Regional

FORMER Riverdance star Breandán de Gallaí will be bringing his latest show to Clare next month. De Gallaí has been at the forefront of pushing the boundaries of traditional and contemporary Irish dance in Ireland for over three decades. His role as a principal dancer with Riverdance, which spanned more than seven years, saw him tour the globe with numerous prestigious performances including dancing for King Hussein of Jordan, the Emperor of Japan and Princess Diana. Next month, Clare audiences are in for a treat as the former Riverdancer will be bringing his show “Walls Talk” to Glór, Ennis, on March 16, as part of a 10 venue tour across Ireland. Inspired by the phrase ‘if these walls could talk’, the show features de Gallaí’s solo dance routines set against songs from the golden era of jazz and blues, performed live on stage by jazz singer Gina Boreham. Speaking ahead of the tour, de Gallaí is encouraging audiences to come …

The National Lottery has confirmed that the €30,928,078 EuroMillions jackpot winner from the draw on Friday February 11 has come forward. Arrangements are now being made for the big winner to claim their truly life-changing prize. The Mid-West ticket holder became the 17th EuroMillions jackpot winner since the game was launched in 2004 after they purchased their winning Quick Pick ticket at Larkin’s Gala Service Station in Ballina, Co. Tipperary.

CYCLING enthusiast Joe Noonan leads a group of cyclists on Wednesdays mornings from the Old Lodge, as they head out to Quin and back. The cycles go at 10am and Joe says he wants to give people the chance to share his passion for cycling. “It’s going well, usually there’d be six or seven people. It’s open to everyone over 18. “I took up cycling as a hobby in 2010, I didn’t really have a hobby before then, I’d have played hurling when I was younger but I had stopped playing sport. “I bought a bike through work and joined a cycling club, the Clare Crusaders in Ennis, a guy called Ollie Hayes helped to get me into it, and he was kind of doing what I’m doing now.” He is delighted to be helping people to get more exercise and to develop their fitness. “I was looking online and I saw there was a course you can do. I …

CONTROVERSIAL plans for a 21-metre telecoms mast in Scariff have prompted a major objection from a group calling itself East Clare Community Residents, writes Fiona McGarry. Eir proposes to replace a 12-metre wooden pole, at its exchange on The Connacht Road, with a much higher mast with dishes, antennas and other equipment. When submissions closed at the end of January, a total of 11 objections had been made. One of those is a detailed document with 48 signatures on behalf of East Clare Community Residents. Deputy Michael McNamara, has also made a representation on the file, “requesting the need for Clare County Council to engage with those who have made submissions and those who have concerns within the wider public to ensure those concerns are addressed in the planning process”. The 14-page objection from East Clare Community Residents raises concerns about the impact of the proposed mast on the Architectural Conservation Area (ACA) of Scariff and Tuamgraney. It outlines detailed …

A man was airlifted to hospital today after he was injured in an incident at the ESB’s Moneypoint power station in West Clare. The man, a mechanical contractor in his 50s, is understood to have sustained serious leg injuries in an accident involving a forklift. National Ambulance Service paramedics attended the scene and treated the injured man. It was decided that the casualty should be flown to the nearest suitable hospital so an air ambulance was requested. The HSE’s Emergency Aeromedical Service (EAS) tasked the Cork-based, charity-funded Irish Community Air Ambulance (ICAA) helicopter to respond to the incident. The helicopter landed in a GAA field near Kilrush and the injured man was transported by road to meet the aircraft. The man was then airlifted to University Hospital Limerick for treatment. The flight took less than 15 minutes while the 80 kilometre journey by road would have taken over an hour. The man is being treated for crush injuries. A spokesperson …

GARDAí are appealing for witnesses after two people burgled a home in Ennis and assaulted a woman in the house. The incident occurred in the Dun na Hinse estate at 11.43 p.m. on Thursday, February 10. Two males dressed in black and wearing black masks entered an apartment in the estate and assaulted the female resident. When they left the apartment they jumped the wall at the rear. It is not known what vehicle was used and what direction they left in. Crime prevention officer Sergeant Triona Brooks said, “We are appealing for anyone who may have seen any car or persons acting suspiciously in Dun Na Hinse on the night of Thursday February 10 between 23.30hrs – 00.00hrs. “We are also appealing to a person who passed near the scene at 23.45hrs on an electric scooter wearing a high-vis jacket to contact Ennis Garda Station on 6848100.” 

A NEW facility to help children learn to cycle could be on track for Ennis, writes Jessica Quinn. A proposal to create a ‘Learn to Cycle Track’ in the county capital is currently being explored by the local authority. Putting forward the idea at the monthly meeting of the Ennis Municipal District Councillor Mary Howard stated that the track would help build children’s cycling confidence and encourage them to get on their bikes more. She urged the council to follow the lead of Dungarvan which recently opened Ireland’s first learn-to-cycle track. “We are all talking about walking buses and cycling buses to school, we are putting in cycling lanes and other infrastructure around the town. It is very important that we teach children how to use the road correctly.” She explained that the track allows for children to learn to cycle in a way that mimics a real life road structure with road lines, signs and pedestrian crossings. The only …

A family-run service station located about three kilometres from Killaloe bridge has sold a EuroMillions ticket worth an astonishing €30,928,078. The winning Quick Pick ticket was sold on Sunday, February 6 at Larkin’s Gala Service Station, Garryurtneal, Ballina, Killaloe. The Mid-West player has officially become the 17th EuroMillions jackpot winner ever seen in Ireland following the draw on Friday night. Siobhan Larkin, who owns the business with her husband Michael on the Ballina to Birdhill road, spoke of the complete shock and joy she felt on receiving the news over the weekend. “When our visitors from the National Lottery arrived here on Sunday evening, I was totally overwhelmed and in quite a state of shock. “I couldn’t believe that it was our store that sold the winning ticket worth €30.9 million. We are coming up to 21 years in business here this March so what a way this is to mark the occasion. “The vast majority of our customers are …