There's been a call for greater regional balance in Clare County Council's gritting operations.During the recent cold spell, the local authority treated roughly 12,250 kilometres of road using over 1,600 tonnes of salt.This week's meeting of Shannon Municipal District has heard Westbury Sinn Féin Councillor James Ryan ask for grit boxes to be strat…

Its hoped the wider access to electric vehicle charging stations will encourage more people to make the switch away from petrol and diesel cars.It comes as new data released has identified that the Banner county ranks fourth in Ireland for the availability of public electric vehicle charging networks.The figures released by Geotab identify that Cla…

One of this county's general election candidates claims he is 'holding out no hope' for a resolution to the healthcare crisis from HIQA's impending interim review. A report by the health watchdog analysing the Midwest region's case for a second emergency department is set to be released in the coming weeks. Kilkee native, Dr Tom Nolan, claims HIQA …

The head of roads policing in Clare is encouraging people to check their vehicle's condition, following the recent spate of inclement weather.The recent cold snap paired with Storm Éowyn have had significant impacts countywide and motorists should be aware that remaining debris left coupled with surface water may present difficult travel conditions…

ESB Clare Area Technical Manager says they are aiming to restore nearly half of those who are still without power in Clare tonight.Since storm Eowyn, 1000 homes and businesses are still without power across the county and follow on power faults have also cropped up leaving more without electricity.These new faults have been reported in regions such…

The Cliffs of Moher's southern walking trail is expected to remain closed for the entirety of 2026.Roughly 8km of the North and Southern route combined were closed for remedial works last Summer in light of two fatal incidents and a Sport Ireland report which found visitors frequently veer of the trail engaging in risky behaviour.Large scale struct…

A Clare MEP is fearful that an impending reduction in the county’s speed limits will be ‘impossible to adhere to’ and result in greater numbers of people disregarding speed restrictions.From February 7th many of the roads across the county will see a reduction in speed limit with national roads changing from 100km/h to 80km/h, local and rural roads…

Clare County Council has confirmed its community response hubs will remain open for the duration of the humanitarian fallout of Storm Éowyn as people across Clare enter their ninth day without electricity.Five community response hubs were established in the worst affected areas of the county amid extended fallout and unprecedented damage following …

We look ahead to the Clare footballers second outing in the National League and hear from manager Peter KeaneSt Flannan's and Scariff Community College are hoping to make it a Super Saturday for Clare schools hurling as they compete in the TUS Dr Harty Cup and Munster Senior B finals, we will hear from both camps.Bridge United and Avenue United alo…

A huge Clare contingent is getting ready to head for Clonmel on this Bank Holiday weekend for the 2025 National Coursing MeetingAlan Troy has all the detailsبقلم Clare FM

We preview the 2025 TUS Dr Harty Cup And Munster Senior B Hurling FinalsTUS Dr Harty Cup Final @ 1pm in Mallow on Saturday: St Flannan's v Thurles CBSTUS Senior B Hurling Final @ 12.30pm in Ballyagran: Scariff CC v Clonmel HSبقلم Clare FM

Clare Gardaí are appealing to people to slow down and to never drink under the influence of an intoxicant, ahead of the first bank holiday weekend of the year. An Garda Síochána's road safety campaign is now underway and will remain in place until 7 o'clock on Tuesday morning, with an increase in Garda presence and speed traps to be expected on the…

It's feared a prominent North Clare harbour will be devastated unless emergency repair works are carried out immediately.The back wall of Liscannor Bay suffered significant damage last year due to a series of swells penetrating the rock armour, however its condition has deteriorated following Storm Éyown, leaving deep cracks and holes in the walkwa…

For this week’s Atlantic Tales, Pat Flynn travelled to Sixmilebridge to meet award-winning author and academic Dr Tracy Fahey.Tracy holds a PhD on the Gothic and lectures in Critical and Contextual Studies at the Limerick School of Art and Design.بقلم Clare FM

To discuss what is coming up in the sporting calendar, Alan Morrissey was joined on Friday's Morning Focus by Clare FM’s Derrick Lynch.Derrick talked about the game between Clare and Leitrim, the Munster Junior Cup, and much more.بقلم Clare FM

The girls in Rice College are no doubt still on a high, following their recent sporting success. That’s after they won the Munster schools Camogie u16.5 C title. Not only that, but they have since added another bit of silverware to the school’s trophy cabinet! To discuss this more, Alan Morrissey was joined in studio by Captain Hannah McDermott, Sh…

It is time for the fifth episode of our second season of The Village Tour. 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. Durin…

Dr Terry Hennessy has been appointed as the Regional Clinical Lead for Strategy and Development of health services in the region. To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by HSE Mid West’s Regional Clinical Lead for Strategy and Development, Dr Terry Hennesssy. On Thursday, there were 104 patients waiting for a bed at University Hospital Limeric…

