Clare Fm - Podcasts

Fighting Blindness is hosting a public engagement day this coming Saturday the 8th of June. Part of the Retina International World Congress taking place, the day offers an opportunity for people with sight loss to hear about the latest treatment advances and to quiz eye experts. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Áine Mae Crowley. Áine, who hails from Lahinch, lost her eyesight as a result of diabetic retinopathy. Picture (c) Fighting Blindness via Facebook

Fr Gerry Kenny presents Beyond Belief for today the 2nd June 2024. He talks about volunteering and speaks to the Samaritans and the retail arm of SVP in Ennis. He also chats with his colleague Stephen Fletcher over a coffee.

Plans are afoot for a judicial review against a controversial data centre development described as a "pipe dream" on the outskirts of Clare's county town. A number of community groups as well as members of the Clare branch of the Green Party have applied for leave to take a judicial review against the construction of the €450 million Ennis Data Centre, which was approved by An Bórd Pleanála on April 5th. The grounds for the judicial review application will be submitted to the High Court on June 10th. Futureproof Clare member Sinead Sheehan, who's among those behind the application, insists despite claims to the contrary, the development would be hugely damaging to the area.

Clare's retained firefighters have accused the Government of showing them "complete disrespect" with regard to pay and conditions. SIPTU has demanded an urgent meeting at the Workplace Relations Commission after Government officials made what's been called an "unacceptably low" offer at a meeting concerning increasing the annual retainer. It's understood the first offer was to increase the retainer by €300 and after this was rejected, the improved offer of a €750 increase was also turned down by the SIPTU Retained Firefighter Negotiating Committee. Killaloe Fire Station Shop Steward Edward Moloney believes the offers show the total lack of appreciation of the work of firefighters.

Clare Manager Brian O'Connell After All Ireland MHC Quarter Final Win

Clare Manager Mark Fitzgerald After Tyrone Loss

Sunday's game in Omagh saw Syl O'Connor & Joe Garry complete having broadcast a commentary from all 32 counties in Ireland Clare FM's Derrick Lynch had chat with the dynamic duo at HT to mark the occasion

A new analysis of employment in Shannon's largest industrial estate has brought Clare's housing shortage into sharp focus. A report from Irish commercial real estate giant Fine Grain Properties shows that 1,500 people are currently working at the Westpark Innovation Campus. The findings also show that 66% of employees are commuting by car to the industrial estate on a daily basis from 11 different counties, including Mayo, Roscommon, Kildare, Offaly, Cork, Kerry and Dublin. Clare County Council Director of Economic Development Carmel Kirby says extensive efforts are ongoing to provide more housing and increase local spending.

25 Clare schools have been awarded a Green Schools Flag as part of the An Taisce Green Flags Programme. The An Taisce Green Flag Programme is a student led programme that encourages schools to engage in environmentally friendly actions within their environments and local areas. In order for a school to be awarded a Green Schools Flag, the school must follow a seven step programme over the span of two years. Environmental Awareness Officer with Clare County Council, Karen Foley says it takes hard work and dedication for a school to be awarded a Green Schools Flag.

On this week's episode of Atlantic Tales, Pat Flynn meets singer/songwriter Teresa Carrig from Kilrush and Ennis based Irish/Italian tenor Vincent Di Placido.

A former Mayor of Clare is adamant no alterations should be made to a Shannon residential area without consultation with locals. Cratloe Fianna Fáil Councillor Pat O'Gorman has proposed a number of improvements on Fergus Road in the Drumgeely area of the town, such as on-street parking, widening the road and the implementation of a one-way system. A recent speed survey has found that the average speed in the area is 35 kilometres per hour in a 30 kilometres per hour zone. Councillor O'Gorman insists the area is in need of a facelift but locals must be consulted first.

Fr Brendan Quinlivan leads our Sunday Prayer on today 2nd June 2024 as we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi.

