Clare Fm - Podcasts

Clare's Oireachtas Health Committee members are calling for greater recognition of the challenges posed by long Covid. The condition, which is thought to affect over 7% of the population, was the main topic of discussion at this week's meeting of the committee. It's estimated over 350,000, or more than one in 15 people in Ireland, suffer from self-reported symptoms of long Covid. Characterised by symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain and brain fog, the condition is a long-term complication of Covid-19, with debilitating consequences for those who experience it. Crusheen native Steve Barrett has been living with long Covid symptoms since being hospitalised with Covid-19 in January 2022. He says the condition has forced him to make drastic changes in both his personal and professional life. Special leave with pay for healthcare workers with long covid was halted at the end of March, but has this week been reinstated by the Department of Health, and will apply retrospectively to April 1st,

Catherine McGee is involved with Our Shoes. They are behind the In My Shoes campaign initiative. It aims to ship pre-loved shoes through schools to send to children in South African towns in an effort to make a positive change to their lives. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey spoke with Catherine McGee, Campaign Manager of Our Shoes On Thursday's Morning Focus. Photo (c) via ourshoes.ie

Efforts are underway to save the community hall in Montpelier. A Triple Peak Challenge will take place this coming weekend, as part of efforts to raise funds to repair the Montpelier-O'Briensbridge Community Centre in South East Clare. To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by Catriona ‘Donoghue, the Public Relations Officer for Montpelier-O'Briensbridge Community Centre. Picture (c) Montpelier O'Briensbridge Community Centre via Facebook

‘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 Denise O’Brien who established O’Brien Learning Solutions in Shannon in 2016.

It is time for the tenth episode of our newest feature on Morning Focus, Village Tour, where Alan Morrissey paid a visit to Kilkee. 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 their diversity and individuality to life for you, the listener. During each episode of Village Tour, Alan chats with three people from a particular village or townland in Clare: from locals and business owners to those involved with local sports clubs and community representatives.

Giving Birth in Ireland is the new book from the Irish Birth Movement. It has been written by mothers, midwives, doulas, and birth partners for all who have and will give birth in Ireland, as well as those supporting them. To find out more about the book, Alan Morrissey was joined by Petrina O’Halloran, founder of Birth and Beyond and also runs Mama’s Boobie Box, mum Blogger and writer for online magazine Boobingit.com. Danilly Carvalho, living in Ardnacrusha, originally from Brazil and Leigh Brosnan, Co-Editor of Giving Birth in Ireland. The book is available here: https://sheelaghnagig.com/Giving-Birth-in-Ireland_9781399971935

Last January, the Mid-West Region had been successful in its bid to host the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) for a three-year period from 2025. Limerick, Waterford, and Kerry were to be the locations, with each to be given a year over 2025, 2026 and 2027. Unfortunately, Ireland is no longer being considered to host a round of the World Rally Championship in 2025. Motorsport Ireland made this announcement, with the organisation claiming to have received confirmation from Minister of State for Sport, Thomas Byrne, that the department would need "at least six months" to undertake further independent economic assessments and analysis of the proposal. To get more on this, and find out what Clare and the MidWest will be missing out on, Alan Morrissey was joined by Aiden Harper, President of Motorsport Ireland Representative, Killaloe Fianna Fáil Councillor Alan O’Callaghan and Karen Ronan, the General Manager of the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau.

Calls are being made for a dedicated armed support unit to be based at Ennis Garda Station following a violent assault perpetrated by two masked man at a retail premises in Clarecastle. Three people were hospitalised as a result of the incident which took place shortly after 1pm last Sunday, with a man in his 20s sustaining serious injuries. The suspects made their getaway via the Kildysart Road on a route locally known as the Connacht line before abandoning their vehicle at Newhall near Ballyea. Clarecastle Sinn Féin local election candidate Tommy Guilfoyle says Gardaí here are fighting against the odds when it comes to serious crime.

A Clare teachers' representative insists the continuation of post-marking adjustment for this years leaving certs will ensure a level playing field for students. Education Minister Norma Foley announced this week that grade inflation will be tapered off in the coming years, as the class of 2024 will be the final batch to graduate without having sat a junior cert exam. This year's Leaving Cert results will also be distributed on Friday August 23rd, which is two days earlier than last year. TUI Rep and teacher at St.Michael's Secondary School, Kilmihil Kate Hehir says it's welcome reassurance for students.

