Tag Archives: killaloe

  A KILLALOE-based photographer has snapped up €40,000 for a local charity by completing a gruelling 1,000 kilometres along the Wild Atlantic Way . Ciara McCullough collected this donation for the Children’s Grief Centre in Limerick after running from Derry to Kinsale on consecutive days and welcomed other runners to join her during her arduous journey. The Ballinahinch native, who moved to Killaloe three years ago, is delighted to have raised such a large sum for this charity, having seen children benefit from their work. “I have witnessed first hand the work the Children’s Grief Centre does and what a positive impact it has on children. It is a charity that is close to my heart as it has helped people who are close to me. “I just wanted to give something back. I love the conversation the founder St Helen Culhane has around the topic of grief. “In Ireland we can dismiss things like grief as we feel we …

LIKE thousands of schools across the country, St Anne’s Community College in Killaloe remains closed in a bid to limit the spread of the Coronavirus. And while the 500-strong student body are following the new rules of social distancing and staying apart, they are coming together online to keep their spirits up and to avail of support and guidance in these challenging times. School Chaplain Karol Torpey, who lives in Feakle, told The Champion that the school’s social platforms have come to fore in the current crisis. “Our Facebook page, Humans of St Anne’s Community College, is now operating as a virtual chaplain’s office. It’s a way of getting as much support and advice to people as possible and of gauging how people are feeling.” The importance of staying apart in order to protect the vulnerable is one key message that the school has been promoting across its social channels: “We have been working hard to get the message of …

A KILLALOE based tennis coach, who has introduced the sport of tennis to residents of a Greek refugee camp, is urging the public to support charities like Lighthouse Relief who are helping those fleeing war torn countries. Wesley O’Brien, a coach at the Killaloe Tennis Club said while the issue may have gone off the news cycle, it is still a major international crisis that needs continued support. He said rather than sitting on a beach in Lanzarote he wanted to do more with his skills and wanted share the joy of tennis with those less fortunate. In 2018 he got in touch with a number NGOs and was directed to Lighthouse Relief, who work with refugees from Syria, Iraq and Turkey. The charity has a base on the island of Lesvos where they have a first responder team who help migrants fleeing by boat. Their second base is at the Ritsona refugee camp where they cater for more than …

AS part of an intelligence led operation Gardaí are currently carrying out a search at a premises at Tinarana, Killaloe. The Clare Divisional Drugs Unit are being supported by local uniform and plainclothes Gardaí, the Western Region Armed Support Unit and the Cork Garda Dog Unit. A significant grow house has been discovered with evidence of the production of Cannabis at all stages (nursery, mature plants, dried plants).  At this time, a large number of plants with an estimated street value of €900,000 are being examined. A female (early 20s), non-Irish national, has been arrested at the scene and is currently being detained at Ennis Garda Station under section 4 Criminal Justice Act, 1984. The search and investigations remain ongoing.    

A total of €26.5m has been allocated to Clare in 2019 funding for regional and local roads. €8m of that figure will be directed to the Shannon crossing in Killaloe, while €80,000 will be spent linking the N68 Ennis to Kilrush road, with the R458 Limerick road in Ennis. A further €100,000 will be spent on the Northern Distributor Road in Limerick. This years overall figure is a 12% increase on 2018 funding. More details will be published in Thursday’s print edition of The Clare Champion.

  A Lough Derg community has been plunged into mourning following the death of a local teenager in a farming accident. Nenagh Gardaí are investigating a fatality involving a 15 year-old from Ballina on a farm in Carrigatoher, Nenagh on Sunday at about 3.30pm. According to the Garda Press Office, the teenager was pronounced dead at the scene at the Health and Safety Authority has been notified. He has been named locally as Padraig McCormack, Ryninch, Ballina, Killaloe. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has confirmed it is carrying out a separate investigation into the accident, which occurred on the teenager’s uncle’s farm. Investigators from the HSA visited the scene of the accident on Monday and spoke to a number of people in relation to the incident. The HSA will be completing a report on this incident, which will not be published. This is the first farm fatality in 2018. Last year, 24 people lost their lives in farming accidents …

A KILLALOE horse trainer received a late Christmas present when Poetic Rhythm helped him to land his first Grade 1 winner. Fergal O’Brien was thrilled when his horse crowned what has been a terrific year for him by winning the Betfred Challow Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday. O’Brien, who used to be head lad to Nigel Twiston-Davies and now rents his old second yard, has sent out 46 winners this season, the vast majority ridden by Paddy Brennan from Ardrahan. Having broken his seasonal-best tally back in April, along with claiming a maiden Grade 2 winner at Sandown in February, the Naunton handler celebrated another landmark achievement as the six-year-old came out on top in a thrilling renewal. After chasing down long-time leader Mulcahys Hill, the 15/8 favourite forged on over the last in the hands of Paddy Brennan, before repelling the late fightback from the Warren Greatrex-trained runner by a short head. It was a close-run thing at the …