Podcasts about cratloe

Jim Enright is this year's Munster Scór Long Service Award recipient at the All-Ireland Senior Scór Finals taking place in Castlebar this Saturday, April 26th. Jim first took part in Scór on Bloody Sunday, January 1972. The event was postponed due to the outrage. Jim has taken part every year since then with little success until Flann O'Reilly from West Clare and Michael Thorne from South Tipperary came on board. They have won numerous Trath na gCeist County titles, four Munster titles and one All Ireland title in that period. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by livestock farmer from Cratloe, Jim Enright. Photo. (c) Jim Enright being congratulated by the Munster GAA Chairman Tim Murphy

Clare artists have once again shown what huge hearts they have in donating an array of uniquely special artworks for this year's incognito art sale in aid of the Jack and Jill Children's Foundation. A total of six artists from the Banner County have come together to back the fundraising endeavour, which enables eight Clare families to continue to receive vital care and support from the Foundation for their children. To discuss this further, Peter O'Connell was joined by Artist from Cratloe, for whom it is her third year doing incognito, Yvonne Locke, and communications manager with the Jack and Jill Children's Foundation, Eileen O'Malley. Picture © Jack and Jill Children's Foundation

The Minister for Finance says he expects jobs to be impacted in the medium term, as a result of the US tariffs imposed on Europe. The government says it's still unclear exactly how jobs would be hit, but Paschal Donohoe wants a negotiated settlement to the US tariffs. Minister Donohoe says a prediction on jobs could not be made until the EU outlines its response.. Meanwhile, the Irish Exporters Association will meet the Tanaiste Simon Harris at today's Trade Forum. Chief Executive Simon McKeever says a calm response is needed to President Trump's US tariffs... To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Cratloe farmer and Former ICSA General Secretary, Eddie Punch, and Birgitta Curtin, Burren Smokehouse.

On this week's Atlantic Tales, Pat Flynn visits Cratloe in South East Clare nestled at the foot of Woodcock Hill, surrounded by forests and scenic walking trails. Cratloe is also steeped in history with no less than four castles in the area while local oak was used in many historic buildings including the Houses of Parliament in Westminster and the Royal Palace in Amsterdam.

Passengers journeys by train between Ennis and Limerick have increased by 20% in the last year. New figures released by Iarnród Éireann to Bodyke Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney show the level of investment in the company's capital investment programme, which supports the Limerick to Galway service, will rise from €700 million this year to €2.5 billion in 2029. It's also been revealed that Passing Loop studies are being conducted at Cratloe, Clarecastle and Crusheen to allow for greater frequency and capacity of services. The Government has yet to commit to reopening the Crusheen rail stop but Deputy Cooney believes the village's inclusion the current studies is a positive sign.

