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Plans have been unveiled for a multi-million euro development at the former Our Lady’s Hospital site in Ennis. The project, known as Páirc Mhuire, is expected to transform the historic site into a major mixed-use community development with homes, commercial space, and public amenities. The development has been described as the largest adaptive re-use project of its kind in Ireland to date. Plans i...

It's claimed new fishing laws coming into effect next month will be detrimental for Clare's coastal economies. From June 1st, The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Marine is introducing legislation which will limit anglers to catching just three pollacks per day. It follows a warning from The International Council for Exploration of the Sea which indicates that pollack stocks in Irish w...

It's claimed a greater level of focus is required if Clare are to be victorious in this weekend's knockout Tailteann Cup clash. Longford are the visitors to Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg as both sides look to keep their 2026 championship campaigns alive. Victory would see The Banner play one of the losers from this weekend's Round 2A games in the next phase, with the draw subject to the avoidance of...

The Burrenbeo Trust has announced that the second annual Burren Archaeology Festival is taking place on June 20th and 21st 2026 in Ballyvaughan. The two-day event will celebrate the rich archaeological heritage of the Burren through expert talks, live demonstrations, and hands-on activities for all ages, including workshops, interactive displays, and family-friendly excavation experiences designed...

On Thursday’s Morning Focus, Daragh Dolan was joined by Danny Lynch, chef at Le Chéile, Barefield. This week, Danny shared a delicious recipe for a cuban sandwich and a kinder bueno cheesecake.

A unique blend of history, music and theatre is coming to glór Ennis this weekend as O’Connell takes to the stage on Sunday, May 24th at 8pm. Produced, written and directed by Diarmuid de Faoite, the production explores the life, politics and legacy of Daniel O’Connell through powerful storytelling, original musical arrangements and a cast of leading Irish musicians and performers. To find out mor...

The Leaving and Junior Cert are only around the corner. No matter how often students are told ‘it’s not the be-all and end-all of life,’ it’s natural to be worried and stressed about such a milestone event - both parents & students. Principal of The Tuition Centre, Dan Sheedy has a practical list of do's and dont's for students as they get ready to head to the exam halls. Image (c) by TrueCreative...

The cost of renting in County Clare continues to climb sharply, with the latest figures showing new tenants now paying almost €600 a month for a single room in a house.  According to the latest Daft.ie rental report, market rents rose by 4.4% nationally in the first quarter of 2026 — the biggest quarterly increase recorded since the series began in 2002.   In Clare, the cost of a three-bed home ha...

People will have a unique opportunity to view whale and dolphin activity off the coast of Clare this weekend. Whale Watch Ireland takes place between 5 and 7pm on Saturday evening as part of a nationwide effort to monitor and celebrate marine life. Now in its 24th year, the event held by the Kilrush-based Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, will see free land-based watches taking place at 19 locations...

Lahinch businesses say there’s been confusion among locals and tourists about water quality after the beach lost its Blue Flag status. The Blue Flag programme is aimed at raising environmental awareness and promoting sound environmental management of beaches, marinas and eco-tourism boats. Lahinch is the only beach not to retain its Blue Flag Status this year, following a number of restrictions in...

New bye-laws are expected to give An Garda Síochána and Clare County Council somewhere to turn when anti-social behaviour occurs at an East Clare tourism site. The regulations approved by elected members of Killaloe Municipal District this week prohibit camping and other potentially harmful activities on Inis Cealtra in Lough Derg. The bye-laws, which come into effect on July 1st, also ban overnig...

Eight awards were presented to winners aged from 13 to 19 years at a special event held yon Tuesday 19th at the Hotel Woodstock in Ennis, in recognition of the young people’s bravery, determination and positive impact. This year’s Awards celebrated an impressive cross‑section of young people and youth‑led initiatives across County Clare. To find out more, Daragh Dolan was joined on the line by the...

Talks at the Labour Court aimed at resolving a pay dispute at the National Ambulance Service will resume this morning. SIPTU has described the discussions as "difficult" and said agreement has not yet been reached. "The Labour Court has asked the parties to return today as a final opportunity to try to resolve the dispute before next week's industrial action, which would involve a 72 hour work sto...

