North Clare

APPROXIMATELY 40,000 people are expected to attend the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival this month, one local hotelier has claimed. The renowned festival began last week and among the first guests looking to meet her match was television presenter and journalist, Janet Street Porter. Ms Street Porter was in the North Clare village on Tuesday and Wednesday last week and her experience was discussed on ITV’s Loose Women on Monday. She also wrote about her trip looking for love in Lisdoonvarna in her column in the Daily Mail. Ms Street Porter introduced the festival, and the art of traditional matchmaking, to a British audience. The four-time divorcee was matched with John Richardson, who she described as “a very attractive, single, professional man”. Marcus White of the Hydro Hotel believes her visit is already having repercussions for businesses in the area and for the festival itself. “It was fantastic to get someone as high-profile as Janet Street Porter come to the matchmaking festival. …

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny led tributes to the former Fine Gael TD Jim White who died in hospital on Tuesday night aged 76. Although born and reared in Ballyshannon in County Donegal, Mr White had strong links with Clare having bought the Hyrdo Hotel in Lisdoonvarna in 1974. This was the foundation for the development of Whites Hotel Group which now owns the Imperial Hotel, the King Thomond and the Burren Castle Hotel in North Clare as well as hotels in Tralee and Donegal. According to his son Marcus, Jim was involved in the running of the businesses up to his admission to hospital five weeks ago. Marcus described his father’s passing as ‘dignified’ and paid tribute to the staff of the Mater Private Hospital in Dublin for the care they provided. He visited Lisdoonvarna before his mobility was reduced last year. An Taoiseach Enda Kenny recalled Jim as “a man of enormous positivity and generosity with huge credibility in …

The Central Bank of Ireland has  launched a €15 limited edition silver proof collector coin to commemorate John Philip Holland [1841 – 1914], the Liscannor-born inventor of the modern submarine. The coin features a representative image of the inventor’s hand poised to place the final stroke of a technical drawing of the USS Holland, complete with a decorative nautilus spiral with the obverse bearing the traditional representation of the Irish harp. The coin, which was designed by Mary Gregory, is part of the Irish Science and Inventions coin series, and has an issue limit of 10,000 units. Speaking at the launch at the Marine Institute in Oranmore, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, John Crowe said, “This commemorative coin provides a lasting tribute to an individual whose achievements are celebrated throughout the world. John Philip Holland’s design of the first working submarine has had a huge impact on marine research, warfare and engineering. It is fitting that this coin is being launched …

When Agriculture Minister, Simon Coveney visited Liscannor on Sunday to participate in the John P Holland commemorations, he took time out to reassure Clare farmers that the Government is striving to help those who need it. His comment comes and pressure grows on State agencies and Clare County Council to redouble their efforts to assist farmers whose lands were hit by flooding in January and February. Many farmers are living in fear that there will be a repeat of the serious flooding unlesss repairs and restoration works are addressed immediately. Minister Coveney was given a tour of the worst affected arears when he visited Clare shortly after ther storms had abated. Clare IFA Rural Development chairman, Seamus Murphy said they want the county council and the relevant government agencies to ensure the engineer’s report they had commisioned document is acted on before the bad weather returns.

Earlier this year, Burrenbeo Trust put out a call looking for a ‘Young Burren Leader’ to represent the landscape charity at the world’s largest conservation conference in Australia. This week, the successful candidate for the role as a Global Youth Ambassador (GYA) has been announced as New Quay’s Cillian Fahy. This is not the first award for Cillian, who became the only Irish person to receive a Gates Cambridge Scholarship this year, allowing him to pursue an M. Phil in European Literature and Culture at the university starting in October. After getting As across the board in his Leaving Cert in 2010, Cillian sold his notes online for €3,000 and subsequently was a regular columnist in the Irish Times education section. He holds a degree in English Literature from Trinity College, Dublin. After being named a global youth ambassador, Cillian will now represent the Burrenbeo Trust at the world’s largest conservation conference, the IUCN World Congress in Syndey, this November. …

A North Clare business is the only one in the county to be shortlisted for the Irish Times Best Shops in Ireland competition. The Burren Perfumery has made it to the final of the awards, which attracted 28,000 nominations nationwide. Orna Mulcahy Editor of The Irish Times Saturday Magazine commented about the competition “Over the summer we put the question to our readers – Tell us about your favourite shops. We were overwhelmed by the response from readers who nominated shops they love across 10 different categories including boutiques and salons, artisan food shops and cafes, bookstores and specialist shops. Whether it’s cupcakes or hardware, flowers or fish, a designer suit or a cut of beef – our readers told us where to find the best, and why they go back to a shop time and time again.” The nomination process was overseen by our expert panel of judges, made up of six well known industry figures with decades of …

Hundreds of thousands of people in Scandinavia, and elsewhere around the world, are set to read all about County Clare and the Wild Atlantic Way. Finnish travel blogger, Satu Vänskä-Westgarth is taking on the “challenge of her lifetime” – cycling the entire Wild Atlantic Way, or some 2,500 kms along Ireland’s western seaboard over a five-week period. Satu arrived in Lahinch on Tuesday and will spend the next few days exploring and then blogging about what the area has to offer. She will then travel along the coast to Kilkee before continuing to the South West. Tourism Ireland invited Satu to undertake the marathon cycle, to experience our newest visitor attraction and then inspire her readers and followers to come and discover it for themselves. A self-confessed “total newbie when it comes to bike touring or biking”, she has named her adventure, Ride Wild 2014. Her plan is to cycle approximately 100 kms each day, five days a week, and …

Water restrictions imposed on Thursday on two North Clare villages will continue over the weekend, Clare County Council has said. A public water alert was issued after Inchiquin Lake was closed to public due to algal bloom. An estimated 1,800 customers of the Corofin and Ruan Public Water Supply are being advised that water on the scheme is not suitable for drinking due to the presence of an algal bloom in the raw water for the supply at Inchiquin Lake. Clare County Council confirmed on Friday that restrictions will remain in place until at least Monday. The algal bloom has arisen due to the extended period of dry weather, elevated temperatures and reduced water levels in the lake. Water customers in Corofin town and its environs and in Ruan village, as well as customers of the Killeen Group Scheme Supply are affected by the alert which means the water is undrinkable and should not be used for personal hygiene including …