planning laid down by Clare County Council, first occupation of the units will be restricted to individual purchasers only, not a corporate entity, and/or those eligible for the occupation of social and/or affordable housing. According to the Council this condition is to restrict new …