Podcasts about west clare

A US tourist visiting West Clare is appealing for help after her dog went missing following a road traffic accident in the Kilmurry McMahon area. The woman was taken to University Hospital Limerick for treatment and, in the confusion at the scene, her black Boston Terrier ran from the car and hasn't been seen since. Understandably, she's devastated and now hopes the local community might be able to help reunite her with her beloved pet. To discuss this further, Derrick Lynch was joined by Ciara Madden, patient advocacy and liaison service at UHL helping with the search. Image (c) Clare Dog Shelter

Blood donors are being urgently sought in West Clare to keep regional hospitals supplied this week. The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is holding clinics both tonight and tomorrow Wednesday from 10 to 5 until 10 past 8 at Kilrush Community School. 65% of donations are generally used to treat cancer patients, with 30% going to routine and emergency operations and roughly 5% to births. Broadford based IBTS Donor Recruitment Executive Alex O'Connor says every donation makes a critical difference.

A West Clare teacher claims schools aren't sufficiently resourced to teach reformed curriculum coming in this September. At the beginning of the coming school year, nine new and revised Leaving Cert subject specifications will be introduced, with each of these to be worth 40% of students' final grade in the Leaving Cert. Teachers' representatives associations have previously called for the reforms to be delayed amid concerns around preparedness. St Joseph's Kilkee Community College teacher and former Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland president, Geraldine O'Brien, believes it's rushed.

One of West Clare's most vibrant cultural events is just around the corner — the Kilrush Traditional Festival returns from Thursday, July 31st to Bank Holiday Monday, August 4th. With music, dance, song, and storytelling across five packed days, it's a celebration of all things trad, right in the heart of Kilrush. To find out more, Derrick Lynch was joined by Vincent O'Halloran and Anne Hayes.

The All Ireland Currach Regatta is coming up next week in Doonbeg. Hosted by the West Clare Currach Club, the event takes place on Bank Holiday Monday, 4th of August, with races starting at 11am from Doonbeg Pier. It's a great day out for the whole family and a fantastic celebration of maritime heritage on the West Clare coast. To discuss this further, Derrick Lynch was joined by Shaunie Honan, Chairman of West Clare Currach Club. PHOTO CREDIT: Doonbeg Currach Club. via Facebook

A new exhibition launching soon in Kilkee that captures the beauty, mood, and memory of West Clare through a uniquely reflective process. To speak more on this, Derrick Lynch was joined by Pauline Dunleavy, a much-loved artist, art teacher, and community advocate from Kilrush. Her new exhibition, titled Painting Through The Lens, opens August 4th at the Cultúrlann Sweeney Gallery, with an official opening evening on August 8th.

The Mayor of Clare expects a flood defence scheme in West Clare to have a "positive result for the surrounding area and residents". Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works Kevin Boxer Moran has confirmed that the OPW has approved funding of €16,034 for Clare County Council's planned flood mitigation works at Lacknashinagh in Kildysart. The project will involve the reconstruction of an estuary embankment and reinforcement with gabion mattress. Clarecastle Fine Gael Councillor Paul Murphy says it's a win for the whole county.

The upgrade of water infrastructure in a West Clare community is expected to "significantly lower instances of bursts" in the area. Ward and Burke Construction Limited has replaced over 800 metres of aged water mains with new pipes in the townland of Alva in Creegh on behalf of Uisce Éireann. The water utility claims this will cut down on supply disruptions along the network which will result in a "more secure" water supply for residents. Uisce Éireann National Leakage Reduction Programme Manager Jack Cronin claims it's a very positive development.

It's hoped West Clare will be benefitting from the immense economic boost of the Irish Open in 2026. It's understood the DP World Tour is currently in discussions with Trump International Golf Links and Hotel Doonbeg, with a view to holding the event at the world renowned course next year. The Irish Open was previously held at Lahinch in 2019 and is believed to have injected over €10m in the local economy over the course of a week. Doonbeg Fianna Fáil Councillor Rita McInerney says it would be a gamechanger.

