Walking With Witches

‘Trick or Treat for Temple Street’ is the motto of the Hallow’een event taking place in Corofin on this Thursday evening October 29th. The Cora-Ween Spooktacular provides an opportunity for all the young children of the area to take part in a fancy dress extravaganza as well as putting on games and other entertainment to ensure a real fun event. All the little ghouls and goblins are asked to gather at Corofin GAA hall at 5.45pm. From here the ghostly procession will wend its way through the village to Corofin Community Centre where the fun and games begin. Fancy dress is essential with homemade costumes particularly welcome. Children are being invited to carve a pumpkin for the Pumpkin Parade while a healthy bistro is being laid on at the hall followed by a Demon Disco with DJ Fi-eel Good spinning out the Haunted Hits. There is a small charge for children, but adults go free.

Ladies Take Title

Corofin Camogie Club won the county Junior A title in the final played at Clooney on Saturday last wiith a comprehensive 2 – 13 to 1 – 05 win over Broadford. There was great celebration in Corofin on Saturday night to mark this historic victory. The club is also in contention for a number of other titles in the coming weeks and will be hoping to add to the silverware collected on Saturday last.

Farm of the Year

In the first ever Bord Bia awards presented in conjunction with the Burren Winterage Festival the Nagle farm at Carron won the top award and was declared Farm of the Year. Oliver Nagle accepted the award while his father Pat received a special award for his long time contribution to the promotion of the Burren Life programme in North Clare. The Jurken Family at Laghavalla, Kilnaboy won the award for Best Farm Family. Much of the activities of this year’s Winterage Festival centred around Corofin and Kilnaboy. The newly renovated Corofin Community Centre hosted the Winterage School which attracted more than 120 delegates representing several European countries. The hall itself was widely praised as an excellent venue with wonderful facilities while it also handled the catering requirements of the event in a very professional manner. Other activities took place around the parish from Thursday to Sunday with a visit to James Ruane’s vintage machinery exhibition a highlight of Saturday and the cattle drive at Flanagan’s farm in Glanquin the big attraction on Sunday.

Action in Adare

After a lay-off of several weeks Coroffin Golf Society members will have an opportunity to contest for Golfer of the Year points when they travel to Adare golf Club in Co. Limerick on this Saturday, October 31st for their October outing. This is the first ever official visit by the local club to the Adare course and a good turn-out is expected. The tee is reserved from 10.00am.

Drama Dates

The Corofin Dramatic Society cast and crew of The Last Panto in Little Grimley are on the road again this week-end with a trip to the Naas festival on this Saturday night October 31st. The group has already performed at the Birr and Kilmallock festivals in the past week. They have further journeys in the coming weeks with Cavan festival on November 7th and Doonbeg on November 15th.

Pubs of Ireland

A film crew working a new series of The Pubs of Ireland were in Corofin on Saturday last where they recorded a programme on Buffey Quinn’s Bar and Restaurant in the village. The programme interviewed proprietors Niall and Trish Cleary and also recorded some locals who remembered the pub as it was in the time of Bofey Quinn herself. They were also on hand to film much of the action on Saturday night when the village was very busy with the additional business generated ny the Burren Winterage event and by the celebrations of the victorious camogie club. The programme will be screened during the next series.

Footballers Win

Corofin has qualified for the semi-finals of the county u-21 B championship following a 2 – 10 to 1 – 07 win over Wolfe tones of Shannon at the Eire Óg grounds in Ennis on Sunday last. Corofin held a one point lead at half time on a score of 0 -06 to 1 -02. Goals from Eoin Davoren and Jason McCarthy in the second period swung the game in Corofin’s favour as they ran out six point winners in the end.

Celebrating with Annual Harvest Mass

The annual Harvest Mass of celebration takes place at St. Brigid’s Church, Corofin on this Friday night October 16th providing an opportunity for all sections of the community to give thanks for the blessings received throughout the year. For the past number of years the celebration has included a fundraiser for the Third World charity, Bothar, and once again this year it is planned to send two in-calf heifers from the local farming community via the charity to needy families in Africa. Following the mass light refreshments will be served at St. Patrick’s Hall and everyone is invited to come along.

