Clare's Fine Gael senator says he makes "no apologies" for disagreeing with his party colleague Minister Paschal Donohoe on the hospitality VAT rate.Various organisations representing businesses in the hospitality industry have long called for their VAT to be returned to the lower rate 9% which was introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic.Minister f…

Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to tie up political loose ends as the summer finally arrives. With a General Election around the corner, Sinn Féin and Fine Gael have tricky tasks. Mary Lou McDonald must reset the party's message after disappointing results in June, while Fine Gael must select candidates to replace the 15 TDs who will …

On Wednesday's Morning Focus, Fiona McGarry visited Clinical herbalist Julie Ann O'Connor from Feakle.With over 20 years experience working in holistic healthcare, as well as a lifelong love of the outdoors & natures healing medicine, Julie Ann O' Connor offers walks which bring you on a journey of exploration, rediscovery and healing.You get to le…

It's predicted rejuventated empty homes could be the "single largest source of housing in County Clare" by next year.It comes as the Hardware Association Ireland has launched its pre-Budget submission which contains the key proposals of including empty homes in housing targets and improving incentives for converting "above-the-shop" properties.The …

Fears have been raised that the introduction of extra grants for purchasing electric vehicles in rural Clare would be 'open to abuse'.This comes in light of calls for people living in outside of urban areas to receive extra funding towards the cost of buying an electric vehicle.This week former environment minister Richard Bruton has called on the …

A "super-levy" for online banks has been proposed as a way of revitalising Clare's towns and villages.Wicklow Fine Gael Councillor Peter Stapleton is calling for the Irish bank levy, which produces a fixed annual yield of €150 million, to be re-structured so online banks such as Revolut pay a larger share which is then channelled into communities.B…

The time machine is an immersive exhibition that transforms an old Bank in Miltown Malbay into a portal, transporting you to the past and future to help us imagine ourselves in 2084. To find out more, Fiona McGarry was joined by Maeve Stone, Award-winning artist of Cracking Light Productions.Photo (c): Miltowntimemachine.com…

A host of stars from the world of GAA, racing and other big sporting personalities came together last Monday evening, for this year’s Hurling for Cancer Research all-star game. The coverage on TG4 was aimed at boosting donations to the Irish Cancer Society’s vital research projects. Gort based camera man Dermot Flaherty is currently undergoing trea…

It's claimed light is at the end of the tunnel for communities victimised by persistent flooding in Clare. It comes as the local authority is set to submit a planning application for a flood relief scheme in Kilkee that will aim to alleviate overflow from Victoria Stream. Another scheme is currently being prepared to compat coastal water infiltrati…

Clare FM's Derrick Lynch is joined by analysts Joe Garry and Paudie Carmody to preview the second round games in the TUS Clare senior and intermediate football championshipsBy Clare FM

Pat Leahy continues the story of the rivalry between Fine Gael's Garret FitzGerald and Fianna Fáil's Charles Haughey, the defining politicians of their era. This episode traces their dominance within their parties and the electoral battles they fought as they drove Ireland's politics from the late 1970s into the early 1980s. The story weaves togeth…

"Huge concerns" around the safety of a new school bus service being trialled in Clare have been highlighted by parents.With just two weeks to go until secondary schools reopen their doors, Bus Éireann has announced that students in the south-east of the county availing of its services to travel to Shannon will do so by way of the 343 public bus ser…

"Huge concerns" around the safety of a new school bus service being trialled in Clare have been highlighted by parents.With just two weeks to go until secondary schools reopen their doors, Bus Éireann has announced that students in the south-east of the county availing of its services to travel to Shannon will do so by way of the 343 public bus ser…

A Clare professor believes Ukraine's recent military advancements has changed the optics of the war.Ukraine has switched to the offensive and has forced Russian troops to evacuate areas from the border regions of Kursks, resulting in roughly 75-thousand people fleeing from their homes.Voldymyr Zelenksyy's troops claim they have captured 1,000sqkm w…

Morning Focus was broadcasting live from the Clare Museum in Ennis.Firstly, Alan Morrissey spoke with a Sixmilebridge parent, Edel Rafferty, to discuss the concern over the planned changes to the school bus service in Shannon.After that, Alan was joined by Deputy Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua, Ennis Chamber President, Sheila Lynch an…

The Clare Branch of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service is appealing for new donors amid a challenging time of year for the service.The IBTS is aiming to retain a minimum of 3 days worth of blood stocks in order to facilitate routine hospital services such as heart and knee operations, pregnancies and cancer treatment.Donation clinics will be takin…

