Clare Fm - Podcasts

Clare people experiencing the grief of a miscarriage have an opportunity to share their stories with eachother at an event tonight. A peer support meeting for those who've experienced a miscarriage will be held in the Greenhills Hotel at 8pm while another meeting will take place in the Inn at Dromoland on September 10th. It's estimated one in five women in Ireland will experience a miscarriage at some point in their lives while figures from the National Maternity Hospital show there are approximately 14,000 miscarriages here each year. Miscarriage Association of Ireland committee member and volunteer Ashling Moloney says all are welcome to attend even if they don't wish to open up just yet.

The vast majority of Clare homes and businesses affected by thunderstorms will have their power restored tonight. Over 450 premises near Ennis, Crusheen, Kildysart, Kilshanny, Ennistymon and Lisdoonvarna are still without electricity following last night's thunderstorms. The lightning strike brought down the power line in Kildysart last night and ESB is warning the public to stay away from exposed cables as they still may be live. ESB Clare Area Manager Alan Hogan has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan that while most customers will have their power back this evening, people must remain vigilant and immediately contact them if experiencing issues.

A member of the Cliffs of Moher's management team insists their world-famous walking trail is safe despite claims to the contrary. Following a number of tragic incidents at the Cliffs in recent times, the Clare Local Development Company and Clare County Council are working on implementing additional safety measures at points where walkers are more likely to leave the 14 kilometre trail. The plan is due to be finalised later this year and will be put in place in early 2025 but it's warned parts of the trail may close if agreement can't be reached with all of the 38 landowners who own the trail. Clare Local Development Company CEO Doirín Graham claims adequate safety measures are already in place but says there are several "high-risk points" along the trail.

A Clare Publican is warning businesses are being forced to cut back on their own maintenance due to rising input costs. It comes as Finance Minister Pascal Donohoe has confirmed there will be no reduction to the 13.5% hospitality VAT rate in Budget 2025. According to the Restaurants Association of Ireland, the return to the 9.5% rate is needed urgently as 600 food outlets have closed this year alone. Clare Toursim Advisory Vice Chair and Owner of Durty Nellys in Bunratty, Maurice Walsh says the situation has become perilous. A Clare Restaurateur meanwhile fears the Government's approach will lead to a raft of further closures in the industry. Co-Owner of the Monks Restaurant in Ballyvaughan Patrick O'Donohue insists reducing the VAT rate is the only way to provide the hospitality industry with real relief and prevent costs from being passed onto consumers.

A Clare Irish language enthusiast blames what he calls the State's "archaic" approach to teaching the language for young people's lack of interest in it. The comments come as a new report has found one third of teenagers would like to see Irish removed as a compulsory subject in second-level education. Marking the 20th anniversary of the the Ombudsman for Children's Office, the OCO has conducted a new survey called 'Tomorrow Starts With Us" in collaboration with Amárach Research. The survey sought the opinions of over 1,000 12 to 18 year-olds on topics such as education, bullying, racism and discrimination, mental health in schools, online safety, accessibility, public transport, the student voice and how Ireland rates as a country for young people. The findings of the survey are predictably broad - with 47% saying they've experienced bullying at some stage and 36% saying they've experienced discrimination - while 71% said Ireland is a good country to reach their full potential in and 62% rated the educat

On Monday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Tom Stewart from Keane’s Garden Centre in Kilcolgan. This week, Tom gave listeners some advice on autmnal plants for containers and beds. If you have a question for Tom, contact the show on 0818 400 964 or send a text or Whatsapp to 086 1800 964.

This Saturday, the 17th of August, Cuimhneamh an Chláir’s Paula Carroll – who is also one of the presenters of The West Wind here on Clare FM - will host a live recording of the Clare Oral History Podcast. The public interview with Kitty Leyden from Tulla is part of Heritage Week 2024. It will take place at Cnoc na Gaoithe Comholtas Cultural Centre in Tulla. For more on this, Alan Morrissey was joined by Clare FM's Paula Carroll and Kitty Leydon.

Natalya Serova and her daughter, like many of their compatriots, have fled the war in Ukraine and sought refuge in Ireland. She is seeking alternative housing, due to the negative effects their current accommodation is having on her daughter. To discuss this further, Natalya Serova and Mariya Nikashanova joined Alan Morrissey, on Monday's Morning Focus.

It is time to bring you another weird and wonderful tale, which means it is time for another edition of Seanchaí Corner. Seanchaí Corner sees the renowned author, storyteller, lecturer, and broadcaster Eddie Lenihan regaling us with a memorable story from his extensive collection of old Irish tales and fables. In our latest installment of Seanchaí Corner, Eddie Lenihan brings us the story of the boy in WWI.

