Clare Fm - Podcasts

A former Mayor of Ennis has issued a scathing criticism of Dublin's civil servants for restricting housing development in the town. It comes just over a year after Minister for Planning Kieran O'Donnell issued a final direction for Clare's County Development Plan which dezoned a large portion of land in Ennis that had been marked for low density residential use. The amendment was made based on the instruction of the Office of the Planning Regulator and just this week the Government has completed a public consultation on revising the National Planning Framework. Ennis Fianna Fáil Councillor Pat Daly insists the Taoiseach and Tánaiste must intervene.

A Clare TD is calling for protocols to be put in place to completely ban anonymous and unverified profiles and social media. It comes as the media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán is carrying out of review of online platforms to combat difficulties reporting illegal content online. As part of the review, An Coimisiún na Meán has reached out to companies such as TikTok, X, YouTube, Meta, LikendIn and Temu. The review is being carried out amid concerns that people are struggling to report content considered racist, inflammatory, abusive and harmful online. The issue has come in to sharp focus of late, particularly after content posted on X formerly known as Twitter ahead of the Dublin riots and racist comments posted about Irish athlete Rhasidat Adeleke following her performance at the Olympics. Clare Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe believes anonymous profiles are to blame for the bulk of problems and insists measures such as document verification should be taken to ensure people are held accountable for their act

A member of Clare's housing committee is calling for an urgent investigation to determine if landlords in this county have breached rent pressure zone rules. The Residential Tenancies Board's latest report, which has just been published, shows the average standardised rent in this county was 1,200 euro per month at the end of last year, representing a quarterly jump of 11%, and an annual rise of 20%. Both of those were the second highest increases recorded nationwide and the RTB has confirmed it will write to landlords it suspects may have breached the 2% RPZ rental cap, which would have been in place in the Ennis local electoral area at the time. Clarecastle Sinn Féin Councillor Tommy Guilfoyle has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan that he believes the Government must use its impending 13 billion euro Apple Tax windfall to tackle the disproportionate housing shortage in Clare.

A MidWest Migrants Rights Group is urging the government to reconsider a proposal to ask asylum seekers to make a financial contribution towards their costs. Taoiseach Simon Harris confirmed the Government is considering the move based on the people's circumstances and incomes, describing the move as a 'common sense approach'. Doras has criticised the move, however, claiming it's not feasible due to uncertainty surrounding work permits and employment retention for those in the system. CEO John Lannon believes following through on the proposal would be very unfair due to the fact many asylum seekers arrive to Ireland with nothing to begin with.

In the second of a new series on The Colum McGrath Breakfast Show, Colum tries his hand at working in a butcher shop! He was invited by Derek to the award winning B.Molloy Master Butchers in Ennis to come try his hand at sausage making! Check out how it all went!

Beginning next Monday on Clare FM, a 10-part series titled 'True Colours' will broadcast. Each episode will feature members of the LGBTQI community sharing their coming out journeys to inspire and empower others. In addition to personal stories, we will have trained psychotherapists that will also provide insights. Produced by Clare FM's Programme Director, Padraic Flaherty, the series aims to promote understanding and inclusivity. To kick off the conversation, Alan Morrissey was joined by Orla Vaughan from Quare Clare, Karina Murray from Conscious Connections and Sarah Clancy from PPN to discuss LGBT rights, education, and upcoming events planned for Pride Week in a few weeks.

Clare artist Mick O’Dea will feature at the Clifden Arts Festival. His exhibition Portraits will open next week and be available to view for 12 days. The opening reception will take place at 6.30pm next Tuesday. To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by Mick O'Dea. Photo (c) Mickodeaartist via Instagram

This Saturday sees the official opening of the Fair Green Sensory Garden at the Fair Green in Doonbeg. The Fair Green has been transformed into a coastal landscape that mirrors Doonbeg’s marine environment. The event will see Cillian Murphy cutting the ribbon, multiple speakers and will finish in Igoe's restaurant. For more on this, Alan Morrissey was joined by Tommy Comerford, Founding member of Doonbeg Tidy Towns and Jennie Drysdale, Chairperson of Doonbeg Tidy Towns.

