Tag Archives: clare

THE late Canon William O’Kennedy has been remembered in a film launched this week to commemorate the centenary of the Bere Island Internment Camp. The film recounts how Canon O’Kennedy was abducted from Ennis and transported to Bere Island where he was kept in solitary confinement for a number of weeks, before his whereabouts was discovered. Canon O’Kennedy was president of St Flannan’s College in 1919 and was one of the pillars of the Sinn Féin movement in Clare. He was arrested in 1921 and held in Bere Island before being released after the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in London. The film was launched on Monday by the Bere Island Projects Group to commemorate the centenary of the camp, which was in operation from April to December 1921. In 1920, a prison camp was opened on Bere Island on the site of the Fort Berehaven military camp, for convicted Republican prisoners. By April 1921, all convicted prisoners had been …

WITNESSES to a hit and run collision near an Ennis school, or those who may have dash cam footage, are being urged to contact gardaí, writes Jessica Quinn. Gardaí in the county town are appealing for witnesses following the hit and run which occurred at 8.01pm on Friday, September 10, at the traffic lights near Colaiste Muire secondary school on Harmony Row. The driver of a black 212 Volkswagen Passat had stopped at a red light with the intention of going straight over Club Bridge. “As the driver waited for the green light a silver or grey car that may have had a 10 or 12 registration impacted the rear of the car it then reversed back towards the entrance gates of Colaiste Muire and drove away in the direction of the Maid of Eireann roundabout, said Sergeant Triona Brooks, Clare Crime Prevention Officer. “If anyone witnessed this collision or anyone who may have dash cam footage, we are asking …

CLARE Champion journalist Fiona McGarry has been recognised by NUI Galway as the winner of the 2021 winner of Excellence in Teaching and Learning Award in Journalism and Communication award. Fiona, who is a lecturer in broadcast journalism at the university, described the recognition as a “huge honour”. The award is voted on by students in the Discipline of Journalism and Communication, and recognises the lecturer who receives the overall highest marks in student evaluation of teaching scores annually. Fiona was awarded the top prize for her commitment to high quality teaching, focus on student learning and the delivery of an outstanding student experience. Head of Journalism and Communication Tom Felle said, “Fiona is an outstanding lecturer and this award recognises her commitment to our students. “The last year and a half has been extremely difficult for students in schools and universities around the country, so this award for Fiona is a testament to all the hard work she has …

A CLARE-BASED nurse with children’s charity Jack & Jill is urging the people of the Banner to go Up the Hill in solidarity with local families who face an uphill challenge every day. The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation is holding its Up the Hill for Jack & Jill fundraiser this October asking people to take on a climbing challenge. This is the seventh year of the nationwide fundraising challenge which aims to raise funds for the organisation’s specialist home nursing care, respite support and end-of-life care for very sick children up to the age of six. Margaret Naughton, Jack & Jill Specialist Children’s Liaison Nurse for Clare, said the event means so much to local families, who depend on the funds raised for their support. “To say that it has been a very tough 18 months for our Jack & Jill families is an understatement. As one of the vulnerable groups during the pandemic, our families have had to …

ENNIS Rotary Club is urging the public to make a ‘wheel’ effort in continuing support of a project which is bringing bicycles to school children in Africa. The initiative which sees people donate their unwanted, repairable bikes has already resulted in 157 bicycles shipped from Clare to Gambia. The Rotary Ireland School Bikes Africa project, with the support of Clare County Council, gives members of the public across Clare the opportunity to bring their unwanted bicycles to the Central Waste Management Facility at Ballyduff Beg, Inagh. From there, Rotary Ireland deliver the bicycles to the open prisons at Loughan House, County Cavan, and Shelton Abbey, County Wicklow, where they are refurbished by prisoners. They are then shipped to Africa and distributed to school children, giving them the chance of a better future. Michael Shepherd of Ennis Rotary told The Champion that they have been delighted with the response the project has received locally. He outlined that there is now a …

VOLUNTEERS in Clare removed around 1.6 tonnes of marine litter from our coasts at the weekend as part of the Big Beach Clean. After a break in 2020, the Big Beach Clean took place over the weekend and Clean Coasts were overwhelmed with the incredible support and commitment shown by communities across Ireland. In Clare, volunteers organised clean-ups in 16 different locations, removing approximately 1.6 tonnes of marine litter. Among them, volunteers from Clean Coasts group Keep Lahinch Clean organised a clean-up that saw also local kids from the surfing school get involved after their class and collected over 10 bags of marine litter. The Big Beach Clean is an annual call to action that takes place in September at the end of the bathing season. Volunteers around Ireland were asked to register their clean up event and take part in a worldwide citizen science project, as part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), operated internationally by Ocean Conservancy. This …

RESIDENTS of an Ennis retirement village are “horrified” over plans for a housing development which has been labelled by one objector as a “Mini-Manhattan”. Leadlane (Drumbiggle) Ltd have lodged a planning application for the development on lands to the west of Pairc na Coille Retirement village. The plans have been the subject of dozens of submissions, with objectors also creating a YouTube video highlighting concerns for nearby wildlife in an area the retirement village residents dubbed “our nature reserve”. A decision on the planning application is currently on hold as Clare County Council await a response to a request for further information from the developers. The application seeks permission to construct 58 residential units comprising 10 four-bed houses, 26 three-bed houses and 22 duplex units comprising 11 two-bed ground floor apartment units with 11 three-bed house units above. Permission has also been sought to alter and upgrade the existing access road to provide additional footpath, cycle paths and raised traffic …

THE developer of a primary health care facility in Ennis insists a proposed extension, refused planning permission, is required by the HSE to facilitate the operation of a Chronic Disease unit for the region. Valley Healthcare Fund Infrastructure Investment Fund ICAV has lodged an appeal to An Bord Pleanala against the refusal by Clare County Council of plans to increase the size of the development at the former Braids site on Station Road. Last month, in a split decision, Clare County Council refused to amend planning permission previously granted for a mixed use development that would increase the floor area from 7,250sqm to 8,008sqm with the provision of an additional floor set back at roof top level as well as an additional deck of car parking. The local authority gave the green light to other aspects of the application seeking to amend the initial health care facility plans. The new proposals were the subject of a number of objections from …