A West Clare School bus driver claims it's only a matter of time before a child is seriously injured or worse due to a lack of traffic calming measures on a busy Kilrush Road. Concerns have been raised over a high volume of speeding motorists on the R483 which serves Kilrush Community School, Regina House, Moneypoint Football Club, the Kilrush FET building and a number of residential areas. Local...

A Clare credit union says its payments system is "stable" once again following a disruption. It's understood the European Banking Authority, which oversees the clearing of transactions for banks and lending institutions across the EU, conducted a software update last weekend. This resulted in issues with instant payments for customers in Clare. CEO of St Francis Credit Union in Ennis, Louis Fay, c...

Clare camogie manager Eugene Foudy says his side need to be prepared for a backlash from Dublin in the All Ireland Camogie Championship. The Banner kick off the campaign with a home tie in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chisóg on Saturday afternoon. Clare defeated Dublin in this year's Division 1B final, while The Dubs also tasted defeat in the Leinster Final against Wexford. Foudy says they're coming to Enn...

Ahead of the Irish Concertina Orchestra’s landmark headline concert at glór in Ennis on 23 May 2026, producer and musical director Pádraig Rynne joined Daragh Dolan in studio to discuss their latest release, Aboard the West Clare. The sweeping new composition by Bill Whelan is inspired by the historic West Clare Railway and recorded at Windmill Lane Studios with NOTIFY and the MGCE Concert Orchest...

A new Irish documentary celebrating music, friendship and second chances is coming to Clare this week. Once We Were Punks, directed by Frank Shouldice, tells the story of four school friends from Cavan who formed a punk band in the 1980s, before life took them in different directions, only to reunite decades later and rediscover the dream. The film is launching at the Arc Cinema in Ennis from this...

The European Commission has formally proposed an action plan on fertilisers to combat soaring prices caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the Iran War. To discuss this further, Daragh Dolan was joined by Clare IFA County Chair and Feakle farmer, Stephen Walsh, and former General Secretary of the ICSA and Cratloe farmer, Eddie Punch, former General Secretary of the ICSA. Photo (c) Luka...

Following the strong turnout at the recent Newmarket-on-Fergus Community Energy Event, attention now turns to East Clare. Mountshannon Community Hall will host the SEAI Community Energy Event on Thursday, 21 May 2026 at 7pm. To discuss this further, Daragh Dolan was joined by SEC Mentor from Clare Local Development Company, Denise O’Brien and member of Mountshannon SEC Committee, Fiona Levie. Imag...

A continued housing supply shortfall and new rental rules are being blamed for a sharp rise in rents in Clare. The latest Daft.ie report shows a single room in a house here now costs almost €600 a month to rent. Four-bed homes saw the biggest jump, with the average surging by 21% to €2,162 in the last year. Economist at Trinity College Dublin and author of the Daft.ie report, Ronan Lyons, has been...

As we’ve been discussing earlier this week, concerns continue to be raised about the active travel works on the Tulla Road in Ennis, particularly around road width, kerb heights and emergency access. To discuss the project and to respond to those concerns, Clare County Council Senior Engineer, Cyril Feeney joined Daragh Dolan On Wednesday's Morning Focus. Image (c) Mateusz Otreba via The Real Enni...

40% of domestic septic tanks in Clare failed inspection last year, putting drinking water, wells and rivers at risk. The latest report from the Environmental Protection Agency shows 97 inspections were completed in this county in 2025, with 80% of those fixed at the end of the year. Only five other counties, namely Limerick City, Donegal, Cork, Galway and Wexford had higher failure rates last year...

It's hoped an impending review will bring an end to what's been described as an "eyesore" blighting Clarecastle's landscape. Ennis Municipal District has been using Devine's Field as a machinery and gravel yard for several years, since plans for a major commercial unit on the site fell through during the recession. The site remains in private ownership and the local authority has committed to revi...

The Government insists Clare's policing needs will be "fully attended to" during the upcoming the golf tournaments being hosted here. The Walker Cup 2026 will take place in Lahinch from the 5th to the 6th of September, with the Amgen Irish Open being held in Doonbeg a week later. Approximately 80,000 attended last year's Irish Open in Kildare while roughly 4,000 each day went to the 2025 edition o...