Clare Fm - Podcasts

Confidence is being expressed that the long awaited return of Delta airline's to Shannon Airport will bring a major economic boost to the MidWest region. It's after the US airline's first flight from Shannon in five years took to the skies this afternoon as Clare FM's Daragh Dolan Reports

The first Delta airlines flight out of Shannon in five years has taken to the skies this lunchtime. The US Airline has commenced its non-stop service from Shannon to New York JFK this lunchtime , which is expected to bring an additional 46,000 passengers through the Clare base each year. The boost has been partly enabled by Boeing’s decision to use a 767 Max aircraft, providing over 200 additional weekly seats. Shannon Airport CEO Mary Considine is confident Delta’s return can be the catalyst for future service expansion.

Uisce Éireann is being urged to encourage developers to build homes in East Clare once the proper infrastructure is in place. Works began last year to deliver upgrades to the Ballina Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is expected to serve a population equivalent of 8,000 once completed. There are 68 households on the social housing list in Killaloe at present and the lack of adequate wastewater infrastructure is a key reason for the lack of development in the area in recent years. With works due to finish by the end of this year, Killaloe Fianna Fáil Councillor Tony O'Brien believes developers should be contacted so the wheels can be set in motion for more housing in the area.

It's claimed people with disabilities in North Clare are living in the dark ages when it comes to public transport. According to Census 2022, 7% of people in the Ennistymon Electoral Area are living with a disability to a great extent. While 43% of people living in North Clare, claim to never use public transport, which is the lowest participation rate countywide. Ennistymon Sinn Féin local election candidate Conor O'Sullivan says services for people with disabilities in rural areas are virtually non-existent.

Stephen Fletcher presents Beyond Belief this Sunday and has an interview with Dr Rita Kelly who is responsible for encouraging and promoting the use of the Irish language in worship throughout the Church of Ireland; North and South. He also speaks to Peter Whyte who has been the organist in the Birr group of parishes for over 40 years and is also a composer of church music. And we will hear his some of his music. Revd Canon Alex Morahan is preparing to jump out of a light aircraft at 10,000 feet to raise money for a charity he feels compelled to support. He tells Stephen about why he is doing it. And Fr Gerry and Stephen get to have their coffee and chat together.

Coming up on the show, we will be looking ahead to one of the biggest sporting events of the year in the county, as Avenue United & Newmarket Celtic face off in the Ennis Carpets Clare Cup final. We will also be previewing Clare's final round tie in the Munster senior hurling championship and we have a special feature on Clare camogie who are both marking their 90th birthday and preparing for the opening game of the 2024 championship

A Clare government Senator has accused the Health Minister of using delay tactics to postpone HIQA's review to determine the need for a second emergency department in the region. It's after the MidWest Hospital Campaign's request to reopen A&Es at Ennis, Nenagh and St.John's were heard at the Oireachtas Petitions Committee. 113 admitted patients were left waiting for beds at University Hospital Limerick this morning, according to the latest figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation. This means the Dooradoyle facility is more overcrowded than the next six busiest hospitals in the country combined today. The Oireachtas Petitions Committee has this week heard the case put forward by the MidWest Hospital Campaign for the A&Es at Ennis, Nenagh and St.Johns to be re-opened. Appearing before the committee, the Health Minister has said though, that nursing staff at Ennis General are not in favour of opening the Local Injury Unit on a 24/7 basis. HSE figures have revealed that 239 patients died in

It's been suggested a rail link to Shannon would be a "feather in the cap" of the industrial town. The idea of a Shannon rail link was raised with the National Transport Authority during the recent Limerick Shannon Metropolitian Area Transport Strategy Process, and Clare County Council says it's been in discussion with the NTA on the matter. According to Census 2022, less than 1% of the population of Clare travel to work by train, while over 5,800 people commute to Shannon for employment each day. Green Party local election candidate for the Shannon local electoral area Fursa Kavanagh, who works at Shannon Airport, believes Shannon deserves better connectivity for employment and tourism reasons.

This week on ‘Ours To Protect’, we’ll hear how The Shannon Airport Group is working to embed sustainability into its DNA by ‘greening’ its operations. Pat Flynn has been chatting with the Group's Head of Sustainability Sinéad Murphy.

It is time for the fifteenth episode of our newest feature on Morning Focus, Village Tour, where Alan Morrissey paid a visit to Labasheeda. 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.

