Lifestyle

Early one morning I woofed instructions at my hoomans and we were packed and on our way. I was bringing my Daddy away for Father’s Day so I directed the car up the road. When I told them to come off the motorway at Portlaoise, they knew we were going to one of our favourite places, BrookLodge. I had an ulterior motive, too. I wanted to meet Lewis, the new resident dog. My good friend Oscar crossed rainbow bridge recently and while nobody could ever replace him, I really wanted to meet Lewis. We arrived just in time to get settled and go down for one of their lovely pizzas and as we ate in the bar, I was able to stay. I didn’t get to try the pizza but it smelled delicious. The next morning we were having breakfast on the terrace when who came out for a visit only Lewis. He’s still learning the hotel trade so he’s …

The historic Spancilhill Horse Fair returned on Thursday having been cancelled for the last two years due to the pandemic. It was almost mothballed permanently, due to insurance issues, but in April, an eleventh hour intervention by Clare County Council secured its future and paved the way for celebrations this year to mark the 400th anniversary of the world renowned horse fair. Thursday’s event was as busy and colourful as ever, as our photos show.

CLARE’S amateur photographers are being urged to put the county’s coastline and waterways in the frame as Clean Coasts’ launches its annual ‘Love Your Coast’ photography competition. The competition has opened to submissions from Clare photographers for its 13th year. The Love Your Coast competition asks amateur photographers to capture and celebrate the uniqueness of our coastal communities, environments, or waterways such as its stunning coastline, beautiful beaches, epic cliff faces, and raging rivers. Clare has some of the most spectacular coastlines in the world and Clean Coasts want to encourage people to get out their cameras as they explore the Irish coast and capture its beauty. 2021 saw Clare photographer Mike Orth win second place in the Wildlife and Underwater category for his photo entitled Compass by Cave Light that was taken at the entrance to Donegal Point Cave in Kilkee, County Clare. Moreover, Gavin Sheehan with the picture titled Finavarra Under the Night Sky and Piotr Machowczyk with the photograph Mighty Cliffs of Moher were shortlisted …

“OUR volunteers are the backbone of what we do,” says Tina Nagle, shop supervisor at the Irish Wheelchair Association’s charity shop in Ennis’ Elevation Business Park. Tina was speaking to The Champion as the shop’s team celebrated scooping an impressive four national awards from the Irish Charity Shop Association, including Volunteer of the Year for Margaret Hurley. And she revealed the success of the Ennis shop, which has expanded to 3,000 square feet at its base on the Clon Road, is set to become the model for any new shops to be opened by the charity in the future. According to Tina they were “thrilled” to receive accolades from the Irish Charity Shop Association at their recent awards ceremony in Dublin. As well as Margaret’s national Volunteer of the Year award, selected from charity shops all over Ireland, volunteer Hasibullah Darwish was runner up in the Volunteer throughout Ireland category; Teresa Marshall received a special Volunteer Recognition award and Tina …

TRADITIONAL music frequently reverberates through Scoil Chríost Rí in Cloughleigh, with instruments that the school has received through an instrument appeal run by Councillor Mary Howard. The latest haul was brought to the school last Friday morning and music teacher Karen Vaughan said that the instruments received over the years have made a huge difference, giving children access to music that they wouldn’t otherwise have had. “It’s fantastic. Mary Howard set up an instrument donation scheme for us many years ago, on the back of a wonderful visit we had from the Phoenix Twinning Committee Band. “They came from America on a visit, we had a band here and when the two came together something magic happened. “Mary was here that day and she said will we set up an instrument donation scheme because there must be loads of instruments around the county not being used. “Over the years I’ve been championing traditional music here in the school and I …

A GROUP of local young people recently completed a Clare Youth Service Upcycling Project in collaboration with the Gardai. The teens overhauled bikes, first stripping them down and then repairing and enhancing the two wheelers. “The idea is two-fold,” said Joe Saunders of Clare Youth Service. “One is in relation to climate change, just not to be discarding good materials. Raw materials from bicycles just go into landfill a lot of the time when they can be upcycled. “The second thing then is to give some skills to the young people as well, in relation to repair and reuse of materials and then cycling skills and safety, that’s why the Guards were involved, and they generated some of the raw materials and gave some instruction. So it covered a range of objectives.” His colleague Thomas O’Hara was involved in the first such project in 2017, and in 2021 it got going once more. “I had another group in 2021 that …

A beautiful 8km Summer Solstice stroll in the Flaggy Shore, Bellharbour, New Quay, will take place on Tuesday night, June 21, to raise much needed funds for the RNLI Lifeboats. Meeting at New Quay Church car park at 7.15pm participants will be guided the short distance to parking in Mairtin Fahy’s meadow field on the Flaggy Shore. The stroll will leave at 8pm and take walkers down by the lake where poet Seamus Heaney was inspired to write one of his most famous writings, Postscript. There will be time out for healing and reflection on the shore as well as black pudding and brown bread. Let the spirit of the Burren rock into the heart and soul inside in you as stroll in the finest landscape in the World between the mountain and the sea on the shores of Galway Bay. Donations can be made on the night to the RNLI Lifeboats. For further nformation contact Joe Queally on 087 …

VISITORS to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park will be transported back to a time of traditional Irish hooley, through the attraction’s brand-new show.  Céilí in the Kitchen, which takes place in the Corn Barn, on the grounds of the 26-acre folk park, will feature music from top Irish musicians, dancers, and singers in the West of Ireland along with a traditional dining experience.  Shannon Heritage Brand Marketing Manager Adrienne O’Flynn said, “We are very excited to launch Céilí in the Kitchen. “A brand-new stage has been built by our team here in Bunratty as a backdrop to our new story. Céilí in the Kitchen is aimed at capturing the hearts of our audience and transporting them back to rural Irish life in the early 20th century. “In the olden days, a céilí or seisiún in an Irish kitchen would see friends, neighbours, and family all come together for a night of food, lamentations, music, singing and dancing. “The response from …