East Clare

An East Clare woman has broken the record as the oldest person ever born on the island of Ireland. Last year, United States resident Kathleen Snavely made history as the oldest person ever from the Republic of Ireland but now, over a month after her 113th birthday, she has taken the title as the oldest person from the island of Ireland since records began, passing out Tyrone woman Annie Scott . Kathleen Hayes Rollins Snavley was born in Feakle on February 16, 1902 and is a distant relation of renowned fiddle player Martin Hayes and former Mayor of Clare Pat Hayes. Originally from Garraun, Kathleen left when she was 19 in September 1921 from Cobh and went to her uncle in Syracuse, New York State. While there, she met and married her husband Roxie Rollins, who died in 1968, aged 66. The Clare woman later married Pennsylvania businessman Jesse Snavely. After he died she returned to Syracuse, where she still …

THE 250 berth Lough Derg Marina in Killaloe/Ballina is being offered for sale, with an asking price in excess of €500,000. Situated on the  Ballina shoreline, the marina is on an 3.17 hectare (7.8 acre) site with over 500 meters of lake frontage that enjoy panoramic views of the lake and surrounding countryside. The site includes a workshop/warehouse, ancillary offices, ground floor showroom, storeroom and an adjoining two bedroom first floor apartment. Zoned for mixed use general development, the property may suit planning permission for a new marina or a mixed development, incorporating a water related development, including private and public berthing, cruiser rental, leisure/water related activities, commercial use, holiday and family apartments/ houses or even a small hotel, subject to planning permission. The marina is being offerd for sale by joint agents, CBRE and Costelloe Estate Agents. Robert Colleran of CBRE commented, “This is an exceptional opportunity to acquire a 250 berth marina with potential to develop a new marina …

HOLOCAUST survivor Henri Korn will be the subject of a portrait by O’Callaghan’s Mills man, Thomas Delohery, which will be submitted for the prestigious Archibald Prize and judged by the trustees of the New South Wales Gallery in Australia, where both men now live. Henri was born in Germany and was barely nine years old when he witnessed the murder of his friend, Leo Troski and Leo’s parents during Kristallnacht. He survived World War II on false papers, living in hiding and working with a group of young men in the shadows, whose task it was to relay information about German troop movements to the Allies. Thomas is a creative artist and painter and has long held an interest in the Holocaust, while he is acutely aware of the suffering of the victims at the hands of the Nazis. His portrait of Henri will not be a conventional one. Now aged 85, Henri is uncomfortable with the label ‘child’ Holocaust …

TULLA Athletics Club has suggested creating a rule that its members “will not walk” to its new proposed training facility and travel to training by car, according to planning documents submitted to Clare County Council. The proposal was made by the club regarding the athletics club’s application for a new training facility at Creamery Road in Tulla, after the council expressed concern about road safety at the proposed site. The application, which was submitted by Eugene Conlon, secretary of Tulla Athletics Club, proposes to construct an athletics training facility at Creamery Road in Tulla. The development, if granted, would include an all-weather running track with area lighting, a cross-country running track and a building incorporating a large indoor training area, public toilets, dressing rooms and club rooms. In addition, it would include an effluent treatment system, new entrance from the public road, all with associated site works. In November last year, the planning authority wrote to the club advising them …

By Seamus Hayes St. Josephs, Tulla 1-16 CBC, Cork 1-14 (after extra time) A thirty four year gap was bridged at Ballyagran on Saturday when St. Josephs, Tulla won the Munster colleges senior B hurling title for only the second time in their history. In difficult conditions the East Clare side put in a tremendous performance to overcome Christian Brothers College from Cork in a tie which required extra time to separate the sides. The Cork side got off to a great start and were five points clear after just eleven minutes, 1-3 to 0-1 and things didn’t look good for Tulla. However, thanks to the accuracy of freetaker Brian Fahy, they fought back and drew level by the twenty second minute at 0-6 to 1-3 before the Cork side went on to hold a two point advantage, 1-6 to 0-7, at the interval. Defences dominated in the third quarter which was scoreless. Inside the final quarter Tulla hit three …

FEAKLE native Kathleen Snavely (nee Hayes) became the State’s oldest ever living person when she turned 111 and 327 days last year but, having reached her 113th birthday this week, she looks set to become the island’s oldest living person. Annie Scott was the oldest living person from the island of Ireland. She was born in Northern Ireland on March 15, 1883, living to be 113 and 37 days, having died in 1996 in Scotland where she settled. Kathleen was born in Garraun, Feakle on February 16, 1902. Indications are that she is in good health, so she looks set to make history once again on March 24 of this year, which would make her the oldest person born on the island of Ireland. However, she has a long way to go to outlive the longest living person in recorded history, who was French woman Jeanne Calment, who died aged 122 years and 164 days in 1997. The current oldest …

A HUGE East Clare will journey to Ballyagran this Saturday for the Munster Colleges Senior B Hurling Championship final, in which St Joseph’s, Tulla will face CBC from Cork at 3pm. Beaten finalists in 2013, Tulla reached the quarter-final last year where they lost out to Newport, who were then beaten in the semi-final. In the 2013 final, the East Clare side were unlucky to go out to Dungarvan CBS at Golden after extra time. The majority of that Dungarvan side were part of the Waterford colleges side that won the Harty Cup title that same year. This season’s captain, Evan McMahon, along with his Feakle clubmates, Con Smith, Stephen Conway and Martin Daly, and Broadford’s Darren Chaplin, played in that final and they will be hoping that the experience they have gained in the past two campaigns will be a key factor in helping them to get over the line this week. The Tulla school’s only other appearance in the final was …

The death has occurred today (Thursday) of Fr Michael Collins, parish priest of Quin/Clooney/Maghera. Born on November 26, 1945 Fr Collins was a native of Ennis and was a priest of the Diocese of Killaloe for 32 years. A past pupil of Ennis Christian Brothers School, he studied philosophy in Dalgan Park, County Meath with the Missionary Society of St Columban. He then qualified as a primary school teacher and taught at the Ennis Boys National School until 1979. Fr Michel studied for the priesthood at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth and he was ordained in Ennis Cathedral on June 10, 1983. He was appointed curate in Roscrea, Co Tipperary in July of that year and was appointed parish priest in 1998. He became parish of priest of Quin in July 2005. Fr Michael’s  remains will repose in St Mary’s Church, Quin on this Saturday, from 5pm to 8pm, followed by funeral prayers. Funeral mass on Sunday at 3pm will be followed by …