East Clare

A YOUNG East Clare man, who runs a thriving beekeeping supplies shop, is a proof that it’s good advice to ‘bloom where you are planted’.   After his family moved from Holland to Tuamgraney, 23 years ago, Chris Jeuken, found his niche working with the skills and resources that nature gave him. He credits his father, Harry, an organic farmer, with inspiring him to be a self-starter. Chris moved from making and selling chicken coops, at the age of 14, to beekeeping and, most recently, to producing high-quality bee hives. His business, Apis Bee Supplies, which he started in 2017, as “a way to keep busy on wet days”, now boasts 2,000 customers nationwide. Chris admitted that adjusting to a new language and country, at the age of five, was a bit overwhelming. “Now it’s home,” he said. “There is less stress here and I like the friendliness and openness of the people, the greenness and the beauty.” Chris attended …

SIBLINGS often disagree but one set of sisters from Clare seem to agree on one thing at least: the Bachelor of Science in Industrial Biochemistry at University of Limerick being the perfect pathway for all their ambitions. As almost 3,300 new graduates were conferred at UL over five days of the 2022 Autumn Conferring Ceremonies recently, one family had extra reason to celebrate. The Ryan family from Killaloe reached a significant milestone as twin sisters, Anna and Rosaleen graduated from the BSc in Industrial Biochemistry in the Faculty of Science and Engineering recently. While it wouldn’t be too uncommon for siblings to complete the same course of study, in the case of Anna and Rosaleen they were following a career path that their two older sisters had previously walked before them. Anna and Rosaleen’s sister Kate completed the BSc in Industrial Biochemistry in 2018 and eldest sister Sally also graduated from the programme in 2016, later gaining a doctorate in …

POTEEN maker, Gaelic Football fanatic, Ladies’ Football coach, storyteller and member of Kilkishen Wren Boys – Robin O’Connell was one of the most colourful characters in South-East Clare. The father-of-three celebrated his 86th birthday recently with a function in the Tail Race Bar, Parteen, where he was feted by family and friends, but on Friday, August 26, he died peacefully in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) following a stroke four days earlier. Robin was prosecuted at Sixmilebridge District Court on numerous occasions for making poteen in a still at a derelict cottage on his uncle’s farm near the sprawling South-East Clare village. In 1997, Robin was fined €1,000 or in default three months in jail after he was convicted for the manufacture of alcohol without a licence. In early September that day he was visited by a Garda who informed him he would have to take him to prison unless he paid the fine. However, Robin volunteered to go to prison …

NEW housing could be horizon for O’Callaghan’s Mills, with planners considering an application for the development of three homes in the village.  Proposals for three four-bedroom homes were lodged by East Clare Construction, whose directors are listed as Joe and Teresa Cooney of Ballymacdonnell, Bodyke. Plans submitted show the proposed homes are detached, two-storey units, each with a garage. They are proposed for a site of just over half a hectare at Iragh, inside the village, owned by the company since 2015.  The floor space of each home is 167.5m squared and the application states that Part V of the Planning and Development Act does not apply in this case.  The development would be connected to the public water supply, and waste water management systems would have to be installed. A Site Suitability Report for one of the proposed homes, was prepared for the Waste Water Treatment System, in accordance with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) codes in July. The report …

A CRISIS in staffing has hit voluntary and community organisations across Clare and beyond, as interest in labour market activation schemes continues to drop.  Despite some reforms to initiatives like TÚS, the Rural Social Scheme (RSS) and Community Employment (CE) earlier this year, Councillor Pat Hayes said participant numbers are falling. This has left some parts of the county without the resources needed to support community activity.  Councillor Hayes, who is himself a supervisor of RSS and TÚS schemes, has highlighted the issue a number of times over the last year and said a crisis point has now been reached.  “These schemes are vital for schools, playgrounds, graveyards, you name it,” he said. “Every sector of the community is supported in some way by workers who take part in schemes. These workers are a lifeline. The fact is now that, with the cost of living, and transport in particular, there are lot of people who aren’t interested because it wouldn’t …

SCARIFF Bay Community Radio will broadcast live from the local agricultural show, which makes a welcome return to the Autumn events calendar on Saturday, September 3.  The station’s popular ‘Saturday Chronicle’ will provide a flavour of the wealth of activities on offer as Scariff Show returns for the first time since 2019. This year’s theme is ‘Back to Basics’ with the focus firmly on friends, family and community as the show marks its 76th annual event.  Previewing the show, which was first held in 1944, Co-Chairperson John Blake noted the impressive credentials of the event, particularly its equestrian element. “In the old days, jumping was quite big in Scariff. In the old days, some of the biggest names in showjumping, Con Power, Jack Doyle, James Kernan and a lot of the Army riders, including Tommy Wade from Dundrum, all jumped in Scariff,” the told the station. “We have two Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) League qualifiers in the 1 metre 10 …

EAST Clare resident Hilary Dully is to make a key contribution to the Write By The Sea 2022 Literary Festival in Kilmore Quay, Wexford, next month. Living in Flagmount for the last 25 years, Hilary has made a huge contribution to the social and cultural life of the area. She will be a much-anticipated presence at Write By The Sea, when she adds her experience to a talk entitled ‘Wexford Women of The Revolution’. A documentary filmmaker, film teacher and writer, Hilary has a family connection to Marie Comerford, a staunch Irish Republican from Wexford, who witnessed events from 1916 to 1923, and was an active supporter of Cumann na mBan. This year, Write By The Sea runs from Friday, September 23 to Sunday September 25. It will be officially opened by keynote speaker Professor Kevin Rafter, Chair of The Arts Council, at 6pm on Friday, September 23. Other key contributors already confirmed include Claire Keegan, Roddy Doyle, Martina Devlin, Liz Nugent, Manchan Magan and Lucy Caldwell. “It’s been said that one of the key …

THE WORLD famous Aga Khan trophy could be making its way to Clare next month to mark the role of a Tuamgraney man in Team Ireland’s victory in the Nations Cup last week. The glittering prize is one of the most sought-after in international equestrian sport and was donated by Aga Khan III in 1926. Chef d’Équipe, Tuamgraney’s Michael Blake, ensured that Ireland took back the coveted cup for the first time since 2015 in after a tense, but thrilling, jump-off against France. An elated Michael, who is also celebrating early qualification for the Olympics in 2024, told The Champion the nail-biting finish was a little tighter than he would have liked. “We did take our foot off the gas at point, but when it came down to the penalty shoot-out, we showed we could put the ball in the back of the net,” he said. On returning to Clare last Monday, one of the first things Michael did was …