Clare Fm - Podcasts

On Monday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Tom Stewart from Keane’s Garden Centre in Kilcolgan. This week, Tom gave listeners advice on planting bulbs for long lasting summer colour. If you have a question for Tom, contact the show on 0818 400 964 or send a text or WhatsApp to 086 1800 964.

To review the sporting fixtures, Alan Morrissey was joined on Monday's Morning Focus by Clare FM’s Derrick Lynch and Syl O’Connor. Games Reviewed: National Football League Division Three: Clare 2-14 Offaly 2-9 (Sunday, Zimmer Biomet Pairc Chiosiog) Munster U20 Football Championship: Clare 0-16 Limerick 0-11 (Saturday, Hennessy Memorial Park Milltown Malbay) National Hurling League Division 1B: Clare 1-18 Tipperary 0-22 (Saturday, Thurles) National Camogie League Division 1B: Clare 1-10 Antrim 5-12 (Saturday, Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg)

An environmental scientist involved in a judicial review against the proposed Ennis Data Centre insists the facility is no closer to coming to fruition despite a recent high court judgement. Last week, Justice Richard Humphreys ruled that An Bord Pleanála's error not to consider a single bat in a barn near the the proposed Tulla Road Campus should not stop the €1.2bn development. This is only the first phase of the judicial review, next the court must decide if planners followed due legal process when assessing environmental impacts, after that it will be referred back to An Bord Pleanála for a new planning decision. Ennis resident and appellant Colin Doyle has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan that he believes the plans are ludicrous.

Colaiste Muire's Lucy Power and Lyndsey Clarke Ahead Of All Ireland LGFA Senior C PPS Final by Clare FM

The local authority is coming under pressure to honour a twelve-year old contract with a North Clare farmer involving a land transaction. In 2013, Clare County Council acquired land in Sandfield, Lisdoonvarna , to finish a cycle and walking lane for a sum understood to be in the region of €30,000. The landowner was due to receive a stone wall, internal fencing and maintenance of water levels - according to the local authority however, these works will be dependent on the approval of impending planning applications Lahinch Fine Gael Councillor Bill Slattery says while the council has provided reassurance, it's taking too long.

A local community in south-east Clare has secured grant funding to restore one of its most popular amenities. Due to the extensive use of some areas of the Seanchoill playground, parts of the recreational space have been closed off to facilitate repair works. A grant of €6,000 has been awarded the local community to carry out these works and return the entire site to full working order. Westbury Sinn Fein councillor, James Ryan, is hopeful the parts of the playground that are currently closed will be reopened in the coming weeks.

One of the people behind a protest at Trump Doonbeg in recent days says their main motivation was to remind locals that the site's owner is a felon. A vigil was held at the entrance to Trump International Golf Links and Hotel Doonbeg this week, where signs displaying the slogans "genocide supported here", "stop genocide" and "Trump is a felon" could be read. The demonstration came just five days after an incident of criminal damage at the property in which two greens were dug up and Palestinian flags were mounted. Eileen Thomas from The People of Clare Against Genocide says the US President's criminal history and unequivocal support for Israel are no secrets.

A plan to determine the future management of the Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk will be released in the coming days. Last year, Clare County Council hired Tobin Consultants to prepare a report that would aim to address significant safety, transport, and capacity issues at the iconic landmark. The 6km southern walking trail from Liscannor to Hags Head is expected to remain closed for the year, while a 500m section of the Northern Trail also remains closed on health and safety grounds. Corofin Fianna Fáil Councillor Joe Killeen says they're expecting updates very soon.

The Minister for Health says regardless of the findings of the upcoming HIQA review, the focus should be on expanding the emergency care capacity of the Midwest region. The findings of a review into urgent and emergency care in the Midwest which will examine the case for a second emergency department are due to be presented to the Health Minister in May of this year. Following the publication of the review's interim report, Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has confirmed she expects the final review to be completed on schedule. Speaking to Clare FM during a visit to University Hospital Limerick, the Fine Gael Minister says the "throughput" seen in facilities across the country must be on display at UHL.

Fr Gerry Kenny leads our Sunday Service for the Third Sunday of Lent.

Fr Gerry presents this week's Beyond Belied which features an interview with Fr of Throfire Retreat, a reflection for the 3rd Sunday in Lent from Sr Ann Crowley and a chat over coffee with Stephen Fletcher.