The Drama Continues

Corofin Dramatic Society kicked off their new season with the staging of two-one act plays at Corofin Community Centre on Wednesday of this week and again on this Thursday night. Eileen Lahiffe directs ‘Last Panto in Little Grimley’ which will be the Corofin entry for this year’s one-act festival circuit. The local group will be on the road as early as next week with festivals taking place in Birr, Co. Offally and Kilmallock, Co. Limerick. Prior to that local audiences will have a further opportunity to see the productions in Corofin on Monday and Tuesday night next. The second play on the programme is the Jimmy Keary comedy ‘A Night to Remember’ and is directed by Bridie Cox. Both shows are very funny and will appeal to everyone. Curtain each night is at 8.00pm.

Tidy Towns Progress

Thanks to the hard work of a dedicated group of volunteers Corofin continues to make steady progress in the National Tidy Towns Competition as evidenced by the results for 2015 which were recently announced. Corofin increased its marking by eight points from 269 to 277. While there is always more to be done a good foundation has been laid which should see a realistic target of 300 points achievable over the next three years. The local Tidy Towns committee deserve the thanks and support of the community for their on-going efforts to enhance our village. One very practical way of doing this is to participate in their annual fundraising Table Quiz which takes place at Crowley’s Bar Corofin, on Friday of next week October 23rd.

Eyesore On The Market

Two very attractive town houses at Riverview, Corofin adjacent to Corofin Community Centre were purchased more than fifteen years ago to serve as the staff offices for The Burren National Park. They were used for a relatively short period for this purpose during which time more elaborate plans were drawn up to extend the property and provide additional office space. It is understood that funding had been allocated for the development at the time but delays in getting the project off the ground saw this funding diverted to other uses. The result was that the staff in Corofin moved to rented office accommodation in Ennis and the buildings in Corofin were allowed to fall into a sad state of disrepair. The local community has called on successive administrations to address the situation but nothing much was done. However in line with recent government policy to offload unwanted assets it is understood that the buildings are to be put to public auction and hopefully will be redeveloped in 2016.

Sports Capital Grant for GAA

Corofin GAA Club benefited to the tune of €50,000 under the latest allocation of Sports Capital Grant funding. The funding has been very much welcomed by the club which will use the money to completely revamp the original dressing rooms which were constructed almost thirty years ago and will also complete resurfacing work around the walking track and parking areas of the Pairc Finne complex.

On the playing front Corofin u-15 footballers defeated Lissycasey in the annual James O’Gorman memorial shield competition at the week-end. Members of the O’Gorman family were on hand to present the trophy to winners following the game. The club also paid tribute to Ambrose Heagney who took charge of the Clare senior hurling final between Clonlara and Sixmilebridge on Sunday last.

Winterage Weekend

Corofin is preparing for a sizeable influx of visitors next week as it is the main base for the annual Burren Winterage Week-end organised by BurrenBeo Trust. Corofin Community Centre will be the venue for the Winterage School which runs from Thursday October 22nd until Saturday 24th. Up to one thousand people are expected to participate in a range of planned activities in Kilnaboy, Lisdoonvarna and Kilfenora as well as Corofin over the four days. On Sunday October 25th the traditional Burren Catttle Drive will be enacted on the farm of James Flanagan at Glenquin, Kilnaboy.

Youth Club Officers

Corofin Youth Club has reopened for the new season having recently held its Annual General Meeting. The outgoing officers were thanked for the efforts on behalf of the club and the following committee was elected. Chairperson: Margaret Corry, Secretary: Brid Shannon, Treasurer: Siobhan Kenny and PRO: Miranda Hearne. Carol Andrews of Burren Beads was the guest speaker at the first get together on Friday night while a number of parents attended an adult leaders gathering organised by Clare Youth Service and hosted by Kilnaboy Youth Club on Saturday.

Awards Finalist

Corofin-based Niall Minogue and his business Trike Tours was one of the finalists in the Best New Business category in the FBD sponsored business awards held in Ennis a the week-end. This was a big boost for the fledgling with Niall and his motor trike having become a familiar feature on the roads of North Clare since he launched his business in the summer.

