Clare Fm - Podcasts

Clare Libraries are running Sustainability Days this September and October as part of the Skills for Life programme, with workshops on beekeeping, candle making, tackling invasive plants, and upcycling clothes. Clothes Swap & Repair series led by Isabel Power will begin in Shannon Library on Saturday 6th September inviting people to swap pre-loved clothes and learn simple sewing repairs. Both initiatives aim to promote sustainability and mindful living in the community. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Cora Gunter, Senior Executive Librarian at Clare Library Service and Isabel Power, behind Clothes Swap & Repair.

A community fundraiser has been launched to support the family of Joe Crosse following his sudden passing. The GoFundMe appeal, set up by friends and members of his local club, aims to provide financial assistance to his wife Brid and children, Teagan and Odhran, during this difficult time. Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a meaningful difference. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by the organiser of the fundraiser Matthew Griffin, Ennistymon GAA Minor Club Chairman and Joe's sister in law, Paula Nagle. You can support the fundraiser here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/joe-crosse-ennistymon-co-clare PHOTO CREDIT: Photo (c) Joe Cross GoFund Me

With Ireland’s Auto Enrolment pension scheme due to launch in January 2026, Campion Insurance is warning that many employers are dangerously underprepared. Payroll errors, compliance risks, and employee confusion are looming unless businesses act now. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Ivan Dunne, Head of Financial Services at Campion Insurance. The yawning gap in the pension provision between men and women has been exposed. The average Irish woman’s pension pot is a “staggering” 40pc less than men’s. An average pension pot for a man in Ireland is €102,000. But it is only €60,500 for women, according to research by the Irish-owned network of financial advisers Ask Acorn. Also joining Alan on Thursday's Morning Focus is Hilary Tonge, Former Social Democrats General Election Candidate. PHOTO CREDIT: Picture (c) ADragan from Getty Images via Canva.com News

A heavily-trafficked road in south-east Clare is to remain open throughout the completion of the Limerick Northern Distributor Road. Clare County Council had announced plans in July to implement closures at various points along the Knockalisheen Road in Meelick to facilitate the €31 million relief road project. Following a period during which the public was invited to make submission, the local authority has confirmed the route will stay accessible for the duration of construction. Local Fianna Fáil Councillor Cathal Crowe is welcoming the news and says people were "up in arms" about the proposed closure.

Clare's opposition TD claims she's "not shocked" at the amount of women on waiting lists for endometriosis surgery across the country. Newly-released figures show 747 Irish women are currently waiting to access surgery. Of these, 145 have been on a waiting list for between three and six months, while a further 138 have are waiting between six and 12 months. Shannon Sinn Féin Deputy, Donna McGettigan, says although some minor steps have been made in the right direction, it's not good enough that the National Framework for Endometriosis hasn't been published.

Fáilte ar ais chuig eagrán nua de Ar An Lá Seo ar an 3ú lá de mí Mheán Fómhair, liomsa Lauren Ní Loingsigh. I 1980 bhí soláthairtí peitreal agus ola I mbaol de bharr riail obair a tháinig amach do thiománaí tancaeir agus fostaí eile. I 2002 shábháil páiste a raibh 10 mbliain d'aois a athair nuair a chaith sí é féin thairis nuair a bhí bithiúnaigh á bhualadh é le bata nuair a bhí siad ag iascaireacht. I 1971 tháinig an nuacht amach go raibh Guaire Fabrics I Gort chun dúnadh I 6 seachtain. I 2002 fuair roinnt comhlachtaí sa tSionainn deontas de 10 míle euro. Sin Atomic Kitten Le The Tide Is High – an t-amhrán is mó ar an lá seo I 2002. Ag lean ar aghaidh le nuacht cheoil ar an lá seo I 1968 tar éis dhá sheachtain chuaigh Ringo Starr air ais chuig The Beatles. I 2009 tháinig sé amach go raibh Turas Ceol Madonna Sticky and Sweet an turas cheol a fuair an méid is mó airgead riamh ag an am le 250 milliúin punt. Agus ar deireadh breithlá daoine cáiliúla ar an lá seo rugadh aisteoir Charlie Sheen I Meiriceá I

