Tag Archives: Miltown Malbay

Football takes centre stage in Clare this weekend, as Cooraclare and Miltown St Joseph’s prepare to battle it out for the Jack Daly Cup, and the honour of being crowned senior football champions for 2015, at Cusack Park, Ennis on Sunday. To mark the occasion, The Clare Champion has published a 16-page supplement, Reaching for the Stars. Sports editor, Seamus Hayes and football correspondent, Peter O’Connell have interviews with players and well-know club figures on both sides, as well as opinion pieces and the match preview. It’s an all West Clare affair between two teams from traditional football strongholds that have not featured on the senior champions’ roll of honour for some time. Both clubs have enjoyed success at underage and other grades this year, however, which augurs well for their futures. Miltown’s 1990 Clare championship winning team will be honoured at half-time during the final at Cusack Park. A number of players have sons bidding to follow in their footsteps …

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (formerly the NRA) has announced that a contractor will be appointed this week to undertake remedial works to Clonbony Bridge on the N67 near Miltown Malbay. The Bridge has been closed to vehicular traffic since September 11, following significant flooding in the area. Subsequent inspections of the bridge have indentified structural damage to one of the bridge abutments which has necessitated the closure of the bridge and the rerouting of traffic. Senior engineer, Clare County Council, Tom Tiernan, commented, “Clare County Council is conscious of the disruption that the closure has caused for local businesses in Miltown Malbay, as well as local residents. However, the continued closure has proven to be necessary on foot of inspections that have deemed the bridge structure to have been compromised.”

Clare County Council has admitted that current sea defences in Quilty, Spanish Point and the White Strand Beach in Miltown Malbay are not sufficient to deal with a repeat of the adverse flooding in early 2014. At this week’s West Clare District meeting, Councillor Michael Hillery asked that the council “would present a progress report on the coastal protection works” at the the three locations. “The existing sea defences at all three areas are inadequate to withstand a similar storm to that of January 2014 again. To that end, funding is approved for by the Office of Public Works (OPW) for a single coastal erosion and flood risk management study for the section of coast from Quilty to Milltown Malbay, with particular focus on each of the three locations – Quilty, Spanish Point and Whitestrand,” council engineer Stephen Lahiffe explained in a written reply. “The scope of the consultant’s study must accord with the OPW’s guidance for such studies. Standard …

MILTOWN Malbay on Willie Clancy week resonates with varied accents, strains of traditional music and rapid weather alterations. On Monday afternoon, the main street in the West Clare town teemed with people, while inside the open doors of the public houses, music wafted towards the open air. At Hennessy Memorial Park, the pavilion resounded with set dancers pounding the afternoon into evening, while even the old dressing room building was packed with students and tutors. Kieran Jordan, who is from Philadelphia but has lived in Boston for more than 20 years, was one of the teachers, along with Kevin Doyle from Rhode Island. While leg and soft muscle injuries are more associated with sport, Kieran has been on the treatment table a fair bit herself. She counts torn hamstrings, a torn ligament in her foot and a torn hip cartilage as amongst the strains and knocks she has encountered while dancing or teaching it. “It makes you reflect and say …

MILTOWN Malbay business person Maureen Kilduff has said that commerce in the town is hugely dependent upon the annual Willie Clancy Summer School, which begins today (Saturday) and runs until Sunday, July 12. “Most people would say that 20 to 30% of the year’s turnover in the service businesses are done in the 10 days of the Willie Clancy festival,” Maureen stated. “What makes a good year is the number of students booked in. Each student brings a parent or a friend with them. There isn’t a bed to be found from Lahinch to Quilty on the Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday night of next week,” she revealed. Another boost in terms of visitor numbers is the fact that many primary-school teachers are availing of the Department of Education and Skills approved courses at the summer school. Meanwhile, four visual artists, Lorraine Callanan, Mary Moran, Bairbre Geraghty and Edel Hogan are set to launch an a project called CeA/R/T in Miltown …

MILTOWN Malbay’s Dan J Tobin was inducted into the International Labour Hall of Fame last week. Dan emigrated to the USA in 1890 with his brother. He was responsible for founding the Transportation Union in the USA, which became the famed Teamsters. The award was accepted by his grandson, Vincent Tobin on his behalf. Vincent is finishing a book on Dan’s life at present. Dan was the son of John Tobin (weaver and shopkeeper on Main Street, Miltown Malbay, formerly of Torr) and Bridget Kennelly of Leeds, Miltown Malbay. He was born on April 3, 1872 and emigrated to Boston, aged 18. His cousins, from his mother’s side, still reside in Miltown. The unrest in Ireland at the time he left, and the social injustice he experienced, gave Dan a great sense of social justice and a determination to fight for the rights of the working man, who at that time was badly treated in the USA. Dan’s father was …

An Taisce has awarded a record nine prestigious International Blue Flag to County Clare’s beaches, as well as two Green Coast Awards. The Blue Flag award is a prestigious environmental eco-label awarded to more than 80 beaches and a small number of marinas in Ireland.   The award represents high standards in water quality, environmental information and education, environmental management and safety, services and facilities. The Flags were presented  by Alan Kelly TD. Minister for the Environment Community and Local Government, at a ceremony held at Ballinskelligs Beach in Kerry. Blue Flags were awarded to Whitestrand, Miltown Malbay, Ballycuggernan, Whitestrand Doonbeg, Mountshannon, Cappa, Fanore, Spanish Point, Kilkee and Lahinch. Speaking following the award ceremony, Councillor John Crowe, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, expressed his delighted that Clare had for the first time been awarded 9 blue flags, as well as Green Coast Awards for beaches at Bishops Quarter at Ballyvaughan and Seafield, Quilty. Councillor Crowe also noted the significance of Clare’s …

A 32-year-old man was detained at Kilrush Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act following a stabbing incident in Miltown Malbay on Sunday. During the attack a man in his 30s was stabbed at a house in Coore East and was removed to University College Hospital Galway for treatment. While investigating the incident, Kilrush Gardai uncovered cannabis plants valued at €124,000. Kilrush Gardaí are looking for anyone with information to contact them at on 065-9080550.