News

THE peak of the holiday season is coming within weeks, and west and north Clare are going to see huge numbers of visitors, as staycations will again trump foreign travel for most people this year. With the influx to come in mind, Fianna Fáil’s Joe Killeen put forward a motion calling for greater preparedness. The councillor’s motion called for, “Clare County Council, Fáilte Ireland, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Gardai and other relevant agencies, as well as pubs and restaurants, to come together to assess their facilities in preparation for the summer staycation and make the changes necessary, including temporary emergency parking, provision of extra toilet facilities and refuse collection, in order to promote greater preparedness for the anticipated influx of tourists.” In a written reply, Director of Service Leonard Cleary outlined some of the steps that are being taken. “In the post-Covid tourism context, visitors are encouraged to spend more time outdoors experiencing the Clare tourism attractions. …

Following league wins over Dublin and Kilkenny, selector Ken Ralph told Ronan Judge the Clare camp is in a good position ahead of their Munster Championship opener with Waterford on Sunday. CLARE selector Ken Ralph is in upbeat mood as he assesses Clare’s prospects against Waterford in Sunday’s Munster Hurling Championship opener. And the Clarecastle club man says the form among players and management is of a similar vein after Clare closed out their league campaign with high scoring victories over Dublin and Kilkenny. The winning end to what was a sprint of a league came after early defeats to Antrim and Wexford. Ralph says there was never a sense of panic in those early weeks. Rather, management were happy with what they were seeing. Performance levels and effort were going in the right direction. The feeling was the results would follow. “I suppose looking back at the league, we’re happy enough at how things went. You’re never totally happy. …

GIRLS in a Killaloe primary school have been lauded for producing an “amazing” mural that has completed transformed a wall at the back of the grounds. Even people walking past Killaloe Convent Primary School are taking a look at the eclectic mix of colour and imagination on what was previously a bland wall. “It has brought the happiness from the front of the school right to the back,” said teacher, Alison Varley. “When the kids are out playing during their break, it would give you a pep in your step looking at the bright colours and characters, she added.” This was a Teacher Artist Partnership (TAP) project, which has been run by the Clare Education Centre, Kilrush Road, Ennis. The idea is for an artist to partner with a teacher, who has completed TAP training, and work in collaboration with them and their students. Artist, Nathalie El Baba was delighted to work with students and teachers in Killaloe Convent School …

WORK on a new haul road to facilitate the long-awaited start of construction on the new €25 million Ennistymon Schools’ Project is scheduled to start next week. The Department of Education has confirmed work on the site of the new Ennistymon Campus started on June 1, and The Clare Champion has learned from informed sources this involved a lot of preparatory tasks. Responding to Clare Champion queries, the Department stated the new campus will cater for 750 post primary pupils and Ennistymon Primary School – a primary school to cater for five mainstream classes as well as one classroom unit for children with special educational needs on the same site. It estimates it will take about two and a half years to complete this project, which will facilitate the construction of the largest post primary facility in North Clare. It involves the long-awaited amalgamation of Ennistymon CBS, Ennistymon Vocational School and Scoil Mhuire Ennistymon and a new primary school, which …

Clare will be looking to build upon their recent momentum when they face Waterford in the Munster SHC this Sunday at Semple Stadium (throw-in 3.15pm). Munster Championship games are notoriously full blooded and intense with this Sunday’s battle expected to be no different as Clare come up against last year’s All-Ireland finalists. John Conlon will certainly be relishing this weekend’s battle as he looks set to taste Championship action for the first time since 2019, due to a cruciate ligament injury that kept him on the sidelines for Clare’s run to the All-Ireland quarter final in 2020. The Clonlara man believes the injury was a “blessing in disguise” as he was able to rehab other knocks and learn more about looking after his own body. “It was a tough injury. I was over a year out with it. It was a blessing in disguise in ways. It gave me the opportunity to grow and work on other injuries. I did …

A VIDEO project made in conjunction with community groups Clare has been premiered by Clean Coasts to raise awareness about the issue of marine litter. Both local people and visitors are being asked to enjoy this part of the coast but also to take personal responsibility for the waste that comes from outdoor activities. As the Covid restriction eased in early May, more people started visiting the magnificent coastal area in Clare. A number of Clean Coasts community groups reached out to Clean Coasts, expressing significant concerns relating to the environmental impact of tourists in the upcoming season. The absence of foreign travel, huge growth in take-out food and outdoor socialising had already begun to increase coastal litter. Coastal communities were nervous about what would happen when the season really begins. One group, suggested creating a video about Lahinch to raise awareness about this issue. Clean Coasts Development Officer Ray Ó Foghlu worked with Spanish Point Community Group to source …

Munster Senior Football Championship Quarter-Final (Extra-Time if Necessary) Kerry v Clare @ Fitzgerald Stadium Killarney, Saturday 7pm (Jerome Henry, Mayo) For all the warranted plaudits earned by the Clare footballers incremental development that brought them to the brink of a potential Division 1 adventure, the cold reality of a paltry record against Kerry cannot be ignored ahead of Saturday’s ultimate showdown. The fact that of the previous 49 championship meetings between the pair, Clare have only recorded two victories over the Kingdom in 1949 and 1992 is not even the worst statistic either. Actually, the one figure that really should be read between your fingers is Clare’s record in Fitzgerald Stadium. During Colm Collins’ tenure, Clare’s average losing championship margin in Ennis has been five points but in Killarney, it’s a whopping 17 which tells its own stark story about the value of home advantage. Of course, Clare won’t be thinking that way heading down to the Kingdom this Saturday …

CLARITY on a schedule of works for footpaths in East Clare has been sought by Councillor Joe Cooney. Addressing the most recent monthly meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District, the Fine Gael member called on the local authority to outline the footpaths programme for 2021. “We don’t know yet the housing developments which are to have their paths fixed this year,” he outlined. “In some cases, the estates are between 40 and 60 years old. Many of them have paths which need upgrading. I have previously invested my General Municipal Allocation (GMA) funding and I would have no problem doing it again,” said Councillor Cooney. “I’m thinking of the likes of Beechwood Lawn in Bodyke and areas in O’Callaghan’s Mills and Hillcrest Grove in Kilkishen.” Councillor Cooney also asked whether the walking trail from Killaloe will be connected to Tuamgraney. “There is a section still to be done as you come down the hill from Raheen. I’m aware that funding …