Clare Fm - Podcasts

A Clare-based former President of the Assocation of Secondary Teachers in Ireland claims students are taking up roles they have no interest in due to teacher shortages. A new poll has found that 82% of schools had no applications for vacant posts in the 2023 to 2024 school year while 87% of schools said there were no substitute teachers available to provide cover. It's also been reported that one fifth of schools have had to remove subjects from the curriculum due to not being able to recruit a teacher. Kilkee Community College teacher Geraldine O'Brien believes students with a clear vision of what job they'd like to pursue are being forced to compromise.

The Friends of Ennis Hospital Group has reiterated its called for the CEO of the UL Hospitals Group to be answerable for issues with Midwest healthcare. One week on from the indefinite deferral of scheduled care at University Hospital Limerick, Ennis Hospital and other Midwest hospitals, Minister Stephen Donnelly has said it'll be a "short number of weeks" before services return to normal. 25 step-down beds are to come on stream in Clare in the coming weeks. Friends of Ennis Hospital Group Chairperson Angela Coll believes the crisis at UHL is the fault of management.

Fiona McGarry spoke with Clinical herbalis, Julie Ann O'Connor from Feakle. With over 20 years experience working in holistic healthcare, as well as a lifelong love of the outdoors & natures healing medicine, Julie Ann O' Connor offers walks which bring you on a journey of exploration, rediscovery and healing. You get to learn about the plants you encounter, about their medicinal uses & what you can make with them yourself at home. Photo (c) Clareherbalist via Instagram

It's predicted rejuventated empty homes could be the "single largest source of housing in County Clare" by next year. It comes as the Hardware Association Ireland has launched its pre-Budget submission which contains the key proposals of including empty homes in housing targets and improving incentives for converting "above-the-shop" properties. The organisation anticipates that of the new homes in Clare across 2024 and 2025, 41% will come from rejuvenated empty homes. Chief Executive of the Hardware Association Ireland Martin Markey has been telling Clare FM's Seán Lyons he believes grants for vacant properties are working well in this county but there is work to do to make "above-the-shop" premises more accessible.

Fears have been raised that the introduction of extra grants for purchasing electric vehicles in rural Clare would be 'open to abuse'. This comes in light of calls for people living in outside of urban areas to receive extra funding towards the cost of buying an electric vehicle. This week former environment minister Richard Bruton has called on the government to 'double down' on the process to move towards the wider usage of electric vehicles. The government expressed the aim of having 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030, which looks set to stall given the reluctance of people living in rural areas to make the switch and the preference for hybrids over fully electric cars. Clare's Rural Development Forum member, Fianna Fail Cllr Rita McInerney, believes the funds made available for the grant could be better spent elsewhere. Meanwhile in this county the sale of electric vehicles has seen a steep 60% reduction since 2023, while the latest monthly comparison show 46 electric vehicles purchased

A "super-levy" for online banks has been proposed as a way of revitalising Clare's towns and villages. Wicklow Fine Gael Councillor Peter Stapleton is calling for the Irish bank levy, which produces a fixed annual yield of €150 million, to be re-structured so online banks such as Revolut pay a larger share which is then channelled into communities. Bank of Ireland branches have closed their doors in Kilkee, Miltown Malbay and Tulla in recent years. Councillor Stapleton believes re-structuring the levy could see more physical branches open in areas such as these.

The time machine is an immersive exhibition that transforms an old Bank in Miltown Malbay into a portal, transporting you to the past and future to help us imagine ourselves in 2084. To find out more, Fiona McGarry was joined by Maeve Stone, Award-winning artist of Cracking Light Productions. Photo (c): Miltowntimemachine.com

A host of stars from the world of GAA, racing and other big sporting personalities came together last Monday evening, for this year’s Hurling for Cancer Research all-star game. The coverage on TG4 was aimed at boosting donations to the Irish Cancer Society’s vital research projects. Gort based camera man Dermot Flaherty is currently undergoing treatment for cancer and he shared his story ahead of coverage of Monday’s game. For more on this, Fiona McGarry spoke with Dermot Flaherty. Picture (c) Cancer.ie

Clare's Fine Gael senator says he makes "no apologies" for disagreeing with his party colleague Minister Paschal Donohoe on the hospitality VAT rate. Various organisations representing businesses in the hospitality industry have long called for their VAT to be returned to the lower rate 9% which was introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe says however the higher VAT rate of 13.5% will remain in place beyond the budget in October as he claims the lower rate was only ever meant to be a tmeporary measure. Ennistymon Fine Gael Senator Martin Conway insists the lower rate is needed especially along Clare's coast where businesses are under particular pressure.

It's claimed light is at the end of the tunnel for communities victimised by persistent flooding in Clare. It comes as the local authority is set to submit a planning application for a flood relief scheme in Kilkee that will aim to alleviate overflow from Victoria Stream. Another scheme is currently being prepared to compat coastal water infiltrating the town centre, while expressions of interest are being sought for engineers to develop flood protection schemes in Bunratty and Kilrush. Clare Fianna Fáil Senator Timmy Dooley says the investment is vital to safeguard livelihoods.