Tourism Association

Corofin Tourism Association held its Annual General Meeting recently and reviewed a very productive year in terms of tourism promotion and activity for the area. Tributes were paid to outgoing Chairperson Pauline Roberts for her endeavours on behalf of the group over the past three years. She had been a driving force behind the group’s activities and was instrumental in overseeing the successful revival of the annual Festival of Finn. The officers elected for the coming year are, Chairperson: Janet Bluel, Vice Chair: Martin Waldron, Secretary: Marian Darcy and Treasurer: Tina Boyle. Elwood Lynch and Miranda Hearne will continue to run the groups internet and social media presence.

The Burren National Park Information Point in Corofin closed following a very busy season at the end of September and expressed its thanks to everyone which supported all of the activities which it had promoted throughout the summer.

Bring and Buy Sale

A Monster Bring n Buy and Fun Day Out will take place on Sunday 8th November in Kilnaboy School Halla between 2pm and 5pm. There will be lots of attractive items for sale on the day and a mini auction will also conclude the activities. It promises to be a great family day out with face and nail painting and many other family activities. Anyone that would like to contribute saleable items can contact the school at 065-6837702. Items for sale can viewed and uploaded onto the Facebook page ‘Kilnaboy Hall & Astroturf Pitch.’ The school will begin to take items from this Friday onwards..

Winterage Week-end

Around 120 delegates from all parts of Ireland and overseas are expected to attend this year’s Burren Winterage Week-end which will be based in Corofin from October 22nd to 26th. Organised by the BurrenBeo Trust with the assistance of the local Irish Farmers Association the conference will be held at Corofin Community Centre from Thursday until Saturday with additional activities being planned for Saturday evening in the village and concluding with a traditional cattle drive on Sunday. There will also be field trips to The Burren as part of the conference. The organisers are delighted with the facilities available at the Corofin venue and the local economy is likely to get a late season boost as a result of this important event being held here.

Youth Club AGM

Corofin Youth Club will hold its annual general meeting, at Corofin Community Centre, on Wednesday next September 30th. The local club will be resuming its activities for the new season and is hoping to recruit some new adult volunteers to work as leaders with the club. At least one parent is asked to accompany any club members intending to join for the coming year. The meeting is scheduled for 8.30pm and further information can be had from club secretary, Pauline Bradley on 087-6383988.

Hurlers Win

A little piece of GAA history was made on Sunday last at Clarecastle when Corofin won their first ever ‘A’ hurling title at underage level with the u-13 team coming out on top in the county final against Inagh-Kilnamona. Corofin lead at half time 2-03 to 0-03 having played an excellent first half. In the second half scores were hard to come by, as both teams gave it everything. Inagh-Kilnamona pulled it back to a three point game with 10 minutes remaining but Corofin’s resolve drove them on to a famous victory winning on a score line of Corofin 2-05 Inagh-Kilnamona 0-07. The u-15 hurlers have a busy week-end ahead as they kick-off the u-15 B championship away to Ballyea on Friday evening while the u-15A amalgamation of Corofin-Ruan play Kilmaley also in the championship on Sunday.

Meanwhile Corofin footballers will contest the final of the Intermediate Championship on Sunday afternoon against Kilmihil in Miltown Malbay. They will be hoping to go one better than last year when they lost the final after a replay to Wolfe Tones.

Tourism Meeting

Members of Corofin Tourism Association as well as interested individuals are advised that the next meeting of the group, which will also be the Annual General Meeting takes place at Corofin Community Centre on Wednesday October 7th at 8.00pm. This meeting will set the agenda of the association for the coming year.

Pat’s Prize

Pat McCarthy followed up his win in the Corofin Golf Society’s recent outing to Galway Bay by capturing Paul Ryan’s Captain’s Prize at Gort Golf Club on Saturday last. David Daly finished second with Gerard Kennedy third and Gerry Connors fourth. Francis O’Donohue and Michael Ryan, Kilnaboy won the nines. Gerry O’Donnell, Paul Ryan and David Quinn, who also won the prize for Nearest the Pin, won the category prizes. Michael Ryan, Tubber, won the Longest Drive while Mary Coen won the Ladies Prize. Patrick O’Brien and Brendan Quinn took the guest prizes. The October outing of the society will be to Adare Golf Club but the date has yet to be decided. The society congratulated Gort Golf Club, which had very strong Corofin representation, for their achievement in reaching the All Ireland final of the Pierce Purcell Shield competition at Carton House in Co. Kildare last week.

