Call to fix Height eyesore at Daniel O’Connell Monument in Ennis A call to blend “the future and the past” at Ennis’ Daniel O’Connell Monument with an upgrade of a nearby billboard to an LED display has been made. The billboard, on the side of a building to the left of the iconic monument in the…

St Flannan’s students set sights on the stars and new NASA conference An out of this world design for a human settlement on a moon of Jupiter, including asteroid mining and a space elevator, has resulted in a team of Ennis students achieving international success in a prestigious competition…

Will Ennis 2040 be able to pay its €10 million debt to Clare County Council? Fears over the ability of the Ennis 2040 DAC to repay its loan of €10 million to Clare County Council have been expressed, with a local councillor questioning its solvency. Councillor Tom O’Callaghan (FF) was speaking at…

OPINION with Michael McNamara: The people are angry. Where has all the money gone? People are angry. They’ve never been paid as much. But never had less left when the bills are paid. Not all of this is the Government’s fault but some of it is. The Government can hardly be held responsible for the…

EDITORIAL: Did the protest represent you? Reporters from The Clare Champion have spent the past week asking the people how they feel about last week’s protests. The resounding feeling coming back is one of confusion. There is confusion in the first instance for a lot of people over whether they…

Clare Meehan business after final flourish breaks home hoodoo Munster Senior Hurling Championship Round 1 Clare 2-33 Waterford 4-21 More a first dance than a last tango as Clare finally broke their Munster Senior Hurling Championship opening round home hoodoo in spectacular fashion in front of…

Council owed almost a million in unpaid derelict property levies Clare County Council is owed almost three-quarters of a million euros in derelict property levies since 2024. Just €95,559 in levies have been collected to date by the council on the 144 properties currently on the Derelict Sites…

God Knows in the musical melting pot for new TG4 series Shannon rapper God Knows will feature in the opening episode of a new TG4 series bringing musicians with diverse backgrounds together to make music. TG4 presents Cara sa Cheol (A Friend in Music), a new six-part music documentary series…

A Foustian decade of painting by Sara in Ennistymon Sara Foust has been riding a rogue wave. Having accidentally opened a community gallery in Ennistymon in 2016, she has spent ten years swimming in heavy currents, sometimes plotting her own course, sometimes having a course plotted for her. After…

Living the tides and seasons: Ken O’Sullivan brings new live show to glór Ken O’Sullivan has spent a quarter of a century underwater. The Lahinch filmmaker has brought the deeps of the Atlantic into our sitting rooms, made the unseen seen and the unknown knowable. While he has become synonymous…

It’s a must win for Clare on day one in Munster Munster Senior Hurling Championship Round 1 Clare v Waterford at Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg Ennis, Sunday 2pm (Shane Hynes, Galway) The wait is over as the next chapter in an unmissable Munster hurling rivalry opens up in Ennis on Sunday. With…

Newly crowned Clare camogie ready for Deise duel Munster Senior Camogie Championship Quarter-Final Clare v Waterford at Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg Ennis, Saturday 2pm (Colm Maher, Cork) Clare’s National Camogie League celebrations may have been cut short but it would be double the party if they…

Shannon students are STEM stars for work on mid-stage dementia A group of Shannon pupils have emerged as a winner from the seventh annual BD STEM Stars competition for a cognitive support app to help people with early to mid-stage dementia. Three students from St. Patrick’s Comprehensive School,…

Fifty years of news in Corofin with Gerry Kennedy Even as a very young man, Gerry Kennedy was involved in everything in North Clare. Back in the Spring of 1976, the Burren man was the ideal candidate to become the very first Clare Champion notes correspondent for Corofin. And so it has been for…

Lord Clare’s down the Deise every time Since the advent of the round robin series for the Munster Championship, there have been three meetings between the Banner County and the Deise at Clare headquarters, with the home side boasting a 100 per cent record, writes Joe Ó Muircheartaigh. 27 May 2018…

Cratloe works raise the bar for sports in East Clare A Munster Council official has revealed he was "blown away" by the new facilities in a South-East Clare GAA club. Over the last three years, Cratloe GAA Club Chairman, Kevin Browne estimated the club has spent €400,000 purchasing eight acres to…

Ennis serves up another ace with new padel court approval Ennis continues to go ‘batty’ for the game of Padel with another development of courts getting the green light in the county capital. Planning permission has been granted for the development at the Clare Technological Park in Ennis, with a…

