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Newly ordained Bishop Nash extols the virtues of listening and talking to shape church community in years ahead THE newly-ordained Bishop of Ferns, Ger Nash has pledged to lead a diocese in seeing, reflecting and acting to ensure it becomes a refuge of healing and encouragement. Bishop Nash also hopes to provide space for those searching meaning, as Wexford emerged tentatively from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The former Killaloe Diocesan Secretary from Tulla was ordained as the 81st Bishop of Ferns in St Aidan’s Cathedral Enniscorthy on Sunday last. “I am privileged to have been asked by Pope Francis to lead this historic diocese and I feel very humbled,” he said. In his wide-ranging address at the Mass celebrating his Episcopal Ordination, Bishop Nash, (62) said he hoped everyone can work together in Ferns with the Spirit of God to to ensure a place of welcome and hospitality for all. In accordance with Pope Francis’ model in “Let …

THE dates for the four local soccer cup finals have been released with these eagerly awaited showdowns set to take place in two weeks time. Newmarket Celtic and Avenue United will do battle in the League Cup final on Friday October 22 with both sides in great form heading in to this encounter. The pair are both unbeaten after the opening rounds of the Clare District Soccer League (CDSL). These sides have dominated Clare soccer for the last decade with Newmarket Celtic eager to add further silverware to their collection. They will be made to work hard though as they face an Avenue United side who are eager to get one over their main rivals. David Russell’s side have the ultimate aim of securing league glory as they seek to end Newmarket’s stranglehold on the Premier Division and Avenue United know that a win in this cup final will lay down a marker for league campaign ahead. Avenue United possess …

THE introduction of any cuts in suckler cow payments under new CAP proposals would hit rural communities throughout Clare, a local councillor has warned. Councillor Pat Hayes told The Clare Champion that Clare is renowned for the quality of beef produced by its suckler farmers, and stressed they play a key role in keeping rural towns and villages alive. The councillor said it looked as if suckler farmers were effectively facing cuts in payments, which they can’t afford. “I think it is time farming organisation and politicians woke up to the fact this will have a major impact on rural communities. Further cuts to CAP and the suckler herd will be detrimental to the future of rural communities if the current proposals are implemented. “It looks as if suckler farmers will be hit the hardest by the CAP proposals. While environmental schemes are important, when core payments are reduced for suckler farmers, this hits rural communities.” While farmers can avail …

CLARE County Council are encouraging people to show their support for the See Change ‘Green Ribbon’ campaign to end mental health stigma and discrimination. See Change is an organisation dedicated to ending mental health stigma. Its national Green Ribbon campaign runs throughout the month of September and aims to get as many people as possible talking about mental health to help end stigma and discrimination. According to See Change: “By wearing the Green Ribbon – an international symbol for mental health awareness – you show you are committed to influencing positive change. You don’t need to be an expert to start talking about mental health or have all the answers. Sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is to let someone know you are there for them and simply listen. Let people know you are open to having a conversation by wearing the Green Ribbon.” Stigma is a significant problem for people who experience mental health conditions and has …

OVER-TOURISM and the emergence of “rusty buckets” is one of the threats to towns and villages in some of Clare’s tourist hotspots, a meeting has heard. That’s according to the initial findings of pilot study looking at the impact of pre- and post-Covid commuting patterns in Ennistymon and Lahinch. ‘InPLACE: Investigating Place, Planning and Commuting’, has initially focused on Ennistymon-Lahinch and Newtownmountkennedy, Wicklow. At the September meeting of the west Clare municipal district (MD), researcher and geographer Brendan O’Keeffe said the study’s initial findings highlighted the danger of over-tourism and the emergence of “rusty buckets” in north and west Clare. Mr O’Keeffe said that while Clare attracts a high level of coach and package tourism, visitors often do not spend money locally and instead are based in larger urban centres away from the communities in question. He told the meeting that to avoid the emergence of what he called “rusty buckets”, tourism “needs to deliver for the local economy and …

AN international research group has welcomed the public attention on Basking Sharks in the wake of a viral video shot by divers off Kilkee last week. The video showed a large group of the giant sharks engaged in a courtship ritual, something that was also observed off Clare’s coast at around the same time last year. A spokesperson for the Irish Basking Shark Group (IBSG) told The Champion, “Basking sharks frequently occupy Irish waters on and off from April through September. They are known to feed here, and based on instances like those observed last week where they are gathering in big groups, basking sharks likely come to Ireland to court and potentially mate.” The group’s store of knowledge has been greatly advanced in the last year, often through the help of the general public sending them pictures and reports. That then allows the multidisciplinary team to square the sightings with any environmental factors that may be bringing the sharks …

A CALL has been made for an official investigation into the five-hour delay for the arrival of an ambulance in Tulla on Tuesday, despite three phone calls from a local general practitioner. Senator Timmy Dooley made the call for an inquiry into the circumstances that led to this shocking time for medical intervention. The Fianna Fail Senator has contacted Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to seek an urgent review of this case, and the entire provision of ambulance services in the Mid-West. “I am absolutely shocked to hear someone would be left in a doctor’s surgery waiting for an ambulance for more than five hours. It beggars belief. “This issue needs to be thoroughly investigated. My suspicious is it is as a result of an ambulance service that is over stretched and under resourced. “While recognising ambulance services were reconfigured, that was dependant on an efficient use of our ambulance service. Ambulance cover was increased a few years ago and the …

Resilient Leaving Cert Class of ’21 post ‘exemplary’ results in the face of huge challenges presented by pandemic MILTOWN Malbay’s Alison O’Loughlin told The Champion she is “still in shock” at receiving one of the highest grades in the country in her Leaving Certificate. Alison, a student of St Joseph’s Secondary School in Spanish Point, achieved an impressive eight H1 grades. She was among more than 1,300 Clare students who received their results last Friday. While most students got their grades online due to Covid-19 restrictions, Alison was thrilled to have the chance to receive hers in person at the school. “The school gave us an opportunity to go in and physically get the results, we were all given time slots so we weren’t all in together. I was glad we could go into the school because it made it all a bit more real.” Recalling when she first saw her grades the 19-year-old said, “I was shocked, I couldn’t …