Regional

Blockages on a river in Quin parish is adversely affecting fish stock, a new action group has claimed. In a detailed submission to Clare County Council, the Boolyree Rine River Flood Action Group warned it is now impossible for salmon to get up river due to the blockages. Group chairman John Perkins told The Clare Champion that those who have lived their lives in the area can remember back 30 years ago looking into the river and observing the salmon. However, he warned that there is no sign of the salmon now and that there is a lack of fish species.“The council have been contacted by individuals for years about the issues with the river but they have never taken any action. The action group has been set up to ensure that the council fulfil their duties and maintain this river, which takes away the water drainage from a large area from the Tulla hills all the way down to …

A TALENTED South Galway student is releasing his debut single shortly with the proceeds from the track going to a Galway charity. John Gaughan, a frequent performer in Galway and a Gort Community School student, has teamed up with two bin men to record a pop single That’s What You Do, which will be released on Friday, October 1, with all proceeds and perpetual royalties going to CD’s Helping Hands Children’s Cancer Charity.Just finished his Junior Cert and fresh off the stage in the Druid’s Production of Seán O’Casey’s The Silver Tassie, this teenager certainly has not been lazing about this past few months.In 2008, John Gaughan drew huge praise from X Factor Judge Louis Walsh, Grease star Susan McFadden and 2FM DJ Cormac Battle when his talent saw him take top prize in the RTÉ Talent Competition ICE Star Search.Brothers, Parisch and Oisín Browne who work for the waste company The City Bin Company came up with the idea …

THE North Clare economy will receive a welcome boost this weekend as more than 600 participants take part in the inaugural Run Cliffs of Moher Half Marathon.The race is expected to generate tens of thousands of euro for businesses in the area, while charities St Vincent De Paul, Special Olympics Ireland and Clare Crusaders will also benefit directly from it. Numerous other charities will benefit from participants’ fundraising.“We have been working with the Clare Sports Partnership and the Cliffs of Moher visitor centre on the event for about the last 16 months. Also, we have been liaising with the three charities, Clare Crusaders, which is bringing 50 runners and walkers on the day; Special Olympics Ireland, which is bringing 30 and St Vincent De Paul, which also has a group taking part. The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre has five participants and they will be wearing their Vote for the Cliffs in the New 7 Wonders of Nature t-shirts. There …

The Clare Shout senior and junior titles have returned to Kilkishen as Joe O’Gorman reclaimed the senior cup and 10-year-old Moll Nolan scooped the junior prize.  Joe (pictured), who is a Cratloe native but now resides in Kilkishen took the title for the first time in 2007 but lost the battle to reclaim it in the interim. however he returned to form this year and pipped last year’s winner David Walsh at the post in the final.Approximately 35 were shouting for glory, among them previous winners Mary Murphy, David Walsh and Joe O’Gorman, but two of the previous title-holders were to dwindle when the chips were down. Ten were selected to go forward into the next round, but despite a good effort, Mary missed out on a place in the top three and left Limerick man and 2009 winner David Walsh up against Danny Duggan from Kilkishen and Joe O’Gorman to see if he could retain the cup. It wasn’t …

THE road in and out of Shannon Airport is “absolutely treacherous” after rain, Shannon area councillors claimed at their September meeting.Councillor Pat McMahon introduced a motion that the council ask the DAA to investigate the safety of the road after heavy rain, particularly between the security check point and the Aer Lingus cargo depot.“How there aren’t accidents there, I don’t know. One heavy shower makes it treacherous,” Councillor McMahon commented.Councillor Gerry Flynn said that local management could do very little. “It’s regrettable that Shannon Airport Authority have no teeth and can’t deal with it.”He said that judging by the Government’s appointments to the DAA, it seemed they wanted “a hatchet job” to be done on the other airports.Councillor Patricia McCarthy agreed that the road is in a bad state. “It is treacherous and the quicker airport authorities are made to face up to their responsibilities the better.”She said that money is not available for the work because it was being …

A MAJOR new ring road linking parts of South-East Clare with Limerick City will directly impact on 14 farms by either severing them or reducing the area of their holding, it emerged this week.About 20 hectares will be taken out of production once the new Coonagh to Knockalisheen Distributor Road is constructed, according to an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the scheme. The new road will pass mainly through the electoral divisions of Ballygrennan, Meelick and North Limerick where 30 dairy and 20 beef farmers are running enterprises.The EIS has described the land quality in the area as good to poor with many areas reverting back to wetland. Land parcels are small and agriculture often extensive due to changes in zoning for development, the proximity of the site to existing development and poor agricultural lands.Before any mitigation measures are put in place, the new road would have a severe impact on one farm, a minor impact on 10 farms, a …

THE Sisters of Mercy have been teaching in Ennis since 1854, so the retirement of Sr Angela McMahon from the Holy Family Senior National School was particularly poignant yet bittersweet as it signalled the end of over a century and a half of teaching by the order. Sr Angela, who is from Connolly but who now lives at Ros an Óir, has put down 42 years with the Holy Family School but retired this year having taught her final class in June. The senior school had been under the stewardship of the Sisters of Mercy up until 1996 when Sr Áine Ní Riain retired and Margaret Cooney took up as the first lay principal there. The order continued to head the junior school up until 2007 when Sr Betty O’Riordan retired and Sharon Dilger became the first lay principal there. Speaking about retirement, Sr Angela said she enjoyed every minute of her teaching career and outlined that it was in …

WITH the support of the Kilrush Town Council’s 2010 Grant Scheme Assistance for Community Development Projects and in partnership with the Clare Youth Project based in the John Paul Estate in Kilrush, Raidió Corca Baiscinn has recently completed a six-module training course with five young budding radio DJs.The course involved taking a group of five girls aged between 14 and 16 through some basic radio production tutorials, which culminated in a half-hour magazine show produced, scripted and presented by the girls themselves. The tutorials took place in the resource centre in the John Paul Estate for two hours every Friday with their co-ordinators and Conan Brophy, the station’s volunteer trainer.The group began by talking about the kind of programmes they could make. Once the girls had decided they wanted a mix of interviews, chat and music, they set about following the steps required to gather the content. They covered interview technique, scripting, microphone technique, including mobile recorder use, and presenting. …