Friday’s show saw the Morning Focus team broadcast from Clare FM’s Shannon studio.
This week Gavin was joined by Patricia McCarthy, Former Mayor of Clare, Former Chair of Shannon Town Council, Chair of Shannon Credit Union; Gearoid Howard Crimmins Howard Solicitors, Shannon; and Martin McMahon Clare Chairman, ICSMA, O’Callaghan Mills.
Listen back below:
To kick off of the show Gavin was joined by Brian McCarthy, Senior Planner at the Clare County Council and, Councillor Mike McKee (SF) Mayor of Shannon MD, Clare County Council. They talked about how Shannon is unique in Ireland in being a town deliberately developed in the 20th century around a major regional airport. Today, it has a population of around 10,000 people. One of the challenges for Shannon has been in creating a focal point, and it’s hoped that the development of a new town park over the coming months will help to do that.
Then, Gavin asked if Clare is ready for a Sinn Féin TD. Cllr Mike McKee one of the party’s two candidates (Noeleen Moran is the second) for the forthcoming General Election.
In other political affairs, a row has broken out in Clare Fianna Fáil over the party’s candidate selection policy ahead of the next General Election. National Headquarters has decided that two candidates are to be selected by local members when the party holds its convention in Ennis next week. One candidate is to be chosen to represent East Clare, and another from West Clare. Councillor Cathal Crowe spoke with Gavin this morning about his decision to drop out of the race.
Listen back below:
Then, Clare FM’s James Mulhall gave an update on the grass cutting at Shannon Airport to help alleviate the fodder crisis in Clare.
Gavin spoke with Shannon man, Gary Fitzgibbons, who courageously told the story of his mental health challenges. Gary has recently completely treatment with Pieta House and while his experience with them has been hugely positive, he is critical of a lack of resources available through the HSE.
Listen back below:
The Wild Atlantic Way is being promoted overseas through a unique initiative involving HAM radio enthusiasts across Clare. The project, which is funded by Clare Tourism and Clare County Council’s Community & Tourism Department, involves HAM radio operators exchanging postcards depicting scenes of Clare locations along the Wild Atlantic Way with other overseas operators whom they make contact via radio and Morse code. More than 25,000 contacts have been made from Clare since the beginning of the project in 2017. Simon Kenny from Shannon and Alan Cronin from Ennis joined Gavin to chat about the project.
Before the end of the show, Gavin checked back in with the grass cutting at Shannon Airport where Clare FM’s James Mulhall spoke to Director of Operations, Niall Maloney.