In this week’s History in Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by local historian and author Colm Liddy to discuss a letter from the Scott Family to the Vandeleur Family that is kept in the Clare Museum.If you have any stories you would like to share with Colm about your town, you can contact him at colmliddy@eircom.net or Clare FM at focus@clare.fm.…

Aidan Harte would be best known to a Clare audience as the man who sculpted the statue of the Púca that was at the centre of some controversy two years ago. Aidan is now involved with a somewhat different venture. He has written and illustrated a new book called Lugs Branigan: The True Story of Ireland’s Legendary Lawman. To discuss his new book, A…

Concern is being expressed by parents in Sixmilebridge, Cratloe and Newmarket-on-Fergus over planned changes to their children’s school bus service to Shannon. For more on the planned changes and why they have caused panic amongst parents, Alan Morrissey spoke with Edel Rafferty, from Sixmilebridge, one of the aforementioned parents.Picture (c) Igo…

Clare County Council is expressing confidence that tourists will flock from all corners of Europe to a new attraction here.The tender has been published for fit-out works on the Old Rectory in Mountshannon which will be repurposed as a vistor an interpretative centre for Inis Cealtra.The tender is worth €300,000 and submissions must be in by Septem…

Clare people experiencing the grief of a miscarriage have an opportunity to share their stories with eachother at an event tonight.A peer support meeting for those who've experienced a miscarriage will be held in the Greenhills Hotel at 8pm while another meeting will take place in the Inn at Dromoland on September 10th.It's estimated one in five wo…

The vast majority of Clare homes and businesses affected by thunderstorms will have their power restored tonight.Over 450 premises near Ennis, Crusheen, Kildysart, Kilshanny, Ennistymon and Lisdoonvarna are still without electricity following last night's thunderstorms.The lightning strike brought down the power line in Kildysart last night and ESB…

A member of the Cliffs of Moher's management team insists their world-famous walking trail is safe despite claims to the contrary.Following a number of tragic incidents at the Cliffs in recent times, the Clare Local Development Company and Clare County Council are working on implementing additional safety measures at points where walkers are more l…

A Clare Publican is warning businesses are being forced to cut back on their own maintenance due to rising input costs.It comes as Finance Minister Pascal Donohoe has confirmed there will be no reduction to the 13.5% hospitality VAT rate in Budget 2025.According to the Restaurants Association of Ireland, the return to the 9.5% rate is needed urgent…

A Clare Irish language enthusiast blames what he calls the State's "archaic" approach to teaching the language for young people's lack of interest in it.The comments come as a new report has found one third of teenagers would like to see Irish removed as a compulsory subject in second-level education.Marking the 20th anniversary of the the Ombudsma…

On Monday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Tom Stewart from Keane’s Garden Centre in Kilcolgan.This week, Tom gave listeners some advice on autmnal plants for containers and beds.If you have a question for Tom, contact the show on 0818 400 964 or send a text or Whatsapp to 086 1800 964.By Clare FM

This Saturday, the 17th of August, Cuimhneamh an Chláir’s Paula Carroll – who is also one of the presenters of The West Wind here on Clare FM - will host a live recording of the Clare Oral History Podcast. The public interview with Kitty Leyden from Tulla is part of Heritage Week 2024. It will take place at Cnoc na Gaoithe Comholtas Cultural Centre…

Natalya Serova and her daughter, like many of their compatriots, have fled the war in Ukraine and sought refuge in Ireland. She is seeking alternative housing, due to the negative effects their current accommodation is having on her daughter. To discuss this further, Natalya Serova and Mariya Nikashanova joined Alan Morrissey, on Monday's Morning F…

It is time to bring you another weird and wonderful tale, which means it is time for another edition of Seanchaí Corner.Seanchaí Corner sees the renowned author, storyteller, lecturer, and broadcaster Eddie Lenihan regaling us with a memorable story from his extensive collection of old Irish tales and fables.In our latest installment of Seanchaí Co…

Pat Murphy has undertaken a huge challenge: to travel the length of the country from Malin Head to Mizen Head...on a tractor! He isn’t doing this onerous and time-consuming challenge for no good reason, though. To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by Pat Murphy. If you would like to donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/malin-to-mizen-cha…

Safety improvement works have been taking place at the Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walking trail. The works are in response to health and safety concerns being raised. The concerns come in the wake of recent tragic deaths, with specific fears centering around the 14-kilometre Cliff Edge walking route, which links Doolin and Liscannor to the world-famou…