Community Clear-Out Event In O’Briensbridge A unique community event taking place in O’Briensbridge this Saturday, April 18, which will allow people to clear out their attics and declutter their homes in aid of a worthy local project. The Spring Clear-out, which runs from 12-3pm at the…

Clare floored with final kick to dent Munster Under 20 hopes Munster Under 20 Football Championship Phase 2 Round 2 Waterford 2-14 Clare 2-13 Clare now need to halt Kerry’s five-in-a-row bid in Tralee next Wednesday (7pm) if they are to reach a first Munster Under 20 Football Final in 24 years…

“This was our first goal, but definitely not our only one,” says Clare camogie’s Abby Walsh There’s just something so admirable about Abby Walsh’s attitude and ambition that makes it patently clear to see why Eugene Foudy installed her as joint-captain alongside the unquestionably leadership of…

League success was a ‘stepping stone’ says Foudy, as Clare look ahead to Munster In terms of his initial pronouncements, things couldn’t be going any better for Eugene Foudy in his first year at the helm of Clare’s senior camogie side. As a timely barometer of progress, steering his native county…

‘I thought my daughter was going to die,’ says traumatised mother A West Clare mother has outlined the trauma of fearing her daughter was going to die due to a two-hour delay in securing an ambulance in Kilrush last Sunday. The lack of adequate ambulance cover for  West Clare has been highlighted…

From West Clare to the moon with Kilrush comnany A small manufacturing company in West Clare is rejoicing this week following the successful Artemis II mission to the far side of the moon. As the four NASA astronauts returned to Earth in the early hours of Saturday morning last week, many people…

Fuel protests could return to Clare after vote of confidence in Government Fuel protests could return to the M18 in the coming days with a leading campaigner warning that the central issues of the campaign have not gone away. Former ICSA general secretary and East Clare farmer Eddie Punch says…

FUEL PROTESTS: Councillors told to ‘take it outside’ as tensions start to boil over Two councillors were told to “take it outside” if they wanted to continue arguing, as a council debate on the fuel protests turned heated. Cllrs Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) and Pat Bourke (FG) had to be repeatedly told by…

Hurleys used as part of innovative outdoor art gallery The symbolic "clash of the ash" has met its match in Ogonnelloe when hurleys are being used in a creative way as part of a new "outdoor art gallery". Seven hurleys depicting different messages have been placed on dead or dying Ash trees on a…

Clare social worker witnesses pain of Gazan children in Jordan A West Clare social worker who has returned from Jordan has said Gazan children are being mistreated by Israeli officials when they try to get home after medical treatment. Claire Liddy returned to Ballyea last week from a two-week…

Big birthday for Kilmaley’s Clara Murphy A centenarian from Kilmaley celebrated her milestone birthday in style over the Easter weekend. Clara Murphy was joined by over 60 family members and friends for her 100th birthday party last Saturday afternoon at the Old Ground Hotel. Clara was born on…

FUEL PROTESTS: Government “isn’t listening to the people” says McGettigan as vote looms Sinn Fein are set to bring a motion of no confidence against the government on Tuesday afternoon over their handling of the fuel protests. The government have tabled a counter-motion of confidence in themselves…

Man charged with breaching Shannon Airport perimeter fence and damaging US military plane A man was refused bail in court today after he was charged with breaching a security perimeter fence at Shannon Airport and causing criminal damage to a US military plane. Daithi O’Corrain, (47), Blarney…

Council to trial CCTV to tackle illegal dumping Clare County Council has said it plans to initiate a pilot programme in the coming weeks to trial the use of CCTV in detecting waste-management offences. This follows two motions concerning the roll-out of CCTV tabled by West Clare county councillors…

Aoife Johnston’s dad James laid to rest A Shannon priest has acknowledged people are lost for words following the death of local health campaigner James Johnston three years and four months after the loss of his beloved daughter Aoife. James Johnston, Cronan Lawn, Shannon, County Clare, passed…

Renewed appeal 21 years after the death of Emer O’Loughlin Gardaí have issued a public appeal for new information about the murder of Clare woman Emer O’Loughlin, 21 years after her death. Wednesday, April 8 marked the 21st anniversary of the murder of the North Clare woman at Ballybornagh,…

