Regional

A FIVE-mile run and walk to commemorate the short life of baby Nicholas Stokes of Phoenix, Arizona, will take place along the Cliffs of Moher on March 16, 2013. The event has just been launched by RTÉ sports personality, Marty Morrissey and renowned ultra-runner, Keith Whyte from Ennis.Newborn baby Nicholas passed away at the Cliffs of Moher in 2006. His parents, Kelly and Delia, were so touched by the support they received at the time of the tragedy that they have raised over $80,000 to supply emergency equipment and emergency response training for personnel at the Cliffs of Moher, the tourist destination where the first aid centre is known as Nicholas’ Room.The 2013 five-mile run in memory of baby Nicholas is being organised by the Ennis Phoenix Twinning Board, in association with James Sexton, Clare Athletics PRO.The five-miler is part of Phoenix Week 2013, which will mark the 25th anniversary of twinning between the town of Ennis and the US …

CHAIRMAN of the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade Pat Breen this week paid tribute to Clare centenarian Joe Cunningham, who passed away in Yonkers, New York on Thursday last.“I was very sorry to hear of Joe’s passing, as I had the pleasure of meeting him when he celebrated his 100th birthday in the Aisling Centre in New York during the St Patrick’s Day festivities earlier this year,” he said.Joe was a native of Doon in Crusheen and loved meeting people from his native county and hearing the news from home.He was born on April 11, 1912, the sixth of seven children, Sr Elizabeth, Thomas, Sr Agnes, Chris, Sr Christopher and Stephen, to James and Hanorah Cunningham. In 1929, at the age of 17, Joe emigrated to join two of his brothers in the United States. His parents had lived there between 1898 and 1902 and had married there.Joe made the journey to the United States by boat and …

Organisers of Lough Cutra Castle Triathlon are expecting in the region of 750 competitors in 2013.Details of next year’s Lough Cutra Castle Triathlon were announced this week. The explosion in popularity of such events saw several hundred competitors take part in the inaugural triathlon at the South Galway estate earlier this year. The 2013 date has now been confirmed for Sunday, May 26 and organisers are confidently expecting a large field based on the comparative growth of the series. The Galway race will be the first in the Markel Castle Triathlon Series that holds similar events in the UK and France. Last year the Lough Cutra event attracted more than 200 competitors. It includes the full Olympic distance plus shorter options meaning first timers and families are particularly well provided for.Local competitor. Jennifer Quinn from Peterswell who, is a member of Galway Triathlon Club, was third Irishwoman over the line. “I think it is fantastic to have a race of …

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has been accused to failing to deliver a significant reduction in the 41,122 out-patients still waiting for treatment at Galway University Hospital.HSE West Forum chairman, Councillor Padraig Conneely is becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress cutting the “horrendous” number of out-patients who are still on waiting lists at University College Hospital, Galway and Merlin Park.However, the HSE insists it has made major inroads into reducing the length of time public patients are waiting for treatment in the two hospitals.The health authority is also conducting a validation exercise for 25,000 patients on the waiting list before the end of the year. This will involve telephoning and sending letters to thousands of patients to see if they still need treatment. Grave concern about the total number of out-patients on waiting lists was expressed by Councillor Conneely at a recent HSE Forum West meeting.The HSE confirmed that 27 patients were waiting for treatment since 2007, 765 …

VISITOR numbers to the Vandeleur Walled Garden in Kilrush Wood “almost doubled” in 2012, Kilrush town clerk John Corry told last Thursday’s meeting of Kilrush Town Council. The council’s final meeting of 2012 was held at the walled garden centre. However, some councillors expressed their fears that a possible reduction in funding for the facility might impact upon the garden’s long-term viability.“It would be a disaster for the community if it had to close,” Councillor Tom Prendeville said.The meeting heard that Pobal will continue to fund wages for the garden supervisor and staff for 2013 but the town clerk said there is uncertainty regarding what funding will be available in 2014.Mr Corry said at the Kilrush Amenity Trust meeting held on December 5, it was decided to advertise to establish if any individuals or a company would be interested in operating the garden, if public funding runs out.The town clerk described this approach as “a back-up plan”. He also reported …

KILRUSH Town Council hosted the annual Cissie Roughan Awards at the Vandeleur Walled Garden last Thursday evening and the 2012 overall winner was endurance swimmer Fionnuala Walsh.On October 9, the Cappa woman became the first Clare person to swim the English Channel and only the 15th Irish person to complete the 15 hour and 26 minute swim from Dover to Calais in France. All money raised from her efforts was donated to Muscular Dystrophy Ireland and Pieta House.This was Fionnuala’s second attempt at the Channel, having had her hopes dashed on August 8 by fog, a couple of hundred metres from the French coastline.Training for the Channel swim started in earnest in September 2010 and, since then, Fionnuala has spent countless hours training in pools, lakes, seas and, mostly, in the Shannon Estuary. Before leaving for France, she had amassed more than 1.5 million metres in training.The Cissie Roughan Awards scheme was instituted in 1993 and honours the memory of …

THE Shannon Town and Environs Local Area Plan, the first standalone town plan for Shannon, was launched on Monday at Shannon Airport.