Clare Fm - Podcasts

A beekeeper from Tuamgraney outpaced nearly 3,500 competitors to become the first athlete from Clare to claim victory in the Cork City Marathon recently. Chris Jeuken, running for Derg AC, a club based on the Clare-Tipperary border delivered an outstanding performance, completing the challenging 26.2-mile course in 2 hours, 18 minutes, and 56 seconds — finishing a full six minutes ahead of the second-place runner, Michael Fox. Remarkably, the former accomplished cyclist (with Burren Cycling Club) missed breaking the course record by just 18 seconds, with the standing record being 2 hours, 18 minutes, and 37 seconds. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Chris Jeuken, Beehive manufacturer of Apis Bee Supplies in Tuamgraney. PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Jeuken

Last April, Alan Morrissey chatted with Aoife Hammond from Common Knowledge about Spreag, their new series of community gatherings celebrating the brilliant climate action already happening across County Clare. The first Spreag took place in early May. The second installment of the four-part series will be held at Common Knowledge in Kilfenora on Thursday, the 19th of June. To find out more, was joined by Aoife Hammond of Common Knowledge and Anja Murray, Chairperson of Common Knowledge Ecologist, nature & environmental writer, documentary maker.

St. Vincent de Paul says the cost of essential items has increased by nearly 20 per cent in the last five years. The charity's latest Minimum Essential Standard of Living report has found the price of items like food, clothing and shelter rose by 1 point 8 per cent since 2024 alone. The cost of meeting the needs of a primary school age child is 98 euro a week - while 72 euro a week is needed for the essentials for pre-school children. The minimum wage only covers about 78 per cent of the cost of essential items for a single person, according to St. Vincent de Paul. Figures from this year's Minimum Essential Standard of Living report show the cost of these items for someone in low-paid full-time employment has risen by 5 point 6 per cent. For more on this, Alan Morrissey was joiened by Denis Carty, President of the Clare branch of SVP.

More than half of water bodies inspected in Clare last year were found to have water quality not of a good standard. Clare County Council is on track to complete 139 farm inspections this year, near areas the Environmental Protection Agency has deemed to be at risk of water quality deterioration. According to the EPA, 52 water bodies in this county are at risk from agricultural pressure, with phosphorous and sediment leaks leading to algal blooms the most common problem. O'Callaghan's Mills farmer and Fine Gael Councillor Conor Ryan says it's vital best practice is followed at all times.

Residents of one of Ennis's oldest housing estates says they won't put up with substandard roads and footpaths. Fianna Fáil Councillor Antoinette Baker-Bashua, who lives in Hermitage, is calling for a review of surfaces in the area where she says there are concerns around "exposed concrete, uneven surfaces and trip hazards along footpaths". Surface treatment works were carried out in Hermitage in 2023 and Ennis Municipal District says while it believes the roads are in "an acceptable condition", it'll carry out a further survey in the near future. Councillor Baker-Bashua says the 2023 works were inadequate and locals are demanding better.

Clare GAA’s Munster Council representative says a Cork-Kerry monopoly on the provincial championship must be avoided at all costs. Under new proposals, the two teams would be seeded for the Munster Football Championship in 2026, as the highest ranked sides in the National Football League. The recommendation was put forward at the most recent Munster Council meeting, while at the July meeting a vote will be held on the matter. Bernard Keane says the council must preserve the current model, which gives the province's lesser counties the best chance of reaching the decider.

Coming to Glór this Saturday 21 June from 8pm It’s Wine O’Clock is a riotous one-woman show directed by Michael Scott, with no shortage of laughs. For more on this Alan Morrissey was joined by Actor and Comedian, Norma Sheehan.

On Tuesday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Frank Dillon, Head of Communications and Fundraising with ALONE, the national organisation supporting older people to age at home. ALONE provides essential services across the country. Frank’ discussed the vital role of volunteers in their Visitation and Befriending programme, both in-person and over the phone. With a growing need for support in our communities, this is a timely call to action. PHOTO CREDIT: ALONE via Facebook

On Tuesday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Denise O’Brien, a Clare-based business consultant, who’s just won back-to-back Network Ireland awards — Solo Businesswoman of the Year and Networker of the Year. From leaving college at 18 to becoming a single mum at 24, Denise has built a thriving business through the power of networking. Now, she’s heading to the national finals in Killarney, and possibly laying the groundwork for a new Clare branch of Network Ireland.

It's claimed Clare's students, young families and children in poverty will feel all the adverse consequences of incoming rent controls. Opposition parties will hold a protest outside the Dáil at 6pm this evening to coincide with a Sinn Féin private members bill calling for emergency action to alleviate the housing crisis and increased investment in social housing. The Government is expected to bring legislation before Cabinet this week that will make the entire country a rent pressure zone, along with restrictions on no fault evictions and a six year security of tenancy. Clare Sinn Féin TD Donna McGettigan has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan that the plans are skewed to favour landlords.

