Tag Archives: clare

FIVE decades of bringing music to the communities of Doora-Barefield will be celebrated this Friday with a very special event. The 50th anniversary of the local branch of Comhaltas will be commemorated with a concert featuring some of the branch’s well known members. Also, a book recalling the history of the Doora – Barefield branch will be launched at Fahy Hall, Roslevan to mark the momentous anniversary. National President of Comhaltas Eamon O hAirgain will be in attendance on the night. Mary O’Halloran, who was one of the founding members of the branch and is still involved to this day, told The Champion they are expecting the anniversary celebrations to be a good night with plenty of music to enjoy. She added that the committee members have been working hard to prepare for the event and are looking forward to sharing some memories of the branch through the years, while also looking ahead to its future. As well as current members of …

AN eight-year-old girl who was found with serious injuries at a home just outside of Clarecastle last week is no longer in a critical condition and is now “out of danger” in hospital, gardaí have confirmed. The youngster and her 46-year-old mother who had come to Clare from Ukraine were brought to University Hospital Limerick on Tuesday morning. The mother, who was found unconscious at the scene, is still under medical care but she is making a good recovery. The girl, who it is understood suffered a large number of stab wounds, was transferred last week from Limerick to a hospital in Dublin where she had been in a critical condition. A spokesperson for the gardaí confirmed to The Clare Champion this Wednesday that the girl’s condition is no longer critical. “She is still in hospital and she is out of danger,” he said. The mother and daughter had been living at a house in which a number of other …

CLARE Youth Service is this week launching its 2022 Development Groupwork programme which will run in nine locations countywide over the coming months. Originally developed by Clare and Limerick Youth Services in collaboration with the University of Swansea and first rolled out by Clare Youth Service in the 1970s, the hugely popular programme has since been delivered to over 10,000 young people in every corner of Clare, helping them in their personal journeys as well as producing community leaders across the county. The programme is now being modernised, thanks to a three-year investment by the community support programme of EI Electronics, Shannon’s global leader in fire and CO detection products. In this phase, it will include over 100 participants in Ennis, Shannon, Kilkee, Kilmihil, Kilrush and Killaloe-Ballina. CEO of Clare Youth Service, Margaret Slattery says that the programme’s ongoing success is that it accepts every young person where they are at. “This is a great opportunity for young people who …

COMMUNITIES across Clare are being urged to get involved in setting up a Community Text Alert group following the announcement of an extension to the Text Alert Rebate Scheme. James Browne TD, Minister of State at the Department of Justice, announced the extension at the National Ploughing Championships. “I am pleased to announce that my Department will be providing €150,000 in financial support to Community Text Alert Groups in 2022, continuing this Government’s support for crime prevention in rural communities. “Text Alert Groups registered with An Garda Síochána can apply directly to Muintir na Tíre, who administer the scheme, for a rebate of up to €350 on their 2021 costs.” The grant will continue to be administered by Muintir na Tíre. Under the scheme, eligible groups will receive a rebate of up to €350 towards their operating costs. Groups can apply by completing a simple application form available at https://www.muintir.ie/community-alert/text-alert-rebates/ or by contacting Muintir na Tíre before 30 November next. …

AN Ennis mother of a child with Cystic Fibrosis has vowed to continue to fight so her child and others can access ground-breaking treatment at the centre of a dispute between the HSE and a pharmaceutical company. Barbara Buckley was among hundreds from across Ireland who last week gathered outside Leinster House for the “Support the Kaftrio 35” protest. Cystic Fibrosis Ireland estimate that around 140 children aged six-years-old to 11-years-old are already are on the drug Kaftrio, but 35 children with a particular genotype are not as they are outside the 10-year Portfolio Agreement that was signed by the HSE and Vertex in 2017. Barbara’s daughter is almost six years old and had expected to begin the treatment after Christmas, however without a resolution to the dispute she is set to join those who have been excluded. “Time is vital. Every day and every week ahead counts, CF won’t wait for the HSE and Vertex,” she told The Clare …

A MILTOWN Malbay father who died in an air crash at the weekend has been remembered as a “gentleman” with his loss described as a “terrible tragedy” ahead of his funeral mass this Thursday. Michael Flynn of Kilcorcoran, Miltown Malbay lost his life when a powered hang glider he was piloting crashed in a field off the Ballard Road about a kilometre from Miltown Malbay on Sunday. Family and friends gathered for an emotional goodbye at his funeral mass on Thursday in St Joseph’s Church, Miltown Malbay. Speaking to the Clare Champion Fr Donagh O’Meara said Mr Flynn “was a lovely character, a lovely man, just a gentleman. He was very well got in the community, very well liked.” Mr Flynn’s death has sent shockwaves across the local community. He was well known in the local area and worked as a plumber as well as being involved in farming. “It has been an awful shock for everybody. It is just …

THE Willow Counselling Centre was recently presented with funds raised from the annual When in Doubt – Pedal it Out cycle for mental health. A total of €1,575 was raised for the Ennis based service from the cycle which took place last October. Plans are now underway for this year’s cycle which is due to be held on October 29. The Willow Counselling Centre is an affordable counselling service established in 2016 to meet the needs of the people in County Clare and surrounds. They are based on Chapel Lane in Ennis and together with a team of 10 qualified and dedicated counselling/psychotherapists provide support and often a life line to those with mental health issues. They offer one to one, phone and on line counselling and deal with a variety of issues with clients of all ages. The centre recently started to develop a Play and Art Therapy Room which now has new flooring and furniture.  It is ready …

DISABLED parking spaces are regularly being “abused” according to Ennis community activist and member of the Clare Leader Forum Dermot Hayes. He was speaking as concerns were raised about a “shortage in availability” of disabled parking in Ennis at a recent meeting of councillors by Councillor Paul Murphy. There are a total of 78 disabled car parking spaces in the Ennis Municipal District urban area including four spaces due to be constructed later this year at Lower Market Street and the Friary Car Park the local authority has confirmed. Mr Hayes believes that greater enforcement is needed against those who misuse disabled parking, while also calling for more parking to be put in place suitable for the needs of people with disabilities. “People are abusing car parking for people with disabilities, it’s a regular occurrence all over the county and all over Ireland. “We fought hard and campaigned a long time for disability parking and the excuses of ‘I’m just …