Coffee Fundraiser

The organisers of the fundraising Coffee Morning in aid of Cahercalla Hospice were delighted with the support of the local community which saw around €500 raised for this worthy cause.

Wedding Bells

The wedding took place recently at Ballintubber Abbey, Co. Mayo of Marie Corbett, daughter of Willie and Kathleen Corbett of Liscullane, Corofin to Martin Keating from Tipperary. The wedding reception was held at Knockranny House Hotel, Westport. The wedding also took place at Urlingford, Co. Kilkenny of Shane Neylon son of Jimmy and Mary Neylon of Poulbawn, Corofin to Aine Brennan of Urlingford. The reception was held at the Kilkenny River Court Hotel.

Soccer Double

Corofin Harps A had an away tie in the first round of the Munster Junior Cup on Sunday when they travelled to Shannon to take on Shannon Town B. Goals from Killian Malone and Dean Hatfield ensured Harps passage to the next round in a 2 – 0 win. Meanwhile Harps B continued their recent good form with a 5 – 3 win over Sporting Ennistymon B.

Gala Opening for Corofin Hall

Sharon Shannon returned to her roots to perform the official re-opening of Corofin Community Centre on Friday night in what proved to be a gala occasion for the North Clare village. In spite of atrocious weather conditions a huge crowd turned out, determined to be part of the event, and a great night was had by all. Sharon was joined for the occasion by her father I.J. as well as by her sisters Mary and Majella and other family members while her brother Gary tutored and played with the very talented u-18 local traditional music group which entertained the audience ahead of the official opening ceremonies. Following the blessing of the building by Fr. Damien Nolan, Sharon unveiled the official plaque and having outlined her childhood association with the hall wished the organising committee every success. Susan Gallagher spoke on behalf of Clann Credo the social finance company while Chairman of Clare Local Development Company, Stephen Walsh, congratulated CHAF on how well the LEADER funding for the project had been spent. Fr. Nolan also represented the parish which had contributed to the development as well as Killaloe Diocesan Trust which had provided a long-term lease of the building to the community. Chairman of CHAF, Gerard Kennedy thanked the funders for their support and paid tribute to the local community for their commitment to CHAF’s fundraising efforts. He praised his Board and CHAF’s wide group of volunteers for their work to date as well as for their efforts in organising the opening event. He thanked all of the professional help which they had received, planning, financial, legal and project management and paid tribute to Galvin Construction the contractors on the development. He expressed a wish that present and future generations would ensure the upkeep and continued development of the wonderful facilities which the centre had to offer. Sharon delighted the audience by joining local musicians Padraig and Damian O’Reilly, Keith and Brian O’Loughlin and Caoilfionn Ní Fhrielhil for a session following the formalities and as the audience was later treated to refreshments by the local committee, gladly posed for photographs throughout the evening.

Coffee for Cahercalla

A Coffee Morning in aid of Cahercalla Hospice will be the Teach Ceoil, Corofin on this Thursday morning September 17th from 10am until 12 noon. Everyone is invited to drop in for a chat and a cuppa in support of a very worthy cause.

Footballers In Final

Corofin qualified for this year’s Intermediate Football Final with a 2 – 09 to 0 – 09 win over neighbours Kilfenora at Miltown Malbay on Sunday last to set up a rematch with Kilmihil in the final. Kilfenora had the better of the early exchanges and built up an early lead. However, Corofin scored four points in the second quarter to leave just one point between the sides at the interval, Kilfenora leading 0 – 06 to 0 – 05. Corofin started the second half with two quick points to take the lead for the first time but Kilfenora replied to level matters. Corofin took a grip at this point and Darren Malone set up his brother Jamie for Corofin’s first goal. The Clare senior player added a second when played in by Jason Tierney as further points from Darren Malone and John Keane. Kilfenora added two points late in the game but never threatened Corofin’s two goal advantage. Having lost last year’s final after a replay to Wolfe Tones, Corofin will be hoping to go one better against Kilmihil in the final.

