Clare Fm - Podcasts

Coming up on the show, we look ahead to a weekend where all four of Clare's flagship sides are out in National League action, while the Clare u20 footballers are looking to advance to the Phase Two series of the Munster championship. We also look ahead to a busy weekend of local soccer and we have Greyhound Focus too

On this week’s Atlantic Tales, Pat Flynn visits the Glucksman Library at the University of Limerick, home to a large amount of historic material related to Co Clare. It houses The West Clare Brigade Papers and the extensive Shannon Development Archive donated to UL in 2014.

It's hoped a new development will solve legacy traffic issues and grow business in East Clare. Clare County Council has secured Part V Planning permission for a first ever public car park in Bodyke village. The facility will be located at Minogue's Corner adjacent to the church and community park and will also provide public lighting and a bike repair area. Local Fine Gael Councillor Conor Ryan is hopeful it can improve the economy and road safety.

A proposed wind farm off Clare's west coast is being described as the "foundation stone" for attracting multinational companies to the region. Clare's elected councillors have convened this week to discuss the planned 450-megawatt Sceirdre Rocks Offshore Wind Farm which would consist of 30 wind turbines of over 1,000 feet in height off the coast of Clare and Galway. The comments made at the meeting will now be appended as a submission to the Chief Executive's Report on the planning application to be sent to An Bórd Pleanála. Kilmurry Ibrickane Fianna Fáil Councillor Michael Shannon says it's crucial the development makes it more attractive for firms to set up in West Clare.

Joan Duggan, a pensioner who lives locally, called into studio. Is this something you also feel is an issue? Do you think there is a lack of disabled parking spaces in the county town? Whatever your view, let us know by calling 0818 400 964, or text or WhatsApp 086 1800 964. Photo(C): EHStock from Getty Images Signature via canva

Ireland is not prepared to deal with severe weather events. The Climate Council is warning the State isn't ready to deal with storms like Darragh and Eowyn - or others in the future. It says there needs to be serious planning and investment into infrastructure like water and electricity. Chair of the body's Adaptation Committee Peter Thorne, says the Government isn't ready for severe weather. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Deputy Leader of the Green Party, Inagh-based former Senator, Roisín Garvey. Photo(C): maq123 from Getty Images via canva

A Clare student has been named as the Knorr Professional Student Chef of the Year 2025. 19-year-old Yeshuah O'Brien Bayer, from Killaloe, claimed the prize at the TUS Athlone Campus. Yeshuah is a second-year student of Culinary Entrepreneurship at TUS’ Moylish campus. To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by Yeshuah O'Brien Bayer

On Thursday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Pat Clarke Browne for the regular tech slot. Pat runs Munster Business, based in Shannon. This week, Pat gave us all the insight into Amazon launching an Irish Website. Photo (c): yuriz from Getty Images via Canva

Kate Hamsikova has a new book. ‘Natural Born Swimmers’ touches on the importance of teaching water safety from an early age, among other topics. Kate also has an online water safety course. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Author, baby and pre-school swimming instructor and freediver, Kate Hamsikova. Photo(C): https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1025800719553273&set=pb.100063700622358.-2207520000

A special meeting of Clare County Council was held yesterday to discuss the draft Chief Executive's Report to be sent to An Bórd Pleanála on the proposed offshore wind turbine development to be constructed off the coast of Clare and Galway. Plans for the 450-megawatt Sceirde Rocks Offshore Wind Farm, which would consist of 30 wind turbines of over 1,000 feet in height 11.5 kilometres from the west coast, were submitted in January of this year. It's expected the "landmark" wind farm would be able to power 350,000 homes, save an estimated 550,000 tonnes of CO2 per year and put €70 million into community initiatives. Following this week's meeting, the comments of Clare's elected councillors will be appended as a submission to the report to be sent to the planning authority. A key talking point of the meeting was finding ways to harness the economic impact of the wind farm. Clare FM's Seán Lyons caught up with a number of those in attendance including Kilrush Independent Councillor Ian Lynch.

This week, Randy Lewis prepared seafood pasta. To get an insight into the recipe, Alan Morrissey was joined by Randy Lewis. Randaddy’s has now closed permanently.

