Clare Fm - Podcasts

Family and friends of 12-year-old Layla Kelly, who has been courageously battling a serious illness since 2023, are coming together to take on a Cycle from Kilnaboy National School all the way to Croagh Patrick in Co. Mayo to raise vital funds for Layla’s treatments, medications, and future care. The Cycle will take place this Saturday, (27th September), followed by a group climb of Croagh Patrick the next morning, (Sunday, 28th September). To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by Layla's aunt Sheila Keane on Friday's Morning Focus.

Ennis will welcome rugby legend and children’s author Donncha O’Callaghan this Friday, as he visits Ennis Bookshop to sign copies of his new book Disaster Dad: Fun Day Fiasco. The laugh-out-loud family adventure has just been published and is aimed at readers aged 7 and up. To chat about the book, the chaos behind the comedy, and what fans can expect at the signing, Alan Morrissey had a chat on Friday's Morning Focus with Donncha O’Callaghan. Photo (c) Bookworm.ie

A Clare breast cancer survivor is calling on the public to support the Irish Cancer Society’s Big Pink Breakfast campaign this October. Sharon Smyth from Newmarket-on-Fergus was diagnosed in 2012 and is now sharing her story to help raise awareness and funds for vital breast cancer services and research. Alan Morrissey was joined by Sharon on Friday's Morning Focus. Photo (c) Sharon Smyth

Ennis is at the heart of a new Irish language enterprise, Inis Dom!, designed to support and celebrate the use of Irish in local businesses. Led by Líonra na hInse and An Clár as Gaeilge, and supported by Foras na Gaeilge, this initiative aims to make Irish a practical and powerful tool for business in the town. Alan Morrissey spoke with Leah Ní Thailtigh, Oifigeach Pleanála Teanga le Líonra na hInse, An Clár as Gaeilge and Ruairí Henchy, Oifigeach Forbartha Gaeilge live in studio on Friday's Morning Focus.

As Day Two of canvassing in the Presidential Election gets underway, questions are being raised locally about the need for election-free poster zones, particularly with just three candidates in the race. Geraldine Gregan, Clare Director of Elections for the Heather Humphreys campaign, believes there should be more flexibility around the current rules. To discuss this matter, Alan Morrissey was joined by Derek Clune from Shannon Tidy Towns and Geraldine Gregan, Clare Director of Elections for Heather Humphreys’ Presidential Campaign on Friday's Morning Focus. Photo (c) Clare Herald

Two Shannon companies have been included in a multi-million euro scheme aiming to advance groundbreaking medical technology. Smart Electronics Ltd is among three organisations allocated a combined pool of €2.1m to develop a world first sensory system for treating stroke-related gait impairments. While PBC BioMed is included in a fund worth €3.9m, that will aim to improve outcomes for gastrointestinal surgeries. PBC BioMed's Chief Science Officer Dr Gerard Insley says their work will make a huge difference for patients.

On Thursday 25th September, schools across the country will celebrate the invaluable work done by Special Needs Assistants in schools every day. Sarah O’Callaghan, an SNA from Shannon, joined Alan Morrissey on Thursday's Morning Focus to discuss the vital role SNAs play in schools. Background Image (c) by atlasstudio via Canva

People with Passion is hosting what is promised to be an unforgettable Hollywood-style event in Ennis. The Temple Gate Hotel will be the venue for their red-carpet event on the 5th of October, where participants will step into the magical world of film, photography, and music. Alan Morrissey was joined in studio by Katarzyna Dąbrowska, main organizer of the event on Thursday's Morning Focus.

Ennis RFC Women’s team are preparing for their very first game in the All-Ireland League this weekend. On Saturday, their debut outing in the Women's All-Ireland League sees them making the trip to Tullow RFC. It’s a hugely exciting time for the team, and, indeed, the club. On Thursday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined the team’s Head Coach Gareth O’Hanlon and Ennis RFC Women's Team player Saoirse Reidy. Coach Gareth O'Hanlon and players celebrate after their AIL playoff final win. Picture (c) Irish Rugby X

Clarecastle Day Care Centre is hosting an important fundraiser on Saturday the 27th of September. The centre will be the venue for Handbags and Gladrags. To get more on this Alan Morrissey was joined by Mary Maloney, Centre Manager of Clarecastle Daycare Centre on Thursday's Morning Focus.

The final report of the HIQA review examining the case for a new emergency department in the Midwest is expected to be published "very shortly". The review into urgent and emergency care capacity in this region was announced by former Health Minister Stephen Donnelly in May 2024. The findings of the review were initially due to be published in May of this year but this was pushed back to September. Six days out from the close of the month, Fine Gael Minister of State John Cummins says the demand and capacity projections being prepared by the ESRI are crucial to the process.

