Tag Archives: killaloe

A Killaloe tennis coach has served up an ace by setting up Blind Tennis in Finland for the first time before managing a team that won two bronze medals at the World Blind Tennis Championships. Tennis is the fastest growing sport for visually impaired people in Ireland, which has up to 160 active competitive and social participants from zero a few years ago. Coaching sighted tennis for 15 years, Wesley O’Brien has been involved in teaching blind tennis for the last seven years. The Killaloe coach decided to impart his skills in a country where blind tennis was never played previously. In January 2022, he contacted the Chief Executive Officer of Tennis Finland, Teemu Purho and asked if the association would be interested in a new blind tennis programme he could bring to the country. A zoom meeting was set up between Mr O’Brien, the CEO of Tennis Finland and a representative from the International Blind Tennis Association. Having received …

IT looks as if hundreds of adventure race competitors have enjoyed the unique experience of running across the water on the longest temporary pontoon bridge ever built in Ireland last Saturday for the last time. Conceived and built for the first Quest Lough Derg in 2019, Elite Event Management came up with the idea when faced with the logistical challenge of moving participants safely across the water from Killaloe to Ballina. While Elite Management is planning to host Quest Lough Derg again next year in Ballina and Killaloe, organisers are hoping the temporary pontoon may no longer be necessary once the new River Shannon Crossing is operational, which is expected to be open before September 2025. In a joint partnership between Elite Event Management, Waterways Ireland, Tipperary and Clare County Councils, it is Ireland’s biggest temporary pontoon over the Shannon at 170 metres, and was the fourth time a new bridge had been built in Killaloe in 300 years. In …

The Bishop of Killaloe, Fintan Monahan is one of the 30 contributors to a new book on the benefits of integrated education as a vehicle for radical change in Northern Ireland, which is edited by a Lough Derg author. “If a United Ireland were to be declared in current circumstances, the Unionist hardliners would be out with their guns. They have said so to the author of this book. We must first work towards a United Northern Ireland where both sides accept and respect each other; where ‘otherness’ is seen not as a threat, but as the enrichment that difference can bring. This can be achieved only by educating the children of both sides together for a considerable time. We need therefore to persuade those in power to make this happen.” This is the opening of a new book ‘The Sundered Children’ edited by the author, former journalist, college lecturer and teacher of journalism and writing, David Rice, who celebrated …

A GROUP of medieval Vikings will engage in an eagerly-anticipated battle reenactment in memory of a former High King of Ireland during the 31st annual Féile Brian Ború festival, which runs until July 7. Lakes Vikings is a group of Viking age enthusiasts with 20 years experience sailing Viking longboats and organising fun festivals and events. Their longboats have featured in several TV series and documentaries. This is the first time that this group will participate in the Killaloe festival, and it is about ten years since Vikings made their presence felt in the twin communities. It all happened by chance when Féile Brian Ború committee member, Cillian O’Meara, met Paul Kavanagh of Lakes Vikings at a conference in Northern Ireland and invited them to Killaloe, which was taken up by one of their key people about a month ago. At the time of writing, the group had 60 members signed up for their trip to Killaloe including international participants. …

Two lobby groups who want an end to the war in Gaza have pledged to continue their “Banners on the Bridge” demonstrations over the coming months. Members of East Clare for Palestine and Nenagh Friends for Palestine waved flags and shouted slogans such as “Free Palestine”, “Ceasefire Now” on both sides of Killaloe Bridge on Friday. This third demonstration was part of a nationwide protest at bridges to encourage more people to come out in support of Palestine. While Carol McNamara, Scariff, welcomed the government’s decision to recognise a two-state solution, she stressed this was not enough as it needed to introduce boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) measures akin to what happened to South Africa under apartheid in the eighties. “We are here to show solidarity with people in Gaza. A lot of these vigils are being filmed and are being and are going back to people in Gaza who are facing starvation on a massive scale,” she said. “There …

A new Special Olympics Athletics Club is on the right track in Killaloe following research and planning undertaken by a local disability activist. Derg AC Inclusive Athletics was unveiled as a Special Olympics Athletics Club at an official launch in Clarisford Park, Killaloe on Saturday. This ensures that children can enter Special Olympics competitions, while Derg AC can now cater for more young members with special needs who want to participate in these events. This is in addition to the inclusive one-hour training session hosted by Derg AC in Clarisford Park on Saturday mornings. Nicola Welford, who set up the Inclusive Athletics Club in Derg AC, recalled it has taken a year to get through a lot of hoops and put all the necessary arrangements in place for the new club. Last year, five or six children won medals in competitions run by the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA), which was a source of great pride to the club. However, it …

A KILLALOE tennis coach is serving up more free coaching sessions for underprivileged children and adults in memory of his parents in Romania from June 23 to 29. Wesley O’Brien is raising money to fund his latest overseas trip through his charity “Hit and Hope”. Mr O’Brien set up this charity to bring free tennis lessons and equipment to kids and youth affected by war and conflict. It has grown to provide tennis coaching in refugee camps, disadvantaged communities, underprivileged kids and special needs families from all over Europe. His latest venture will be done in memory of his parents who died within three weeks of each other earlier this year. Mary O’Brien, née Reddan, Crossroads, Killaloe, died on Christmas Eve, 2003 before her husband, Eddie on January 14, 2024. “I was doing these trips for a long time before my parents passed away. But these trips are particularly relevant to me now. I like to think that my parents’ …

  Communities in South-East Clare have been rocked by the tragic death of a seven year-old boy following an incident at a swimming pool in Ballina, Killaloe on Saturday. Extending his sympathy to the family, An Taoiseach Simon Harris described the death of Shay Lynch, Shannonview, Ardnataggle, O’Brien’s Bridge as “absolutely heartbreaking”. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mr Harris stated: “I know people right across Ireland are keeping this family and the community of Clonlara in Clare in their thoughts and prayers at such a sad and difficult time”. Clonlara National School has implemented its Critical Incident Management Plan. The school is liaising with the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) to ensure support structures are in place to help our school community cope with this tragedy. Funeral arrangements for Shay James Lynch have been announced following what has been described in his death notice as “tragic accident”. Shay was predeceased by his grandmother, Christina. He is …