Clare FM

Following yesterday’s meeting at Leinster House, Clare-based disability rights campaigner Ann Marie Flanagan joined working Disabled People James Cawley and Brian Dalton to meet with Ministers Jack Chambers and Dara Calleary to discuss the proposed fully refundable €500 Cost of Disability tax credit for working Disabled People.  The delegation is calling for greater financial support for working D...

Determination, kindness and community spirit are at the heart of an inspiring challenge being undertaken by Harry Marren O’Callaghan, a Transition Year student who is preparing to walk almost 60km from The Comp to the Burren.   Combining his Gaisce – The President’s Award challenge with a fundraising effort for Thomas and My Canine Companion Autism and Therapy Services, Harry will trek by day and...

The Fiddler of Dooney Competition 2026 took place on the October Bank Holiday weekend.  River mcGann won the Dooney Fiddler 2026 title at the weekend, another big one to add to the cabinet!  To find out more, River joined Derrick Lynch in-studio. Photo (c) Clare FM

A so-called 'blue tsunami' has hit American politics - as the Democrats have swept to power in both chambers of the US Congress.     It could leave Donald Trump unable to pass legislation in the final two years of his Presidency.     He says Republicans suffered losses because he wasn't on the ballot.     Scott Lucas - professor at the Clinton Institute - believes we're going to see a series of in...

Shannon Airport says it's looking to keep the momentum of a strong 2026 rolling into next year. It comes as the Clare base has announced a new service to Milan Bergamo will become operational from March 2027. It follows a summer that saw Shannon Airport exceed the one million passenger mark and confirm the return of the Air Canada service to Toronto. Airport Director, Niall Kearns, says they're ho...

An event aiming to inspire the next generation of Clare's Social Enterprise's will take place in Ennis today. Social Enterprises' are businesses which rather than focusing on profits, prioritise social, societal and environmental issues. There are roughly 70 in Clare, including groups like Obair Meals on Wheels and Community Creche and Clare Haven Charity Shop. The expo is being held at the Temple...

On Atlantic Tales this week Pat Flynn meets young farmer and blacksmith Eoin McBride. Eoin's family has been working the land at Stonehall for over 200 years and he describes himself as the current steward of the land. He also operates a forge out of an old converted cattle shed on the farm.

County Clare has reached a major milestone in its digital connectivity, with the completion of the National Broadband Plan rollout across the county.   National Broadband Ireland and Clare County Council are marking the occasion today (Wednesday, November 4th).  Joining Derrick Lynch to discuss what this means for homes, farms and businesses throughout Clare, and the opportunities that reliable hi...

Residents in Ennistymon are raising concerns about early-morning noise from the road sweeper, which they say has been waking people as early as 6am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.   One local, Patricia Dunne, with the help of her cousin Anne Kinnane, has taken to the Ennistymon Town Forum Facebook group to call on Clare County Council to change the schedule, suggesting the town could be visite...

Some listeners may find the following segment upsetting.    Clare Animal Welfare have raised concerns over the treatment of animals in the county following an incident of serious abuse against Gloria, a year-old Whippet.    Gloria spent three days and three nights in hospital, nearly losing both of her paws, after allegedly being attacked by a gang of "youths". Thankfully, she was rescued by a mem...

An extraordinary legal case heard in Ennis more than 220 years ago is now the subject of a new play by playwright and former UCC lecturer Derry Cotter.  The case dates back to 1804 and involved Reverend Charles Massy, whose wife Mary Anne eloped to England with the Marquis of Headfort, Thomas Taylour.  Reverend Massy subsequently brought a legal action against the Marquis for what was then known a...

Sixmilebridge is one of 26 towns across the country selected for a new pilot initiative aimed at revitalising town centres by turning vacant commercial premises into thriving local businesses.     The plan, proposed by Minister of State for Retail Alan Dillon, will see local authorities, regeneration officers and Local Enterprise Offices work together to match empty properties with the needs of th...