The Clare VFI chair fears more pub closures will happen unless long-awaited legislation addresses the "crisis" in the sector. The Vintners' Federation of Ireland and the Licensed Vintners Federation are calling on the Government to finally implement the Sale of Alcohol Bill which was first tabled in October 2022 and would see, among other measures, the standardisation of opening hours of pubs. Recent analysis by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland shows the number of Irish pubs is down 22.5% since 2005, with an average of 114 pubs each year closing their doors. Charlie O'Meara, who runs O'Dea's Pub in Ennis, says time is of the essence for struggling publicans.

Clare's Water Safety Officer urges the public to stay safe as they enjoy the county's waterways this weekend. The county's beaches are expected to be busier than normal for the next few months as the summer season comes into effect. Advice has been issued to check all swimming gear to make sure it's in working order before using it on the water and to swim safely in bodies of water that have a lifeguard present. Clare Water Safety Officer Claire McGrath says the safest place to swim is between the marked areas under lifeguard supervision.

The Chair of Cahercalla Hospital's Board says there's no cause for concern despite a HIQA report identifying moderate risks to patient privacy, dignity, infection control and fire safety. Following an unannounced inspection by the Health Information and Quality Authority in March, the regulator identified repeated incidents of non-compliance in resident's rights, staff development and infection control. HIQA also noted the majority of staff had no training to understand how patients with dementia and other conditions expressed physical discomfort. Former Clare TD Dr Michael Harty has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan though that the safety, health and welfare of patients is not in doubt at the centre.

Housing and anti-social behaviour were the main topics of discussion at the latest of Clare FM's Local Election debates. With just over a week to go to polling day on June 7th, candidates are competing for 28 seats across 5 electoral areas. Six of the 15 candidates running in the Shannon electoral area have taken part in the first of two debates covering the South East of the county.

2,285 admitted patients were left waiting for beds at University Hospital Limerick in total this month, which is 1,180 more people on trolleys than the next busiest facility; Cork University Hospital. The INMO says that despite an expert team being in the Dooradoyle facility for the month of May, there was only six days when there was less than one hundred people on trolleys at UHL. This week, the Government has announced that by 2028 an additional 84 acute inpatient beds will be delivered at UHL, an additional 48 will come on stream at Ennis General, and 24 beds will go to Nenagh Community Hospital. Speaking to Clare FM's Morning Focus though, the Health Minister admits increased capacity is needed immediately to combat overcrowding in the region, but insists the delivery of beds takes sufficient time. Stephen Donnelly says that capacity alone won't solve the problem and that patient care reforms at UHL need to come in line with national trends. The leader of the main opposition party, meanwhile, claim

Motorists can expect to see an increased Garda presence on the roads this weekend. The RSA and An Garda Síochana have launched their June Bank Holiday Weekend road safety campaign. They are urging both drivers and motorcyclists to be more cautious on the roads this bank holiday weekend and into the late summer months. There is extra enforcement on the roads across the country until 7am on Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, a Morning Focus listener wants to highlight awareness around excessive drinking, ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend. Josie O’Brien, from Roslevan, knows only too well about excessive consumption of alcohol and the negative impact it can have. Josie struggled with alcohol for many years, but now – thankfully – has been sober for many years. Josie joined Alan Morrissey in studio to share her story, in the hope that it can be of comfort or even inspiration to other Morning Focus listeners. Picture (c): Unsplash

Music lovers both in Clare and further afield will be delighted to hear that Doolin FolkFest will return this June. Taking place against the majestic backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean, and between the Burren, the Cliffs of Moher, and the Aran Islands, the event will run from June 14 to June 16, with thousands of people from all over the world expected to descend on Doolin. To find out what is in store, Alan Morrissey was joined by Donal Minihane, the Director of Dollin Arts and Managing Director of Hotel Doolin. Picture (c): Doolin Arts via Facebook

On 'Ours To Protect' this week, we’ll hear about the importance of your seas to us and the planet. Pat Flynn meets Dr Simon Berrow, CEO of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group and lecturer in Marine and Freshwater Biology at the Atlantic Technological University in Galway.