East Clare

CLARE County Council and Waterways Ireland have been urged to pool their resources to source an anti-slip mat following reports of an “extraordinary” number of falls at a popular east Clare bathing spot, writes Dan Danaher. It has been proposed that the mat, which would cost around €3,000 would help prevent swimmers getting injured on the slipway at Two Mile Gate, located between Ogonnelloe and Killaloe. Killaloe community members, Dr Alison Bonham and Pam Teese, have launched an online petition to expedite a solution to a series of accidents on the slipway. In a statement issued to the Clare Champion, Ms Teese outlined she is a regular swimmer at Ballycuggeran, where she belongs to a very active WhatsApp social swimming group. Having personally witnessed first-hand many concerning accidents on the slipway, she joined fellow group member, Dr Alison Bonham – herself a victim of concussion resulting from her own recent slip there – in launching an online petition to push …

CYCLISTS across the Mid-West have been invited on a picturesque tour through towns and villages in East Clare to help raise funds for a community group, writes Dan Danaher. The seventh annual Tour Through East Clare cycle will take place on Saturday, September 25, to raise badly needed funds for Kilkishen Development Association (KDA). All routes will start and finish at the Kilkishen Cultural Centre and cyclists can choose between 100km or 50km routes. The 100km route travels via Sixmilebridge, Broadford, Bodyke, Scarriff and into Mountshannon for a food stop. From Mountshannon, the cycle continues to Scarriff, Feakle, Glendree and on to Tulla before returning to Kilkishen. The 50km route travels via Sixmilebridge, Broadford, Bodyke and returns via Tulla. The cycle is organised by the Kilkishen Development Association, and all funds raised from this cycle will support the Kilkishen Cultural Centre. Secretary and treasurer of the Kilishen Cultural Centre, Olivia King recalled the former protestant church hosted exercise classes, yoga, …

A HISTORY project of exhaustive research and work spanning 17 years will culminate with the launch this Saturday of Tomás Mac Conmara’s seminal book on the Scariff Martyrs. A well-known figure around the county, Tomás, who has done a huge amount of work to record Clare’s oral history, has long been fascinated by the fate of the martyrs and the time they lived in. “Only since the release was confirmed my mother found a photograph taken in April 2004 with Paddy Gleeson. That would have been the very first interview that I did relating specifically to the Scariff Martyrs. “It really makes you think back, I was 23 then and I’m 40 now, there were 17 years of research in different ways. “Obviously you’re not working solely for 17 years on it but for those 17 years you’re observing, taking any opportunity to find more information or to deepen your understanding. That photograph really brought it home that it’s been …

WORK on the construction of the new Shannon River Crossing, Killaloe By-Pass and upgrading of the Ballina to Birdhill regional road is expected to start next spring, writes Dan Danaher. East Clare councillors were informed the contract for the main scheme works, estimated to cost in the region of €50 million, is expected to be awarded by the end of this year subject to Department of Transport approval. This was revealed at a Killaloe Municipal District meeting on Wednesday, following a motion from Councillor Tony O’Brien. Senior engineer, Sean Lenihan outlined members will be aware that this was a two-stage tender process, and that the council had already carried out a Suitability Assessment stage last year resulting in six main contractors being prequalified and shortlisted. Further to receipt of ministerial approval to proceed to tender, the council published the Main Scheme Works Tender on Friday, August 6, on the eTenders platform. “As expected for a project of this type and …

A BID to create housing for older members of a religious community in Tuamgraney has hit a hitch, with planners seeking further details on a number of aspects of the project, writes Fiona McGarry. At the end of June, The Christian Community lodged an application to update their existing facilities at Drewsborough, and to create 12 new accommodation units. While planners had initially indicated an August decision date was possible, they have now asked for detailed Further Information (FI) on several aspects of the proposals. According to a design statement submitted with the application, the existing Christian Community Centre is made up of a chapel, priest’s house, visitor accommodation, therapy rooms and associated services. The proposed project would involve the demolition of part of an existing building, the extension of an existing chapel and the creation of an accommodation block. In relation to the physical design, the application noted that, “The core of the design revolves around community and it …

TULLA musician Sorcha Costello is to be honoured as part of the highly prestigious TG4 Gradam Ceoil, which was launched in Belfast last night, writes Fiona McGarry. The talented fiddle player was chosen as Ceoltóir Óg na Bliana and will be presented with the award at ceremony that will be broadcast on TG4 on October 31 at 9.30pm. Sorcha, who is now Galway-based, but returns regularly to Tulla to teach told The Champion of her delight at the award. “To receive this honour is just mind-blowing,” she said. “I play for the love and enjoyment of music and it’s a huge honour to have that recognised.” Sorcha is the daughter of MÓrglór Award winner, Mary MacNamara, and Kevin Costello, who makes and repairs concertinas. Mary, was Sorcha’s first music teacher, and according to her daughter is herself “a secret fiddle player”. “Dad is a lovely singer and a great dancer,” Sorcha added. “Both of them are over the moon at …

REGENERATION and resilience will be celebrated in Mountshannon later this month, thanks to a collaboration between diverse members of the East Clare arts community. The pandemic presented all kinds of hurdles in terms of live performance and, after taking their offerings online in 2020, Mountshannon Arts Festival this year opted for two mini-festivals on the theme of ‘regeneration’. The first event was held in June and the second is scheduled for September 24-26, traditionally the weekend of the Mountshannon Trad Festival, which ran to huge acclaim between 2010 and 2019. Aistear Park will be the focal point for a weekend of arts events and traditional music and will host an open air market for the duration. The collaboration has been made possible thanks to a funding award secured by Cliodhna Donnellan, artist, promoter, producer and co-ordinator of Mountshannon Trad Festival, under the Live Outdoor Local Performance Scheme from Clare County Council. The event will provide a platform for traditional artists …

A FAMILY of three were found safe and unharmed after their boat got into difficulty on Scarriff Bay recently. On Monday evening, August 23, Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat to launch to assess a cruiser reported aground by a concerned member of the public. The cruiser 36 foot motor cruiser was said to be in Scarriff Bay, north of the entrance to the Scarriff River. At 6.51pm the lifeboat Jean Spier launched with helm crew Owen Cavanagh, crew Eleanor Hooker, Joe O’Donoghue and Doireann Kennedy on board. When the lifeboat arrived at the scene the cruiser was aground on a rocky shore, north of the entrance to the Scarriff River. The lifeboat stood off to inspect the aspect of the cruiser, which appeared to be pivoting on the edge of the shoal. The lifeboat made a cautious approach to the casualty vessel and found there was a family of three on board, all safe and unharmed and …