As Minister Simon Coveney travelled to South East Clare to see first-hand the impact of flooding Gavin presented a special package from the scene.
In studio, he spoke to Tom Coughlan CEO Clare County Council. Mr Coughlan also discussed the launch of the Clare County of Culture scheme.
The show also looked at the poor state of Clare’s rural roads; after a new report found that nearly a quarter (22 percent) of Clare's tertiary roads have "severe" structural defects, and that another 15 percent have other defects too. Gavin was joined by Cllr Christy Curtin, Ind., West Clare MD, Miltown Malbay and Cllr Pat Hayes, FF
Killaloe MD, Caher.
Up to 80 people, most fleeing war-torn Syria, will resettle in Clare, and are set to arrive in April. The Department of Justice has made contact with Clare County Council asking its help with the resettlement of 15 to 20 families as part of Ireland’s refugee programme. Gavin spoke with Orla Ni hEili of Clare Immigrant Support Group.
The latest survey from Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) showed that Ennis slipped to "moderately littered" in the latest IBAL Litter League survey. The final litter survey of 2015 by Irish Business Against Litter shows Ennis has dropped from 24th position in August to 32nd place at the end of the year.
The county town is placed in the same position as it was in at the end of 2014 but it's now classed as "moderately littered", having previously been ranked as "Clean to European Norms". Gavin spoke to Conor Horgan of IBAL.
Poet Peter Kay of The Poetry Collective was guest on Morning Focus in December. Over Christmas, we received the sad news of his passing and Morning Focus played some of the poetry he recorded in studio.
Local author Anthony Galvin has just published his fifteenth book – and third action thriller.
Entitled 'Dead or Alive', the book is the first in a new series of thrillers, was published
by Endeavour Press, and is set in Bosnia, Croatia and Venice. The novel tells the story of a bounty hunter with a conscience on the run from Bosnian warlords. Anthony is children's entertainer by day and also updated listeners on his work in Lapland at a Santa resort.
Clare singer Aileen Downes sang with The Dublin Legends at Vicar Street over Christmas. The Kilrush native became an internet sensation, thanks to a haunting rendition of Luke Kelly’s ‘The Night Visiting Song’. She spoke to gavin about her whirlwind journey since then.