Retro Cannonball is coming to Doolin for the first time this weekend. The event, which will visit Doolin, will feature 100 classic cars, free family live entertainment, and the unique festival atmosphere that Cannonball is renowned for. Cannonball Ireland 2024 is the official charity partner to the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation and is hoping to raise a sizeable six-figure sum for the foundation through RETRO Cannonball. To find out more, on Friday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Alan Bannon, the founder of Cannonball.

The Best of Clare awards, In Association with Ei Electronics, will be taking place tonight at the Old Ground Hotel. One of the many great awards on offer is for Local Hero. This year’s Local Hero is Fr. Harry Bohan. Harry has achieved so much in his life. He qualified as a sociologist in 1966 which cemented his life-long commitment to the development of Irish society and rural society. A campaigner for Rural Ireland, Harry established the Rural Resource Centre, and in 1998 he set up the Ceilfin Centre. One of the county’s best-known clerics, last year saw Harry celebrate his Diamond Jubilee in the priesthood, as he has spent over 60 years ministering as a priest in the diocese of Killaloe and in the parish of Sixmilebridge, Kilmurry. Harry also brought great success to Clare hurling, managing the Banner’s senior hurlers to back-to-back league success in the late ‘70s. On Friday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey spoke with Fr Harry Bohan to ask him what it felt like to win the Local Hero award.

Many principals and teachers believe there is a disconnect between the reformed Junior Cycle and more challenging Leaving Cert which is leaving students and teachers underprepared for the demands of the senior cycle. Junior Cycle reforms were aimed at giving students greater ownership of their learning, boosting collaboration among teachers and reducing the emphasis on written exams. While the research findings show there is support for the aims of the reforms, there are concerns among principals and teachers over students’ preparedness for the Leaving Cert, which is seen as requiring a greater depth of knowledge. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Professor Oliver McGarr, Faculty Of Education & Health Sciences, School Of Education at UL and by Clodagh O’Hara of St Patrick’s Comprehensive, Shannon and new member of the Teaching Council.

The Health Minister says the HSE's recruitment embargo is not responsible for poor patient outcomes at University Hospital Limerick. The comments were made during a sitting of the Oireachtas Petitions Committee yesterday, which discussed the MidWest Hospital Campaign's request for the reopening of Accident & Emergency departments at Ennis, Nenagh and St.Johns. So far this week, the INMO has recorded 445 patients on trolleys at UHL, which is 78% higher than the next busiest facility over this period; Cork University Hospital. Responding to Sinn Féin Senator Paul Gavan, Minister Stephen Donnelly says that despite receiving "unprecedented additional resources" UHL is not seeing the results it should.

The Housing Minister is urging Clare County Council to provide clarity on the delivery of the €13m Francis Street Housing Scheme. 39 affordable homes were set to be delivered there by 2025, with the existing houses on the site being demolished as part of enabling works in early March. A judicial review was launched shortly after though and this week Ennis Municipal District Director of Economic Development Carmel Kirby stated it would be " at least 3 years before shovels are in the ground." Responding to Scariff Independent TD Michael McNamara in the Dáil, Minister Darragh O'Brien says the local authority must address the issue.

At the Post Office Field, the Ennis 2040 DAC is planning to build an elevated boardwalk over the River Fergus. It's claimed the development will provide the equivalent of €7m in health benefits, with a study carried by AECOM stating the new place to socialise and exercise will significantly reduce mortality rates and workplace absenteeism. But 'Hands Off Our Post Office Field' member, Bernie O'Gorman believes building there will inevitably harm the ecosystem's unique wildlife.

Plans for unprecedented investment in "underperforming Ennis" have once again been met with sharp criticism from local protest groups, despite new assurances from the local authority. It follows a briefing from the Ennis 2040 board at Áras Chontae An Chláir yesterday, which heard the town is falling well behind the likes of Castlebar, Athlone and Tralee.

On this week’s episode of Taste Of The Week, Alan Morrissey welcomed Jacques Brennan to the show. Jacques is the owner of the Vegan Factory and Shop in O’Briensbridge and is also the author of Hungry Soul. This week, Jacques prepared Creamy Mushroom Spicy Penne.

Eoin Reardon, a carpenter from West Cork, has amassed over two million followers on the social media channel TikTok, showing people traditional Irish woodworking and sharing his love of the craft with his many, many followers! To find out more about the craft and his online TikTok journey, Alan Morrissey spoke with Eoin on Thursday's Morning Focus.

On Thursday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Petrina O’Halloran for Parenthood in Focus. Petrina is the founder of Mama’s Boobie Box, mum blogger and writer for online magazine Boobingit.com. This week, Petrina talked about how to manage school holidays.