Retailers say Gardaí need to do more to tackle anti-social behaviour. A survey by Excel Recruitment found shops want to see more urgency in tackling rising crime levels, including bringing in Anti-Social Behaviour Orders or ASBOs, and increasing funding for CCTV schemes. CSO figures for July to September last year show robberies from shops are up 10 per cent nationally on 2023 levels, while here in Clare, shop theft was the second most common type of offence, though figures remained relatively static in 2024, compared to the same period of the previous year, with 164 instances recorded. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Flora Crowe, of Crowe’s Gala in Sixmilebridge and Patrick Bourke Photo(C): Animaflora from Getty Images Pro via canva

The Tellus survey is undertaking the final phases of a national airborne survey over counties Clare and Kerry this year. When finished, the survey will be complete for the whole country, making Ireland one of the best geophysical mapped countries in the world. The survey takes off this spring with the two aircraft crossing the skies of counties the Banner County and the Kingdom. To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by Senior Geologist and lead on the Tellus Project, Geological Survey Ireland, Jim Hodgson. Photo(C): https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1088170140015608&id=100064678958811&_rdr

It is time for the twelfth episode of our second season of The Village Tour. 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 The Village Tour, Alan chats with various people from a particular village or townland in Clare: from locals and business owners to those involved with local sports clubs, community representatives, and many more. In our latest episode of The Village Tour, Alan paid a visit to Doonbeg...

To preview the sporting fixtures, Alan Morrissey was joined on Friday’s Morning Focus by Clare FM’s Derrick Lynch. Games Previewed: National Hurling League Division 1B: Clare v Tipperary (Saturday, Thurles, 7:30pm) National Football League Division Three: Clare v Offaly (Sunday, Zimmer Biomet Pairc Chiosiog, 2pm Munster U20 Football Championship: Clare v Limerick (Saturday, Hennessy Memorial Park Milltown Malbay, 2pm)

Prospective homeowners in Clare are being urged to attend an event today that will determine if they can qualify for a new affordable housing scheme. 11 homes are being made available at An Gallán Nua on the Lahinch Road in Ennis , with discounts of up to €50,000 below the market value on offer. An information session will be held at the Temple Gate Hotel from 2.30 until 6pm where members of the council staff, estate agents and banking representatives will be on hand to answer queries. Clare County Council Senior Housing Executive Padraig MacCormaic says the level of demand will determine future output.

It's been suggested than an "absurd" planning rule could be preventing further expansion of emergency care at the region's main hospital. It's just one of the points raised with the Minister for Health over the course of her meetings with Clare's politicians and healthcare campaigners during her visit to the Midwest this week. With the first of two in-patient blocks at the Midwest facility nearing completion, Meelick Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe has become aware that current planning legislation is preventing further upward expansion. He says the legislation must be relaxed to allow capacity to be boosted.

Fine Gael Minister Jennifer Caroll MacNeill's first trip to the Dooradoyle facility has come on foot of the publication of the interim report on HIQA's review examining the case for a second Emergency Department in the Midwest. The interim report, which was initially expected by the middle of February contains no findings, but rather outlines in greater detail the methodology HIQA is using as it conducts its review. Minister Caroll MacNeill has confirmed she expects the final review to be delivered in May as promised. While the overcrowding crisis shows few signs of abating at University Hospital Limerick, Government figures indicate a 63% drop in the number of people waiting for a bed there after the Bank Holiday weekend, compared to the previous bank holiday. While at the facility the Minister met with HSE Chief Executive Bernard Gloster and HSE Midwest Regional Executive Officer, Sandra Broderick, as well as local politicians and health campaigners. Bodyke Fine Gael Deputy Joe Cooney says he's made it

Rising costs and changes to both working and consumer spending habits have been identified as the main factors behind Clare's unoccupied business premises. It comes as the latest Geodirectory report into vacant commercial buildings has found Shannon and Kilrush to have the highest rates of vacancies in the province. Ennis was also deemed to be the town in Munster with the ninth highest rate of commercial vacancies, while Clare as a whole has 15.8% of its business premises out of use. Geodirectory CEO, Dara Keogh has been telling Clare FM's Darragh O'Grady that greater imagination is needed to repurpose buildings and bring properties back into use.

The Shannon Airport Group is assuring there will be no service disruptions at the Clare base today, despite its continuing efforts to accommodate flights due to land at London-Heathrow. Heathrow has been closed for the day following a fire at a nearby electrical station, which sparked a major power outage. Shannon Airport has already handled flights from Toronto, Atlanta, Barbados, Boston, Orlando and New York, and is expecting to facilitate more diversions throughout the day. Shannon Airport Group CEO Mary Considine has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan that all passengers due to travel to Heathrow today should contact their carrier as soon as possible.