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Plans are currently underway for Samaritans volunteers to visit soccer clubs across the county to emphasise the importance of looking after one’s mental fitness. Clare District Soccer League (CDSL) approached Samaritans of Ennis and Clare to team up with them and deliver pitch side talks to the management teams and players from approximately 35 teams over the coming months. More than 1,000 players of all genders and abilities from age 16 up play in the league. Margaret McMahon, a volunteer and director with Samaritans in Ennis, said looking after one’s mental health is as important as improving a person’s physical health. “Our aim is to attend as many training sessions as possible, but instead of speaking about match performance, we’ll be chatting about mental health. How we can be aware of it, how we can improve it, how we can nurture it, and, most importantly, what to do if all isn’t well.” “The idea behind it is to normalise the …

THE varied experiences and achievements of Traveller women will be discussed as part of a panel taking place to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8 in Mna Ag Gaire Women’s Shed in Ennis between 10.30am and 2pm. Women’s Collective Ireland – Clare, the Clare Traveller Community Development Project and Clare Local Development Company are hosting the celebration of this important date for women across the globe. There will be music with Mary Keenan and Yvonne Ketwa, refreshments and food with people invited to bring something to share. Guest panellists include Bridget Mongans; Primary Health Care Project Clare; Mary Connors from New Ross, recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the Irish Traveller Movement for her outstanding contribution and dedication to highlighting and achieving human rights of the Traveller Community; Nancy Power coordinator of the National Traveller Money and Budgeting Service which works to reduce poverty, discrimination and financial exclusion from what is considered mainstream and accessible for many in …

Contrasting All-Ireland Senior Third Level Championship Final outcomes for UL in the past week for their footballers and hurlers was solaced by the retention of their Fitzgibbon Cup crown in Waterford on Saturday afternoon. Seven Clare players are part of UL’s second successive All-Ireland Senior A Championship triumph over University of Galway, this time in commanding circumstances by 4-19 to 1-13. Seven Clare players, Patrick Crotty (Scariff), Cian Galvin (Clarecastle), Mike Gough (Smith O’Brien’s), Darragh Lohan (Wolfe Tones), Killian McDermott (Clarecastle), Colm O’Meara (Clonlara) and vice-captain Mark Rodgers (Scariff) were all part of UL’s panel, four of whom saw action in the decider. University of Galway were captained by Éire Óg’s Darren O’Brien while Tadhg Dean (Crusheen), Joey Droney (Tubber) and Eanna McMahon (Crusheen) were also on the squad. However, following an extra-time victory over UCC in Gurteen on Thursday, Galway never reached those lofty heights again for Saturday’s decider. Perhaps they weren’t let through as UL, backed by a …

A NEW grant scheme to remediate homes with defective blocks have been described by a Clare activist as “onerous, prohibitive and almost logistically impossible” to engage with, in its current draft form.  Draft regulations on the updated grant scheme have been circulated to action groups in Clare, Donegal, Limerick and Mayo, as well as to local authority members. Writing to the Councils, the Minister for Housing called for “good faith constructive engagement” on improving and strengthening the regulations. Minister Darragh O’Brien also expressed the desire to issue final regulations in March “to get the badly needed new scheme up and running”. Commenting on the draft document, which runs to 133 pages, Dr Martina Cleary of the Clare Pyrite Action Group (CPAG) described it as “impenetrable”. “There are prohibitive, up-front costs placed on homeowners before they can progress through the different stages of the grant application,” she said. “Certain phases of the process are time-limited for the applicant who could be …

AN assurance has been given that jobs at Shannon Heritage sites in Clare are secure, as the transfer to the local authority is expected to be approved shortly by government.  Leonard Cleary, Director of Services for Tourism, said the authority expects sign-off very soon for the transfer of the sites to Clare County Council. “We would like it to happen, with government approval, before summer,” Mr Cleary told a meeting of the Council’s Rural Development committee.  Efforts to transfer the sites from the Shannon Airport Group met an impasse at the end of last year, when the government offered a fraction of the €15 million funding package sought by Clare County Council. Since then, a range of options has been explored and meetings have continued into this week in an effort to resolve the issue and protect amenities and jobs at sites including Bunratty Castle, Craggaunowen and Knappogue Castle. Addressing a rural committee meeting in Ennis on Tuesday (February 21), …

Well, it all started before Christmas, when my friend Bev and I received the loveliest card from Lily Finnegan, a 91 year old lady, who lives near Gort. She follows my adventures in the paper and even keeps the cuttings of my articles. My number one fan! Lily loves cats and dogs but she said she especially loves me. I was so happy to get the card that I was nearly in tears and determined that I had to meet Lily. From her card, I knew she lived beside the Round Tower in Kilmacduagh, but how to make contact in secret? As a roving reporter, it was easy. I went onto the world wide woof and saw that there was a B&B right beside the tower. Surely they’d know Lily? I got the hoomans to ring, as on the phone, all barks sound the same and besides, I’m deaf so the phone is useless to me. We got through to …

THE Irish Coast Guard Volunteer Representative Association (ICGVRA) has welcomed the decision to hold a coroner’s inquest into the death of Irish Coastguard volunteer and mother-of-two Caitriona Lucas (41) – more than six and a half years after her death. The Limerick Coroner’s Office has confirmed this inquest will take place at Kilmallock Courthouse in County Limerick on April 12 after Ms Lucas lost her life during an Irish coastguard search operation at Kilkee in west Clare on September 12th 2016. ICGVRA chairman, John O’Mahony said the association are in close contact with her husband, Bernard Lucas and its considers it is about time this inquest was held. Mr O’Mahony said he received an email from the Limerick coroner on Friday last and sent it to Mr Lucas. The group chairman said the association hopes to engage with the coroner’s office and plan to send them their issues with the MCIB report into Caitríona’s death and a list of those …

CONTROVERSIAL plans for a proposed €450 million data centre in Ennis, currently awaiting a decision by An Bord Pleanala, featured on an episode of acclaimed BBC series Panorama this week. On Monday BBC One aired the programme which included filming in several Irish locations relevant to the growth in data centre operations and planning applications in Ireland. The programme questioned the cost of using more data in terms of the increase in emissions and use of water in several countries including the US and Ireland. Ireland already has over 70 data centres in operation which consume more than 13% of national electricity. At least 30 more have been granted planning permission. Filming took place in Dublin as well as Ennis at the 145 acre site where Clare County Council granted permission to Art Data Centres for the development which has faced opposition. The planning decision has been appealed by local groups and residents, and a decision is due from an …