Lifestyle

WE can be ‘funny’ in this country when it comes to historical commemorations.

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THERE are 4,500 babies born prematurely in Ireland each year but unfortunately approximately 500 of these newborns do not survive. Next Thursday is World Prematurity Day and Clarecastle parents, Michelle and Halim Ammara will be celebrating their two little miracles that day.Two-year-old Farah and nine-month-old Jena were both born prematurely but today they are thriving. Michelle tells The Clare Champion of their daunting journey from the day she learned she had pre-eclampsia to the day she could bring little Farah and Jena home.Farah was born in March 2009 at 32 weeks and five days and weighed just 3lbs 2oz or 1.41g, while her sister Jena was born this year in January at 28 weeks and four days, weighing just 866g, less than 2lbs.When she was pregnant with Farah, Michelle learned she had pre-eclampsia, which came as a big shock. However, the next knock came at 32 weeks when Farah was delivered.“The neonatal unit was closed in Limerick, so I had …

In Vanishing Ireland: Recollections of Our Changing Times, award-winning photographer James Fennell and best-selling author Turtle Bunbury, once again journey the length and breadth of Ireland to bring us an extraordinary, powerful new collection of poignant interviews from ordinary men and women who share their memories with us, providing an invaluable link to our past.

Ballyvaughan establishment Gregans Castle Hotel scooped yet another award when it was named AA Ireland Hotel of the Year at a ceremony in Dublin on Wednesday.

FOR generations, there have been many connections between the Dingle area and Spain. Nowadays the connection is mainly that of Spanish fishing trawlers landing their catches while local fishermen look on, but trading goes back centuries.

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MOST people would find speaking to a crowd of about 500 young people a daunting endeavor but for former Munster rugby star Alan Quinlan, the mass of eager secondary school students was a stroll in the park compared to the packed stadia of demanding, hungry sports fans he’s used to. He was among a group of four inspirational speakers at the Be the best you can be seminar in Glór last week, held to commemorate the visit of Muhammad Ali to Ennis in 2009. Ennis Town Council joined with Clare Youth Services in organising the event, which was built around the Ali philosophy of ‘being the best you can be’. Alan’s entrance was met by a chorus of applause from the theatre but silence was swiftly afforded as he positioned the mic. The former Munster player had been preceded by Tim Quinlan, the youngest ever Irishman to climb Everest and Derval Dunford, founder of Suí. Both had given talks on …