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North Clare

Bursary award for Elaine

A Galway University Hospital staff nurse, Elaine Gaffey, will receive a learning bursary in memory of North Clare woman Anna-May Driscoll Foundation later this month. Colleagues from Galway University Hospital nominated Elaine Gaffey for the award. The purpose of the award is to encourage nursing staff to take leadership on their own responsibility over and above the normal call of their duties. It recognises Responsibility Based Leadership taken by nursing staff within University Hospital Galway. The Foundation was set up to commemorate the work that Anna May Driscoll pioneered in leadership in the corporate and voluntary sectors. In particular, it promotes the development of the concept of Responsibility Based Leadership, which Anna May devised, together with her partner, Damien Dyar. This concept has been central to enriching the lives of people at work while at the same time improving the performance of their organisations. A native of Murrough, Ballyvaughan, Anna May left home at 16 to train as a children’s …

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Corofin to bring their subject to All-Ireland finals

AS COROFIN Drama Group prepare to take their latest play, The Subject was Roses, to the All-Ireland drama finals in Athlone, director John Clancy spoke to The Clare Champion.Corofin Drama Group is the third Clare group to make it to the All-Ireland three-act open drama finals in the competition’s 60-year history. The group competes in the open section, pitting it against some of the country’s most experienced drama groups. The North Clare group wasonly elevated to the open category four years ago, so finding themselves in the final is a major achievement, not to mention surprise.“We won the confined section in 2008 and were automatically elevated to the open. This is just our fourth year in this competition so we would look at getting to the finals as a success in its own right. This is the 60th year of the amateur drama so in that time, just three Clare groups have gotten to the final. Scariff Drama Group won …

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Ordinary Joe becomes extraordinary governor

JOHN Garrahy from Callura, Lahinch, and his wife Margaret (nee Neylon) of Maghera, Lahinch, along with their two children Eddie and Mary moved to the United States in the 1920s. Joseph Garrahy was born in Providence on November 26, 1930, and his brother, Vincent, arrived soon afterwards. Margaret, who spent her life mopping the floors in the Rhode Island state house, watched with pride as her son took over the role of Governor of the East coast state back in 1977. “When he got into the state house, he told Margaret that she would have to leave now, but she said ‘no, I was here first’,” Mary recalled. John Garrahy worked in a bottling shop for most of his life and this proved to be a starting point for his children too. But as Mary explains, times were tough when the family arrived in Providence as America climbed out from the Great Depression. “When he went over to America first, …

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Eleanor’s apple to hang in Hugh Lane

  A North Clare teenager will have a photograph hung in one of the country’s most prestigious galleries next month after it made the shortlist in a national photography competition. Seventeen-year-old Eleanor Collins from Mary Immaculate Secondary School, Lisdoonvarna, is one of 12 pupils from across Ireland shortlisted in the Le Crunch Photobyte Schools Photography Competition 2012. Eleanor’s unique apple-themed photograph captured the judges’ attention and will now be displayed at a special exhibition in the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin for the competition grand final on May 14. The photograph will also be on display at Le Crunch stands in selected Dunnes Stores across Ireland and the public will be invited to vote for their favourite composition.Eleanor entered the competition after seeing a poster in the art classroom at school about six weeks ago. “I thought it sounded interesting and something I would like to do so I said ‘why not’? I have been interested in photography for the …

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Fair and festival to bring book lovers to Ennistymon

Ennistymon looks set to make a national first next month when it hosts a literary festival and a book fair concurrently.In addition to the Dylan Thomas Literary Weekend, which will be based at the Falls Hotel on May 18, 19 and 20, Ennistymon will be hosting its first annual book fair.   Organisers believe this will be the first time Ireland, with all its separate literary festivals and book fairs, will see both elements in the same place at the same time. The Western Writers’ Centre and the Falls Hotel have produced a programme of events that will be complemented by the book fair. “There will be something for everyone, from children’s activities as part of the literary weekend to children’s books on sale at the fair. For lovers of books and reading, these two events will offer a variety of interests and activities, which should satisfy all tastes,” said Gerry Harrison of Banner Books, Ennistymon. Following the example of the …

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New festival to celebrate work of Dylan Thomas

A FESTIVAL celebrating the life and works of poet, short-story writer and playwright Dylan Thomas, along with his ties to North Clare, is the latest addition to the county’s cultural tourism offering. The inaugural festival is expected to draw visitors from across the country when it takes place next month.Dylan Thomas’ wife, Caitlin, was the youngest daughter of Francis MacNamara, who transformed Ennistymon House into the Falls Hotel, the venue for the inaugural Dylan Thomas Literary Weekend from Friday, May 18 to Sunday, May 20. The three-day festival will feature lectures, poetry recitals, a documentary screening and a history tour outlining Ennistymon’s connections to the Welsh literary legend and other poets, including Brian Merriman.Barbara Faulkner, chair of the Clare Tourism Forum, stressed the importance of the county showcasing its culture to attract more tourists. “Cultural tourism is becoming increasingly popular throughout Ireland and Britain. In Clare, we are particularly fortunate to be associated with numerous world-renowned poets, writers, artists and …

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100th birthday celebrations for Crusheen emigrant

NORTH Clare man Joe Cunningham celebrated his 100th birthday recently with a party in his honour at the Aisling Irish Community Centre in New York.Chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade Pat Breen, who visited the centre, described Mr Cunningham as “one of the most interesting Clare people” he met there.“Joe was celebrating his 100th birthday and I was delighted to be present with his family and friends to pay tribute to Joe, a Clareman who became a legendary band leader in the United States for over 60 years,” Deputy Breen stated.Joe from Doon, Crusheen remains very active and he regularly drives to see his wife Rose, who now suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease and lives in a retirement home.A deeply religious man, who loves his wife and family, Joe is also a man who retains a deep love for Crusheen and Clare and enjoys meeting people from his native county and catching up with the news from …

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Blake’s Corner conservation being put before safety

A North Clare councillor has claimed that “conservation and heritage are being put before health and safety” at Blake’s Corner in Ennistymon. Councillor Bill Slattery from Lahinch submitted a notice of motion at a recent meeting of Ennistymon Electoral Area representatives calling for the steps at the listed buildings to be backfilled on the grounds of public safety. “In light of continuing delays and serious safety concerns at Blake’s Corner, Ennisytmon,” the Fine Gael councillor requested “the senior executive engineer to back fill the steps bringing them to road surface level and remove the two sidewalls at Blake’s and Linnane’s to protect the safety of both motorists and pedestrians.”In a written reply, Senior Executive Engineer, Ennistymon Area Office, Stephen Lahiffe confirmed “it has always been the intention of Clare County Council to provide a roundabout, public footpath and pedestrian crossings at Blake’s Corner. This is the only way to minimise the risk to motorists and pedestrians alike. Until this is …

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