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A CLOONEY beekeeper is in a strong position to add to his growing collection of awards following his selection as a finalist in the Irish Food Awards. Michael Curran’s Beekeeping and Honey Harvesting has been in operation for over 30 years and the apiary currently has in excess of 200 hives at his home and in various locations throughout East Clare. A key member of Banner Beekeepers’ Association, Mr Curran has won a multitude of awards at national level. Now operating as a full time commercial business in Clooney since he retired from work in 2013, Mr Curran has won awards in the Clonmel and Phoenix Park Honey Shows, fourth prize in a major show in London in a line up of a few hundred competitors and wins accolades on an annual basis. Most of these awards are based on the overall taste, look and presentation of his honey. In 1985, he started beekeeping as a hobby and now breeds …

A BOOST to hotel trade in parts of Clare has come in the form of newly-weds honeymooning at home this year. With a raft of Covid-19 related rules curtailing the size of gatherings at weddings, many have opted to defer their nuptials, but those who are tying the knot in the time of coronavirus, are providing tourism operations with a very welcome staycation boost. “I have seen a lot of Irish honeymooners coming to Clare,” said Lahinch hotelier Michael Vaughan. “My stocks of champagne are much depleted and anecdotally I’m hearing that couples who are staying in the country for their honeymoons are getting to discover what the country has to offer. I think there is a silver lining here in that people are quite surprised by what their own country has to offer.” In terms of his own business, the former Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) president said that while visitor numbers had been strong in August, he estimate that …

MAKING tasty spiced beetroot relish has helped a South- East Clare food producers to secure a place in the 2020 Blas na hEireann Awards finals. Bramble Cottage Produce has beaten off stiff competition to become a finalists in the Irish Food Awards. Kathy McAndrew Wallace is a small artisan producer who makes chutneys, relishes and pickles in her HSE-approved kitchen in Clonlara from home grown vegetables and fruit. Operating from Bramble Cottage, she is a finalist in the relish category for her spiced beetroot relish. Her business evolved out of growing her own vegetables and deciding to make beetroot relish, which is the product that has made it to the finals. She recalled people asked her to make beetroot relish for them, and, as one of the main founders of the Urban Coop in the Eastway Business Park. Limerick, she started selling it in this market. She also makes red onion marmalade, Thomond Red Ale chutney using the red ale …

A GRANDMOTHER of ten, living in South East Clare, says she is living in fear over the condition of her home where serious building defects have been identified. Geraldine Kennedy from Parteen came forward after an article in last week’s Champion, where a woman in the north of the county called on others to join the new Clare Pyrite Action Group. “My hair has fallen out over this and I’ve had panic attacks,” Mrs Kennedy said. “We are incredibly frustrated because we’ve had to pay for all kinds of tests and repair work and, at this stage, no matter what we do, it won’t solve the problem. I would be afraid the house will fall down and the only option would be to have it knocked altogether and rebuilt.” Engineer’s reports have shown the presence of a defective material in the blockwork of Mrs Kennedy’s home. The family has already spent thousands on tests to the building to prove the …

ANGER has been expressed by those living on of one of the last remaining residential streets in the centre of Ennis, over the introduction of two-way traffic to facilitate the new mobility plan. Residents of Summerhill have told The Champion that the introduction of two-way traffic for the third time in recent years is the last straw in terms of noise, inconvenience and danger. Nancy O’Brien who has lived in the town since the 1950s said residents are frustrated and in fear. “We have gone along with everything, up to now, for the good of Ennis,” she said. “We had two-way traffic to facilitate works on Parnell Street and two All-Ireland Fleadhs, now we have just had enough. People are speeding through the area and won’t let residents out into the traffic. They’re coming through at all hours and parking and blocking people in all day.” Her son Brendan has made numerous representations to Clare County Council and said residents …

A NEW ‘proclamation’ for County Clare is being drawn up as a blueprint for this and future generations of Banner residents. Ideas are currently being sought to feed into the plan which covers all aspects of life in the county. The Public Participation Network (PPN) which is an umbrella organisation representing a range of community, voluntary, social inclusion and environmental groups, is preparing the vision document, which will be tailored to each of the county’s four municipal districts. To gather views on what improvements people would like to see in a range of areas, including social and community development, governance, the environment and the economy, the PPN is circulating a survey on its website and other platforms. The survey asks people what kind of county they would like to live in and to outline what their local area needs to make it the best it can be for this and future generations. “We are excited to be undertaking this important …

CLARE farmers are being urged to post back new controversial TB herd history letters to the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine as a form of protest. There has been a furious reaction by farming organisations and farmers to the department’s decision to send out these letters to herdowners. The call for a postal protest was made this week by Clare Beef Plan chairman, Joe Woulfe, who asked why the DAFM are doing this unnecessary measure, as farmers already know whether they had TB or were TB free over the last ten years. “If a farmer has TB, it is not something they will forget as you can’t move your cattle. “The Department aren’t offering a reward if a farmer didn’t have TB in one year or ten years. 96.5% of TB has been eradicated from the national herd. What is the definition of eradication? “In my view, it has been eradicated if 96.5% of the herd is TB free. …

A BAN on flotation toys could be introduced at Clare beaches and waterways, after a number of near misses where children were blown out to sea on inflatable devices. Over the summer months, there were at least two major rescues involving emergency services from Clare, with a number of other incidents causing alarm in coastal areas. “We had several incidents over the course of the summer,” said Clare McGrath, water safety officer with the local authority. “Thankfully, there were no serious injuries. While it has been great to see so many people using the beaches and waterways in Clare, and we have been seriously busy, there is concern over the risks created by these toys. They have been referred to, for good reason, as floating killers. People just don’t seem to realise the dangers.” Ms McGrath said that lifeguards in Clare had been warning people of the dangers and that most people complied with the advice. “What we would really …