News

One of North Clare’s most famous, or perhaps infamous, women will feature in a new book of ghost stories soon to be published by Irish author, Kieran Fanning. The book, which is entitled ‘Haunted Ireland: An Atlas of Ghost Stories from Every County’, features one story from each of the 32 counties in Ireland, including the story of Clare’s Máire Rua. “There is a notion that almost every castle in Ireland is haunted but often times there isn’t a story behind that but Leamaneh Castle does have a serious story behind it,” said Kieran. That is the story of Mary McMahon who was nicknamed Máire Rua or Red Mary. Some say she got that nickname because of her temper or her red hair. “She was married to Daniel Niland who died, and some say that he died under mysterious circumstances. She inherited his wealth and after that she married Conor O’Brien and she built Leamaneh Castle. “That was during Cromwellians …

WITH the impact of the internet being one of the most serious issues facing parents nowadays, Clonmoney National School have joined the Agree to Agree programme, which provides a framework for internet usage for children. Agree to Agree sees feedback gathered from parents, children and teachers, before a bespoke agreement for a school is reached. Clonmoney National School principal David McCormack said that it had been apparent that there were issues around social media usage, leading to the school going with Agree to Agree. “It was in response to a growing trend where many pupils felt isolated or excluded in their class settings if they weren’t using certain social media apps such as SnapChat and TikTok,” he said. “We have had children in our senior classes who have been on group chats on these platforms and this caused a lot of upset due to the nature of the interactions, some of them could be quite toxic. We were also aware …

The village of Carrigaholt on the Loop Head Peninsula has marked the end of an era with the closure of Keane’s grocery shop on October 1. For generations, Keane’s shop has been an essential resource for the community as well as a popular and often photographed shop for the many visitors to the area. Situated across the road from the pier and Carrigaholt Castle, it has operated in the same family for 194 years. Although the grocery side of the business has now ceased, the Keane family will continue to operate the bar whilst preserving the traditional look of the shop’s interior. Speaking to The Clare Champion, proprietor Pakie Keane said it was a “huge decision” to close. The decision was not an easy one for Pakie and Margaret (Mags) Keane to make nor was it a sudden decision. They had been contemplating it for the last few years, yet always found themselves putting it off for another year, slow …

This Friday will see the publishing of the first episode of the new series of the Clare Oral History Podcast. Produced by Paula Carroll, with sound supervision by Darragh Purcell, The Clare Oral History Podcast showcases the oral histories of Clare people recorded over the last 15 years in the county. This year’s series will focus on some of the finest storytellers and carriers of traditional knowledge in the Cuimhneamh an Chláir archive. It will give Clare people a chance to sit down and listen to evocations of times past in Clare. The first episode features 88 year old Kitty Leyden, a well-known and much beloved figure in her native Cree and her adopted Tulla. Her stories range from her fun-filled childhood in West Clare, to talking parrots, and from the cruelty of educators to how her parents’ match was made. Listeners will find out what the “plucking of the gander” is, what to stuff a pigs bladder football with, …

There is just one week to go for anyone wishing to enter the Inter-Firm GAA Championship. The closing date for entry to this year’s event is Friday, October 11. Every year there is very competitive and entertaining matches in Senior, Intermediate and Junior competitions. The organisers encourage amalgamations where it’s not possible to enter a team on behalf of one organisation. Anyone interested in taking part in the 2024/25 season, which will begin in November, is asked to contact Oliver Fitzpatrick, Inter-Firm GAA Central Council on 086-8455373 or oliverfitzpatrick@gmail.com for more information.

  TWO Clare people living with Type One Diabetes have organised the seventh annual Thriveabetes Conference in the Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise, which runs from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, October 5th. Thriveabetes has hosted six national conferences, which have been attended by 250 people at each one. It involves nine volunteers from seven counties, including Christine Meehan and Gráinne Flynn, Ennis, who are the founders of Thriveabetes. Gráinne was diagnosed with diabetes at age 20, more than thirty years ago. She created a diabetes support group in Clare in 2007 when I struggled to find the care and support I needed to help me manage my diabetes. This is where Gráinne first met Christine. Christine was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in her 30s in 2006. She describes those first few years of trying to get to grips with it as often being “a daily struggle, juggling all the different elements that have an affect on my blood glucose …

North Clare bid a fond farewell to two women who have helped shape the educational landscape of the area this week as both Mary Lyons and Seosaimhín Uí Dhomhnalláin retired from teaching. The two women, who were recently principals of the Ennistymon CBS and Scoil Mhuire respectively, enjoyed their last day of teaching this Tuesday, after a combined total of 81 years in Ennistymon. Indeed, both women’s careers had many similarities – both made Clare their home after falling for West Clare men, both had their first stint of teaching in the Kilrush CBS in the early 1980s and both oversaw the massive educational transition which eventually birthed the Ennistymon Community School. A proud Cork woman, Mary Lyons was drawn to education by a love of science. She came to the Ennistymon CBS in 1985 and over the years has taught chemistry, science, religion PE and business. She became deputy principal in 2000 and principal in 2016. “I made Clare …

A local disability activist has expressed disappointment Budget 2025 fails to address the structural changes required to support disabled people in Clare to live independently. Ann Marie Flanagan, co-founder of Equality Not Care, says it is time to prioritise rights, dignity, and autonomy for disabled people, rather than perpetuating a “narrative of dependency”. The Budget introduced several measures aimed at supporting disabled people. These include once-off grants to help with additional costs associated with the rising costs of living, a €12 increase in the disability allowance, as well as other provisions such as fuel allowances and energy bills for those who are the named bill payer. While these measures will certainly offer some relief, particularly for those facing the escalating cost of living, Ms Flanagan believes they fall short of addressing the broader and more systemic issues disabled people face in Ireland. One of her key criticisms is that the government has once again failed to implement the recommendations of …