Corofin have also qualified for the final of the u-13 A hurling championship following a comprehensive 2 -10 to 1 – 09 victory over Clooney-Quin on Saturday last. The final is scheduled to be played on Sunday next against the winners of Clarecastle and Inagh-Kilnamona.

Captain’s Prize

This week will prove an extremely busy one for Corofin Golf Society members. Eight members of the society will travel to Carton House Golf Club for the All Ireland Pierce Purcell semi-final on Thursday as part of the Golf Gort Club panel which takes on the Ulster champions. Many other society members will be travelling to support the team which if they win on Thursday will contest the final on Friday against the winners of the Leinster versus Munster clash. With that competition concluded it’s a return to Gort Golf Club on Saturday for the highlight of Corofin Golf Society’s year, Paul Ryan’s Captain’s Prize, which has a start time of 11.00am. All members and guests are invited to take part in this major event which will be followed by the prize-giving ceremony at the clubhouse.

Final Park Ramble

The Burren National Park information point in Corofin will be providing its final free guided walk of the season in the National Park on this Sunday September 20th commencing at 2.00pm. The walk will be along the Green Arrow Route on the nature trail, a 1.5km looped walk which is through mature ash and hazel woodland, meadow and limestone pavement. There is some loose stone on this route so suitable foot-ware is advised. The walk should take less than two hours to complete and booking is required through the information point in Corofin village.

Shield Final

Corofin camogie club has qualified for the Minor A shield final following an excellent 5 – 02 to 2 – 07 win over Scariff-Ogonnelloe last week. The club will also play Ruan-Burren at Ruan on Saturday next in the Junior A league while they also had an u-16 fixture against Kilmaley on Wednesday of this week.

Drama Dates

Dates have been set for the first productions of the new drama season for Corofin Dramatic Society which will feature two one-act plays. ‘Last Panto in Little Grimley’ by David Tristram is being directed by Eileen Lahiffe and will be the Corofin entry in this year’s One Act Drama Festival circuit. It is Corofin’s first entry on the one-act circuit since they won the All Ireland confined title in Ennis in 2013 with ‘What’s For Pudding’ also directed by Eileen Lahiffe. The second play on the programme is Jimmy Keary’s ‘A Night To Remember’ which is being directed by Bridie Cox. The dates selected are Wednesday and Thursday October 14th and 15th and Monday and Tuesday October 19th and 20th. The one-act circuit begins for Corofin in Birr on October 23rd with an outing in Kilmallock on the following night.

Huge Success

The fundraising event organised by the charity TLC4CF which kicked off in Kilnaboy on Saturday last proved a huge success with a big turnout of participants in all events. The organisers were thankful that the very heavy rain of Friday gave way to much better conditions on Saturday morning. They appreciated the huge support which they received and also expressed their thanks to the army of volunteers which acted as stewards and helped out with all aspects of the event.

Soccer Awards

Corofin Harps Schoolboy academy will hold its end of season awards event for its young players at Corofin Community Centre on Saturday next and all players and parents are invited to attend. On the playing front Harps A had a free Sunday while Harps B had a resounding 7 – 3 win over Shannon Olympic B in Corofin on Sunday afternoon.

Shall We Dance?

Dancing to live bands and social dancing is now as popular as it’s ever been with events taking place throughout the county each week. Locals who are interested in either learning to dance or improving their dancing skills will have an opportunity to do so with a free introductory Social Dancing class being offered at Corofin Community Centre on Wednesday night September 16th commencing at 7.30pm. There will be an opportunity to learn jive, quickstep, foxtrot and waltz. Should there be sufficient local interest in this new activity then classes are likely to continue there over the coming months.

Hall Opening

CHAF, the Corofin Hall development committee will hold an important meeting at the Corofin Community Centre on this Thursday night September 3rd at 8.30pm for the purpose of organising preparations for the official re-opening of the building on Friday September 11th. All CHAF members and anyone else who is interested in helping out with the opening event is invited to attend this meeting.

