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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 …

National Camogie League Division 3 Round 3 Carlow v Clare at Netwatch Training Centre Fenagh, Saturday 2pm Clare’s aim is simple when embarking on the five hour round trip to Fenagh on Saturday. There’s no need for calculators as it’s do-or-die for the visitors that will only be sated by a victory in order to advance to the Division 3 Semi-Finals. Having consistently reached that lofty stage since taking over four years ago, joint-managers Ann-Marie McGann and Tim McGrath are arguably facing their toughest test to maintain that record against intermediate side Carlow. Of course, Carlow last overcame Clare in the 2014 All-Ireland Junior Championship Semi-Final on their way to national glory. It would provide the catalyst to subsequently soar to an All-Ireland Premier Junior Championship and National League Division 3 double twelve months later, but any further momentum hasn’t materialised as the Leinster side were relegated back to the third league tier for 2020. Perennial top-scorer Ciara Quirke and …

A CLARE woman living with Multiple Sclerosis has spoken about her “life changing” diagnosis and the challenges she has faced this year ahead of World MS Day 2021. Margaret Lohan Gunning, said, “I have Multiple Sclerosis, MS, for many years. It is a life-changing diagnosis where one must rethink life’s goals and expectations. “The past year has brought added challenges. While I was concerned about contracting Covid, I knew I had to stay physically active. Margaret told the Champion that physical activity is important for people with MS, for their mental, physical and social wellbeing. “My physical activity consisted of short walks outdoors, face to face group physiotherapy classes and yoga. All that changed in March 2020. I was however able to participate in exercise classes online. “Group exercise classes, organised by the MS community worker and led by a physiotherapist, were delivered via zoom.” World MS Day takes place on Sunday, May 30, with the aim of raising awareness …

A KILLALOE mother-of-two has described the €27,000 raised by her daughter’s charity cycle for a major community development as “phenomenal”. “Julie’s Cycle to School” has exceeded the initial €3,000 target ninefold as thousands of euro poured in from people who watched Julie Collins (6), who is a wheelchair user, cycle on her adapted bike. Even the rain didn’t deter Julie from cycling her fourth kilometre from the car park near Gooser’s Bar, Ballina down to the former co-op store on the bridge and back again on Saturday. Flanked by her parents, Nicola and Fergus, a group of about 40 family and friends cheered Julie along the way and posed for photographs with two giant balloons with inscriptions “Well Done Julie” in the viewing area overlooking the lake in the middle of Ballina. Julie will complete her final kilometre at Boher National School. Born in Ballyvalley, Killaloe, Nicola is now living in Boher and is the chairperson of Boher Community Development …

THE National Council for Special Education has announced eight new special education classes in mainstream national schools across Clare, with two more at second level schools. At national school level, there will be two such classes at St Tola’s in Shannon, while another two Shannon national schools, St Aidan’s and St Conaire’s will get one each. The other classes will be at Mullagh NS, Kilkishen NS, Clarecastle NS and Mullagh NS. At second level there will be new special education classes at St Caimin’s in Shannon and St Anne’s in Killaloe. In all there will be 55 special classes be provided in Clare during 2021/22, up from 45 in 2020/21. “This is hugely welcome news for the provision of special education across County Clare,” said Clare TD Cathal Crowe. “As a primary school teacher by trade, I know all too well how important it is to help these kids integrate in a mainstream school but as well as that, it’s …

MORE clarity on the future of over 100 council staff, earmarked for transfer to Irish Water is expected in the coming months, according to Chief Executive, Pat Dowling. Nationally, services are currently delivered for Irish Water by local authority water services staff operating under 31 Service Level Agreements (SLAs), which are due to continue until 2025. Doubt was cast on the duration of these agreements however, when the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage published a policy paper in February, aiming to streamline services by transferring the local authority workers to the single water utility before the end of this year. The move has been vigorously resisted by unions and the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is currently involved in talks on the matter. The government has set the end of July as a deadline for securing a deal on the proposed transfers. The issue, which would affect around 3,000 Council employees around the country and 130 in Clare, was …

CLARE County Council has announced that people can swim at Kilkee once again. In a statement on Friday, it said, “The temporary prohibition on swimming that had been in place at Kilkee has been lifted with immediate effect.The prohibition on swimming has been lifted following analysis and on the advice of the HSE. “Lifeguard services commence on Saturday, 5th June, for the weekends in June. Clare County Council advises that the safest place to swim is at lifeguarded locations.”