Clare-based Anna Marie Kiernan, Advanced Nurse Practitioner at Croom Orthopaedic Hospital Pain Excellence Centre (HSE Mid-West), received the Best Use of Innovative Technology Award at the HSE Spark Summit in Dublin. Her project, ‘Patch Me If You Can/Virtually Pain Free’, was one of 12 innovative healthcare solutions recognised for tackling key challenges in patient care. To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by Anna Marie Kiernan. PHOTO CREDIT: HSE

On Tuesday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Tatjana Simakova to discuss the real struggles of parenting teens today, from emotional shutdowns to screen-time battles and why so many parents feel lost and alone. Tatjana is a psychotherapist and art therapist based in Ennis, who has spent over 12 years supporting teenagers and their families through emotional and behavioural challenges. She’s also launching Salvus parenTEENg, a new national support space for parents, and she’s offering our listeners early access.

On Tuesday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Deborah Hickie, Kilkee-based retained firefighter. Deborah is leading a powerful national campaign to recruit retained firefighters across Ireland. Since last September, over 560 new recruits have joined the ranks — but many stations still need more hands on deck. Deborah is here to share what life on the front line is really like, why community-based firefighting matters, and how you — or someone you know — could step up and serve. PHOTO CREDIT: Emergency Services/Search and Rescue - Clare via X

As the Irish government considers the introduction of a scrappage scheme aimed at accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), industry voices and EV advocates are weighing in on its potential impact. With EV searches on Carzone up 16% year-on-year and consumer interest continuing to rise, the momentum for a greener transport future is clear. However, challenges around affordability, charging infrastructure, and vehicle range persist. For more on this, Alan Morrissey was joined by John Casey of Clare EV Owners Club.

On Tuesday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Aoibhín Stapleton, Youth Information Worker with Clare Youth Service, to talk about a vibrant and meaningful event happening this week in Glór. The event in question is the official launch of the Youth Banner Showcase and LGBTQ+ Portrait Exhibition. Titled ‘A Celebration of Identity & Pride in Clare’, the event features powerful artwork and stories from young people across the county, highlighting unity, expression, and pride. PHOTO CREDIT: Clare Youth via Facebook

This weekend, Tim Smyth Park in Ennis will be filled with hope, music, and community spirit for Relay for Life Clare, a 24-hour event from 2pm Saturday, June 21st to 2pm Sunday. It’s all about walking together to fight cancer, honour survivors, and remember loved ones. With live music, family fun, and the moving Candle of Hope ceremony at dusk, it promises to be a powerful and uplifting gathering. And yes, Clare FM will be there live on Saturday! To find out more Alan Morrissey was joined by Relay For Life Clare Committee Member, Olive Walsh and Cancer Survivor & Relay For Life Clare Committee Member, Lorraine White.

There are concerns among the undocumented Irish in America that they could end up in Guantanamo Bay. That's despite the Trump administration denying its planning to send illegal immigrants to the US run prison in Cuba. The Department of Foreign Affairs also says it understands there are no plans to do this. An immigration lawyer told the Irish Examiner there's uncertainty within Irish communities in the US and they're nervous about travelling home to Ireland for holidays. To discuss this situation further, Clare FM’s Peter O'Connell spoke with New York-based immigration lawyer Lorcan Shannon earlier.

A new report says the MidWest will need another emergency department and 600 more acute hospital beds by 2040 to meet the demands of the growing population. It comes as The Friends of Ennis Hospital has published its latest research document covering hospital bed capacity projects for the next fifteen years. The group has recommended that a new hospital is built on a new campus and has also poured cold water on HSE plans to build a second 96 bed block at University Hospital Limerick, citing planning obstacles. Chairperson Angela Coll believes a Clare facility is the only viable solution.

Volunteers are urgently being sought to train the next generation of Clare's open water lifesavers. The Clare branch of Water Safety Ireland is currently seeking instructors and swim teachers to provide lessons across Miltown Malbay, Mountshannon, Doonbeg, Cappa, Ballyvaughan, Kilkee, Labasheeda, Flagmount and Carrigaholt. Open water safety classes in Clare are among the longest running in Ireland, with the tradition now in its 80th year. Clarecastle based Chair of Water Safety Ireland Claire McGrath says it's vital new personnel are trained to keep our recreational water hotspots safe.

Clare's Brian McNamara says Louth's greater ability to punish mistakes was the difference between the sides in their crucial knockout tie in the All Ireland Football Championship. The Leinster Champions inflicted a third defeat of the Sam Maguire series on Peter Keane's side, leaving them bottom of Group 3 and eliminated from the championship. Clare trailed by eight points at the break, before goals from Aaron Griffin and Rory McMahon helped bring the deficit to as little as two in the closing stages. The Cooraclare clubman says at the very least, they were focused on delivering a good performance to round off the year.