Clare Fm - Podcasts

A new series of line dancing classes is starting in September in Ennis, Clarecastle and Lissycasey. The courses are open to all levels, with a special focus on a complete beginners. To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by Claire O’Meara, dancer and choreographer.

Two Clare women will represent Ireland at one of the world’s biggest military rugby tournaments next week. Former Ennis Fire Brigade member and current Clare County Council employee, Lieutenant Norah Murphy from Kilkishen, and Gunner Patricia Coote from Inagh have both been selected for the Irish Defence Forces women’s team competing in the International Defence Rugby Competition in the UK. The tournament will bring together elite military teams from across the globe, with fixtures at venues including the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst and the championship final at Kingsholm Stadium in Gloucester. Ireland took on Zambia on August 17th, and will take on the UK on August 21st, and Tonga on August 25th. To tell us more about the competition and their selection, Alan morrissey was joined by Norah Murphy, Irish Defence Forces women’s team and Patricia Coote, Irish Defence Forces women’s team. PHOTO CREDIT: defence_forces_rugby via Instagram

Caitriona Donnellan from Kildysart has been crowned the 2025 Rose of Clare. This year also marked the first presentation of a beautiful new tiara, gifted by the Burke family in memory of Liam, who was the heartbeat of the festival for many years. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Caitriona Donnellan, Rose of Clare 2025. PHOTO CREDIT: Rose of Clare via Facebook

Corofin’s Positive Ageing and Wellness Fair will take place early next month. The event is scheduled to happen on Saturday, the 6th of September. It is described as “an enjoyable day of health, nutrition and information for the over 55’s.” To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by Shanelle Waring, Age Friendly Programme Manager.

Preparations are continuing in Labasheeda for the Dan Furey Weekend of Set-Dancing later this month. The annual event, which is one of the longest continuous festivals of its kind, is due to take place in St. Kieran’s Community Centre in the village from the 22nd to the 24th of August. To discuss what lies ahead, Alan Morrissey was joined by the secretary, Liam Woulfe.

If you are a learner driver in Clare, then you could be waiting for quite some time to sit your driving test. Figures provided to Bodyke Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney show that average waiting times for Category B car test invitations increased at all three driving test centres in Clare between June 2024 and June of this year. In Ennis, waiting times rose from 14 weeks to 21 weeks. In Shannon, the average increased from 12 weeks to 17 weeks. In Kilrush, it went from 13 weeks to 14 weeks. A total of 600 driving tests were carried out across the county during this period, which means an additional 469 tests could have been carried out on missed operating days. Deputy Cooney believes that learner drivers in Clare are being short-changed. For more on this, Alan Morrissey was joiend by Chris Curran, Driving instructor, Chris Curran Coaching in Ennis and Joe Cooney, Bodyke Fine Gael TD.

It's hoped a North Clare village's inaugural blood donation clinic will generate vital supplies for local hospitals. The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is welcoming blood donors to Crusheen Community Centre for the first time tonight, from 10 to 5 until 10 past 8. The IBTS requires at least 3,000 donations a week to keep hospitals supplied, with 60% of these ultimately going towards cancer treatment. Crusheen man and frequent donor Cathal Dillon says it's a very rewarding thing to do.

Clare FM's Derrick Lynch Speaking With Colm Collins On Paul Madden Appointment And Munster Seeded Draw

The funeral mass of former Mayor Bill Chambers has heard he will be remembered as a man of immense honesty and humility. The former West Clare councillor was laid to rest in Kilmacduane Cemetary today following funeral mass in St. Senan’s Church in his native Cooraclare. He passed away peacefully on Wednesday evening and served over 38 years on the local authority prior to his retirement in 2023. Elected members of Clare County Council alongside members of the Council’s Executive formed a guard of honour, while the funeral gifts showcased his love of politics, GAA and the Irish language. His son Eoin says Bill's passion for all his endeavours was unwavering.

The funeral of Former Mayor of Clare Bill Chambers takes place today. The former West Clare councillor passed away peacefully on Wednesday evening and served over 38 years on the local authority prior to his retirement in 2023. He will be laid to rest following a funeral mass in St. Senan’s Church in his native Cooraclare at 12.30pm. A guard of honour will be formed by the elected members of Clare County Council alongside members of the Council’s Executive, while the flags outside Áras Contae an Chláir will fly at half mast. Cooraclare Parish Priest, Fr Anthony Casey, says Bill was a man dedicated to his community who will be remembered for his positivity.

