Tag Archives: Zoom

SUPPORT for Ukrainian survivors of rape has been added to the website of the Midwest’s main sexual violence response agency.  Rape Crisis Midwest is also aiming to reach out to a new generation through social and digital media supports. It comes as the organisation, which has offices in Ennis, Limerick and Nenagh, unveils a new Strategy and Action Plan for the next five years. The structuring of the new plan first started in 2019. The situation of the organisation was viewed very optimistically, as the economy was well into recovery mode. Covid-19 brought several challenges, but the importance of abiding by survivors meant that there was no option but to keep up with what was needed from the staff and volunteers at the centre.  “Through the choppy and unfortunate circumstances, it is easy to see how it also worked out as an opportune moment to reflect on how activity in the centre had been undertaken and to appraise the orchestration …

TWO free online talks with high profile parenting expert Dr Mary O’Kane are being hosted by Kilrush Library in the coming weeks. Dr O’Kane will be offering advice on supporting teens starting secondary school and on raising resilient children via Zoom sessions organised by the library. The well-known psychologist is the author of Perfectly Imperfect Parenting, described as “a practical and accessible guide which will help parents get into the right frame of mind for effective parenting without making them feel guilty or inadequate in their desire to be the best parent they can be”. “The book presents the idea of good enough parenting,” said Dr O’Kane. “The idea that children need to experience small disappointments to better equip themselves to face life’s challenges. As the child experiences these minor blips, they learn to tolerate some frustration. If we occasionally let them down, it helps them to learn to survive in an imperfect world.” Dr O’Kane, a lecturer in Psychology …

MACRA na Feirme, the rural youth organisation is to launch a new Ennistymon Macra branch this week (January 27). It has been more than 20 years since there was such a club in the town and the revival is seen as a major  progression for Macra in Clare which is 74 years old this year. Following on from the successful launch of the Kilrush club in 2019, the launch forms part of the Clare organisation’s five-year plan and will create a better geographical balance to the clubs in the county. While the new club will be based in Ennistymon, members from all different backgrounds across the surrounding areas of North Clare are welcome and people from non-farming backgrounds are also encouraged to join. On Wednesday, January 27, in an online launch, Clare Macra will make a short presentation outlining its activities and the  benefits of joining. National President Thomas Duffy will be in attendance. Guest speaker on the night will …

SCARIFF Library is promising a real treat on December 15, when its virtual book club will be joined by award-winning author Helen Moffett. Dr Moffett’s novel Charlotte is the book of choice for the event which will be held on Zoom, as part of the regular Morning Zoom Book Club series. The engaging plot follows one of the minor characters of Pride and Prejudice, Charlotte Lucas. While she may have been written off by Jane Austen’s heroine, Elizabeth Bennett, this novel gives the dowdy Charlotte a new lease on life, as a woman determined to make the most of her opportunities and carve out a place in the world. “There was a lovely happenstance when I was publishing details of the book club meeting on Twitter,” explained Library Assistant, Samantha Morrissey. “I tagged Helen, who is a very accomplished writer, really interesting and very friendly. She tweeted back and asked if she could help us in any way, I was …

REMOTE access to meetings of Clare County Council may continue into the future, members were told, after a number of them joined the November meeting via Zoom. Standing Orders were amended to give effect to a Ministerial Order drawn up in response to Level 5 restrictions, meaning that councillors can attend meetings virtually, as necessary. “This is a historic occasion,” said the council’s Chief Executive Pat Dowling, as members including Councillors Donna McGettigan, Ian Lynch, Pat Hayes and Tony O’Brien connected by video link. Mr Dowling noted that a national template had issued to all councils and he thanked meetings coordinator Ann Reynolds for her work in facilitating the new arrangements. Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy questioned whether the arrangement was limited by time, to which Mr Dowling replied that it would be kept under review. “A number of local authorities, like those in Dublin, had been offering remote access even before Covid-19,” he noted. “It is at the discretion of …

WELL known Ennistymon musician and actor, Steve Wall shared his personal experience of attending CBS Ennistymon in a school video to promote their open evening, which will be held next Tuesday night at 7pm. Last year, Steve was involved in a Creative Engagement Project with Transition Year students where he helped them to write lyrics for different music genres with a view to producing a song. Steve was following in the footsteps of well known entertainer Luka Bloom who has also worked with students in the school while local musician Jon O’Connell is overseeing this project this year. In fact, the collaboration between Luka and students resulted in the production of a compact disc. While CBS Ennistymon has a strong sporting tradition, principal, Mary Lyons stressed they also nurtured creativity of students who may not be interested in sport. As a former past pupil, Steve is no stranger to the school and he was delighted to contribute to the video …

DEPARTING Sixth Class students from Scoil Mhuire in Meelick are unlikely to forget their participation in a novel graduation ceremony recently. Teachers, staff and parents of students at Meelick National School created a farewell with a difference for their Sixth Class students who were unable to gather together due to Covid-19 restrictions. A colourful motor cavalcade drove the length and breadth of the parish and beyond to deliver personalised certificates and gifts to each of the students. The cars, adorned with colourful balloons and horns beeping, noisily made their way through the village so everyone knew they were coming. Individual drops were made to all 22 students who would normally have celebrated their graduation with a mass followed by a presentation of certificates and an evening of bowling. Instead, students were made feel really special with the unusual delivery and later that evening they joined a zoom call to hear from principal, Ms Maria O’Looney and their teacher Mr Denis …

CLARE’s five Oireachtas members are now using new methods of communication such as the Zoom application during the national lockdown as a result of Covid-19 regulations Traditional tried and trusted methods such as meetings constituents in a bar or community centre in towns and villages throughout Clare are a non-runner due to new social distancing requirements. However, Clare deputies and Senator Martin Conway insist they are still busy dealing with constituents queries and concerns, Deputy Joe Carey told the Clare Champion he is very busy as he is now the only government deputy after Minister of State, Pat Breen failed to get re-elected after the recent General Election. The Clarecastle Deputy said he is receiving a lot of communication from employers, business groups and individuals concerning the impact of Covid-19 via the phone, email and social media platforms like Facebook. If people want to contact him through applications such as Zoom, he is available to use this form of communication, …