Tag Archives: clare crusaders

SECURING a new motorised wheelchair for a person with disabilities can take up to three years from the initial application, a local health advocate has claimed. The long waiting times have been criticised as a “disgrace” by Councillor Ann Norton who stated the initial assessment is often out of date by the time a person can actually use the new motorised wheelchair. Councillor Norton explained it can take two years for the official sign off for a new wheelchair before it is ordered, while the moulding can take between six to eight months once funding has been approved. She outlined the wheelchair seating assessment is carried out by the Central Remedial Clinic (CRC) in Limerick. The first assessment conducted by a physiotherapist and occupational therapist establishes if a new wheelchair is needed. If therapists believe a new wheelchair is required, a few appointments may be requiring examining suitable models and types of wheelchairs, moulding and seating before an application for …

THE plight of parents who have been on lockdown caring for their children with special needs, and who would normally access the support of services like those provided by The Clare Cruaders, has been highlighted at the Special Committee on Covid-19. Chairperson of the committee, Scariff TD, Michael McNamara heard from a number of those advocating for children and families, including representatives from Inclusion Ireland, who outlined in detail the strains put on households and the regression experienced while services were closed. While the Department of Education and Skills has initiated an expanded summer programme, known as July provision, there are concerns about the children who will be excluded on the basis of their disabilities. Enda Egan, CEO of Inclusion Ireland told the committee, “The scheme continues to exclude cohorts of children with disabilities and has been characterised by poor planning, leaving schools and families frustrated and in the dark.” He also urged that the scheme be opened to “all children with …

IT’S a long way from Clare to Kildare, and one youngster who certainly knows that is fifth class Ennis National School student Aoife Keane. Aoife has just completed a mammoth cycling challenge taking in the 165km distance between both counties. Amazingly, she cycled the entire length of the route from her garage at home, raising funds for Clare Crusaders and Barretstown. So far she has raised more than €2,000 for the charities and donations can still be made for the next few weeks. While others might be exhausted after the endeavour, the 11-year-old revealed that she celebrated her triumphant end to the cycle by jumping on the family’s trampoline. She laughed, “I hadn’t been allowed on it before the cycle in case I injured myself.” Aoife moved from Naas with her parents Marie and John and younger brother Eoin to their new home of Ennis last year, with the cycle route taking in the distance between her new and old …

TRACTORS are expected to line the roads of East Clare this Sunday as the annual Killanena tractor run takes place. Departing from Canny’s Bar, Killanena at 12.30pm with registration from 11.30am modern and vintage tractors are welcome. The tractor run was initially the brainchild of a very small group of people in the parish, as a way of raising funds for a worthwhile cause. Organiser Martin Canny said, “This is our third run with the last two raising very substantial amounts for the relevant causes. What began as an idea to try and give a little back has developed into a huge event”. This year the run is in aid of the Clare Crusaders Children’s Clinic. The Clare Crusaders Children’s Clinic provides free therapy and specialist treatment to over 500 children with special needs in County Clare. They are a self financing service located in Barefield, Ennis. The Clinic receives no state funding what so ever and depend on the generosity of the people in the communities to raise over €250,000 per annum to provide the current level of therapy for children. The Clinic was opened in 2007 thanks to the dedication and hard work of a group of parents to overcome the lack of publicly available treatment for children with  with mixed disabilities including Down Syndrome Autism, and Cerebral Palsy. It was a community response to the lack of access to services that children with disabilities need in order to meet their potential. “Please come and support this charity. Everyone is welcome to what promises to be a fantastic day with refreshments and entertainment afterwards. Your support is greatly appreciated,” Martin concluded. More information is available by contacting Canny’s Bar.

Clare Crusaders Children’s Clinic is launching a major drive to raise up to €150,000 and fomer RTE newscaster, Ann Doyle will be involved in one of the main events. The Barefield clinic needs to raise this money by December to help the charity meet its annual target of €250,000 in public donations. This is a major challenge for the charity to raise the necessary funds for the continuation of services for children with a wide range of disabilities such as Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Despite the lack of any government funding to help defray the cost of its core services, the clinic continues to provide free therapy for over 400 special needs children in the county. The clinic estimates it provides in the region of 10,000 free therapy hours for children during individual and group sessions during the year. In addition to providing one-to-one therapies, the clinic organise regular group …

THERE was great excitement in Cratloe this week, after a local boy scooped a vintage car in a charity fundraiser. Ten-year-old Eoin Deegan was the lucky recipient of a stylish 1969 Triumph Vitesse in the event, organised by the Clare Crusaders Children’s Clinic, Clare Suicide Bereavement Support, the RNLI and Doolin Search and Rescue. It proved to be the start of a lucky streak for Eoin, as he also won €40 from the Sixmilebridge lotto draw on Monday night. He is the son of Joan and Mike Deegan, a former Clare selector and current coach of the Cratloe senior hurlers. “We are delighted to win the car. It has generated great excitement in the house. I texted my six sisters and five brothers telling them we had won a vintage car but none of them would believe me,” mum Joan said this week. Joan’s father-in-law, Phil Deegan, who has a keen interest in vintage cars, has now taken the Triumph …

IN 1860, over 1,200 volunteers from Ireland travelled to Italy to fight for the Papal States in the Papal Wars. An appeal was made throughout the country for funds to support the volunteers. Twenty-three Catholic parishes from Clare published lists of subscribers in newspapers of the day and, now, members of Clare Roots Society have undertaken to transcribe the names of these subscribers, resulting in a database of over 4,000 names. This week, members of Clare Roots Society handed over the Papal Army database to county librarian, Helen Walsh. In recent times, staff at the library’s Local Studies Centre came across extensive lists of subscribers names published in The Clare Journal, the local newspaper of the day. The subscriptions were in response to an appeal for funds to support the Irish volunteers to the Papal Army in the summer of 1860. Peter Beirne, Local Studies Centre librarian, immediately saw the value of these lists to genealogy researchers tracing Clare families. …

By Dan Danaher THE full implementation of an “offensive” Department of Education circular will result in a reduction in special needs assistants (SNAs) for Clare children with disabilities, a local election candidate has claimed. Clare Crusaders’ Clinic managing director, Ann Norton has described the recent DOE instruction to schools on the SNA scheme as “offensive”, “outrageous” and “disgraceful” to parents of children with special needs. Ms Norton warned that implementing this circular would result in the withdrawl of numerous SNAs in Clare schools, unless the DOE withdrew it. However, her assertion was rejected by a DOE spokeswoman who stated there is no question of reducing the number of SNA posts in the school system. In fact, the spokeswoman outlined the department had increased the number of SNAs to its highest level yet with 10,656 Whole Time Equivalent posts currently allocated to schools. In December, 2013 the Government announced it was increasing the number of SNAs available for allocation to schools, …