The 6-mile trawling ban for vessels over 18 metres is to be reintroduced. The law will place certain restrictions on trawling activity by large vessels inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines. The reintroduction means that from the 1st October 2026, trawling activity (that is the operating of trawl or seine nets) by fishing vessels over 18 metres in length overall inshore waters inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines will be prohibited. A limited total allowable catch of 2,000 tonnes of sprat will be permitted for vessels over 18 metres length overall inside the six nautical mile zone and inside baselines from 1st October 2025 to 30th September 2026 only. Over 18 metre vessels fishing for sprat during that period will require an authorisation to do so. To get a sense of how this news is being received within the fishing community in West Clare, Alanb morrissey was joined by Luke Aston, Carrigaholt based Irish Chartered Skippers Association Chair and Patrick Murphy, Irish South & West Fish Producers CEO.

A West Clare councillor claims repairs currently being undertaken on water supplies is a factor in outages in the region. It's after two seperate bursts on water mains has caused a loss of supply for customers in Miltown Malbay, Coore, Spanish Point, Mullagh, Creegh and Cooraclare. In February, Uisce Éireann announced works would be completed on 6km of defective 50-year-old mains on the Coore water scheme. Cree Independent Councillor, Dinny Gould, says these works are putting extra strain on fragile pipes further along the line.

There's a call for an end to be rough to water discolouration and odour issues in West Clare once and for all. Kilrush Independent Councillor Ian Lynch is seeking an "urgent meeting" with Uisce Éireann following what he's described as a "complete failure to provide safe drinking water for prolonged periods during May and June". With all members voting in favour of the proposal at this month's meeting of the region's elected representatives, the West Clare Municipal District will now write to the water utility requesting the meeting. Councillor Lynch says it's an ongoing problem for homes and businesses.

Funding is being demanded for a West Clare national secondary road labelled a "danger to life". Independent Councillor Ian Lynch is calling on Transport Infrastructure Ireland to provide "immediate" funding for "urgent repairs" to the N68 between Ennis and Kilrush. A three-year rolling plan outlining intended maintenance on the route is also being requested. Councillor Lynch believes it's a matter of time before serious loss of life is seen.

Willie Clancy Week took centre stage in Miltown Malbay recently. This year's Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy is believed to have been the busiest Willie Week yet, with hordes of people coming to the West Clare town for the music and craic. To get a fuller picture of just how successful the week was, and what it means to local businesses and what it says about the health of traditional Irish music, Alan Morrissey was joined by Harry Hughes, Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy Administrator and Tony Cogan, Cogan's Bar and Restaurant in Miltown Malbay.

The Oakhill Players are gearing up for their second summer of Pint-Sized Plays. The group will take six small plays to a variety of locations around West Clare, starting later this week. To learn more more about Oakhill Players' summer of Pint-Sized Plays, Alan Morrissey was joined by Veronica Keating.

Kilkee Civic Trust's latest talk will take place tomorrow (Wednesday, 16th July). The talk is titled “West Clare Wildlife- Stories Behind the Pictures”. For more on this, Alan Morrissey was joined by John Glynn and John Williams, Chairman Kilkee Civic Trust.

Clare's County Dog Warden is urging dog owners to control their pets following a violent incident in Kilrush this week. It's understood a labrador-greygound cross attacked and killed a smaller dog while biting a woman who attempted to rescue her pet. The attacking dog has since been destroyed and Gardaí are believed to be investigating the incident. Frankie Coote insists the only ways to exercise control over a dog are to keep it at home or to have it on a lead.

Plotting the location of every defibrillator on Google Maps could help save lives - according to a Fine Gael senator. Manus Boyle is calling on the HSE to work with the tech company to allow people to search for their nearest A-E-D on its app. Between 2012 and 2023, there were 304 cases of defibrillation by members of the public, with an almost 30 per cent survival rate. Senator Boyle says most people don't know where their nearest defib is. For more on this, Alan Morrissey was joined by Carol Murphy, a first aid instructor who's volunteered with Cooraclare GAA club, previously aiming to make training available to clubs throughout West Clare and Tracy Murray, treasurer of Kilmurry Ibrickane Defibrillator Community Group.

