An Ennis garage owner says motorists may want to consider changing the type of tyres they put on their vehicle if cold conditions persist.The majority of cars in Ireland are fitted with summer tyres which have low rolling resistance, leading to long brake distances on ice and snow.The most common cause of NCT failure nationwide last year was defect…

Coming up on the show, we will hear from the Young Hurler of the Year as Adam Hogan looks ahead to the start of the Fitzgibbon Cup campaign and a broader look ahead to Clare's League and All Ireland defenceWe will also hear from chair of Clare GAA Kieran Keating as Dromoland Castle plays host to the All Ireland winning banquet this weekend.Another …

The National Transport Authority is expressing confidence proposed changes to a bus route in West Clare will significantly reduce journey times.Public consultation has opened on planned bus enhancements in the west of the county, among them being a pledge to increase the frequency of Route 350 to every 90 to 120 minutes.It's proposed that the bus w…

A Clare TD insists a range of enhanced supports are urgently needed as parents have to chose between either the soaring costs of living or childcare.It follows a new survey from International finance firm Royal London Ireland which determined the estimated annual salary of a stay-at-home parent would be €57,140.The study looked at the typical daily…

For the second episode of the village tour, Alan Morrissey paid a visit to Crusheen.With the village tour, we here at Morning Focus are aiming to highlight the smaller villages and townlands around the county.By doing this, we hope to showcase their unique character, while also bringing their diversity and individuality to life for you, the listene…

The Clare Arts Office has announced that Graham Bulger from Miltown Malbay is the Clare recipient of the Levelling Access Artists Practice Bursary. Graham, a musician, is currently focused on creating his first album.Alan Morrissey caught up with Graham to learn more about his music and how the bursary is helping him with his work.Photo (c): Graham…

We are in RSV Season. RSV – or respiratory syncytial virus - is a common virus that causes coughs and colds and may cause infection in the lower part of the respiratory system. The highest number of RSV infections are usually reported in December and January every year. It’s important for parents to familiarise themselves with the symptoms of RSV –…

The cold snap has just about passed, with a yellow weather alert for low temperature/ice in place for Clare and the rest of the country expiring at noon today.The cold weather has seen countless services impacted throughout Ireland, with school closures in counties Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Carlow, Kilkenny and Laois. Snowfall last weekend …

Shannon Chamber is insisting that a long-awaited masterplan for the town can't be allowed to remain the subject of a "talking shop". Clare County Council signed contracts with a concept design team, quantity surveyor and project manager in July 2023 for the design of the One Shannon Hub which is the first phase of the Shannon Town Centre Masterplan…

Clare County Council is urging people not be complacent, as travelling conditions remain hazardous on roads and underfoot. Although a status yellow warning for ice and low temperatures will lift at 12 noon today, accumulations of snow and black ice are reported throughout the county following overnight rain, particularly in parts of West and North …

It's claimed government formation and with it an aggressive housing policy is needed to address Clare's housing inflation.According to the latest quarterly report from myhome.ie, the median price of a home here has jumped by 19% to €285,000, which is the fourth highest hike of any county nationwide.In the last three months meanwhile, the number of …

A Clare addiction centre is encouraging people to focus on reducing alcohol intake sustainably throughout the year, rather than just going cutting it out entirely for the first month.Large numbers of people are expected to engage in Dry January, which involves going the full 31 days without drinking.In 2023 alone, there were 121 cases of people tre…

Residents living in tents at Knockalisheen Direct Provision Centre in South-East Clare have been told they can sleep in doors "if they wish" amid the current cold spell.As part of its cold weather response plan for Asylum Seekers at Knockalisheen, the Department of Integration says its repairing a heater in one of the tents, as well as making extra…

On Thursday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by, Martyn Whyte, chef at Glas Restaurant, Hotel Doolin.This week, Martyn shared a delicious recipe for Tartiflette and Carrot and Brussel Sprout SaladTartiflette Recipe: Tartiflette - potatoes, onion, crispy bacon, cheese (St tola’s hard, Ailiwee smoked, Cratloe hills) 500g salad or baby potat…

Plans to pipe water from the River Shannon to a reservoir in Dublin have gone out for public consultation. Uisce Éireann says it's a "once in a generation" project, which would connect the Parteen Basin with a treatment plant in Birdhill in Tipperary and Peamount in Dublin. It's due to become a "spine" to serve communities along the route, with the…

On Monday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Petrina O’Halloran for Parenthood in Focus.Petrina is the founder of Mama’s Boobie Box, mum blogger and writer for online magazine Boobingit.com.This week, Petrina spoke about children going back to school and budgeting for the month of January.…

