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Tag Archives: Clare FM

East Clare pays tribute to the late Nora Butler

FRIENDS and admirers of the late legendary Tipperary singer, Nora Butler, recalled the mark she left on East Clare, over her many years attending and performing at local musical events. Feakle’s Paula Carroll, presenter of The West Wind on Clare FM, recently remembered the Toomevara native, who passed away on May 3, with tributes coming from Gerry Shortt of Shortt’s Bar and Ballina-based singer Deirdre Scanlon. Nora was a frequent visitor to venues across Clare, through her work for Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Éireann (CCE), as performer and adjudicator. She was particularly loved in the East of the county where she was a regular and popular guest, along with her late husband, Pat Swan, at gatherings in Spancihill, Tulla and Feakle. On The West Wind, Paula Carroll described Nora as “a gorgeous woman and a really sweet singer”. “My own encounters with Nora in recent years were mostly in Gerry Shortt’s Bar in Feakle,” she noted, “where she was a much loved …

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Pat Costello: A Man For All Seasons

BY Bríd Costello THE world of traditional music lost one of its staunchest champions with the passing of Patrick Joseph Costello earlier this month. A well-known broadcaster and musician, Pat went by almost as many names as he had passions. Known as Patrick, Paddy, Packie, P, Daddy or Grandad, depending on who he was speaking to at the time, he was a polymath whose breadth of knowledge touched a vast number of subjects ranging from mechanics and information technology to art, poetry and philosophy. And what he didn’t know, he was eager to learn. Born in 1947, in the parish of Moycarkey, County Tipperary, Pat was the firstborn child of Molly and Jerry Costello. He developed a love for music at a very early age and often reminisced about his first instrument – an upturned biscuit tin and a pair of knives. “There was always rhythm. It was never noise,” says his sister Peggy, adding their mother Molly bought Pat …

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Clare mourns a musical and broadcasting legend

BROADCASTING and music circles in Clare, and well beyond, are in mourning after the death was announced of Clare FM presenter, Pat Costello. A long-time Shannon resident, he was a native of Moycarkey in County Tipperary. Mr Costello was a member, for many years, of the acclaimed traditional group Shaskeen, playing banjo, bouzouki and guitar. He was also an expert music producer and sound-recording enthusiast. For more than two decades, he presented music shows on Clare FM, most recently the hugely popular ‘Gentle Folk’ on Sunday nights. Managing Director of the station, Liam O’Shea, who was a long-time friend as well as a colleague, described Mr Costello as a genius. “Pat, to me, was one of the most talented people I’ve ever known,” he said. “He was a genius. He was absolutely brilliant when it came to technology. Pat was a fantastic musician. He spent a lot of time with me when I worked in the RTÉ studios, late into …

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Sunday Mass on local radio

Mass can be heard or viewed on line during the coming weekend, on Clare FM at 9am on Sunday morning and on Scariff Bay FM  (88.3 FM) at 11am. Scariff Bay FM is  available in East Clare parishes. All the masses at the usual times from Ennis, Kilrush,  Shannon and Quin churches  can be seen on their webcams and these can be accessed through the parish websites.

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Peter O’Connell appointed new Clare Champion editor

PETER O’Connell has been appointed as editor of The Clare Champion and will take up the position on Thursday next, May 31. Mr O’Connell succeeds Austin Hobbs, who has held the position since 2006 and will remain on in the newsroom. Mr O’Connell is married with two daughters and lives in his native Kilmurry McMahon. He is a past pupil of Drumdigus National School and Kilrush CBS. His media career began with Midlands Radio in 1996, while he worked at Clare FM from 1999 to 2002, before joining The Clare Champion. In his 16 years as a reporter with The Champion, he has covered both news and sport. Four years ago, Mr O’Connell found himself at the centre of a significant story himself. He and the then Clare hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald clashed publicly in Cusack Park, with the Sixmilebridge man angered by some opinion pieces that had been written by Mr O’Connell. This week, Mr O’Connell said the newspaper …

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Eoin Shares his passion for music

PASSIONATE about playing himself and bringing the music of others into the public domain, Eoin O’Neill is a big part of the scene in Clare. “I arrived in Doolin on December 28, 1979. I thought I was coming for an afternoon and I’m still here,” he says of his arrival in this county. That wasn’t far off 40 years ago and he has been playing here since, while he also hosts shows on local radio. “I’m more passionate than ever. I’m lucky in that I have a couple of shows on Clare FM and that allows me to feature the local musicians, especially the local ones that should be featured and aren’t featured enough. I’m allowed to play whatever I want and I appreciate that so much.” A bazouki player, he has a few new albums coming out. “At the moment, I have two albums completed and ready for release. One is with a band I play with, The Fiddle …

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Politicians answer to Ennis Chamber

Clare’s General Election candidates faced a series of tough questions when they attended a special election forum organised by Ennis Chamber at Treacy’s West County Hotel this evening (Tuesday). Dan Danaher of The Clare Champion and Gavin Grace of Clare FM posed the questions, which related to business, employment, infrastructure in Ennis. The audience included Ennis business people, as well as Kilrushand Shannon chamber members and other interested parties. There was a very interesting question and answer session, where the incumbent TDs and contenders were strongly challenged on various issues. [doptg id=”99″]  

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10 out of 10 for ‘Bridge quiz buffs

When it comes to quizzes it seems pupils from Sixmilebridge National School have all the right answers. The quiz quarter of sixth class pupils – Sineád Cahill, Luke O’Halloran, Colin Kelly and Will Fitzpatrick- came out top of the class in the recent Avonmore Super Schools Quiz on Clare F.M. The quiz was recorded in St. Finnachta’s National School by Breakfast Show host Ciara Revins. The students were asked ten general knowledge questions and had ninety seconds to complete them. Answering all ten questions in a time of fifty-nine seconds, the fastest time in the history of the quiz, the team put themselves in pole position to win the title. However, they then had to ensure a six week wait as a further 36 schools faced the quizmaster and the clock before Ciara eventually broke the good news to them – their score had not been bettered. The team celebrated joyously with lollipops courtesy of Ciara when she called to …

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