Regional

AN Ennis secondary school has featured in the top three feeder girls’ schools for third level progression in the country. Coláiste Muire, a non fee paying school, features in the top four of all schools in the recently released Irish Times feeder school tables. The school recorded a 115% progression rate to third level in the list which included the total number of college registrations from schools including those who completed their Leaving Certificate prior to 2021. A total of 138 students at the Coláiste sat their Leaving Certificate in 2021, while the total number of Coláiste students to accept a CAO place in that year was 159. According to the statistics, NUIG was the most popular third level institution for Coláiste students with 37 enrolled there last year. The second most popular college was UL with 31 students enrolled. Students were also accepted to UCD, TCD, DCU, St Angela’s, Queens’ University Belfast, TU Dublin, Galway – Mayo IT, IT …

FORMER Tyrone footballer Cathal McCarron will be at Wolfe Tones GAA in Shannon at 4pm on Saturday, where he will be speaking about gambling addiction. McCarron was a sub when Tyrone won the 2008 All-Ireland, while he won four Ulster titles and was twice nominated for an All-Star, before his retirement in 2019. Just over five years ago he released his autobiography Out of Control (which was ghost-written by Clare journalist Christy O’Connor), in which he was candid about his gambling addiction and the dark places it brought him to. The book was an explosive read, certainly one of the most memorable GAA autobiographies, in which he recounted what was a chaotic lifestyle. He says he likes to give talks like the one on Saturday, and he feels it’s important to keep drawing attention to problem gambling. “I don’t do as many as I’d like, but hopefully I’ll get more time to do them. The way things are going the …

David Brady-Browne has written a book on the CofI graveyard in Tulla. Here he explains the value of grave memorials as a substitute record repository for genealogists and historians ON A mild spring day in 1969, the last burial at the Church of Ireland graveyard in Tulla took place, and with it closed a chapter of the cultural history of East Clare.  Like many old graveyards in Ireland, Tulla is closed to burials but still welcomes visitors. I first visited the graveyard when researching my ancestors buried in it. There they lay, surrounded in death by those who had surrounded them in life. Families such as Molony, O’Callaghan, Brady-Browne, Murdock, Powell and Gore, as well as many others were prominent in the social and commercial life of Tulla for centuries, but their names mean almost nothing to present generations.  There are over 40 identifiable memorials in the graveyard, representing over 70 burials, in addition to around seventy unmarked interments. Many …

A CLARE man charged with the murder of a pensioner in Lisdoonvarna has been further remanded in custody, writes Ronan Judge. Thomas Lorigan (32), of no fixed abode, appeared at Ennis district court this Wednesday via video link from Limerick Prison. Lorigan is charged with the murder of John O’Neill (78) at St Brendan’s Road, Lisdoonvarna at a time unknown between January 6 and January 7. The charge against Lorigan is contrary to Common Law. During the brief hearing, the accused spoke only to confirm that he could see and hear the court proceedings. Sergeant Aiden Lonergan told the court the matter had first come before the court on Saturday, January 8. Sergeant Lonergan said directions from the director of public prosecutions (DPP) are already known and that a book of evidence is awaited in the case. The DPP has directed trial on indictment. The sergeant said it was the State’s application to have the accused remanded in custody for …

THE Shannon Musical Society’s annual production has had to be postponed from February until April, due to Covid-19, writes Owen Ryan. Huge numbers attend the shows every year, and this year the Society are set to perform Little Shop of Horrors, but with a massive amount of Covid infections, the show is not set to be put back until the week of April 10-16. This year the group were set to perform Little Shop of Horrors and director Aodán Fox said that the postponement is disappointing, and he hopes the show will be able to go ahead on the new dates. “We kind of started very tentatively and when we were picking a show we picked a small cast, small band musical, because we knew it was going to be a difficult year. Rehearsals have been going on with major social distancing and breaks for air every half an hour, as recommended. It’s gutting to have to postpone it, it’s …

CLARE County Council has announced that the controversial Púca statue commissioned for Ennistymon will not now be erected in the north Clare town. The local authority issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon that following extensive consultation with elected members and the local community, it would not be proceeding with the proposal to erect the Púca artwork in Ennistymon. Instead, the sculpture created by Aidan Harte is to be offered to other north Clare towns, villages and community-operated tourism sites. An expressions of interest process will be announced shortly by the council. The statue had divided opinion in Ennistymon and around Clare and prompted the council to undertake a survey in November 2021 to garner local opinion on the artwork and its proposed location. More than 720 survey responses were received by the local authority with 43.6% of respondents saying they ‘Really disliked’ the artwork compared to 34.3% who ‘Really liked’ it. While many disliked both the artwork itself and its …

MYTH, legend and folklore from East Clare have been beautifully brought to life in a new documentary, ‘Born from Fire’. The short feature from Dolmen Films celebrates the legacy of Gráinne and documents how the legendary daughter of a local chieftain came to be buried in East Clare. Her burial place gave Tuamgraney its name and she is remembered in many other features of the local landscape.  “I grew up with these stories and legends,” said Turlough Ó Cinnéide of Dolmen Films, who directed the documentary alongside Marta Di Giovanni and produced it with Joseph Palmer.  The Scariff man, who also shot some of the work and edited it, wanted to create a visual tribute to the area’s mythical landscape.  “East Clare is very beautiful and there’s something magical about the landscape,” he said. “I was reared with stories about the area and when we were young, we had a book of folklore stories by Ruth Marshall. I suppose I …

CLARE gardai are appealing for information about a potential arson attack in an east Clare community last week. On Wednesday night, January 5, a caravan and mobile home parked at Ballydonaghan, Bodyke were set on fire and both were totally burnt out. A garda spokesperson noted that this is a rural area in Bodyke and said, “If there was anyone in the area of Balydonaghan between 11pm and 11.30pm last Wednesday and saw anything suspicious we would ask them to contact Scariff Garda Station on 061 922790.