Regional

RESIDENTS living at Spancilhill Cross can “almost feel the vibrations of traffic coming at top speed” heading towards Ennis, writes Jessica Quinn. A meeting of Ennis Municipal District councillors heard calls were made for more garda patrols of the route. The Council has agreed to monitor traffic speeds on the R352 and the findings will be reported to An Garda Siochana. The concerns of residents were raised by Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy who sought a review of the cross for low-cost safety scheme design. She outlined the “serious health and safety concerns” with traffic at the Spancilhill Cross and the “ongoing speeding” on this section of the Tulla Road. She recalled a collision had been reported just days before the meeting of councillors. In light of that she suggested a series of measures to address the community’s serious concerns about speeding on this section of road. The councillor stated Ennis Municipal District should coordinate with the Gardaí to patrol this …

THE West Clare Mental Health Association is hosting a number of events to mark Mental Health Week 2021, writes Owen Ryan. On Thursday October 7 there will be a Facebook live event on The Lighthouse’s page with music and chat on The Lighthouse Page. Hosted by Marie Nolan and Breda Latham, the guests will include Paul Clegg, Edel Burke, Jessey McNamara and Marie Nolan. Then on Friday, October 8 from 7-9pm there will be Farm Connect event at Curtins Farm, in Lacken, Kilmihil, which has the Eircode V15E197. Guest speakers will be former rugby star and farmer John Hayes and George Graham, a farmer and chairman of Awareness Head to Toe, a voluntary group which promotes physical and mental health, as well as farm safety. At 11am on the morning of Saturday, October 9, there will be a guided woodland walk at the Vandeleur Walled Gardens and Woods. It will be led by botanist Eanna Ní Lamhna. Ms Ní Lamhna …

CLARE County Council is to go back to the drawing board after a number of complaints about a metal ladder installed at a very popular swimming area at Clahane in Liscannor. The busy local beauty spot has seen a big upsurge in sea swimming since the pandemic, but the installation of a steel ladder has irked a number of bathers. One of those who contacted The Champion described the structure as “medieval” and said it was causing problems for those entering and exiting the swimming area. While efforts were made by the authority to respond to swimmers’ concerns and adjust the structure, dissatisfaction reigned. “What on earth did we do to deserve the medieval addition to the ladder in Clahane, Liscannor, County Clare?” bather Margaret Hough said in an email to this newspaper. “The new ladder which was put in during the summer was causing a lot of problems for entry and exit to the swimming area. “Clare County council …

ENNIS National School students are showing that they aren’t ‘knit-wits’ when it comes to getting ahead for Christmas. The school’s ‘Crafty Crew’ knitting club of third to sixth class students are creating knitted squares for their now annual Christmas tree project. For the past three years instead of pine needles have been using knitting needles to made a community Christmas tree. As part of the project hundreds of knitted squares made by the students, their families and friends, are sewn together to create the unique festive decoration. They are now appealing to anybody who would like to get involved by making their very own patch for the tree to donate it to the project. Ciara Harding from Ennis National School explains, “The children at Ennis National School are currently working on knitting squares for their annual Christmas Tree Project. Over the past three years we have combined our work at school with squares from parents ,grandparents and friends of Ennis National School …

GARDAI are appealing for witnesses following a break-in to a business in Ennis in the early hours of Monday morning. Between 3.55am and 4.10am, a business premises located on O’Connell Street, Ennis was broken into. The front door was forced open and entry gained – a number of items were then taken from a glass cabinet. Gardai have asked if anyone was in the area of O’Connell Street during these times and witnessed this break-in or anyone who may have dash cam footage to contact Ennis Garda Station on 065-6848100.

TWO Clare food producers tasted success on the national stage at the weekend landing awards in the prestigious Blas na hÉireann competition. The Burren Butcher, from Lisdoonvarna, won gold and best in county awards for their six ounce steak burger. The Hawes, Neil and Paula, who trade as The Burren Butcher, expressed their delight at being best in their category which is a competitive space. “We’re in nice company there,” Paula told The Champion, “with the likes of James Whelan and Dunnes Stores. “They’re a great award to get, very high-profile, so we’re thrilled. Hopefully this Gold Blas award and the award of Best in Co Clare will be a major boost to us , we are after all a busy family micro business and every little helps” Neil Hawes Craft Butchers began trading in 2008 and was a multi award-winning butcher based in Lisdoonvarna specialising in locally sourced Burren beef and lamb. The win, says Paula, is confirmation that …

THE late Canon William O’Kennedy has been remembered in a film launched this week to commemorate the centenary of the Bere Island Internment Camp. The film recounts how Canon O’Kennedy was abducted from Ennis and transported to Bere Island where he was kept in solitary confinement for a number of weeks, before his whereabouts was discovered. Canon O’Kennedy was president of St Flannan’s College in 1919 and was one of the pillars of the Sinn Féin movement in Clare. He was arrested in 1921 and held in Bere Island before being released after the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in London. The film was launched on Monday by the Bere Island Projects Group to commemorate the centenary of the camp, which was in operation from April to December 1921. In 1920, a prison camp was opened on Bere Island on the site of the Fort Berehaven military camp, for convicted Republican prisoners. By April 1921, all convicted prisoners had been …

A DOOLIN hotelier has been honoured in a prestigious short story competition organised by RTÉ. Dónal Minihane, General Manager of Hotel Doolin, was named on Monday night as joint runner-up in the competition which honours the memory of the late writer, Francis MacManus. “It’s absolutely amazing to be recognised like this,” Dónal told The Champion. “It’s really great that people will read and hear the story. When writers sit down to write, we don’t expect many people to read our work, but still we do it. This is something that’ll help me to keep going when I’m up early on the dark winter mornings while everyone else is in bed.” ‘Windsea’ was unveiled on RTÉ Radio’s Arena on Monday night as joint runner-up and Dónal said he was delighted to get the call from producers to give him the good news. The piece was read on RTÉ by actor Aaron Monaghan on Wednesday night last, and the story is available …