News

LIDL Ireland has apologised to a Corofin father for any distress caused to his 11-year-old autistic son over its failure to turn down music in its Ennis store. Adrian Beakey has appealed to all retail outlets to show more understanding concerning the sensory needs of children and teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorder following a recent incident in Lidl’s discount supermarket in Gort Road, Ennis. Mr Beakey recalled his son, Marcus, became distressed while they were shopping because the music in the store was loud particularly at the area near the tills where the speakers were located. “It was quite busy. I was waiting in a queue. I went up to a cashier and asked if could I speak to a manager. She put her hand up and said I am the manager. “I said my son is autistic, if you could turn down the music a small bit, I would appreciate it.” Mr Beakey recalled the manager claimed she didn’t …

THE regeneration of Ennis’ main thoroughfare is set to begin next year, a meeting of the Ennis Municipal District has heard. Members of the municipal district have given their backing for the proposed public realm works on O’Connell Street, with the part 8 plans to go before a full meeting of Clare County Council for approval next week. At the monthly meeting Ennis councillors voiced their support for the project, while a call was also made for the retention of decorative poles for hanging baskets along the street as well as the salvaging of existing paving stones to be used elsewhere in the town. The works to O’Connell Street are Project B3 in the second phase of the overall Ennis Town Centre Public, and are a continuation of Project B1, O’Connell Square, High Street and Bank Place, and Project B2, Old Barrack Street and Barrack Square. Leonore O’Neill, senior executive officer, told the monthly meeting of Ennis councillors that the …

IRELAND’S Next Top Madra hails from East Clare, The Champion can reveal. Proud owners, and Mountshannon residents, Sarah Haran and Pierce Madden are celebrating the success of their one-year-old dog, Frankie, who took the top prize in the competition organised by RSVP magazine. The cuddly Cavapoo – a cross between a poodle and a cavalier King Charles spaniel – was voted top dog by RSVP readers from all over Ireland. “We’re delighted,” Whitegate native Sarah told The Champion. “I sent in a photo a few months ago and didn’t really think any more about it until we got the call to say that Frankie had won.” After last year’s first lockdown, the couple decided to take the plunge and get a dog. “My friend Matthew Harvey has a Cavapoo who had two pups, so we got one,” Sarah explained. “She has a lovely personality. She has the run of the house. When we’re at work, my sister-in-law, Val Madden, minds …

THE introduction of a new Regularisation Scheme for Undocumented Migrants will help address the skills shortage in the medical, hospitality and construction industry, according to a local accountant. The proposed scheme, which is expected to be unveiled by the Department of Justice over the coming weeks, will give migrants unrestricted access to the labour market, and allow them to apply for citizenship later. David Williams is urging Clare employers to encourage their employees to familiarise themselves and engage with this scheme to help reduce the growing number of vacancies across a number of sectors. Of the 30 sectors analysed by the IrishJobs.ie Jobs Index in the third quarter of 2021, 24 posted quarterly increases in vacancy generation and 19 surpassed their pre-Covid rate. In tourism, travel, and airlines, a sector severely impacted by the pandemic and lockdown, vacancies increased by plus 80% quarter-on-quarter and plus 3,607% year-on-year. Vacancies in construction, architecture, and property rose plus 25% quarter-on-quarter and plus 178% …

Former rugby star is in line to retain the open water swimmer of year title she won in 2019, writes Dan Danaher A KILLALOE sportswoman continues to glide on a crest of a wave in competitive open water swimming. Rosie Foley is nominated in the Padraic Casey Open Water Swimming of the Year category, which she won the last time it was run in 2019. The St Anne’s Community College teacher was put forward by her peers in the open water community. The results will be announced on Saturday, November 27, at a ceremony in Galway. “It is a huge honour to be nominated. You never set out on a path for anything. I went back into the pool after my daughter, Siofra, was nine months old. I joined Limerick Master Swimming Club, having never swam competitively. “I have made great friends in the Limerick Master Swimming Club, which pulls you along. “By meeting people and asking people if any …

Extensive efforts to identify three bodies yet to succeed KILRUSH Gardaí have issued an appeal for help in identifying three bodies recovered off the coast of Clare in 2010, 2016 and 2018. Extensive efforts, including international investigations, have failed to determine their identities. The cases featured in Ireland’s Unidentified Bodies, a Virgin Media One documentary. The programme also included Tom Doherty, a ranger at The Cliffs of Moher; Garda Deirdre Scanlan and Sergeant David O’Connor, who outlined aspects of the incidents. In all cases, foul play was ruled out and the deceased later buried in Ennis. Garda Mervyn Forde outlined how a body was recovered from the base of The Cliffs of Moher on July 30, 2010. DNA samples were circulated internationally. “There was a lot of investigation carried out in relation to Interpol,” he said. “There were possible hits from England, from Belarus and from Interpol in Minsk. These were all investigated extensively, but unfortunately, all of these avenues …

Intermediate Football Championship Final Corofin v Kildysart @ Cusack Park Ennis, Saturday 2.45pm (Niall Quinn, St Joseph’s Miltown) A THIRD championship showdown in the space of 15 months between these clear favourites for the Intermediate honours has looked likely from the outset. However, while the spoils have been shared evenly so far, the stakes couldn’t be any higher this Saturday. All because winning is simply a prerequisite for both, a conundrum that brings it own pressure and heightened tension for what could be a cracking final if they can play to their undoubted potential on Saturday. Both have been down this road before with Corofin having to wait over twelve months to try and rectify their second half slump in last year’s final against St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield. The need is even greater for Kildysart with this being their fourth intermediate decider since 2016 as they look to finally banish their final hoodoo. Kildysart, led by talisman Emmet McMahon, will need …

Kildysart manager Noel O’Grady insists his side will not be using past final heartbreak as added motivation ahead of his side’s showdown with Corofin Despite this being his side’s fourth final in six year at the intermediate grade, O’Grady believes his charges must look forward and not back as they prepare for a final, which many predicted would come to fruition before the competition started. “We are just focused on this year. The lads have to work hard and do their jobs on the pitch. “We have a new management team this year so we have just been focusing on the task at hand The past defeats haven’t been mentioned by us. They (the players) may be thinking of it themselves but we’ve not mentioned it.” O’Grady knows his side cannot afford the slow start that ultimately cost them in their semi final defeat to Corofin last year as they fell nine points behind in the opening quarter. “There is …