Two Clare woman are among those on board an international flotilla of boats carrying humanitarian aid and pro-Palestinian activists to Gaza The Global Sumud Flotilla Mission plans to launch in two waves - the first from Barcelona and the second from Tunis on 4 September. Around 20 vessels departed Barcelona on Monday evening, several hours after winds forced it to return to the Spanish port. Activists hope the boats will converge in the Mediterranean before sailing towards Gaza, a trip that is estimated to take seven or eight days. The activists are from dozens of countries include Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, Irish actor Liam Cunningham as well as European politicians and public figures Clare based poet Sarah Clancy and Fanore woman, Maureen Almai are among those on the Flotilla. Sally-Ann Barrett spoke with Sarah Clancy and began by asking her to outline how events have unfolded so far

It started as a simple plan between friends — to meet up in Ballyvaughan, re-watch the 1995 All-Ireland Final, and celebrate the 30th anniversary of Clare’s historic breakthrough. But a few WhatsApp messages later, that small idea has grown into a full-blown community fundraiser. Next Saturday, September 6th, Greene’s Pub in Ballyvaughan will host a night of nostalgia, music, raffles, and maybe even a few special guests, with proceeds going to local causes. The evening kicks off at 7pm, with throw-in for the match replay at 8. To tell us how it all came together, Sally-Ann Barrett was joined by organiser, Una McCormack. Photo (c) Greene's Bar

A new report from CyberSafeKids reveals a sharp rise in the use of AI chatbots among children as young as eight, with many turning to them for homework help, friendship, and advice—often without any safeguards in place. Despite efforts to delay smartphone ownership and regulate social media, over 70% of under-13s are still active on platforms meant for older users. And the consequences are troubling: more than one in four children reported being bothered by disturbing online content, including horror, hate, and sexual material. In light of the findings of the ‘A Life Behind The Screens’ report, Sally-Ann Barrett was joined by Colm Daveron, Assistant Principal at CBS Primary Ennis and Mona Hynes, Principal at Mary Immaculate Secondary School in Lisdoonvarna.

A firm looking for land for development in Clare has put forward a series of measures that it believes could be used to address the housing challenges in this country. Fitzpatrick & Heavey Group, which already has over 500 homes under construction nationwide, has proposed that it could deliver up to 10,000 new homes within the next three years if planning and zoning obstacles are addressed. To address this in detail, Sally-Ann Barrett was joined by Ciaran Fitzpatrick, CEO, Fitzpatrick & Heavey Group.

This September, North Clare woman Helga Himmelsbach will walk and cycle 120 kilometres—from Kilrush to Kinvara—in memory of her late husband, Jerry O’Connor. Jerry was tragically killed in 2023 on the N67 near Ballyvaughan, struck by a car driven on the wrong side of the road by a tourist. Since that devastating day, Helga has become a passionate advocate for road safety across North Clare. Her journey begins on September 7th, not just to honour Jerry’s life, but to shine a light on the dangers facing road users in Clare. Today, she joins us to share her story, her campaign, and the message she hopes will reach every driver on our roads." To find out more, Sally-Ann Barrett was joined by Helga Hillmelsbach, North Clare road safety campaigner.

A chilling snapshot of democracy under fire— a new report from Coimisiún na Meán has laid bare the scale of online abuse targeting election candidates in Ireland. From death threats to intimidation and smear campaigns, the findings reveal a disturbing trend: nearly half of local election hopefuls and a staggering six in ten general election candidates who took part in the study say they’ve faced threatening or offensive behaviour online. To discuss this further, Sally-Ann Barrett was joined by Amanda Major, who ran as an Ennis Independent local election candidate and received abuse online and Fianna Fáil Councillor David Griffin, who is active on social media.

Clare County Council is being urged to promote public transport routes here in order to harness the potential of a new free travel initiative. The Department of Transport has announced that free travel on all TFI-operated services has been extended to all children between the ages of five and eight. Free travel on public transport was previously available to children up to the age of five, and the announcement means almost 236,000 additional children can now avail of the services at no cost. Ciaran Tiernan of community group Better Ennis insists the initiative will only be effective if people are aware of their local public transport routes.

A road in East Clare said to be in an "absolutely deplorable state" and "nearly impassable" is to be closed for over a month to facilitate an infrastructural upgrade. Clare County Council has announced that a 24-hour road closure will be in place on the L70361 at Ardnataggle in O'Briensbridge from September 29th to November 7th to allow for the installation of a new watermain. Local access is to be maintained for the duration of the closure while traffic will be diverted via the R463 and L3070 at Ardnataggle. Local Fianna Fáil Councillor Tony O'Brien says various short-term fixes to water supply issues over the years have left the road badly damaged.