A member of the Clare Senior Hurling Backroom Team insists they will be under no illusions of the mammoth task that lies ahead when the All-Ireland Champions come to Cusack Park. Limerick are the visitors this Sunday for the first round of the Munster Hurling Championship, which comes just a fortnight after Clare claimed their fifth national hurling league title. The Banner and the Treaty last clashed at the county grounds in May of 2022 and played out a 0-24 to 1-21 draw. Former Clare Hurler and Clooney-Quin Clubman Tommy Corbett says there is a clear focus in the camp.

The Clare based Co-Captain of the Irish Women's Rugby team is confident the squad can cause an upset against England this weekend. Ireland face an away trip this weekend after decisively claiming their first victory of the campaign with a 36 -5 victory over Wales last time out. A win this weekend would solidify Ireland's mid-table position ahead of the final round against Scotland. Kilmihil's Edel McMahon says there is a positive mood in the camp.

The Manager of the Clare Minor Footballers insists his side must hit the ground running in order to claim early season silverware next week. The Banner rounded off their group fixtues in the Munster Championship last night with a 2-10 to 1-08 home defeat at the hands of Tipperary at Pairc Naomh Muire, Quillty. The sides will clash again on April 30th though, when the Daryl Darcy Cup will be up for grabs in the phase one final. Clare Boss Dermot Coughlan says while he is confident of securing the win, they must avoid a slow start.

The Chair of Clare County Council's housing committee has accused the Government of inflating its housing delivery figures. It comes as the number of households on Clare's social housing list has climbed above 2,900 for the first time in over two years. Department of Housing figures indicate 32,695 new homes were completed nationwide last year while 11,939 social homes were delivered by approved housing bodies and local authorities. Shannon Independent Councillor Gerry Flynn believes nowhere near enough social homes are coming on stream to cater for the level of demand.

A human rights monitor is urging the Government to take concrete action against Israeli settlements in Palestine ahead of a talk in Clare this week. The Occupied Territories Bill, which would see the prohibition of "the import and sales of goods, services and natural resources originating in illegal settlements in occupied territories" such as Gaza and the West Bank, as well as the recognition of the Palestinian state, is currently stalled in the Dáil. Galway native Máire Ní Mheibhric is a human rights monitor who has recently returned from the West Bank and is holding a talk in Treacy's West County Hotel in Ennis on Thursday at 7:30pm. Speaking in advance of the event, she says rhetoric alone won't have any meaningful effect on the plight of people in Gaza.

A European Election Candidate claims ensuring Ireland's political and military neutrality on the international stage will be among her chief priorities if elected. It comes amid growing concern for Ireland's security capacity with growing tensions in the Middle-East, while in Ukraine a further thirteen people were killed in the latest Russian airstrike just this morning. The Government has committed to recruiting an additional 2,000 defence forces personnel by 2028, but the Irish Military currently ranks as the 94th smallest armed forces in the world. Labour's Niamh Hourigan says domestic security must be prioritised.

Kilrush Basketball Club is continuing to grow in popularity, with increasing numbers of girls and boys playing the sport in the wider area. Recent weeks have seen the club compete in finals and capture silverware, the most recent being the U16 girls who were crowned Clare Area League and Cup champions. Clare FM's Derrick Lynch spoke with club coaches Susan Bermingham and Paul McGibney to find out more.

On Wednesday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Tommy Corbett from Carey Corbett Financial Solutions This week, Tommy provided Alan and our Morning Focus listeners with advice on the new Auto Enrolment Pension Scheme.

Mary Taylor, who is from Kilkee, recently spent time in University Hospital Limerick with a serious illness, an experience during which she says she “honestly thought she was going to die in there alone and scared”. To find out more about what happened, Alan Morrissey spoke with Mary who shared her story on Wednesday's Morning Focus.

The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign's Clare Branch is hosting a talk in Ennis with Maire Ni Mheibhric as their guest speaker. The event is due to take place at Treacy’s West County Hotel on Thursday evening the 18th of April, at 7:30pm. Máire, a human rights monitor who recently returned from the West Bank, joined Alan Morrissey on Wednesday's Morning Focus. Photo (c) Finbarr MacGabhann via Facebook

A Clare TD believes confidence in University Hospital Limerick will be completely undermined if an upcoming report doesn't result in reform at the facility. It comes as the Health Minister has confirmed former Chief Justice Frank Clarke's report into the death of Shannon teenager Aoife Johnston will be published by the end of May this year. The 16-year-old passed away on a trolley at the Dooradoyle facility in 2022 due to sepsis complications after a 12-hour wait in the emergency department, and the HSE stated at the beginning of January that the report into her care at the facility would be published within eight weeks. Scariff Independent TD Michael McNamara claims the HSE is intent on effecting change at the facility based on the findings of the report.