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A SCHOOL in the county was targeted by fraudsters who managed to compromise the principal’s email, however no funds were stolen, gardaí have confirmed. According to Clare Gardaí the financial officer of the school was contacted by a scammer pretending to be the school principal authorising payment to a company. In light of this, Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks has issued advice to businesses, urging “robust policies and procedures” be put in place when it comes to dealing with banking details. She outlined, “The financial officer in a school in the county received an e-mail which looked like it was from the principal of the school authorising payment to a company who had not done any work in the school. “The principal’s email had been compromised but thankfully it was discovered before any payment was made.” Sergeant Brooks advises, “Ensure staff take great care and attention each time they are asked to change bank account details. “Check the …

Well, I have the paws walked off me this month. It’s all down to the Guide Dogs for the Blind. I admire them greatly for the job they do so I’m delighted to be doing the 100k challenge for the month of May. Imagine, I have to go walkies for a full 100 kilometres – it’s no wonder I’m whacked. I never thought I’d be able to complete the full distance but I’m well over 80k now so I know I’m going to do it. I’ve had some lovely walks in Lees Road and Coole Park and a lot of walkies end with a dogguccino so all the hard work is worth it. Of course, the real reason I’m doing all these walks is to raise money to train Guide Dogs so if you’d like to help, the link is guide-dog-day-2021.raisely.com/walkieswithdaisymay. I had a wonderful walk last week with my friend Cassie and I hope to complete my 100k with …

CLARE was showcased to the nation on Wednesday when RTÉ’s popular daytime Today show broadcast live from Ennis with host Dáithí Ó Sé. The production team based themselves in the Old Ground Hotel during filming, travelling to the four corners to highlight the best of the Banner. Speaking to The Clare Champion, Dáithí revealed that he has a soft spot for the county. “We come to Clare a lot, last Sunday we took a spin back to Spanish Point, it’s beautiful back there. Rita’s parents both come from there so we are very familiar with West Clare and often come to Ennis shopping. “It’s great to be here and get a feel of the town being back again, there’s a great buzz. “You’re very lucky in Clare. You are on the Wild Atlantic Way, have the Cliff of Moher and the Burren, towns like Ennis, the trad music. There’s a great balance, you get it all here.” While in Clare Dáithí met with …

Kerry v Clare at Austin Stack Park Tralee, Sunday 2pm (Austin O’Connell, Galway) After showing plenty of character and teeth in a battling opening victory over Wexford, the tests get decidedly steeper over the next two Sundays. Victory over either Kerry or Meath would be sufficient to earn a place in the Division 2 Semi-Finals. However, with both remaining group games being against senior opposition on away soil, any positive result will be viewed as a bonus to the priorities of performance and unearthing new players for the All-ireland Intermediate series which commence in mid-July. First up are a Kerry side that have their sights set on finally breaking back into the top four in the country. The joint All-Ireland senior Championship roll of honour leaders with neighbours Cork haven’t been in the winners enclosure since 1993 but have consistently reached the business end over the past two decades. A spine of Aislinn Desmond, Lorraine Scanlon, Anna Galvin and Louise …

A CLARE TD has alleged Cabinet interference in the selection of sites for potential inclusion on a highly prestigious World Heritage listing. Deputy Michael McNamara made his remarks on receiving written confirmation that The Burren is the only Clare site likely to be put forward for inclusion on a Tentative List of Unesco World Heritage Sites. Currently, Ireland has just two sites recognised for their universal value – Brú na Boinne and Sceilig Mhicíl. Inis Cealtra had been included in a grouping of six early medieval monastic sites, alongside Glendalough and Clonmacnoise, for the 2010 Tentative List. Designation did not progress, Deputy McNamara told the Dáil this Wednesday over a lack of interest from Offaly County Council. The likely applications, ahead of a June 30 deadline, for inclusion on the updated list were outlined this week by Minister Peter Burke and include The Burren, Glendalough Monastic Site, the Passage Tomb Landscapes of Sligo, The Royal Sites, and Valentia Transatlantic Cable …

John Burns can look back on a lifetime of achievement as he steps down as principal of Barefield National School THREE small classrooms, a prefab and outdoor toilets, classes of 45 children in a room meant for 20, stepping over school bags to correct children’s work. The early days of John Burns’ professional life at Barefield National School, where he started in 1980, are a far cry from the modern, richly-resourced facility he retires from this Friday. Now into his last week as principal, John recalled the days when white chalk and blackboard were his only teaching aids and the excitement he felt when the school first got coloured chalk. Interactive white boards and the world wide web have opened up children’s horizons, but without passionate and talented teachers, they mean little, and as the tributes made to John this week indicate, his passion and talent has made a major impact on his community. The journey ahead for John began …

Clare v Cork at Cusack Park Ennis, Sunday 1.45pm (Derek O’Mahoney, Tipperary) An unprecedented start of back-to-back opening victories have placed Clare on the verge of the Division 2 Semi-Finals. With a foot and a half in the knock-out stages, it would have to take an extraordinary series of results to deny Colm Collins’ men from facing either Meath or Mayo in the last four. However, if Division 2 has taught us anything over the past five seasons, it’s to expect the unexpected and therefore Clare will need to maintain their current impetus against Munster rivals Cork who crave victory equally as much. With all four teams involved in either promotion or relegation play-offs after this weekend’s final round, the Rebels are most in danger of becoming embroiled in the nervy demotion series that would halt their rebuilding process. After all, following recent All-Ireland Minor and Under 20 titles, last year’s Munster Senior Final appearance after dethroning kingpins Kerry along …

A CLARE family has made its frustration known over the latest delay in the publication of a state inquiry into the Garda investigation of the death of Patrick Nugent in 1984. Former Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald appointed retired District Court judge Patrick Clyne to lead an inquiry under Section 42 into the Garda investigation and disciplinary inquiries that took place following the death of Mr Nugent (23) Feenagh, Sixmilebridge at the end of a 40th wedding anniversary party in the early hours of February 11th, 1984. The death of Mr Nugent, Feenagh, Sixmilebridge, was one of the 320 cases examined by the Independent Review Mechanism set up by Minister Fitzgerald, following a complaint made by the family relating to alleged Garda misconduct in June 2014. Judge Clyne completed his inquiry on October 31, 2020 and the Department of Justice received this report on November 3, 2020. The family are concerned about repeated delays in publishing a report concerning the …