News

THE East Clare Memorial Committee will begin its second century of commemoration this Easter Sunday.  The group, who have annually commemorated both the East Clare IRA and Scariff Martyrs across the last 100 years, have once again planned to remember those who fought for Irish independence.  At the East Clare Memorial Park in Tuamgraney, where the East Clare IRA and Cumann na mBan Brigades are commemorated, a wreath will be laid at 10am. This year, Chairman of the West Clare Brigade Commemoration Group, JT Larkin, will be called on to perform the ceremonial duty.  Mr Larkin will lay a wreath in honour of the West and East Clare IRA Brigades who combined in April 1921 to attack the heavily militarised town of Kilrush. In April 2021, members of the East Clare Memorial Committee travelled to West Clare to acknowledge the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Kilrush Ambush.  At the ground of Scariff Roman Catholic Church, a wreath will …

ORGANISERS of the Spancilhill Fair have expressed their relief now that a threat to the future of the world-famous event has been lifted. Despite having no claims for more than three decades running, the committee had been unable to secure insurance for the horse fair, which attracts thousands of visitors and traders annually. It seemed that the 400-year-old festival would have to be mothballed permanently, after a two-year pandemic hiatus. On Monday last (April 11) however, the County Council intervened with CEO Pat Dowling announcing that cover had been secured.  The fair’s PRO Paddy Hassett said the breakthrough was “the best news” and a huge relief to the committee and the thousands for whom the fair is an important social and business outing. “We just couldn’t get a quote for this year’s event and we were very worried for months,” he said. “We’ve had no claim for 35 years, but without cover, we were looking at calling the fair off …

AN application to extend a mobile home holiday park in Kilkee has been refused permission by the local authority. Cunningham’s Holiday Park at Well Road, Kilkee Lower, had applied to extend and provide an additional 20 mobile home sites. A number of objections had been made to the proposed development. A cover letter accompanying the planning application said, “The proposed development consists of an extension to the existing holiday park (mobile home park). “The proposed extension will be located within the applicant’s own lands, which adjoin the existing park and the extension will accommodate an additional 20 serviced mobile home sites. “All 20 sites will be for static mobile homes and will be sold individually to private clients as is the case with the existing park.” An objection made by a number of residents of Dunlickey Road stated, “There are too many mobile homes in Kilkee at present, more mobile homes than residents. “These mobiles are unoccupied for most of …

DRUGS with an estimated street value of €1.34 million have been seized following searches in the Clare and Limerick border area. Gardaí attached to the Limerick Divisional Drug Unit, supported by Gardaí from Mayorstone, Regional Dog Unit and members of the Defence Forces, carried out a number of searches this friday, April 15, in Corbally and Clonlara as part of Operation Tara, targeting the distribution of controlled drugs in the Limerick area. During the course of one search, Gardaí recovered heroin, with an estimated street value, subject to analysis, of €1.34m. No persons were arrests during the course of the search and the drugs will now be forwarded to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis. A further search took place at a separate location and Gardaí seized €12,500 in cash. A man in his 40s was arrested at the scene of this search and was taken to Henry Street Garda Station where he is currently detained pursuant to Section 4, Criminal …

RESIDENTS of an East Clare housing estate who have spent almost two decades with unfinished roads and kerbs are to have their situation addressed before the end of the year.  Councillor Alan O’Callaghan confirmed that Clare County Council has pledged to carry out works at Maigh Dara in Quin, including a final overlay of tar, as well as repairs to kerbs and paths. Close to €200,000 has been sourced by the local authority to tackle the long-standing problem which has affected the 45-home estate since the estate was built around 17 years ago.  “There are fairly extensive works to be done and I’m delighted that the Council has been able to sources the funds needed,” said Councillor O’Callaghan. “The money will come from a number of different pots and will run to more than €190,000. Many residents have been living with this since the estate was built and having man holes protruding and other issues has been a big inconvenience …

In an exclusive interview with the Clare Champion, Conal Henry says he aims to get Shannon Group and the airport out in front of the challenges it will face in future PÁDRAIG Ó Céidigh lasted less than six months before resigning in frustration as chairman of Shannon Group, while his predecessor Rose Hynes faced often scathing criticism during her time in the role. Clearly being chairman of Shannon Group is a role that exposes one to widespread scrutiny. While someone with Conal Henry’s background certainly can’t have been convinced to take up the role for the money, why has the Belfast man accepted the role that Mr Ó Céidigh branded “the most challenging job in Irish aviation”? “First of all, and this sounds crass, but I really mean it, you don’t do things for money, you do things to deliver better outcomes, to effect change that benefits people. “I’m very happy getting involved in a project like Shannon, I find …

“A GOOD man in every way,” was one neighbour’s description of the late Dr Brían O’Rourke, scholar, author, songwriter and linguist, who was laid to rest in Feakle this week.  Crowds thronged St Mary’s Church and the Angelus bell rang out, as the simple wicker coffin was carried in, adorned with carnations and roses – a nod to Brían’s famous comic ballad, ‘Chantal de Champignon’. Figures from the worlds of politics, literature, drama and broadcasting attended the funeral, as well as former colleagues from the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) where Dr O’Rourke had previously lectured in Heritage Studies.  Brían, a native of Ratheniska, County Laois, passed away, at the age of 73, at his home in Magherabaun on Friday, April 8. His funeral mass was concelebrated by his brother Fr Caoimhín. His broadcaster brother, Seán and sister Anne, brought up the offeratory gifts. Symbols were presented of Brían’s life. Among them was a copy of his book, Blas …

FORMER members of the Doolin Coast Guard unit played a part in the recovery of the body of one of two missing men in north Clare last week. The former unit members managed to locate one body at Aille na Searrach at around on Thursday, April 7, at around 1.30pm. Remaining members of the Doolin Coast Guard Unit are not allowed to search near certain sections of terrain around the cliffs between Doolin and Liscannor. Tom Doherty told The Clare Champion he thought he saw what seemed to be a body in the waters near a cliff shelf on Tuesday, April 5, but the weather was too bad to investigate this matter further. After enlisting the help of another former volunteer, Bernard Lucas, they went down to investigate on Thursday, April 7, at about 1.30pm and located the body. A mobile phone belonging to the man who they located was passed on to Gardaí for identification purposes. On Friday, garda …