Tag Archives: kilkee

Sinn Féin have announced they are fielding a West Clare candidate to contest the local election for the Kilrush local electoral area with the party revealing Dawn Bennett from Kilkee as their chosen candidate. Ms Bennett, who owns CocoLemon hairdressers in Kilrush, becomes the fifth Sinn Féin candidate in the county for the upcoming June elections. She said she first became interested in politics from listening to what party leader, Mary Lou McDonald had to say. “She was offering common sense solutions and was so down to earth. Mary Lou and Sinn Féin are for the people and I love to help people whenever I can, so it was the right party for me. I’m a carer myself so I know how difficult it is to get access to the services people need,” she explained. Originally from Limerick, Ms Bennett moved to West Clare five years ago where she has made home. “It’s a beautiful place to raise a family, …

NEW Zealand boy who made an appeal through The Clare Champion for help in bringing her son home from rehab, has thanked the community in County Clare for its support. Monday, March 18 marked six months since Tadhg Giles first became ill with an influenza A infection, which resulted in encephalitis leaving him severely cognitively impaired with inflammation in his brain. The young boy was treated in hospital at Auckland but, when his period in rehabilitation care ended, the family were faced with moving him back home without adequate and appropriate medical support. As their home was not suitably adapted for Tadhg’s new needs, they were required to extensively modify their home with the local health board offering limited support. However, with the combined help of their family, friends, and the Irish community in New Zealand, they were in a position to make the required modifications for a safer home for Tadhg to live in. Speaking to The Clare Champion …

A Kilkee mother living in New Zealand whose ten-year-old son is severely cognitively impaired following a flu infection, has appealed to the community in County Clare for financial help to bring him home from rehab. Laura Devine-Giles’ ten-year-old son, Tadhg has inflammation in his brain, a condition known as encephalitis following an influenza A infection late last September. At the time, he was rushed to ICU and then the children’s ward at Christchurch Hospital before being transferred to Auckland in November. Prior to becoming ill, Tadhg was a very chatty boy who loved playing rugby, singing in a choir and doing all the normal activities a child does in New Zealand. He was also the captain of his school’s kapa haka team. An intelligent boy, he is a self-described “maths genius” and even has his own YouTube channel. Today, Tadhg no longer speaks and is cognitively impaired. The brain injury he suffered has left him with memory loss, psychosis, catatonic …

A verdict of misadventure at the end of an inquest into the death of a North Clare Coast Guard volunteer has left her widower dissatisfied. A jury of four men and three women also issued seven recommendations concerning safety management, training and equipment used by the Irish Coast Guard before Limerick coroner John McNamara at Kilmallock Court recently. Experienced Doolin Coast Guard member, Caitríona Lucas was the first Coast Guard volunteer to lose her life following a search and rescue operation off Kilkee Bay on September 12, 2016. Her husband, Bernard Lucas confirmed he is not happy with the official inquest verdict. In his summing up for the jury, the coroner said unfortunately, I can’t give you the option of “unlawful killing”. Mr Lucas believes the final verdict should have been “unlawful killing” and felt this option should have been available for the jury as submitted by his representative Mr Kingston. Marine expert Michael Kingston, representing the Lucas family, had …

The allocation of garda resources to a West Clare tourism hotspot during the August Bank Holiday weekend has been queried following claims of serious criminal damage and anti-social behaviour. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne (Ind) says she was informed by residents that there were only two gardaí on patrol in Kilkee that weekend and she didn’t get any reports that additional members were drafted in to assist those on duty who did their best to address issues in difficult circumstances. Highlighting this issue at a recent Joint Policing Committee meeting, Deputy Wynne said it is well known that this is a problematic weekend and recalled that two years ago a garda sergeant was assaulted, and his arm broken, when there were up to 17 members on duty at the time. Two years on from this serious incident, she said it seemed lessons have not be learned as the location of garda resources wasn’t prioritised. In view of the huge influx of people …

GARDAI are investigating a fatal road traffic collision involving a car and a bicycle that occurred shortly after 12:30pm on Wednesday on the N67 (Kilkee to Moyasta Road) at Baunmore. A male pedal cyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. No other serious injuries to persons were reported. Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward. Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling on the N67 in the Baunmore area between 12pm and 1pm are asked to make this footage available to Gardaí. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Kilrush Garda station on 065 9080550, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.

NINE blue flags and four green coast awards have gone to Co Clare. Blue flags are going to Ballycuggeran, Fanore, Kilkee, Lahinch, Lough Derg at Mountshannon, Spanish Point, White Strand Doonbeg and White Strand Miltown Malbay. Cappagh Pier in Kilrush was awarded a blue flag in 2022 but it hasn’t had it renewed for the 2023 season. On the positive side for the town, the Kilrush Marina has received a blue flag. Green coast awards have gone to Ballyalla Lake, Bishop’s Quarter, Carrigaholt Beach and Seafield. Speaking at the awards ceremony Minister of State Darragh O’Brien said: “This year celebrates the 20th anniversary of Clean Coasts and the Green Coast Awards and I am delighted to present a record-breaking 65 Green Coast Awards today. It also marks 36 years of the Blue Flag as an international programme and I am pleased to present 94 Blue Flags for the 2023 season. “During its 36 years, the Blue Flag has become an …

A COUNTY Clare architect, currently working in the Middle East, has joined forces with an African fashion designer, to launch a new brand of clothing. Tom Byrne from Kilkee has teamed up with Christine Omollo, a talented and experienced Kenyan designer and both have lent their name to the new brand – TOMOLLO Fashions Limited. Tom, originally from Dublin, moved to Clare when his quadruplets were babies. A former Kilkee Town Commissioner, he already had very strong Clare connections and spent his summers in Kilkee growing up. Tom’s mother Mary Lillis from Kilkee, was born in Harlem, New York in 1928. Tom had his own architectural business until 2009 before moving in 2012 to the Middle East, where he is now managing multi-billion euro development projects. Tom admired Christine’s fashions online and they corresponded and planned the business over two years, resulting in the formation of TOMOLLO. It wasn’t until the annual St. Patrick’s Day Ball in Bahrain this year …