Clare Fm - Podcasts

The Search is underway for Clare's young community leaders who've overcome adversity to make their locality a better place. It follows the launch of the annual Clare Garda Division Youth Awards for 2024 in partnership with Shannon Airport. The awards are designed to recognise the outstanding efforts of 13 to 21 Year-Olds across individual, group, community safety and special achievement categories, with the closing date for nominations set at May 10th. Inspector Ronan McMahon outlines the ideal candidates judges are looking for.

On this week’s History in Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by local historian and author Colm Liddy to talk about early Christianity in Ireland. 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.

Five fines have been issued in Clare so far this year for dogs on the restricted breeds list not wearing muzzles. As of last November, dog warden can issue €300 fines to owners of restricted dogs who don't muzzle their pets, as well as those who don't have a dog license or whose dogs attack sheep. The current list of restricted breeds in Ireland includes American pit bull terriers, rottweilers, Staffordshire bull terriers and Doberman pinschers. Clare County Dog Warden Frankie Coote says the onus is on owners to keep their dogs under control if they don't want to be slapped with a financial penalty.

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 music festivals such as Coachella, Electric Picnic & more!

The Banner GAA’s Ennis & Friends Charity Cycle 2024 will take place later this month. This year’s event is in aid of Bushypark Treatment Center. To fill us in, Alan Morrissey was joined by John Casey,Ennis-based President of the Tesla Owners of Ireland and Margaret Nash, Bushypark Manager.

On Tuesday's Morning Focus, Alan Morissey was joined by artist Philip Brennan. Philip is preparing for his latest exhibition. His watercolour exhibition, ‘Rineanna/Shannon Airport... Images From The Past’ will be on view at the Cultúrlann Sweeney Library Gallery from next week.

Three Clare finalists will have their fingers crossed that they will be named as winners at the upcoming .ie Digital Town Awards 2024. Future Mobility Campus Ireland in Shannon, A Testbed For Advancing Future Innovation are finalists in the Digital Business category, while Digital Ennistymon with Waywyser, a tool for slow tourism, is in the running in the Digital Tourism category. Shannon Community Partnership is the third Clare finalist. They are finalists in the newcomer category. To find out more about the awards and Shannon Community Partnership, Alan Morrissey was joined by Joanne Begley, Secretary, Funding Officer, & Social Media Manager, and Sam Stephen, IT Manager.

It's anticipated that a major section of the Ennis Public Realm Regeneration Project could be completed up to a month ahead of schedule. It comes as Clare County Council and contractor Shareridge LTD have reached an agreement to carry out an additional work shift from 7pm until 3am from Monday to Thursday for the next five weeks in order to expedite developments on High Street. Clare FM's Daragh Dolan has been speaking to Ennis Municipal District Senior Engineer Sean Lenihan to find out what affect this night shift could have for local businesses and residents, but first he spoke with Clarecastle Fianna Fáil Councillor Tom O'Callaghan, who lobbied for the measure. For more on this, Alan Morrissey was joined in studio by Barry O’Driscoll, from Precious Pets. Photo (c) Ennis Public Regeneration Project

A €2.5m funding boost has been confirmed for regional, local, tertiary and national secondary roads in Clare. Each of the electoral areas of Kilrush, Ennistymon, Shannon, Ennis and Killaloe will now receive an additional €500,000 for road resurfacing and strengthening for the year ahead. Clare County Council made the decision after councillors in the Kilrush and Ennistymon areas raised concern over funding discrepancies, but it's understood an additional €13.5m is still required to bring the county's rural road network up to standard. Cathaoirleach of the West Clare Municipal District, Kilrush Independent Councillor Ian Lynch says the situation is causing severe frustration for motorists.

It's hoped a major section of the €11.5m Ennis Public Realm Regeneration project could be completed up to a month ahead of schedule. Clare County Council and Shareridge LTD have reached an agreement to carry out an additional shift from 7pm until 3am from Monday to Thursday for the next five weeks in order to expedite developments on High Street. High Street is currently scheduled for completion by July and has along with O'Connell Street been closed to vehicular traffic since January. Ennis Municipal District Senior Engineer Seán Lenihan insists the focus is on reopening the town as soon as possible.

