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THE notorious Brennan’s Cross in Meelick is an “accident waiting to happen”, a local Dáil Deputy has claimed. Deputy Joe Carey has called on Clare County Council to realign Brennan’s Cross in the interest of road safety as well as providing public lighting, footpaths and infrastructure from the Knockalisheen Centre back into Meelick. The Fine Gael Deputy has made representations to the council for road improvement works in Meelick following a recent visit to the area with Councillor John Crowe. Several residents had been in touch with Deputy Carey in relation to the dangers posed to pedestrians, cyclist and motorist using both Brennan’s Cross and the Knockalisheen Road. Deputy Carey warned these issues will be exacerbated when the new road linking Coonagh to the Knockalisheen Road, which is currently under construction as part of Phase One of the Limerick Northern Distributor Road, is open to traffic. “It’s my understanding that a section of the Knockalisheen Road is planned to close …

A SCARIFF photographer is hoping to have a second video shown on RTÉ television, as part of The People’s Angelus. James Treacy, from Moynoe, has been filming with his co-producer, Martin Ryan, of the Limerick College of Further Education (LCFE) for a number of months and the final product is being edited. The short film features farmer John Beston baling silage and cutting hay in the late summer, then using it to fodder his animals in the winter months. The piece was chosen because it fits the meditative and reflective tone of The People’s Angelus. “We have been shooting this video since last July 2021 and we now have to put the jigsaw puzzle together,” Mr Treacy said. Previously, the duo made a short film at Kilmallock Mart in County Limerick to reflect the rhythm of farming life and the role of the mart. That piece will be aired again on RTÉ One at 6pm on Friday, January 28, under …

GAA manager Davy Fitzgerald is making a second series of Davy’s Toughest Team with Animo TV for RTÉ in 2022, and applications are now open for those who want to take the challenge. In series one, Davy met a group of young men aged 18 – 22, who found themselves at the crossroads of an uncertain future. Many of the group had battled with issues such as crime, unemployment, addiction and mental health. Over the course of a number of months, Davy guided and mentored the group as they tackled their issues and trained for an intense physical challenge – climbing Carrauntoohil. The seven young men who took part in the first series have since spoken publicly about the lasting impact the programme has had on their lives. Animo TV and RTÉ are now making a second series of ‘Davy’s Toughest Team’ and are currently looking for a diverse new group of 18 – 22-year-old men to take part. Davy …

AFTER five decades of reporting the news from Inagh, Flan Garvey has handed on the mantle of notes correspondent and is just beginning a well-earned retirement.  A retired school principal, Flan has been at the heart of local news and notes for almost 50 years. He was Inagh’s very first notes correspondent, after spotting a gap in The Clare Champion’s coverage in the early 1970s.  “I was a very young, enthusiastic teacher in the parish and joined the staff of Gortbofarna National School in 1965,” he outlined. “In 1973, I started at the national school Inagh and was there until I retired. I was an avid reader of The Champion and noticed that some areas had notes and details of local events. I approached Frank O’Dea, the editor at the time and Flan Galvin, the owner, with a view to starting the Inagh notes. They said, ‘Yes, by all means’ and it took off from there. I suppose I wanted …

WORK has finished on a new documentary on the death of North Clare woman Emer O’Loughlin, which will be broadcast on TG4 in May. A talented artist, Emer was 23 years of age when her body was discovered in a burnt out mobile home at Ballybornagh, Tubber on April 8, 2005. Subsequent forensic tests showed that she was murdered. Seventeen years on there still has not been a conviction. A man named John Griffin, who lived close to Emer and her partner, is someone that Gardai wish to speak to about the matter. Following an incident on Inis Mór shortly after her death, he was taken into custody by Gardai, and subsequently brought into psychiatric care in Ballinasloe. However, he was allowed to leave a few days later, went back to the Aran Islands and is thought to have attempted to fake his own death there. He is subsequently known to have travelled from London to Germany. Gardai believe he …

CONCERNS have been raised by planners over the amount of housing development in Crusheen, given the level of community, educational and commercial services currently available.  The Council outlined that view in a Further Information (FI) request to developers who are seeking permission for the fourth large-scale housing estate in the village in recent years. The authority warned that the intensity of housing development proposed may not be suited to the village.  Woodhaven Developments lodged plans last December for 42 more homes on a site on the Gort side of Crusheen. The company said the estate represented the next phase of a masterplan for lands close to the village centre, that are zoned for mixed use and transport utilities. While Woodhaven said the plan was in line with the target of boosting Crusheen’s population, planners have now warned that appropriate services may not be in place to serve additional housing. In a detailed FI request, planners said that when three housing …

THERE has been “huge demand” for first year places at St Flannan’s College in Ennis, with the school confirming that extra places have now been made available. An additional 24 first year places are being offered at the secondary school, principal Fr Ignatius McCormack confirmed this week. In a statement, he said, “Due to the huge demand for first year places at St Flannan’s Killaloe Diocesan College the Patron and Board of Management of St Flannan’s College has revised our intake for this year. “Following a careful review of our teacher allocation and our accommodation provision we are in a position to offer a further 24 places in the first year class, bringing the total number to 240. “These extra places will be allocated in line with our admissions policy which can be viewed on our school website www.stflannanscollege.ie.”

Munster Senior Camogie Championship Final Scariff/Ogonnelloe 1-8 Drom & Inch 1-7 THE name Scanlan will be forever linked to sport in Scariff and now Scariff/Ogonnelloe as the veteran of so many battles hit a 65th minute goal to secure her side’s second Munster crown, writes Michael O’Connor. With the appetite for success warmed up by the St Joseph’s Tulla win in the same pitch, the East Clare wave took over Mallow GAA Complex on Saturday afternoon Scariff/Ogonnelloe were hoping to continue a wonderfully progressive season with success in this final played in cold, but clear conditions. Their opponents, Drom & Inch were the 2020 champions replacing Scariff/Ogonnelloe, who won the 2019 crown and it was the Tipperary side who started the final as favourites. It was indeed heart-breaking for the Tipperary champions as they were the shortest ever champions of Munster only defeating Inagh/Kilnamona before Christmas. The first-half was far from a classic encounter as both sides were controlling their …