The highly anticipated second annual Jam Fest is heading to Hassett’s Lounge Bar, Barefield, Co. Clare, this weekend on February 1st and 2nd for two days of non-stop music, jamming, and good craic. This year’s festival brings together the incredible talents of the Clare Jam Circle and Galway Jam Circle, creating the perfect atmosphere for musicians…

We’re a week on from Storm, but plenty of people around Clare are still dealing with its impact.As we know from the messages we receive here at Morning Focus, there are homes around the county that are still without electricity and water.ESB Networks had anticipated that power would be restored to the vast majority of Clare customers by tonight.For…

The HSE is aiming to trial a new system in the MidWest that will see National Ambulance Service Paramedics conducting home visits and clinical assessments in order to alleviate pressure on out of hours GP services.A similar trial is currently underway in the North East Health Region and the HSE has confirmed to Clare FM that it's hoping to do the s…

In this week’s programme Fr Brendan Quinlivan speaks with Sr. Brenda Dolphin who is part of the leadership team of Mercy Ireland. She reflects on some of the challenges facing Irish Religious Congregations today and as postulator of the cause of Venerable Catherine McAuley, she updates us on the progress of the cause in the Vatican. Friday. Pat Mal…

Stephen Fletcher leads our Sunday Prayer for today Sunday 2nd February 2025, the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Presentation of the Lord and includes prayers for the Celebration of St Brigid.بقلم Clare FM

Seán Keane will be making his way to Clare this bank holiday weekend. The legendary singer will perform in Corofin at the Community Hall on Saturday, the 1st of February.Seán has plenty of familial connections to Corofin, so it’s bound to be a memorable show for both performer and audience alike. Photo (c): https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=6289…

Blue Road: The Edna O'Brien Story will be released in Ireland tomorrow, January 31st. The documentary is described as “a candid portrait of one of the world’s greatest and most charismatic writers”.It will be showed at the Arc Cinema in Ennis.To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by director of the documentary, Sinéad O'Shea.Photo source: Wik…

Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú has said she will support amendments to the new EU Regulation on the Legal Tender of Euro Banknotes and Coins to ensure that people have a right to use cash when shopping in their local butcher, supermarket, coffee shop or when paying utility bills across the EU. For more on this, Alan Morrissey was joined by Fi…

This week, Randy Lewis prepared a baked cannelloni!To get an insight into the recipe, Alan Morrissey was joined by Randy Lewis, Randaddy’s Restaurant, Lahinch.Photo (C):by goir from Getty Images Pro via Canvaبقلم Clare FM

Bunratty isn’t the only place in Clare celebrating Imbolg and Brigid’s Day. Ennistymon will be hosting a community festival to celebrate both this weekend. Irish tradition, folklore, and creativity will be brought to life through workshops, talks, music, and a magical parade this Friday and Saturday. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was join…

Druid will perform Three Short Comedies by Seán O’Casey in Ennis next month. The company will tackle three one-act plays by the great Irish playwright at glór on the 11th and 12th of February. To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by Caitríona Ennis.Photo(C): Facebook Druid Theatreبقلم Clare FM

Killinaboy’s X-PO is kicking off its 2025 heritage talks with an engaging presentation titled Voices from the Dawn – The Folklore of Archaeological Monuments. The talk, led by Burren walk leader and author Tony Kirby, promises to delve into the fascinating folk beliefs surrounding archaeological monuments, from megalithic tombs to medieval castles.…

Clare has its first Minister of State in five years. Tulla TD Timmy Dooley will take up junior minister positions at the Departments of Agriculture and the Environment, with special responsibilities for Fisheries and the Marine, respectively. He was among the nineteen Junior Ministers confirmed on Wednesday afternoon. Photo (C): Clare FM…

Bunratty Castle and Folk Park is welcoming the arrival of spring with its annual Imbolc Celebration this coming Bank Holiday weekend. Their vibrant festival, honoring Celtic traditions and Saint Brigid, will take place on the 2nd February, from 11.00 am to 5.00 pm. To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by events manager, Marie Brennan. Photo …

Kilnaboy School Hall is the venue for an upcoming exhibition of local place names.The exhibition of 38 Kilnaboy place names will take place this Friday, the 31st of January.The exhibition, which will feature photographs by Dr. Liam Jones, is the latest phase of place name research undertaken by the Kilnaboy Community Development Association. To dis…

As you've been hearing in our news bulletins, the ESB estimates the number of premises in Clare which remain without power this morning to be 3,900 as crews continue their efforts to restore electricity to all those affected by Storm Éowyn. Uisce Éireann meanwhile says 2,500 homes and businesses here are still experiencing water supply disruptions …

