Clare FM

Clonlara manager Donal Madden says his side are targeting their best performance of 2026 so far to ensure they qualify for the Clare Senior Hurling Quarter Finals. The 2023 Canon Hamilton winners take on Inagh Kilnamona in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg on Saturday evening, knowing Ballyea are breathing down their necks, should they lose. The Combo are already guaranteed passage to the next round, wi...

A Clare TD says he has sympathy for the family of the five teens killed in the M9 Crash, but is standing over social media comments condemning the praise of "thugs." Meelick-based Fianna Fáil Deputy Cathal Crowe has faced backlash over the remarks from Social Democrats TD Jen Cummins, while Independent Senator Lynn Ruane said it was "beyond disturbing for the Chair of the Youth Committee to speak...

Young people across Clare are being encouraged to put their ideas to the test, with entries now open for the 2027 Stripe Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition.  The prize fund has increased by 25%, with a top prize of €10,000, while new opportunities will see the top four projects travel to San Francisco.  Entries close on September 25th, and joining Alan Morrissey to tell us more about the comp...

It’s been almost 20 years since the passing of legendary Irish singer Joe Dolan, but his music continues to bring audiences together across generations.   Now, to mark the 20th anniversary of his passing, the Dolan family are taking Remembering Joe – The Joe Dolan Show on a nationwide tour next year, with a nine-piece band including members of Joe’s original backing band.  The tour comes to Glór i...

From two hens to a flock of 88, nine-year-old Paudie Murray from Kilkee has turned his love of chickens into a thriving little business called Ubh by Paudie.   His honesty box near Goleen Bay has become a local hit, while his Instagram following has grown to more than 23,000.  And with Paudie looking after the hens, restocking the egg box and reinvesting his profits back into the business, this yo...

New HSE figures show that the number of medical cards being issued has fallen for the third consecutive year, despite the ongoing cost-of-living pressures facing households.   At the same time, the number of discretionary medical cards and GP visit cards has increased, while the cost of medicines to the State continues to rise.  Alan Morrissey was joined by Antoinette Baker Bashua, Ennis Fianna Fá...

Clare County Council's cyber security team is urging people to remain vigilant amid a viable scam threat.  Accounts purporting to be the local authority have reportedly been emailing individuals seeking invoice payments.  It's understood the fraud has been replicated in several other locations already this year.  Project Leader of Clare County Council's ICT Department Jim O'Sullivan has been telli...

This weekend, Ballyvaughan 7th Scout Troop competed at The Phoenix Challenge, along with Scouts from Ennis 1st and 4th and Sixmilebridge 14th.  The national competition, hosted at Cavan's Castle Saunderson Scout Centre, saw troops from around the country take part in challenges across four days, all while cooking and living independently.  To tell Alan Morrissey more about this competition were Ge...

Creative arts, innovation and brain health will come together in Ennis next month for Creative Brainwaves, an event exploring how creativity can support wellbeing, dementia care, Parkinson’s and healthier minds.  The event, which will take place on Friday, 11th September, will feature international and local speakers, workshops, performances and a look at technologies such as virtual reality.  Joi...

Farmers across the country are facing growing concerns over fodder supplies following weeks of dry weather, with questions now being raised about the impact on farms in the months ahead.   The Government has agreed to reconvene the National Fodder and Food Security Committee, while additional supports are being considered as part of Budget 2027.  Joining Alan Morrissey to discuss the situation in...

County Clare has been getting some major international exposure, with the county and the Wild Atlantic Way recently featured on the popular German travel programme Wunderschön.   More than 500,000 people watched the programme, with the episode expected to reach up to 3 million viewers in total.  Among the Clare locations featured were the Burren Smokehouse and Hazel Mountain Chocolate.   Joining A...

On Thursday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was talking about an issue that affects hundreds of thousands of people in Ireland: access to dental care for people with disabilities. Too often, routine dental problems can become serious and painful because appropriate care isn’t available when it’s needed.  The World Health Organization has launched a major international oral health initiative focuse...

Just days after five teenagers were killed in a head-on collision when their car was driven the wrong way down the M9 motorway, leaving the family in the second car – three women and a seven-year-old boy - being treated in hospital, a staff member here at Clare FM says she was left “terrified” after encountering a vehicle allegedly travelling the wrong way on an M18 slip road near Gort.  Lily Coll...

