News

A SPECIAL documentary programme will be aired next Monday, September 12, remembering a much missed hero of Clare. The programme celebrating the life of Catriona Lucas, comes on the sixth anniversary of her death while performing her duties as a member of the Coast Guard. On September 12, 2016, the tragic news broke that a rigid inflatable boat had capsized near cliffs in a heavy Atlantic swell in Kilkee. As details of the incident became clearer, it emerged that the rib was an Irish Coast Guard search and rescue boat. The three Irish Coast Guard volunteers on board were thrown from the vessel into the sea. Two Kilkee-based members of the volunteer service were subsequently rescued during a major multi-agency operation however, news of the third person, Caitriona, from Liscannor, an experienced volunteer with the Coast Guard unit based in Doolin, was not so good. Caitriona was recovered unconscious from the water and airlifted to hospital as attempts were continued …

THREE students from Clare will participate in the prestigious Worldskills Ireland competition, nest week competing against over 180 other young people from across the country. The three students competing are Willow Swire from Kilrush who was selected to compete in Butchery; Ciara Breen from Kilrush will be competing in Digital Infrastructure and Aaron O’Halloran from Tulla who is competing in Polymechanics. The trio will participate in a range of skills-based trades including automation, robotics, constructions skills and culinary arts at the RDS in Dublin. Having fought off tough competition to secure a place in the national finals, the three skilled young students and apprentices will compete in front of over 15,000 visitors at WorldSkills Ireland – the country’s largest experiential skills, apprenticeships, and careers event. Needed now more than ever, Worldskills Ireland 2022 – taking place from 13 – 15 September – is an event designed to promote skills, apprenticeship careers and opportunities for young people. The event allows students, …

A POPULAR Lahinch hotel has applied for planning permission for a new bar and restaurant. An application has been lodged with Clare County Council, seeking permission for alterations at the Lahinch Coast Hotel. Blue Chip Investments Limited has made the application, and a letter accompanying it says, “The subject site is situated in Lahinch town centre, with the premises formerly in use as a nightclub which formed part of the Lahinch Coast Hotel. “Despite its prominent town centre location, the premises has remained vacant for over ten years, which has negatively impacted the vibrancy, viability and economy of the wider town centre.” It says the development would include “the demolition of a portion of the buildings northern facade to accommodate the provision of an outdoor dining area and other elevational changes including ancillary awning, service/plant equipment at roof level and fenestration changes.” It said that the layout of the bar/restaurant had been designed by Paul Haffey Design, whose previous projects …

LAST Sunday, September 4 marked an historic day in the life of the Cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul in Ennis. It was on September 4, 1842 that the then Parish Priest Dean Terence O’Shaughnessy celebrated the first Mass in the O’Connell Street Church. Although the church was far from complete, it was a great day for the 82-year-old parish priest as the financial burden of the project had been enormous at a time when many parishioners were living in extreme poverty. The decision to build a new church was taken at a parish meeting in 1821. Seven years later, Francis Gore, a Protestant, donated a site on the edge of the town for a nominal rent. Dean O’Shaughnessy sensed that the Church to be built would one day become the Cathedral Church of the Diocese as it was very probable that Ennis would become the future residence of the Bishop of Killaloe. In the summer of 1828 there was …

SEEING the relief in people’s faces after being rescued from stranded vessels has been very rewarding, according to a local Killaloe Coast Guard volunteer. Audrey Kenny and her husband Jason were recently honoured for their more than 20 years’ combined service as volunteers by the Irish Coast Guard. She told The Champion that people really appreciate being rescued when vessels run aground or cut out the lake. Coastal Unit Sector Manager, Damien Kelleher presented ten-year service medals to Jason and Audrey Kenny at Pier Head, Killaloe recently. Audrey is the longest serving female member of the unit, who has completed all the necessary training qualifications. The second female member is Lucy Whenday, who joined the unit a few years ago. Since Audrey joined ten years ago, she recalled three or four women had joined and subsequently left the unit. Most of the group who joined with them more than 10 years ago have left for different reasons. In May 2012, …

A CLARE mother has claimed she was subjected to a “humiliating experience” in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) trying to obtain proper pain-killing medication six hours after she was discharged following a full hysterectomy 26 hours earlier. In an interview with the Clare Champion, the 43-year-old has outlined how some staff didn’t believe she was back so soon in the hospital after such a major operation while she was crying in pain in the ED. The mother would like to see Health Minister Stephen Donnelly provide funding to appoint more doctors and nurses to UHL. She believes a review needs to be conducted by the UL Hospitals Group concerning the length of hospital stay for women after they had a hysterectomy and a new policy to ensure all women receive information sheet when they leave the hospital after a major surgery. She has made a number of claims about the care she received after she had a full hysterectomy via robotic …

A MAN has died following a road traffic collision in county Clare on Friday night. The collision at Parteen involving two cars, occurred shortly before 10pm. A man, aged in his 20s, received fatal injuries in the incident and was later pronounced deceased at the scene by paramedics. His body has since been taken to the Morgue at University Hospital Limerick. A second man, in his late teens, and from the same vehicle, was taken to University Hospital Limerick to receive treatment for serious injuries. A technical examination of the scene by Forensic Collision Investigators is scheduled to take place this morning. Local diversions remain in place. Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to come forward and any road users with video footage (including dash cam) is asked to make this available to them. Anyone with information can contact Henry Street Garda Station on 061 212 400 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.

A VIDEO shared widely on WhatsApp last week showed a referee in Roscommon left sprawled on the ground as the mentor of an under 17 team walked away from him. The clear implication was that the referee had been seriously assaulted, and the incident led to a referee’s strike in the county last weekend, meaning all games there had to be cancelled, showing the importance of the oft-maligned referees. Lack of appreciation of referees is hardly a Roscommon problem exclusively, and there is no doubt that referees across Clare face a great deal of stick too, even if it very rarely goes as far as it did there. Newmarket’s Seanie McMahon is referee administrator with Clare GAA and was a prominent referee at the highest level for many years. He says that people expect far more from referees than they do from anyone else involved in sport. “Referees are going to make mistakes, like players do and managers do, during …