On Wednesday’s Morning Focus, an Ennis based Childcare provider spoke about the issues within the industry amid insurer withdrawal, the possibilities of a United Ireland referendum discussed and our sports panel looked back on the year that was..
Claire Tuohy opened the show with us this morning as she spoke to Gavin about the problems facing the childcare sector.
She’s the owner of the Lifford Childcare Centre in Ennis and says that she only discovered this week that due to the withdrawal of Ironshore Europe from the Irish market she will be left without insurance as of the end of the month unless she can find an alternate insurer.
It’s a matter affecting childcare providers around the country and in many instances providers now face a dramatic increase in premiums without having made a claim.
You can listen back to Claire, here:
Following that, Kerry Fianna Fail Senator Mark Daly joined Gavin to discuss the results of last week’s British election and the returning of a minority Unionist representation for the first time in Northern Ireland.
Senator Daly is calling for clarity on when a United Ireland referendum will now take place and who will be eligible to vote – and debated the issue with Gavin.
Novas will be holding their annual sleep-out this Friday, and will this year be sleeping-out in Ennis for the first time.
Extending from Limerick to include Clare and Tipperary this year, they have the support of big names who are taking part in the sleep-out, including Clare hurler Podge Collins.
Novas’ Una Burns and Podge joined Gavin on Wednesday to tell him more.
Wednesday’s show was a week out from Christmas Day – and Gavin called in the Morning Focus book club for advice on last minute Christmas present ideas:
You can listen to the podcast below, or see their Christmas list recommendation at the bottom of this page..
And finally, we rounded out the show with a look at the sporting year that was with Sideline View’s Eoin Brennan and James Lynch:
The Clare FM Book Club book recommendations:
Fiction
Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver *
Ghost Wall Sarah Moss *
Shadow play by Joseph O’Connor
Olive again – Elizabeth Strout
Richard Harris – The second sleep
Once , twice, three times an Aisling – Emer McLysaght & Sarah Breen
The Testaments – Margaret Atwood
Girl, woman, other – Bernardine Evaristo
The Dutch House Ann Patchett
Where the crawdad sings- Delia Owens
Non fiction
Constellations: reflections from life by Sinead Gleeson *
Minor monuments by Ian Maleney
Barefoot pilgrimage by Andrea Corr
Heroic failure by Fintan O’Toole *
The Border: the legacy of a century of Anglo-Irish politics Diarmuid Ferriter
Ordinary Joe by Joe Schmidt
Recovering by Richie Sadlier
Underland – Robert Macfarlane
Salt Path by Raynor Winn
Wilding by Isabella Tree
Clare connected books
Beautiful affair by Mike Hanrahan
The Personals Brian O’Connell
Elsewhere by Rosita Boland
Burren Dinners Trevis L Gleason *
The time of the Tans : an oral history of the War of Independence in County Clare Tomas
Recommended Reads in Children’s Books
Picture Books
The Crayons’ Christmas by Drew Daywalt
The President’s Surprise by Peter Donnelly
Don’t Worry Little Crab by Chris Haughton
How Will Santa Find Us by Shane O’Brien and Stephen Rogers
The Night-Time Cat and the Plump Grey Mouse by Erika McGann.
Take Five by Niall Breslin
123 Ireland by Aoife Dooley
What I Like Most by Mary Murphy *
Reindeer Down: An Irish Christmas Tale by Natasha Mac a’Bhaird *
Scunc agus Smúirín by Muireann Ní Chíobháin published by Futa Fata
Readers aged 6 +
Shooting for the Stars by Dr. Norah Patten *
Ada Twist and the Perilous Pantaloons by Andrea Beaty
The Friendship Fairies by Lucy Kennedy
Muck and Magic by Michael Morpurgo
Gordon’s Game by Gordon D’Arcy and Paul Howard
Boot by Shane Hegarty
Rabbit and Bear series by Julian Gough
Jasper and Scruff by Nicola Colton
The Clubhouse Mystery books by Erika McGann
The Dragon in the Library by Louie Stowell *
Readers aged 9+
The House on Hawthorn Road by Megan Wynne
Fowl Twins by Eoin Colfer
Lily at Lissadell by Judi Curtin*
Guts by Raina Telgemeier
The Boy who Made the World Disappear by Ben Miller
Beast of Buckingham Palace by David Walliams
Rugby Redzone by Ger Siggins
Murder Most Unladylike Series by Robin Stevens
A Place Called Perfect and The Trouble With Perfect by Helena Duggan
The Wordsmith and Mother Tongue by Patricia Forde *
Young Adult
Toffee by Sarah Crossan
Other Words for Smoke by Sarah Maria Griffin *
And A Happy New Year by Holly Bourne
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Solitaire by Alice Oseman
Perfectly Preventable Deaths by Deirdre Sullivan
Black ’47 by Damien Goodfellow
Wonder by R.J Palaccio
The M Word by Brian Conaghan
A Strange Kind of Brave by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald *
Children’s Non Fiction
Shooting for the Stars by Norah Patten
Brian Boru the Warrior King by John and Fatti Burke *
Family Fun Unplugged by Peter Cosgrove
Ultimate Football Heroes by Tom and Matt Oldfield
My First Book of Irish Vehicles published by O’Brien Press *
Dare to Dream by Sarah Webb
Great Irish Sports Stars Series published by O’Brien Press
Guinness World Records
Secret Science: the amazing world beyond your eyes by Dara O’Briain with Sally Morgan *
You Are Awesome by Matthew Syed
Most borrowed titles in Clare Libraries 2019
Fiction
The importance of being Aisling
A keeper – Graham Norton
Skin deep – Liz Nugent
The gift of friends – Emma Hannigan
Normal people – Sally Rooney
Past tense – Lee Child
The love letter – Lucinda Riley
Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine – Gail Honeyman
When all is said – Anne Griffin
The moon sister : Tiggy’s story Lucinda Riley
Non fiction
At all costs – Davy Fitz
The time of the Tans : an oral history of the War of Independence in County Clare Tomas
Karl Henry’s healthy living handbook : Ireland’s favourite trainer helps you to lose weight, get fit and stay well HI
Food for the fast lane : recipes to power your body and mind Dervla O’Rourke HI
Notes to self : essays Emily Pine
Becoming – Michelle Obama
The plan : eat well, lose weight, transform your life Aoife Hearne HI
The Official Driver Theory Test 2019 cars, motorcycles and work vehicles : questions and answers.
Play it again, Des : my autobiography – Des Cahill
Educated – Tara Westover