Clare FM Sideline View Friday March 26thBy Clare FM

A Clare Government TD has called for a state apology, following the death of Shannon teenager Aoife Johnston at University Hospital Limerick.It follows a verdict of medical misadventure at the inquest into the death of the 16-year-old, who passed away in December 2022, after spending twelve hours on chairs in the Emergency Department.…

A West Clare town is bucking a widespread national trend of closures in the hospitality sector. It follows a new analysis from the Restaurants Associations of Ireland which predicts an average of two food-led businesses will close their doors every single day this year.By Clare FM

A Clare developer believes only greater Government supports will bring down the "stubbornly high" cost of building materials.It comes as CSO data has revealed 129 new homes were completed in Clare in the first three months of the year which is 26% above the same period in 2023.Of these, 78 were scheme houses, 50 were single houses and one was an ap…

On our weekly series 'Ours To Protect', we take a closer look at biodiversity and sustainability in Co Clare.This week, we hear about Burren In Bloom, the annual festival that celebrates the Burren’s unique biodiversity and gets underway on May 3rd.By Clare FM

Tom Robinson will be making his way to Clare soon, for an upcoming performance at the Royal Spa Hotel & Cafe in Lisdoonvarna The show will take place on Sunday, the 5th of May, as part of his Up Close & Personal Tour, an evening of songs and stories spanning his five decades of adventures in the music industry.To find out more, Alan Morrissey spoke…

The inauguration of the completion of the 2K Shannon Slí na Sláinte route will take place this weekend.The walk will take place on Sunday, April 28th at 12 noon from the start of the route beside the fire stationSlí na Sláinte (The Path to Health) is a project of the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) and are found throughout Ireland to encourage people …

On Friday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Dr. Stacey Cannon Cahill and Patricia McNamara, as today is Ireland's National Workplace Wellbeing Day.Stacey is a TUS Assistant Lecturer & Joint Programme Lead for the MA in Leadership in Workplace Health & Wellbeing, and Patricia McNamara for Clare County Council.Now in its tenth year, the d…

It's claimed rural West Clare is not getting its fair share of return investment from the local authority's coffers. It comes amid renewed concern for local population growth, over the widespread closure of post offices, pubs, shops and schools across the region. At present, over a fifth of the Kilrush Electoral Area's population are above retireme…

It's hoped a significant increase in support payments could soon be forthcoming for Clare's family carers.It's after a private members bill which proposed abolishing the means testing for the weekly carers allowance passed through the Dáil without opposition last night.Although not legally binding , the approval of the private members bill put forw…

The low registration rate in Clare for a highly-publicised grant has been attributed to intense demands on business owners.Introduced in Budget 2024, the Increased Cost Of Business Grant offers successful applicants the equivalent of 50% of their commercial rates paid in 2023, capped at €5,000.80% of small and medium businesses in Clare are eligibl…

A local medical practitioner believes misinformation is playing a part in low vaccine uptake for children.It comes as the HSE has launched a campaign to promote the importance of immunisation in protecting babies and children against the lives of measles, whooping cough and mumps.The uptake of primary childhood immunisation has declined across all …

There will be Clare interest in the first episode of a new series on TG4. John O’Connor will feature in tonight’s opening episode of Déan Tú Féin É. The show will air on TG4 this evening at 8pm.To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by John from Newtown Ballyvaughan, on Thursday's Morning Focus.…

Our series, ‘Clare Women in Business’, seeks to showcase the accomplishments of women in business, foster gender equality, and inspire future generations of female leaders.This week, Pat Flynn meets Nadaa Hyder, co-founder of Morning Dew in Corofin.By Clare FM

It is time for the eleventh episode of our newest feature on Morning Focus, Village Tour, where Alan Morrissey paid a visit to Miltown Malbay.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 thei…

On Thursday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Canadian chef and owner of Randaddy’s in Lahinch, Randy Lewis.This week, Randy shared with us all the tips and tricks for your Summer BBQ!By Clare FM

This week is Organ Donor Awareness Week.Running until Saturday, the key campaign message continues to be built around sharing your wishes with your loved ones about organ donation with the theme, Don’t Leave Your Loved Ones In Doubt. This follows the signing of the Human Tissue Bill into law by the President, Michael D. Higgins, at the end of Febru…

A protest will take place outside the Dáil today to highlight chronic overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick. The demonstration will take place at Leinster House at 1pm and coincides with the fourth day of the inquest into the death of Shannon teenager Aoife Johnston at UHL in December 2022. The sixteen-year old passed away from bacterial men…