On Thursday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by, Martyn Whyte, chef at Glas Restaurant, Hotel Doolin. This week, Martyn shared a delicious recipe for Tartiflette and Carrot and Brussel Sprout Salad Tartiflette Recipe: Tartiflette - potatoes, onion, crispy bacon, cheese (St tola's hard, Ailiwee smoked, Cratloe hills) 500g salad or baby potatoes 4 large shallots - thinly sliced 200g of bacon/lardons/guanciale 200g St tolas hard, Ailiwee cave smoked cheese, Cratloe hills mature - all grated 200ml crème fraiche 400ml heavy cream 250ml white wine 50g chopped parsley Start by cooking the potatoes- I like to simmer them in water with lots of salt, garlic, thyme and rosemary. Once cooked peel the skin off and slice into rough chunks. Start to fry the bacon, a little bit of oil at the start will help it golden faster. Add in the sliced shallot and garlic. Continue to cook on a medium heat until everything has caramalised. Deglaze the pan with white wine and reduce to a glaze. Add in the cream and reduce by half. Turn off the heat and whisk in the creme fraiche and chopped parsley. Start by layering the dish with the cooked, sliced potatoes, now a layer of the bacon and shallot mix and a layer of the grated cheeses. Repeat until all of the mixture has been used. Finish on top with a generous mix of the cheeses. Cook in the oven until golden brown and piping hot throughout. You can use streaky bacon, lardons, guanciale or simply go without to make it veggie friendly. If you want to make it vegan, swap out the cream, cheese and crème fraiche for dairy free alternatives. Want to spice it up? try adding nduja sausage. Caramalized carrot and Brussel sprout salad with smoked almonds and goats cheese recipe: 500g Carrots 500g brussel sprouts 100g shallots 50ml rapeseed oil 25ml balsamic 50ml honey Start by peeling the carrots, reserve the peelings. Cut the carrot into rough chunks, if using small or baby carrots, in half will do. Mix the rapeseed oil, butter, honey and balsamic vinegar together. Mix this with the carrots. Leave to marinade for about 30 minutes. Roast the carrots at 190 for about 20 to 25 minutes. They should be starting to caramelize at this point, with a nice crunch to them. While the carrots are cooking, prepare the sprouts. Simply cut in half and remove the outer leaves if they are scruffy. Add into the tray with the carrots after about 10 minutes. Add the shallots at this point too. They'll take about 10 minutes to cook. They should be brown with a little crunch and bite to them. Mix the carrot and sprouts together, generously cover with the chopped smoked almonds and st tolas goats cheese. Serve hot or cold! I like to deep fry the carrot peelings in oil at 180 until they are crunchy. Makes a nice little garnish and addition to the dish. To make it vegan friendly simply swap out the dairy products with vegan friendly non dairy alternatives. Photo (c): by Mizina from Getty Images via Canva & Aesthetic squiggle line by Sandi Dwi Prasetyo from Sandidwipr via Canva

During Tuesday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey chatted with former Independent councillor, PJ Ryan about the people in both Cratloe and Sixmilebridge who were without electricity due to the extremely cold weather. Quite a few of the affected people are elderly, as PJ mentioned, and the circumstances left them feeling particularly vulnerable. It is timely, therefore, to highlight some advice for the most vulnerable people in Clare, in light of the current cold snap. To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by the Home Instead Clare general manager Brian O'Sullivan. Photo (c): Huettenhoelscher from Getty Images via Canva

There's a strong call for traffic calming on a south-east Clare road where vehicles are said to be "literally flying". The latest meeting of Shannon Municipal District has heard calls for measures to be put in place on the Wood Road in Cratloe which it's claimed is "extremely busy" particularly at school traffic peak times. A pedestrian crossing was installed on the route in 2023 which Shannon Municipal District says "functions as a traffic calming measure", but it says an assessment of traffic behaviour on the rest of the road will be conducted to determine if further measures are needed. Sixmilebridge Fine Gael Councillor John Crowe believes more needs to be done to keep motorists and pedestrians safe.

A General Election candidate in Clare believes Donald Trump's second term as US president could inadvertently expose the Irish Government's "waste of taxpayers' money". The President-elect has pledged to bring American jobs back to the US and away from countries like Ireland by slashing corporation tax and offering lower rates to companies who create more jobs. So far this year, Ireland has received €22 billion in corporation tax receipts from multinational corporations who employ over 300,000 people nationwide. Cratloe-based Independent Ireland candidate Eddie Punch says even if a handful of these companies pull out of Ireland, the economic impact will lay bare the disregard with which the State has treated taxpayers' money to date.

Residents of a south-east Clare village are said to be "held captive in their own houses" due to the speed at which traffic passes by their homes. As of this month, speed limits on national secondary roads have been reduced from 100 km/h to 80 km/h, while on rural roads they're down from 80 km/h to 60 km/h. Reductions have also been seen in built up areas like housing estates from 50 km/h to 30 km/h, but Cratloe Fianna Fáil Councillor Pat O'Gorman is arguing that as his village has no housing estates, its roads aren't seeing any road safety improvements. He says the traffic on Cratloe's satellite roads is akin to a funeral procession at peak times.

