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Hopes of extending of Fergus walk and cycleway to Clarecastle

WITH the new River Fergus Walk and Cycleway already proving to be a great success with locals and visitors to the Ennis area, attention is now turning towards potentially extending the route. Clarecastle Community Development are endeavouring to secure funding for a feasibility study to be carried out into the possibility of bringing the walk and cycle way as far as Clarecastle Quay. Speaking at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, Councillor Paul Murphy requested the local authority “row in behind Clarecastle Community Development’s aspiration of extending the Fergus Greenway onwards to Clarecastle Quay”. He outlined there is currently a live application for low level Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) funding that will allow a feasibility study for this project to be carried out. Eamon O’Dea, Senior Executive Engineer, responded, “A joint application has been made by the Project Management Office and Clarecastle Tidy Towns to the Department of Rural & Community Development, under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme …

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Carmel honoured for 40 years in Order of Malta

LOCAL woman Carmel Peacock has been awarded a long service medal having put down 40 years in the local Order of Malta branch. Speaking to the Clare Champion Carmel said that she hadn’t expected to receive the award at the time that she did. “We had 19 new officers being commissioned on Sunday and the awards were given out on the back of that. I was included in those.” While she has been involved in the organisation since she was a national school child, last week was one of the busiest in all that time, before it was capped with the award. “We had a very, very long week, to be fair. There was a Cadet camp on the previous weekend, the cadets participated in that on Saturday and Sunday. There were cadets from all over Ireland and that was on up in Co Fermanagh, I drove the cadets up there on the mini bus. “Then we were straight into …

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St Tola’s praised in Dáil as model to be replicated

ST TOLA’S National School has been praised in the Dáil for providing an example of how students with disabilities should be catered for. During the course of a debate on the provision of education for children with special needs, Clare TD Cathal Crowe said, “I will commend St. Tola’s National School in Shannon on being one of two schools in the country that has a multi-disability class. “The body politic always talks about ASD units, and that is so important, but it is only one disability across a spectrum of disabilities. The model in St. Tola’s is one we need to replicate throughout the country.” St Tola’s opened its class for pupils with multiple disabilities in May, with over €250,000 having been spent on providing a prefab and facilities for the children. At the time of the opening, school principal Mary Dunlea Fitzgerald said, “The children have multiple disabilities so they have challenges in relation to communication and movement and …

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‘Ambassadors of the tradition’ to launch album in Miltown

BROADCASTER Therese McInerney will launch her new album at The Westbridge in Miltown Malbay on Saturday, July 30 at 8pm.  Entitled ‘The Youth that Belongs to Miltown’, the album is a stunning collaboration with fellow Miltown native, Marian Curtin. Already garnering rave reviews, this exciting new album of traditional Irish fiddle and flute music comprises of selections of tunes deeply rooted in West Clare. It also features newer compositions paired with fine accompaniment. Joining Marian and Therese are some of Ireland’s finest musicians including Aileen O’Callaghan on piano, Ger Naughton on bouzouki and bodhrán, Eimear Coughlan on harp and Sharon Howley on cello all sewn together beautifully in studio by the talented Martin O’Malley. The timeless blend of the flute and fiddle is enhanced by the addition of piano, bouzouki, bodhrán, harp and cello as well the added bonus of a few steps from Conor and John Fennell. The talented young musicians were described by Harry Hughes of Scoil Samhraidh …

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Great East Clare Hill Challenge a huge success

FATIGUE and tired limbs failed to dampen the sense of achievement at the Belvoir carpark of the 12 O’Clock Hills last weekend, as hikers and walkers returned from a hugely successful Great East Clare Hill Challenge.  Up to 130 hikers and 15 guides participated, in ideal weather conditions, in the 30km hike, which they completed in eight to nine hours. There were no medals for anyone competing, just the great feeling of accomplishment on completion. This strenuous hike had an early start at 8am from Two Mile Gate, Killaloe. From there, hikers made their way, in stunning July sunshine, to the summit of Moylussa at a height of 532m, the highest peak in Clare. Then, they followed a boggy track along Sliabh Bearna to Cragnamurragh the second highest mountain in the county. After a short break, hikers continued past the Enchanted Lake and then made their descent to link to the East Clare Way and into the village of Broadford …

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Soccer Sisters pitch in to raise €5,000 for Rape Crisis Midwest

THE Soccer Sisters, a social soccer club in Ennis, came out in force for Rape Crisis Midwest recently. The club organised a Charity Soccer Blitz featuring several teams from across County Clare raising €5,000. The club, which has a large membership of women, is a relatively newly established soccer team and community is at the heart of the club. The teams took part in a Round Robin type tournament at the astro turf at Planet Entertainment, Ennis, last Saturday week, July 2. It was very much a family affair with children, parents and partners joining in to support the players, to hand out food and refreshments and to present the prizes. The winning team was Bunratty Cratloe with Bridge Celtic FC in second position and the hosts Soccer Sisters finishing third. Laura Thompson of Soccer Sister explained, “Fifty-seven fantastic women took part on the day, 46 matches over six hours. I would like to thank the coaches, referees and volunteers …

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Quiet glory of south Galway captured in Mavis’ exhibition

THE beautiful land and seascapes of south Galway provide the inspiration for an exhibition of paintings at the old Courthouse in Kinvara running this week. KAVA (Kinvara & Area Visual Artists) is presenting a solo exhibition of Mavis Gormally’s paintings entitled, Path to Home, that will be available to view up to Sunday, July 24. Mavis is showing over 40 paintings depicting the idyllic landscapes, heritage sites and seascape scenes of Gort, Kinvara, and the surrounding area. Among her subjects Mavis has captured Thor Ballylee, The Gort River Walk, Coole Park, and the Pier in Kinvara. Since before moving from NYC to Ireland in 2003, Mavis has shared her knowledge and love for art. A fine artist and painting tutor, Mavis enjoys sharing her passion for art through teaching painting in the locality. She currently tutors pre-teens, teenagers, and adults in her home studio as well as clients of the Gort Cancer Support Centre in Holly Blue House.  The artist …

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Determined Miss Clare won’t let scoliosis keep her down

JUST a few short months after undergoing her third spinal surgery, 20-year-old Ennis student Derinn Finnerty has taken the crown of Miss Clare. Derinn, who is studying Global Commerce at NUIG, was diagnosed with severe scoliosis at 16 years of age however she has been determined not to let this stop her following her dreams. She has now been named among the 37 finalists vying for the coveted Miss Ireland 2022 title in this the competition’s 75th Jubilee year. She tells us, “It’s just been amazing, it’s been crazy since I was crowned. Every day there is something new to do, and I’m loving it. “I’ve had so many people wishing me well. I’m just so honoured to be able to represent the county.” Derinn is determined to raise awareness of scoliosis, a condition which results in an abnormal curvature of the spine, and she is working with Irish charity Straight Ahead to raise funds to support children waiting on …

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