FUEL PROTEST: McNamara call for free public transport amid rising cost of fuel Clare MEP Michael McNamara has called for the Government to introduce free public transport across Ireland, following the IMF’s warning that “all roads lead to higher prices and slower growth worldwide” should the…

FUEL PROTEST: Protestors are “exhausted” and “deflated” but may return to the M18 Many of the people who took part in the fuel protests on the M18 in Clare last week are “exhausted” and “deflated” according to one of the key participants. Former chief executive of the ICSA, East Clare farmer Eddie…

Clare Lorna their lessons to clinch historic league title National Camogie League Division 1B Final Clare 3-11 Dublin 0-17 History in the making as Clare powered to a first ever National Camogie League Division 1B title in UPMC Nowlan Park, Kilkenny. Facing a Dublin side that they had drawn with…

OPINION with Sarah Clancy: A strange kind of friendship I was determined not to write another opinion piece about foreign affairs. Here I am though. Over the last couple of days the President of the USA upped his rhetoric against Iran from a threat that Tuesday would be bridge and power plant day,…

What’s happening on Clare farms? There was a notable lack of supportive beeps on the Barefield exit of the M18 this Wednesday morning as a collection of tractors and lorries blocked both lanes of the motorway and the approach roads to the junction. Indeed, there is a strange parallel between this…

OPINION with Alan Curran: The AI threat already inside our schools In the distant past, way back in December 2022, a small research company called OpenAI, released a beta version of its Large Language Model (LLM) into the ether. Early users and tech reviewers heralded its arrival as a new dawn for…

Sunday protest planned for Ennis A peaceful protest has been called for Ennis tomorrow morning as part of the ongoing action being undertaken by fuel protestors across the county. A statement issued today says that the peaceful protest will take place from 11am and people taking part are asked to…

Culchie Cabaret on the menu for the Kilfenora Trad Fest The 19th instalment of the Kilfenora Traditional Music Festival takes place from Friday, April 24 to Monday, April 27 in North Clare’s capital of trad. The festival began in 2009 with the centenary of the Kilfenora Céilí Band, who by…

Niall Breslin brings his philosophically inspired new show and book to glór Meister Eckhart was an interesting character. The German theologian and philosopher had this idea about a divine spark, a place within everyone that could, if we chose to see it, be God. This idea led him to coin the…

Reverend Richard Marsh is at home in Killaloe When Reverend Dr Richard Marsh first came to look at St Flannan’s Cathedral with his wife Ro, a misty fog prevailed over Lough Derg in February 2023. However, Rev Marsh (66) was very impressed by the Killaloe Cathedral, describing the illuminating…

Newmarket farmer Conor Liddy set to show his personality Being a member of Macra has pushed Conor Liddy into putting himself forward and signing up for experiences he “never would have gone for”. The 31-year-old Sixmilebridge man will represent The Banner at the 19th annual Mr Personality…

Ennistymon musical marks 50 years with Disco Inferno One of Clare’s most successful arts organisations, the Ennistymon Choral Society, will celebrate its 50th production this year as it takes Disco Inferno to the stage. The society, which has been a central part of the cultural and community…

‘There’s a real sense of pride when you put on the saffron and blue’ – Clare Hehir Twelve months on from losing last year's decider, Banner Joint Captain Clare Hehir tells the Clare Champion it's not a case of revenge this weekend but more a case of taking the next step. "I wouldn't say it's a…

Orla Foley sets off on latest fundraising adventure in support of three worthy charities Killaloe therapist and cycling enthusiast Orla Foley has clocked up more than €100,000 for three charitable causes in memory of her late brother. This figure will be exceeded when the proceeds of her latest…

All Road Blockages Should Be Removed – Deputy Crowe All essential supplies shouldn't be inhibited from transport and road blockages erected during the fuel protests should be removed as a matter of urgency, according to a local Dáil Deputy. Road blocks are in place at Junction 11 and Junction 18…

Is change coming to Hermitage in Ennis? The transformation of historic Hermitage in Ennis through the creation of a cul-de-sac and the development of additional parking for residents and local businesses could be on the way. Concept designs have been prepared and a senior engineer with the Ennis…

HSE Highlights Patient And Staff Impact Of Fuel Protests It is taking some health professionals between four to six hours to get to work instead of the usual 30 minutes due to the ongoing fuel protests, a senior health manager has claimed. It has also been alleged that some patients are unable to…