Iarnród Eireann has unveiled its proposals to increase frequency and introduce an hourly service on the Ennis to Limerick rail line. At a special presentation before Ennis Chamber today, the company also provided significant updates on the Shannon Airport Rail Spur, the Ballycar Flood Defence Scheme and the reopening of the Crusheen Rail Stop. Iarnród Eireann used the meeting to deliver their plan for implementing the recommendations of the strategic All-Island Rail Review over the next 26 years. Among the aims of the programme is a rail link to Shannon Airport and reducing all intercity journey times to below 2 hours. Iarnród Eireann is hoping to connect Clare's International Airport to the rail network via a spur at either Cratloe or Sixmilebridge. Within the next 3 years, the company is aiming to gain stage 1 project approval, concecpt feasibility, costing and a preliminary design. Ennis Chamber CEO Margaret O'Brien insists timely delivery of the project will be crucial to the region's economic and tourism growth and says it's vital all stakeholders row in behind the plans. The Clare based CEO of Iarnród Eireann has set a goal of creating an inflection point in Irish society, where public transport overtakes the car as the first port of call for getting from A to B. Locally, the company is planning to provide an hourly service from Ennis to Limerick and reducing the travel time on the route to twenty minutes. This will be done by doubling the existing track infrastructure at Limerick Junction and introducing a looped track at Sixmilebridge, which will enable two trains to travel on the line simultaneously. The company is expecting the cost of the flooding solution at Ballycar, near Newmarket-On-Fergus to exceed €16m and is completing a new costing while it awaits funding approval from the National Transport Authority. If approved, Iarnród Eireann boss, Jim Meade believes the legacy flooding issues on the Ennis-Limerick line can be eliminated in the next two to three years. The Cooraclare native, who joined the company as an apprentice back in 1979, says providing top quality infrastructure in the MidWest is of paramount importance. Next year, Iarnród Eireann will aim to introduce the world's first ever Hydrogen powered locomotive and will begin the process of electrifying the rail network as part of a decarbonisation plan. The public transport provider is open to extending the rail network too and has confirmed its intention to progress with the reopening of the Crusheen Rail Stop, subject to funding approval by the NTA and Department of Transport. During the briefing, Green Party Deputy Leader Roisín Garvey confirmed Transport Minister Eamon Ryan would meet with a delegation from Crusheen to discuss the proposal, which is estimated to cost €4.5m. Nollaig Barry from the Inchicronan Development Group believes the reopening of Crusheen is a no-brainer.

Morning Focus was broadcasting live from Carey Corbett Financial Solutions in Ennis, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the business. Firstly, Alan Morrissey was joined by Shannon resident, Niamh O'Callaghan and Cratloe resident, Padraig Collins to discuss road safety and pedestrian crossings. After that, Alan was joined by Tommy Corbett, of Carey Corbett Financial Solutions to find out more about the business and the work that they do. We then had our weekly Duchas is Dochas segment with Therese McInerney. Next, Alan was joined by Donal Carey, of Carey Corbett Financial Solutions to tell us more about the services they offer. Later, Alan was joined by Michael Guerin, Addiction Counsellor at Cuan Mhuire to discuss funding granted to community drug addiction organisations in HSE MidWest. Alan was then joined by two members of staff who work at Carey Corbett, Mortgage Advisor, Ruth Sheehan and Life Insurance Advisor, Dearbhla Reddan to talk about the success of the business. We then had episode 5 of our True Colours segment where we heard from Thomas Cole. After that, Alan was joined by Tommy Corbett of Carey Corbett financial solutions, Mike Taylor, Director of Policy and Public Affairs FASD and Sallyann Marron, of Sallyann's Handbags for our weekly Friday panel. Next, we had our Atlantic Tales segment with Pat Flynn. To close the show, Alan was joined by Clare FM Sports Editor, Derrick Lynch to preview the upcoming weekend in sport.

A Clare General Election hopeful claims this county has been asked to shoulder a disproportionate burden when it comes to housing asylum seekers. Former Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association General Secretary Eddie Punch has announced his candidacy for Independent Ireland in the upcoming General Election,. The Cratloe native ran unsuccessfully for the newly-formed party in the recent European Elections - coming in at 12th place with a tally of 26,167 votes. He says one of his priorities will be working to devise a sustainable plan for accommodating international protection applicants and Ukrainian refugees in this county into the future.

