Lifestyle

Áine Mae O’ Mahony, station manager with Kilkee-based Raidió Corca Baiscinn (South West Clare Community Radio), recently celebrated her first year at the helm of one of the most inclusive community radio stations in Ireland. One year in, Áine Mae feels she landed her ideal job, is still enjoying the buzz and is supported by dedicated staff and a dynamic volunteer corp. Áine Mae epitomises a can-do attitude. Previously a successful restaurateur, losing her sight seven years ago meant she had to reinvent herself and refocus her career goals. With a lifelong interest in radio, she returned to education, completed a certificate in radio programming and then a two-year technology course with the National Learning Network. She had found her real passion in radio and got involved initially on a voluntary basis and then worked as a broadcaster and producer with community and commercial radio stations. A temporary producer role with RCB instilled a long-lasting love of community radio. After …

FOR Newmarket-on-Fergus woman, Catherine Coughlan, her voluntary work for Milford Care Centre is time she gives back to the community because of the help and advice that someone close to her received when they needed it most. Catherine is a HR and payroll specialist in EI in Shannon and a volunteer with Milford Care Centre Bereavement Support Service since 2013. This service offers individual and group support to adults and children in the Mid-West who are grieving the death of someone close. Some years ago, someone close to Catherine was struggling to cope and she was at a loss on how to deal with it. “I just felt that I didn’t know what was out there, or where to go,” she explained “but the people he met on his way were so good to him that it made me feel that I just wanted to give something back to the community. So, I studied counselling; I’m still studying it”. Meeting …

America’s most influential Catholic, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, visited County Clare this week. Cardinal Dolan is leading a pilgrimage of Catholics from across the US to Knock Shrine. He arrived at Ireland West Airport on Sunday aboard the first chartered pilgrim flight from the US into the Mayo airport. The 180-strong group visited the Burren and Cliffs of Moher before taking the ferry from Killimer to Tarbert as part of their nine-day itinerary. The Cardinal took time out from his engagements to travel to Ballyvaughan on Tuesday morning to visit a friend of his, local artist Richard Hearns. “Cardinal Dolan has been a great support to me over the years. I was delighted he was in a position to come to Ballyvaughan on this trip and visit me and to see my recent work in the studio,” Richard told The Clare Champion. Richard was born in Beirut and raised in Dublin but has lived in Ballyvaughan …

HISTORY will come alive in The Halfway this week, when a very special recording will take place. Peadar White, whose family have lived on the Clare Road for generations, will be detailing a verbal history of both the Clare Road and The Halfway on this Friday night. He will be recorded, ensuring that the many stories of those who lived and worked in the area over the years will not be forgotten by future generations. Fittingly, the recording will take place at The Halfway and those visiting the venue at 8pm will get a chance to hear the historical stories firsthand. “The whole idea for this came about when I was on walkabouts and I saw signs up saying such and such a pub was so old, and another pub was another age. I said to Frank, my brother, who owns The Halfway, how old is this place? And he said, you do the history and we will find out,” …

Loop Head Lighthouse’s status as a Signature Discovery Point on the Wild Atlantic Way and as one of the Great Lighthouses of Ireland will be promoted over the airwaves throughout the world this weekend. A group of amateur ham radio operators are making their annual visit the lighthouse where they will communicate via radio and Morse code with hundreds of radio clubs worldwide. The Limerick Radio Club, will operate non-stop for 48 hours from this Friday , as part of the 18th annual International Lighthouse & Lightship Weekend (ILLW). Clare County Council, along and the Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL), is facilitating the operation from Loop Head Lighthouse while the Limerick Radio Club has also received approval from Ireland’s Communications Regulator, Com Reg. The call sign used will be E I 0 L H L.

Anxious about your Leaving Certificate results? The Exam Helpline 2015, provided by the National Parents’ Council Post Primary, will be open to offer advice, information and support when the results are released on Wednesday The 1800 265 165 Freephone helpline will be open from 10am on Wednesday to take calls from students, parents and teachers seeking advice and up to date information on what choices are available to students. The Helpline is sponsored by eircom, supported by the Department of Education and Skills and staffed by members of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors. The Helpline received thousands of calls last year, helping students make informed decisions about the choices they face and their future career paths. All queries on third level courses, the points system, rechecks, repeats, CAO procedures, apprenticeships and further training options will be dealt with in a professional and confidential manner. The opening hours of HELPLINE 2015 are: Wednesday, August 12: 10am-7pm Thursday, August 13: 10am-7pm Friday, …

SOME unusual visitors have decided to make Ennis their home, after they were impressed by the Trojan work going on in one local estate. An Sean Dun in Roslevan has become home to six fairies, who are now living throughout the estate. Cormac McCarthy, of the local residents’ committee, said the new arrivals decided to stay after seeing the great work that children in the estate have done in recent years. At the recent An Sean Dun family fun day, the children were given clues to fairy doors that have been hidden throughout the estate. “This was a special thank you to the children; they’re always so enthusiastic about what we’re doing on the estate. The fairy doors are dotted throughout the estate and the children were given riddles to find them. They were all running around with their parents trying to find the doors and we encouraged the children to find them and upload photos to our website. The …

FERGAL Smith was destined to turn his hand to growing vegetables and various fruits at some stage. Living in North Clare for eight years, the Mayo man grew up on an organic vegetable farm before embarking on a professional surfing career for several years. These days, he is one of the key figures behind the operation of the Moy Hill Community Garden project, which is located close to Lahinch. The project has entered the Get Involved initiative, a competition run by 51 local newspapers throughout Ireland. The aim is that the national competition will drive voluntary sustainability projects, where local people collectively play a more proactive, inclusive and coherent role in shaping the future of their local environs. Before setting in Lahinch, Fergal learned his trade further up the west coast. “My dad is an organic vegetable farmer. He’s been at it 30 years. He started the country markets in Westport. So, I grew up with that. He got into …