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Clonlara’s own Google doodler

MILLIONS of internet users will view an award-winning design by a talented Clonlara student when it appears on the Google Ireland homepage this Friday.A desire to turn back time and see how people lived in the past helped Patrick Horan scoop the top prize in the prestigious Doodle 4 Google competition.The sixth-year pupil was the toast of St Munchin’s College on Monday after becoming the second pupil from the school to win this prize within the last four years, emerging victorious out of 2,300 entrants.Interestingly, the €10,000 prize secured by Evan O’Sullivan-Glynn, who won the inaugural competition in 2009, played a major role in guiding Patrick Horan to the school’s latest extraordinary success.The 2009 prize money paid for a new art room in the school, which provided the ideal facility for Patrick to hone his art skills after reaching the quarter-finals of the 2011 competition.Pupils from Parteen, Clonlara, Meelick, Westbury and Shannon Banks benefited from the upgrading of facilities in …

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Search and Recovery Unit vows to continue working

MEMBERS of Killaloe Search and Recovery Unit have vowed to continue providing a service to the local community, despite the “shocking” theft of two 90-horsepower Honda twin engines worth about €15,000 apiece new.Killaloe/Ballina Search and Recovery Unit chairman, Tony O’Brien, confirmed members were in a “defiant” mood to ensure its volunteer service continues when the theft was discussed at a recent meeting.While members of the group were shocked and very disappointed that someone would stoop so low to steal valuable property from a voluntary organisation, Mr O’Brien said the divers are very resilient.In fact, he pointed out measures have already been put in place such as securing the loan of a craft and engines from an existing member to ensure the vital emergency service continues.“Members of KBSR are heartened by messages of support from people in the boating fraternity and from other people offering all kinds of assistance to ensure we keep going.“Although we have got a loan of a …

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Green light for St Joseph’s school plan

The minister for Education and Skills has given the green light to St Joseph’s Secondary School in Tulla to go to construction in 2015/2016 on its new school development, a project the community has been waiting on for more than a decade.Minister Ruairí Quinn announced this week that St Joseph’s Secondary School is one of 43 new school developments at second level, which will begin over the next five years as part of a €2 billion capital investment programme. Speaking about the announcement, principal Margaret O’Brien said, “we are delighted to be included in the list but we would hope to beat that deadline if we can get everything in place beforehand. I suppose we were disappointed we weren’t included a year earlier. It will mean a whole brand new school with state of the art facilities and playing facilities and hopefully facilities that we can share with the local community.” Ms O’Brien explained that together with the board of …

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Sliabh Aughty wins top prize at Mountmellick Drama Festival

Sliabh Aughty Drama Group has scooped the top accolade in the confined section of the Mountmellick Drama Festival for their production of Michael Carey’s Thy Will Be Done. In addition to the top drama award, the group were also honoured in two other categories, with director/producer John Allen being awarded best producer and Noel Hogan named as best actor. The East Clare group took to the stage in Mountmellick on Monday March 5 marking their first appearance on the drama circuit for 2012. They have followed this with performances at the Claremorris Drama Festival and continue on the circuit next to Claregalway this Friday night, Carnew thereafter before returning to home turf for the Clare Drama Festival in Scariff on March 22 next. Speaking about the award, John Allen commented, “We are over the moon. The last time we won anything was in or around 1995 or 1996 so it has been a long time coming as we’ve been getting …

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Novel approach to auctioneering

A SOUTH Galway auctioneer is following in the footsteps of one of Australia’s most successful estate agents by holding “for the first time ever in Ireland” a public auction in the front garden of the property on sale. Colm Farrell is selling 19 The Maples, Glenbrack, Gort on behalf of its owners, John and Maureen Walsh.Both widowed, John and Maureen met in Italy in 2006. They married and moved to Gort. Maureen’s family live in Meath and Dublin and the long drive and constant bag packing no longer make sense. Late last year they decided to move. They put their detached property in Glenbrack on the market and quickly found an apartment in Trim. With the deposit down, they waited for their property to move. They are still waiting.“It was John’s suggestion to relocate up in Meath. We are not getting younger and we are so much time up and down so we decided we would go for an apartment …

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Showing solidarity on the roads of Kinvara

THE Seamount College community will take to the roads around Kinvara next week in an effort to highlight the daily experience of women and girls in the developing world.On March 22, International World Water Day, the pupils and teachers, male and female, will take part in a 6km walk around Kinvara carrying water. The event will show solidarity with their peers in Kenya, where a young girl travels the average daily distance of 6km by foot, carrying up to 20 litres of water on the journey. As a result of the time it takes to collect water, many girls are unable to remain in education and without education, find themselves caught in a cycle of poverty.International World Water Day is held annually to focus attention on the importance of fresh water and advocating the sustainable management of fresh water resources.“It is a time to focus public attention on critical water issues, such as the fact that 6,000 children die every …

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Health benefits of St Tola’s goats cheese highlighted

REPRESENTATIVES of Government departments should form a strategy group to promote the long term health benefits of organic food, according to an award-winning North Clare producer.Siobhán Ní Ghairbhith, who runs St Tola Organic Goat Farm believes Government departments such as health, education and agriculture and other agencies should play a more proactive role marketing and promoting organic food.Situated in Maurice Mills between Inagh and Ennistymon, Inagh Farmhouse Cheese has won a number of awards including a World Cheese Awards Bronze medal last year. Acknowledging the Department of Education organises National Organic Week in early September, Ms Ní Ghairbhith insists more work could be done promoting this important event by getting the multiples such as Dunnes and Tesco on board.While An Bord Bia produced a very good national organic conference last year, she told Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Shane McEntee, small producers need more marketing support, during his visit to the farm on Friday last.“We need marketing …

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In search of volunteers who dig archaeology

ASPIRING archaeologists have the chance to take part in a dig at a Mesolithic site in Fanore next month as part of the Burrenbeo Conservation Volunteers (BCV) programme. As part of the BCV programme, members of the public are invited to join with others and become a volunteer heritage worker. “You will get to assist in an extremely important Mesolithic site excavation, the first of its kind to be excavated in County Clare and can do so for free. All you need is enthusiasm for the Burren and commitment to the project.” The BCV is seeking volunteers for a minimum week-long commitment to assist qualified archaeologists with excavating, stripping, sieving, site drawings and closing of an important Mesolithic Site.The dig begins on April 16 and continues every Monday to Friday for a five-week period until May 18. Anyone hoping to attend should wear full wet gear, warm clothes, hiking boots or steel capped boots if possible, gardening gloves, and bring …

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