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A second man has appeared in court concerning an organised public fist fight in a field outside Kilrush that was videoed and later uploaded to Facebook and Youtube. At Kilrush District Court this week, Inspector Tom Kennedy said that it will be alleged that Detective Garda Conor Flaherty, while on mobile patrol on August 5 last, observed a bare chested Alan Clohessy, (27), with his hands taped engaged in a fist fight with another bare chested man in a field in Cappagh, just outside the town. The alleged fight between Mr Clohessy of Frances Street, Kilrush and the another man was filmed and later uploaded to social media. Between 20 and 30 males were watching the fiust fight. In the case, Mr Clohessy is accused of breaching Section 16 of the Criminal Justice Public Order Act where he is alleged to have committed an affray with another man in that he used or threatened to use unlawful violence towards each …

The health and safety authority is investigating the death of a man in his early 70s at a farm in Feakle. It is understood the man was found at a work yard on the farm by a relative in the early hours of this morning, Tuesday. Gardaí scenes of crime attended the scene and currently the HSA is carrying out an investigation into the death. A garda PSV inspector is due to carry out an inspection of a tractor which was at the scene.  

Drugs with an estimated street value of €250,000 have been detected and seized after Gardaí from the Clare Divisional Drug Unit stopped a car at Latoon South, Ennis on Friday evening, May 11. The detection was made as part of an ongoing intelligence led operation into drug trafficking in the Clare Division. During the course of the search of the car gardai discovered a quantity of cannabis herb (subject to analysis), the male driver a man in his 40’s was arrested and taken to Ennis Garda station where he is being detained under the provisions of section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 as amended. A follow up search was carried out at a house at Ballyclough Avenue, Ballinacurra,  Weston, Limerick by Gardaí a large quantity of cannabis herb was discovered. The approximate street value of the total amount of cannabis discovered was €250,000 (subject to analysis). Investigations are ongoing.

The Clare Champion newspaper has for the first time received three nominations at the annual Local Ireland Media Awards. For the third successive year, Clare Champion journalist Peter O’Connell has been nominated for a Local Ireland Award. This year he is shortlisted for the second time in the Best Sports Story of the Year for an interview with Cooraclare’s Tom Morrissey. In the article Tom reflects on his life and times 25 years after he helped Clare win the 1992 Munster Senior Football Championship. Multi-award winning Clare Champion photographer John Kelly was also nominated this year for Photograph of the Year for an image taken of Meelick man Robin O’Connell. The Clare Champion has also been nominated in the Best Designed Newspaper of the Year category. The awards will be held on Thursday May 24 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Athlone where the winners will be announced.  

A MARRIED couple who were operating a brothel out of an Ennis property, were making €1,200 per week for offering prostituion services, Ennis District Court has heard. David Navvaro (20) and Celia Gallan (42) with an address at Drumroe, Rhebogue, County Limerick were collectively fined what would be a week’s earnings in the brothel. The couple, who have since moved to the east of the country, pleaded guilty to living on the earnings of prostitution, contrary to the Criminal Law Sexual Offences Act 1993. The charge states the defendants did knowingly live in whole or in part on the earnings of the prostitution of another person and aided and abetted that prostitution at a house at Station View on July 23, 2016. At Wednesday’s sitting of the district court Navvaro, who is Spanish, and his Brazlian wife, Gallan pleaded guilty to the charge and claimed they did not know it was illegal to operate a brothel as it is “a …

WHILE the final figures will not be available until the earliest next week, Clare County Council has reported an increase of approximately 1,500 people in the electoral register, as the May 25 referendum on the Eighth Amendment approaches. The deadline to register was Tuesday. The full, but as of yet approximate, register currently stands at 81,377 for the county.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) and the Mental Health Commission (MHC) are today (Wednesday) hosting a seminar in the Law Society of Ireland on the safeguarding of adults in health and social care services. The seminar, Adult Safeguarding: Promoting Rights, Health and Wellbeing, aims to raise awareness of the importance of safeguarding adults who may be vulnerable, and provides attendees with the opportunity to discuss how Ireland can better promote the rights, health and wellbeing of people at risk of abuse or harm. Addressing over 200 delegates, HIQA CEO Phelim Quinn announced that HIQA and the MHC are developing joint national adult safeguarding standards. “These standards aim to minimise and prevent the abuse and neglect of at-risk adults. This must surely be our aim, every bit as much as reporting and investigating abuse when it takes place”. Mr Quinn added, “These standards are just one part of the solution, however. The State must acknowledge its responsibility to protect …

Clare 1-9 Tipperary 2-4 ON a magnificent evening for Clare under-age football the county minor team qualified for their second successive Munster final, following a two point win over Tipperary in Thurles. The game started 22 minutes late due to the late arrival of the Clare bus at their pick up point in Ennis but they did the business on the field, particularly in the second half. Shane Meehan kicked the decisive points from play in the closing minutes, while Kevin Keane raised the crucial green flag for Clare following a Chibby Okoye pass. Tipperary led 1-2 to 0-4 at half-time, with Meehan pointing two crucial late frees, won by Mark McInerney and Thomas Kelly. Tipperary wing forward, Max Hackett, put away their goal in the tenth minute. He was left completely free in front of goal and expertly netted Kevin Hayes’ pass. Thomas Kelly was the first Clare man to raise a white flag, while Emmet McMahon landed a …