News

When a member of Kildysart Drama Group says ‘The show must go on’, they mean it. The group was due on stage in the local hall last Sunday evening to present another viewing of Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa. Many of them were gathered in The Alders public house on Saturday night, presumably rehearsing their lines, when one cast member received a rather urgent phone call. Joe Grace, who played Gerry Evans in the show, had been on a kidney transplant waiting list for several years. He was contacted late on Saturday night with news that he had to leave for Beaumont Hospital immediately. With mobile reception poor in the village square, the only person that Joe’s wife Geraldine managed to make contact with was Fr Colm Hogan, who is also a cast member. “He called Joe and said ‘here you go, you’re off to Dublin,” Gerry Kelly explained. Gerry knows a lot more about Dancing at Lughnasa now than …

A CLARE couple have called for the resignation or dismissal from Cabinet of Environment Minister Phil Hogan following his utterance of what they describe as “a crude, sexual remark.”Anne O’Connell and her partner, Máirtín Mac Cormaic, who live in Moy, near Lahinch, have also expressed anger about the minister’s subsequent apology, which they say was “founded on a lie”.Anne O’Connell worked as private secretary to John Bruton when he was Fine Gael leader and Máirtín Mac Cormaic is a political columnist for The Clare Champion, as well as being a former political reporter with Independent Newspapers.They attended an Oireachtas golf outing in Connemara last August where they encountered Mr Hogan.Ms O’Connell remarked she hoped he wouldn’t ‘screw’ property owners in upcoming legislation. Allegedly, Minister Hogan responded, “I have no problem screwing you. Hasn’t Máirtín been screwing you for years”. He is then said to have turned his back on the couple.While Ms O’Connell subsequently received a hand-written apology from Mr …

The HSE has ignored a request from the Ombudsman to issue a letter of apology to the daughters of a man who died in a long-stay residential facility in Ennis.Instead, the HSE has issued a letter of “regret” to two daughters of the late Gerard Finn, Kilrush, concerning their dissatisfaction about the manner in which the authority handled complaints about his care in Cappahard Lodge, Ennis.Lourda Finn and Sharon Murphy are angry that they have not received the apology they have been seeking since their initial complaints were registered in 2006.The sisters have now called on Health Minister James Reilly to establish an independent Health Ombudsman, including people with medical expertise, to deal with all complaints and allegations of abuse in health facilities.HSE Mid-West Primary Care, Community and Continuing Care manager, Bernard Gloster, said, “When any person enters into a relationship with the health service they are entitled to the confidence of knowing that information generated in the course of …

Three people have appeared before a sitting of Ennis District Court charged in connection with an incident outside the Holy Family Infant School on Tuesday afternoon.Conor Mahon, 21, with an address at Ballaghboy, Quin Road, Ennis is charged with having a slash hook in his possession, which had a blade or that was sharply pointed, at the Holy Family School on Tuesday, March 20. He is also charged with a breach of the peace on the same date.  Mr Mahon’s wife, Rose, 22, of the same address, is also charged with using threatening abusive or insulting behaviour with intent. She is further charged with causing criminal damage to windows of a vehicle to the value of €1,500 belonging to Thomas Sherlock on Station Road, Ennis, also on Tuesday. Mrs Mahon’s sister Laura Molloy, 21, of An Pairc, Bruach na hAbhainn, Ennis also appeared before the court charged with criminal damage and with using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour with intent …

A 13-YEAR-OLD Ennis pupil has given  new meaning to the phrase ‘throwaway fashion’, with her latest cutting edge creation made from recycled material set to hit the catwalk next month. Caoimhe McCabe’s fashion design has made it to the regional finals of the prestigious ERP Junk Kouture Recycled Fashion Competition, which will take place with a fashion show the Strand Hotel, Limerick on April 1.The second year Coláiste Muire pupil  has designed an outfit based around the theme ‘A Winter’s Garden’, with bubble wrap and paper flowers among the key elements of her creation.Caoimhe, from the Quin Road, told The Clare Champion she is thrilled to have made it so far in the competition and she can’t wait to see her design modelled on the catwalk.“I’ve always liked art and craft so I was really interested in taking part in this competition and myself and a group of friends designed a recycled dress last year for a school fashion show. …

THE deadline for paying the €100 household charge is almost at hand and those involved in the campaign against it are still hopeful of success. Chris Quinn has been heavily involved in the Mid-West campaign and feels it can be resisted. “If enough people stand together, they’ll make it unworkable as it has been so far. They will have to eat humble pie and say ‘that didn’t work’.”He says they have had a variety of responses from the Clare public. “Genuinely, it’s mixed. We were at a few parades around the county on St Patrick’s Day and quite a few people said to me that they had paid it but now they regretted paying it, more often than not. Most people said they hadn’t paid it and they won’t pay it. Some people said we were a holy disgrace but, at the same time, still hadn’t paid it themselves. I think people are sitting back and waiting to see what …

BUSINESSES in Clare are set to lose more than €2 million in the next three years if a replacement organiser is not found for the Etape Hibernia cycle event, which was cancelled last week.The Sky Ride Etape Hibernia, Ireland’s first closed-road mass-participation cycle event, was held in Clare in August 2010. It was held again last year, with further races due to take place this summer, in August 2013 and in August 2014. Over the last two years, it brought more than 3,000 participants and thousands more supporters to the area, as well as generating €2 million for the local economy. However, IMG Challenger World last week pulled out of organising the 84-mile event for the remainder of its projected five years, saying losses made continuing the event “unsustainable”.A statement from the company said it “invested significant resources and funds in launching the event. However, after recording losses in the first two years and the projection of a greater deficit …

THE Clare Ploughing Association will hold its annual ploughing match this Sunday in Newmarket-on-Fergus. The annual event, which marks the association’s 51st year, will kick off at noon at Ralahine.Speaking about the event, the association’s PRO, PJ Ryan said the survival of ploughing in the county “is exceptional” given that Clare would be classified as a non-tillage county.The annual ploughing match will feature horse ploughing, a senior and junior category, vintage ploughing and loy digging, which is done with a spade. In addition to the competitions, there will also be a display of vintage farm machinery and tractors and plenty of activities. According to PJ, the horse ploughing section is not only very competitive but is very attractive to watch and usually draws a young crowd, as it is a rare activity nowadays.“All these horse ploughmen are very proud of their animals and the plough and they are very attractive. Then we have a class for vintage ploughing, which is …