News

EAST Clare marked the passing, in recent days, of Scariff man Brendan Cosgrove, with many tributes to his positive and lasting impact on his native area. Over the course of his 40 year career with Golden Vale/Kerry Agribusiness in Scariff, Brendan was well known and highly respected across the region. At his funeral mass, Parish Priest Fr Joe McMahon described Brendan as “decent, kind and honourable”. He added that the Cappabane native was “a man who enhanced the life of everyone he knew; a man that you went away feeling better for having met; a man who inspired great respect, but also great affection”. Brendan’s achievements in sport and his contribution to his local club were also fondly remembered. “Everyone who knew Brendan, knew of his interest in sport and he was very ecumenical in his choice of sports – hurling, football, snooker – all equally fascinating, and lots of other sports as well,” Fr McMahon said. “In his school …

A TOTAL of 165 sites are being processed by Clare County Council, under the Derelict Sites Act, with 35 of these on the register of derelict properties. The figures were given to Councillor Paul Murphy, who tabled at motion at the December meeting of the local authority. The Fine Gael member sought an outline of the number of sites in each Municipal District, as well as an update on those being pursued under the Derelict Sites Levy, and the monies recouped to-date. In a written response, Carmel Greene, Senior Executive Officer (SEO), outlined how there has been an increase in activity since the derelict sites function was transferred to the Economic Development directorate in 2020. “Derelict sites that we are dealing with are at various stages from inspection, establishment of owners, discussions with owners, dealing with financial institutions regarding debt, sales being organised or proposals being developed for planning applications,” she stated. “Our priority is to try to work with …

CLARE broadcaster Marty Morrissey has thanked the public for their “wonderful love and support” following his mother’s tragic passing earlier this month. Peggy Morrissey lost her life in a car accident at Annagh, Miltown Malbay in the early hours of Tuesday, December 7. Her only son Marty took to social media on Christmas Eve to pay tribute to all of those who have offered him support during what he described as “the most difficult” time of his life. The RTÉ sports commentator wrote, “The last few weeks has been the most difficult in my life as I lost my beautiful Mom so heartbreakingly. But my grief has been comforted by your wonderful love and support. “It’s a particularly hard time for a lot of people especially this year more than most. Life is precious. On Christmas Eve night, can I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers, cards, phonecalls and texts. May I wish you and …

LAHINCH author and activist Ruairí McKiernan, South African activist and Knockalisheen Direct Provision centre resident Bulelani Mfaco, and Bellharbour poet and activist Sarah Clancy are to help lead a major event honouring legendary South African humanitarian and anti-apartheid campaigner Desmond Tutu, who passed away last Sunday at the age of 90. The event, which takes place online on Thursday (December 30), is being organised by Afri, an Irish peace and human rights organisation. Archbishop Tutu was the organisation’s patron for almost thirty years, after it hosted his first visit to Ireland 1984. Since then, Afri hosted the revered human rights leader several times, including in 1991 when he led the annual Afri famine walk in Doolough, County Mayo. Afri helped lead the Irish campaign against apartheid and arranged for the Dunnes Stores strikers, who refused to handle South African fruit, to meet Tutu in London while on his way to collect the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. This meeting famously helped internationalise the campaign against …

CLARE County Council has thanked everyone who made submissions to the final round of public consultation on the Draft Shannon Town Centre Masterplan. The closing date for submissions was December 20, 2021. Cllr John Crowe, Cathaoirleach, Shannon Municipal District, said: “I welcome the positive engagement on the Draft Shannon Town Centre Masterplan from members of the public, stakeholders, residents and business groups, and I thank all those who participated in the public consultation process. Clare County Council acknowledges the positive input and will take on board all of the submissions received.” Brian McCarthy, Senior Planner, Clare County Council, said: “We are delighted with the quality, informed nature and positive contributions of the submissions received on the draft plan during the consultation process, each and every one of which we will review and analyse over the coming weeks with a view to informing the final plan. “We will also be consulting with the Elected Members of Shannon Municipal District to get …

SEVERAL issues affecting the Doolin Coast Guard Unit including a ban on call outs to assist casualties on land near the Cliffs of Moher remain unresolved as concern grows over the delay in reconstituting the unit. Minister of State in the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton TD, has asked the Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) to begin the process of reconstituting the Doolin Coast Guard unit, which was stood down from operations and training activities on November 2 last after the resignation of six volunteers. The decision was made following receipt of a report and recommendation from independent mediator, Kieran Mulvey, which has advised that certain relationships within the Doolin Coast Guard Unit have irretrievably broken down and that the mutual trust, respect and confidence required to effectively operate a Coast Guard Unit does not exist within the unit. However, local volunteers are still in the dark about what process will be used or who will have the final say in …

The 2022 Inter-County season will commence on Sunday, January 2, when the Clare senior footballers travel to Dungarvan to take on Waterford in the opening round of the McGrath Cup (Munster Senior Football League) at 2pm. In a hectic first week of Colm Collins’ historic ninth season in charge, the Banner welcome Group 1 rivals Cork, under new manager Keith Ricken, to Hennessy Memorial Park in Miltown Malbay four days later for the first time since winning the McGrath Cup on home soil in 2019. The Group 1 winners will subsequently face their Group 2 equivalents (Kerry, Limerick or Tipperary) in the final on Sunday, January 15. In contrast, it’s winner-takes-all for Brian Lohan’s Clare senior hurlers who also face Waterford, this time in the more familiar setting of O’Garney Park in Sixmilebridge for their Munster Hurling Cup Semi-Final on Friday, January 14 (7pm). With the championship spoils evenly split between the counties over the past two years, it marks …

AS is customary in Shannon, the long-running custom of selling Goradiche gift vouchers is continuing this year at the Parish Office. The Gift Tokens/Christmas cards go on sale every December to raise funds for the Goradiche orphanage in Belarus, said Parish Priest Father Arnold Rosney. “It’s going for over 20 years. In the year 2000 we started off the campaign to support the children and the orphanage, following the Chernobyl disaster. We started it as a Jubilee project and it has been going ever since.” Local people have traveled to the Orphanage to help for many years, and even though visits are not a runner right now, there is still much being done in Shannon to help. “At the start of Covid we did an emergency collection and people were very generous, but the fundraising has been more challenging since Covid came along and obviously people can’t go out. I understand they are send out clothing there now.” The Orphanage …