North Clare CF Cycle

The annual TLC4CF North Clare Cycle and Run will take place this year on Saturday September 12th commencing at Kilnaboy National School. There are options for people to walk, run or cycle in aid of this very worthy cause and those interested can register online at www.tlc4cf.com Participants have a choice of a 6k walk, a 6k or 11k run or can chose to cycle distances of 10k to 100k routes through the Burren and along part of the Wild Atlantic Way. The event is being part sponsored by EI Electronics, Shannon and Minihane’s Centra, Corofin. Further information on the event can be had on the Facebook page North Clare CF Cycle.

Footballers In Semi Final

In spite of a one point defeat to Kilmihil in their final Intermediate football championship group game on a score of 0 -16 to 1 – 12, Corofin qualified for the semi-final of the competition proper thanks to Naomh Eoin defeating Liscannor in the other group game in their section. Corofin will now play near neighbours Kilfenora in the semi-final. Attention switches to the Intermediate hurling championship this week-end where Corofin take on Wolfe Tones of Shannon on Saturday next at the Eire Óg grounds in Ennis with a place in the semi-finals at stake.

Harps Hammered

While all those involved with Corofin Harps wish success to the Corofin Intermediate hurlers and footballers, a depleted Harps A continue to suffer in the opening games of the Clare Premier Soccer League and on Sunday last went down 5 -1 to table toppers Bridge United A at home. Harps B played a 1 – 1 draw with Tulla United B in the Division Three League Cup.

National Heritage Week in the Park

A number of events are happening in the Burren National Park over the coming days included in the free activities people can enjoy nationwide as part of Heritage Week. On this Saturday August 22nd a Bird Watch walk will set out from Gortalecka Crossroads at 9.00am. Numbers on this walk are limited and booking through the National Park Information Point in Corofin is essential. This is an easy walk which should take around two hours to complete. Participants will be searching hedgerows and wetlands for warblers, sandpipers, egrets and more as well as finding out more about common bird calls. There will be the usual Sunday afternoon walk in the Park on this Sunday at 2.20pm. This 2km walk along the base of Mullaghmore will take walkers along the shores of Lough Gealáin, exploring the geology, flora and fauna found in the Park. The meeting point for this walk is on the Crag Road. On Wednesday evening August 26th a Bat Talk and Walk will also take place along one of the walks in the Park. Walkers are advised to bring a torch as this walk won’t finish until around 10.00pm.

Cillian’s Gold

Corofin Kilnaboy Community Games collected a gold medal at the national Championships at the weekend in the person of Cillian McGroary of Laghtagoona. Cillian was a member of the Clare u13 cross country team which took first prize in this event. The local club also wishes Conor Farrell all the best on Saturday next as he represents Clare at u-13 level at the national gymnastics finals.

Rome Wedding

The wedding took place recently in Rome of Kathleen Lahiffe daughter of Jimmy and Mena Lahiffe of Kells, Corofin to Italian native Maurizio Grimaldi. Family and friends travelled out to Rome to celebrate the joyous occasion. The happy couple will reside in Brechiano.

Creative Writing

Brenda O’Reilly of Baunkyle, Corofin, plans to run a series of writing workshops in Corofin commencing in September. Under the banner of Burren Creative Writing the classes will be held at the Red Gates Centre in Killeen. The workshops hope to inspire the creative and artistic talents which many people have when it comes to writing. Further information on what’s available can be viewed on www.burrenwriting.com

Hall Appeal

With the official opening of the Corofin Community Centre scheduled to take place on Friday September 11th CHAF volunteers are busy at present putting the finishing touches to some of the areas yet to be completed. The fit-out of the community CAFÉ is currently under way and the local group is looking for a donation of old bar stools which are suitable for upcycling and would like to hear from anyone who knows where some might be sourced. CHAF has also sent out a request for assistance in providing the catering for the large crowd which are expected to attend on the evening.

Duck Derby

Corofin Camogie Club will hold fundraising Duck Races on the River Fergus on Sunday next August 23rd. The venue will be the stretch of river immediately behind the Pairc Finne GAA complex. Cards are on display in all local businesses where the public can purchase paddlers in each of the races but contributions will also be taken on the day so the club is hoping for strong support for this event.

