Lifestyle

A MAJOR showcase exhibition celebrating 21 years of community-led development will take place in the West County Hotel on Monday next.

THE memory of more than 2,000 victims of famine and fever buried in Ennis was commemorated at the weekend. Clare Roots Society, in conjunction with the National Famine Commemoration 2013, unveiled a Famine Memorial on Sunday to remember the burials in the Famine burial plot of the Old Drumcliff Cemetery. Paddy Waldron, vice-chairman of the Clare Roots Society, spoke about the National Famine Commemoration and the history of the famine in Ennis and throughout the county. After a short liturgy of prayer by Fr Tom Hogan and Canon Bob Hanna the memorial was unveiled by Mayor of Ennis, Councillor Peter Considine. MC at the unveiling, John Bradley of the Clare Roots Society, told those gathered, “The commemoration of the Great Hunger allows people everywhere to reflect upon a terrible episode that forever changed Ireland”. He added that many of the conditions that led to the famine still exist. “The lessons of the Irish famine need to be constantly learned and …

Clare native Dan Lyons, who hails from Coolshingaun, Maurices Mills, was honoured in England recently for his charity work.

AS we approach a number of very important historical centenaries, it is difficult to imagine the bitterness of those times, particularly during the Civil War.

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LAUGHTER and tears mingle freely as John and Mairead Lavery talk about their late daughter, Maureen, who died on January 21, 2012. Aged just 27 when she passed away, Maureen was diagnosed with cancer in December 2010 and although she fought it for as long as she was able, her condition deteriorated and eventually took her. Employed as a beautician at Rochford’s Pharmacy in Ennis, Maureen had an immediate concern once the diagnosis was confirmed.

TWENTY years ago, PJ Kennedy (RIP) walked the 500-mile Choctaw ‘Trail of Tears’ walk from Oklahoma to Mississippi. With the National Famine Commemoration (May 3 to 12) launched this Friday in Carrigaholt, PJ’s wife, Maureen, last week recalled her husband’s month-long walk with the AfrI charity in September 1992.

Clare Education Centre has recently become involved in the STAYON European Union-supported educational initiative. Last week, partners from Norway, Sweden, Greece and the UK attended a three-day meeting in Clare to progress the project.