Lifestyle

Well, it all started before Christmas, when my friend Bev and I received the loveliest card from Lily Finnegan, a 91 year old lady, who lives near Gort. She follows my adventures in the paper and even keeps the cuttings of my articles. My number one fan! Lily loves cats and dogs but she said she especially loves me. I was so happy to get the card that I was nearly in tears and determined that I had to meet Lily. From her card, I knew she lived beside the Round Tower in Kilmacduagh, but how to make contact in secret? As a roving reporter, it was easy. I went onto the world wide woof and saw that there was a B&B right beside the tower. Surely they’d know Lily? I got the hoomans to ring, as on the phone, all barks sound the same and besides, I’m deaf so the phone is useless to me. We got through to …

A SHANNON student has been recognised at a national science event for her innovative app that helps visually and hearing-impaired people navigate buildings. Cliodhna Forrestal, 16, from St Patrick’s Comprehensive, was awarded  second place  in the Technology Software category at Teen Turn SciFest, a competition promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Her project was one of 47 exhibiting at the event in Dublin along with five others  from the Comp.  The app called ‘Project Breadcrumbs’ helps visually or hearing impaired people to find their way around buildings.  In order to learn how to code and to develop her app from a small idea into a real project, Cliodhna worked with Teen-Turn’s Project Squad. Project Squad is a 12-week after-school programme that partners girls with a mentor, who supports them to bring their science idea to life. Before working with Teen-Turn Cliodhna had never coded and had no idea how to go about developing an app from scratch. “Starting off …

THIS year’s Ennis St Patrick’s Day parade will celebrate ‘Communities in Action’ as it wends its way through the streets from 11am on March 17. The Ennis Municipal District are inviting individuals, groups, clubs and societies from across Clare to participate in the 2023 Ennis St Patrick’s Day parade. The local authority stated it was looking forward to its regular participants showcasing their talents again this year while also encouraging new groups and individuals to take the plunge, submit an entry and get in on the fun. The deadline to apply to get involved is Thursday, February 16. Mayor of Ennis, Councillor Clare Colleran-Molloy commented, “The St. Patrick’s Day parade is a wonderful event where people from all over Clare unite, from the world of sports and the arts in addition to our many community groups to celebrate our Irish culture. “I would like to thank all the other agencies, who work alongside Ennis Municipal District to co-ordinate this event.” …

THE best of Clare’s artisan food and crafts will enjoy a unique shop window next month at the inaugural Cliffs of Moher and Clare Retail Expo. Clare food and artisan suppliers will come together with consumers and retail buyers for the event which takes place over two days on February 19 and 20. Supported by the Clare Local Enterprise Office, Clare County Council and the Burren & Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark, the two-day event is the biggest showcase of its kind to be held in County Clare in recent years. The Expo opens at Cliffs of Moher Experience on Sunday February 19 with a business-to-consumer event from 10am to 4pm during which local Clare artists, producers and craftspeople will exhibit their products at Ireland’s most visited natural attraction. Amongst the suppliers in attendance will be McConnell Woollen Mills (Killaloe), Airmid Soap (Kilfenora), Anchor Crafts (Kilrush), Western Herd Brewery (Kilmaley), Creative Clay (Sixmilebridge), Brideog Trad, SIAR Photography and Wix …

AFTER a break up due to Covid, The Outing Festival returns to Clare this Valentine’s weekend celebrating 10 years of bringing people together. The Outing Festival, the world’s only Queer (LGBTQ+) Matchmaking Festival is back from February 10 to 12 on the grounds of Dromoland Castle at The Inn at Dromoland. The world famous festival has grown from its first year in 2013 when it first began as an offshoot of the matchmaking festival in Lisdoonvarna. With same-sex marriage equality since 2015, the now-standalone festival has, with the help of Queen of Matchmaking Eddie McGuinness and some teaching from the legendary Willie Daly, brought together hundreds of couples and even a few marriages, with a few more on the way. Over the years the Outing Festival has developed into an even bigger event by bringing the LGBTQ+ plus community and friends together in the areas of arts, music, film, comedy plus outdoor activities including hiking, surfing, watersports to horse riding, golf and more. However the heart of the festival remains the matchmaking and bringing people, no matter who they are or what their …

THE search to find this year’s Clare Rose of Tralee has begun with the reigning Rose strongly recommending the experience. Current Clare Rose Victoria O’Connell officially launched the search, encouraging others to get involved while fondly remembering her time in the competition and special moments during her reign. She said, “Entering and becoming the Clare Rose has been one of the proudest moments of my life so far, being able to represent my county on a local, national and international base is a fantastic feeling that words just can’t describe.” She continued, “This is not only on a personal growth and confidence level but the friendships I have made for life. “Also the many many reunions and events I have attended over the years with my fellow Roses and Rose Escorts. “From the week in Tralee to the opening of the German Christmas markets in Frankfurt and our planned walking of the St Patrick’s day parade in Fifth Avenue, New …

A COUNTY Clare architect, currently working in the Middle East, has joined forces with an African fashion designer, to launch a new brand of clothing. Tom Byrne from Kilkee has teamed up with Christine Omollo, a talented and experienced Kenyan designer and both have lent their name to the new brand – TOMOLLO Fashions Limited. Tom, originally from Dublin, moved to Clare when his quadruplets were babies. A former Kilkee Town Commissioner, he already had very strong Clare connections and spent his summers in Kilkee growing up. Tom’s mother Mary Lillis from Kilkee, was born in Harlem, New York in 1928. Tom had his own architectural business until 2009 before moving in 2012 to the Middle East, where he is now managing multi-billion euro development projects. Tom admired Christine’s fashions online and they corresponded and planned the business over two years, resulting in the formation of TOMOLLO. It wasn’t until the annual St. Patrick’s Day Ball in Bahrain this year …

A 64-YEAR-OLD Yorkshire greyhound fanatic is still on track with his happiness goal after taking his most profitable “gamble” by moving to South-East Clare. Terence Roberts has written a new book “All Because of Daisy” initially for his family and close friends to help explain why he left them to come to live in Ireland and why he stayed. Thanks to his new environment and eye-opening experiences, the retired probation officer is making sense of his own life, his past, present and future. The book chronicles the characters, people, culture and community he has fallen in love with in Ireland. Terence was born in Ruthin, North Wales, but grew up in the old industrial heartlands of West Yorkshire after moving there at the age of four. After joining West Yorkshire Probation Service as a volunteer in the mid 1980s, he later qualified as a probation officer at the University of Huddersfield and then worked for more than 25 years in …