Next month, will be a hive of activity at Pot Duggans who are holding live shows. The Ennistymon venue has a great lineup in store for Cois Abhann 2025. To find out more about it, Jack Daly, venue Manager of Pot Duggans had a chat with Alan Morrissey on Thursday's Morning Focus. Photo (c) via Pot Duggans Facebook

It's been suggested growth must be seen in the retail sector of Shannon and the services offering of Ennis if both towns are to tackle their commercial vacancy problem. The latest quarterly report from GeoDirectory has found that Shannon has the second-highest commercial vacancy rate in the country at 30.8% while Ennis has the ninth-highest in Munster at 19.1%. The data reveals just over 18% of Shannon's commercial units are retail which is below the average of 22%, while Ennis is below the national norm when it comes to the services sector. GeoDirectory CEO Dara Keogh has been telling Clare FM's Seán Lyons both towns must diversify to bring life back into premises currently lying idle.

The community education sector in Clare is calling on the Government to reverse consecutive funding cuts ahead of Budget 2026. We are midway through a week of action announced by AONTAS ─ the National Adult Learning Organisation of Ireland ─ aimed at highlighting among politicians, decision-makers and the public the value that community education in Clare and across Ireland adds to society, and the urgent need for a sustainable funding model. Alan Morrissey was joined by Cecilia Brizuela, Clare Project Coordinator of Women's Collective Ireland on Thursday's Morning Focus. Image (c) Women's Collective Ireland - Clare via Facebook

On this week's episode of Clare Women In Business, Pat Flynn visits Miltown Malbay to meet Caragh Griffin, owner of the Dolphin Take-away and Café. Clare Women in Business is funded by Coimisiún na Meán with the television licence fee.

County Clare is represented in Irish STEM Lives, a new publication from the Dictionary of Irish Biography looking at the diversity of STEM in Ireland. The book includes an entry on John Philip Holland from Liscannor, who invented the submarine. Irish STEM Lives has just been published. The Editor of the book, Turlough O'Riordan spoke with Alan Morrissey on Thursday's Morning Focus to tell us more. Photo (c) Editors of Irish STEM Lives, Turlough O’Riordan and Jane Grimson, MRIA.

Shannon Golf Club are celebrating, after ending a four and a half decade wait for an All-Ireland pennant. They recently won the AIG Jimmy Bruen Shield at Mannan Castle, the first time in the club’s history that they have won the title. On Thursday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey spoke with Shannon Team Captain, Colm Hanley. Photo (c) Shannon Golf Club, Co. Clare via Facebook

The Government is to ban advertising vapes behind shop counters, mandate plain packaging and outlaw single-use vapes. Health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill is to bring in new legislation as part of a clampdown on the industry. The proposals, in the form of two separate laws, will be used to ban the sale of single-use vapes, to restrict the packaging of vaping products, while bans will also be placed on any device which either resembles or functions as other products, such as toys or games. The Irish Thoracic Society has launched a new guide on the risks of vaping for secondary school students. Orla Veale who is Chief Executive of the Irish Thoracic Society and Agnes Hehir, Principal of St. Joseph's Community College in Kilkee spoke with Alan Morrissey on Thursday's Morning Focus about this issue. Photo (c) Image (c) by pixelshot via Canva

Catherine Connolly, Heather Humphreys and Jim Gavin will be the three names on the ballot paper for next month’s Presidential election. The election will take place on Friday, the 24th of October. Maria Steen had hoped to be the fourth name in the race, but the conservative campaigner had received just 18 of the 20 required nominations from TDs and senators by the time the deadline passed, at midday on Wednesday. Independent Ireland's calling for a referendum to change the Presidential nomination system, following Maria Steen’s failure to secure the support of 20 Oireachtas members to appear on the ballot paper. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined on Friday's Morning Focus by Fianna Fáil Minister of State, Timmy Dooley and Joe Cooney, Bodyke Fine Gael TD. Image (c) Aras An Uachtarain by Pawel Gaul from Getty Images Signature via canva

A Clare woman has escaped injury after her boat forming part of a global aid mission to Gaza was allegedly struck by projectiles in a drone attack. Poet and Activist Sarah Clancy who lived in Ballyvaughan for over a decade was on board 'The Spectre' which is among 51 boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla, which is currently in international waters between Greece and Libya. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has now said he will join Italy in sending a military warship to protect the international flotilla. Clancy claims here her boat was struck four times with objects that emitted smoke smelling like sulphur, while the next day the boat's VHF radios were jammed. She says it was a life-threatening situation.