Season Opens

The Clare soccer season for 2015-16 gets under way and a programme of games is down for the Premier Division with Corofin Harps A involved. The A’s will travel to Shannon where they meet Shannon Olympic A which proved something of a bogey team for Harps last season. The local side are under the management of Colm Mounsey and Eddie Walsh this season and will be hoping for a positive start to the campaign.

Children’s Nature Quest

For anyone looking to engage in a fun activity with their children next week the Burren National Park will hold a free event along the Nature Trail in the Park on Wednesday next August 5th commencing at 10.30am. The theme involves fun mammal and woodland games and promises to be an enjoyable morning taking around one and a half hours to complete. Children should be accompanied by an adult and suitable foot-ware and clothing is advisable. There will also be a free guided walk along the Nature Trail at 2.15pm on the same day and a similar one on this coming Sunday August 2nd also at 2.15pm. In all cases the meeting point is Gortalecka Crossroads or alternatively walkers can avail of the free bus leaving Corofin fifteen minutes before the start times. Further information can be had from the Burren National Park Information Point in the village.

Some Show

In the lead up to last Saturday’s North Clare Show in Corofin there were a number of concerns for the organisers, not least of which was the forced change of venue for the jumping competitions and the unfavourable weather forecast for the week-end. As it transpired the 2015 event proved to be one of the most successful on record, with ideal weather conditions prevailing and all of the events and activities going ahead as scheduled. The show has received plaudits from many visitors and competitors who were delighted with friendliness, the organisation and the facilities available to all who attended. For their part the organisers have expressed their thanks to their army of volunteers and to everyone else who helped to make the day such a success.

Mixed Fortunes

There was bitter disappointment for Corofin’s u-14 footballers who were well beaten by Ennistymon in the u-14 A county final at Miltown Malbay on Saturday last. The fact that Corofin had twice beaten their opponents in earlier rounds of the competition counted for nothing on Saturday as Ennistymon ran out winners on a score of 3 -12 to 2 – 05. There was also defeat for the Corofin-Ruan amalgamation in the u-16 A hurling league as they went down to O’Callaghan’s Mills-Bodyke on Sunday on a score of 3 – 16 to 1 – 14. In Minor B hurling Corofin-Ruan defeated Doora-Barefield by 0 -16 to 0-14 while a late goal for Naomh Eoin robbed Corofin intermediate footballers of a first round championship victory the game ending on a score of 1 – 12 each.

Village Enhancement

Corofin Tidy towns committee has undertaken a number of enhancements around the village in recent weeks. The most obvious of these is the new faced stone walls at Church Street and a new stone picnic table and seating in one of the green areas near the hall. Pat and Gussie O’Loughlin were the masons who worked on these recent projects. This is part of an on-going programme of work which the tidy towns group hopes to complete in 2015.

Double Gold

Kilnaboy woman Rita Kierce, running in the colours of St. Mary’s A C captured two gold medals in the national masters track and field finals held at Tullamore, Co. Offaly at the week-end. Rita came home first in both the 800m and 1500m finals.

Camogie Final

Corofin camogie club has qualified for the county u15B final following an exciting game last week against Parteen which ended in a draw on a scoreline of Corofin 5 – 04, Parteen 4 – 07. Ellie Harrison scored four goals for Corofin with Lizzie Roche adding a goal and a point. Aileen O’Reilly got Corofin’s other three points from frees. They will contest the final on Wednesday next August 5th. The club also registered an excellent win over Sixmilebridge in the Minor A competition last week on a 4 10 to 4 – 05 scoreline.

Wedding Bells

The wedding took place at Clarecastle Church on Thursday last of Oliver O’Loughlin son of Oliver and Linda of Killeen, Corofin to Lisa Kelly, daughter of Tommy and Mary of Lissane, Clarecastle. The wedding reception was held at the Armada Hotel, Spanish Point. The wedding also took place in Myshall, Co. Carlow of Ciaran Curtin son of Paddy and Evelyn of Inchiqiuin, Kilnaboy to Susan James daughter of George and the late Lilly of Myshall. The wedding reception was held at the Riverside Hotel, Enniscorthy.

