News

Generations of students who were educated at Mary Immaculate Secondary School in Lisdoonvarna will return to their alma mater next week to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the school. The secondary school, which was founded in 1949 by the Sisters of Mercy, will host a reunion celebration on Saturday, November 2, with a packed day of activities set to take place. Events will begin with a mass at Corpus Christi Church in Lisdoonvarna from 2pm, to commemorate the school’s rich history and celebrate the local community. People are also invited to gather at the school for light refreshments and to reconnect with old friends. Former students can also visit their old classrooms by taking a guided tour of the school, hosted by a current student. The celebrations will culminate with a dinner dance at the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon beginning at 6pm. Mary Immaculate Secondary School has been a beacon of education in the Burren region for generations. From its …

A SHANNON family is not happy with recent HSE appointments following the death of their daughter at University Hospital Limerick, a Sinn Féin Deputy has claimed. Aoife Johnston of Cronan Lawn in Shannon, (16) died of meningitis after a thirteen and a half hour gap between presentation and treatment where she attended the Emergency Department having been seen by a GP who queried the possibility of sepsis. Speaking in the Dáil, Sinn Féin Health spokesperson, David Cullinane highlighted a report in The Irish Times about Professor Colette Cowan and her appointment to a new role as a new Integrated Healthcare Area Manager in the Mid-West. Deputy Cullinane asked if Professor Cowan was among a small group offered such posts outside of a public competition? “Will the Minister explain why that happened and why it was done outside of a public competition? “ he asked. “Was the past performance of any individual – not just of one individual but of any …

Investing is a complex and challenging activity that requires careful planning, research and discipline. However, many investors fall prey to impulsive investing, which is the tendency to make hasty and emotional decisions based on short-term market movements, news headlines or personal biases. Impulsive investing can cost you dearly in the long run, as it can lead to poor performance, higher fees, increased taxes and missed opportunities. In this article, we will explore some of the common causes and consequences of impulsive investing, and how you can avoid it. 1. One of the main causes of impulsive investing is the lack of a clear and consistent investment strategy. Without a well-defined goal, time horizon and risk tolerance, investors may be tempted to chase returns, follow the crowd or switch between different styles and asset classes without a sound rationale. This can result in buying high and selling low, which is the opposite of what successful investors do. A good investment strategy …

Do you know your financial net worth? This is a question that we put to our clients before a financial review – and often it is not that easily answered. It can mean resorting to filing cabinets or kitchen drawers to dust-off old pension polices, cash deposit statements, loan, insurance and investment documents. You may also be dreaming of taking a big trip or planning to help your children buy a house. Or maybe you heard great financial advice in the taxi, or at the local pub! With a financial review, it is often these opportunities which become evident. Getting the balance right between how much to spend and invest can be difficult. You may be actively enjoying early-stage retirement but cautious of spending too much. It’s important to consider how much income you need in retirement to support and maintain your lifestyle and then to find the balance of fulfilling your aspirations without the fear of running out of …

A man appeared in court yesterday, charged with producing a slash-hook in violent circumstances at an address in Ennis, Clare. Patrick Donovan, (25), with an address at Clancy Park, Ennis, appeared before Limerick District Court, charged with production of a slash-hook, during the course of a dispute, at Acha Bhile, Lahinch Road, Ennis, Clare, last Friday, October 11. Mr Donovan was arrested by Garda Declan Keavey, Ennis Garda Station, charge sheets stated. The charge, contrary to Section 11 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, 1990, is where a person, while committing or appearing to be about to commit an offence, or in the course of a dispute or fight, produces, in a manner, likely unlawfully to intimidate another person, any article capable of inflicting serious injury. Mr Donovan was granted bail with consent by gardaí, on the basis that he would agree to adhere to a number of bail conditions. Mr Donovan, represented in court by Ennis solicitor John …

Clare will be in focus tomorrow evening as part of a new RTÉ series which highlights the things that ordinary people are doing to tackle climate change. Each week presenters Hannah Quinn Mulligan, Michelle McKeown and Rónán Ó Dálaigh travel to a different part of Ireland to explore stories which show the practical, informative or inspirational aspects of climate action as part of the Heated programme. Tomorrow evening, October 15, Rónán Ó Dálaigh is in Clare to learn more about using farm waste for good. As well as producing food, the farms of Ireland produce some 40,000 tonnes of plastic waste each year. Once upon a time this might have been burned on farms, but now a programme of recycling and the inventiveness of one County Clare business has created a perfect circular economy. This is a series based on citizen activism, and explores how groups and individuals are doing something to make a difference. It also highlights how this …

MENOPAUSE is a natural transition and the more we talk about it and educate ourselves the better we will manage says Ennis doctor Máire Finn ahead of a free event in Ennis to mark World Menopause Day next week. Clare County Council, Creative Ireland and Healthy Clare are encouraging individuals to “Live Well Through the Menopause” by supporting the event in glór on Thursday October 17, the day before World Menopause Day. The event aims to provide valuable insights, support, and resources for people in perimenopause and menopause, with doors open from 9am. This informative morning will cover essential topics such as health and wellbeing, mental health, diet, nutrition, physical activity, sexual health, and pelvic floor health, with a keynote address from Dr Finn of Centric Health Ennis. Highlighting the importance for individuals to have access to accurate information on signs, symptoms and treatments at this time of change, Noeleen Fitzgerald, Director of Finance and Support Services, Clare County Council, …

Rare footage of Garland Sunday being celebrated in Lahinch in the 1950s forms part of a new, multi-media exhibition by local artist, Anne Maree Barry. Barry, who moved to North Clare five years ago, uncovered the rare, black-and-white footage in the National Archive and has developed it into a short film with an original soundtrack. The footage was originally shot by Paddy O’Neill, formally of Ennistymon and Lahinch. Barry both wrote the lyrics and performed the accompanying soundtrack, with music from Enda Gallery and fiddle from Aindrias de Staic. This film, entitled All Alone, is running in the Red Couch Space in the gallery, and is a companion piece to an exhibition of photographs by Barry in the upstairs gallery. This exhibition is inspired by Barry’s own experiences of rave culture on Red Rock Beach at Howth Head in Dublin in years gone by. Garland Sunday was a festival of music and dance which took place in Lahinch in the …