Clare Fm - Podcasts

Calls are being made for traffic-calming measures to be trialled at Blake's Corner in Ennistymon as a matter of urgency. A Judicial review initiated in 2022 has stalled the construction of a relief road bridge 80m upstream that would bypass the junction. The situation has been compounded as the protected status of the Linnane's and Blakes buildings means the infamous gap on the tight turn cannot be filled, nor can the adjacent pavement be resurfaced. North Clare Fine Gael Councillor Joe Garrihy says potential solutions such as a one-way system and erecting a traffic display mirror must be tested.

Serious public safety concerns have been raised over the disturbance of wildlife at Ballyalla Lake on the outskirts of Ennis. It comes amid a recent spate of incidents involving people and dogs attempting to swim with swans at the site. The issue is known to cause distress to swanlings, while swans will generally put up an agressive defence, particularly during birthing and nesting seasons. Clare County Dog Warden Frankie Coote says it can lead to serious injuries for all involved.

Stephen fletcher presents Sunday Prayer for 28th April 2024 the Fifth Sunday of Easter.

Clare FM Sideline View Friday March 26th

A Clare Government TD has called for a state apology, following the death of Shannon teenager Aoife Johnston at University Hospital Limerick. It follows a verdict of medical misadventure at the inquest into the death of the 16-year-old, who passed away in December 2022, after spending twelve hours on chairs in the Emergency Department.

A West Clare town is bucking a widespread national trend of closures in the hospitality sector. It follows a new analysis from the Restaurants Associations of Ireland which predicts an average of two food-led businesses will close their doors every single day this year.

A Clare developer believes only greater Government supports will bring down the "stubbornly high" cost of building materials. It comes as CSO data has revealed 129 new homes were completed in Clare in the first three months of the year which is 26% above the same period in 2023. Of these, 78 were scheme houses, 50 were single houses and one was an apartment. Ciaran Breen of Ciaran Breen Construction has been telling Clare FM's Seán Lyons the cost of building materials must come down if enough homes are to be built to meet demand.

On our weekly series 'Ours To Protect', we take a closer look at biodiversity and sustainability in Co Clare. This week, we hear about Burren In Bloom, the annual festival that celebrates the Burren’s unique biodiversity and gets underway on May 3rd.

Tom Robinson will be making his way to Clare soon, for an upcoming performance at the Royal Spa Hotel & Cafe in Lisdoonvarna The show will take place on Sunday, the 5th of May, as part of his Up Close & Personal Tour, an evening of songs and stories spanning his five decades of adventures in the music industry. To find out more, Alan Morrissey spoke with the songwriter and musician on Friday's Morning Focus. Picture (c) tomrobinson.com

The inauguration of the completion of the 2K Shannon Slí na Sláinte route will take place this weekend. The walk will take place on Sunday, April 28th at 12 noon from the start of the route beside the fire station Slí na Sláinte (The Path to Health) is a project of the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) and are found throughout Ireland to encourage people to walk the Slí routes as part of a regular exercise regime to encourage fitness and heart health. To find out more about the project, Alan Morrissey was joined by Denis Bates, Shannon Slí na Sláinte Coordinator, on Friday's Morning Focus.

On Friday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Dr. Stacey Cannon Cahill and Patricia McNamara, as today is Ireland's National Workplace Wellbeing Day. Stacey is a TUS Assistant Lecturer & Joint Programme Lead for the MA in Leadership in Workplace Health & Wellbeing, and Patricia McNamara for Clare County Council. Now in its tenth year, the day itself has served to raise the importance of employee wellbeing across a wide variety of industries since its inception. Picture (c) by Floral Deco via Canva

It's claimed rural West Clare is not getting its fair share of return investment from the local authority's coffers. It comes amid renewed concern for local population growth, over the widespread closure of post offices, pubs, shops and schools across the region. At present, over a fifth of the Kilrush Electoral Area's population are above retirement age, which is the highest proportion in the county. Cree based Independent local election candidate Dinny Gould insists major funding is needed to stimulate economic activity and prevent further decline.

It's hoped a significant increase in support payments could soon be forthcoming for Clare's family carers. It's after a private members bill which proposed abolishing the means testing for the weekly carers allowance passed through the Dáil without opposition last night. Although not legally binding , the approval of the private members bill put forward by the Regional Independents Group indicates strong support for the scrapping of means testing for carers allowance. At present to qualify carers cannot be employed or self-employed or do any voluntary work for more than 18.5 hours per week, while the maximum rate for a full-time carer looking after one person below retirement age is €248. Advocacy bodies have persistently called for the payment to be based on the needs of those receiving care, rather than by household income. The Netwatch Clare family carer of the year from Bunratty, Sinead O'Brien says the review process of the means test has added undue stress to her role. The Government estimates tha

The low registration rate in Clare for a highly-publicised grant has been attributed to intense demands on business owners. Introduced in Budget 2024, the Increased Cost Of Business Grant offers successful applicants the equivalent of 50% of their commercial rates paid in 2023, capped at €5,000. 80% of small and medium businesses in Clare are eligible but just over 35% have applied for the scheme. With the deadline of May 1st fast approaching, Ennis Chamber President Sheila Lynch says in the midst of the "firefighting" businesses are forced to do each day, there's still time to apply.

A local medical practitioner believes misinformation is playing a part in low vaccine uptake for children. It comes as the HSE has launched a campaign to promote the importance of immunisation in protecting babies and children against the lives of measles, whooping cough and mumps. The uptake of primary childhood immunisation has declined across all vaccines since 2020, while HPSC figures show 48 cases of whooping cough and 16 laboratory-confirmed cases of measles have been reported in Ireland so far this year. Clare doctor and Specialist Registrar in Public Health Medicine Dr Emma Kearney says while clinic closures resulting from the pandemic are largely to blame for low uptake, misleading information on social media has resulted in some vaccine hesitancy.

There will be Clare interest in the first episode of a new series on TG4. John O’Connor will feature in tonight’s opening episode of Déan Tú Féin É. The show will air on TG4 this evening at 8pm. To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by John from Newtown Ballyvaughan, on Thursday's Morning Focus.

Our series, ‘Clare Women in Business’, seeks to showcase the accomplishments of women in business, foster gender equality, and inspire future generations of female leaders. This week, Pat Flynn meets Nadaa Hyder, co-founder of Morning Dew in Corofin.

It is time for the eleventh episode of our newest feature on Morning Focus, Village Tour, where Alan Morrissey paid a visit to Miltown Malbay. With the Village Tour, we here at Morning Focus are aiming to highlight the smaller villages and townlands around the county. By doing this, we hope to showcase their unique character, while also bringing their diversity and individuality to life for you, the listener. During each episode of Village Tour, Alan chats with three people from a particular village or townland in Clare: from locals and business owners to those involved with local sports clubs and community representatives.

On Thursday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Canadian chef and owner of Randaddy’s in Lahinch, Randy Lewis. This week, Randy shared with us all the tips and tricks for your Summer BBQ!

This week is Organ Donor Awareness Week. Running until Saturday, the key campaign message continues to be built around sharing your wishes with your loved ones about organ donation with the theme, Don’t Leave Your Loved Ones In Doubt. This follows the signing of the Human Tissue Bill into law by the President, Michael D. Higgins, at the end of February. This means people will be deemed to be organ donors unless they have registered their wish not to donate. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by John Burns, Former Deputy Principal, Rice College, Founder, Burns Study Centre, his Younger Brother was an Organ Recipient and his Older Brother was an Organ Donor.