A local councillor has raised concerns about the condition of Drumcliffe Cemetery following the recent cemetery blessing, where a number of gravestones were left covered in grass cuttings and dirt on the day families gathered to remember their loved ones.  Mayor of Ennis and Clarecastle Sinn Féin Councillor, Tommy Guilfoyle has expressed his disappointment following an experience relayed by a list...

Clare County Council is seeking developers to carry out the development of 12 serviced residential sites in Lisdoonvarna. The project, valued at up to €1.2 million, consists of sites for new private homes along with the construction of a new service road and ssociated footpaths, provision of public amenity open space, and required site services. The project is set to be the first of its kind deliv...

Shannon Municipal District's seven councillors have each been awarded €49,000 in General General Municipal Allocation funding for the cominng year. Overall the MD is set to benefit from a collective total of €343,000, which can be distributed to small scale community developments. The collective allocation remains the same as last year's, with no increase to the GMA seen since 2023. Shannon MD Cat...

Clare FM brings you our latest feature, Clare FM’s Road Safety Initiative. In this episode, Clare FM’s Lily Collins is joined by Rachel Hartigan, Ardnacrusha Fianna Fáil Cllr and member of the Clare Road Safety Working Group. Rachel discusses the current state of road safety infrastructure in Clare and the process of obtaining traffic calming measures in the council. Funded by the Coimisiún na Meá...

The latest Simon Communities of Ireland report has highlighted just how difficult it has become for people relying on the Housing Assistance Payment, or HAP, to find affordable rental accommodation. Just 12 properties across 16 areas surveyed were available within HAP limits in September, a 40% decrease on the previous report. While Clare wasn't included in the survey, the findings raise serious q...

A new report has highlighted significant capacity pressures across hospitals in the Mid-West, with an average of 38 patients every day occupying acute hospital beds despite being medically approved to move to another appropriate care setting. The findings come from a new Mid-West Hospital Capacity Tracker, prepared by Bartra Healthcare, which examines hospital capacity between January and Septembe...

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. Joining Alan was Pat Sexton from Clare Sports Partnership and the EVC2027 steering group. image (c) Natasha Barton

We often take our coastline for granted, but the waters and cliffs around Ireland are home to some of the most remarkable seabirds in the world. From puffins and gannets to guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes, Ireland is an internationally important location for seabird populations. And here in Clare, we are particularly fortunate to have some spectacular coastal habitats, including the Cliffs o...

Joining Alan was Mike Hanrahan, musician, songwriter and one half of the legendary Stockton’s Wing. Mike has recently received European recognition for his song A River Rolls On, which has been acknowledged as a dementia anti-stigma message for change. Inspired by his own mum, the song is a beautiful reminder of the power of music to connect, comfort and challenge perceptions around dementia. Imag...

The days of ordering a €3 dress, a €2 household gadget or cheap jewellery from international online shopping platforms without additional charges are changing. The European Union is tightening the rules on low-value parcels entering the bloc, with additional fees targeting platforms such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress. Around 5.8 billion parcels valued at less than €150 entered the EU last year, an...

Upgrades to wastewater infrastructure in a west Clare village are being hailed as a gamechanger for the region. It comes as Uisce Éireann has received the go ahead for the full redevelopment of the Kilmihil Wastewater Treatment Plant. The new infrastructure is set to cater for the village's needs for the next three decades, with hopes of major development in the area off the back of the works. Wes...

Coming up on the show, we will reflect on Inagh-Kilnamona's win over Glen Rovers in the Munster club hurling championship along with Clooney-Quin's victory in the Clare Minor A hurling final. We look back on the weekend's local soccer action and Moy GAA Club are the focus of More Than A Club

Clare FM’s Derrick Lynch took us through the weekend’s sporting fixtures. ~ Munster Senior Club Hurling Quarter Final ~  Inagh-Kilnamona 1-21 Glen Rovers 1-14 (Cork) (Sunday, Páirc Uí Rinn)  ~ Clare U21 A Football Championship ~ Image (c) Clare FM