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THE Irish Coast Guard Volunteers Representative Association (“ICGVRA”), consisting of existing and former IRCG volunteers, was launched in Kilkee recently following a moving commemoration for Caitríona Lucas who lost her life on September 12, 2016. During the ceremony Emma Lucas, daughter of Caitriona Lucas, placed a wreath for her mother, together with John O Mahony, Chairman ICGVRA, on the cliff top beside where she died when Kilkee’s Irish Coast Guard Delta Rib capsized. Many Irish Coast Guard volunteers both past and present spoke about the importance of having an independent association to represent their interests. ICGVRA vice-chairperson, Bernard Lucas said volunteers are central to the strength and capability of the Coast Guard Units and their value must be prioritised. “For far too long volunteers have had no voice. The time is now to stand together for the betterment of the Coast Guard as a whole and its volunteers.” The official launch was attended by Clare Oireachtas members Deputy Joe Carey …

Despite Kilmihil playing in their fifth final in six years, manager Kevin Callinan insists his side are focused on producing players for the future. “We would have a small pick but we try and build for the future. This year was a time to rebuild for us so to get to the county final is great and will only improve the players’ development.” Kilmihil won four out of their five round robin games with their only defeat coming to Banner Ladies with both sides already qualified for the knockout stages. They continue to be without the Considine sisters – Eimear and Ailish, who are both forging successful careers in the AFLW and rugby respectively while Edel McMahon (rugby) will not feature. Carol O’Leary and Jenny Kelly are unavailable. Callinan admits it is not easy to produce players in an area as small as Kilmihil but he is happy with the continued progress being made at underage. “There is unbelievable work …

DETAILS have been provided on the costs incurred by Clare County Council in preparing a report on the extent of pyrite in homes here. A Freedom of Information (FOI) request shows the council is seeking to recoup €80,000 after the Department of Housing asked it to make a case for extending the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme to Clare. The report is being considered by Minister Darragh O’Brien, alongside a major overhaul of the scheme itself, which currently only covers Mayo and Donegal. At a public meeting in October, attended by up to 80 homeowners, there were some fractious exchanges between Oireachtas members over the bill. A breakdown of the costs was sought by the Department of Housing and correspondence, secured under FOI, shows that the council clarified the bill. The authority said that external tests and reports were carried out on ten properties at a cost of €7,000 each. A further cost of €15,000 was incurred for “internal technical …

A SOCIAL lifeline for hundreds of people from Clare, and beyond, may have had its last dance, due to new rules on e-ticketing, writes Fiona McGarry. Members of the Dancing for Pleasure group have had to sit it out over the long months of lockdown. As restrictions eased for the live events sector, they were keen to dust off their dancing shoes. Organisers were dismayed, however, to find out that the rule on advance ticketing applies, not just to nightclubs, but to their social dancing outings. Regular attendees, who range in age from 60 to 90, are unlikely to take to the e-ticketing system, organisers believe. “We love our dancing,” said Ennis-based committee member Andy Carmody. “Now, we have completely lost our exercise and our social life. A lot of people are not into the internet. I just don’t think that having to buy a ticket by email, at least an hour before the dance, will work for us. “It’s …

Winter is a time for warmth. It’s a time when we gather round with friends and family to share the warmth of our stories and the warmth of our homes. We banish the cold, turning back on the boiler after its summer holiday. We take down our winter clothes from attics and the tops of wardrobes. We dust off the recipe books for soups and stews. At Calor, we have been preparing for Irish winters for over 80 years, so we’re used to helping Irish people to keep warm. But as the world changes, so are we and now we are doing things a little differently. Every year, about this time, homeowners across the country call Calor to upgrade their boiler or to finally make the switch from their old oil central heating to a modern gas boiler. In years gone by, the questions we would be asked were all about price and security. Now, people want to know about …

AFTER announcing Ennis as the winner of the overall Tidy Towns prize, Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys praised the efforts made in the county town. “This is a fantastic achievement for Ennis who are very deserving winners. Ennis first entered the SuperValu TidyTowns competition in 1959 and continue to showcase all that is good about community and volunteerism. They have been consistently achieving high standards in the competition at local, regional, national and European level and won the competition previously in 2005. Given the tremendous interest in the competition and the increasing efforts made by all entrants, it is a wonderful achievement to take the national title for a second time; this really demonstrates that resilience and determination do reap rewards. “I want to congratulate Ennis and all of the other deserving prize-winners announced today. It has not been easy for TidyTowns groups during what has been an unprecedented period.” Clare TD Joe Carey also lauded the …

ENNIS took 355 marks from a possible 470 en route to being named Ireland’s Tidiest Town. One of the adjudicators of Ennis praised the level of participation in Tidy Towns in Ennis. “A core committee of 20 is a strong team and doubtless you have a strong ‘bench’ too as you can boast 100 volunteers behind your many initiatives.” They added, “It’s impressive to read the range of supporting organisations. This isn’t limited to environmental or residential groups (although these are in there indeed) but also include groups where social inclusion and justice are core aims. Inclusivity is increasingly important in modern Ireland and we are cheered to see the involvement of our ‘newer’ citizens as well as older volunteers “ There was also praise for the streetscapes and public places of the town. “Those banners for the railway station look gorgeous. It is hoped that these will look just as good in place. The Lanes & Bows regeneration will have huge impact …

FIANNA Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe has lauded the achievement of Ennis, which was this afternoon named as Ireland’s Tidiest Town for 2021. Clare’s county town scooped the top prize at this year’s Tidy Towns Awards, which were held in a scaled back ceremony at the RDS today. “This is a phenomenal achievement for the town of Ennis and for the Tidy Towns committee,” said Deputy Crowe. “I’m just thrilled for them. To beat off stiff competition from 846 other entrants is no mean feat but a quick walk-through Ennis will show you exactly how they achieved it. “It’s a regular occurrence to drive through the town on any given day and see the team of volunteers bending over backwards to pick up litter in the hi-vis vests, sprucing up the flower beds and pots and so on. “Not only did Ennis manage to take the top prize, the town was also named the country’s tidiest large urban centre …