THE provision of a new field hospital in the University of Limerick has been described as “amazing” by a local social worker. Medical staff from Clare and the Mid-West will pool their expertise to operate the new intermediate care facility. Joanne Hayes Inch outside Ennis is a medical social worker who will be working in UL as part of a multidisciplinary team with occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists. She will play a key role in the safe discharge process of a patient to a step down facility or their own home. Having met the patient, she will discuss their admission, experience in the facility and establish if they have any additional medical needs that need to be addressed when they are discharged at home. She will discuss the patient’s needs with their family and organise community supports, if they are deemed necessary. For the last four years, she has worked in the ED, rehabilitation of stroke patients …
Read More »Garda warning on dangerous roads
Gardaí have advised motorists to slow down and drive with care as rain, sleet and hail over the past couple of days has led to treacherous road conditions. On Thursday afternoon there were a number of crashes on both the northbound and southbound carriages of the M18 motorway between Crusheen and Gort. The incidents resulted in road closures and diversions. Met Éireann is warning there may be more bad weather to come.
Read More »Christy’s exhibition is Toronto bound
Crusheen photographer and traditional musician Christy McNamara’s latest work will be the subject of an exhibition and a series of concerts in Toronto, Canada, from November 3 – 13. Christy has been capturing images of Ireland for over 20 years and his work has been widely exhibited and can be found in many collections, both public and private. The images featured in his latest exhibition are drawn from a larger body of work over the last three decades. ‘Where My Heart Lies’ celebrates and honours the rich legacy of music and music making in County Clare, in those who carried it and passed it on. The ‘Where My Heart Lies’ exhibition, which was hosted at glór in Ennis during Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, will be complemented by a number of concerts with Christy and Toronto musicians on the week of November 7-12 in Toronto’s Mirvish Village.
Read More »Christy McNamara Captures a Sense of Place
AN exhibition by Crusheen musician, photographer and raconteur has gone on display in Glór for the duration of the Fleadh and will give visitors a snapshot of the many great musicians and characters to have come out of the county. The photography exhibit, entitled Where the Heart Lies, features more than 40 original photographs, many unseen, as well as others which don the walls in the homes of household names such as Brad Pitt. He has taken the title, as well as some of the photographs, from a book of the same name which he produced with Peter Woods 20 years ago. Christy explains that he relied on this idea, Where the Heart Lies, because it was something that was emotive for him. “When you think about where your heart lies it’s home and it’s place”, and he said this idea of home is where the heart lies is what he wanted to convey in this exhibit. Having been invited …
Read More »Fallon shines light on depression
THE incident-packed career of Ballinruan jockey Kieren Fallon came to an end this week, as it was announced that he is retiring and is suffering from depression. Speaking to The Clare Champion on Tuesday, Turf Club medical officer Dr Adrian McGoldrick said, “He has significant depression. We are waiting to get him in for management of it and will just take it from there really.” The depression has been affecting the 51-year-old for a long time, he added. “It’s been going on at least three years, if not longer; possibly even dating back to the court case he had back in 2007. It’s fairly shocking but people can carry it for years. Kieren is one of the greatest jockeys of all time and it’s terrible that it just slipped through the net to a certain extent. But he’s a fine fellow; he will pick himself up and move on with his life. He has a lovely family in England. There …
Read More »Shocks galore as title race begins
Every championship produces shock results and so it was as the race for the Canon Hamilton trophy got under way in Clare. Unbeaten in league and championship last season, champions Sixmilebridge were rocked when beaten by the minimum margin by Crusheen at Cusack Park this Saturday evening. These teams have produced some very close contests in recent years and this proved to be no different. Sixmilebridge looked to be edging in front when they went two points clear with ten minutes to play but four unanswered points from Crusheen proved decisive. One point separated the teams at the end of normal time with two minutes of ‘injury time’ to play. The champions piled on the pressure but Donal Tuohy in the Crusheen goal made a great save from Alan Mulready at the expense of a ’65. Niall Gilligan was adament that his effort was between the uprights but the umpires had no doubt that it was wide. It left the final …
Read More »Chasing Clare hurling championship title
THE Clare Senior Hurling Championship will get underway with the meeting of Tulla and Clarecastle on this Friday evening, with all 16 teams in action over the weekend. An opening round victory will mean the threat of relegation from the top grade is eliminated. A new format was introduced last year, which will see one of the eight first-round losers relegated to the intermediate grade for next season. Following the first round, the eight winners will be drawn against each other, while the eight losers will also be drawn to face each other with the four losers going on to battle it out in the relegation play-off. Two of last year’s semi-finalists will find themselves in the losers round, as Sixmilebridge (holders) take on Crusheen and Clonlara (beaten finalists) face Kilmaley this weekend. In the semi-final last year, Clonlara needed a replay to overcome Kilmaley before they disappointed in the final against Sixmilebridge, who went through last season without tasting …
Read More »Cathal putting his life back in order
AFTER losing his wife Jackie to cancer in England, Cathal Shanahan moved back to Clare and started to put the pieces back together, living and working in an area he had left decades before. The grief hit him hard and fast after Jackie’s death but, having set up a business in Ennis, lost weight and taken up exercise, he feels he is making a good fist of things again. “She was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had the treatment for that, she had chemotherapy, a lumpectomy and then radiotherapy. That was fine. She had about 10 months then until it came back. When it came back it was only ever going to be palliative, it had spread. She passed away about two and a half years after that. That’s two years ago this August,” he says. Watching his wife dealing with terminal cancer was very difficult. “It was very tough but we were very lucky as well. With Jackie’s work …
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