Clare Fm - Podcasts

Ennis Track member Rachel Akers won triple gold at the European Masters Athletics Championships, which took place in Poland across all of last week. To find out more about this huge achievement Alan Morrissey was joined by Rachel Akers, a member of Ennis Track and Teacher in St Patrick’s Comprehensive School in Shannon.

It's feared Shannon Town Park is slowly but surely becoming a litter blackspot due to a lack of waste disposal facilities. It comes amid local reports of persistent illegal dumping at the community park which was opened in 2019 following a €1.5m investment. The 'Leave No Trace' policy is currently in place at the recreational site which is Ireland's only outdoor ethics programme for public walkways. Shannon native and Independent local election candidate Keith McNamara believes the lack of rubbish bins at the amenity has rendered this ineffective.

It's hoped a funding boost for a North Clare community group will help to restore the Ballymacraven River to its former glory. It follows the granting of €14,500 to the Restore Ballymacraven River Association under the Local Authority Waters Programme. The allocation comes almost one year after 2,000 fish were killed in the river last May due to an uncontrolled iron sludge discharge from the nearby Ballymacraven Water Treatment Plant. Restore Ballymacraven River Association Spokesperson Kevin Noonan says it's a vital first step on the road to recovery.

On this week's episode of Atlantic Tales, we’ll hear about the work the National Parks and Wildlife Service is doing to secure the conservation of ecosystems and to maintain and enhance populations of flora and fauna in Co Clare.

Funding is being sought for a footpath upgrade near an East Clare school where "serious" safety concerns have been flagged. Killaloe Municipal District applied for 2024 Active Travel Funding to connect Scariff National School to the local rugby grounds by way of a footpath but this application has proved unsuccessful. The local body has confirmed however that it's engaged with local stakeholders on the plans and it's seeking an "alternative funding mechanism" as a means of delivering the upgrade works. Mayor of Clare and Bodyke Fine Gael Councillor Joe Cooney, who called for an update on the works at this month's meeting of East Clare representatives which took place this week, believes funding will be sourced for the all-important project.

Stephen Fletcher presents Beyond Belief for Palm Sunday. Brendan O'Brien talks to some Transition Year students from St Anne's Community College Killaloe. Brendan speaks to the School Chaplain Ms. Karol Torpey and students: 1. Jacob Niland, O' Brien'sbridge 2. Jack Hession, Bridgetown 3.Eoin Bourke, Ballina 4.Molly Keogh, O'Briensbridge 5. Jack Scullane, Ballina 6. Grace Seymour, Killaloe 7. Caoimhe Naughton, O'Briensbridge 8. Thomas Gunson McInerney, Boher. The students are involved in a church cleaning project for Lent and we chat about this, the context of it and what it and religion means to young people in the modern world. Stephen Fletcher talks to the Church of Ireland Dean of Killaloe the Very Revd Niall Sloane. Fr Gerry Kenny joins him for coffee and they talk about Holy Week.

Fr Brendan Quinlivan leads our Sunday Prayer for today the Sixth Sunday in Lent, Palm Sunday.

A speed limit reduction is being sought on a South-East Clare road where drivers are said to be travelling in excess of 100km per hour. Following reports of frequent speeding on the Phayers Road in Meelick, Sixmilebridge Councillor PJ Ryan is calling on Killaloe Municipal District to install traffic calming measures and look into reducing the speed limit on the route. In response, Killaloe Municipal District has advised that any member of the public can submit a speed limit appeal to Clare County Council if they think the speed limit on a route is unsafe. Councillor PJ Ryan claims the lives of those living on the route are in constant danger due to irresponsible driver activity.

Fears for health and safety have been expressed over outdated bye-laws at Clare burial sites. Communities across the county continue to deal with capacity issues at local graveyards, including in Crusheen, Clonlara and Ennis. Currently, Irish burials are regulated by legislation that was introduced in 1888. Ennis Fine Gael Councillor Mary Howard says bereaved families should not be faced with complications in trying times.

A new study into the positive effects of reopening Crusheen Railway Station is expected to provide evidence as to why the stop should be brought back into use. Ennis consultancy Repucon Consulting has been hired to prepare a socio-economic study of the positive effects that would arise from the reopening the North Clare rail stop which has been closed to passenger traffic since 1976. The study will involve extensive community engagement, particularly with the village's younger populatiom, and the consultancy will present a report to local representatives once it's complete. Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe Municipal District and Fianna Fáil Councillor Tony O'Brien says while most people are in favour of reopening the stop, he hopes the study will provide hard evidence as to why reopening it is a good idea.

