News

A Clarecastle man suffering from a collapsed lung has claimed he was left “crying in pain” for hours at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) before he received medication after contacting the ambulance control centre for urgent assistance. Michael McCarthy, Clarecastle (24) was rushed by ambulance to UHL last Friday at 5am where a tube was inserted into his body after he was cut open as part of an emergency surgical procedure. Mr McCarthy has a medical condition since aged 21, that causes blisters on his lungs, which regularly burst, resulting in the collapse of his lungs. In an interview with the Clare Champion, Mr McCarthy recalled requesting pain relief by pressing a patient buzzer on Saturday morning from 8.30 am to 1pm, but couldn’t get any health professional to administer it. He claimed staff told him they would be back with pain relief in a few minutes. However, this never materialised. “I was crying in pain so I had to ring …

THE O’Callaghan’s Mills GAA Club will host the inaugural JP Guinane underage hurling tournament on Saturday, August 20, at the GAA grounds in Kilkishen.  JP was a much loved, lifetime member of the club. He played at all levels and was a key member of the 1968 Intermediate Championship winning team. After his playing career, JP assisted with the management of various teams and fulfilled numerous administrative roles including Chairman. He was the club President at the time of his death in August of 2021. This year, the tournament will be run at U11 and the participating teams are Ruan, Whitegate, Broadford and the Mills. The games will commence at 3pm with proceedings expected to complete by 5.30pm.  Refreshments will be provided in the clubhouse after the games with a social gathering planned for Gallagher’s Bar, Kilkishen, later that night.

A 44-year-old man has been charged with the murder of 87-year-old Clare native Thomas O’Halloran in Greenford, west London. Metropolitan Police said Lee Byer, of Southall, west London, will appear at Willesden Magistrates’ Court this Friday. Police were called just after 4pm on Tuesday to Runnymede Gardens, at the junction with Cayton Road, Greenford to reports of a man with stab wounds. Officers responded and gave emergency first aid until the arrival of the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance. Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, Mr O’Halloran was pronounced dead at the scene. A statement issued on behalf of President Michael D Higgins stated, “On behalf of the people of Ireland, may I express my profound sympathy to all the members of the family of Thomas O’Halloran who died under such tragic circumstances this week, to the Irish Community in London of whom he was a part, and to all in London and Ireland who knew …

WHILE Kilkee Waterworld had been due to remain open until the end of October, it will now close for the year on August 29, to allow repairs to begin. Speaking on Friday, its manager Tracey Corbett Lynch said, “We’re closing for refurbishment until next season. This year we had a new model in place where we’d open to provide swimming lessons, and the plan was to open for nine months of the year. We would have ran until late October this year but the extraction system and the boilers aren’t equipped to continue running, they need a complete overhaul.” She said that while the early closure is disappointing, it is required. “It’s disappoininting, but it’s a decision of the board simply because the extraction system doesn’t work. We need to work on the refurbishment to open early next year. The plan is to open earlier again next year.” She said that the Drift Cafe will still remain open on weekends. …

FAMILY and friends of an Ennis-based man, who tragically lost his life at the weekend after getting into difficulty at a popular swimming spot, gathered together for an emotional funeral service on Thursday. Samir Kaul, who was originally from New Delhi in India and lived on the Kilrush Road in Ennis, died on Saturday evening while visiting Ballyalla Lake with friends. The funeral service for Mr Kaul was held on Thursday at the Foundation Ministries Pentecostal Church in Ennis, which he had been involved with for nearly a decade. In a fitting tribute to the 49-year-old who has been fondly remembered this week for his love of dance, the church held a Service of Song in his memory. A video showing images of Mr Kaul’s happy times with his friends in the church was also played to those gathered to say their goodbyes. Speaking to the Clare Champion Reverend Albert Obadeyi of Foundation Ministries described Mr Kaul as “a man …

AFTER an initial delay, an application for planning permission for the construction of a new €25 million community hospital in Ennis to replace long stay and short stay beds at St Joseph’s has been lodged with Clare County Council. The HSE had initially lodged a planning application for the development at the beginning of August. The Council, however, deemed the application ‘incomplete’ as the site notice had not been erected and dated within two weeks prior to lodgement. A new application has now been made for the development at lands at Clonroadmore, South-East of Turnpike Road and North-West of St Flannan’s College in Ennis. According to the plans the development will consist of: the construction of a part two-storey, part single-storey 100 bed residential community nursing unit (CNU) including; main entrance foyer block; production kitchens; offices; plant room; courtyard gardens with ancillary support accommodation and an enclosed gated delivery yard incorporating a maintenance building and generator. The development will also …

ON Saturday Conor O’Keeffe will run the marathon distance in Co Clare, as part of an extreme challenge called Project 32. It began in Dublin last month, and over the course of 32 days the Cork man is running 32 marathons, one in each county. He ran the first one with a 32lb weighted vest, that is being decreased by 1lb for each marathon run. The extra weight symbolises the difficulties that come with carrying mental health problems, and one of the goals of the run is to raise €100,000 for Pieta House.  Well known from appearing on RTE’s Ultimate Hell Week earlier in the year, he was also on the documentary series ‘I’m Fine’, which aired in 2021. On top of this Conor has been regularly involved in podcasts in Ireland and started his own called ‘Flip the script’ where he explores a variety of themes relating to sport, mental health and motivation. When he spoke to the Clare …

POLICE in the UK have arrested a man on suspicion of the murder of Ennistymon-born 87-year-old Thomas O’Halloran in west London this week. The 44-year-old man was arrested at an address in Southall, west London, this Thursday morning according to Metropolitan Police. Police were called just after 4pm on Tuesday to Runnymede Gardens, at the junction with Cayton Road, Greenford to reports of a man with stab wounds. Officers responded and gave emergency first aid until the arrival of the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance. Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, Mr O’Halloran was pronounced dead at the scene. His family have been informed and they are being supported by specialist officers. A spokesperson for the Met told the Press Association, “I would like to thank the public for their overwhelming support following this horrific incident. As a result of the release of a CCTV image yesterday, an arrest has been made and this investigation is …