A petition has been launched by parents, in a bid to get the Houses of the Oireachtas to overrule the Education Minister on the pilot school bus scheme that is now underway in South-East Clare. Parents in Sixmilebridge, Cratloe and Newmarket-on-Fergus have been expressing concerns around health and safety, traffic congestion and value for money, ever since the announcement by Bus Éireann of the new service, which sees 440 students travelling to Shannon by way of its 343 public bus service. To find out more about this petition, Alan Morrissey spoke with a Newmarket on Fergus Parent Representative, Aisling Halpin, and with a Sixmilebridge Parent Representative, Aoife Keogh.

It's claimed the new South East Clare school bus service has already proven far inferior to its previous model. It follows concerns raised by constituents over traffic congestion and public safety after the first day of Bus Eireann's new routes from Cratloe, Newmarket-On-Fergus and Sixmilebridge to Shannon taking to the roads. It's understood buses coming to collect students in the evening did not have enough to space to access the designated pull in bay; temporarily blocking local residents in their homes. So far, just first year students have returned to school and Clare Oireachtas Transport Committee Member Fianna Fáil Senator Timmy Dooley fears there will bedlam in the coming weeks unless the service is scrapped.

Last week, we brought you the news that parents were concerned and frustrated over plans to pilot a new school bus scheme in South-East Clare. Parents were reacting, after it emerged over 550 students from Cratloe, Newmarket-On-Fergus and Sixmilebridge will be integrated on an enhanced version of the public Ennis to Shannon 343 route. Their concerns over the planned changes include issues such as health and safety, lack of bus shelters, capacity, and value for money. This story continues to develop and Sixmilebridge was the scene for a protest this morning, in opposition to the new school transport pilot scheme. For more on this, Alan Morrissey was joined by Aoife Keogh and Edel Rafferty, parent representatives from Sixmilebridge.

Bus Eireann is being urged to go back to the drawing board and reinstate a dedicated school bus service in South-East Clare. Under a new pilot scheme commencing next week, over 550 students from Cratloe, Newmarket-On-Fergus and Sixmilebridge will be integrated on an enhanced version of the public Ennis to Shannon 343 route. Parents groups have already raised concerns about extensive traffic congestion and health and safety risks about proposed stops along the route, including the final drop-off point near the main road at St.Johnn and Paul's Church in Shannon. Shannon Sinn Féin Councillor Donna McGettigan fears the plans will cause chaos for local families.

Concern is being expressed by parents in Sixmilebridge, Cratloe and Newmarket-on-Fergus over planned changes to their children's school bus service to Shannon. For more on the planned changes and why they have caused panic amongst parents, Alan Morrissey spoke with Edel Rafferty, from Sixmilebridge, one of the aforementioned parents. Picture (c) Igor Vershinsky via Canva.com

"Huge concerns" around the safety of a new school bus service being trialled in Clare have been highlighted by parents. With just two weeks to go until secondary schools reopen their doors, Bus Éireann has announced that students in the south-east of the county availing of its services to travel to Shannon will do so by way of the 343 public bus service. On August 6th, parents in Newmarket-on-Fergus, Sixmilebridge and Cratloe whose children are registered for Bus Éireann's school bus service for the coming academic year received an email informing them of the details of the service. Following on from a Department of Education review of the School Transport Scheme, a new pilot scheme is being trialled in south-east Clare whereby students will travel on the existing 343 bus service which ordinarily goes from Limerick to Ennis via Shannon. Bus Éireann has told parents their students will be issued with Leap Cards which they can use to avail of other public transport services in their area. It's understood the designated pick-up area for the between 270 and 280 students who'll be using the service in Sixmilebridge will be McGregor's Pub which doesn't currently have a bus stop or shelter. Among the concerns raised by parents are health and safety, traffic congestion arising from increased bus activity and value for money. Newmarket-on-Fergus Fianna Fáil Councillor David Griffin claims many parents are worried about the prospect of their children going to school on a service used by the general public.