A Clare MEP believes the Government is putting the cart before the horse by phasing out chimneys in newly-built homes without upgrading the electricity grid.The last week has since thousands of homes and businesses in Clare lose power with the occupants having no way of heating their premises due to the absence of a stove of fireplace.As of this ye…

A Clare TD has pledged to re-examine the case for an Economic Strategic Development Zone in south Clare once she's established in her new role. Shannon-based Sinn Féin Deputy Donna McGettigan is just one of two newly-elected TDs to be appointed to her party's front bench and will serve as Spokesperson for Further and Higher Education, Research, Inn…

It is time for another wonderful tale from the one and only Eddie Lenihan, which means it is time for Seanchaí Corner. Seanchaí Corner sees Eddie, the renowned author, storyteller, lecturer, and broadcaster regaling us with a memorable story from his extensive collection of old Irish tales and fables. This week, Eddie told us the strange tale of th…

It’s a busy time for Clare band XIII Doors.The hard rock/metal group from Shannon released their new single, "See How You’ve Come So Far" earlier this month. They also kickstarted the tour for their new album "Into The Unknown", which will be launched at a big bash at Dolan’s in Limerick in February.To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined in st…

Three quarters of women are labelled ‘emotional’ in performance reviews - compared to just 11 percent of men.This finding comes from research by Textio.The study of 25,000 reviews found 56 percent of women were labelled ‘unlikeable’, compared to just 16 percent of men.More than a decade ago, a similar report found 76 percent of high-performing wome…

A tribute to the late great film composer will be making its way to glór in the middle of next month (Saturday, 15th February 8pm).On the 15th of February you can Experience the magic of The Ennio Morricone Experience, as they tackle music from some of the Italian’s most legendary scores to classic films such as A Fistful of Dollars, The Good the B…

Households in North Clare have been hailing the impact of community response hubs set up to assist with the humanitarian fall out of Storm Éowyn.The hubs, co-ordinated by the local authority are providing charging, hot water and shower facilities for those still without power and water countywide.Clare FM's Daragh Dolan paid a visit to two newly es…

Five community hubs have been set up across Clare as the aftermath of Storm Éowyn continues to be felt. It follows a briefing held by the local authority yesterday afternoon to identify the areas of the county most impacted by the fallout. The hubs will provide free hot meals, showers and charging facilities daily, at Ennistymon Community Centre fr…

A Clare farming representative insists common sense must prevail when it comes to landowners being allowed to cut trees near power lines. Thousands of homes and businesses remain without electricity this morning as ESB crews continue their efforts to restore power to those still experiencing outages following Storm Éowyn. A major cause of electrici…

The ESB is aiming to restore power in large pockets of East, West and North Clare today as the county continues to grapple with the fallout of Storm Éyowen.Over 44,000 homes and businesses were without electricity here at the peak of the storm, but this was reduced to just 9,700 last night.Today the utility is aiming to return power to parts of Bal…

On Monday’s Morning Focus, we heard all about the difficulties faced by people around Clare who are having to get by without power, due to the outages caused by Storm Eowyn. Thankfully, we also heard from the Armada Hotel in Spanish Point and St. Joseph’s Secondary School in Tulla, who have opened their doors to allow people to eat hot food, wash t…

In this week’s History in Focus, Alan Morrissey is joined by local historian and author, Colm Liddy to focus on when religion was barely legal.If you have any stories you would like to share with Colm about your town, you can contact him at [email protected] or Clare FM at [email protected].بقلم Clare FM

Knockerra Hall will be alive with drama this Bank Holiday weekend.The Oakhill Players drama group will perform at the venue over the course of four nights. This will include 2 one act plays and a 10 minute play. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Veronica Keating, who is involved in the productions.Photo (c): Clare FM…

The Pink Tax refers to the tendency for products marketed specifically toward women to be more expensive than those marketed toward men. It is particularly apparent, but not limited to, the cosmetics industry. Hilary Tonge has described the pink tax as an "insidious phenomenon". To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by spokesperson for Mna Ag…

Lisdoonvarna will host a special fundraiser this forthcoming bank holiday weekend. Harry’s Miracle Ride will take place on Sunda, the 2nd of February.Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin will be the beneficiaries of the fundraiser. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined in-studio by Triona O'Dwyer. Photo (C): Facebook Burren Gael…

Hundreds of homes and businesses in East Clare remain without power today following the devastation of Storm Éowyn. Many in the likes of Feakle, Scariff and Tuamgraney lost electricity on Friday morning with some now entering their fifth day of outages. While power had returned to many in Tulla, a transformer fault at 11:30 on Monday morning has re…