Clare FM

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...

Clare's local soccer season is set to kick off this weekend. The first round of the Hugh Kelly Cup along with the divisional league cups get underway, with the league season follwing suit after the respective finals are played. Avenue United face Moher Celtic in the opening game of the Hugh Kelly, while Bridge United take on Tulla United in what is the marquee tie of the opening round. Clare FM an...

It's hoped recurring IDA site visits will lead to a significant investment in the Clarecastle Roche Site in the near future. The inward investment agency enabled 19 site visits to Clare last year, with 95 jobs being created in the same timeframe. The Brownfield site in Clarecastle which previously employed over 240 people is currently for sale on the open market. Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney has...

After a ten-year absence, one of Kilkee's most loved community events is making a welcome return.  The Kilkee Maritime Festival will take place on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd August.  Organised by Kilkee Chamber with the help of local volunteers, the festival celebrates everything that's great about a classic Irish seaside town.   To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined on the line by festiv...

Almost 300 primary schools across Ireland have been identified as potentially suitable for moving from Catholic to multi-denominational patronage, based on the preferences expressed by parents and guardians.  Schools have until October 31st to decide whether they want to be part of the first group to explore a change. So what would a move mean for pupils, parents, teachers and the identity of indi...

On Tuesday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Fergal O’Keeffe, Ennis Native and creator of Travel Tales with Fergal podcast. Fergal recounted his family trip, during which they completed the 110km journey from Sarria to Santiago. Image (c) Clare FM

On Tuesday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Sharon Cahir, Cahir & Co. Solicitors for this week’s legal advice. Sharon discussed the importance of personal estate planning and not leaving it until the last minute. Image (c) Chair & Co. Solicitors

The Government is being called on to reconvene the Dail early to ensure fuel supports remain in place.   The cuts to excise duty of 27 cent for a litre of petrol, and 32 cent on a litre of diesel, were introduced in the wake of widespread fuel protests in April.  Those excise reductions are set to be phased out on the 1st of September, however the Dail is in recess until the middle of next month. ...

Clare is preparing to celebrate its title as European Volunteering Capital 2027, recognising the thousands of people across the county who give their time to support their communities.  One of those volunteers is Seán Roche from Kilnaboy, whose volunteering journey began as a teenager in 1967 and has continued across youth work, community development, sport and local organisations.  Alan Morrissey...

As children grow up and leave home, it can be a time of huge change — bringing a sense of freedom for some, but loneliness and a loss of routine and purpose for others.  East Clare Community Co-op in Scariff is exploring the idea of creating a regular social space for women experiencing that “empty nest” stage of life, with everything from crafts and cooking to yoga, mindfulness and simply having...

There are calls for a major revamp of George’s Street in Sixmilebridge, with concerns that parts of the street are looking increasingly run-down.  The issue comes as the village continues to grow, with new housing developments bringing more residents into the area.  Community representatives say investment and consultation are needed to make sure Sixmilebridge remains an attractive and welcoming p...

We’re looking at the growing concerns around dangerous driving, Garda pursuit training and the role of social media in encouraging reckless behaviour, following the tragic M9 crash in Co. Kildare, which claimed the lives of five teenagers and left four others seriously injured.  The Garda Representative Association says members have been “crying out” for specialist pursuit training, while the Just...

Kilmurry Ibrickane boss Enda Coughlan says his side have plenty of areas to work on, despite a second half surge that saw them qualify for the senior championship quarter finals The Bricks delivered a strong third quarter showing to dispatch Lissycasey 1-16 to 0-12 in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg. Daniel Walsh hit 1-1 for the 2020 champions with Conor Burke and Daryn Callinan both nailing orange fl...

Uisce Éireann says water supplies are beginning to pick up in Clare as members of the public appear to be complying with a national conservation order. The order to conserve water, which includes a hosepipe ban remains in place until Wednesday, August 26th. The utility is continuing to tanker treated water to Carran and Crusheen due to complications brought on by the dry spell. Clare Operations Ma...

Coming up on this evening's show... Recap from what was another busy weekend of action across the Clare adult club championships with Round 2 in both the Men's and Women's football championships. Friday night saw the Clare Credit Unions Senior Camogie championship get up and running too with plenty of talking points from the opening round of games.

Alan Morrissey was joined by Clare FM’s Darragh O'Grady to chat about the weekend’s sporting fixtures. ~ TUS Senior Football Championship ~  Group 1:  - Éire Óg 2-15 Doonbeg 3-9 (Saturday) - Cratloe 0-20 St. Joseph’s Miltown Malbay 3-13 (Saturday) Group 2:  - St. Joseph’s Doora Barefield 3-12 Kildysart 3-12 (Saturday) - Ennistymon 1-19 Kilmihill 0-6 (Sunday) Group 3:  - Lissycasey 0-12 Kilmurry Ib...

Labasheeda will be alive with traditional music and set dancing this coming weekend (21st to 23rd August) as the Dan Furey Weekend celebrates its 29th year.   The festival honours the memory of legendary Clare dancing master Dan Furey and features three fantastic céilí bands — the Tulla Céilí Band, the Kilfenora Céilí Band and Johnny Reidy Céilí Band — along with workshops and other events.  Joini...

New figures from An Garda Síochána show that reported hate crimes and hate-related incidents increased by 15% in 2025, with 780 incidents recorded nationwide.   The figures come as concerns continue about racism, anti-nationality abuse and the impact of online and offline intimidation.  Alan Morrissey heard three very personal perspectives on Monday's Morning Focus.   Maria Nikishanova is an Ennis...

Judy Beck from Clonroad Garden Centre, Ennis was back on Monday’s Morning Focus to answer all your gardening queries. This week, Judy spoke about the beauty and popularity of heathers (the flower, not the musical). If you have any questions for Judy, contact the show on 0818 400 964 or send a text or WhatsApp to 086 1800 964. Image (c) Clonroad Garden Centre