Clare Fm - Podcasts

Staff shortages have been identified as a barrier to providing sports facilities for people with disabilities in Clare. It comes as the Oireachtas Report on Inclusion in Sport has recommended increased investment in the development of accessible and fit-for-purpose sports faciliies to remove barriers to inclusion. The Irish Wheelchair Association's submission to the report has named Clare among 15 counties where there are no specific sporting clubs for children. Sports Inclusion Disability Officer with Clare Sports Partnership James Murrihy says it's "not good enough" that inclusivity in sports is so under-resourced.

The Irish Red Cross in Clare are holding a raffle to raise vital funds for their Community Support Services. An array of what are sure to be highly sought-after prizes are up for grabs. To find out more about what's in store, Alan Morrissey spoke to James Lafferty and Chloe Walsh who discussed the raffle and the 13th tour of Clare Fundraiser. To donate please visit: https://www.idonate.ie/raffle/irishredcross

On this week’s episode of Taste Of The Week, Alan Morrissey welcomed Jacques Brennan to the show. Jacques is the owner of the Vegan Factory and Shop in O’Briensbridge and is also the author of Hungry Soul. This week, Jacques prepared Jalapeno Poppers. INGREDIENTS: · 10 Jalapenos – slit in two with the seeds removed · 1 tub of Hungry Soul – Garlic & Chives vegan cream cheese · 10 tortilla chips – ground into crumbs · Sour cream – vegan cream, a little lemon juice and some fresh chives INSTRUCTIONS: - Pre-heat the oven to 200C - Split the jalapeno in two and remove the seeds or they will be too hot! - Fill each one with Garlic & Chives hungry soul - Cover with the tortilla crumbs - Plate in a hot oven for 10 minutes or until the crumb starts to brown - Serve with a little sour cream … to keep things cool

It is time for the third episode of our newest feature on Morning Focus: Village Tour. 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. Here is our third episode of The Village Tour, in which Alan pays a visit to Lahinch.

The 18th Ennis Book Club Festival gets underway today. Running until Sunday, a vibrant programme of live events and activities for book lovers will be taking place at various venues throughout the town and county. Today’s events include the launch of what is described as a “ground-breaking” book. We Are Human Too, which is co-produced by Clare Leader Forum, explores the dark reality of neglect, abuse and deprivation of liberty faced by disabled people in this country. Alan Morrissey was joined by Ann-Marie Flanagan, Disability Activist from Clare Leader Forum and editor of the book.

Students Siofra McGuire and Aoibhín Twomey from North Clare both go to college in Galway and rely heavily on Bus Éireann’s Ennis-Galway service. Siofra lives at home and uses the bus to commute to college, while Aoibhín lives in Galway, but needs the bus to return home. They have encountered issues with the 350 service and wanted to highlight their frustration at the ongoing situation. On Thursday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey spoke with Siofra and Aoibhín who highlighted some of the issues with the 350 local public transport route.

On Tuesday’s Morning Focus, Peter O'Connell was joined by Colm Liddy, a local historian and author, to discuss Clare’s deep, distant, and fascinating past. On today’s show, Colm discussed how cows affected occupation and Where people lived in Clare in 1000AD. If you have any stories you would like to share with Colm about your townland you can contact him at colmliddy@eircom.net or contact Clare FM on focus@clare.fm.

The community of Shannon is expected to "wrap its arms around" the family of the late Dylan Coady-Coleman. 10-year-old Dylan died from his injuries at Children's Health Ireland in Temple Street yesterday, after being struck by a car at Purcell Park, Shannon on Sunday afternoon. His death came just one day after the birth of his baby brother, who he met before he passed. Shannon Town Football Club, with whom Dylan played since he was four, has described him as "a joy to be around" who "always had a great big smile on his face when he played". Cathaoirleach of the Shannon Municipal District and Sinn Féin Councillor Donna McGettigan says while the death has rocked the community, Shannon will always show its support to those grappling with loss.

It's hoped a major new funding boost can breathe new life back into the capital of West Clare. It comes as Kilrush has been allocated €30,000 under the second phase of the Government's town centre first initiative. The community led scheme enables locals to develop projects that tackle dereliction, enhance streetscapes and advance business and tourism opportunities. West Clare Fianna Fáil Councillor Rita McInerney believes there is major potential for Kilrush.

The Oireachtas Housing Committee has heard testimony from homeowners who are still facing significant challenges due to the use of pyrite blocks in the construction of their dwellings. Eight months on from the opening of the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme, the minds of the over 1,000 affected homeowners in Clare are far from at ease. The scheme, which was devised to provide financial support to people to carry out repairs on properties damaged by the use of defective concrete blocks, covers 100% of remediation work, up to a maximum of €420,000. Figures released to Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin last week show no Clare homeowner affected by pyrite has received any funding under the scheme up to January 2023. As well as this, just 49 people in this county have applied, compared to 1,456 in Donegal, 357 in Mayo and 18 in Limerick. Clare Pyrite Action Group Chair and Crusheen resident Dr Martina Cleary the mental toll the scandal has taken on homeowners amounts to a "shocking disgrace".

