Regional

THE last woman in the country to put through a call via manual exchange has retired from An Post this past week. Mrs Florence Bugler was the postmistress at Mountshannon Post Office in 1987 when the country went fully automatic for telephone calls and she put through the last call from Dr Michael Smurfit to the then Taoiseach Charlie Haughey. Mrs Bugler began her career with An Post, when she left school to help her grandaunt Mrs Florence Veller at Mountshannon Post Office in the late 1960s. Mrs Veller suffered a stroke and was sick for a number of years and passed away in 1972. In 1974 Mrs Bugler became postmistress in Mountshannon. She really enjoyed the work, meeting people and in 1983 she married Gerard Bugler and in when the couple learned the post office in Scariff was vacant and so they applied for it and in 1990 took up the mantel. “We never looked back since, we were …

Sixth class children from St Senan’s National School in Kilrush may not have been granted an audience with His Holiness Pope Francis but they received the next best thing, the Pontiff’s blessing. Last week there was great excitement in the school when a letter, addressed to pupil Jenita Varghese, arrived on her desk from The Vatican. It was a very personal reply written on behalf of Pope Francis from his chief assessor in The Vatican, Monsignor Paolo Borgia. The Pontiff’s letter was in response to one penned by Jenita on behalf of all the pupils in her class. Jenita has posted the letter prior to Christmas wishing him a happy birthday, a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. She also implored Pope Francis, if he had “some time to pray for us as we are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation”. Monsignor Paolo Borgia outlined that His Holiness Pope Francis has asked that he reply in his name …

CLARE Fire Service have confirmed that the chemical detected in water pumped from the leisure centre of an Ennis hotel on Monday morning was chlorine. Three units from Ennis and two from Shannon were called to the Auburn Lodge Hotel after a flooding incident in the basement of the leisure centre was reported at around 7am. It is understood that chemicals were being stored in the basement.The leisure centre was cleared of people as the fire service dealt with the flood. No chemicals in the water were initially detected however as water was being pumped out high levels of chlorine were discovered. According to a spokesperson for Clare’s Fire Service the situation has now been contained and the chemical is being disposed of at a licensed waste facility.

HPV vaccine campaigner Laura Brennan has been named as the Clare Woman of the Year for 2018. The 26 year old has been working with the HSE to advocate for the vaccine since being diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer in 2017. The Ennis native has been honoured by the Soroptimists Ennis and District. The award was presented to Laura to acknowledge her advocacy work and the promotion of a vaccine aimed to benefit women’s health. According to the local group, “Soroptimists aim to transform the lives and status of women and girls through education, empowerment and enabling opportunities so women and girls will achieve their individual and collective potential. Laura has met these aims particularly in the advancement of education about the HPV vaccine.” Laura is the fourth recipient of this award and joins a special group of past recipients; Mary Heuson, Susan Hogan and Donnah Vuma. All recipients have made outstanding contributions to their respective communities. Laura has spoken …

LIT has confirmed its plans to open a new campus in Ennis on foot of a proposed capital investment of €0.75 million by Clare County Council. Located on Bindon Street in the town’s historic core, the new facility will enable a substantial increase in higher education activity in the town. Reflecting LIT’s regional development remit, the LIT Ennis campus will join LIT’s existing campuses at Clonmel and Thurles in County Tipperary; Moylish and Clare Street in Limerick City; and a new engineering-focused campus currently under development at Coonagh in Limerick. A total of six degree programmes in Social Care, Early Childhood Care and Education, and Marketing and Management are now available through the CAO at LIT in Ennis for September commencement. Possibilities for evening and professional learning will also be opened up. Commenting on the news, LIT President, Professor Vincent Cunnane said, “We are delighted to be able to progress our plans in Ennis. We intend to provide an expanded …

THE founder of Clare Haven, Mary Fitzgerald, has been chosen to lead this year’s Ennis St Patrick’s Day parade. Thousands of people are expected to line the streets of the Clare county capital on Sunday, March 17 for the 2019 Ennis St Patrick’s Day Parade. Clare County Council is once again seeking to make the Ennis parade a countywide affair with artistic, cultural and sporting groups together with schools, scouts and a range of community groups from all over Clare taking part. Application forms are available on the Clare County Council website. In excess of 10,000 people lined the streets of town during last year’s parade, which featured 40 groups representing the many aspects of life in Ennis and County Clare. This year there will be prizes awarded for the entrants that provide the “Most Musical & Colourful Spectacle”. The parade commences at 11am from Clare County Council’s headquarters at Áras Contae an Chláir before proceeding via New Road, Newbridge …

EAST Clare couple Reah and Aaron Higgins this year told of their amazing organ donation story this year, as the two revealed how they were the perfect match in every way. When Reah Hedrich met Aaron Higgins for the first time 20 years ago and he asked for a kiss she shied away from him, however little did she know the two would reunite in 2006. The couple were more of a match than they originally thought as when Aaron’s health took a dramatic turn resulting in him going on dialysis, Reah stepped up immediately offering him a kidney. More than a year on from a successful transplant procedure the couple and their two children, Fionn and Stephen, continue to enjoy a new lease of life the procedure has given their family. Aaron has a condition known as Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), which causes scar tissue to develop in the kidneys which limits the filtration process and can lead to …

IF you want to ruffle a few feathers, or shake off the excesses of the Christmas food fest, the Kilbeacanty 8K turkey run is for you. The ninth annual event, it has, to date, raised in excessive of €30,000 for Galway Hospice and the Gort Cancer Support Centre. “Last year, over 400 people ran, jogged and walk and some even pushed babies in prams and it was really fun,” said Pat Regan, adding, “It was for two great causes.” “Again, this year we encourage you to round up a group of lads from your parish and try to win the Pride of the Parish section with the first four from each parish to score. This was won last year by Kilbeacanty,” Pat said. Registration will be at McCarthys Lounge from 11.30am. This is also a 1k race for national school children and this will start at 1pm. The main event starts at 1.30pm.