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Determined Miss Clare won’t let scoliosis keep her down

JUST a few short months after undergoing her third spinal surgery, 20-year-old Ennis student Derinn Finnerty has taken the crown of Miss Clare. Derinn, who is studying Global Commerce at NUIG, was diagnosed with severe scoliosis at 16 years of age however she has been determined not to let this stop her following her dreams. She has now been named among the 37 finalists vying for the coveted Miss Ireland 2022 title in this the competition’s 75th Jubilee year. She tells us, “It’s just been amazing, it’s been crazy since I was crowned. Every day there is something new to do, and I’m loving it. “I’ve had so many people wishing me well. I’m just so honoured to be able to represent the county.” Derinn is determined to raise awareness of scoliosis, a condition which results in an abnormal curvature of the spine, and she is working with Irish charity Straight Ahead to raise funds to support children waiting on …

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Clare volunteer joins board of Youth Work Ireland

A CLARE man has been appointed to the board of Ireland’s largest youth organisation. Kilnaboy’s Seán Roche moves to the top table of Youth Work Ireland after 43 years of voluntary service to Clare Youth Service and Kilnaboy Youth Club. Youth Work Ireland comprises nationwide youth services from Donegal to Cork and a national office that works together to support, empower and educate young people through the delivery of best practice youth work services.  Seán has represented the voice and experience of rural youth clubs within Clare for many years and CEO of Clare Youth Service Margaret Slattery said his move to the national forum will be very positive. “This is a significant appointment for Clare. Seán is a strong voice representing the experience and challenges of rural youth services  and their importance to the health of the community and wellbeing of young people especially those who are rurally or socially isolated,” said Ms Slattery. “I know that he will bring …

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Clare whiskey to be matured in casks at Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher Experience has announced a partnership with J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey to create a new series of Irish whiskeys finished in sherry casks in the iconic O’Brien’s Tower. Clare-based J.J. Corry has selected single malt, pot still and single grain whiskeys from around the island of Ireland to mature within the tower, which was built by Sir Cornelius O’Brien on the edge of the world-famous cliffs in 1835. Working with partner Cooper Casknolia and Bodegas in Montilla & Jerez, the casks have been seasoned for over 18 months before being filled with J. J. Corry whiskey. They will end their maturation process with the wild Atlantic Ocean breeze in O Brien’s Tower and the whiskeys will be released as a series of bottlings later this year. “As custodians of the Cliffs of Moher we are proud to continue the longstanding tradition of supporting local suppliers, dispersing economic benefit and meeting our sustainability goals” explained Geraldine Enright, Director …

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Cancer started rollercoaster journey of self-disccovery

Celine O’Donovan on the journey she undertook following her cancer diagnosis   IT is almost six years to the day since I got the news that I had breast cancer. It still amazes me that those two simple words could dramatically alter the course of my life in an instant. Nothing would ever be the same again. The life I knew just disintegrated before my eyes and I was left reeling. I’m sure anyone who has been given difficult news or come face to face with tragedy will understand what it’s like. Everything stops in that moment while life continues on as normal all around you. It is hard to comprehend how the world keeps on turning when you have been dealt such a devastating blow, but it does. The truth is, no-one escapes devastation in life. As tough as it is, and I know there are some tragedies that are beyond comprehension, I firmly believe that how we view …

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Lisdoonvarna set for ‘impulsive festival of romance and love’

THOUSANDS of singletons from all over Ireland and far beyond will throng Lisdoonvarna as the Matchmaking Festival returns this September. While live music will ring out from bars and venues around the village, organisers have said that live music events at the Marquee and Pavilion theatre will not be going ahead this year, due to rising operational costs. The festival goes back to the 19th Century and third generation matchmaker Willie Daly, who has made over 3,000 matches over the last 50 years, said that this year’s festival will be one of a kind, with huge pent-up demand out there among singletons.  “Love has been kind of put on hold, a lot of people have been starved for love really, due to Covid and restricted movement. This year there is great enthusiasm with people to get out there and make up for the lost years. “There were a number of lost years and at certain ages it’s serious enough. It’ll …

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Weather smiles on bustling Brian Ború festival

TEMPERATURES soared to 28 degrees Celsius on Sunday as hundreds of local and visiting revellers enjoyed a wide variety of family fun during the concluding day of the annual Féile Brian Ború. Organisers were blessed with some of the hottest days along the banks of Lough Derg compared to the corresponding days in recent years. This ensured there was a huge influx of day trippers to Killaloe and Ballina last weekend for various water and land based activities for all the family. One of the highlights of the festival was the Féile Fireworks display over the lake on Saturday night. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky as the fireworks exploded spectacularly in red, orange, green and blue fireballs, bringing gasps from the crowd who lined up along Killaloe Bridge and at various vantage points in the two twin communities. It costs in the region of €12,000 to run the festival every year and Arlene White said the organising committee …

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Clare set for scorcher but coastal businesses still lack staff

CLARE’S coastal resorts are set for another bumper weekend with temperatures set to soar. Indeed Met Eireann has forecast uncomfortably high temperatures peaking at around 30 degrees celsius, with highs of 24, 25 and 27 also expected between Saturday and Tuesday. West and north Clare saw a bounce in business last weekend, as scorching temperatures saw far more people heading to the coast than in recent times. The weather station at Shannon Airport saw a high of 24.5 degrees on Saturday, while it was even warmer on Sunday, hitting 26.2 degrees, the warmest at any of the Met Éireann stations in the country on the day. Randy Lewis, the proprietor of Randaddy’s in Lahinch, said that the weekend had been quite hectic. “I’d say it was the busiest three days of this year, or definitely very close. There were a couple of very busy days in May and April, but those were certainly very busy days. And today (Monday) is …

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Tasty line-up to give flavour of Clare at food and drink fleadh

WITH everything from a blissful barbecue in the Burren, to seaweed tastings by the coast, the return of the Clare Food & Drink Fleadh provides an ideal showcase for all that is good about the food and drink scene in The Banner county. County Clare is well renowned as one of the best in Ireland when it comes to producing high-quality artisan food and drink, sparking the establishment of the Clare Food & Drink Fleadh in 2019. This year’s event from July 15 to 17 will feature a wide variety of events catering for foodies and drinks connoisseurs of all tastes. Clare Food & Drink Fleadh co-ordinator Margaret O’Brien said, “It’s great to be back after the disruption of recent years. “We chose July 15 to 17 as our festival dates for 2022 to complement Skoda Ring of Clare cycle event, which is set to attract thousands of participants, their partners and families to Clare.” Clare Food & Drink Festival …

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