School secretaries and caretakers in Clare have pledged to remain on strike until the Government meets their demands. Pickets have taken place at the office of the county's Government TDs this morning as those engaging in industrial action continue their pursuit of public service pensions and other entitlements for a fourth day. Having chosen the school gates as the location for their demonstrations since last Thursday, secretaries and caretakers in Clare opted for a different approach this morning. Equipped with placards displaying slogans such as "fair pensions for all school staff" and "pension parity", strikers have taken their grievances directly to the gates of power today by picketing the offices of Clare's Government TDs. After being granted access to Fine Gael Deputy Joe Cooney's office in the Market in Ennis, the secretaries and caretakers present made the Bodyke TD aware of their plight. Secretary at St Senan's National School in Kilrush, Bernie Dillon, says they've been made to feel like "pau

Fáilte ar ais chuig eagrán nua de Ar An Lá Seo ar an 2ú lá de mí Mheán Fómhair, liomsa Lauren Ní Loingsigh. I 1977 tháinig na Gardaí agus ball de na fórsaí armtha le chéile chun cuardach do dhrong. I 1982 tháinig an rialtas amach ag rá go mbeadh gearradh siar sa sheirbhísí slándála agus de bharr sin chaill 4,000 duine a bpost. I 1977 fuair tábhairneoir, siopadóir, óstánaí agus daoine a rinne leaba is bricfeasta don Fleadh Cheoil in Inis timpeall 2.5 milliúin punt. I 2000 tháinig Madeline Taylor Quinn amach ag iarradh an sochar linbh a bheith ardaithe. Sin Survivor le Eye Of The Tiger – an t-amhrán is mó ar an lá seo I 1982. Ag lean ar aghaidh le nuacht cheoil ar an lá seo I 2007 shroich Sean Kingston a raibh aois 17 ag an am uimhir a haon sa Bhreatain agus I Meiriceá lena hamhrán Beautiful Girls. I 2013 bhuaigh Elton John an chéad ghradam do Brits Icon ag an chéad cheolchoirm ar ais agus é tar éis obráid a fháil. Agus ar deireadh breithlá daoine cáiliúla ar an lá seo rugadh aisteoir Mark Harmon I Meir

With Christmas just around the corner, Ireland’s haulage industry is warning of a looming crisis. The sector says it’s short more than 4,000 HGV drivers over the next five years, and that without urgent action, the impact could be felt as soon as this festive season, with delayed deliveries, rising grocery prices and lorries parked up for lack of drivers. To discuss the scale of the problem and what needs to be done is, Sally-Ann Barrett was joined by Eugene Drennan, Ennis-based former IRHA President.

If you think you know Irish mythology, think again. This Friday, September 5th, The Attic in Doolin will host a night of wild, witty, and wonderfully untamed storytelling with Clare Murphy, one of Ireland’s most captivating voices. Her show, The Spanking Goddess and Other Discarded Tales, is a romp through the lesser-known, often outrageous myths of the Celts, stories that didn’t make it into the schoolbooks, but absolutely deserve to be heard. To tell us more about these untold tales and what audiences can expect, Sally-Ann Barrett was joined by Storyteller, Clare Murphy. Photo Credit: Eventbrite

When it comes to heart health, many women in Ireland are unknowingly putting themselves at risk. New research from the Irish Heart Foundation reveals that stress, lack of motivation, and the rising cost of living are major barriers preventing women from taking care of their hearts. Despite heart disease and stroke killing six times more women than breast cancer, awareness remains low—and many still see it as a “male disease.” To help us unpack these findings and talk about what women can do to protect their heart health, Sally-Ann Barrett was joined by Dr. Máire Finn, GP at Ennis Medical.

For generations, St Patrick’s Hall in Corofin has been more than just a building—it has been the beating heart of village life in North Clare. This year, as the hall turns 80, it continues to symbolize everything that makes Corofin unique: a hub for drama, the birthplace of the Corofin Agricultural Show, a venue for sport, a place for dancing & more. As part of the celebrations, The Kilkenny’s will be in concert on 12th September. To find out more about this, Sally-Ann Barrett was joined by Gerry Kennedy, local community activist, Conor Leyden, Chairman of the committee and Davy Cashin of The Kilkenny’s. Photo Credit: Corofin Community Hall & Field via Facebook