A West Clare village's growing population is said to be resulting in increased demand for childcare in the area. KCD Playschool, which is located in St Michael's Community Centre in Kilmihil and is operated by Kilmihil Community Development, has secured planning permission for an expansion of services. The facility will now be running services before, during and after school hours, with 50 children already on its books for its after school care service in September. Kilmihil Community Development Chairperson Martin Keane says they're grateful to be able provide such a sought-after facility.

A contingency broadband supply is being demanded in West and North Clare following a second major outage in weeks. Extensive accidental damage was caused to the network between Ennistymon and Corofin last night, leaving over 3,500 customers without internet and phone coverage, following an incident involving agricutural machinery. It comes just three weeks after a road traffic collision in Kilrush resulted in the disconnection of services for over 4,000 homes and businesses. West Clare Fianna Fáil Councillor Rita McInerney has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan the current system is not equipped to meet modern lifestyle demands.

The West Clare Horse Show is taking place on Saturday, July 5th. This much-anticipated Family Fun Day offers something for everyone. To find out what's in store, Alan Morrissey was joined by Nicki Johnson, involved in organising. PHOTO CREDIT: West Clare Horse Show via Facebook

Enhancing economic opportunities in Kilrush and Lahinch, securing a fair deal for Cliffs of Moher landowners and improving the road network have been listed as the top priorities for the West Clare Municipal District's new Cathaoirleach. Lahinch Fine Gael Councillor Bill Slattery succeeds Doonbeg Councillor Rita McInerney in the role and will wear the chains of office for the second time in his career. The first ever councillor from Quilty, Fianna Fáil's Michael Shannon will serve as Leas Cathaoirleach. Cathaoirleach Slattery says he's hoping to achieve a lot in the year ahead.

Joe Riley, is an 84-year-old author originally from Pound Street in Kilrush, now living in Southport, UK. Joe has dedicated his later years to preserving and reimagining the stories of his hometown through a series of powerful books. His latest release, The Quiet Man from Scattery Island, is a gripping, action-packed thriller that blends military suspense with heartfelt Irish storytelling. Set along the beautiful Shannon Estuary and West Clare, it's a tale of redemption, justice, and home. Joe has written four books about Kilrush, from vivid memoirs of life in the 1940s and ‘50s to ghost stories, and now this compelling fictional thriller. Time is precious for Joe, who's been told he has just months to live. To discuss this further Alan Morrissey was joined by, Joe Riley, author from Kilrush.

A proposal intended for inclusion in the next National Development Plan has been made for a 'University Hospital Ennis'. The facility would be a Geriatric Centre of Excellence, equipped with an emergency department and would be located on a greenfield site, while a second Model 2 hospital and Local Injury Unit is suggested for West Clare. The recommendations are based on studies of the MidWest which analysed where future investment would have the greatest impact and were conducted by Hybrid Simulation Modelling Labs. Founder Sinéad Madden says it's needed to meet future population growth.

A new housing development in West Clare is expected to breathe life into the area while providing accessible options. Custy Construction Limited has been appointed as contractor for the construction of 16 social housing units at Moore Street in Kilrush. Construction is set to get underway in July and the project is scheduled for completion in 2027. Doonbeg Fianna Fáil Councillor Rita McInerney says the homes are in line with the local authority's policy of allowing those with reduced mobility to access more convenient housing.

