Tag Archives: North Clare

Tourism Ireland invited a group of tour operators from the Middle East to visit Clare, in advance of attending a B2B workshop with Irish tourism companies in Dublin. The visit was organised to encourage the visiting tour operators to extend the Ireland content of their existing programmes or to include the island of Ireland for the first time in their 2015 programmes. Their itinerary included a guided tour of business and tourism attractions in North Clare, as well as Bunratty Castle. The visitors stayed at Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg. Jim Paul, Tourism Ireland’s head of Australia and developing markets, said, “Tourism Ireland is delighted to bring these influential tour operators to Ireland for the annual New Markets Workshop, which provides such an important opportunity for our Irish tourism partners. Fact-finding visits like this are a valuable element of Tourism Ireland’s overall promotional effort in emerging tourism markets like the Middle East; they provide an excellent opportunity …

SEVEN people involved in an illegal “cruise and drift” event in North Clare last March, organised on Facebook, have been fined €750 and disqualified from driving for six months having shown “total disregard for human beings”. Wayne Danaher, aged 19, with an address at Snipe Lodge, Knockagulla, Lisdoonvarna and 20-year-old Jennifer Canavan, of Derrymore, Lahinch pleaded guilty at Ennis District Court on Wednesday evening to a public order charge of engaging in offensive conduct in public on March 8. Meanwhile, Gabriel Weck, aged 21, of Bealcragga, Connolly, 27-year-old Shaun Larkin of 22 Inis Carraig, Ennis, Sean Keane, aged 19, of Ballyhannon, Quin, 21-year-old Rory Downes of Clonakilla, Kilmilhil, and Kevin Baker, aged 18, of Finn Trá, Miltown Malbay pleaded guilty to careless driving on the same date. Galway-based detective Garda Barry Walsh gave evidence that on the request of Superintendent Seamus Nolan in Kilrush he carried out a surveillance operation of an event in North Clare on the night of …

Luka Bloom could be sinn ing to you in your local café next month, as the North Clare resident embarks on his second Clare Café Tour. As someone who thoroughly enjoys the café atmosphere, Luka Bloom decided last year to bring the music to the wonderful cafes around the county. The atmosphere they have for an intimate gig was one reason for bringing his folk song repertoire to the café stage but, he also said, he finds the proprietors are genuinely enthusiastic about creating a warm and homely atmosphere for the guests. Speaking about last year’s café tour, Luka said it went beyond all his expectations. “I was a little bit nervous about whether people would be open to it, and I was completely blown away. The interesting thing about the tour we did last year was that every single one of the café’s I played in last September, I don’t think one of them existed 10 years ago. They …

North Clare’s more picturesque spots will be seen by about a million people in a television documentary airing in Germany next month. A crew from ARD, a national German TV network, is in Ireland this week as guests of Tourism Ireland, filming for the documentary along the Wild Atlantic Way. The documentary will be called Weltreisen meaning World Travel. Footage captured in Clare includes the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher, as well as the Weltreisen crew enjoying a surfing demonstration in Doolin. The 45-minute programme will air in July. This year, Tourism Ireland is placing a major focus on the Wild Atlantic Way in its promotions around the world. The Wild Atlantic Way is being highlighted on television, in print, online and at international tourism fairs. “We are delighted that the crew from ARD agreed to create this documentary featuring Clare and the Wild Atlantic Way. The programme will be seen by around one million potential holidaymakers for Ireland …

A NORTH Clare student, who found national fame when he sold his Leaving Cert notes on eBay, has been awarded a prestigious scholarship to the University of Cambridge. Cillian Fahy was awarded a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to pursue an M. Phil. in European Literature and Culture at the university, the only Irish person to achieve this in 2014. The Gates Cambridge Scholarships are awarded to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK, to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. They are selected based on outstanding intellectual ability; leadership potential; a commitment to improving the lives of others and a good fit between the applicant’s qualifications and aspirations and the postgraduate programme at Cambridge for which they are applying. “The Gates Cambridge Scholarships are one of the most prestigious scholarships in the world and it is an incredible honour to receive one,” said Cillian. “The scholarships are full-cost, covering all fees and maintenance, …

THE nine-year-old boy who fell into the water at Black Head in North Clare last weekend, died in hospital this Thursday afternoon. On Sunday last, Doolin Coast Guard was tasked to go to the area at 9.13pm after the alarm was raised that a child had fallen into the water close to Black Head Lighthouse. A number of people had been fishing in the area and attempts were made by those present to rescue the boy, but it is believed the tide swept him out and he got into difficulty. Shannon Coast Guard Rescue helicopter was also tasked. The boy was located quickly and was recovered from the water at approximately 9.50pm to the boat. The boy was  airlifted to Galway University Hospital and subsequently transferred to Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin.

LISDOONVARNA and September go hand in hand in terms of colour, music and craic, but the Spa town also had a great festival atmosphere for this St Patrick’s weekend. In fact the North Clare town stole a march on the rest of the country by staging its annual parade on Saturday. The organisers were thrilled by the level of participation, saying it well exceeded their expectations.

By Nicola Corless THE Doolin Unit of the Irish Coast Guard has been left unable to launch after a high spring tide and stormy conditions washed boulders onto the slipway and into the channel used to get out to sea. Although the Doolin crew cannot launch, the Coast Guard helicopter and the unit on nearby Aran Islands are responding to calls. Mattie Shannon, station officer with the Doolin Unit of the Irish Coast Guard, stated, “The boulders have washed up again and all the gravel the council had put in, that has been washed away. That will all have to be redone because there is no access to the slipway currently and there are a couple of big boulders on the channel, so we couldn’t launch. “At the moment, conditions are rough but even if the sea calmed down, we still couldn’t launch because of the boulders in our path.” The coast guard is currently building a new station at …