Clare Fm - Podcasts

On Thursday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Comedian, Tommy Tiernan. The hugely popular Irish comedian is bringing his new stand-up show “tommedian” to the Marquee in Cork. His show on Saturday, the 5th of July is sold out, but an extra date on Friday, the 4th of July has been added. PHOTO CREDIT: TommyTiernan.ie

Clare Poetry Collective is holding its bilingual poetry event this coming weekend. The foyer at Glór is the venue for Saturday afternoon’s gathering (21st June, from 12:30pm). Music will be provided by Cairo Rocha from Phoenix and Wolfe. For more on this Alan Morrissey was joined by Poets Éire Ní Fhaolain and Amanda Shannon.

It’s time for another edition of one of our newer slots on Morning Focus: Ageing Well. Ageing Well, as the name implies, is aimed at older members of the community in Clare. This month, Aisling Ní Mhaoileoin, Revenue’s National PAYE Manager, joined Alan Morrissey to discuss main tax credits and reliefs available to older people and their carers, including medical expenses, nursing home fees, and pension taxation.

The much-anticipated Clarecastle Regatta is set to return on Sunday, the 22nd of June, promising a spectacular day of family entertainment down at the quay from 1:30pm until evening. This year's regatta offers something for everyone, with continuous music throughout the day, vintage car display, market stalls, curragh race, boat rides, hanging tough, face painting and a variety of food ensuring no one goes hungry. To find out more on this, Alan Morrissey was joined by Siobhán Purcell, Committee co-chair of Clarecastle Regatta. PHOTO CREDIT: Clarecastle Regatta

On Thursday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined in-studio by Liam Bluett. Liam was previously on Morning Focus to talk about his extremely impressive collection of autographed photos of Irish actors which he amassed over many decades. At the time, Liam had donated over 560 signed photos of Irish actors to the National Library in Dublin. Liam spoke about the Bluett Collection of Irish Actors at the National Library of Ireland.

New one way streets, tiered parking prices, park and stride hubs and pedestrian priority could all be trialed in the coming years to reduce traffic congestion in Ennis. Over 200 submissions have now been made to Clare County Council on the Draft Ennis Transport Plan, which will aim to guide investment in infrastructure and optimise the economic, social and health opportunities of transport in the town for at least the next 15 years. The plan will also aim to improve road safety, proposing 116 active travel upgrades and other route alterations across the Ennis catchment area, however the public can very much weigh in and make their own opinions heard, but they have just 8 days left to do so with submissions closing on Friday June 27th. Clare FM's Daragh Dolan has been having a closer look at what impact the plan could have on the future of the town.

The state body responsible for accelerating housing supply says it'll consider modular wastewater infrastructure plants as a means of expediting construction in Clare. Bodyke Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney has proposed wastewater treatment plants to be constructed off-site and assembled on-site as an interim solution to delays in unsewered settlements. It follows a motion tabled by Lisdoonvarna Fine Gael Councillor Joe Garrihy at this month's meeting of Clare County Council which called on the local authority to consider developer-led systems. Responding to Deputy Cooney at a meeting of the Oireachtas Housing Committee, Housing Agency CEO Martin Whelan says in such a time of crisis, all solutions have to be looked at.

A Clare-based MEP is calling for an end to trade between the European Union and Israel amid what he refers to as a genocide being "fuelled" by Germany in Gaza. Independent Member of the European Parliament Michael McNamara is seeking the immediate suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Under the agreement which was put in place in 2000, trade between the EU and Israel is governed by a free trade area. Speaking in the European Parliament, the Scariff native claims European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is responsible for her county once again being on the wrong side of history.

Clonlara will be hoping to exact a degree of revenge for their 2024 championship quarter final defeat to Sixmilebridge this weekend. The sides face off in the semi of the WillWeGo.com Clare Cup on Sunday afternoon in Newmarket on Fergus. When they last met in the latter stages of last years championship, The Bridge ran out three point winners en route to the final. Clare FM analyst Tommy Guilfoyle says Clonlara will hope for a good showing after a disappointing 2024.

A Clare Government TD says he's fully in favour of more robust aircraft inspections at Shannon Airport to ensure Ireland is not breaching its neutrality. It comes as the Social Democrats have written to the EU's fraud watchdog 'OLAF' calling for it to investigate if the state is facilitating Israel's war in Gaza, by failing to inspect "high risk" flights into Shannon. Among the notable alleged incidents is that a cargo plane used to transport weapons to Israel, spent 14 hours at Shannon Airport in March, while the Department of Foreign Affairs has also confirmed it does not search any military aircraft. Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Aviation and Logistics, Meelick Deputy Cathal Crowe has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan that many internal investigations are ongoing.