Coal has been burnt at Moneypoint Power Station for the final time. After 40 years of the practice, the West Clare facility has reached a significant milestone in its journey towards being a renewable energy hub with the total cessation of coal generation at the site. With its 17-megawatt onshore wind farm now being its primary source of energy, the station will act as a backup generator to the national grid until 2029 while also progressing plans for Green Atlantic at Moneypoint - a renewable energy project utilising the site's deep-water port as well as other elements of its infrastructure. Clare FM's Seán Lyons headed west to Moneypoint, where he spoke with ESB Chief Executive Paddy Hayes. PHOTO CREDIT: ESB Archives

The management of Moneypoint Power Station says it's the end of an era and the beginning of a new one as it celebrates a significant milestone. Today marks the end of 40 years of coal-burning at the West Clare facility as it gears up to become one of the country's largest renewable energy hubs.

The Government is being urged to expedite water repair works in West Clare as local communities are said to be "up in arms". Uisce Eireann is today commencing upgrade works on an 800 metre section of mains on the R483 at Alva, Creegh, which will aim to prevent future leaks and bursts. The utility is also on track to complete 6km of mains replacement in Miltown Malbay by the end of this month, but renewed calls have been made for a new line to serve Doolough to Kilrush. Creegh Independent Councillor Dinny Gould says persistent outages will continue if its not dealt with.

Newly approved plans for a wastewater treatment plan in West Clare are expected to be challenged in the High Court. It comes as Uisce Éireann has been given the green light to build a new sewerage plant, along with foul pumping station on a site just 620m away from Kilkee Cliff Walk. An Bord Pleanála granted permission for the project last week, following a successful appeal from Uisce Eireann which maintains the plant is essential to end the discharge of raw sewerage into Intrinsic Bay. Cathaoirleach of the West Clare Municipal District Rita McInerney has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan it's likely to spark a judicial review.

Is there a smell in Ennistymon? That certainly seems to be the case, at least judging by comments on social media. A number of locals have taken to Facebook to highlight what they describe as a strong smell in various locations in the West Clare town. To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by Ennistymon Fianna Fáil Councillor, Shane Talty.

An open letter has been written by businesses and individuals in both Kilrush and the greater West Clare region to Eir, to express their serious concern over what they describe as the “vulnerability of broadband infrastructure” serving their communities. To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by Chris Koble, Borrow a Geek. Photo(C): Proxima Studio via canva

Futureproofing measures are being sought to ensure no part of Clare finds itself without internet unexpectedly. Over 3,000 homes and businesses in West Clare found themselves without internet on Thursday following accidental damage to telecommunications infrastructure caused by a road traffic accident in Kilrush. In a statement to Clare FM, telecommunications service provider eir says "repair teams were deployed immediately" and "full service was successfully restored before lunchtime" on Friday. Doonbeg Fianna Fáil Councillor Rita McInerney believes companies should have a contingency plan for such events.

http//:www.copperplatemailorder.com                 Copperplate Time 507              presented by Alan O'Leary           www.copperplatemailorder.com                                         1. Bothy Band:  Green Groves/Flowers of Red Hill.                    After Hours 2. Patrick Street: The Newmarket Polkas.  Irish Times3. Julia Clifford & Denis Murphy:  Humours of              Galtymore/Callaghan's/New Mown Meadow.                Kerry Fiddles 4. Luke Kelly:   The Night Visiting Song.  The Collection 5. Mick Mulvey & Shane Meehan: The Missing Guest/Humours of Toomagh/Lad O'Beirne's. The Missing Guest6. Nancy Costello: McGovRedican's Mother/Humours of  Derrycrossane/Sir Philip McHugh. Draiocht  na Feadóige 7. Kevin Burke: Maudabawn Chapel/The Wild Irishman/           The Mother Reel.    Very Best Of8. John McEvoy & John Wynne:          The Kilkenny Jig/Ballinafad Fancy/Mulhare's.                The Dancer at the Fair                                 9. Andy Irvine: The Girls Along the Road.            All In Good Time 10. Bobby Casey: The Ace & Duce of Piping/Rodney's Glory.   Spirit of West Clare 11. Daithi Gormley: My Love is Fair & Handsome/Maids of Mount Kisco/Clancy's Fancy. Fiddling Without A Bow 12. The 4 Provinces Ceili Band:  Ann McHugh/Philip Sheils.   2nd Jimmy McHugh Memorial Concert13. Dezi Donnelly & Mike McGolldrick:   Wheels of the World/Paddy Murphy's Wife.  Dog in the Fog 14. Mick O'Brien & Caoimhin O'Raghallaigh:   An Buailteoir Aerach/The Enchanted Lady/The Holy Land.  Deadly Buzz 16. Kate & Anna McGarrigle: The Swimming Song.                   Kate & Anna McGarrigle 17. Ralph McTell:  Sabreen.   Private Recording 18. Bert Jansch:  Running, Running From Home.              The Collection 19. Brian Conway: Trim the Velvet/Lord Gordon's.                 Consider The Source 20. Dylan Carlos/Cein Sweeney/John McCartin:               The Windy City/The Cloongroe/Lad O'Beirne's.                   The One After It 21. Danu: The Garsun Who Beat His Father/Sean Maguire's/Jimmy Kelly's. The Pearl 22. Bothy Band:  Green Groves/Flowers of Red Hill. After Hours

