Regional

CLARE Champion readers are more than familiar with the photographs of award-winning photographer John Kelly.

Plans to introduce a traffic management system for the town of Scariff are expected to go to the consultation phase in the coming weeks arising from a number of public meetings held in the area in the past month.

OVER the past two years, West Clare Cycling Club member and Kilrush-based Paul Edson has cycled over 1,200km in aid of the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF).

UP to 100 secondary school pupils from all parts of the country attended a special free one-day Leaving Certificate Maths higher-level revision course provided by a former Gort Community School pupil.

A pioneering initiative is being provided for communities in North Clare and South Galway to air their views and vision about the future development of the Burren.

GAELCHOLÁISTE an Chláir and Ennis Community College continues a blooming relationship with the Rose of Tralee competition as art teacher Síle Ní Dheargain was named the Kerry Rose at the weekend.Former Gaelcholáiste pupil Blathnaid O’Donoghue did the county proud when she represented Clare in the competition 2005. While Síle will not be representing Clare in the competition, that honour going to Corofin’s Grace Cummins, she is sure to get plenty of support from her Ennis pupils and friends.Speaking to us after her win, Síle said, “I am completely shocked, this is just brilliant I’m over the moon. The support I have been getting has been unreal and I’m just thrilled.”The 26-year-old from Lispole, Kerry has been a member of Cumann Ramhíocht Corca Duibhne for 11 years and last year set up the first currach club in Ennis and Clarecastle. She has completed the Thames Great River Race and the Corks Ocean to City Race and recently taught boxer Bernard Dunne …

Despite the recession gripping the country, a group of North Clare pupils managed to coax funding for a specialist piece of exercise equipment from an unusual group of dragons recently.Transition year pupils at Scoil Mhuire presented a €250 cheque to the Ennistymon Community Hospital and Day Care Centre on Tuesday to provide an exercise machine for users of the local facility. During the last academic year transition year pupils at Scoil Mhuire participated in the Young Social Innovators project. The YSI Project is held nationally and involves work young people do to improve the lives of people in society or the local community. The project is led by the pupils in a way that is respectful, empowering, fair, innovative, fun and experiential but also suggests and takes actions for change to make the world a better place. Transition years at Scoil Mhuire decided to address the topic of the older person. Their project was entitled If youth knew…if age could. …

CLARE County Council has promised to open Loop Head Lighthouse to the public this summer.The matter was raised at Monday’s meeting of the Kilrush Electoral Area county councillors in Kilrush. All six West Clare county councillors attended.One of the motions on the agenda included a question from Councillor Gabriel Keating to Clare County Council. He asked the local authority to “define proposed tourism projects for West Clare” and asked that specific start-up dates be provided.In reply, Ger Dollard, director of services, said Loop Head lighthouse will be opened to public access this summer. However, he said it is impossible to give a definite date yet.“The council is endeavouring to pilot an access arrangement over the summer of 2011. An overall scheme will require major development and should be progressed in 2012. It is not possible to give definitive timescales at this point,” he noted.Another possible project mentioned by Mr Dollard is the proposed extension of the Clare Coastal Walk to …