Clare's dog owners are being urged to correctly registered their pets. It follows a number of incidents in recent months, which has caused complications for animal welfare centres in reuniting pets as the owners address in many cases is still listed abroad. According to Clare's County Dog Warden, the issue is prevalent in roughly one-fifth of microchipped pets. Frankie Coote says it's something owners need to get on top of.

Stephen Fletcher leads our Sunday Prayer on today the 17th August 2025, the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time and the 9th Sunday after Trinity. The Gospel is read by Kathleen Fitzpatrick

People flocking to Clare's beaches are warned to be wary of the presence of weever fish.  The fish, which prefer to reside in warm water close to shore, have a sharp fin which can cause a throbbing pain when stepped on. Those entering the water are advised to wear footwear such as sandals to prevent being stung. Ben Bennett from Ben's Surf Clinic in Lahinch says a sting has the potential to ruin an afternoon.

Visitors to West Clare are being warned not to enter the water at one of the county's beaches this weekend. With temperatures set to reach 26 degrees here, large crowds are expected to descend on local waterways. Swimming is prohibited at Doughmore in Doonbeg at all times however, given the prevelance of rip currents, but despite this it's understood there's been a number of rescues already this year. Doonbeg Fianna Fáil Councillor Rita McInerney says it's vital people prioritise safety.

A Clare representative for small and medium businesses claims Irish society has failed to deal with the issue of juvenile repeat offenders when it comes to retail crime. The Irish Small and Medium Enteprise Assocation's new Business Crime Survey showes while just 36% of businesses have been affected by crime in the past 12 months, the most common forms are anti-social behaviour, vandalism, burglary and phising attacks. A whole 78% of respondents believe the judicial system fails to deter repeat offenders while 85% want more Gardaí and 76% are seeking tougher sentencing. ISME National Council member and St Tola's Goat Cheese owner Siobhán Ní Ghairbith says it's a complex issue which requires a root and branch response.

Nineteen Clare pre-schools and creches have been included in a new multi-million euro programme to provide free meals. The €4.2 million Bia Blasta Scheme will provide nutritious meals to 25,000 children nationwide. The chosen institutions include creches, montessoris, kids clubs along with morning and after-school services across the county. Meelick Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe insists there must be high nutritional standards set for the meals.

Clare FM Preview Of TUS Clare SFC Round Three

New Clare Senior Football Manager Paul Madden Speaking With Clare FM's Derrick Lynch

Lisa Keane is a singer/songwriter based in Dublin. She began songwriting at the age of 13 after discovering a music course for teens that focused on songwriting, recording, and performance. This course sparked her interest in songwriting, and she has been writing her own songs ever since. Lisa draws inspiration from artists like Taylor Swift and Griff, blending elements from different genres to create her own distinctive sound. Lisa's first single of 2025 is 'The Morning'. The track was produced by Sam Stevenson and mastered by Richard Dowling. Keane wrote 'The Morning' a few years ago and Sam produced the first version of the song in 2022. "The Morning has taken many different forms since I wrote it. It started out as a piano ballad but something about that didn't feel right. I then went to Sam with it and he did up a version which I loved but I still felt like something was missing from the song. We then stepped away from 'The Morning' and worked on a few of my other songs together including 'This Is How

Recent attacks on members of the Indian community in Ireland are "despicable" and "diminish all of us". That’s the view of President Michael D Higgins, who was speaking following recent attacks on Indians in Ireland. President Higgins condemned the attacks, saying they "stand in stark contradiction to the values that we as people hold dear". This Sunday’s India Day festival at Farmleigh in Dublin’s Phoenix Park will not go ahead because of fears over safety. The Indian embassy in Dublin recently warned citizens “take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially in odd hours”. Are unsavoury, racially motivated incidents against Indians confined to Dublin? Alan Morrissey was joined by Shazia Shaikh, an Indian woman living in Shannon. She says that she and her family have been the victims of racially driven bullying and anti-social behaviour.