A Clare Independent TD has made a fresh call for "offending parties" in the pyrite scandal to be held to account. It comes as the Oireachtas Housing Committee has heard testimony from homeowners who are still facing significant challenges due to the use of pyrite blocks in the construction of their dwellings. Eight months on from the opening of the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme, the minds of the over 1,000 affected homeowners in Clare are far from at ease. The scheme, which was devised to provide financial support to people to carry out repairs on properties damaged by the use of defective concrete blocks, covers 100% of remediation work, up to a maximum of €420,000. Figures released to Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin last week show no Clare homeowner affected by pyrite has received any funding under the scheme up to January 2023. As well as this, just 49 people in this county have applied, compared to 1,456 in Donegal, 357 in Mayo and 18 in Limerick. Clare Pyrite Action Group Chair and Crus

It's claimed a long term plan is needed for Clare to tackle legacy issues with commercial vacancy. GeoDirectory's latest report shows that almost one third of all industrial buildings in Shannon are currently unoccuppied, along with a quarter of Kilrush's stock and almost one-fifth of buildings in Ennis. At the end of last year, there were 972 commercial premises attached to the food and services industry in Clare; a reduction of 24 in the past twelve months. GeoDirectory CEO Dara Keogh has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan that this county needs to focus on either renovating or repurposing vacant units.

Clare is said to be leading by example when it comes to facing up to the horrors of the Mother and Baby Homes scandal. It comes as the long-awaited redress scheme for survivors of the institutions, which is believed to be costing the state around €800 million, is set to open on March 20th. It's believed that up to 168 babies lost their lives at Clare's only registered Mother and Baby Home in Kilrush between 1923 and 1932. Public Relations Officer of the Tuam Mother and Baby Home Alliance Breeda Smyth says this county has been exemplar in dealing with a tragic period of recent history.

Clare people are being urged to take the first step on a potentially life changing path today by availing of upskilling supports on their doorsteps. The LCETB is holding its official open day at it's Ennis campus which currently provides full-time accredited and 40-part time accredited courses to over 650 students. The Station Road facility has recently opened new state of the art studios s for it's hairdressing and engineering apprenticeships, while it also provides courses in Business, Sports, Tourism, STEM, Languages and Design. LCETB Community Education Facilitator Breda O’ Driscoll says everyone that comes through their doors leaves empowered.

Kildysart Drama Society is gearing up for its latest annual production. The group will be bringing the John B. Keane classic Big Maggie to their local stage and will perform a total of four shows at Kildysart Community Centre over the next two weekends. To find out more on the upcoming performances, Alan Morrissey was joined by Colin McMahon, the play's Director. Picture (c) by Boommavel from TIVEL via Canva

The Clare Cricket Club is based in Ballycasey in Shannon, with a growing membership from across the county. On Wednesday's Morning Focus, Clare FM's Sports Editor Derrick Lynch was joined by Club secretary Richard Morton and chairperson Gurpreet and treasurer Soheel to discuss where the club started and plans for the future. The club currently fields two adult teams in competitive tournaments, with a broad range of ages involved.

A Clare member of the HSE's Regional Health Forum West has lambasted the delays for dental treatment facing children with special needs. New figures, released by the HSE, show that as of last week in the MidWest, 758 children were waiting to undergo dental procedures. Of those, 45 have additional needs and according to the HSE, the average wait for an operation under general anaesthetic is now 30 months. Ennis Fine Gael Councillor Mary Howard says the situation is appalling.

The Clare Pyrite Action Group claims affected homeowners have lost faith in politicians to take necessary action. Members of the group have appeared before the Oireachtas Housing Committee to voice their concerns as new figures have revealed that none of the over 1,000 people in this county living in homes built with pyrite blocks had received funds under the Enhanced Defective Block Grant Scheme up to last January. It follows the release of a draft report by the European Parliament's Petitions Committee which states the scheme is in need of improvement. Clare Pyrite Action Group Vice-Chair Mary Hanley believes political representatives aren't interested in making change happen.

Eoghan McNulty On Bridge United U17 FAI Semi Final

A Clare Secondary School Principal insists that any changes made to the school bus transport scheme must be backed up with the necessary resources. The Department of Education will bring proposals before cabinet today that will aim to reduce the qualification distance. If passed, primary pupils living within 1km and post-primary students living within 2km of their schools would now be eligible for bus transport. Principal of St.Flannan's College in Ennis, Fr Ignatius McCormack has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan that there must be enough drivers and school seat places available to meet any new demand.