Clare Fm - Podcasts

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 spoke about developing your child’s mental resilience, encouraging their emotional intelligence and much more.

Jim Enright is this year’s Munster Scór Long Service Award recipient at the All-Ireland Senior Scór Finals taking place in Castlebar this Saturday, April 26th. Jim first took part in Scór on Bloody Sunday, January 1972. The event was postponed due to the outrage. Jim has taken part every year since then with little success until Flann O'Reilly from West Clare and Michael Thorne from South Tipperary came on board. They have won numerous Trath na gCeist County titles, four Munster titles and one All Ireland title in that period. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by livestock farmer from Cratloe, Jim Enright. Photo. (c) Jim Enright being congratulated by the Munster GAA Chairman Tim Murphy

On Thursday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Danny Lynch, chef at Le Chéile, Barefield. This week, Danny shared a delicious recipe for a Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap. Photo (c): Clare FM

This weekend is, of course, the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. A host of events across the Catholic Church and Church of Ireland will be taking place over the coming days. For example, Holy Thursday will have the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, which is a commemoration of the first Eucharist. It finishes with a special Eucharistic procession to the altar of repose. To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by Bishop of Killaloe, Fintan Monahan, and Church of Ireland Bishop of Tuam, Limerick, and Killaloe, Michael Burrows. Picture (c) Sydney Faith Woodward from Getty Images via Canva.com

Two serious accidents on farms or relating to farm machinery this week have once again highlighted the issue of farm safety during one of the busiest periods of the year for farmers. A teenage boy who was a passenger in a tractor in Leitrim lost his life in a crash, while separately in Cork, a five-year-old was hospitalised following an incident involving a cow. To discuss the issue of farm safety, Alan Morrissey was joined by Clare Chair of the IFA’s Farm Family & Social Affairs Committee, Caroline Lynch, and Clare ICMSA Secretary, Martin McMahon. Photo (c) Chanita Sykes from Pexels via canva.com

The HSE is being urged to end the "unacceptable" practice of unfunded ambulance shifts in Clare. It's understood ambulance cover in Ennistymon on Wednesdays, Scariff on Thursdays and Kilkee on Fridays is primarily secured through overtime or relief staff. The issue has come to prominence again following a number of high profile incidents locally, including reports of a student waiting over an hour for an ambulance after having a seizure at a North Clare school. Clarecastle Sinn Féin Councillor Tommy Guilfoyle says Clare is the poor relation compared to the rest of the country.

Shannon's elected representatives have vowed to block any future proposals that would decrease staffing and resources at the town's fire station. Clare County Council will submit the 2025 to 2030 Fire and Emergency Operations Plan to councillors for consideration later this year and it's believed this will recommend manning Shannon with 12 personnel rather than 15. This is based on a recent risk assessment, and a petition to prevent such a move has so far gathered over 1,600 signatures. Cathaoirleach of the Shannon Municipal District Fianna Fáil Councillor Pat O'Gorman, says services are already overstretched.

Clare manager Terence Fahy speaking with Clare FM's Derrick Lynch after Munster U20 hurling loss to Tipperary

A Service for Holy Thursday

A Shannon property rumoured to be in the process of becoming a direct provision centre will be student accommodation. Formerly the Shannon Development building, Phoenix House housed roughly 70 Ukrainian refugees until June 2024 when the Department of Integration ended its contract with the owner over "issues raised during a site visit". Three weeks after the Department told Clare FM it wasn't considering the building for International Protection Applicant accommodation, Shannon Sinn Féin TD Donna McGettigan has been informed that it will be student accommodation from September of this year. Deputy McGettigan has been telling Clare FM's Seán Lyons when it comes to vacant buildings rumoured to be IPAS accommodation, communication is key.

Ornithologist and wildlife sound recordist, Seán Roynane has previously joined us for a chat on Morning Focus. Seán is bringing his show, entitled Nature Boy: A Journey of Birdsong & Belonging with Seán Ronayne to Clare. His date at Glór in Ennis forms part of a nationwide tour. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Sean Roynane. Photo(C): Glor Facebook

On Wednesday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Tommy Corbett from Carey Corbett Financial Solutions. This week, Tommy provided Alan and our Morning Focus listeners with advice on Market Volatility and How it Affects Your Pension, Savings and Investments.

Shannon Community Partnership is to host a meeting aimed at shaping the future of the town. This evening’s meeting will take place at Hope Café in Shannon. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Siobhán Boyd, chair of the Shannon Community Partnership. Photo(C): Canva

This weekend, Miltown Malbay will play host to a very important fundraising gig. The aim of Saturday’s concert at The Westbridge" is toraise money for the humanitarian organisation Medicins San Frontieres - Doctors Without Borders -who at present have over 1,000 staff in Gaza to provide vital medical assistance for all civilians caught up in the conflict. John Roberts is the organiser of the event. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Organiser, John Roberts. Photo(C): ClareFM

There is undoubtedly sadness in Kilmihill, following the death of Paddy Quinlivan. Paddy was involved in Kilmihil GAA throughout his life and made a significant contribution to the club over many years. He was the serving and incumbent President of Kilmihill GAA for the past twenty years To pay tribute and remember a loyal club servant, Alan Morrissey was joined by PRO Kilmihil GAA, Gerard O’Neil.

There were heated exchanges over hogweed at the most recent meeting of Clare County Council. Giant Hogweed can cause burns and even blindness if humans come into contact with it. The potentially dangerous invasive species of weed is present in parts of Clare, having spread through part of the River Shannon catchment, including alongside the River Blackwater in South-East Clare. A motion came before this month's Council meeting,urging the local authority to ask the relevant Minister to provide the necessary funding for the eradication of Hogweed. To speak about the issue of hogweed, Alan Morrissey was joined by Shannon Banks Sinn Fein Cllr, who suffered a burn after coming into contact with hogweed as a child, James Ryan and Clonlara Independent Cllr, Michael Begley. Photo(C): erge from pixabay via canva

A newly-approved ban on short-term lets is being described as "premature" and potentially damaging to Clare's tourism economy. Cabinet has signed off on a new bill which will see the establishment of a register of properties being let on a short-term basis such as AirBnbs. The legislation will also prohibit planning permissions for properties of this nature in towns with a population of greater than 10,000 such as Ennis and Shannon. Chairperson of the Clare Tourism Advisory Forum, Hotel Woodstock Owner Sean Lally says while it's welcome that properties will be registered, the planning aspect shouldn't have been rushed through.

The Government has been requested to extend the Deer Management Programme to Clare due to a surge in Bovine Tuberculosis. It comes as Clare farmers have raised concerned over an unsustainable growth of the county's deer population. Last June, the Department of Agriculture opened a tender process for 15 Local Deer Management Units to operate in hotspots across the country. O'Callaghan's Mills Fine Gael Councillor Conor Ryan says it's urgently needed in Clare.

The Kilrush Choral Society will bring The Addams Family to the stage later this month. Their musical take on the hit TV series and film will be performed at Kilrush Community School from the 22nd to the 26th of April. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by producer with the society, Ger Rush, and show conductor, Toni Rose. Photo (c): https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=698626832695977&set=gm.1827797534701323

A huge effort from Shannon Tidy Towns saw a significant number of bags of rubbish collected recently. Not only that, but they also planted an even more impressive number of trees! To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by Shannon Tidy Towns chair, Derek Clune. Photo (c): Clare FM