News

WHEN Ennis held its first Relay for Life event on 23 June 2018, the committee was “blown away” by the community support. Since 2018, the generosity continued helping Relay for Life Ennis raise over €100,000 for the Irish Cancer Society through two live events and two virtual events. County Clare will get another chance to show their support this year as Relay for Life Ennis returns on June 18 and 19 at Tim Smythe Park.  Auriol Considine, Relay for Life Ennis chairperson comments, “We never imagined this event would be an instant success and this is down to the support we have received from the community. “Our main aim was to create an event where we could come together united against cancer to celebrate life, remember loved ones lost to the disease, and fight back against cancer by raising awareness. The fact that our team participants have raised that much money to support cancer patients and their families is amazing!” …

BOAT users have been advised to carry up to date charts and stick to main navigation channels in the wake of a cruiser running aground in Lough Derg. Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat came to the aid of a lone skipper on 30ft cruiser that had run aground, inside Red Island on the south-western County Clare shore on Sunda evening. At 8.03pm Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat Jean Spier launched with helm Eleanor Hooker, Owen Cavanagh, Joe O’Donoghue and Ciara Moylan on board. At 8.18pm the lifeboat had the casualty vessel in sight; it was located inside Red Island, north of Holy Island. Aware of an extended shoal inside Red Island, an RNLI volunteer took soundings off the bow and, using on board electronic navigation, crew plotted a safe course to the casualty vessel. At 8.21pm RNLI crew noted that the skipper on the casualty vessel was signaling with a light, waving and calling to them. Unable to make out what he …

GARDAI are seeking witnesses to a very serious assault that took place last week at Francis Street in Ennis. At 2.20pm on Monday April 11, a black car (Opel Insignia) bearing false plates 02 D 69360 travelled from the Clonroad direction down Francis Street. It stopped outside Tesco and the boot was opened, it continued down Francis Street and reversed into the private car park on the town side of a premises opposite Causeway link road. Five hooded males exited the car armed with weapons and went into a business premises where they seriously assaulted a male. They ran back out to the car, got in and the car turned left onto Francis Street and went in the direction of Clonroad. It is unknown where it went from there. The man received serious injuries to his head and arms and received treatment at University Hospital Limerick. A garda spokesperson said, “From viewing cctv cameras several members of the public witnessed …

A GoFundMe page has been set up for a Newmarket father, who has terminal cancer. Pamela Higgins has set up the page as a fundraiser for Patrick Sheedy, a Newmarket man now based in Kinsale. Patrick is a father of six, and Pamela said he has shown a fantastic level of resilience in his cancer battle. “He is unbelievably strong, he has really taken all of this in his stride. He has only just turned 50, he was diagnosed in 2017 and has been having treatment since then, he’s had a number of operations. It’s gone to his liver, gone to his lungs, I think he’s had four or five operations on the liver. “He’s really gone through the mill, really suffered, but never complained. Never said why did this happen to me, anything like that, he’s always very upbeat and positive. He’s just unbelievably strong.” Originally from Newmarket, he met his wife Jayne in Manchester and they moved to …

FUNDING of €4.3 million has been announced for Shannon Airport under the Regional Airports Programme 2022. Welcoming the allocation by Hildegarde Naughton TD, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Shannon Group CEO Mary Considine said the funding was very welcome as the airport continued its recovery. “The funding for Shannon Airport announced today by Minister Naughton will enable the airport to invest in vital infrastructure and rebuild in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Ms Considine. “While we have made good strides in restoring air services at Shannon with 26 services to 11 destinations for summer 2022 secured, there is still a challenging few years ahead for the aviation sector. We are grateful for this Government support and will use it to continue to fund vital improvements to our airport infrastructure.” Positive news for @ShannonAirport of €4,347,750 Capital Allocation Funding announced by Min @1Hildegarde. Continued investment & promotion of the airport crucial for Clare & Mid West …

THE REGULATOR of planning, Niall Cussen, is to address councillors, amid ongoing concerns over the impact of regional and national strategies on rural Clare. A motion inviting the CEO of the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) was tabled by Councillor PJ Kelly. The Lissycasey man, a long-time advocate for rural development, was described by Councillor Gerry Flynn as “our own expert in terms of planning”. Outlining the motion, Councillor Kelly noted Mr Cussen’s close connections to Clare. “Planning law is very complex and we now have to deal with the OPR’s views and other regulatory guidelines,” he said. Describing the issues that have arisen, particularly in relation to the growth of rural Clare, during the drafting of the Development Plan for 2023-2029, the Fianna Fáil member remarked, “Many questions have been asked, but not answered.” The motion was seconded by Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy, who described moves to invite Mr Cussen as “very positive”. Referring to a response to …

In the third instalment of our climate change series Noirin Lynch, Traditional Singer and Director of FCJ Spirituality House, Spanish Point tells Bridget Ginnity that community and co-operation are key to our success I HAD what I call a “head moment” when I first read Laudato Si in 2015. That’s the papal letter by Pope Francis on climate change. I realised then that the climate crisis is serious but there’s a difference between the head moment and the heart moment. Even though Laudato Si was convincing, I wasn’t really emotionally engaged. Shortly afterwards I moved to Dublin to run a spirituality centre, and unexpectedly found myself in the heart of nature. The place was incredibly beautiful, with amazing 200-year-old trees and wonderful planting of flowers and shrubs by a sister now in her nineties. We had hedgehogs, squirrels, foxes, all kinds of birds. When I became aware of the seasons of nature, it transformed me. Something in me moved from …

RECORD overcrowding at the Mid-West’s main hospital has been strongly condemned at a meeting of Clare County Council, with an urgent call for a new regional facility for elective procedures. A motion from Councillor Johnny Flynn at April’s meeting called for a public, electives-only hospital, “in light of the record trolley numbers, lack of bed and clinical capacity at UHL”. The Fine Gael member said it would be “a failure of government” if no such facility was provided, given the worsening issues at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), in terms of emergency care and the growing waiting lists for elective procedures. “Everyone is very familiar with the Teamwork Report, published in 2009, because it recommended the closure of three Emergency Departments,” Councillor Flynn said. “At that time, they had combined admissions of 39 people per day. In March 2022, that figure was 245. In January 2012, there were 304 people on trolleys and that was considered to be an emergency. “In …