Zainab Boladale, The Clare presenter, journalist and public speaker has been seen on our TV screens for the past seven years, since first appearing on RTÉ’s children’s programme, news2day back in 2017. She now travels around the country as a presenter and reporter for Nationwide. Zainab has also made her first foray into writing. She has just published her debut book, entitled Braids Take A Day. To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by Zainab Boladale, on Friday's Morning Focus. Picture (C) Zainab Boladale via X

A West Clare councillor has laid the blame at the feet of the Government for misinformation around asylum seekers in Kilrush, but has condemned the anti-immigrant rhetoric on display in the town. It's now just ten days since elected representatives received a briefing document informing them that 27 international protection applicants would be taking up residence at the Central B&B in Kilrush. A number of protests have been held since the news broke, with placards bearing slogans such as "no to illegal and unvetted males" and "protect our children" on display on several occasions. Doonbeg Fianna Fáil Councillor Rita McInerney says the majority of concerns raised have been legitimate but admits some anti-immigrant sentiment is present.

A more proactive approach to dealing with the phenomenon of abandoned vehicles is being sought from Clare County Council. A total of 122 complaints regarding abandoned vehicles have been received by the local authority so far this year which was resulted in 41 vehicles being deemed abandoned. The information has come to light following a motion on the subject from Clarecastle Fine Gael Councillor Paul Murphy at the latest meeting of Clare County Council. He believes the issues is far more pervasive than the figures reflect.

There was major excitement in Ennis today as ALDI opened its second store in the town. A unique feature for the throngs of visitors, young and old was the presence of a Munster and Irish Rugby Legend and his very special guest, the Six Nations Trophy. ALDI's charity partners in Clare include the Kilrush RNLI, Cranny After School Care and the Killaloe/Ballina Community and Family Resource Centre. Brand Ambassador Paul O'Connell says any support no matter how small can make a life changing difference for children in Clare in challenging situations.

The opening of a new major supermarket in Ennis is expected to provide a major boost to the local economy. ALDI opened its second store in the county town today, which has brought with it significant employment. Clare FM's Daragh Dolan was there and he spoke to some of the first customers and Store Manager Tomas.

A West Clare Councillor is calling on the Government to scrap the "not fit for purpose" National Car Test Service. As it stands, the next available appointment for an NCT at Clare's only centre in Ennis is over three months away on December 19th. So far this year, more than half of the over 26,000 National Car Tests conducted in Ennis have resulted in either a major or dangerous fail. Cross Fine Gael Councillor Gabriel Keating has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan that ending the NCT's monopoly on car testing and introducing an accredited garage system is the only way to end the chaos.

As thousands of people descend on Lisdoonvarna this weekend for the Matchmaking Festival, those in need, or who are struggling to cope, are being reminded they're not alone. Samaritans Festival Branch will be on duty from Friday night until Sunday morning in the town, offering support to those who look lost in the crowd. Volunteers, who provide a discreet service supported 220 callers last year, including six who expressed suicidal feelings PRO of the Samaritans Festival Branch, Ken Bamford says having the courage to speak with someone when dark thoughts enter your mind, can make all the difference.

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 a delicious recipe for a Bangladeshi Mixed Grill.

September is World Alzheimer’s Month, with World Alzheimer’s Day taking place on the 21st of September. More than 55,000 people in Ireland are living with dementia. To mark the month, Bluebird Care, in partnership with Dunnes Stores, brought its Dementia Bus to Ennis. The Dementia Bus – a first-of-its-kind virtual simulator, lets people experience the disorientation and memory loss that those with dementia face daily. To find out what the experience is really like, Alan Morrissey decided to board the Dementia Bus.

Dara Glynn is Secretary of the Ennis-Langenfeld Twinning Board. The Twinning Board runs a number of events with a German flavour in Ennis, including a mini Oktoberfest which will be held in Fawls Beer Garden on the 20th of September. They also run the Kaffeklatsch, an informal group of German speakers who meet once a month in Glór.

Episode 9 - Inis Diomáin by Clare FM

The D.I.Y. Academy are bringing their ladies D.I.Y. workshop to Ennis. This workshop gives you the skills and confidence to transform your living spaces through the art of do-it-yourself home improvement. The one-day event will take place this Saturday at Shannonside Homevalue Hardware in the County Town. To find out more, Alan Morrissey spoke with the CEO of The DIY Academy, Martin Glynn. Photo (c): https://thediyacademy.ie/programmes/