News

Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind has received a donation of €5,493 from the Newmarket on Fergus Set Dancers. The set dancing club is being wound up and has decided to gift the remaining funds to the Guide Dogs. “We had a set dancing club and over the years over €100,000 would have been raised for different charities. “All the dancers could nominate a charity of their choice, we’d count the entries nd then a dance would be run for them. “The last time we had the voting done, Covid came along and that finished it. We came back to it a few weeks ago to get it sorted, we counted the votes and the Guide Dogs came up. “We didn’t have the dance for them, but as they club was winding up we decided to give them what was left and it was over €5,000,” said spokesperson Bridie Casey. Thomas Mernagh, convener of the Clare branch of Irish Guide …

THE team at TTM Healthcare Solutions headquartered in Ennis, are celebrating after scooping three esteemed National Recruitment Awards – including the top award for Large Agency of the Year. The awards were presented at an industry event in Dublin’s Shelbourne Hotel, hosted by the Employment and Recruitment Federation of Ireland. In announcing the Large Agency of the Year Award, the judging panel commended the organisation for adapting seamlessly to the needs of clients, and for valuing staff as their greatest asset. TTM, healthcare talent management and healthcare solutions specialists, also garnered the award for ‘Best in Practice – Healthcare’ – acknowledging the team’s expertise in talent management and compete dedication to the healthcare sector. Meanwhile, TTM consultant Bryan O’Connell received personal recognition in the category of ‘Recruitment Consultant of the Year – Temporary’. O’Connell joined the organisation back in 2011 on a college placement and has since risen through the ranks to become Team Leader. He specialises in the temporary …

A CLARE man convicted of indecently assaulting three female relatives will be sentenced in March. The 61-year-old man appeared before Ennis circuit court last week via video-link from prison. The man has been on remand since being found by guilty by a jury at the end of his trial in November. The man had pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of indecent assault of three girls at locations in Clare between 1983 and 1989. He denied abusing two of his sisters-in-law and their cousin. Seven of the charges concern one of the women, 23 charges relate to her younger sister and the remaining four charges relate to their cousin. The case is subject to reporting restrictions. In court, Judge Francis Comerford set March 7, 2023, as the date for the man’s sentencing hearing. The man told the court he wished to appear at the hearing via video-link and not in person, in court. Judge Comerford remanded the man in custody …

THERE was plenty of fun and games at Scoil Chríost Rí recently, and all thanks to some enterprising students. The SCR Christmas Arcade was held last week in the Scoil Chríost Rí hall organised by fifth class students who created the business idea in an effort to raise funds for charity. The school hall was decorated from head-to-toe by artwork created by the students who designed the fundraiser as part of their very own mini-company. Every child had an important job to do from game co-ordinating, security, welcoming duties, ticket distribution, advertising and photography. There were lots of games to be enjoyed over the two days. All games were designed and assembled by the students. There were games called Present Golf, Pin the Nose, Ping Pong Tree, Guess the Jar, Grinch Toss, Antler Throw and many more. After the SCR Christmas Arcade, the fifth class hosted a ‘Teacher Vs Student Challenge’. Every class attended the event to watch teachers and students …

SUBSTANTIAL spending in further education and training will be invested in Clare campuses run by the Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (LCETB) over the coming years, according to a senior official. Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board recently announced an investment in the region of more than €1 billion as part of the launch of its new 2022 to 2026 Strategy Statement. Paul Patton, Head of Further Education and Training, confirmed there has been a €3 million investment in their Ennis campus, which has led to the introduction for the first time of apprenticeship courses, which were previously only available in Shannon. There are three new electrical apprenticeship workshops in Ennis and a new beauty and hair dressing salon, as the LCETB is now responsible for providing the National Hairdressing Apprenticeship Programme for the entire country. Two weeks ago, Bridget Haren of Bridget Haren Hair and Beauty, Ennis was one of their first graduates in the country …

CLARE gardaí are urging home owners to secure their fuel supplies in the wake of two separate thefts of home heating oil in recent days. Between December 5 and 12 a half tank of home heating oil was siphoned from a tank at the rear of a house in the Ardnaculla estate in Ennistymon. And in a separate incident, sometime between December 13 and 15 a full tank of oil was stolen from a tank at the rear of a house in Sycamore Drive, Kilrush. Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks says, “Again we want to advise home owners of the following security tips for oil tanks: Security lights / sensors can have a very positive effect and make property a much harder target for the thief. “Invest in a good quality closed shackle padlock and fit it to the tank opening. A wooden or metal fence, trellis or wall can give significant protection to the tank and is probably …

YOUNG men in Clare are being urged to ‘Use Your Brain Not Your Fists’ when heading out over the Christmas period, with gardaí warning about the consequences of being involved in assaults. “We are appealing to young males to “Use Your Brain Not Your Fists” and think of the consequences for yourself and others of being involved in assaults – you could lose your job, your ability to travel and even go to jail. “We want to remind people of the potentially devastating physical and mental impact on victims of assaults.” Meanwhile, gardaí are asking young people to ‘Be Safe, Be Streetwise’ and make PLANS when heading out socialising over the Christmas period. Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks explains PLANS stand for, “P -Plan your night out – how are you getting there and back? L – Let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll be back. A – Avoid walking alone and in dark places. N – …

WHEN Maria Molloy sent out an SOS for some help with the Lions Club ‘Message in a Bottle’ there was no need for The Police! Karen Kelleher, Clare County Commissioner, stepped up and worked closely with 1st and 4th Clare Venturers(Ennis) to encourage a collaboration between them and the Ennis Lions Club project leader to prepare packages for the forthcoming Message in a Bottle Launch 2023. In return the young adults will have earned a community badge. Maria was effusive in her thanks to the young adults who made up over 500 packs for Ennis Lions Club declaring “They were really super from start to finish of this project”. Message in a Bottle is a simple idea promoted by Lions Club of Ireland. It encourages people to keep their basic personal and medical details in a common place, where, in cases of emergency, the attending service teams can easily access them. The information required is very basic but can be …