Speculation is mounting as to the identity of the country's newest multimillionaire. The 250 million euro pot is the largest amount of money ever won here. The National Lottery has confirmed the ticket was bought in a shop and not online. It says the lucky winner will be in shock, but is asking them to get in touch as soon as possible. These people have been telling Clare FM's Darragh O'Grady what they'd do, if they had the golden ticket.

A Clare financial advisor says the winner should take measured decisions, assemble a team of experts and tell no-one. Tommy Corbett of Carey Corbett Financial Solutions has been telling Clare FM's Seán Lyons that given the nature of Irish communities, it'll be "very difficult" for the successful ticket-holder to keep it quiet for long.

On Wednesday's Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Joe O'Reilly, Principal of St. Joseph’s NS, Miltown Malbay. A big day lies ahead for St. Joseph’s National School. They will be opening their new astro turf facility and sensory garden.

The team of volunteers at Shannon Town Community Wetlands held a number of on-site events recently, to celebrate Biodiversity Week 2025. Meanwhile, Shannon Archaeological & Historical Society successfully launched the latest volume of their journal The Other Clare. To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by Micheál Mac Gearailt, of Shannon Archaeological Society & Shannon Town Community Wetlands and PJ Ryan, Chair of the Shannon Archaelogical & Historical Society. PHOTO CREDIT: Hilary Gilmore

Just over 1,600 Clare homes, businesses and farms near Labasheeda will be able to connect to fibre broadband on National Broadband Ireland’s (NBI) network by early autumn. These homes, farms, and businesses are among 32,000 premises across Ireland that have been brought forward from 2026 to 2025 in National Broadband Ireland’s delivery schedule. For more on this, Alan Morrissey was joined by Peter Hendrick, Chief Executive Officer of National Broadband Ireland PHOTO CREDIT: NBI

A beekeeper from Tuamgraney outpaced nearly 3,500 competitors to become the first athlete from Clare to claim victory in the Cork City Marathon recently. Chris Jeuken, running for Derg AC, a club based on the Clare-Tipperary border delivered an outstanding performance, completing the challenging 26.2-mile course in 2 hours, 18 minutes, and 56 seconds — finishing a full six minutes ahead of the second-place runner, Michael Fox. Remarkably, the former accomplished cyclist (with Burren Cycling Club) missed breaking the course record by just 18 seconds, with the standing record being 2 hours, 18 minutes, and 37 seconds. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Chris Jeuken, Beehive manufacturer of Apis Bee Supplies in Tuamgraney. PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Jeuken

Last April, Alan Morrissey chatted with Aoife Hammond from Common Knowledge about Spreag, their new series of community gatherings celebrating the brilliant climate action already happening across County Clare. The first Spreag took place in early May. The second installment of the four-part series will be held at Common Knowledge in Kilfenora on Thursday, the 19th of June. To find out more, was joined by Aoife Hammond of Common Knowledge and Anja Murray, Chairperson of Common Knowledge Ecologist, nature & environmental writer, documentary maker.

St. Vincent de Paul says the cost of essential items has increased by nearly 20 per cent in the last five years. The charity's latest Minimum Essential Standard of Living report has found the price of items like food, clothing and shelter rose by 1 point 8 per cent since 2024 alone. The cost of meeting the needs of a primary school age child is 98 euro a week - while 72 euro a week is needed for the essentials for pre-school children. The minimum wage only covers about 78 per cent of the cost of essential items for a single person, according to St. Vincent de Paul. Figures from this year's Minimum Essential Standard of Living report show the cost of these items for someone in low-paid full-time employment has risen by 5 point 6 per cent. For more on this, Alan Morrissey was joiened by Denis Carty, President of the Clare branch of SVP.

More than half of water bodies inspected in Clare last year were found to have water quality not of a good standard. Clare County Council is on track to complete 139 farm inspections this year, near areas the Environmental Protection Agency has deemed to be at risk of water quality deterioration. According to the EPA, 52 water bodies in this county are at risk from agricultural pressure, with phosphorous and sediment leaks leading to algal blooms the most common problem. O'Callaghan's Mills farmer and Fine Gael Councillor Conor Ryan says it's vital best practice is followed at all times.

Residents of one of Ennis's oldest housing estates says they won't put up with substandard roads and footpaths. Fianna Fáil Councillor Antoinette Baker-Bashua, who lives in Hermitage, is calling for a review of surfaces in the area where she says there are concerns around "exposed concrete, uneven surfaces and trip hazards along footpaths". Surface treatment works were carried out in Hermitage in 2023 and Ennis Municipal District says while it believes the roads are in "an acceptable condition", it'll carry out a further survey in the near future. Councillor Baker-Bashua says the 2023 works were inadequate and locals are demanding better.