Today on Morning Focus, Pat Flynn sat in for Gavin Grace. Following the fatal incident on the river Shannon yesterday (Thursday, February 4th), Pat spoke to Joe Doolin, the Killaloe Coastguard Officer in Charge about the incident. Investigations are underway after a man was killed when a stolen boat he was travelling in capsized on the River Shannon. The incident happened around half past four on Thursday morning at Castleconnell boat house in Limerick. Three other men involved in the accident, aged in their 20s and 30s, were treated for hypothermia at University Hospital Limerick. The 28 year old man died in hospital from his injuries and Gardai and the Marine Casualty Investigations Board are investigating.
Pat also spoke to Darren Purtill, Director of Imrpesarious Events and Organiser of Inis Fest. Darren says it’s unlikely that Inis Fest won’t go ahead again this year. Over one thousand people attended the music festival at the Showgrounds in Ennis each night last June, providing a massive boost to businesses in the town. But financial loss in the region of 100,000 euro were incurred by the festival organisers due to disappointing ticket sales after the event was forced to change venue on the back of complaints from residents in the vicinity of Tim Smyth Park. Darren says efforts to secure a financial backer for a repeat event have failed so far, but he hasn’t entirely ruled out the possibility of running a scaled back event or collaborating with other organisations. Councillor Johnny Flynn also spoke on the phone, and he says he believes that Ennis needs a music festival to appeal to its large population of young people. He says Inis Fest would have a good chance of success with a national sponsor and, possibly, on a smaller scale.
Next on the show was Michael Hogan, Chairperson of the Kilkishen Development Association. Michael spoke about a job creation meeting in Kilkishen. The community of Kilkishen came together with public representatives and election candidates last night (Thursday, February 4th) to look at options for job creation in the area. The meeting was organised by Kilkishen Development Association to discuss the closure of L3 Communications Esso Collins and the future of the facility. The East Clare telecommunications company is to close this summer with the loss of 30 jobs. The company has been operating in Enagh, Kilkishen for the past four decades and is behind the iconic golf ball satellites on Woodcock Hill in Cratloe. L3 Communications said that “excess resources and capacity for the worldwide demand for its products” lead to the decision to close its Clare facility.
Geraldine Quinlivan from Clonlara spoke with Pat this morning about the flooding crisis. Geraldine attended a meeting in Athlone this week organised with a view to forming a national campaign group on the flooding issue. She says the meeting was well organised and that plans for a major national protest on February 20th, in Athlone, are well advanced.
Clare FM’s Siofra Mulqueen went to Kilmaley Day Centre to talk to the Rose of Tralee, Elysha Brennan. The 22-year-old from Bettystown, Meath, is a student at the Royal College of Surgeons and also a cancer survivor. She made headlines last August when she was crowned the overall winner of the competition. As well as visiting the Kilmaley Day Centre, the Rose is visiting the De Valera Library in Ennis and meeting Cllr. James Breen, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council and Cllr. Pat Daly, Mayor of the Ennis Municipal District.
Siobhan Mulcahy, the Clare County Council Arts Officer, joined Pat in studio to discuss the weekly arts round-up. Friday the 5th of February will see a poetry meeting with Ruth Marshall in Ennis; The Aran Islands theatre show in Glor; The Artists Resource Room Talk in Glor; and an Exhibition opening in the Burren College of Art, Ballyvaughan. Saturday will see a ceramics workshop with Jackie Maurer in Ballyvaughan and a singing session in the Guru Tea House in Ennistymon. On Sunday, there’s a Ballynacally Grupa Cheoil meet. And finally, on Wednesday there will be a screening of The Humpback Whales of Cape Verde in Kilkee.
For the weekly Friday Panel Discussion Pat was joined by Manuel Di Lucia, a businessman and community activist in Kilkee; Ronan Judge, a Journalist with the Clare People; and Sharon Cahir, a Solicitor with Cahir and Company Solicitors, Ennis. The panel spoke on a variety of topics including, the beginning of the election campaign, the foster care scandal, the spent convictions bill, and the late Terry Wogan.
Following the recent success of Apres Match of the Day on RTE 2, Ireland’s premier league comedy team, Apres Match, is coming to play a home game in Ennis. Expect your favourite football pundits: Eamon Dunphy, Liam Brady and Kenny Cunningham and some other loved or not so loved characters including George Hook, Paul Durkin, Joan Burton, Mary O’Rourke, Alex Ferguson, Martin O’Neil, Giovanni Trappatoni, Gay Byrne, Johnny Giles and the imitable John Delaney. Comedian Risteard Cooper spoke to Pat about Apres Match coming to Glor.
