Morning Focus – 26/10/18

Panelists Bob Vernon, Patricia McCarthy and Martin Waldron

Morning Focus began with Dep Lisa Chambers who spoke about the new lease of life for the Confidence & Supply deal. 

Lisa is the Brexit spokesperson and negotiator for renewal of Confidence & Supply and spoke to us after teams from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil met for the first time yesterday to renegotiate the deal keeping the government in place.

We hear from Clare Returning Officer, Pat Wallace about details on the Presidential election and the Blasphemy Referendum in Clare. Ennis booths which had been located at Ennis Community College have now been moved to Scoil Chríost Rí in Cloughleigh.

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Then we had a Club senior football preview with Frank Minogue, Chairman, St. Joseph’s Miltown Malbay, Brendan Rouine, Chairman, Ennistymon GAA Club and Clare FM Head of Sport, Derrick Lynch. This comes ahead of the senior football match between Miltown Malbay and Ennistymon on Sunday in Cusack Park, Ennis.

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In the second hour of the show Clare Senior Footballer Keelan Sexton, Clare Ladies Footballer Laurie Ryan and Organising committee member Seán Lenihan informed us about the ‘Clare Football Goes to the Oskars’ event. A number of sports clubs took part in the initiative which sees amateur actors play their parts in some of the most iconic movies ever made. The special premiere of the film will take place at Treacy’s West County Hotel on Friday, November 23 in support of the Clare Ladies and Men’s Football Fund.

After that, we had live music in studio from Singer-songwriter Norma Manly from Killaloe/Ballina. Norma’s music is a mix of jazz, blues and soul.

We had our regular arts round-up with Clare County Arts Officer, Siobhán Mulcahy who informed us about the events for the weekend across Clare. The Willie Keane Memorial Weekend will take place in Doonbeg and there will be classical music in Ennis and a Halloween Festival for children based on Parnell Street.

In the final hour of Morning Focus we had our regular Friday Panel discussion live in studio. This week’s panelists were Bob Vernon, Retired Anglican Minister, Martin Waldron, Businessman, Craft Works, Ennis and Patricia McCarthy, Former Mayor of Clare. They discussed the news of the Tuam mother and baby home excavation, what needs to change to eradicate sexism in politics, the ban on single use plastics, whether aviation policy puts Shannon Airport at a disadvantage and Halloween traditions.

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The show concluded with Elvis impersonator Patrick Johnson who will be the main attraction at a fundraiser in Knockerra Hall, Killimer on Saturday, November 17. All funds will go towards the West Clare Cancer Centre. Patrick has labelled this his homecoming concert.

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