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THIRTEEN children with additional needs from Broadford, Tulla and Sixmilebridge, thoroughly enjoyed a six-week inclusive athletics programme in Tulla. That’s the verdict from one of the coaches and child psychologist, Louise Fitzsimons, following the completion of the pilot project on Saturday, which was facilitated by Tulla Athletics’ Club and Clare sports inclusion disability officer, James Murrihy. Other coaches included Sarah Shally, teacher for the early intervention ASD class in Stonehall National School, Antonio Raffa, Sixmilebridge, who is heavily involved in athletics, Lucy Hughes, Michelle Greene, and Kelly Ann Brady, primary school teacher. Ms Fitzsimons said the coaches and volunteers have learned a lot over the six weeks about how to organise sessions and support children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in getting used to different activities that suits their own particular needs. It is hoped to continue with more sessions during the summer with a review in August. “All children will not transition quickly or easily to the main athletics …

Proposal to extend site and create conditions to double the school population GAELSCOIL Donncha Rua has lodged a planning application for a new development, which would see the school’s numbers doubling. A design statement accompanying the planning application says the proposed Gaelscoil Donncha Rua would be a replacement primary school for 70 pupils on the site of the existing temporary accommodation school in Shannon. It is envisaged the existing site of 0.55 acres be extended to a total of 1.94 acres to accommodate the new building. Projected enrollment once the new school is completed is 140 pupils. The statement notes the site forms part of a landbank owned by Clare County Council that is currently undergoing development for parklands and public amenity areas. “The area of the site outside of the existing school boundaries is currently in use as amenity wetlands,” the statement notes, adding that “The existing school site has an area of 0.55 acres currently and consists of …

ENNIS Tidy Towns are staying on track when it comes to their efforts to keep the county capital looking good. The local voluntary organisation have once again joined forces with Ennis Track Athletic Club to encourage youngsters to think reduce, reuse, recycle. Their latest initiative aims to get plastic litter on the run by developing colourful re-usable bags for runners and track shoes. Cormac McCarthy, chairman of Ennis Tidy Towns explains, “Ennis Tidy Towns has continued their collaboration with Ennis Track in driving sustainability as part of the clubs activities. Two years ago this involved supplying the club with reusable bottles which were given to participants in their kids road race. “This year we worked with them to develop re-usable bags for dirty runners and track shoes. It was observed that lots of shoes were being place in single use plastic bags and given the dirty nature of the shoes, these bags were being disposed of. The new drawstring bags …

RESIDENTS of a Clare community will hope foul smells from outdated sewerage works will soon be just a bad memory. Final site investigation works were undertaken by Irish Water, working with Clare County Council, as part of the planned upgrade to the existing wastewater infrastructure in Ballycannon, Meelick, last week. Local residents have been forced to endure foul smells from the existing sewage treatment plant for decades. This project will ensure that there is adequate treatment of wastewater, for now and into the future, as well as protecting human health and safeguarding the environment. There are plans to construct a new sewage pumping station, replacing the existing wastewater treatment infrastructure. A new sewer will also be constructed to transfer the sewerage flows from Ballycannon to the existing Wastewater Treatment Plant in Limerick City. These works will be subject to statutory requirements such as planning permission, land acquisition, appropriate assessment and road opening licences. In a statement issued to the Clare …

THE new Bishop-Elect of Ferns, Ger Nash, supports a greater role for women in the Catholic Church including their ordination as priests. This isn’t allowed under current church rules and the lack of women priests has been a bone of contention for many people in the Killaloe Diocese for decades. In an interview with The Clare Champion, the former Tulla priest who is “privileged” and “humbled” with his elevation, has also called for an examination of the real meaning of ministry and the role played by non clerics spreading the message of Christ during the daily lives. Asked if he believes women should be allowed to become priests, Bishop Nash said the full ministry in the church should be open to all baptised people. “When is that going to happen I don’t know. I am in favour of this. Most of the Irish Bishops are on record as striving to make ministry as inclusive as it should be. I think …

While it’s a rare weekend of inter-county calm before the storm, the competitive action has contrastingly rapidly mushroomed at club level, with a first bumper weekend of football and hurling leagues to come over a hectic three day span. That zero to a hundred fixture hike is in one way a welcome world away from the bleak lockdown longing that greeted the first five months of the year. However, with a large chunk of players still seeking match sharpness, it’s perhaps not ideal to be a dual player that in the absence of county contingents could be called upon to fulfill up to four fixtures over the coming days. Clare Cup Division 1A Round 2 Crusheen v Feakle at Crusheen, Saturday, 7.30pm (C Maguire) After opening round victories, this should present a welcome barometer for both this Saturday. Feakle’s opening round triumph over county champions Sixmilebridge will have given them a significant shot in the arm whereas the most encouraging …

ON Tuesday Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said that a taskforce looking at the Shannon region’s economic potential and challenges will be set up. However, it now seems that the taskforce will be related to Shannon Estuary rather than Shannon Airport and the adjacent industires, which had seemed to be the case when he was speaking on Morning Irleand. While being interviewed, the Minister was asked about the setbacks at Shannon and the jobs at Lufthansa Technik, and he said, “I have been in contact with people in the area who are very concerned, and this has been an ongoing concern. “We are going to have to do a whole range of different projects in Shannon particularly, it’s the wider industrial estate, it’s not just the airport, it’s the jobs that come with it. “The Government are going to be setting up a Shannon taskforce, looking at the whole wider region, looking at the whole Shannon area. I believe that’ll be …

ALMOST 40,000 vaccines against Covid-19 were delivered by the UL Hospitals’ Group over the last two weeks, new figures have revealed.  The group delivered 110,127 doses of vaccine across the Mid-West up to the close of business on Tuesday, June 2, according to figures obtained by the Clare Champion.  It achieved a significant milestone by clocking up 150,000 vaccine doses on Wednesday since the regional programme got underway on January 4. This figure does not include the vaccines delivered by colleagues in HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare, the National Ambulance Service and General Practitioners. Pharmacists are also delivering vaccines from this week. In recent times, the group has been aware of a number of instances in which SMS text message appointment confirmations have directed people to centres other than those closest to their homes. Similar incidents have been reported in other parts of the country over the past few days.  The group has been working to identify and contact people who …