News

AMERICAN investment over the last half-century has been a crucial factor in Ireland’s journey from being a pre-industrial economy to a post industrial society and that investment can continue to be secured by improving competitiveness and maintaining low corporate tax.

KILMURRY Ibrickane GAA Club will host an O-40s fundraising football match in Quilty at 8pm on Friday. All proceeds will go to the Geraldine Dillon (née Clancy) Benefit Fund. Geraldine, who is originally from Mullagh but lives in Clarecastle, was struck down by illness recently.

A WEST Clare family has  painstakingly restored a vintage Massy Ferguson to its former glory to raise money for two causes that are very close to their hearts.

Dromore Woods in Ennis attracted 70 volunteers last weekend for a biodiversity blitz event that uncovered 688 species living in the woods over a 24-hour period.

EVEN in a week when the death occurred of former taoiseach, Dr Garret FitzGerald, Ireland is still basking in the glow of a feel-good factor.

If the visit of Queen Elizabeth last week marked a new beginning in Ireland, the death of Garret FitzGerald marked the end of an era.

“An accident could happen to these oysters, a grain of sand could lie in the muscle and irritate the flesh until in self protection the flesh coated the grain with a layer of smooth cement. But once started, the flesh continued to coat the foreign body until it fell free in some tidal flurry or until the oyster was destroyed. For centuries men had dived down and torn the oysters from the beds and ripped them open, looking for the coated grains of sand.” – The Pearl, John Steinbeck

HALF of County Clare’s Garda force may have been detailed to Dublin for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II but nevertheless, there are more gardaí on the beat than normal around the county. This should come as reassuring news to those who felt the county might be at risk of a crime spree this week due to the mass exodus of gardaí.