Clare County Council's cyber security team is urging people to remain vigilant amid a viable scam threat. Accounts purporting to be the local authority have reportedly been emailing individuals seeking invoice payments. It's understood the fraud has been replicated in several other locations already this year. Project Leader of Clare County Council's ICT Department Jim O'Sullivan says anyone recei...

The erosion of a large section of a Cliffs of Moher Sea Stack has been described as a one in a million event to witness. The dramatic collapse of a portion of An Branán Mór was captured by US tourist Melissa Blackman, who was visiting from Texas last week. In a statement posted on social media, Doolin Ferries says it hasn't seen such an event in over 20 years. Owner Liam O'Brien says it was an inc...

O'Callaghan's Mills will be hoping to cause an upset this weekend to secure a last eight spot in the Clare Senior Hurling Championship. The fireballs face Clooney Quin in their final Group 3 game, with no team in the group yet guaranteed of their place in the last eight or the 2027 senior ranks. Last year's beaten county finalists delivered an impressive showing last time out as they dispatched 20...

An employee of a Clare business says she was shocked and scared after an encounter with a vehicle allegedly being driven the wrong way just off the M18 motorway this morning. Lily, who works in Ennis, says she came across a black BMW X5, with a 06 registration, reversing up the slip road at Junction 16 on the southbound carriageway near Gort shortly after 7am. She says she initially believed the d...

Riverdance is celebrating 30 years of performances with Riverdance 30 – The New Generation, and the production is coming to the Gleneagle Arena in Killarney from September 10th to 13th.  Since its beginnings as a Eurovision interval performance in 1994, Riverdance has been seen by more than 31 million people across 51 countries, with generations of dancers taking to the stage.  Joining Alan Morris...

The countdown is on to Harvest Music & Garden Festival, which returns to Ennis Showgrounds on Sunday, September 28th, bringing together live music, gardening, food, crafts and family entertainment.  Ahead of the main festival, there’s a public launch this Saturday, August 22nd, at The Height in Ennis.  To tell us more about the launch and what’s planned for Harvest this year, Alan Morrissey was jo...

Primary school class sizes and teacher numbers are firmly back on the agenda, with the INTO calling for 1,000 additional primary teachers in Budget 2027.  Here in Clare, there are also concerns about the future of smaller rural schools, with around five schools currently considered at risk due to low pupil numbers.  To discuss the pressures facing primary schools, Alan Morrissey was joined by Gare...

Joining Alan Morrissey earlier was East Clare writer Eileen Donnellan, who has just been named one of 12 winners of the Irish Writers Centre International Debut Novel Competition.  Eileen was selected from 804 submissions across 38 countries for her novel The Notion of Words, which explores grief, secrets and the impact of false beliefs.  Originally from East Clare and now living in Croatia, Eilee...

There are calls for better signage and clearer routing for large trucks travelling through Cratloe towards Limerick, after an HGV was forced to reverse around half a mile when it encountered a low bridge.  A local resident who helped the foreign driver navigate back towards the village says the incident took around 30 minutes to resolve, with heavy traffic adding to the difficulty.  They say it is...

Clare's Tourism Advisory Forum Chair has confirmed a number of hotel beds are still available in this county ahead of the Amgen Irish Open. The prestigious stage of the DP World Tour will come to Doonbeg on September 9th, just days after the Walker Cup takes place in Lahinch. US President Donald Trump is expected to visit his resort for the event, and it's understood his Secret Service entourage a...

Signage will be erected at a popular Clare walking trail in order to deter further illegal dumping. Coillte has confirmed it will install anti-dumping signs at Mooghaun Forest following a spate of incidents in recent weeks. The semi-state agency responsible for the management of 440,000 hectares of Irish forests says it's spent €2m on removing illegally dumped waste in recent years. Newmarket-On-F...

Feakle Killanena will be looking to bounce back from their opening round defeat in the Clare Credit Unions Senior Camogie Championship this weekend. The East Clare outfit were beaten by five points by 2024 County Champions Truagh Clonlara last week, without the services of county star Lorna McNamara. St. Joseph's Doora Barefield provide the opposition in Round 2 on Friday evening, with the Parish...