A call has been made for the demolition of the Ennis Market Building. Built at a cost of €1.75m in 2016, the covered facility was intended to accommodate traders and farmers markets, while providing car-parking in its downtime. The site has struggled to attract vendors though and in December, Clare County Council contracted a private security firm …

125 Transition Year students from St.Flannan's College in Ennis will climb Croagh Patrick tomorrow to raise much needed funds for local charities. The money raised by the students will be donated to Cahercalla Community Care, Milford Hospice and Cancer Care Galway.Over €2,300 has already been raised by the students through various fundraising campa…

It's claimed Ennis and County Clare has lost one of its most genial and hardworking public representatives. It follows the passing of former Mayor of Ennis and Fianna Fáil Councillor Raymond Greene. Raymond was first elected to the town council in 1991 and was elected as the county town's first citizen the following year. Clare Fianna Fáil PRO Mich…

There has been a surge in support for the reopening of the Crusheen Rail Stop. In March, Clare County Council commissioned Repucon Consulting to conduct a feasibility study to examine the socio-economic benefits of re-instating the North Clare rail stop.Within the first two weeks, the survey has already received over 1,000 public submissions weighi…

A Clare farming representative believes the exodus of young people from agriculture is driving down the price of land.New data from the Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland and Teagasc has revealed Clare has the lowest average price for farmland in Munster and the fifth-lowest nationwide.The agricultural sector supports 12,000 people in Clare,…

A Clare community worker has claimed that the ability to vote in local elections enables greater integration in communities.In the past fortnight, 12 Clare based community organisations have come together to help marginalised groups to register ahead of the upcoming local and European elections in June.The initiative will continue into early May an…

Over the past week, more European medals have come to Clare, with Odin McNulty of the West Clare Taekwon-Do Club picking up bronze in the patterns section of the Euro championships in Poland.The club is one of the fastest growing in the area, and members are now regularly featuring on national squads.Ahead of travelling to the championships, Clare …

It’s a busy weekend for the Cheese Press, Ger Woulfe, a musician from Cork, will play the Cheese Press in Ennistymon this Saturday. American artist Casey Black will also play there on Monday night. On Wednesday's Morning Focus, Ger and Casey joined Alan Morrissey to discuss the upcoming concerts. Ger plays Sat 27th 8pm and Casey is playing with sup…

Transition Year students from St. Flannan’s College are getting ready to take on a big challenge, in aid of local charities. Tomorrow they will climb Croagh Patrick to raise vital funds for Cahercalla Community Care, Milford Hospice and Cancer Care Galway.To find out more about the climb, Alan Morrissey was joined in studio by Transition Year Stude…

This year’s Darkness Into Light will take place on the morning of Saturday, 11th of May at 4:15am.The early morning event by Pieta, billed as “the most important sunrise of the year”, is a huge fundraiser for suicide prevention. Its launch will take place tomorrow.To find out more about the event, Alan Morrissey was joined by Mary Howard, Ennis Mun…

The funeral mass of a seven-year-old boy from South-East Clare who tragically passed away after getting into difficulty in a hotel swimming pool, will take place today. Shay Lynch from O'Briensbridge was pronounced dead at University Hospital Limerick on Saturday afternoon following the incident at the Lakeside Hotel in Killaloe. He was a first cla…

Residents of Miltown Malbay area are said to be sleeping in fear due to fire risks presented by malpractice from mobile fast food vendors. It follows concerns raised by constituents in the electoral area relating to flammable and hazardous products being discarded in residential settings following festivals and events. Clare County Council has conf…

Clare Manager Michael Neylon Ahead Of Cork Clash In Munster U20 Football ChampionshipBy Clare FM

It's claimed Ballyvaughan is at risk of becoming a ghost town due to the proliferation of guest houses and hotels now housing International Protection Applicants.It follows a meeting held between community representatives and the Department of Integration last night over the imminent arrival of Asylum Seekers, comprised of family units, to Drumcree…

Clare Independent TD Michael McNamara has announced his intention to contest the European election in the Ireland South Constituency.The Scariff deputy has respresented this county in the Dáil since the 2020 general election and previously from 2011 to 2016.Citing immigration as one of his key issues, along with agriculture and renewable energy, he…

An award-winning Clare family carer is calling for the practice of medical gaslighting of women to be brought to an end.It follows the launch of the new €11 million phase of the Government's action plan for women's healthcare.Bringing the total women's health funding allocation since 2020 to over €140 million, the Women's Health Action Plan 2024-25…

The Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland is hoping to bring attention to the daily "slaughter" occurring in Gaza ahead of a talk in Clare this week.Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid will be speaking at the Armada Hotel in Spanish Point this Thursday at 8pm to discuss the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territories.It comes as international gove…

To discuss the latest in the entertainment world, Alan Morrissey was joined by Clare FM’s Colum McGrath, on Tuesday’s Morning Focus.This week, Colum discussed Taylor Swift’s new album, the IFTAs, and Hozier who joins Sinead O’Connor, U2 and Gilbert O’Sullivan as only the fourth Irish artist ever, to have a No. 1 in the US on the Billboard 100 song …

On Tuesday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by John Burns, retired Deputy Principal at Rice College and Director of the Burns Study Centre in Ennis.This week, John discussed when grinds are needed, getting the most out of grinds, and how to choose the right grind for you.By Clare FM

On Tuesday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey spoke to Fergal O’Keefe, host of the Travel Tales with Fergal podcast.On this week’s Travel Tales, Fergal discussed the Amalfi Coast and his travel experience around Italy.By Clare FM

The new Women’s Health Action Plan, launched late last week by the Department of Health, pledges further investment to expand and develop new women’s health services. This includes initiatives like the Free Contraception Scheme, which is being extended by a further 4 years to women aged 17–35. The proposed expansion of termination of pregnancy serv…

There was success for Clare at the Texaco Children’s Art Competition. A total of eleven students from the Banner County won top prizes in this year’s 70th edition of the renowned art competition.On Tuesday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by two of the winners: Sinéad Azkorbebeitia, aged 8, (Category E) and Eimear Fitzgerald, age 16, who …

Moves are underway in Clare to take part in the "In Aid of Gaza Children" campaign. People all over Ireland are being asked to light a candle in memory of every child that has been killed by Israel in Gaza.The initiative, which will take place at the beginning of May, is organised by the Waterford-based group Gaeil ar son Gaza.To discuss this furth…

It's hoped the plight of Clare people locked out of housing will be highlighted at a major national protest today. The 'raise the roof' demonstration will take place outside Leinster House at 11 to coincide with an opposition proposal calling on the Government to develop an inclusive housing strategy. There are plans to construct 50 affordable home…

Clare's GRA representative insists it's not too late for Drew Harris to re-gain the confidence of rank and file personnel. It comes as the Garda Representatives Association's annual conference continues in Westport, County Mayo today. Issues with internal disciplinary procedures, recruitment and retention, administration burdens and a lack of guida…

The Government is being urgent to suspend any further fuel tax hikes in order to ease the strain on struggling Clare households. Petrol and Diesel prices have now reached their highest to date in 2024, at an average cost of €1.81 and €1.78 per litre respectively, according to the AA. Excise duty is expected to be fully reinstated in August, with a …

Clare's Emmet McMahon After Munster SFC Semi - Final Win Over WaterfordBy Clare FM

A South East Clare Councillor says the community of Clonlara will rally around the family of Shay Lynch, after he drowned in a tragic incident at hotel swimming pool over the weekend.The seven-year-old was pronounced dead at University Hospital Limerick following the incident at the Lakeside Hotel in Kilalloe on Saturday afternoon.Shay was a 1st cl…

An Ireland South MEP insists meaningful supports are forthcoming for Clare farmers impacted by the prolonged inclement weather. Farms have been fighting an acute shortage of fodder coupled with limited opportunities to plant crops this year and in March alone, the level of rainfall recorded at Shannon Airport's weather station was 67% above the lon…

It's claimed investment in active travel infrastructure is urgently needed in Ennis to safeguard public health. New figures from the EPA show the level of PM10 particles, which can cause serious long-term damage to the heart and lungs when inhaled, exceeded national standards on six occaisions in January alone in the county town. In 2022, Ennis als…

On Monday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrisssey was joined by Tom Stewart from Keane’s Garden Centre in Kilcolgan.On this week’s In the Garden, Tom provided listeners with all the information for planting flowers in hanging baskets.If you have a question for Tom, contact the show on 0818 400 964 or send a text or Whatsapp to 086 1800 964.…

Kilkee Waterworld and Drift Cafe have been approved for more than €500,000 of grant support from the SEAI under the Better Energy Communities Scheme.To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Fianna Fáil Councillor Cillian Murphy from Kilkee and Tracey Lynch, the Manager of Kilkee Waterworld & Drift Cafe, on Monday's Morning Focus.Pictur…