A Clare senator is confident the Government has the capacity to provide hot meals to every school nationwide. It comes as 900 more schools have been approved for the Hot School Meals Programme meaning an additional 150,000 children will benefit from the scheme. The move means a further 24 schools in Clare have been approved and all primary schools in the country are eligible for an expression of interest. Ennistymon Fine Gael Senator Martin Conway claims every primary school in the country could be availing of free hot meals in the near future.

2013 All Ireland Winner Colin Ryan Previews Clare V Limerick Munster SHC

It's claimed the community of Clarecastle has been left in a state of shock following an attack at a retail premises in the village yesterday. Shortly after 1pm, two adults entered a shop on Church View and assaulted a man in his twenties and a boy in his teens, while a customer in the shop, a woman in the 50s also sustained injuries. The boy in his teens and the woman were later released from hospital after receiving treatment for non-life threatening injuries, while the man in his twenties is still being treated for serious injuries. An incident room has been set up at Ennis Garda Station following the incident and Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses, particularly those with dash-cam footage to come forward. Clarecastle Fine Gael Councillor Paul Murphy has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan that while increased Garda surveillance is needed in the area, those involved in the attack must cease violent acts.

The Ennis 2040 DAC insists its development on the post office field will not have any adverse impacts on local wildlife or pose flooding risks. The Designated Activity Company has announced it will be hosting public consultation events on the 24th and 25th of this month over a proposed elevated boardwalk for the site. The project would represent a €5m investment in the town centre, which is designed to create a new space for people to meet and socialise around river biodiversity and wildlife. Ennis 2040 Chief Operating Officer Kevin Corrigan insists there will be major economic and social benefits.

Renewed calls are being made for what's been described as "prehistoric" wastewater infrastructure in North Clare to be upgraded to facilitate new housing in the region. An €8 million housing development in Ennistymon is currently on hold as the town is still awaiting a new wastewater treatment plant. A social housing project at Deerpark, Ennistymon received Stage Two pre-planning funding approval from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in October 2022. The development would consist of 30 houses including a variety of five-bed, four-bed, three-bed and two-bed properties. Since its approval however, the project has been on hold as Clare County Council is awaiting the provision of a new wastewater treatment plant in the North Clare town. Plans are underway for such a facility in Ennistymon but it's not expected to be delivered until 2029. Local Fianna Fáil Councillor Shane Talty claims the standard of infrastructure in the region is unacceptable in the 21st century. At present, there

A European Election candidate for this region believes farmers are being "tied up in knots" due to the level of regulation around food production. Kerry native Mary Fitzgibbon, who's a registered general nurse, midwife and full-time lecturer, is running as an independent in the upcoming elections and claims "EU law takes precedence over Irish law" in the majority of cases. It comes as the European Commission has sent a draft proposal to member states for a limited extension to the state aid Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework which assists farmers in implementing crisis support measures. Fitzgibbon insists farmers' shouldn't have their livelihoods threatened by food imported from other parts of the world.

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 flowering trees that are just starting to show off their wonderful floral displays. If you have a question for Tom, contact the show on 0818 400 964 or send a text or Whatsapp to 086 1800 964.

On Monday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Kayleigh Malone, a Clare woman who now lives in England and was recently awarded the Queens Award in scouting. She received her award in Windsor Castle and also met Bear Grylls. To tell us more, Kayleigh joined Alan Morrissey live in studio on Monday's Morning Focus.

Today marks the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic in the early morning hours of 15 April 1912 in the North Atlantic Ocean. Tony McMahon, a former member and former Mayor of Shannon Town Council was brought up 500 meters from Mary Agatha Glynn, a Clare Woman who survived the Titanic sinking. Paddy Mc Mahon, Tony's Brother, was a frequent visitor to the old Glynn's homestead where Mary Agatha's brother Billy lived until the mid 1950's. On Monday's Morning Focus, Tony and Paddy joined Alan Morrissey in studio to tell her story.

On Tuesday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey spoke to William Cahir of Cahir & Co. Solicitors, Ennis, in our weekly legal slot. This week, William discussed insolvencies in small businesses, SCARP (small company administrative process), examinership options, and what a business owner can do if they are under financial pressure in their business.