East Clare

THE committee of the Parkinson’s Health Conference in Feakle are preparing for ‘the Oscars of Irish Medicine’, as their event has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award at the Irish Medical Times Irish Healthcare Awards. The conference, which highlighted a research study by an Italian neurologist into the benefits of set dancing for Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patients, has been shortlisted in the Best Patient Education Project, Non-Pharma category. Therapeutic Effects of Irish Set Dancing on Parkinson’s Disease – Feakle Health Conference, is one of three shortlisted in the category and was chosen out of nine entries. There were 120 overall entries to the awards in total. Described by its organisers as “this year’s ‘Oscars’ of Irish medicine”, the winners will be revealed at a gala event run by the Irish Medical Times in the Shelbourne Hotel on Thursday, November 7. The awards are now in their 12th year and recognise originality, excellence and innovation in such areas as hospital …

By Carol Byrne THE chief executive officer of Harbour Flights Ireland Ltd, which runs a seaplane operation in Mountshannon, may be forced to ground future flights because of the commercial unviability of the base. According to CEO Emelyn Heaps, the decision as to whether Harbour Flights Ireland Ltd pulls out of Mountshannon is to be made at an extraordinary board meeting. He said the four directors and five shareholders will meet this weekend when “one of the main questions to be raised will be the high costs of maintaining the seaplane base in Mountshannon and the viability of maintaining the high overheads in Mountshannon”. Mr Heaps said ultimately the board will make a commercial decision as to the viability of maintaining the base there and he said there is a real possibility that the operation will be pulled from Mountshannon. However he stressed that if the operation base was to relocate outside of the county he would resign as CEO. …

MUSIC will be piping around the streets of Tulla on October 5 and 6 as the village prepares to host The Tulla Pipe Band and friends for a music festival with a difference. Originally scheduled to take place on September 28, The Pipe Fest was rescheduled to ensure nobody missed their opportunity to get to the All-Ireland final replay. Organised by The Tulla Pipe Band, the festival was trialled last year with low-key events and it was decided to roll it out as a fully fledged festival this year. It will not only celebrate local pipe music but other pipe bands will also participate and will encompass Irish dancing and traditional music. The weekend will commence with The Tulla Pipe Band and guests, The Thomas McDonagh Pipe Band and members of Ceoltóirí na Sionainne in St Joseph’s Secondary School on the Saturday at 8.30pm. Part of the proceeds from the concert will be donated to the Grainne Murphy Memorial Weekend …

EAST Clare has fared out very well at this year’s Tidy Towns competition, with gold and bronze medals going to Mountshannon and Tuamgraney respectively, while Tulla received the endeavour award for the county. Mountshannon was awarded gold in category A of the Tidy Towns competition with 311 points, just five points shy of the national winners Moynalty, County Meath. Indeed its potential for national success was something that was pointed out by the Mountshannon’s tidy town’s adjudicator. “If you sustain your current enthusiasm and commitment and attend to the relatively few remaining issues for attention Mountshannon has the potential to again secure the top prize,” the adjudicator commented. Mountshannon also received a highly commended in the county awards. Another East Clare village celebrating this week is Tuamgraney, having taken a bronze medal in category B with 304 points, seven points more than their 2012 effort. Their potential for national success was also noted in their tidy towns report. “If you sustain …

EAST Clare Community Co-op has received funding approval of €145,000 from Clare Local Development Company through the LEADER programme for the development of a food training and enterprise centre in Scariff.

Irish Seed Savers’ Association’s project manager has warned that the national charity will struggle to stay open if proposed cuts are made by the Department of Agriculture.

A Missouri visitor to East Clare was reunited with 29 of his cousins thanks to an event hosted by the Tulla Reaching Out committee last weekend.

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan highlighted the innovative nature of the North/South youth exchange at the Waterways Ireland Scariff Harbour Festival.