"Huge concerns" around the safety of a new school bus service being trialled in Clare have been highlighted by parents. With just two weeks to go until secondary schools reopen their doors, Bus Éireann has announced that students in the south-east of the county availing of its services to travel to Shannon will do so by way of the 343 public bus service. On August 6th, parents in Newmarket-on-Fergus, Sixmilebridge and Cratloe whose children are registered for Bus Éireann's school bus service for the coming academic year received an email informing them of the details of the service. Following on from a Department of Education review of the School Transport Scheme, a new pilot scheme is being trialled in south-east Clare whereby students will travel on the existing 343 bus service which ordinarily goes from Limerick to Ennis via Shannon. Bus Éireann has told parents their students will be issued with Leap Cards which they can use to avail of other public transport services in their area. It's understood the designated pick-up area for the between 270 and 280 students who'll be using the service in Sixmilebridge will be McGregor's Pub which doesn't currently have a bus stop or shelter. Among the concerns raised by parents are health and safety, traffic congestion arising from increased bus activity and value for money. Sixmilebridge mother Edel Rafferty - whose three children will be starting back in St. Caimin's in Shannon this month - says it's not the service she paid for.

Cratloe Manager Colm Collins After Win Over Miltown In TUS Clare SFC

A Clare member of the Western Inter-County Railway Committee is urging the Government to act with haste to implement the recommendations of the All-Island Rail Review. The 37 billion euro plan will aim to connect Shannon Airport to the rail network, with a spur to be provided from either Sixmilebridge or Cratloe. The strategy will also involve new routes to Shannon through the reopening of the Foynes line, but has not promised to reinstate the Crusheen Rail Stop as part of the Western Rail Corridor. Maghera Fianna Fáil Councillor Pat Hayes has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan that while efforts to reopen Crusheen are ongoing, action must be taken now to improve connectivity and bolster growth opportunities for Shannon Airport.

Irish Rail insists having a rail connection to Shannon Airport would give this region a stronger counterbalance to Dublin. The national railway network provider is planning to bring a proposal to the Government through the Department of Transport for the creation of a rail stop at the Midwest base. Building a rail spur from either Sixmilebridge or Cratloe to Shannon Airport was a recommendation of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, while the Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce Report also supports the connection of the airport to the rail network. Clare native and Irish Rail Chief Executive Officer Jim Meade believes connecting the construction of a rail connection at Shannon would make the airport more sustainable as well as more competitive.

The Kilfenora Ceilí Band will be playing the beautiful surrounds of the Vandeleur Walled Garden & Visitor Centre later this month. The show forms part of this year's Vandeleur Festival Kilrush. The band will have superb support, in the shape of Cratloe's Ger O'Donnell.

A Clare candidate who was unsuccessful in his European election bid says those chosen to represent Ireland South must prioritise issues of disability, mental health and imbalanced regional investment. With the 18th count due to get underway at the Nemo Rangers Count Centre in Cork, Clare TD Michael McNamara remains in contention to take a seat. Cratloe's Eddie Punch made it to count 14 before being excluded, having received a total 26,167 votes in the process. The final tally left the former General Secretary of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association in 13th position of the 23 candidates in the race. His transfers benefitted his fellow county man significantly though, with 6,690 of his votes going to Clare Independent candidate Michael McNamara, who now lies in third position, with five seats on offer. As things stand, the Scariff Deputy looks likely to take a seat, which would trigger a bye-election and this, by law must be held within six months, unless there's a General Election. But Eddie Punch who ran under the banner of Independent Ireland, believes this process must be expedited to ensure Clare has adequate Dáil representation. He insists though regardless of who is chosen to represent Ireland South, issues of disability, a mental health epidemic and imbalanced regional investment must be prioritised in European Parliament. Back at Nemo Rangers GAA Club, the votes of Fine Gael candidate John Mullins are currently being distributed which will prove pivotal to determing the final outcome. Deputy McNamara has done well from the elimination of Ireland First candidate Derek Blighe, receiving over 8,100 of his transfers to leapfrog Kathleen Funchion of Sinn Féin. At present just 3,800 votes separate MEP Mick Wallace in 5th and the Green Party MEP Grace O'Sullivan in 7th, while Fianna Fáil's Cynthia NÍ Mhurchú lies between in 6th. Michael McNamara remains 2,000 votes ahead of his nearest competitor, but with three candidates still to be eliminated, the contest for the final three seats is wide open.