A plan to repair a damaged section of a wall in a West Clare town has finally been agreed to. Part of the Vandeleur Woods boundary wall in Kilrush has been in collapsed state for a number of years which has created a trip hazard while representing an eyesore and occasionally resulting in loose stones ending up on the public road. After engagement with local Independent Councillor Ian Lynch, Coillte and West Clare Municipal District are understood to have agreed a joint approach to repairing the wall, with works to proceed to procurement stage soon. Councillor Lynch says it'll allow locals to have a "sense of pride" in the area once again.

Herdís Reynisdóttir was born in the US, and spent some time in Sweden before later moving while still very young to her parents home country of Iceland. More often called Dísa, she has worked with Icelandic horses for over two decades. She was educated at Hólar Equine University in Iceland as a riding instructor for all levels and as a horse-trainer. She also has a B.Sc. degree in Agricultural Science, a teachers diploma and is a licensed International Breeding judge for Icelandic horses. She is co-owner Hestakot Icelandic Horse Farm near Miltown Malbay in West Clare.

It's claimed Clare children with disabilities are being forced to travel well beyond the county bounds for basic care. It follows revelations that two funded dietitian posts for the West Clare Children's Disability Network Team have remained unfilled for the past 18 months, The roles concerned involve Senior Dietitian post and one Staff Grade Dietitian post that would normally assist children aged 0-18 years. Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan the HSE needs to prioritise recruitment of these roles with urgency.

A meeting has heard that all of West Clare's elected representatives must act as ambassadors to attract industry into the struggling part of the county. Quilty Fianna Fáil Councillor Michael Shannon is calling for an assessment to be carried out of vacant commercial property in the Kilrush local electoral area. The latest Geodirectory report has found that Kilrush has with a whole 24.% of its units vacant, Kilrush has the ninth-highest commercial vacancy rate in the country. Councillor Shannon says once the figures are known, work can begin to attract businesses into existing premises.

It's feared West Clare won't be the same place in five years time unless a plan to be devised to help communities said to be dying on their feet. Clare County Council is being urged to develop a strategic plan to bring investment into the west of the county in order to create jobs. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment has also been invited to the region to assess the feasibility of establishing a local economic taskforce. Kilrush Councillor Ian Lynch believes it's a critical juncture for struggling towns and villages.

