Regional

AN UPLIFTING Feakle Festival is promised from August 4 to 8, with a surge of interest in the return of full in-person workshops, sessions and concerts.  Organisers of the 35th festival have just launched a new website, which captures a sense of what’s in store as some of Ireland’s finest traditional musicians prepare to gather for the eagerly-awaited event. “We’re thrilled with how the site has turned out,” said Aoife Hayes, a member of the festival’s organising committee. “Planning for the site was done by our full team, but because I’m one of the youngest people involved, I got the job of working on the layout and the script. The site was created by Jereon Bos (Artvaark Design) and we left the design completely his hands.” The site has several important features, including a direct link for ticket sales to the Glór box office. “Tickets were always available through Glór,” Aoife said, “but now we have the link straight to …

A RETIRED school principal and wife of the last lighthouse keeper at Loop Head Lighthouse has described her time living at the edge of the ocean as “heaven”. Located at the mouth of the Shannon Estuary with its origins dating back to the 1670s, the lighthouse was first opened to visitors in 2011 and has since become one of West Clare’s most popular attractions. The lighthouse also is one of the Great Lighthouses of Ireland and is one of two “Signature Discovery Points”, as identified by Failte Ireland, in County Clare along the route of the Wild Atlantic Way. Kitty Garvey, who attended the recent reopening of Loop Head Lighthouse for the first time since 2019, is thrilled with the major investment that has provided running water, refurbished buildings and a proper access road to this popular visitor attraction. Following her retirement from St Cuan’s National School, Kilbaha, she taught in various schools throughout the county on a part-time basis …

VOLUNTEERS from all around Clare helped clean up 240kg of litter while taking part in Clean Coasts and Fáilte Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way Community Clean-ups of Lahinch Beach on Saturday.  According to Clean Coasts it is important that as we enjoy the coast, that we remember to help protect and care for Ireland’s waterways, coastline, seas, ocean and marine life by ensuring they are free of litter and to educate ourselves on how best to do that.  These clean-up events were created by Clean Coasts as part of their summertime Enjoy and Protect campaign with support from Fáilte Ireland. The national tourism body supports the long-term sustainable growth in the economic, social, cultural and environmental contribution to tourism in Ireland and the events’ overall aim is to raise awareness to keeping marine and wildlife spaces clean for locals and tourists alike to enjoy and admire.  This event on Lahinch beach in Clare included tea and coffee for all participants. 40 …

NARROW ‘pinch points’ along a popular cycling route on the Shannon Estuary Way pose a danger, according to one local councillor who has called for warning signs to be introduced. Councillor Paul Murphy, speaking at a meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, outlined the success of the R473 Ennis/Clarecastle to Kildysart, Labasheeda and Kilrush, Shannon Estuary Way. The Ennis deputy mayor said that the road, “has become extremely popular as a cycling route and this can be seen on a daily basis but particularly at weekends”. However, he pointed out there are a number of ‘pinch points’ along the route, including one in the Ennis Municipal District area, from St Anthony’s Grove through to Hempfield/Claremount Cross. “These pinch points are extremely narrow,” he said, with barely room for two cars to pass. “You throw cyclists and pedestrians into the mix and it makes it extremely dangerous.” Councillor Murphy requested that road markings are replenished on this stretch of road, and …

HAVING been very active since the start of the pandemic, the Shannon Tidy Towns group will hold its AGM at the Hope Cafe at 7.30pm on July 26. The height of summer has seen the group activity step up further. “It’s a very busy time of year for every Tidy Towns group. There are litter picks three times a week, the Council won’t do weeding and clearing of roundabouts and islands around the town, so we do that,” said the group’s secretary Derek Clune. “Our hanging baskets are up, our flower beds are planted, they are watered two or three times a week, that’s another job to keep on top of. “We have 22 hanging baskets at the entrance to the town so they have to be watered on a regular basis. There’s a lot of flowers in them so they need to be watered at least twice a week. “Of course we keep the River Walk clean as well, …

TRAVELLER and comedian Martin Beanz Warde will be the star MC of the Clare Traveller Pride Award in Ennis. The event has been organised and is hosted by a brand new organisation, Clare Traveller Community Development Project (CDP).   Admission is free for the evening of live entertainment and Traveller awards at Cois na hAbhna on the Gort Road at 7pm on Thursday, July 21, with food and refreshments provided. Clare Traveller CDP co-ordinator Bridgie Casey said, “The aim of the awards is to highlight and recognise the achievements and contributions of Travellers in their communities and in Irish society. The awards also aim to instil pride in Traveller identity, highlighting some of the obstacles that exist for Travellers, and celebrate Travellers’ undoubted positive contribution to Irish life.  “Clare Traveller CDP was chosen as one of seven pilots nationally for a Community Development Programme funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development. “This is an exciting and much needed opportunity for …

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 …

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 …