News

The HSE, in conjunction with Irish Water and Clare County Council, have advised that  the Kildysart public water supply is not suitable for drinking until further notice. Approximately 1,500 customers of the Kildysart public water supply and the Coolmeen group water supply are affected by the water notice. The precautionary measure has been  introduced due to water discolouration caused by increased manganese levels in the public water supply. Water will be provided via tankers at Kildysart Secondary School and outside the Hilltop Bar in Coolmeen from 10am to 12 noon on this Wednesday. Water tankers will also  be located at the school from 10am to 11am and 6pm to 7pm on Thursday and Friday, and at the Hilltop Bar in Coolmeen from 12 noon to 1pm and 8pm to 9pm on Thursday and Friday. People are advised to boil water obtained from tankers before consumption. A spokesperson for Clare County Council said, “In the interest of public health, it is recommended that all users on the Kildysart public water supply and …

A total of 75 events ranging from nature walks to history lectures will take place across County Clare during National Heritage Week 2014 from August 23 to 31. Co-ordinated by Clare County Council and The Heritage Council with support from the Department of Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht and Fáilte Ireland, the initiative will focus on Clare’s built, natural and cultural heritage. Some of the highlights of Heritage Week 2014 include a commemoration of the life of submarine inventor and Liscannor native, John P Holland; a tour of towerhouses around Shannon Town, a lecture on the life of an Kilrush-born Boer War general, Sir Thomas Kelly-Kenny; a Victorian Heritage Walk around Kilkee, a tour of Lisdoonvarna’s famous restorative waters. The centenary of the outbreak of World War One is also being marked with a lecture by historian Cormac O Comhrai’s on life in Ireland during the Great War, while Killaloe will also be marking the millennial anniversary of the death of …

Re-enactors dressed in costume spanning the Iron Age and early Medieval period to the 16th century will add a time-travel feel to a  special Lughnasa celebration being organised by Shannon Heritage at Craggaunowen visitor attraction near Quin over the bank holiday weekend. John Ruddle, chief  executive Shannon Heritage said, “The ancient pagan festival of Lughnasa marks the first day of autumn and the start of the harvest season. The event will be staged by Claíomh Living History Group whose members have many years of experience as historical interpreters and living history specialists.” Visitors to Craggaunowen will have the opportunity to celebrate Lughnasa on Sunday and Monday August. “Claíomh Living History Group will add a time-travel feel to the event, giving visitors a glimpse of what living conditions were like for Hiberno-Norse families living in a Crannóg. On display will be a range of replica Viking Age clothing, artefacts, weapons and silverwork,” Mr Ruddle continued. A number of showcase events from …

Chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Pat Breen is this Tuesday beginning a three-day humanitarian visit with Trocaire to Haiti. Deputy Breen’s itinerary includes a visit to the Institute of Technology and Development in Gressier, a Trocaire partner involved in post-earthquake housing projects. While there he will officially hand over the keys of the new housing units to the beneficiary families of this Trocaire supported inaugural housing project. Deputy Breen will also visit the Canaan Camp for Internally Displaced persons to see the plight of people still living in tent cities, travel to the Cluny Sister school to see the situation of education in Haiti and support from Irish Cluny sisters for reconstruction work of schools in Haiti and meet with NGOs, EU and UN Representatives and Members of the Haitian Bishops Conference for an overview of the current post earth quake recovery and development efforts. Before departure, Deputy Breen said, “The 2010 earthquake had a …

A South-East Clare community is in mourning this week after a Broadford pensioner died suddenly at Lahinch beach on Sunday afternoon. He has been named locally as Patrick O’Connell, Doon Road, Broadford. The 72 year-old man was paddling in shallow water about six to eight inches deep when he collapsed suddenly and fell down with what is believed to a suspected heart attack shortly after 3 pm.The incident took place about 30 yards out from the shoreline at the north end of the Lahinch promenade. According to Lahinch Search and Rescue secretary, Tomsie O’Sullivan two women and a man pulled the man in from the water on the beach where one of them, who was a qualified nurse proceeded to give Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Mr O’Sullivan recalled he was contacted by the Valentia Coast Guard service to confirm that an incident had taken place that required assistance and he confirmed this with two lifeguards who were aware of what had …

An Ennis woman in her 80s has died in hospital following a car crash which occurred last week. Mary Kelly from College Green in Ennis was involved in a road traffic collision with another car on the Ennis to Kilrush Road  at Darragh on the evening of July 21 last. Ms Kelly died on Friday July 25 in hospital. Her funeral will take place on Tuesday morning. Ennis gardai  are investigating the crash and anyone with information is asked to contact them on 065-6848100.

One hundred years ago today, July 28, 1914 the Austria-Hungarian Empire declared war on Serbia and precipitated a chain of events which saw most European nations in a state of war within a week. Over the course of the following five years war raged on fronts as close as England where some south eastern English towns and cities were bombed, to the Western Front straddling France, Holland and Belgium, the Alps, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Iraq and even naval battles off the coast of Chile. By wars end, there were 16 million deaths and 20 million wounded, ranking it among the deadliest conflicts in human history. It is beleived that as many as 7,000 Clare men enlisted in Allied forces during World War I and as many as 700 lost their lives. As the centenary of remembrance of WW1 begins, The Clare Peace Park Initiative unveiled plans this week for a planned permanent memorial to all those who took part and lost their lives …

The death occurred over the weekend of Fr Tim Tuohy, retired parish priest of Mullagh (Kilmurry Ibrickane). Born on February 25, 1926, he was a native of Feakle and was a priest of the Diocese of Killaloe for 63 years. He studied for the priesthood at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth where he was ordained in 1951. Following ordination, Fr Tuohy was appointed temporarily to the emigrant mission in Brentwood Diocese but returned that December to take up a post on the staff of St Flannan’s College. In 1954 he was seconded to the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, serving first in Daingean and then in Edenderry, both in County Offaly. In 1958 he returned to the diocese to become curate in Broadford. He was appointed curate in Mullagh(Kilmurry Ibrickane) in 1960 and curate in Killaloe in 1965. Fr Tuohy was appointed curate in Newmarket-on-Fergus in 1968. His first appointment as parish priest was in Kyle and Knock in 1984 and …