A West Clare childcare provider says it may have to hire extra staff if a planned expansion of its services gets the green light. KCD Playschool, which is located in St Michael's Community Centre in Kilmihil is in the process of seeking planning permission to allow is to offer a before school breakfast club in addition to its daytime services. Kilmihil Community Development, which runs the playschool, is holding its AGM at 8pm tonight in the community centre where it's understood the future of the service will be a topic of discussion. Chairperson of Kilmihil Community Development, Martin Keane, says adding new staff members to its roster is one avenue they're considering.

http://copperplatemailorder.com/podcast505                     Copperplate Time 505                     presented by Alan O'Leary                             www.copperplatemailorder.com                              Music & Mischief1. Bothy Band:  Green Groves/Flowers of Red Hill.  After Hours 2. Goitse: The Dog Reels.  úr3. PJ & Marcus Hernon:  Farewell to Cashel/When Sick is it Tea You Want/Contentment is Wealth/Watt Henry's.  Celebrating 50 Years 4. Christy Moore:   Boy in the World. A Terrible Beauty 5. Le Cheile:  Bucks of Oranmore. Lord Mayo6. Sean Keane: Jennie's Welcome to Charlie/The Connaught Heifers.   Seoda Ceoil 7. Elaine Reilly:  The Fergus Reel/Girl Who Broke My Heart.  Epiphany 8. Eleanor Shanley:  Lovely Leitrim.  Garadice                                   9. Dan Brouder & Angelina Carberry: The Fairy Jig/The Ceide Jig/   The Friendly Robin.   A Waltz for Joy 10. Bobby Casey:   Colonel Fraser/Toss the Feathers.                  The Spirit of West Clare 11. Caoimhin O'Fearghaill:  John Lydon's/Nora Criona.                Uilleann Piping in Waterford 12. John Regan & Patsy Moloney:            Sport of the Chase/The Priest in his Boots. Over the Bog Road 13. Wizz & Simeon Jones:  Magical Flight. Late Nights & Long Days14. Liam O'Flynn & Mark Knopfler:   An Droichead (The Bridge).                      Masters of Their Craft 15. Eilis Kennedy: Who Knows Where the Time Goes. Time to Sail 16. Colum Sands: Look Where I've Ended Up Now.                  Look Where I've Ended Up Now 17. Martin & Eliza Carthy:  The Handsome Cabin Boy.                Transform Me The Into A Fish 18. Oonagh Derby: Silver Shoes.   Harmony Street19. Ralph McTell: Somewhere Down the Road.                 Somewhere Down the Road 20. Bothy Band:  Green Groves/Flowers of Red Hill. After Hours

A west Clare community group has been awarded almost €2 million by the Department of Agriculture to carry out a sustainable farming project. Loop Head Together CLG has been awarded €1.75 million to conduct a soil carbon enhancement project to determine the feasibility of restoring soil health in coastal farming regions of Ireland. It forms part of an overall investment of €17.8 million in eleven projects under the European Innovation Partnership, which forms part of the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan. Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Tulla Fianna Fáil Deputy Timmy Dooley, says the Loop Head project will help develop better practices nationwide while aiding in hitting sustainability targets.

We begin today's show with a chat I had with a Morning Focus listener, who is concerned about roads resurfacing in rural Clare. Pádraig O'Cuidighthigh believes the approach to resurfacing roads in the West of the county is more of an indication of ‘madness in the method', than ‘method in the madness.' Indeed, Pádraig has described the road from Kilkee to the Loophead peninsula as defying “all forms of logic”. Earlier, Alan Morrissey was joined by Pádraig O'Cuidighthigh to discuss this further.

Clare's elected representatives are being accused of not doing their bit to ensure roads in the west of the county meet basic standards. Cooraclare-based nurse June Dillon, who ran for Aontú in the 2024 General Election, is calling for urgent action on roads in the Kildysart, Killimer and Cree areas. The Kilrush Municipal District has been given the greatest funding allocation in the county for maintenance of local roads in 2025, with €8.56 million granted to the area - an increase of €40% on last year. June says road conditions in certain parts of the region pose a threat to vehicles.

Grave concern has been expressed for the future of the West Clare Railway Greenway. It's after Transport Infrastructure Ireland rejected a funding application from Clare County Council to progress the Ennistymon to Moyasta section of the route. TII has granted over €1.3m in funding to advance works along the Kilkee to Kilrush and Ennis to Ennistymon sections this year, and says it will give "consideration" to funding the route to Moyasta in 2026. Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney says local businesses are depending on the project to be delivered on time.

