East Clare

A 12-year-old Dromindoora girl is climbing the ladder of success in an unusual sport, rock climbing. Eleanor Lawrence is making waves on a national scale and has just won silver in an Irish competition where she was pitted against girls aged up to 16. Having spent her childhood living on the monkey bars and climbing frame in her local playground, it was no surprise to her parents that Eleanor was interested in the sport at an early age. Eleanor’s dad Steve was also a keen rock climber and encouraged her to develop her skill and compete. By the age of seven, she had competed in her first national competition. Having moved to Clare in 2007, Eleanor has taken part in a number of Irish climbing competitions and in the last week, she received a silver medal in the U-16 girls’ section of the Irish Bouldering League, held in Dingle. For the past three years, she has been a member of …

EAST Clare Tourism in conjunction with CANTATA was represented at the recent international tourism holiday show, which was held at CMT Stuttgart, Germany.   Teresa Browne of Clareville House, Tuamgraney attended the event for East Clare Tourism. Clare was showcased to German holiday makers as a county that had the best in walking, heritage, golf and music breaks with emphasis on value for money. A total of 91 countries were represented at the show and Tourism Ireland had a stand there to promote Ireland. The event attracted upwards of 70,000 people per day over the seven-day period. “There was huge interest in County Clare and I am optimistic that significant results will be achieved during the coming year,”  Teresa said after the event.Meanwhile, the Mayor of Clare Pat Hayes and Teresa, who is also secretary of the East Clare Walking Festival, attended the Dublin World Holiday Show last weekend. While there, the mayor actively promoted Clare as a holiday destination as …

  A 16-year-old Tuamgraney girl eager to do her bit to help those orphaned following Haiti’s largest earthquake will be travelling to the country’s capital for a month, where she will work with those directly affected by the natural disaster. Bianca Szostak has always had an interest in helping those less fortunate and when given the option to experience firsthand the situation in Haiti with a family friend who works for the international NGO Amurtel, Bianca jumped at the chance. Whitegate resident Didi O’Driscoll has been heavily involved with a school development run by Amurtel in Port Au Prince since a short time after the earthquake struck in January 2010 and when Bianca showed an interest in aid work, she invited her to come along and join her on her next trip to Haiti.  “Didi was going in March and she was talking with my mom and gave her the idea that if I would like to go, I could …

SECOND Chance Animal Rescue (SCAR) have recently opened a second-hand shop in Tulla to help raise funds for the charity so that it can continue to rescue animals and find good homes for them. SCAR rescues all manner of animals and was responsible for rescuing and finding a home for a lame fox found in the Tulla area last year after she was turned in to the local veterinary office. The animal was dubbed Ms Erica Fox and was taken in and cared for by a family in County Limerick who had two other pet foxes. Frances Murphy runs SCAR currently and explains how the opening of this shop and others in the county will help them not only to continue their service but also help employ people. “Our donations are down and these second-hand shops are the way to go. Limerick animal welfare currently has three. We have two in Shannon and it is our intention to open one …

DARRAGH native and Killanena resident Nora Moroney (nee Lynch) passed away this week aged 102. The youngest of 13 children, Nora grew up at a time when running water and electricity were beyond comprehension so naturally, in her 102 years, she experienced a lot of change.Born in Darragh on June 1, 1909, Nora worked in the Claremont Hotel, Lahinch before working as a housekeeper for the parish priest in Killanena in East Clare at the age of 28. Nora eventually settled down in Killanena having met her late husband, Thomas Moroney, and the couple had five children – Patrick, Christina, Evelyn, Ann and John. Having been featured in The Clare Champion on the occasion of her 100th birthday, Nora was remembered as someone who moved with the changing times. However, one thing she never quite had time for was driving. She cycled everywhere and did so up until she was 70. She never held a cheque book or owned a …

PLANS for Clare’s first paintballing activity centre are on hold as Clare County Council has requested further information in relation to the proposed facility on Coillte lands near Quin.The application, which refers to the development of an outdoor activity facility at Cullaun/Deerpark South, including paintball, was lodged by Horatio Vasiu and Stranislav Goreanschi in November. In the last week, further information has been sought by the local authority after it raised concerns that the proposed development may result in the fragmentation of habitat, population or breeding area of bats, birds and mammals using the lands. It has requested the applicants to carry out a species and habitat survey of the subject site and an ecological assessment of the area with a view to addressing these concerns. The council has noted that “the proposed natural heritage area of Lough Cullaunyheeda is located approximately 500m to the north-east of this site and the subject site itself consists of planted Coillte beech woodland …

The application, which refers to the development of an outdoor activity facility, including paintball, was lodged by Horatio Vasiu and Stranislav Goreanschi in November and a decision is due by the end of this week. The applicants are seeking to develop the facility on Coillte lands at Cullaun/Deerpark South, near Quin. Coillte forest manager Christy O’Dea confirmed to the local authority that Coillte Teo had no objections to the paintballing company applying for permission to operate the activity centre on Coillte lands.In a cover letter to the council, the applicants said they are “experienced operators of a similar facility”. “We intend carrying out the limited construction work, running and managing the facility initially ourselves. At this stage paintball is the only activity being considered, However, it is hoped any permission, which Clare County Council might grant, would allow some flexibility and provide for other compatible outdoor activity,” they continue. In a document on the planning file, the applicants say their …

A Clare missionary recently celebrated an important milestone in his ministry. Fr Donal O’Dea, a native of Quin, was ordained to the priesthood 60 years ago.A member of the Columbian Missionary Order, Fr Donal has served in the Philippines since 1951 and for most of his life has worked with the tribal people of the remote province of Zambales in that country.Fr Donal, whose brother Paddy and family live at Knocknagoug, Quin, returned to Ireland last summer to mark his 60th anniversary but officially celebrated the momentous occasion at his home in the Philippines on Wednesday, December 21. Fr Donal Hogan of the Columban order in Ireland said he could not speak highly enough of his colleague. He recalled his own time in the Philippines and visiting with Fr O’Dea on a number of occasions, including following some very grim natural disasters. “I visited him on many occasions. He is a fantastic priest. The Philippines was his first station and …