It will likely be tomorrow before an official announcement is made, but Clare TD Michael McNamara remains on course to secure a move to Brussels. The Scariff deputy is currently lying third in the running in the Ireland South Constituency having amassed over 62,500 votes on the eleventh count. Aontú's Patrick Murphy, who is also the CEO of the Ireland South-West Fisheries Board, has just been eliminated and 17,000 of his votes are currently being distributed. As it stands, Cratloe's Eddie Punch, who is the former General Secretary of the ICSA, and Labour's Niamh Hourigan, are next in line to be excluded. Clare FM's Jamie O'Hara who's at the Nemo Rangers count centre has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan that Deputy McNamara should benefit significantly from the transfers to come.

The Chair of Clare's Joint Policing Committee says he "can't understand" why Clare is lagging behind other counties regarding the provision of traffic calming measures. The number of recorded speeding offences in this county is up 15% so far this year, with 1,135 separate incidents detected by Gardaí between January and April. At the most recent Shannon Municipal District meeting, Fine Gael Councillor John Crowe has called for traffic calming on the approach roads to Sixmilebridge, Cratloe and Newmarket-on-Fergus. The Sixmilebridge representative insists the local authority and Gardaí must work together to combat the concerning rise in speeding.

An illegal dumping incident in south-east Clare has sparked renewed calls for surveillance to be installed in litter blackspots. Residents of Gallows Hill in Cratloe have been greeted this week by the sight of a mound of rubbish containing tyres, concrete blocks and various plastic items at the entrance to a popular nature amenity. 44 complaints of illegal dumping in Clare were made in April alone, bringing the total number for the year so far to 242. Following the recent introduction of legislation allowing local authorities to combat illegal dumping through CCTV and drones, Cratloe Fianna Fáil Councillor Pat O'Gorman has been telling Clare FM's Seán Lyons that areas known for dumping must be monitored.

It is time for the thirteenth episode of our newest feature on Morning Focus, Village Tour, where Alan Morrissey paid a visit to Cratloe. With the Village Tour, we here at Morning Focus are aiming to highlight the smaller villages and townlands around the county. By doing this, we hope to showcase their unique character, while also bringing their diversity and individuality to life for you, the listener. During each episode of Village Tour, Alan chats with three people from a particular village or townland in Clare: from locals and business owners to those involved with local sports clubs and community representatives.

The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmer's Association General Secretary, Eddie Punch has announced his intention to run in the upcoming European Parliament elections on June 7th. The Cratloe-based farmer, who has worked for 25 years at the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) has confirmed that he will run as an independent candidate in Ireland South. For more on this, Eddie Punch joined Peter O'Connell, on Thursday's Morning Focus.

It's claimed Clare farms are struggling to cope amid a severe labour shortage this calving season. Across the MidWest region, the number of people working on a farm with livestock has fallen by over 10%. Clare still has the fourth and fifth highest totals of specialist beef and dairy farms respectively nationwide and last year, only 500 work permits were taken up for farming throughout the country. Cratloe based General Secretary of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association Eddie Punch says there is a serious risk of exhaustion.

On Friday, 8th March, the country will vote on the amendment of Constitutional provisions related to family and family care. One Family, Ireland's national organisation for one-parent families and people sharing parenting or separating, is campaigning for a Yes Yes vote on the family and care referendums. To discuss the calls for a yes vote, Alan Morrissey was joined by Louise Bayliss, S.P.A.R.K. - Single Parents Acting on the Rights of our Kids. Alan was also joined by Trish Lehane, a single parent from Cratloe, to explain why she will be voting no. Picture (c) electoralcommission.ie

A South-East Clare parent says she'll be voting no in the Family Referendum due to the wording of the amendment. The Family Amendment proposes inserting the phrase "whether founded on marriage or on other durable relationships" to the State's recognition of family in order to acknowledge the validity of non-martial relationships such as civil partnerships and single-parent families as well as traditional marriages. The phrase "durable relationships" has become the subject of much debate due to there being no concrete definition of it available. Cratloe mother Trish Lehane has issues with the phrase because she feels it implies that relationship considered "durable" could potentially end.