Pat Murphy has undertaken a huge challenge: to travel the length of the country from Malin Head to Mizen Head...on a tractor! He isn’t doing this onerous and time-consuming challenge for no good reason, though. To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by Pat Murphy. If you would like to donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/malin-to-mizen-charity-tractor-run-for-concern Photo (c): Pat Murphy via GoFundMe

Safety improvement works have been taking place at the Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walking trail. The works are in response to health and safety concerns being raised. The concerns come in the wake of recent tragic deaths, with specific fears centering around the 14-kilometre Cliff Edge walking route, which links Doolin and Liscannor to the world-famous tourist attraction. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Fine Gael Councillor, Joe Garrihy and the CEO of Clare Local Development Company, Doirín Graham. Photo (c) Visit Clare

A Regional Health Forum West member says unacceptable overcrowding has become the norm at University Hospital Limerick. The HSE took the decision last Wednesday to defer scheduled care at University Hospital Limerick as well as Ennis, Nenagh, St. John's and Croom Hospitals due to spiralling overcrowding following the August Bank Holiday Weekend. Trolley numbers reached as high as 127 last week compared to 80 on the same day last year. Regional Health Forum Committee Chairperson and Shannon Sinn Féin Councillor Donna McGettigan says the facility is in crisis response mode day in day out.

Aer Lingus has come under fire from a Clare Senator for it's decision to wind down cargo service at Shannon Airport. The hub will close in the coming months following 55 years of operation and currently employs 18 people. Enterprise Minister Peter Burke has requested a meeting with Aer Lingus to discuss the future of the service and alternative options for the workforce. Ennistymon Fine Gael Senator Martin Conway believes the airline's focus should be to expand operations at Shannon rather than reduce.

Reaction From Clonlara, Clooney Quin And Crusheen After Opening Round Of Clare SHC

A popular walking spot in West Clare has been named Ireland's favourite tourist destination. Kilkee Cliff Walk can proudly called itself the nation's best-rated tourist destination as new Trip Advisor research shows the attraction has the highest number of 'excellent' reviews of any Irish tourist site. Only places with 100 reviews or more were considered and the rankings show the Cliff Walk has received 514 reviews - 91.8% of which are 'excellent'. Clare County Council Head of Tourism Deirdre O'Shea is hopeful the accolade will drive tourist traffic going forward.

Over 700 Clare companies availed of upskilling supports last year. New figures from Ireland's workplace talent agency Skillsnet show there was a 17% increase in the number of employees participating in training courses last year, with over 2,700 doing so. More than half of participating businesses in Clare were micro businesses with between 0 and 9 employees, while services, agriculture and technology were the most popular sectors for upskilling. Skillsnet Communication and Policy Director Tracey Donnerry says businesses in Clare are keen to stay ahead of the curve.

Dereliction in Clare is said to be "at the lower end of things" compared to other counties while "room for improvement" has been noted. New figures from GeoDirectory show roughly 5% of residential building classed as derelict in Ireland are located in this county. The figures also show just 88.2% of dwellings here are occupied - with the remainder either vacant or in temporary use as holiday homes. GeoDirectory CEO Dara Keogh says while dereliction is a matter of concern in Clare, it's not as serious here as it is in other parts of the country.

Large crowds descended on East Clare today to pay their respects to the late literary great, Edna O'Brien. The Tuamgraney native was remembered as a worsdmith, extraordinary women and fabulous mother at her funeral mass this afternoon. The voice of Edna O'Brien speaking in 2015 where outlined her fearless approach to her 1963 debut novel "Country Girls" which would epitomise her legendary career to come. The book was initially censored in Ireland and denounced by the Church for highlighting taboo social issues. Throughout the course of her over 60-year vocation, O'Brien penned over 30 texts and was described during her funeral mass as someone who gave courage and spoke for those who were rendered dumb. Chief Celebrant Fr Donagh O'Brien said she was a wordsmith and a truth teller who paid the price for her bravery. St.Joseph's Church in Tuamgraney was packed to capcity for the service, with many more paying their respects watching from screens outside. Those in attendance included President Michael D.Hi

The Chair of the Irish Creamery and Milk Suppliers Association in Clare is urging co-ops to ensure dairy farmers are "properly paid" this month. The ICMSA is calling for the price of July milk to be increased to 45 cent per litre amid claims farmers' cashflow has "never been as tight". The most recent analysis from the ICMSA shows the median price paid to suppliers for milk at co-ops was just over 41 cent. O'Callaghan's Mills farmer Martin McMahon believes the vital contribution of dairy farmers must be acknowledged and they must be given their due.

Clare FM's Derek Dormer speaks with managers and players involved in this weekends opening round games in the Clare LGFA senior club championship