Lifestyle

PAT Conway completed the Lahinch to Liscannor Swim on Sunday for the 50th and final time. While he will continue to be involved in its organisation and in fundraising, it will be the last time Pat will be in the water for the annual swim which he founded as a teenager and kept running for decades. Well what a day!Congrats Pat on your 50th swim, an emotional day.Such a fantastic afternoon with a record number of swimmers participating this year.Thank you Pat for all you've done.Such an incredible achievement 💛🌻🐳📷Liamgranty#patconwayswim#burrenchernobylproject pic.twitter.com/PtZj4d6VU2 — Burren Chernobyl BCP (@BcpBurren) August 7, 2022 “There was a massive crowd and we had 120 swimmers. I think the sponsorship will be in the region of €25,000 so it was a great day,” said Pat this week. Large crowds were present in Liscannor as Pat came in and a presentation was made to him to mark the milestone. “I was presented with a lovely plaque, which I …

TO MARK National Heritage Week, and in particular to thank the Heritage Council for part funding the restoration of a number of sites, the 12 O’Clock Hills project committee are organising a walk with a heritage theme on Saturday, August 13.  The meeting point is the Belvoir carpark at 9.45am, for the walk which starts at 10am. The route will be mostly a flat walk along the Red Trail where most of the heritage sites are located. This is an ideal opportunity for anyone who would like to know the background history of the area and to learn about the people who lived here and their lifestyles around the early- to mid-1900’s. Because of the theme it will be a slow-paced walk (approximately two to three hours) where hopefully loads of questions will be asked and answered. During this walk, the committee hopes to bring life to a question that is often asked of walkers: “Did you pop in to …

PLANS have been floated for a new end of season celebration in Killaloe next month, marking people’s ever-evolving relationship with wild water. One of the organisers, Rev Paul Fitzpatrick hopes this inaugural event will grow and develop into an annual celebration, marking the end of the season. The Dean’s Vicar of Killaloe and Stradbally Group of Parishes is keen to extend hospitality and “the extraordinary ambience” of Killaloe to all visitors. “All personal contact is now made and there is such amazing collaboration support and generosity around for this celebration,” said Reverend Fitzpatrick. “The inaugural event will complement so much all that has and is presently happening. Flags are really flying for Clare, Tipperary and Killaloe. “Our human relationship with wild water is ever-evolving. In past times water seemed to bear greater symbolic significance when a body of water represented a liminal interlude on the way to another world. It was used as a transport vector for cultural, pastoral, and …

COROFIN Tourism and the Traders’ Association has released a brochure about the surrounding district, highlighting historical facts and locations with the aim of keeping tourists in the area for longer. The brochure features over 40 different attractions stretching from Ruan to Leamaneh Castle, and also includes plenty about the Burren and the best local fishing spots. Special attention is paid to giving the Irish names for every attraction, with their literal meanings alongside. Most of the tourists that the brochure will cater for are from the UK, the USA, France or Germany. Niall Minogue, speaking on behalf of Corofin Tourism and the Traders’ Association, said, “We want to keep people in the area for as long as possible. If tourists go into the shop in the morning for a coffee or breakfast, we want them to be able to pick up the brochure and tour around for the day, then come back and eat dinner in the village that evening.” …

KILLALOE Community Garden has become a focal point on Saturdays for people to socialise with green-fingered gardeners who have transformed part of a local field into a “green oasis of peace”. Last year, the community garden received a huge boost following the allocation of a €18, 000 grant from the Department of Community and Rural Affairs through Clare County Council. This helped the committee to erect a new fence to earmark the community garden, a new pergola/potting shed and a steel shed to accommodate tools and equipment. A new polytunnel was also erected recently much to the delight of members. Five of the 23 plots in the community garden are communal where soft fruits, apples, pears and plumbs, rhubarb and onions are also grown. Established in 2010 with the help of the Killaloe Ballina Family Resource Centre and Bridgetown organic farmer, Jim Cronin, this community initiative now has 30 members. In fact, it has grown so much in popularity, the …

NESTLED in the rolling hills between Inagh and Cloonanaha, Michael Callinan’s family farm is both productive and peaceful. “It was a different world, coming out here on a Friday,” said Occupational Therapist (OT), Kathríona Moloney. Along with Imelda Hogan from Ennis, Kathríona formed part of a group who visited the farm between February and May, experiencing the changing rhythm of the seasons and enjoying the benefits of social farming. Activities for the group included feeding cattle, growing vegetables, planting hanging baskets and the odd visit to see ‘Romeo’, the bull – depending on his mood. Imelda’s face lit up when she recalled her weekly visits. “I loved it,” she said. “It was a lot of fun.” Michael is one the first Clare farmers to open up his home and farm, so that people from all walks of life can access social and other supports. He has around 80 livestock, on a 50-acre suckler farm with another 20 acres rented out. …

OVER €60,000 was raised for two cancer charities by the recent South for Susan and Antoinette Malin to Mizen cycle. Presentations of €30,390 each were made last week to Kilnamona-based Sláinte an Chláir and Cancer Care West, both of whom provide cancer support services to patients undergoing treatment and their families. The cycle was undertaken in early June, in memory of Susan O’Neill from Ballyea and Antoinette Pender from Quilty, both of whom died from cancer-related illness last year. Upon receiving Sláinte an Chláir’s share of the fundraising, spokesperson Marie Phelan, said, “The amount received this evening means a huge amount to our charity and will enable us to continue supporting cancer patients and their families in practical ways while they undergo treatment for cancer.” Dave O’Donnell, Head of Fundraising and Communications at Cancer Care West said, “We are full of admiration for the Trojan efforts put in by the cyclists and support team during the trip from Malin Head …

CLARECASTLE Show makes its return this weekend offering a fantastic level of prize money and a wonderful day’s entertainment and diversion for all the family. And, what’s more, after an absence of two years the boutique show in the Clarecastle GAA grounds on Sunday, August 7 will be free to enter. The move to make entry to Clarecastle Show was made by the board of the Society as a gesture to the people of Clare and beyond who had endured a lot over the past two years. Clarecastle Show Chairman Michael Slattery explained, “Entry to the show is free, a decision taken by our board because of the stress and strain people have been through caused by Covid and the escalating costs of everything. “Perhaps a day at the show in the fresh air amongst friends will compensate for the difficulties of the Covid years.” Speaking about what makes the Clarecastle Show special he said, “We do not compare. Clarecastle …