News

AN online meeting of Clare County Board had to be adjourned on Tuesday night due to technical issues, but not before Chairman Jack Chaplin had said that hurling supporters club accounts for 2012 to 2016 are not the business of the board. He also indicated that as the Kilmaley club had not followed up in writing on questions raised by its delegate Niall Romer at the April meeting about the position of Secretary Pat Fitzgerald, these would not be addressed. Speaking to the Clare Champion this week, Chaplin reiterated that the GAA have advised that supporters clubs are not the business of county boards. “What Croke Park has said is it’s outside our remit, what happened with those fundraisers. Going forward they are looking to regulate it, but they are historic ones and are outside of our remit.” Asked if he was concerned that significant sums appear to have been raised on the back of Clare GAA, but there seems …

THE artist involved in a controversial public sculpture commission for Ennistymon has insisted there is nothing malevolent about his proposed Púca, and that it has real potential to attract and engage visitors, writes Fiona McGarry. Aidan Harte told The Champion that despite the Council’s decision to pause the project in response to public objections, he is hopeful that people will come to appreciate the design of the 2m high artwork. Mr Harte, who has studied sculpture in Florence in Italy, has told Clare County Council he is fully prepared to visit Ennistymon to engage with local people. “We can’t railroad or ignore people’s views,” he said. “This piece certainly isn’t disrespectful. Art is a matter of taste and I can understand that people don’t want art they don’t like, but this is an impressive piece when you see it in the flesh. “I think people will come to appreciate the craft that is involved. I’m more than willing to come …

CLARE’S library service has been warmly commended at the May meeting of the local authority, writes Fiona McGarry. Ennis area Councillor Ann Norton welcomed the return to some in-person services this month and also lauded the county Arts Office for its efforts to engage young people and children during the lockdowns. “The amount of activity that has been available from the Arts Office and the libraries has been amazing,” she said. As head of the Clare Crusaders Clinic in Barefield, Councillor Norton said that online story-telling and reading initiatives had been of huge benefit. “The seeds initiative was also a huge help,” she said. “It gave a chance to introduce younger children across Clare to horticulture. Getting the younger generation growing is a very positive thing. “Congratulations to all who kept people positive and showing that you can fend for yourself. Children have gotten to know what it’s like to feel soil between their fingers and long may that continue …

CLARE’S Independent TD has called on government to stop penalising women who have just had children, by offering the a lower payment than they would receive under the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) scheme. Addressing the Tánaiste at Leader’s Questions last week, Deputy Michael McNamara said it was an opportune moment to raise the matter given the historic fact that a cabinet member had just had a baby. Congratulating Justice Minister Helen McEntee and her husband, Deputy McNamara said “there is nothing more hopeful than the birth of a baby”. “We should recall that thousands of mothers across this State, when they went on maternity leave to give birth and bring a life into the world, had their rate of pay reduced from the PUP rate to the maternity benefit rate, which is €245,” the Independent TD continued. “Notwithstanding all the laws we rightly have in the private sector to prevent women from being discriminated against because they, uniquely, give birth, …

FOR the third successive day, Clare has recorded fewer than five new confirmed cases of Covid-19 according to figures released by the health authorities. There were 448 additional cases of the virus nationwide and regionally there were 16 in Limerick with fewer than five in Tipperary. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of eight additional deaths related to Covid-19. Of the deaths notified today three occurred in March, two occurred in February and three occurred in January or earlier. The median age of those who died was 82 years and the age range was 40 – 92 years. Of the cases notified today: 213 are men, 230 are women, 78% are under 45 years of age while the median age is 29 years old

Last Friday saw the retirement of Margaret Keane, after more than 50 years working at Kilkee Post Office, having been postmistress for 34 of them. Her retirement marks the end of an era in Kilkee, with the post office now moving into a local grocery shop. Here, Margaret reflects on a long career which saw many changes. OVER half a century ago, as a young teenager living in the Burren and a pupil at Ennis Vocational School, I could not have conceived how my life was about to change as a result of reading The Clare Champion. I was reading through the “Situations Vacant” column and I came across an ad which caught my eye. It was for a 15-year-old girl wanted to train in a busy post office. I did not know where in Clare the post office was located, as it only listed a box number. I wasn’t really looking for a job at the time as I …

CLARE will provide a “blueprint” for the rollout of Lympoedema Specialist Clinics across the country with the first service of its kind in primary care being piloted in Ennis. The Lymphoedema Specialist Clinic in Clare is opening to support and manage people with this progressive, disabling chronic condition. Lymphoedema is a chronic long-term condition that causes swelling in the body’s tissue. This can lead to pain and a loss of mobility. Lymphoedema can severely impact quality of life and lead to complications if not diagnosed early and managed correctly. The new clinic, opening on May 10, will bring together a nurse, physiotherapist and a therapy assistant to offer lymphoedema assessments, treatment and supported self-care. The clinic will also provide treatment for lipoedema which requires similar management to lymphoedema. The service will be accessible for people in the county of Clare, population 118,800, where there is a potential 308 lymphoedema patients. Children and young people with lymphoedema will also be seen …

A SOUTH East Clare woman living in Milan has raised welcomed the removal of Italy from the list of countries from which visitors must go into Mandatory Hotel Quarantine (MHQ) when they arrive in Ireland. Rachel Turner, a native of Bridgetown, who has been living and working in Italy for over a decade, said the decision of the Irish government to add Italy to the list for MHQ sent shockwaves through the community, when it was announced last month. She also told The Champion that it had led to an upsurge in anti-Irish sentiment online. Speaking from Milan this week Rachel said she was very pleased that concerns of the Irish-Italian community had now been listened to and that Italy has been removed from the Irish government’s  red list. “I am very relieved to know that if in an emergency I can get home though no-one wants to think like that it’s a scary prospect not being able to,” she …