Regional

KILRUSH and West Clare people or visitors to the area who like the idea of taking a late night walk deep into Kilrush Wood, can now do just that, safe in the knowledge that they won’t get lost.

HAVING been treated for a cancerous tumour at the Mid-West Cancer Centre in Dooradoyle four years ago, Kevin Shalloo is aiming to raise funds for the centre on Saturday, April 9, with a cycle from Limerick to Kilkee. A regular triathlon and dualathlon participant, Kevin is also actively involved in GAA and has played senior football for Kilkee and O’Curry’s. He is currently part of the Coolmeen junior football team management.“We’re hoping to have it on April 9. The idea is to get 100 bikes to do 100 kilometres. Although it’s going to be a little bit more than 100km because we’re going to come the back way and stay off the motorway,” Kevin explained.While anybody who can cycle will be able to take part, Kevin is hopeful that members of Limerick Triathlon Club, Ennis Triathlon Club, West Clare Cycling Club and Dolmen Cycling Club in Ennis will register.“We’re looking for anyone who is interested in taking part or who …

RECORD cold weather has meant hard ground and difficult conditions for plants and gardeners alike. Frozen out of the garden for most of the winter, many are now waiting with anticipation for the coming season, considering their seed choices and planning their way towards the garden of their dreams. Two South Galway women hope to help.Anna Jeffrey Gibson and Lynn O’Keeffe-Lascar founded Kinvara Sustainable Living two years ago and since then, the interest in sustainability and growing one’s own vegetables and fruit has soared.“There definitely is a renewed interest in sustainability. One course which we had a lot of interest in last year was growing soft fruit and making jam and ice cream. We are running that again. I think people are getting back into jam and chutney making,” outlines Lynn.“Poultry keeping is popular with young people and teenagers, who are entrepreneurial and want to make a bit of money from selling eggs to their neighbours,” she adds.Indeed, it is …

AFTER a six-year hiatus, Gort’s hugely entertaining show Reach for the Stars is making a return this April in the town’s newly revamped community centre.The show involves amateur performers singing to the professional backing of their favourite artist or band.“Produced by the local non-profit group, Five Star Events, this show has been a total sell-out due to the high level of presentation and fun, mixing very talented performers with the, let’s just say, more amusing style act,” explained Austin McInerney.“The show combines Eurovision-style voting with some old favourites, like the Green Room for the acts and short video advertising clips for the sponsors. Some of these from the past can be seen on our Facebook page or Youtube if you look for Reach For The Stars, Gort,” Austin continued. This year, each act in the show will be backed by a sponsor. They will represent a local group, charity or cause and if they win, the prize money will be …

A ROAD in North Clare was described as a “cow path” this week by a local representative in the area but despite this a Clare County Council engineer said the local authority could not guarantee that it would be restored this year.At an Ennistymon Electoral Area meeting on Monday, Fine Gael Councillor Joe Arkins called the road at Dromoher/Crossard a “cow path” and claimed that “there is a number of people using it and it is causing quite a lot of damage to cars”.Councillor Arkins had tabled a motion asking the North Clare area engineer to give a firm commitment that the road would be resurfaced as early as possible this year. “A new water scheme was completed two and a half years ago now and the roads were left in a terrible condition. This road had been included in the annual roadwork’s programme in 2010 and was dropped due to lack of funding. The road has now deteriorated and …

PUPILS at Mary Immaculate Secondary School, Lisdoonvarna will present their production of the hit musical Grease at the Pavilion Theatre, Lisdoonvarna next week.The school has been involved in several productions over the years including musicals, drama and panto.The school’s transition-year pupils suggested Grease as this year’s show and according to teachers, they have taken to their tasks with enthusiasm.Grease, the musical, was first performed at the Eden Theatre, New York in 1972 with music and lyrics by Jim Jacob and Warren Casey. The popular film version, starring Olivia Newton –John and John Travolta, was released in 1979.The secondary school’s transition-year pupils, drawn from throughout the North Clare area, have been in rehearsal for some weeks. The production team consists of Mark Mulqueeney, producer, Mairéad Ní Chondúin, musical director and Liz Shannon, choreographer. Leading man, Danny is played by Breandan Schoeland from Kilshanny while Niamh Carrucan from Fanore takes on the role of Sandy in the production. The school is even …

ST Joseph’s Secondary School in Tulla is a step closer to acquiring a new school building as the Tánaiste announced this week that the school has been sanctioned to begin the process of appointing a design team.The Department of Education and Skills published its school building work programme for 2011 and St Joseph’s new school project has been progressed to the stage where briefs will be formulated this year with a view to appointing a design team.Commenting on the recent development, school principal Margaret O’Brien said, “we are thrilled”.Half of the school currently operates out of prefab classrooms and it is accepted that the current school facilities and site are unsuitable. Ms O’Brien stated that although this progress has been made, it is essentially the beginning of the new school building process. She stressed that it had taken a lot of planning over the past 10 years to bring this project forward to the development stage.It is envisaged that the …

A SLIGHT wind chill but overall a beautiful day last Sunday was the setting for the unveiling of a memorial to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the ambush at Glenwood where six policemen were shot dead by members of the East Clare Brigade IRA.The day began with a concelebrated remembrance mass in Kilkishen Church by Fr H O’Dowd, assisted by Fr Harry Bohan and Fr K Hogan, who is the son of Seamus Hogan, Galway, a volunteer in the ambush. A number of relatives of the volunteers also participated in the service.Those in attendance then proceeded to the site in Glenwood where memorial committee chairman, Patsy Neville welcomed a large gathering and acknowledged the large voluntary effort that facilitated the memorial day.Speakers on the day included Deputy Tony Killeen and Fr Bohan, with the treasurer of the memorial committee John Lenihan making the closing address.The memorial itself is constructed so that a candle can be placed at its heart and …