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A “CONSTRUCTIVE” meeting was held on Friday (September 24) between the Tanaiste, Deputy Joe Carey and a number of other Fine Gael representatives in counties affected by pyrite and mica.  The urgent meeting with the Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar was instigated by Deputies Carey, Joe McHugh and Alan Dillion over concerns that a review of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme might not result in homeowner’s full costs being met. Welcoming the Tånasite’s assurance that the possibility of 100% redress remains on the table, Deputy Carey described the meeting as “very constructive”. “It was very constructive and this is a very important time for the campaign for a fit-for-purpose redress scheme which covers 100% of homeowners costs,” he said. “We are really getting down to the nitty gritty now and it’s important that we do all in our power to secure improvements [in the grant scheme] and 100% redress.” The Clarecastle man has also said he expects a meeting …

The CLIMB programme provides free counselling and support for children from aged from five to 13 whose parent, brother or sister, member of extended family or other significant adult such as a child minder has cancer. Two Clare families who have benefited from the sessions provided by CLIMB leader, Marie Guiney-Kelly from Clare Sláinte An Chláir outline their experience. Dan Danaher spoke with these families about their experiences. A KILNAMONA family, who participated in a free counselling programme specifically geared for children dealing with the emotional impact of cancer, have urged others in the same situation to follow in their footsteps. When Pauline Roughan was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2019 she was handed a leaflet in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) on how to tell children about a cancer diagnosis. A visit to the nearby Slaínte An Chláir made her aware of the CLIMB programme, which has made a huge difference to all the family. She believes the Oncology …

CLARE people looking to dispose of that most awkward of household items – the mattress – can spring into action next weekend. Saturday, October 2, has been declared Mattress Amnesty Day, with Clare County Council giving householders the opportunity to recycle old mattresses for free. A free household #MattressAmnestyDay will take place Sat, 2nd October, 8:30am to 1:00pm at the Central Waste Management Facility, Inagh. A max of up to 5 clean and dry mattresses will be accepted. Mattresses from commercial customers will not be accepted.@GreenerClare @Dept_ECC pic.twitter.com/uDeAmQb52Z — Clare County Council (@ClareCoCo) September 27, 2021 Any old mattress that has been lurking about the house since being replaced on beds can be brought to the Central Waste Management Facility in Inagh between 8.30am and 1pm on that day. Mattresses dumped illegally have been a scourge of the countryside and funding for this ‘amnesty’ was awarded by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications through the 2021 Anti-Dumping Initiative. …

A KILKISHEN family celebrated yet another ploughing success last week after a mobile mechanic secured the sixth All-Ireland crown for the one household. Following in the footsteps of Gerard Frost Senior, his son, Gerard scooped first prize in the junior category of the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, County Laois. This was his second All-Ireland title, having previously won top prize in the U-28 Junior All-Ireland in 2008, while his late father previously won four titles. The mobile mechanic was delighted with the win. “It was great to bring back a cup during Covid-19. It is nice to keep the tradition going in the family. “Ploughing is in decline as ploughs are not being used as much compared to years ago, but maybe ploughing will come back again, if a deeper plough is needed. “It is hard to win an All-Ireland title. It doesn’t come very easily. You might think you could win one next year, but it doesn’t work …

CLARE libraries are helping older people ring in the changes when it comes to using getting to grips with new technology. Clare County library has announced a series of Smart Phone classes for older people in a number of libraries beginning at the end of September. The daytime classes will take place in the following libraries: Ennistymon, Kilkee, Shannon, Scariff, and Ennis. The three-week programme will include a session on Zoom video conferencing and the WhatsApp platform so that participants can learn how to connect with others and how to avail of online classes and activities. The classes will be of two hours duration and will take place in the mornings or afternoons. Numbers at the classes are limited due to current restrictions. Clare Libraries will run a second set of classes later in the year. The classes are for those who have not got a smart phone or have just recently received one. The Smart Phone classes will run …

Seats to New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Newark open for booking online AER Lingus is currently selling tickets for Shannon-New York and Shannon-Boston flights on its website, while American Airlines has said it will resume Shannon-Philadelphia next May. If the Aer Lingus links are restored it would be a particularly significant boost for Shannon Airport, as those routes are particularly significant to tourism and foreign direct investment in Clare and the surrounding counties. On aerlingus.com on Wednesday Shannon-Boston services are being offered from March 10 and Shannon-New York from March 27. While the seats are on sale, the airline was less than positive when asked for a comment. “Aer Lingus is currently flying a significantly reduced schedule across the North Atlantic. “This schedule remains under constant review for the remainder of 2021 and beyond. All factors will be taken into account in that review, including this week’s announcement of the lifting of the ban on entry of EU citizens into …

A DOOLIN hotelier is one of ten writers to make the shortlist for a highly prestigious short story competition organised by RTÉ in memory of the late author, Francis MacManus. Dónal Minihane is General Manager of Hotel Doolin and the organiser of a number of popular local cultural festivals, including Doolin Writers’ Weekend. His short story ‘Windsea’ impressed a judging panel of accomplished writers and secured a place on the shortlist, which was whittled down from almost 2,800 entries. The story will be among those read on RTÉ on week nights from next Monday, September 27 to October 8. Dónal, who is a PhD student of Creative Writing at the University of Limerick (UL), described ‘Windsea’ as the monologue of a misjudged teenager as he holds his landlord, who has shot his dog, at gunpoint.  “I’d the lad and his mum in my head for a few years,” he explained. “I got the story down one morning. It came out …

TEN people were assisted by Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat volunteers over the weekend in two separate incidents where cruise boats were reported to have run aground on the lake. On Sunday Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat to launch to assist seven people on a 45ft cruiser. At 1.35pm the lifeboat Jean Spier launched with helm Owen Cavanagh, crew Steve Smyth, Tom Hayes and Michael O’Sullivan on board. While en route to the stricken vessel, Valentia reported a further three people in need of assistance on a separate 30ft cruiser. At 2.08pm the lifeboat had the initial casualty vessel in sight; aground on a shoal near Navigation Mark G on the Tipperary shore. Marine engineers from the cruise hire company arrived on scene at the same time. The lifeboat remained on standby until the engineers had the cruiser off the shoal and the scene was safe. At 2.30pm the lifeboat departed to assist the three people on the …