Tag Archives: kilkee

IT’S a long way from West Clare to Papua New Guinea, but Fr John Glynn who is a long-time citizen of the island nation still holds his native Kilkee very close to his heart. Currently on lock-down until at least early June, Fr John, who is full of energy and drive, despite his 80+ years, told The Champion he is keen to return to normal daily life. For the retired teacher, that includes working with some of the country’s most vulnerable, as well as co-hosting a weekly one-hour radio show on the Catholic station, Radio Maria. Over his many decades in Papua New Guinea, Fr John was instrumental in setting up the WeCARe! Organisation, to work with the poor and disadvantaged who make up a considerable percentage of the state’s eight million citizens. Fr John described his adopted home as “an absolute paradise” in terms of its beauty, but a land of deeply ingrained inequality.“Illiteracy rates here are around 85%,” …

  AN emotional appeal has been made by a number of community leaders for those intending to travel to Clare holiday homes for Easter to cancel their plans. Despite the signing into law of stringent new Garda powers to enforce the Covid-19 lock-down, concerns remain that many have flocked to the West in recent days. The Director of Nursing at St Theresa’s Nursing Home in Kilrush told The Champion that the increase in visitors has been noticeable, and said the situation is a great risk to aging communities are already living in fear. “The risk they are bringing is not just to us in the Nursing Home and protection agencies but also to the many ageing communities in West Clare,” Yvonne Moroney said. “This is the same area they love to visit year after year, but it will not be the same if the infection was to catch on in our small communities. Many people are worried about what people …

IN what is believed to be a first, the Kilkee Playwright Festival will be bringing an award winning play directly into people’s homes using the increasingly popular app Zoom. Hot Potato Production’s play Just Guff by Jim Ward has been adapted for audio with script development and direction by Jenny Bassett. It will be broadcast into homes via Zoom this Saturday, April 11, at 8pm. And the good news for people looking for entertainment during the lock-down is the broadcast can be accessed for free. Director Jenny Bassett explains, “I used Zoom prior to Covid-19 and was amazed just how easy it was to use. No downloading, just click on a link just before the scheduled time and a page opened up and I was in a virtual meeting with people from around the world. I was also surprised at the sound quality, I immediately thought how it could be used for broadcasting a performance. “Shortly afterwards we were  restricted …

A man who is believed to be from Poland, drowned in Kilkee on Saturday afternoon. He had been fishing when he drowned. The man was removed to University Hospital Limerick by Rescue 115, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.  

A man in his 70s, who lived in Limerick, has died following a drowning accident in Kilkee this morning. It is understood that the man got into difficulty at the West End in Kilkee in an area close to Newfoundout. He was removed to hospital by rescue helicopter. Kilrush Gardai were also at the scene this morning. The fall happened shortly after 10.30am.  

THE Clare Champion has learned that Kilkee businessman and tourism consultant, Cillian Murphy, will stand for Fianna Fáil in West Clare in the local elections on May 24. The tourism consultant will join sitting councillors, PJ Kelly (Lissycasey) and Bill Chambers (Cooraclare) on the Fianna Fáil ticket. Twenty eight elected members sit on Clare County Council, representing four electoral areas across the county.

With well over half of the holiday homes in Kilkee unoccupied for the most part of the year, it has now emerged that there are actually more mobile homes in the resort that residents. And at a public meeting in the community centre, called because of the concerns about the proliferation of mobile homes in the town, the resident population issued a clear and unequivocal message that “enough is enough”. Local businessman John Williams said that while the mobile homes are a valuable accommodation bases for a large number of tourists, the fact of the mater is that there are now more mobile homes in Kilkee than people. “The message from the meeting was cut and dried; residents don’t want any more mobile homes and that was it,” he told The Clare Champion. The attendees at the public meeting included elected members of Clare County Council as well as candidates in the next local elections. “They will have been left …

AN Post has today (Thursday) issued two stamps marking the Irish Coast Guard’s provision of search, rescue and monitoring services at sea, on the coast and waterways of Ireland.  The stamps designed by Vermillion Design, are based on an original painting by the late Caitriona Lucas, who sadly lost her life in Kilkee while volunteering with the Coast Guard on September 12, 2016. Members of the Irish Coast Guard and Bernard Lucas, widower of Caitriona, unveiled the set of stamps in the GPO while a Coast Guard team displayed the new stamps in Dublin Bay.  The artwork depicts a rescue team working at sea, both in the air and on the water. The scene in the painting was divided into two stamps by Vermillion Design. The Irish Coast Guard responds to maritime and inland search and rescue emergencies with its main objective to reduce the loss of life on lakes, waterways, rivers, sea and coastal areas.  The brave men and …