News

The “Home” art exhibition will be held at Cultúrlann Sweeney in Kilkee from August 30 to October 2 in memory Betty Cauldwell, the artist who passed away in April, 2020. Having been born in Kilrush in 1926 and educated there thereafter, West Clare’s sea and landscapes feature in the legacy that Betty leaves behind. She was the eldest of five children of Dr Dick and Enid Counihan, and studied in University College Dublin to become a dentist, only taking up painting in her 50s and continuing to paint until her eyesight began to fail, shortly after her husband, Peter Cauldwell, died in 2001. Betty spent most of her life in England with Peter, a fellow dentist who wrote poetry in his retirement, but the pair returned “home” to West Clare as often as they could throughout their lives. Betty trained at Lichfield School of Art and exhibited with the Lichfield Society of Artists and the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, …

A FAMILY of four and their two dogs were rescued by the Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat after their speedboat suffered engine failure on Tuesday evening. At 7.05pm the lifeboat Jean Spier launched following a request from Valentia Coast Guard to help the family on a 12ft speedboat adrift in open water south of Garrykennedy. The lifeboat, with helm crew Owen Cavanagh, crew Steve Smyth, Chris Parker and Tom Hayes on board, arrived on scene at 7.15pm. The family and dogs were safe and unharmed. Given their proximity to Garrykennedy Harbour, the closest safe harbour, and the hour, the helm decided that the safest option was to set up an astern tow and take the vessel with her passengers and an RNLI volunteer on board, to Garrykennedy, where the boat was tied alongside at 7.45pm. At 7.50pm lifeboat departed the scene and was back at Station at 8.05pm. Jeremy Freeman, Deputy Launching Authority at Lough Derg RNLI, advises water users to …

A FACELIFT is on the cards for six Clare towns and villages, three of them in the East and the South East of the county. A pot of €7 million is to be shared among 124 areas across the country under the Streetscape Enhancement Initiative. In Clare, the beneficiaries will be Tulla, Scariff, Clonlara, Kilrush, Corofin and Clarecastle, where property and business owners will be invited to apply for funding. The allocation will support a number of activities to brighten the appearance of towns and villages. These include strategic collaboration between property owners to paint buildings or shopfronts in vibrant colours and the commissioning of murals in towns and villages. The funds also enable the upgrade or restoration of historic and traditional shopfronts; as well as the provision of street planting, shrubbery, trees and flowers boxes. Enhancements through the illumination and lighting of architectural features can also be carried out, as well as the installation of canopies and street furniture …

THE next stage in the transformation of Ennis’ town centre has moved a step forward with Part 8 planning lodged by Clare County Council for the re-vamping of O’Connell Street. The plans, part of the overall Ennis Town Centre Public Realm Regeneration Project, include an upgrade of the public realm of O’Connell Street, with the one-way traffic flow retained. There will also be the creation of a new civic space outside the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, including shared surfacing in natural stone materials; street furniture; replacement street lighting; signage; tree planting and rain gardens; and all ancillary works; together with changing Barrack Street (east) from raised kerbs to flush shared surface. According to a design report the result of the works “will be a safer and more attractive pedestrian environment and spaces for all sectors of the community, facilitating the Town Centre as a destination for visitors, improving its vitality and enabling Ennis to capitalise on its unique …

ON Monday evening, Clare GAA moved a step closer to end the fears of supporters when Clare County Board Officers agreed that Brian Lohan be offered a three-year term as senior hurling manager. The two-time All-Ireland SHC winner had the option of another season in his current agreement, however, the board officials have moved to retain his services for two more seasons into 2024. The recommendation must now be approved by a full meeting of Clare County Board, but Lohan is content with the decision made on Monday evening. “I’m happy to get the three years. I appreciate there is loads of hard work to do. I’m looking forward to get to work. Hopefully the clubs will allow me to continue working with the team. I know how important it is for the clubs to have their say but it’s a step in the right direction.” Despite much scrutiny and media speculation Lohan says that the County Board needed to …

SHANNON’S kickboxing world champion Liam Alford was still relaxing after his victory in a world title unification fight in the UK when he spoke to the Champion last Friday. Five days on from winning the fight against Qasim ‘the dream’ Beg and bringing five world titles home, he admitted to still being a bit dazed by the success. “It hasn’t hit home really, it hasn’t settled in.” While known as a prodigious talent, the 21 year old was seen as a rank outsider when taking on the Brummie champion, but he didn’t care what people thought. “In a lot of people’s eyes, especially over in England, I was the underdog. But to be honest, myself and my team were really confident. We wouldn’t take a fight unless we were confident that we could win it. To be honest we wouldn’t really worry about other people’s opinions, we know that if we train hard we’re capable of anything.” In advance he …

CLARE GAA is planning on turning the Cloister car park in Ennis’s town centre into a permanent parking facility. An application for planning permission for the change of use of the site on Lower Abbey Street has been lodged with Clare County Council. The location currently has planning permission to provide spaces for vehicles before and after GAA matches and authorised events at Cusack Park. The planning application seeks a change of use from a private car park with this limited to a commercial car park for use as a both long term and short term stay for members of the public. The application also seeks permission for the completion of associated site drainage surface dressing, landscaping works and the site entrance, which were previously granted permission.

Clare Community Games President, Cecilia O’Sullivan has been an integral part of the group’s sporting success. She spoke with Ivan Smyth about 50 years of memories and hopes for many more. When Cecilia O’Sullivan answers her phone, she is surprised to hear that The Clare Champion want to speak to her. Cecilia is the longest serving official of St John’s Ennis and Clare Community Games. She has been a member of St John’s Ennis Community Games since 1971, the first year that the competition was held in Clare. In her own words she has been “a long time” involved with the Community Games. “I’ve been involved since the start. Although it (Community Games) has changed and got bigger over the years, it’s been great to be involved in it.” Cecilia is currently the President of Clare Community Games while she has held numerous other roles throughout the last half century. She served as Secretary of Ennis Community Games from 1975–1994, …