Regional

A North Clare community-led group is strongly encouraging community groups, community interests and local residents to have their say during the current phase of the Cliffs of Moher 2040 consultation process. The North Clare Strategic Planning Group (NCSPG) is a collaborative body, committed to the creation of a community of communities across the North Clare region and is offering to facilitate a shared community voice on the proposed developments. The future of the Cliffs of Moher is currently the subject of heightened attention as Clare County Council, in partnership with Fáilte Ireland, plans for the future development and sustainability of this iconic location. The Council has created a number of online and in-person opportunities for interested parties to have their say on plans for the Cliffs’ future. Established in 2021, the NCSPG’s ambition is to facilitate communities across North Clare to come together to address significant regional concerns and to maximise local community-based skills, assets and expertise for the benefit …

CAMOGIE has been a life-long passion for Quin’s Eileen (Eily) McMahon, who celebrated her 100th birthday in recent weeks. Alongside her sisters, Marcella (Cella), Maisie, Teresa (Tesa) and Kathleen (Dokey), Eily was known for her skill, athleticism and her dedication to her club. Now in her 101st year, Eily is President of Clooney-Quin Camogie and Ladies Football Club and Vice President of the GAA Club. Born Eileen McNamara, Eily was the second youngest in a family of nine from Hazelwood, Quin. Her parents were Jim McNamara and his wife Etta (née Neylan) and her nine siblings were Maisie, Mike, Joe, Paddy, Kathleen, Tom, Marcella and Teresa. Having grown up in a house steeped in hurling, Eily went on to prove her own sporting prowess and talent. “Her brothers were hurlers and their home was close to a pitch,” her daughter Geraldine told The Champion. “There were always people coming and going and the family had a great time growing up.” …

THE prospect that Clare may not have the infrastructure in place to take on offshore windfarm contracts was raised at the most recent West Clare Municipal District meeting. Councillor Ian Lynch proposed on May 3 that West Clare MD invite developers such as Simplify Blue Group to give a presentation to the members on the anticipated infrastructural requirements. There should, he said, be a specific focus on harbour developments, for maximisation of the project’s potential in the community. Councillor Lynch went against his own motion to illustrate that Clare is moving towards the possibility of these contracts at a far slower rate than needed, which will send investors to Kerry or Galway. He continued that he believes the starting point for moving forward with Clare’s offshore potential is to put the question out to the public, not discussing it as though the contracts are already set in stone while no preparation is done. He said: “You can see it from …

A TEAM from Ennistymon has been named among the finalists for this year’s national Student Enterprise Programme. BEA Scrubs from Scoil Mhuire, Ennistymon, the brainchild of Áine Hennigan, Eimear Lernihan and Bríd Áine Rouine, will represent Clare in the junior category final on May 18. The Local Enterprise Office initiative has seen over 300,000 Irish students take part over the course of its 20-year history. The announcement of the finalists took place at The Helix in Dublin, the venue for this year’s finals, with this year’s Ambassador, All-Ireland winner and All-Star, Limerick’s Sean Finn. Over 24,000 students took part in the Student Enterprise Programme this year, which began in September 2021 and returns to a physical National Finals event for the first time since 2019. From over 24,000 student enterprises, the top five businesses in each of the three categories, Senior, Intermediate and Junior have been selected to go forward to the final at the Helix on May 18 where …

THE people of Cloughleigh have come together to raise an impressive €3,000 for the Irish Red Cross’ work in Ukraine through the hosting of a number of events. A fundraising tea party, raffle and contribution from the local benevolent fund all played their part in raising the money which was recently presented to Aiden Lonergan of the Irish Red Cross. Flan Brennan, chairman of the Cloughleigh Residents Association explains that when news began to emerge of the war in Ukraine and they saw what was happening they were driven to try and help in some way. “At the beginning of this we were starting to hear on the news about the troubles in Ukraine and we felt we had to do something as a community. We wanted to give them a bit of support so we thought a fundraiser for the Irish Red Cross, who are doing great work, would be a good idea.” The fundraisers involved a number of …

SHANNON is mourning the passing of a true community champion after Tess Barry was laid to rest recently. Following the funeral Canon Brendan O’Donoghue said that almost as soon as he came to Shannon he became aware of her place in the community. “I remember when I came to Shannon 33 years ago, I was a new parish priest. I moved into Boyne Park and I couldn’t get over the reaction there from the people. “They were all lamenting the fact that a lady named Tess Barry, one of the residents, had moved to Fearnóg. I didn’t know who Tess Barry was at the time but it didn’t take me long to find out!” He said that Tess had made a huge contribution to the town. “She was in Shannon for many years and got involved in every sort of organisation. The Tidy Towns, the Senior Citizens, the Apostolic Work, the ICA, the Society of Care, were all organisations she …

A COUNTY councillor has said you’d be as well off sending a proposal to Dustin The Turkey as Irish Water for all the response you would get. The quip by Councillor Shane Talty came in the context of his proposal of a feasibility study into the prospect of linking a wastewater system for Doolin to the existing one in Lisdoonvarna. Councillor Talty made the suggestion about the potential project at the West Clare Municipal District meeting on May 3. This study was promised to Doolin Tourism when the Lisdoonvarna scheme was installed over 20 years ago, he noted, and Councillor Talty put forward the motion “in the absence of action taken by Irish Water.” The proposal comes after an announcement by the government last week that there will be a series of schemes to address towns and villages with wastewater management issues, though Councillor Talty claimed the narrative in Clare involves the funding from such schemes going to Broadford. Councillor …

GORT Cancer Support in Hollyblue House, Garrabeg, Gort, will host a “wellness evening” with guest speakers on Wednesday next, May 18. “Many of us are struggling to stay positive, at home and in work, due to the sheer multitude and scale of some of the challenges we are facing,” a spokesperson for the service said. “None more so than people affected by a cancer diagnosis. You do not have to suffer in silence though. You are not alone and there are plenty of practical everyday steps you can take to alleviate any stress or anxiety you may be experiencing. “With just the right blend of knowledge, insight and instruction, there is a whole host of positive actions you can take to improve your outlook and mood.” The wellness evening is open to everyone and offers an opportunity to call in and listen to any or all of the speakers. Expert advice will be available from Marie Skelly, of Alternative Healthiness …