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West Clare

Carrigaholt woman sues Tesco following fall

A woman who claims she suffered severe back and other injuries after slipping on grapes while shopping in a Tesco store has brought a High Court action for damages. The action by Patricia Walsh, of Shannondale Stud, Rehy, Carrigaholt, opened this week before Mr Justice Anthony Barr. Ms Walsh (45) has sued Tesco Ireland over the incident in the Tesco store at Kirush, on August 28th 2012. Tesco denies the claims and pleads Ms Walsh’s injuries were her own fault or there was contributory negligence on her part. In evidence, Ms Walsh said the fall occurred while she was in the fruit section of the Kilrush store. Becoming upset, she said her legs shot out from under her, she hit the ground and was unable to get up afterwards. The judge heard she was taken by ambulance to Ennis hospital from where she was moved to Limerick Regional Hospital where she remained for seven days. She said she had severe …

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Kilkee, a winter experience

“Kilkee and all that lies about it offers only ordinary happiness, a most precious thing that any child can enjoy or any old man. But on the right day in West Clare, under the right light, that ordinary happiness takes on an immaculacy, an innocent radiance which lifts it near to what we mean by heavenly delight.” (Kate O’Brien) One searches in vain to aptly describe Kilkee in winter; the best I can come up with is ‘an experience with a difference’. The month of February usually spells the beginning of, or at least the onset of, spring. However, Sunday last, February 5, certainly defied that assumption. I awoke to the sound of John Bowman on radio followed by Sunday Miscellany, which has remained an enduring part of my Sunday morning line-up for almost 40 years now, together with that all-important, Sunday morning fry. When I woke, I had promised myself a walk over towards the Diamond Rocks prior to …

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Fears for estuary dolphins’ health

ALTHOUGH a report published by the Zoological Society in London has found that the effect of pollution on bottlenose dolphins in the Shannon Estuary is the lowest in Europe, Dr Simon Berrow of the Kilrush-based Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) has expressed alarm at the level of pollution in the estuary. Levels are above the toxic threshold thought to impact on bottlenose dolphins’ health and reproduction. Information collected by the IWDG in Irish waters fed into the research led by Dr Paul Jepson of the Zoological Society. Dr Berrow, project manager with the IWDG and lecturer in applied freshwater and marine biology at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, was one of the co-authors in the study. “We provided samples from bottlenose dolphins in the Shannon Estuary for the study and, although concentrations in the Shannon dolphins were the lowest in Europe, the levels were still well above the toxicity threshold, which leads to serious impacts,” Dr Berrow said, adding that …

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Lynch to stand in general election

INDEPENDENT Kilrush county councillor Ian Lynch has confirmed that he will be a candidate in the upcoming general election, which is expected to be held in late February. Ten candidates have now declared their intention to stand in the Clare constituency. Elected to Clare County Council in 2014, Councillor Lynch also served on Kilrush Town Council from 2009 to 2014, when he represented Fine Gael. However, he opted to stand as an independent candidate in the county council elections after Fine Gael selected Gabriel Keating, Oliver Garry and Marian McMahon Jones to represent the party in the West Clare Municipal District in May 2014. Councillor Lynch maintains that the interests of West Clare have not been sufficiently represented in Dáil Éireann and insists that he is the candidate to change that. “There has been huge support in West Clare for me to run. People have said to me that the West has not had representation, based in West Clare, since …

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Death of Ballynacally/Lissycasey priest

The death has occurred peacefully at his home of Fr Tom O’Dea, assistant priest, Ballynacally/Lissycasey. Born on December 16, 1933 in Newmarket-on-Fergus, he was a pupil of St Flannan’s College, Ennis and he studied for the priesthood at St Patrick’s College, Carlow.He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Tucson, Arizona on June 7, 1958. Fr Tom served in various parishes in Tucson Diocese and later in Phoenix Diocese, including St Thomas the Apostle Parish in Phoenix, Queen of Peace Parish in Mesa, St Anthony of Padua Parish, Casa Grande; St Francis Parish in Superior, St Patrick Parish in Bisbee, St John Vianney Parish in Goodyear, St Matthew Parish in Phoenix, Christ the King Parish in Mesa and Holy Spirit Parish in Tempe. He retired after serving as pastor of Ascension Parish in Fountain Hills in 2003. After his return to Ireland he served as assistant priest in the Parish of Ballynacally/Lissycasey. He died peacefully at his home in …

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Famous sherpas visit West Clare

THE world’s most prolific climbers are currently in Ireland speaking about their death-defying experiences in the Himalayas. Nepalese heroes Mingma Sherpa and Pasang Sherpa have travelled here to speak about their efforts to rebuild the renowned Rolwaling valley area since the devastating earthquake struck on April 25, 2015. They adressed an enthusiastic gathering at the Armada Hotel in Spanish Point on Saturday night last. The community have been working tirelessly to rebuild their village and their livelihoods and they are hoping to promote tourism in Nepal through Ascent Himalayas, Nepal Tourism Board and the Nepal Ireland Society. Tourism is the key back bone of Nepal’s economy and is a much needed source of foreign currencies, especially in the aftermath of the unprecedented natural disaster that crumbled the country’s economy and shattered the livelihoods of those living in the mountains. Climbing is currently changing dramatically in Nepal, with many sherpas setting up their own companies instead of working for western-based ones. …

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Christmas Swim at Gortglas Lake (Photo Gallery)

Hardy souls took to the water at beaches and lakes around the county on Christmas Day to raise funds for charities. Our photographer John Kelly travelled to Gortglas Lake in Kildysart where swimmers took their annual dip at midday, raising much needed funds for the West Clare Mini marathon Cancer fund. [doptg id=”90″]  

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Tourism chair to address Washington forum

LOOP HEAD Tourism chairman Cillian Murphy will be among the speakers at the World Bank Tourism Forum, which will be held at the World Bank Group headquarters in Washington DC next Tuesday and Wednesday. The theme of the forum is Driving Development Through Tourism and among the speakers will be Jim Yong Kim, president of the World Bank; Aireen Omar, CEO Air Asis and Mauricio Ventura Aragon, the Costa Rican Minister for Tourism. “I did an assignment for my masters on tourism and local economic benefit. One of my tutors puts together part of the programme for the World Travel Market  discussions and was impressed with the Loop Head story and invited me to present it at World Bank Tourism Forum,” Mr Murphy explained. Mr Murphy’s discussion on Wednesday will be moderated by journalist and author Elizabeth Becker and he will be joined by Gabriella Crescini, head client and partner relationships, Swiss Contact; Brian Said, executive director of Visit Philadelphia …

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