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LAHINCH author and activist Ruairí McKiernan, South African activist and Knockalisheen Direct Provision centre resident Bulelani Mfaco, and Bellharbour poet and activist Sarah Clancy are to help lead a major event honouring legendary South African humanitarian and anti-apartheid campaigner Desmond Tutu, who passed away last Sunday at the age of 90. The event, which takes place online on Thursday (December 30), is being organised by Afri, an Irish peace and human rights organisation. Archbishop Tutu was the organisation’s patron for almost thirty years, after it hosted his first visit to Ireland 1984. Since then, Afri hosted the revered human rights leader several times, including in 1991 when he led the annual Afri famine walk in Doolough, County Mayo. Afri helped lead the Irish campaign against apartheid and arranged for the Dunnes Stores strikers, who refused to handle South African fruit, to meet Tutu in London while on his way to collect the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. This meeting famously helped internationalise the campaign against …

Fiona McGarry speaks to former Flannan’s teacher Liam Ashe whose NGO’s school in Kolkata is changing lives AT 76 years of age, Doonbeg native Liam Ashe is a great advertisement for what he describes as “late adulthood”. A teacher with four decades of experience, Liam is the driving force behind an NGO that is currently teaching 320 children in one of the most deprived parts of Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. He describes psychologist Maureen Gaffney as his “guru” and lives her precept that if you are active in retirement, you are still in late adulthood. That, in part, explains the huge energy which the long-timer Ballyea resident puts into Balo Children Ireland which he set up after a visit to India over 15 years ago. Liam is known to several generations for his work at St Flannan’s College, Ennis, where he taught History and Geography for 40 years. “I idolised those subjects,” he told The Champion. …

A NEW plan for the twin towns of Killaloe-Ballina has been hailed by the council’s CEO as an example of “political and executive collaboration across the water”. Pat Dowling made his remarks as an eagerly-awaited mobility plan was formally ratified by local authority members at their December meeting. The Killaloe and Ballina Town Enhancement and Mobility Plan (TEMP), outlines a number of key projects for both sides of The Shannon, including the future pedestrianisation of the old bridge once the new bridge and bypass are completed. Measures to boost walking and cycling are outlined as well as actions to connect the flow of traffic to the bypass, reducing the number of vehicles in the centre of the two towns. The drafting of the plan involved expensive public consultation and cooperation, over the course of more than a year, between the local authorities in Clare and Tipperary. “Killaloe and Ballina are often referred to as two towns, but one community,” Mr …

East Clare councillor says farmers feel ‘abandoned’ due to government inaction on disease killing native hardwoods AN EAST Clare councillor has described the response of government to the problem of ash dieback disease as “pathetic”. Councillor Pat Burke told the December meeting of the local authority that farmers feel “abandoned” by the Forestry Service, and are facing financial hardship over the loss of their trees. The Whitegate native was sharply critical of the Green Party minister with responsibility for forestry, Pippa Hackett and he urged Senator Róisín Garvey and Councillor Liam Grant to make representations to their party colleague on the issue. “I planted land myself back in 2011 with ash saplings which were approved by the Department at the time,” he said. “Since then, they brought in the virus – which is nearly worse the COVID Chairman – this ash dieback disease to our native trees. “I planted 17 acres of ash on reasonably good land that was well …

TWO Clare-based charities have benefitted from the very first fundraising exhibition organised by Mountshannon Arts.  Entitled ‘Hush Hush’, the exhibition was the brainchild of Tara Considine, an art lover and local librarian who brought the idea to Mountshannon Arts committee. Hosted by Scariff Library, the show allowed members of the public to buy a painting for €40. Only when they collected their piece, did they discover the identity of the artist. This week, the proceeds were donated to Clare Haven Service who offer refuge, support and safety to women and children subjected to domestic abuse; and Every Child Ireland, who work to establish an ongoing back-to-school assistance fund for children living in Direct Provision.  University of Limerick (UL) Arts Officer, Patricia Moriarty opened the exhibition at Raw Café in Killaloe at the end of November and the exhibition continued mid-December. Two hundred pieces of original work were submitted by artists from all over Ireland, Europe and the USA. Children from …

HISTORIAN, Dr David Fleming from Tuamgraney has been elected to the Authority of The University of Limerick (UL). Dr Fleming has been involved in a several projects in Clare, including the work of Friends of the O’Brien Column, Liscannor. He is also a regular host and contributor with Scariff Bay Community Radio. The Cork native is a historian of 18th-century Ireland. On completing his undergraduate studies at UL, he was awarded, in 2006, a DPhil from the University of Oxford, where he had been a senior scholar at Hertford College and an Arts and Humanities Research Council postgraduate awardee. His research concentrates on the social and political development of 18th-century Ireland, and has published on topics ranging from provincial politics, poverty, religious conversion, associational behaviour and prostitution. Dr Fleming was commissioned, in 2012, to write the official history of UL. Prior to taking up his position at UL, Dr Fleming taught at the University of Oxford and NUI Maynooth. He …

IF you are wandering around Ennis on the afternoon of St Stephen’s Day, you might see some heads bobbing in the Fergus. Don’t worry! That will be members of the Ennis Sub Aqua Club taking part in the annual sponsored Fin Swim. Gerry Gilroy, chair of the club said, “The annual Fin Swim been going on for over 20 years, and is always great fun. All funds raised from the activity go to support the search and recovery activities undertaken by the club.” The swimmers enter the chilly river at Droichead na Gabhar near Lees Road, float along the quiet stretches before rounding the bend to Victoria Bridge on the Lahinch Road. The rapids at the Mill have torn a few wet suits over the years so they get out upstream of the Mill Bridge and jump back into the dark waters at the Mill wheel. The ducks and geese of the Post Office field look on in surprise at …

MORE than 140 people took to their bike on Sunday last, following Santa, as part of Gort’s very first #GortChristmasCycle. In his festive garb, Sean O’Neill led the group from Gort PlayGround to Sullivan’s Hotel where we were treated to hot chocolate, coffee. Entertainment followed by well-known local puppeteer Tommy Baker and Seamus, aka ‘Your Man’s Puppets’. There was a great mixture of big bikes, small bikes, trikes, electric bikes, fold-up bikes, cargo bikes, and even a recumbent bike. The event was made possible with the help of An Garda Siochana, who escorted participants safely, the marshals from various cycling groups such as Oranmore Cycle Bus, I Bike Oranmore, and Axa Community Rider David Murray frown Clarinbridge, were also involved. High Vis jackets and other merchandise donated by Galway Cycling Campaign and Tribeson Bikes. Organisers also thanked The Road Safety Authority and Cyclist.ie for supplying flashing bikelights. Nadine Reichel was on hand to take the pictures. Anyone interested in cycling …