Clare FM's Derrick Lynch is joined by analysts Joe Garry and Paudie Carmody to preview the second round games in the TUS Clare senior and intermediate football championships

"Huge concerns" around the safety of a new school bus service being trialled in Clare have been highlighted by parents. With just two weeks to go until secondary schools reopen their doors, Bus Éireann has announced that students in the south-east of the county availing of its services to travel to Shannon will do so by way of the 343 public bus service. On August 6th, parents in Newmarket-on-Fergus, Sixmilebridge and Cratloe whose children are registered for Bus Éireann's school bus service for the coming academic year received an email informing them of the details of the service. Following on from a Department of Education review of the School Transport Scheme, a new pilot scheme is being trialled in south-east Clare whereby students will travel on the existing 343 bus service which ordinarily goes from Limerick to Ennis via Shannon. Bus Éireann has told parents their students will be issued with Leap Cards which they can use to avail of other public transport services in their area. It's understood t

"Huge concerns" around the safety of a new school bus service being trialled in Clare have been highlighted by parents. With just two weeks to go until secondary schools reopen their doors, Bus Éireann has announced that students in the south-east of the county availing of its services to travel to Shannon will do so by way of the 343 public bus service. On August 6th, parents in Newmarket-on-Fergus, Sixmilebridge and Cratloe whose children are registered for Bus Éireann's school bus service for the coming academic year received an email informing them of the details of the service. Following on from a Department of Education review of the School Transport Scheme, a new pilot scheme is being trialled in south-east Clare whereby students will travel on the existing 343 bus service which ordinarily goes from Limerick to Ennis via Shannon. Bus Éireann has told parents their students will be issued with Leap Cards which they can use to avail of other public transport services in their area. It's understood t

A Clare professor believes Ukraine's recent military advancements has changed the optics of the war. Ukraine has switched to the offensive and has forced Russian troops to evacuate areas from the border regions of Kursks, resulting in roughly 75-thousand people fleeing from their homes. Voldymyr Zelenksyy's troops claim they have captured 1,000sqkm while Russian President Vladimir Putin is convinced it's all in efforts for Ukraine to secure greater bargaining chips for future negotiations. Newmarket-on-Fergus Native and Professor of Politics at DCU Donnacha Ó Beacháin says, the conflict is no longer confined to Ukraine's regions.

Morning Focus was broadcasting live from the Clare Museum in Ennis. Firstly, Alan Morrissey spoke with a Sixmilebridge parent, Edel Rafferty, to discuss the concern over the planned changes to the school bus service in Shannon. After that, Alan was joined by Deputy Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua, Ennis Chamber President, Sheila Lynch and Council Director of Service, Carmel Kirby. Following that, Alan was joined by Púca Sculptor & Author, Aidan Harte to find out about his new book on Lugs Brannigan. Next, Alan was joined by Ennis MD Senior Engineer, Seán Lenihan, A/Town Foreman, Pat Slattery and Ennis Tidy Towns representative, Helen Brandon. We then had our weekly Garda Focus segment with Clare Crime Prevention Officer, Sgt. Catríona Holohan. Later, Alan was joined by Donnacha Ó Beacháin, Professor of Politics at DCU to discuss the new phase of the Ukrainian-Russian war after Ukraine invaded Russia. Alan welcomed the Acting Chair of the Lismorauhaun Singers, Caroline Counihan and the Chor

The Clare Branch of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service is appealing for new donors amid a challenging time of year for the service. The IBTS is aiming to retain a minimum of 3 days worth of blood stocks in order to facilitate routine hospital services such as heart and knee operations, pregnancies and cancer treatment. Donation clinics will be taking place this evening and tomorrow Wednesday at Treacy's Oakwood Hotel from 4pm until 20 past 7. Broadford based IBTS Recruitment Executive Alex O'Connor says its vital new participants come forward in order to keep the healthcare system running.

In this week’s History in Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by local historian and author Colm Liddy to discuss a letter from the Scott Family to the Vandeleur Family that is kept in the Clare Museum. If you have any stories you would like to share with Colm about your town, you can contact him at colmliddy@eircom.net or Clare FM at focus@clare.fm.

Aidan Harte would be best known to a Clare audience as the man who sculpted the statue of the Púca that was at the centre of some controversy two years ago. Aidan is now involved with a somewhat different venture. He has written and illustrated a new book called Lugs Branigan: The True Story of Ireland’s Legendary Lawman. To discuss his new book, Alan Morrissey was joined by Sculptor, Author & Illustrator Aidan Harte. Picture (c): Aidan Harte via X

Concern is being expressed by parents in Sixmilebridge, Cratloe and Newmarket-on-Fergus over planned changes to their children’s school bus service to Shannon. For more on the planned changes and why they have caused panic amongst parents, Alan Morrissey spoke with Edel Rafferty, from Sixmilebridge, one of the aforementioned parents. Picture (c) Igor Vershinsky via Canva.com

Clare County Council is expressing confidence that tourists will flock from all corners of Europe to a new attraction here. The tender has been published for fit-out works on the Old Rectory in Mountshannon which will be repurposed as a vistor an interpretative centre for Inis Cealtra. The tender is worth €300,000 and submissions must be in by September 9th. General Manager of Clare Tourism East Stephen Hanley believes people will come from far and wide to experience Inis Cealtra once it's open to the public next March.