Regional

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. …

THE owner of the Ennis allotments on the Tulla Road is expanding the initiative to include a nature trail, aimed at teaching young people and their parents about the importance of biodiversity and protecting our environment.Jimmy Spellisy has been running the Ennis allotments for over two years and says that the demand is definitely there to expand the initiative. “I have been offering a nature trail in the surrounds of the allotments in recent times but it’s time now to promote the idea and encourage people to come and take part in this healthy and interesting activity,” Mr Spellisy said.The nature trail runs down into the Doora Flood Plains and the Cappahard Flood Plains, including the grounds of Cappahard House, the Ennis allotments and Mr Spellisy eventually wants to see it incorporate the river. “I intend that it will showcase such a biodiverstiy through the allotments and the flood plains. The wildlife in this area is spectacular. It will also …

LOCAL Eric Daly topped the bill at the Black Dragon full body contact kickboxing fight in Gort Community Centre last Saturday night.Over 300 people attended the event and Daly had good support, as he defeated Donegal’s Chris Coyle. Also in action were Cathal Manning, who now lives in Gort, and Feidhlim Dunne from Kinvara. Both were winners on the night.Pete Foley of the Black Dragon Club said that it had been a good night. “There were around 300 people there. It was probably a bit smaller than the attendance last year but they were a nice crowd and there was a very good atmosphere. They clapped everyone and there was no booing. A lot of the fighters wouldn’t have been used to that.”He said that the standard of fighting on the night had been very good and the three local fighters had done very well. “Cathal Manning won his fight, which was under K-1 rules. It’s a different form of …