Padraig Jack has new music ready to go. The acclaimed bilingual singer-songwriter's latest single is called Lovely Stare. Released on Friday, the 21st of March, it is described as ‘a deeply personal love song’. Photo(C): https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=940571211402643&set=a.226856296107475

The 23rd of March will mark the third anniversary of the arrival of the first Ukrainian pupil at St. Enda’s National School in Lisdoonvarna. Since then, there have been many more students from Ukraine and elsewhere around the world who have been educated and integrated at St. Enda’s NS. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Principal at St Enda's NS, Brian Carty, Tuana Rrudhani, Zlatoiara Oliinyk, and Ryan Casserly. Photo (c): https://www.lisdoonvarnans.ie/

It's hoped the imminent opening of a new X-Ray machine in Ennis can put a significant dent in this county's waiting lists. The new service will be located in the Outpatients Department on the Kilrush Road and will be accpeting GP referrals. It will work on an appointment only basis and the brings the total number of X-Ray services in the county to three. HSE Regional Health Forum West Member Ennis Fine Gael Councillor Mary Howard has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan that while the move is positive, there's a long way to go.

Clare County Fire Service is appealing to landowners to be on the lookout for illegal activity or any behaviour that could lead to the spread of fire on land. It comes as local authority crews from Kilrush and Kilkee have been dealing with a number of blazes in the Moanmore/Shragh areas of West Clare in recent days. A Status Orange High Forrest Fire Risk Warning remains in place across the country until noon on Friday, which means there's a high risk of fires spreading in areas where there's hazardous fuels such as dead grasses, or shrubs like heather and gorse. Clare's Chief County Fire Officer, Adrian Kelly has been telling Clare FM's Fiona Cahill that household rubbish scattered in the Moanmore/Shragh areas, which appears to have been dumped there, may have contributed to the spread of fire.

The Health Minister insists she’ll be guided by the findings of the HIQA review examining the viability of a second emergency department in the Midwest. It follows the release of the interim report on the review which is due to be presented to the Minister in May. During her visit to the Dooradoyle facility today, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has met with local politicians and campaigners, and has inspected the 96-bed block currently under construction. Speaking to Clare FM, she says she excepts the HIQA review to be presented to her on schedule.

Clare's Minister of State believes a development in the Shannon Estuary which has just been approved will help to secure our electricity generation. Shannon LNG Limited has been granted planning permission by An Bórd Pleanála for a 600-megawatt power plant as well as a battery energy storage system and re-gasification unit in north County Kerry. The planning authority had previously refused permission for the development but a High Court ruling overturned this decision last September. Tulla-based Fianna Fáil TD and Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Environment and Energy, Timmy Dooley, believes the plant will pave the way for decarbonisation.

It's claimed illegal encampments will persist in Ennis until social housing deficits are addressed. It's after a household with at least two caravans forced open the gates of the now privately owned, former Ennis National School site on the Kilrush Road over the Bank Holiday weekend. A heavy Garda presence is understood to have attended the site yesterday, which is the third area in the town to receive an illegal encampment in recent weeks, following incursions at Clancy Park and Drumbiggle. Local Councillor Pat Daly says lawlessness cannot be rewarded.

One of Clare’s best known tourist attractions has secured planning permission to offer something new... but for its staff and not its tourists. The Ailwee Caves will be building a staff accommodation block on site to house its workers, many of whom are very hard to attract to the area, such as Falconers and Artisan food makers. They are following in the footsteps of Atlantic Aviation Group and Supermacs, who have bought sites in Clare for their staff in recent years, due to the housing shortage. To find out more about this decision, and whether companies building accommodation for its staff will become a continuing trend, Alan Morrissey was joined by Ailwee Burren Experience & Clare ISME Rep, Nuala Mulqueeney. Photo(C): https://www.facebook.com/aillwee/posts/thanks-to-who-we-are-for-highlighting-our-aillwee-burren-experiences-visitthebur/4138719779535853/

This year’s Clare Drama Festival is looming large on the horizon. The 76th edition of the event will run from this Saturday, the 22nd of March, to Saturday, the 29th of March inclusive. The festival is one of the oldest festivals in the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland circuit, having started in 1947. To find out more about what we can expect from this year’s festival, Alan Morrissey was joined by Tom Hanley, PRO Clare Drama Festival. Photo(C): Clare FM