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  A TEN year old boy struck by a vehicle in Shannon on Sunday was pronounced dead on Wednesday. Dylan Coady Coleman died as a result of the crash that happened shortly after 2pm on Sunday afternoon, in which he was struck by a van. He was brought to University Hospital Limerick to receive treatment for his injuries and subsequently transferred to Temple Street. A man in his twenties was arrested in connection with the incident, before being released pending further investigations. A GoFundMe page was set up following the crash and by Wednesday afternoon almost €40,000 had been raised for Dylan’s family. In the same week as they lost Dylan, the family also welcomed a new baby boy. On Wednesday St Tola’s National School posted a tribute on Facebook to Dylan. “It is with great sadness that we have learnt of the tragic death of our beloved pupil Dylan Coady Coleman. Dylan is a much loved 4th class pupil …

After four critically acclaimed, award winning novels, Claire Kilroy went missing for 11 years, or so it seemed. Finally in 2023 she resurfaced with another acclaimed work, the theme of which gave an indication as to why she had been absent from the literary scene for so long. In Soldier Sailor, which was described by The Observer as “an astonishing high wire act” and by the London Times as containing “the best 30 pages of fiction you’ll read this year” , she delves into the chaotic early years of motherhood, and how a woman’s sense of identity can be deeply challenged at that time. It’s something many parents will relate to, and she has loved the feedback she has received. “I’m doing a thing a writer isn’t meant to do and reading Goodreads. Readers put up their thoughts on Goodreads and some of the comments are moving to me, genuinely moving,” she said. “It’s so long since I published a …

As a lone parent raising four children on her own and a house renter, Fiona Levie knows what it is like to struggle financially before overcoming several obstacles to become a business consultant and lecturer. Experiencing the highs and lows in business has steeled the Mountshannon resident for the rough and tumble of local politics before she decided to contest the next Local Elections in the Killaloe Municipal District. Her husband is now classified as a missing person, leaving her in an unusual and difficult limbo. Ms Levie explained that she moved to Spain for six years with her husband and young family after they were offered an opportunity to take over a yacht brokerage. Following the death of her father, she returned to Ireland in late 2010, but her husband remained in Spain, leaving her to raise their children on her own without his support. “I came back with nothing and had to start all over again as a …

Residents in East Clare are celebrating a planning victory after winning a judicial review overturning planning permission for a controversial mast proposed for Scariff. Eoin Brady of FP Logue LLP Solicitors, took judicial review proceedings on behalf of East Clare residents challenging planning permission granted to Eircom Limited in January 2023. This involved the replacement of a 12 metre wooden pole with a 21 metre high telecommunications monopole together with antennas, dishes and associated telecommunications equipment, enclosed by security fencing at Connacht Road, Scariff. The Bord Pleanála order for the telecoms mast was quashed and the matter has been sent back to the board for further consideration. The site is an existing Eir facility and communications exchange to the north east of Scariff, which includes an existing single-storey building with two existing monopole telecommunication structures located within the site, one to the rear and north side of the building, the other to the side and east of the current building. …

Since Noel O’Donoghue first picked up a flute in the 1970s, he has been an advocate for the music of Clare and the North Clare tradition in particular. Whether performing in groups such as Moher and the Gold Ring Céilí Band, or in informal sessions around the county, he has always brought his own style and the blás of Kilfenora and North Clare with him. Next Wednesday, Noel will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Corofin Traditional Music Festival. It is something that he could never have imagined when he began his musical journey under the guidance of Tony Linnane in Kilnaboy School some 50 years ago. “I was always very interested in music, right from a young age. My uncle played the flute, but I never knew him because he died young, when he was only 23 years old. But maybe it was that, that put the flute in my head, I don’t know,” said Noel. …

A new volunteer organisation is aiming to reverse the recent devastation caused to the Ballymacraven River in North Clare and restore it to its former glory. Thousands of fish were killed in the river in May of 2023 following a significant water pollution event. Earlier this month, Uisce Éireann were fined €10,000 for the incident, which threatens the viability of the river’s population of Atlantic salmon and eels. In the wake of this decision, the newly formed Restore Ballymacraven River Association now aims to painstakingly rebuild the habitat of the river and hopefully help restore the local fish population. Group spokesperson, Kevin Nunan, said the group welcomed the recent case against Uisce Éireann but also committed to working with the water utility in the future to help rebuild the river. “We were delighted with the outcome of the recent case again Uisce Éireann and we would like to pay tribute to the staff of Inland Fisheries Ireland who put all …

THE housing crisis in Clare may be acute, but when he was in Ennis last Friday, Minister Darragh O’Brien (FF) only saw positives. Addressing the media, he claimed continuously that things are getting better, and exuded an air of self congratulation rather than that of a man grappling with a crisis. At the official opening of 18 new social homes in Ennis, he was asked about a number of complaints made by county councillors that week, including claims that the State is distorting the market locally, actually making things harder for working people who want to buy their own homes. Responding, the Minister insisted that the housing crisis is easing, while he suggested Clare County Council would want to hurry on with delivering affordable housing. “The first thing is to commend Clare County Council, our councillors as well, our Dáil deputy Cathal and our senator Timmy for all the support they’ve given me on the development of new homes in …

As a 13 year old boy, his career in the hotel industry began washing dishes for Angela Lyne at the Queen’s Hotel, and now Nicky Logue is in charge of one of the country’s top hotels. General Manager of the InterContinental Hotel, he has been also held top jobs in Killiney Castle and the Gibson as well as several high level posts in the UK. Reflecting on those early days back at the Queen’s, Nicky says, “I think I lied about my age to get a summer job, told them I was a little bit older than I was. After starting in the wash up, I progressed to the lobby and more front of house, which I really enjoyed.” The industry was in his blood, and it was the only career path he wanted to follow. “I was working on and off in the Queen’s while I was going to secondary school and my late Dad was in the business …