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GARDAÍ at Kilrush are renewing their appeals to the public for assistance in identifying the remains of three people whose bodies were recovered in recent years off the coast of County Clare. The first case concerns the body of a female recovered on August 14 2016, near Doolin by a member of the Burren sub-aqua unit in the course of a training exercise. The deceased was removed to the mortuary at University Hospital Limerick where a post-mortem was carried out. Following examination foul play was ruled out and a DNA sample was harvested. Partial clothing on the body included denim jeans bearing the label Esmara and another item of clothing which was purple in colour bearing a size tag 40/42. A black belt with a woven pattern was also recovered. The deceased has never been identified and was buried on January 3 2018 at Drumcliffe Cemetery in Ennis. In the second case, on July 30 2010, the body of man …

THREE CLARE Lotto players came agonisingly close to winning the €19 million jackpot last week, matching five of the drawn numbers. Getting the five numbers last Wednesday October 27, has, however, earned 35 players around the country €22,872 each. With the jackpot again intact after Saturday’s draw another 42 players won €23,367 each. Amazingly two of the three tickets for the Wednesday October 27 draw were sold in the same Ennis shop, while the third ticket that came so close to scooping Ireland’s largest ever Lotto was sold in Corofin. The National Lottery has revealed the selling locations where each of the 35 tickets that matched five numbers in the Wednesday October 27 draw were purchased. The winning ticket holders from 13 counties will now go on to claim €22,872 each. As Wednesday night’s jackpot was capped, this meant that the funds that would usually be added to the jackpot were instead distributed to the next prize tier at which …

CLARE’S Fianna Fail TD has insisted that the Minister for Housing remains “committed in principle” to extending the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme to this county. Deputy Cathal Crowe also reaffirmed his belief that this will happen before Christmas. “I can’t see why the announcement can’t be made on the very same day the minister launches the updated grant scheme,” he said. “I’ve met and spoken by phone to Minister O’Brien a number of times since September and he’s confident there won’t be any delays.” Deputy Crowe’s comments come after further confirmation that the Department of Housing is to query the county council’s application to access the grant scheme. Last week, a written response was sent by the Department to Deputy Joe Carey. In recent days, Deputy Crowe received a formal reply from the housing minister, confirming that aspects of the council’s report on defective blocks in Clare are to be probed. The Fianna Fail TD was told by the …

ICSA chief says support for organic farming ‘excessive’ relative to other sectors CLARE’S suckling enterprise, which generates an annual injection of an estimated €60 million into the local economy, is being short changed under the latest CAP Reform proposals, a local farm leader has claimed. ICSA secretary, Eddie Punch has called on Clare’s Oireachtas members to address the significant underfunding of direct supports for Clare suckler, beef and sheep farmers under the government’s proposed package under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). While Mr Punch supports organic farming, he believes the proposed funding of €256 million for this sector is “off the richter scale”. In 2020, there were 66,232 calves registered as born to a suckler cow in Clare. This puts Clare as the third highest county in Ireland for suckler cows behind Galway and just marginally behind Mayo. ICSA secretary, Eddie Punch stressed the suckler enterprise is hugely important for sustaining rural towns and villages in Clare. “Marts like Ennis, …

At a well attended unveiling ceremony held in Corofin on Sunday last Dr Maccon Macnamara, President of Cumann Staire is Dúchais Chora Finne officially launched the Fr. Murphy and 40 Shilling Freeholders Memorial at the Creamery Cross. Dr Macnamara praised the actions of Fr Murphy in seeking to extend equal rights to members of the Catholic Faith and said his actions as one of the leaders in the efforts to elect Daniel O’Connell, in the famous Clare Election of 1828, deserve to be remembered. Fr Murphy, a Newmarket on Fergus native, served as Parish Priest in Corofin from 1818 to 1831 and proved his dynamism by building a church in the village in 1822, opening badly needed schools and standing up to a political system which allowed for discrimination against a very significant proportion of the population. When he suffered an untimely death at the young age of 42 he was attended during his final illness by Dr Michael Macnamara, …

A dominant opening quarter laid the foundations for Scariff-Ogonnelloe to secure the first Minor silverware of 2021 as they held off any Kilmaley revolt to garner the Under 17 Academy B title in Hamilton Park in Kilkishen on Sunday morning. An early unanswered 1-6 blitz capped off by a John Walsh goal provided the amalgamation with a healthy cushion that they would cling to for the remainder as Kilmaley, led superbly by Thomas McGuire and Joe Casey, tried their utmost to grab a lifeline. Scariff-Ogonnelloe perhaps should have been out of sight by the opening water break though when only taking one of three glorious goal opportunities. Fronted by a potent forward line led by Sean Treacy, John Walsh, Liam Madden, Colin O’Grady and Mici Sheedy, the East Clare combo hit the ground running with six points without reply in the opening twelve minutes through Walsh (2), O’Grady (2), Madden and Sheedy. Their efforts to add a goal initially proved …

CLARE Youth Service recently hosted its first online information session for parents/guardians on the topic of LGBTI+ awareness. The event was run in conjunction with GOSHH (Gender, Orientation, Sexual Health, HIV) and, in response to demand, there will be an additional session on November 3. Brian McManus of CYS said the level of enquiries and social media sharing about the first session led to the organisation of an additional event. “Feedback from participants indicated that the information and format along with the friendly and non-judgemental style of facilitation had been much appreciated by participants,” said Brian. “One parent indicated that they felt relieved after attending the session, realising that other parents had experienced similar feelings and reactions. Another felt it clarified terms that they had heard used by their teenager and their friends.” The presentation included topics such as terminology associated with the LGBTI+ community, background information on issues and challenges for young LGBTI+ people, how to support a young …

Between hurling and football, St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield are contesting their fourth Intermediate Championship Final in six seasons in Cusack Park on Sunday when taking on Smith O’Brien’s for the Paddy Browne Cup. With two senior sides dropping down next year, promotion is almost a necessity for the club’s development according to manager Michael Guilfoyle who spoke with Eoin Brennan this week. Michael Guilfoyle has been down this road before. Part of the management team that ensured that his native Feakle bounced straight back up to senior level in 2018 following a shock relegation the previous summer, the former county star sees a similar unquenchable thirst in his current crop of players and of course the entire St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield club. “A club this size has to be up senior but have found it hard to get back there. For example [my son] Brian has been playing adult since 2013 and he has played four years at intermediate and four years …