A Regional Health Forum West member says unacceptable overcrowding has become the norm at University Hospital Limerick.The HSE took the decision last Wednesday to defer scheduled care at University Hospital Limerick as well as Ennis, Nenagh, St. John's and Croom Hospitals due to spiralling overcrowding following the August Bank Holiday Weekend.Trol…

Aer Lingus has come under fire from a Clare Senator for it's decision to wind down cargo service at Shannon Airport.The hub will close in the coming months following 55 years of operation and currently employs 18 people. Enterprise Minister Peter Burke has requested a meeting with Aer Lingus to discuss the future of the service and alternative opti…

Reaction From Clonlara, Clooney Quin And Crusheen After Opening Round Of Clare SHCBy Clare FM

A popular walking spot in West Clare has been named Ireland's favourite tourist destination.Kilkee Cliff Walk can proudly called itself the nation's best-rated tourist destination as new Trip Advisor research shows the attraction has the highest number of 'excellent' reviews of any Irish tourist site.Only places with 100 reviews or more were consid…

Over 700 Clare companies availed of upskilling supports last year.New figures from Ireland's workplace talent agency Skillsnet show there was a 17% increase in the number of employees participating in training courses last year, with over 2,700 doing so. More than half of participating businesses in Clare were micro businesses with between 0 and 9 …

Dereliction in Clare is said to be "at the lower end of things" compared to other counties while "room for improvement" has been noted.New figures from GeoDirectory show roughly 5% of residential building classed as derelict in Ireland are located in this county.The figures also show just 88.2% of dwellings here are occupied - with the remainder ei…

Large crowds descended on East Clare today to pay their respects to the late literary great, Edna O'Brien.The Tuamgraney native was remembered as a worsdmith, extraordinary women and fabulous mother at her funeral mass this afternoon.The voice of Edna O'Brien speaking in 2015 where outlined her fearless approach to her 1963 debut novel "Country Gir…

The Chair of the Irish Creamery and Milk Suppliers Association in Clare is urging co-ops to ensure dairy farmers are "properly paid" this month.The ICMSA is calling for the price of July milk to be increased to 45 cent per litre amid claims farmers' cashflow has "never been as tight".The most recent analysis from the ICMSA shows the median price pa…

Clare FM's Derek Dormer speaks with managers and players involved in this weekends opening round games in the Clare LGFA senior club championshipBy Clare FM

Matt and Ivan look in to the real Simon Harris, ask if Michael D. Higgins could be followed as president by a comedian, and look at our pressing infrastructure needs and solutions. Path to Power is going on the road. Join Matt & Ivan with special guests in the 3Olympia Theatre Dublin on Wednesday September 11th and in the Cork Opera House on Friday…

The deferral of scheduled care at Ennis Hospital, UHL and other Midwest facilities this week has been described as "completely unacceptable".It's now two days since the HSE took the decision to cancel elective and day surgery as well as outpatient appointments for an indefinite period of time across UL Hospitals Group facilities.The Emergency Depar…

An Ennis principal says he wants to see a secondary school admission process similar to what operates in the county town rolled out to south-east Clare.Education Minister Norma Foley has confirmed a centralised admission process for post-primary schools will be introduced in several high-pressure towns and suburbs for the 2025 school year.The syste…

It is time for the ninth episode of our newest feature on Morning Focus, Energising Clare.This new feature will be about educating you, the listener, on renewables.On this week’s episode, Alan Morrissey was joined by Policy Manager with Wind Energy Ireland Caoimhe McCarthy, to discuss offshore wind energy.…

It is time for the twenty-fifth episode of our newest feature on Morning Focus, Village Tour, where Alan Morrissey paid a visit to Ballyvaughan.With the Village Tour, we here at Morning Focus are aiming to highlight the smaller villages and townlands around the county.By doing this, we hope to showcase their unique character, while also bringing th…

The Clarecastle Show will take place this coming weekend. The popular event will be held on Sunday (11th August). To fill us in on what we can expect, Alan Morrissey was joined by Susan Finnerty.Photo (c): The Clarecastle Show via FacebookBy Clare FM

Aer Lingus is being urged to reconsider its decision to close its cargo base at Shannon Airport. The IAG group has confirmed it will cease operations at the facility at the end of the year.It’s understood around 18 people are employed at the facility and the International Airlines Group says it will commence a consultation process with staff repres…