Lifestyle

THE South for Susan & Antoinette Cyclists have been making their way down through the country this week, arriving in Ennis on Wednesday afternoon and pulled out from Ballyea this Thursday morning.  The cycle from Malin Head to Mizen Head is being completed as a fundraiser for Cancer Care West and Sláinte an Chláir. as well as commemorating Ballyea woman Susan O’Neill and Antoinette Pender of Quilty. In all the cyclists will cover some 600km. Monday saw them cycle from Malin Head to Donegal Town, a journey of 120km, in quite good weather. Day two was Donegal to Claremorris and conditions were quite good until the last 20km, when they hit a patch of rain. On Wednesday the cyclists went from Claremorris to Ballyea, while Thursday will be Ballyea to Blarney, with Friday’s final leg taking them to Mizen Head. On the way down they were greeted in Oranmore by Cancer Care West CEO Richard Flaherty and its Fundraising Manager …

CLARE County Council has extended the deadline for submissions to the Cliffs of Moher 2040 Strategy until Sunday, June 12, 2022. The Cliffs of Moher Experience, soliciting people’s opinions on the future of Ireland’s most visited natural attraction, has invited people to fill out a short survey. Clare County Council supported by Fáilte Ireland is working, with a multi-disciplinary consultancy team led by Haley Sharpe Design, to prepare the strategy 2040 including an overall site masterplan. The second phase of public and stakeholder consultation is underway in relation to the development of a long-term strategy and site masterplan. To learn more visit the following link Have your say in the short online survey here 

For the first time in three years neighbours and communities will be able to reconnect and celebrate together in person at Street Feast 2022. Registrations for Street Feast are now open and organisers are aiming for 1200 feasts with 100,000 people participating around the country on Sunday June 26. In 2019 Clare organised 15 feasts and organisers are calling for more people throughout the county to get involved this year and increase the number of feasts in the Banner. Street Feast is Ireland’s national day of lunches and one of Ireland’s most successful community initiatives for over a decade. The aim of Street Feast is to build neighbourhood and community networks and tackle social isolation. Sam Bishop, founder of Street Feast, said, “Since the last Street Feast three years ago after two years of restrictions and lockdowns our notion of community has altered immeasurably. “For some it was an opportunity to bond with neighbours as lockdown restrictions kept us at …

JUNE 2, 1962 was a warm summer day at the Coton Parish Church in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. It was there and then that John and Marlene Phipps were married, and 60 years on they will celebrate the occasion in Ballinruan, which has been their home since 1995. The couple first met on a quiet Sunday in 1959, when Marlene was just about to turn 16. Not much older himself, John was already working on the railways, and was whiling the afternoon away at a social club for its employees. “On a Sunday there’d be a bit of a dance in one room and there were three rooms there. Marl’s friend, her father was a guard on the railway. They were fed up on a Sunday afternoon and her friend said I know where we’ll go.” Marlene says Sundays were for church and little else and her father wouldn’t have been a bit impressed if he’d known where she was off to. …

SHANNON Heritage attractions Bunratty Castle and Folk Park and Craggaunowen are set to come alive with entertainment this June Bank Holiday weekend with street theatre and Viking recreations all part of the fun. Craggaunowen is bracing itself for a Viking invasion with a thrilling exhibition of Norse Culture planned on Saturday and Sunday, June 5 and 6 from 10am to 5pm. Hide your valuables because the Vikings are going to be rampaging through the lands of Craggaunowen – you’ll feel as if you are travelling back through time to an era when Viking warriors roamed Ireland! Several battles will place during the day with warriors unleashing their fierce battle skills for visitors to witness. Battles will take place at 12.30pm and 3pm daily on the Craggaunowen Castle Green. Fighting is expected to be hot and heavy but unlike historic battles of yesteryear there will be no blood spilt. Away from the battle front, visitors can experience demonstrations of Viking skills …

A Transition Year (TY) student has scooped work experience with Irish celebrity chef television personality Neven Maguire after winning the Shannon Region Junior Chef of the Year 2022 competition. One student finalist was selected from four schools across the region to represent their school in a two-hour live culinary grand final in the Limerick Strand Hotel kitchen. Gráinne Scullane, a TY student from St Anne’s Community College, Killaloe was the overall competition winner and received the first place gold medal. She won a €250 Good Food Ireland voucher that can be spent in hotels around Ireland, a one4all voucher, a fresh fruit and vegetable voucher and a signed copy of Nevin Maguire’s latest cookbook. After sending a thank you message to Mr Maguire, Gráinne was taken aback when he replied, offering her a golden opportunity to work with him in his internationally renowned restaurant in Cavan for a few days. In an interview with The Clare Champion, Gráinne recalled her …

As the closing date for entries for the ‘Best Place to Holiday in Ireland 2022’ approaches, its emerged that Clare has the ninth highest number of nominations so far. More than 450 people have entered the competition from every county in Ireland and 20 of them have nominated various locations in County Clare. With the closing date of June 7 fast approaching, Cork leads the way on 80, Monaghan lies in second on 60 and Kerry in third on 49. Waterford is fourth on 38 while Dublin is next on 33 and Donegal has 31. Mayo is next on 27 just ahead of Galway on 26 with Clare and Wexford (10) rounding off the top ten. The ‘Best Place to Holiday in Ireland’ initiative was launched by The Irish Times in association with Fáilte Ireland as the country gears up for what promises to be the first ‘normal’ summer in three years. The competition last took place in 2013 with …

Limerick Racecourse manager says everyone at the track is “bursting for the off”, as the summer programme at Greenmount Park gets underway this week. This Thursday and Friday, May 26 and 27, will host the track’s ever popular Twilight Racing meetings to get summer 2022 up and running. In all, the Patrickswell venue will stage seven meetings across May, June and July with general manager Emma White enthusing, “Racing at Limerick and the summer season go hand in hand, and always have. “We have put in place what are special days’ racing, from our BBQ evenings, one of which features the brilliant Nathan Carter, to Ladies Day. “For the last two summers, followers were unfortunately unable to join us for a day’s racing action, which is entertaining both on and off the track. Now, let’s hope we can all come together once more and enjoy ourselves at Limerick Races.” At the heart of Limerick’s Summer Programme is Ladies Day on …