Tag Archives: Doonbeg

A CENTENARIAN, living in West Clare, recently celebrated her birthday with a letter from two heads of state. Joyce Mabel Heppell lives at St Theresa’s Nursing Home in Kilrush, where staff and residents helped her to mark the milestone birthday on April 14. Joyce Mabel Heppell née Morris was born in 1921 in London and grew up in the family-owned sweet shop in Ealing. Joyce had one sibling, a sister who passed away around 50 years ago. At the outset of World War II, Joyce volunteered to join the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), being posted to a radar site on the Thames estuary in Kent. The low point of this time was a period of three weeks, when there were only sardines to eat. After the war, Joyce joined the Foreign Office and went to Moscow, Washington and later to Paris. The birth of her son brought Mabel back to England to live in Surrey and work at the Department …

TFI Local Link Limerick Clare has today announced the expansion of its services in Clare, including the first rural regular services that will run five to seven days a week. Launching on Monday, March 1, the new Local Link route 337 will showcase the Shannon Estuary Way and will serve Labasheeda, Kildysart, Ballynacally, Kilmurry McMahon, Knock, Killimer, the ferry terminal, and world famous fishing sites three times a day from Monday to Saturday with a reduced timetable on Sundays. Local Link will provide access to these areas for staycations and tourists as well as facilitating local resident’s transportation needs, providing connectivity between Kilrush and Ennis. The need for the expansion of Local Link services was voiced by the local communities, community groups, Clare County Council and Elected Representatives during a period of public consultation in February 2020. Working with the NTA’s Connecting Ireland Team, Local Link Limerick Clare focused on merging the Bus Éireann rural services in Clare that were …

A NUMBER of roads in West Clare are to be considered for inclusion in the schedule of works for this year, following representations to the local district committee. At their most recent meeting, councillors heard an appeal for action on a route described as “the gateway to Doonbeg”. Councillor Gabriel Keating asked that issues with a section of the R484 from Knockalough Crossroads to Kilmihil be addressed as a matter of urgency. “That particular roadway from Knockalough to Doonbeg was on the three-year programme that ends this year,” he said. “It’s in a bad state, there’s no doubt about that. Everybody’s asking me. There’s one really bad bend on the road at Michael Ryan’s and all it needs is something that drivers can see as they approach the bend. Mr Ryan has lost two or three piers and had to replace them himself. This road is the gateway to Doonbeg and to facilities like the golf club and it’s a …

A former Mayor of Kilkee has urged tourists and visitors to stay away from the West Clare holiday hotspot during the holiday period to minimise the spread of Covid-19. While Claire Haugh stressed holidaymakers are normally very welcome in Kilkee, she is concerned that any large influx of people into the town could result in the unwanted transmission of the virus. “It is a hugely difficult and dangerous time for everyone and the safety of people in Kilkee is paramount. We welcome visitors all year round but these are different and frightening times. “People in Kilkee are trying to mind ourselves and visitors should be cautious of their own health. “There will be good times ahead when the vaccine comes in and then there will be a thousand welcomes for people to come to Kilkee. “When things get better, the doors will be wide open to welcome them as usual. We love having visitors in Kilkee and it is great …

WITH the US presidential election over and Donald Trump set to leave the White House, attention in west Clare has returned to more pressing local matters. The Doonbeg Coastal Protection Group has produced a new brochure on the need for protection works at Doughmore, which Trump International is keen to carry out. An application by Trump’s organisation to carry out the works was refused by An Bord Pleanála and PRO of the Doonbeg Coastal Protection Group Liam Ryan says the brochure highlights again why the protection is required. “If you look at the first page we say it is sustaining over 300 jobs in West Clare and that’s our main interest, to protect what is there. “We explain why it is not renewing itself; anybody can see that the grass and the topsoil is falling down on the sand, and there are no stones to protect it. “The Presidency thing, as we see it, is over, and it was of …

OLYMPIAN Pat McDonald is being warmly remembered in his native Doonbeg, 100 years after he earned a place in the annals of sporting history, by winning a second gold medal. The Amsterdam Olympics of 1920 saw him reach the pinnacle of a long and illustrious sporting career. At over 40 years of age, when he took part in the world games in Holland, Pat McDonald still holds the honour of being the oldest Olympic track and field champion. Against rivals half his age, the towering 6’ 4’’ West Clare man was capable of throwing a weight of 56 pounds a distance of 11.26 metres, considerably further than his younger competitors. Former teacher Joe Hurley has a huge interest in Pat McDonald’s achievements and legacy, and has researched the story in great detail. The path the young Clare man followed was a well-worn one that took him from the rural west coast to the bustling and brash metropolis of New York, …

In consultation with the HSE, all bathing restrictions are being lifted at White Strand Doonbeg and White Strand Miltown Malbay, with immediate effect. The temporary prohibition on swimming remains in place at Kilkee and Quilty (front beach). A spokesperson said there is ongoing monitoring at these locations and Clare County Council is in consultation with the HSE.  

WHEN Doonbeg native Deirdre Fitzpatrick O’Reilly made the decision, at the age of 28, to swap football for surfing, she feel in love with the waves off the west coast and found a metaphor for coping with the ups and downs of life. With a background in health and leisure management, as well as teaching wellness activities, the thrills and challenges of surfing have inspired Deirdre to write her first book on mindfulness and meditation. Surfing the Waves of Stress, which has just been published, is described as a guide to navigating life’s hurdles using a toolbox of strategies to maintain balance and calmness. “There are always going to be ups and downs in life, there will always be waves,” Deirdre explained. “Using mindfulness is like learning to surf. It’s not a cure for stress. Life will bring stress, but mindfulness is your surf board. It’s your buoyancy aid and a great tool to cope with stress. I was at a …