Tag Archives: Clare Crusaders’ Clinic

A COLAISTE Mhuire student is thrilled with the “phenomenal” support she has received for a recent fundraising event for two charities. Holly Cotter (17), Doora, Clarecastle who is completing Leaving Certificate Applied in Colaiste Mhuire, has raised more than €3,650 from cutting her long red precious locks and will continue accepting donations for another two weeks. Having set up an iDonate page, all the proceeds from this fundraiser go directly to Clare Crusaders. Her father, Seamus described the support to date as “phenomenal”. He said the Clare Crusaders are relying on this fundraiser and a new draw with Munster Tech, O’Connell Street, to win a golden ticket for a PS5 playstation, which was won by Nathan O’Shea. “Holly is delighted with her new hairstyle, everyone is admiring it. To go from long red hair to short hair is a massive change for a teenager girl.” Seamus recalled Holly benefited from using Clare Crusaders from the age of five until she …

Former Minister of State Finian McGrath has been accused of not doing enough to provide day services for adults with disabilities during the Covid-19  lockdown. Councillor Ann Norton said Minister McGrath was still being paid as a minister of state during this period when it seemed as if he “disappeared off the planet”. The Clare Crusaders’ Clinic manager outlined her phone is “hopping” with calls from frustrated parents of adults and children with disabilities. The HSE stated recently that a national group representative of service users and families, providers and HSE are working together to prepare for the resumption of day service supports in line with Covid-19 guidance. Commenting on this plan, she described the lack of proper communication with parents of adults with disabilities during the lockdown as unacceptable. Councillor Norton stressed Minister McGrath should have done more to fast-track action to provide day services for people with disabilities during this period. “Finian McGrath has been a huge disappointment …

Clare Crusader’s Clinic is facing the threat of closure by 2020, unless major Government funding is provided on a annual basis. While neither of the co-founders, Councillor Ann Norton and Frank Cassidy, want to close the clinic, they have warned its current losses are unsustainable without Government funding. In the wake of the Console scandal, the co-founders have decided to open the accounts for the first time to dispel the perception that it has loads of spare cash. According to profit and loss accounts provided to The Clare Champion, the clinic has accumulated losses of €107,341. The charity made a slight profit of €1,495 in 2012, a profit of €14,615 in 2013 before sustaining a major loss of €48,523 in 2014. The clinic suffered further losses of €17,587 last year and €41,231 for the first six months of this year. Fundraising from 2005 to 2016 generated a gross return of €2,684,779, less €395,931 in costs, giving a net figure of …

People are being urged to dig deep and support the inaugural Clare Relay event, which involves 70 charity runners travelling 140 kilometres across the county this Saturday. As part of its efforts to raise more than €240,000 this year, the Clare Crusaders Children’s Clinic is organising a sponsored relay from Loop Head to Killaloe. The relay will involve teams completing the 140km route in groups of between six and 10, each running 10km. The proposed route includes points at Loop Head, Cross, Carrigaholt, Kilkee, Kilrush, Cooraclare, Kilmihil, Lissycasey, Ennis, Barefield, Spancilhill, Tulla, Bodyke, Tuamgraney, Ogonnelloe and ending in Killaloe. Starting from Loop Head at 6.30am, it will finish in Killaloe at 8.30pm. Along the way, people will have the opportunity to make a donation to the bucket collectors. The time allocated to each leg is about one hour and teams can complete more than one leg during the day and one member of the team has to carry a phone. The relay …

Transition-year (TY) students are rallying behind a Barefield teenager with Cerebral Palsy to complete a 50-kilometre wheelchair push through picturesque parts of North Clare. Nicole Norton, who is a transition-year student at St Flannan’s College, Ennis, has organised a unique fundraising initiative in aid of Clare Crusaders’ Clinic, where her mother, Ann, is managing director. Although Nicole is confined to a wheelchair, she likes to do things herself and is anxious to raise some money for the clinic, which she attends for treatment on a regular basis. The TY 100 Wheelchair Push is a one-day, 50-kilometre wheelchair push and walk, whereby Nicole, accompanied by her fellow transition-year students from schools across the county, will be pushed along the scenic wild Atlantic Way on Saturday, May 3. Starting in Lahinch, the group will make their way to Ennistymon on to Lisdoonvarna, Doolin, the Cliffs of Moher and Liscannor, before finishing in Lahinch. Throughout the walk, Nicole and her fellow students will …