Clare's hurlers go in search of a place in the National Hurling League final, the footballers make their final stand in the push for promotion, the ladies footballers look to complete their unbeaten league campaign, and the camogie side are hoping to avoid the drop from the top tier. We will also have our latest Sport in Focus piece, and Alan Troy has Greyhound Focus

Patrick O'Donoghue Speaking On Tourism To CFMs Daragh Dolan

It is time for the sixth episode of our newest feature on Morning Focus, Village Tour where Alan paid a visit to Kilrush. 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 Morrissey 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.

The Inis Cealtra Visitor Experience is a landmark tourism project currently being developed on the banks of Lough Derg in East Clare. A highly-skilled multi-disciplinary team is engaged in works on the site in Mountshannon and sustainability as well as the protection of the local biodiversity are critical focuses of the project. Valerie Mulvin and her team at McCullough Mulvin Architects, worked very closely with the local community in advance of the commencement of the works.

Transition Year students from St. John Bosco Community College in Kildysart are competing in the Young Environmentalist competition. Their group ‘Green Clean' aims to reduce the single-use cotton pads and to promote available alternatives. To tell us more, on Friday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by TY Students of the Green Clean Group; Rachel Hayes, Sinead O’Leary, Kate Griffin and Kate Kelly.

The next General Election has to be held by the 22nd of March next year to elect the 34th Dáil. However, Leo Varadkar’s decision to resign as Taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael may have thrown an almighty spanner in the works. Opposition parties have been vocal on the need for a general election following Leo Varadkar's resignation announcement. It is their belief that the people of Ireland should decide who the next Taoiseach is, not Fine Gael. Minister Harris confirmed his intention to run to be the next leader of the party last night and has already been endorsed by the majority of the parliamentary party. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Independent TD, Michael McNamara and Sinn Féin Councillor Donna McGettigan. Picture (c) electoralcommission.ie

Clare County Council has entered discussions with Irish Rail on the possibility of developing a rail link to Shannon. The confirmation follows a motion raised by Sixmilebridge Fine Gael Councillor John Crowe at a local authority meeting, which sought a feasibility study into a rail service between Ennis and Limerick via Sixmilebridge, Bunratty, Shannon Airport, Shannon Town Centre and Industrial Estate. It's claimed such a service would benefit holiday-makers and businesspeople alike while also having a positive effect on the environment. Councillor John Crowe believes "the time is right" to have improved rail connectivity in Clare.

Waterways Ireland says public lands are being used "as much as possible" in the route design of the Limerick to Scariff Greenway. It's in the process of finalising the route corridor of the East Clare greenway which will link Scariff to Limerick via Tuamgraney, Ogonnelloe, Killaloe, O'Briensbridge and Clonlara. Public consultation has taken place on the project and 158 submissions have been received in relation to corridor preferences. Waterways Ireland Western Regional Manager Brian Treacy says where public lands are available, they'll be used.

It comes amid questions over the life of the coalition at Leinster House, after outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced his resignation. Simon Harris is leading the race to be named as the next leader of Fine Gael and Taoiseach of the 33rd Dáil. The Minister for Further and Higher Education is yet to formally announce his leadership bid, but he has already far exceeded the necessary six nominations needed, with Ennistymon Senator Martin Conway among those already declaring support. Justice Minister Helen McEntee was among the early favourites to contest the bid, but has since ruled herself out of contention. Other potential challengers, Social Protection Minister Heather Humphries and the most likely rival Minister for Expenditure Pascal Donohoe have yet to through their hat into the ring. Concerns over the democratic nature of the Taoiseach selection process has triggered calls from all opposition parties for an immediate general election. Clare's Fine Gael Chair doesn't have a preferred candidate at

The Midwest Hospital Campaign Group is demanding a timeline on the planned extension of the MAU opening hours at Ennis, Nenagh and St. John's hospitals. HSE CEO Bernard Gloster has claimed at this week's sitting of the Oireachtas Health Committee that he's awaiting cabinet approval on making the medical assessment units at the Midwest facilities 24/7 services. The measure is part of a series of interventions aimed at easing the overcrowding burden at UHL along with the introduction of a 50-bed step-down subacute facility at Nenagh and a 'GP at the Front Door' service. Midwest Hospital Campaign Group spokesperson Marie McMahon has been telling Clare FM's Seán Lyons the HSE must now provide details of the MAU opening hours extension to ensure no "false promises" are made.