Do you find yourself with a withered looking Christmas tree in the aftermath of Christmas and are wondering what to do with it? If you are looking for a way to dispose of your Christmas tree, then how about recycling it, while also helping an important conservation cause? The Seafield sand dunes conservation cause is asking people to drop off their…

On Thursday’s Morning Focus, Alan welcomed Kieran McMahon onto the show for the Fitness and Wellness slot.Kieran is an online personal trainer and is also the founder of KM Fitness and the Be A Better Man online coaching mentorship.This week, Kieran gave advice on how to create habits that stick, with a focus on healthy habits for different ages.…

Ballyvaughan's Farmer’s Bash will take place on Saturday, the 11th of January at the Hyland's Burren hotel.This is the second year of the event, which aims to help farmers in a variety of ways. This year’s Farmer’s Bash is in aid of Embrace Farm. To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by the organiser, Thomas Francis and Co-Founder of Embrace …

Motorists in Clare are being urged to drive with extreme care this morning, after temperatures dipped as low as minus seven degrees overnight. It’s another bitterly cold day with an orange weather warning for low temperatures and ice remaining in place until 11 this morning for most of the country, when it will then revert to the lower yellow warni…

Clare people are being urged to make their opinions known on the future of emergency care in the MidWest before the deadline expires next week. As part of HIQA's review to determine if a second emergency department is needed in the region, it's accepting public submissions online and by post until next Thursday, January 15th. University Hospital Li…

On Wednesday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Tommy Corbett from Carey Corbett Financial Solutions.This week, Tommy provided Alan and our Morning Focus listeners with advice on the importance of budgeting.Av Clare FM

Calls are being made to reform the CAO points system for entry to third-level education. The calls come in the wake of the significant changes planned for the Leaving Certificate. These changes include a minimum of 40 per cent marks for projects across all subjects. The recommendations from the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Delivery Board include inte…

A “fun-filled day of learning and hands-on DIY projects tailored specifically for women” is promised for Ennis later this month. Whether you're a complete beginner or looking to refine your skills, this workshop is the perfect place to start. The D.I.Y. Academy will take place at Shannonside Homevalue Hardware on Saturday, January 11th.To discuss t…

Alan Morrissey welcomed a panel of experts to provide insights and advice on navigating the ongoing severe weather conditions in County Clare. Acting Manager of Obair Meals on Wheels, Siobhán O’Driscoll, discussed the impact of the icy conditions on vulnerable individuals relying on meal delivery services. Water Treatment Operations Manager in Clar…

During Tuesday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey chatted with former Independent councillor, PJ Ryan about the people in both Cratloe and Sixmilebridge who were without electricity due to the extremely cold weather. Quite a few of the affected people are elderly, as PJ mentioned, and the circumstances left them feeling particularly vulnerable. It is …

Clare households are being urged to prioritise heating their homes regardless of cost this week. Saint Vincent De Paul volunteers have been working to ensure service users across the county have adequate supplies of gas and home heating oil amid the sub zero conditions. Additionally, under the winter moratorium currently in place until January 17th…

Clare Gardaí are urging caution on the roads in what they've described as the most challenging winter conditions in recent years. It comes as subzero conditions are persisting across the county, with temperatures of minus three degrees recorded in the county overnight. Tipperary recorded the coldest temperature of almost 6 degrees. An orange weathe…

The Shannon Airport Group is calling on the Government to urgently upgrade its national aviation policy. Shannon Airport experienced its highest passenger numbers in 15 years in 2024, handling over 2.1 million flyers. Last year, Shannon Airport operated 33 routes to 11 countries, including the return of Delta Air Line's daily service to New York, a…

Clare's Dog Warden is urging members of the public to prioritise the welfare of their animals and pets over the coming cold snap.One Clare rescue is already dealing with a cat which had a lucky escape after unintentionally travelling from Kerry after making its way into a car's engine bay in search of heat.Pet owners are also being urged to dry dog…

An Ireland South MEP has cast doubt over the Government's ability to achieve its housing targets in 2025, due to what he's described as a failure to address infrastructural challenges.It follows a recent briefing paper issued by key construction industry stakeholders, which stated that as a result of zoned land shortages, "it is not physically poss…

An Ennis principal has defended the teaching of religion to pupils in schools, saying he doesn't know "where else they could learn it".It comes as new figures from the Department of Education show that more students now attend multi-denominational post-primary schools than Catholic schools.A total of 206,792 students are enrolled in multi-denominat…