The County Dog Warden is reminding dog owners to keep their pets reined in following a recent incident which claimed the lives of several sheep. Five sheep were killed by a pet dog in a crate in Cratloe two weeks ago resulting in €1500 damage which the dog owner has paid. The incident also caused a number of pregnant sheep to miscarry due to distress. Clare County Dog Warden Frankie Coote says dog owners must remember that their pets will travel a significant distance in pursuit of prey.

Clare farmers taking to the streets this evening are said to be demanding respect as food producers. Members of the agricultural sector are participating in tractor runs across the country from 4pm today to show solidarity with their EU counterparts who have been voicing their opposition to increased costs and green policies in recent weeks. The meeting points in Clare are Setrights Tavern in Cratloe, Duggans Pub in Spancilhill and Dromoland. Parteen-based Chair of the Irish Farmers Assocation Clare branch Tom Lane has been telling me that farmers are feeling underappreciated for the valuable contribution they make to society.

Jackie O'Gorman, a Cratloe native and one of Clare's best hurling defenders, has passed away.The sad news was announced on Monday. Jackie won two National Hurling League titles with Clare and hurled for the Banner County in every single provincial championship for over a decade. On Wednesday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Fr. Harry Bohan who managed Jackie and Clare to two NHL titles. Picture (c) Cratloe GAA via Facebook.

The Clare-based general secretary of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association claims factory meat prices are "nowhere near" high enough to cover input costs. Bord Bia figures indicate that the average price for sheepmeat in Ireland last year was 20c behind where it was in 2022. The Irish Farm Accounts Co-operative Society's most recent Irish Farm Report meanwhile has found that for the third year running, farmers have identified inputs costs as their greatest concern. Cratloe farmer Eddie Punch says the burden of rising costs coupled with falling meat prices are putting significant strain on the agricultural sector.

Clare County Fire and Rescue Service responded to over 50 call-outs throughout the county last night as Storm Isha left as trail of destruction in it's wake. Over 80% of incidents in this county involved fallen trees which became uprooted in winds of up to 109 kilometres per hour and subsequently scattering debris, blocking some roads. A number of telegraph poles were also dislodged, mostly in the Keevagh area near Quin, leading to the R469 Ennis to Quin road closing for a time. The northbound carriageway of the N18 from Cratloe to Bunratty also had to be shut, as scattered debris from trees and branches made the road virtually impassable. A yellow weather warning for very strong and gusty winds remains in place for this county tonight and Clare Chief Fire Officer Adrian Kelly is urging the public to remain vigilant.

The Clare based General Secretary of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association says beef farming is not sustainable with this years beef prices. This year Irish farmers were recieving over €1 less per kg for their beef exports compared to their British counterparts and 30% less than EU farmers. China also suspended exports from Ireland following the the detection of atypical BSE in a dead cow that arrived in the country last month. Cratloe farmer Eddie Punch says this years market didn't react to the increase in input costs.

On Thursday's Morning Focus, Podge Collins spoke with Clare FM's Sports Editor Derrick Lynch on his retirement announcement from intercounty football. Earlier this month, Clare football received a big blow, with the confirmation of Podge Collins' retirement from inter-county action. The Cratloe man decided to call time on a career that began back in 2014. He switched from a dual mandate in 2017 to focus on hurling, but returned to the football set-up in 2021. It's a setback for Clare boss Mark Fitzgerald, who must plan for the 2024 season without up to 11 of his players. Picture (c) Shutterstock