A West Clare town has the third-lowest average household income nationwide. New data published by the Central Statistics Office has revealed that Kilrush has the highest proportion of people in the county making less than €20,000 a year. Meanwhile, the town at the top of Clare's household income table is Sixmilebridge, where residents make €53,666 on average. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Mary O'Donoghue of West Clare Family Resource Centre and Alan O'Callaghan as Mayor of Clare to give a regional imbalance overview and Sixmilebridge angle as local councillor. Photo(C): Visit Clare Facebook

A fantastic play set in West Clare will be making its way to Ennis next month. The Loved Ones by Erica Murray will take to the stage at Glór on the 7th of May (Wednesday, 8pm). To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Helen Norton. Photo(C): https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1201827605279735&set=pcb.1201827731946389

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

A blanket bog, home to two rare and protected birds, the merlin and the hen harrier, is being successfully rewetted to provide a wildlife sanctuary for rare habitats and numerous species of conservation concern, thanks to a new partnership between a west Clare farmer, the local community and Clare County Council. To discuss this further, Peter O'Connell was joined by Clare County Council's Biodiversity Officer, Barry O'Loughlin. Photo(C): Dennis Carson getty images via canva

The lack of progress on major projects aimed at reviving West Clare's capital has been criticised by a local councillor. The local authority has been requested to provide details on the development of the Kilrush Maritime Training Centre, public realm enhancements for Frances Street and the town square, and the refurbishment of the Old Mars Cinema. A state commissioned taskforce has set a target of developing a maritime centre of excellence in Kilrush this year, while public consultation on future plans for the Mars Cinema concluded last June. Kilrush Independent Councillor Ian Lynch says it time for action.

http://copperplatemailorder.com/podcast303                   Copperplate Time 500          presented by Alan O'Leary                                   www.copperplatemailorder.com  1.Bothy Band:  Green Groves/Flowers of Red Hill.   1975 2. Caoimhin O'Fearghaill:   Lá ‘le Pádraig.                  Uilleann Piping from Waterford 3. Christy Moore:  St Patrick Was A Genleman/St Patrick's Arrival.                 The Iron Behind the Velvet   4. Trian: The Little Man in Brown Shoes/Ducks in a Row/The Butterfly Reel/Pauline Conneely's.   Trian 2 5. McGoldrick & Donnelly:   An Buachaillin Dreoite/Lark in the Morning.   Dog in the Fog 6. John Doyle:  The Rambler from Clare.The Path of Stones   7. Bobby Casey:            Pol Ha'penny/Scully Casey's HP.   The Spirit of West Clare 8. Patsy Hanley:  Ah Surely/Martin Wynne's.                2nd Jimmy McHugh Memorial Concert 9. Niamh Parsons:   Sweet Daffodil Mulligan.    Kind Providence 10. Mick O'Brien & Caoimhin O'Raghallaigh:   An Buailteoir Aerach/The Enchanted Lady/The Holy Land                      Deadly Buzz 11. Conal O'Grada: All Wine & No Milk/Drown the Fox: Anú Abú12. Kevin Burke & Jackie Daly:                Scully Casey's/The Eavesdropper.   The Eavesdropper13. Paul Brennan: The Lassie Who Never Said No!. Airs & Graces 14. Harris/Grada/Donnelly/Cotter:           New Mown Meadow/Dublin Reel/The Steampacket.                   Riches of Clare 15. Andy Irvine/Patrick St:                  My Son in Amerikay.  Patrick Street Live 16. Noel Hill & Tony Linnane:  Tommy Coen's/The Youngest                        Daughter/Flax in Bloom.   The Iron Behind the Velvet17. Reg Meuross:  Fit For Work (Illegal Hands). Fire & Dust 18. Waterboys:  With A Bang on the Ear.  Fisherman's Blues 19. Bothy Band:  Green Groves/Flowers of Red Hill.   1975