On Tuesday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Pat Clarke Browne for the regular tech slot. Pat runs Munster Business, based in Shannon.This week, Pat gave us all the insight into the technological trends shaping 2025 such as smart cars, electronic rollerblades and mixed-reality makeup.Photo (c): yuriz from Getty Images via Canva…

On Tuesday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey spoke to Fergal O’Keefe, host of the Travel Tales with Fergal podcast.On this week’s Travel Tales, Fergal told us about his skiing experience in Austria in the Ski Amade region around Salzburg.Av Clare FM

A new year is a good time to reflect on the year gone by and what we would like to change in the year to come. However, when we look at climate change-related matters in 2025, could climate change denial prove to be too much of a hurdle to overcome in the battle to tackle the man-made effects on our environment? To discuss this further, Alan Morris…

On Tuesday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by John Burns, Retired Deputy Principal and Educational Consultant.This week, John gave advice on choosing the right secondary school for a child with dyslexia and managing a pre-leaving cert student's avoidance of holiday schoolwork.He also addressed drug offers faced by children in town during…

Karl Fitzmaurice claimed a considerable accolade towards the end of 2024. On the 14th of December, the Shannon man finished second in the New York City Half Marathon. He finished the demanding course in just over 1 hour.To find out more about this impressive achievement, Karl Fitzmaurice joined Alan Morrissey on Tuesday's Morning Focus.Photo (c): P…

Many gay priests are struggling under the current teachings of the Catholic Church. That is according to a Clare native, who has spent many years attempting to bridge the divide between the Catholic Church and the LGBT+ community. Michael Moloney, who hails from Ballinruan, has been travelling around Europe as an unpaid missionary since 2007. On hi…

As you've been hearing in our news bulletins, the cold snap is continuing throughout the country, and Clare isn't immune to the icy conditions. Clare FM's Seán Lyons has caught up with Assistant Chief Fire Officer at Clare County Fire and Rescue Service Ross Forde to find out how the service has reacted to the inclement weather thus far.There appea…

HSE MidWest is urging members of the public to avoid attending hospital if possible amid the adverse weather conditions.Disruptions to scheduled care, cancellations and staffing deficits are expected throughout this week for both community and outpatient services. University Hospital Limerick is continuing to deal with high levels of presentations …

It's claimed improvements in personal behaviour will be the driving force in stamping out littering in Ennis.The county town has fallen eight places in the latest Irish Business Against Litter rankings, which have just been published, withAn Taisce’s report determining the county town is no longer cleaner than European Norms.Ten sites in Ennis were…

Confidence is being expressed that Clare County Council will increase its social housing output this year. At present over 76% of the more than 2,800 households on the list are seeking a one or two-bed property. For 2025, the local authority has set a target of delivering 164 new social homes. Clare Social Strategic Policy Chair Sixmilebridge Fine …

Clare County Council says it's confident its salt stocks are sufficient to get it through the worst of the cold weather. Local authority crews are ploughing and gritting priority routes throughout the county this week, with priority one and two roads gritted each morning from 6am, again during the day and finally in the evening from 7pm. The county…

To discuss what we can expect from the sporting calendar in 2025, Alan Morrissey was joined on Monday's Morning Focus by Clare FM's Derrick Lynch.Derrick talked about the challenge game between Clare and Limerick, the recent changes, and much more.Av Clare FM

Clare Arts Office will host “CON_FUSION” by Claus-Eckhard Kraemer and Pat O’Connor. The exhibition will take place in the gallery of the Edna O’Brien Library in Scariff from the 6th of January to the 29th of January.Photo (c): Clare FMAv Clare FM

On Monday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Tom Stewart from Keane’s Garden Centre in Kilcolgan.This week, Tom gave listeners advice on seeds to sow indoors in January.If you have a question for Tom, contact the show on 0818 400 964 or send a text or WhatsApp to 086 1800 964.Av Clare FM

Gardaí are urging motorists to watch out for black ice, following heavy snowfall in parts of Clare yesterday. A status yellow warning for low temperatures remains in place for the entire country until Thursday, and some parts of the Banner County remain affected by a blanket of snow. Meanwhile, around 537 properties in Clare remain without power fo…

To discuss the latest in the entertainment world, Alan Morrissey was joined by Clare FM’s Colum McGrath, on Tuesday’s Morning Focus.This week, Colum discussed the Golden Globes.Av Clare FM

To discuss the latest in the entertainment world, Alan Morrissey was joined by Clare FM’s Colum McGrath, on Monday's Morning Focus.This week, Colum told us about the Golden Globes this year.Av Clare FM