An Ennis Irish language activist says he doesn't believe that half the population of Clare can speak Irish. A Central Statistics Office report has listed Clare as second only to Galway County in terms of the amount of Irish speakers as a percentage of overall population. Clare's relationship with the Irish language has come under the spotlight following the finding that this county has the second-highest proportion of Irish speakers nationwide. The CSO's 'Irish Language and Education' report has revealed that based on last year's Census data, 54,437 Clare people can speak some level of Irish, which equates to over 47% of the population. Lissycasey has the highest proportion of Irish speakers of any area in Clare, at 59%, followed by Kilmurry, Cratloe, Crusheen and Ardnacrusha. By contrast, just 32% of the population of Whitegate speak the language, while Quilty, Kilrush, Kilkee and Shannon also have a notably low proportion of Gaeilgeoirs. Despite the fact that 40% of people nationwide claimed to have Irish, 473,000 of these admit to never speaking it in their daily lives. Ennis-based Irish language activist Macdara Ó Conaola believes that in spite of the figures, many people view the Irish language as a novelty.

A former Clare U-21 Football Manager says the selfless workate of Podge Collins was central to all of this county's success. The Cratloe ace announced his retirement from inter-county football today following a career that began in 2014. A dual-star who rose to prominence from an early age, Collins was a member of the Clare U-21 and Senior All-Ireland Hurling winning teams in 2013 ,while he also played a key role in Clare's victory over Kildare in the National Football League Final in 2016 and would remain a key fixture in the Banner's full-forward line thereafter. Joe Garry, who managed Podge at underage level, has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan that he was a joy to deal with.

On Friday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by singer-songwriter and producer from Cratloe, Fiona O'Connell, to chat about her new single titled 'In The End'. Fiona mentioned her recent signing to independent label 'A For Effort Records' and how the opportunity came about. She also highlighted the balance she has found between her college education and her music career.

The Football Pod is back for the next five weeks as the club action heats up. As always James O'Donoghue and Paddy Andrews are talking Gaelic Football with Tommy Rooney. Timestamps below.00:30 - The Cratloe journey ends in Cork. 14:00 - Scotstown beat Kilcoo, winners and losers.24:00 - Aaron Kernan retires, epic club careers.34:00 - Kevin Cassidy's adviceYou can follow us and contact the pod on Twitter/Instagram: @footballpod_gaa.The Football Pod is brought to you in partnership with AIB - Proud sponsors of the club Hurling, Football and Camogie club championships. Check out #TheToughest for more.

The Football Pod is back for the next five weeks as the club action heats up. As always James O'Donoghue and Paddy Andrews are talking Gaelic Football with Tommy Rooney. Timestamps below.00:30 - The Cratloe journey ends in Cork. 14:00 - Scotstown beat Kilcoo, winners and losers.24:00 - Aaron Kernan retires, epic club careers.34:00 - Kevin Cassidy's adviceYou can follow us and contact the pod on Twitter/Instagram: @footballpod_gaa.The Football Pod is brought to you in partnership with AIB - Proud sponsors of the club Hurling, Football and Camogie club championships. Check out #TheToughest for more.

Cratloe Boss Colm Collins After Castlehaven Loss

Reaction from Glanmire after their Munster final win. We hear from Castlehaven after their win over Cratloe. We hear from Republic of Ireland under 21 boss Jim Crawford, and professional boxer Danny Keating.

The Clare based General Secretary of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association claims many family businesses here will not survive, if beef prices continue to decline. Currently 81% of all farmers in this county are conributing to the sector and the price they are receiving for produce at present is 30c per kg below the export benchmark. This means Irish farmers are getting almost a third less than their European counterparts for beef on the world stage. Cratloe farmer Eddie Punch says the Agri-Food regulator must step in and protect vulnerable local producers.

Cratloe Manager Colm Collins On Munster Club SFC

Coming up on the show: We will look ahead to a busy weekend of provincial club action with Cratloe, Kilmihil, Banner Ladies and Truagh-Clonlara all in action There's also a special night planned to honour Clare's All Ireland Premier Junior camogie side, there's a busy weekend of local soccer & a few other bits.