Soccer News

Corofin Harps played a pre-season friendly against Lifford at the week-end which ended in a 1 – 1 draw. Brian McGauran put Harps ahead mid-way through the first half but the Ennis side equalised just before the break. The A team is under new management this season with Colm Mounsey and Eddie Walsh in charge.

Recent Death

The death occurred last week of Conor O’Bryen of Kells, Corofin. He reposed at his own residence on Thursday evening and arrived at Corofin Church on Friday morning for 11.00am funeral mass. He was interred at Kilvoydane Cemetery following the mass

Let’s Go To The Show

The annual North Clare Show takes place at Corofin on this Saturday July 25th and promises to be a great occasion for the entire community. The organisers have spent many weeks preparing for this major event which presents many logistical problems for the local committee as a number of different venues are required to facilitate all of the various indoor and outdoor activities taking place. The show society is delighted to have the use of the new facilities offered by the redeveloped Corofin Hall, adjacent to the local sportsfield where all of the jumping competitions traditionally take place, while all of the other outdoor classes, dog show and hurdy-gurdy activities will be held in the nearby Edwards’ Field at Kilvoydane. There is something of interest for all of the family at the Corofin Show and the organising committee is hoping that the weather will be kind on Saturday and ensure a bumper crowd will be able to enjoy all that show day has to offer.

Development Workshop

A general meeting of Corofin Development Association will be held at Corofin Hall on Wednesday night next July 29th commencing at 8.30pm. It is hoped that some local councillors will attend where issues of local importance can be brought to their attention. All local groups are invited to outline progress on their activities while it is also planned to hold a development workshop which will examine potential private and community projects that can form part of a local development plan over the next few years. This meeting is also open to all members of the public who might wish to attend. This meeting was given additional importance following a gathering last week with representatives of Clare Local Development Company who are currently undertaking community consultations around Co. Clare trying to identify potential LEADER type projects which could be pursued under the next programme, expected to commence shortly.

Morris Dancers

Locals and visitors enjoyed a rather unusual form of entertainment in Corofin village on Monday of this week when a troupe of Morris Dancers, The Ancient Men, performed outside Bofey Quinn’s bar and restaurant. Morris dancing is a form of traditional English folk dance, usually accompanied by music. The dancers wear traditional costumes and usually wear bell-pads on their shins. They also use sticks, swords and handkerchiefs as part of their performance. The group from the Cotswold Hills area of England are visiting a number of locations in West Clare and had arranged this performance in Corofin for some time with proprietor Trish Cleary. After the public performance they adjourned to Bofey Quinns where an impromptu cultural exchange took place with dancers and musicians from the Corofin locality.

Art In The Park

As part of its ongoing programme of activities the Burren National Park Information Point in Corofin will hold a children’s art event on Wednesday next July 29th at 10.30am. The event is suitable for children aged 5 to 10 who should be accompanied by an adult. All art materials will be supplied at the Corofin venue. The office is also organising two free guided walks in the Park over the next week.

On Sunday July 26th the walk will be on the Orange Trail at 2.15pm. This 1.3km looped walk is suitable for all age groups and fitness levels and walkers should meet at Gortlecka Crossroads or take the free bus from Corofin at 2.00pm. On Wednesday July 29th the walk will be along the Mullaghmore Base and is a 2km walk along the shores of Lough Gealáin. This is a slightly more difficult walk with some loose limestone and suitable footware should be worn. It could take up to 2.5 hrs to complete. The meeting point for this walk is at the Crag Road at 2.20pm.

Football Final

Corofin u-14 footballers have qualified for the final of the u-14 A competition for the first time and will meet neighbours Ennistymon in the final on this week-end. The local side already defeated Ennistymon in the qualifying rounds which also included victories over Eire Óg and Doora-Barefield. The club is asking the community to come along and support the team in the final.

The Corofin Intermediate Footballers kick-off their 2015 football championship campaign this Saturday evening when they face Naomh Eoin in the first round. They have already secured promotion to League Division 2 by going through the entire Division 3 League campaign unbeaten. They won seven games and drew one and in so doing also qualified for the Division 3 League Final.

Pointing The Way
Corofin Tourism Association this week erected signage on the approach roads to the village informing visitors of the fact that an information point for the Burren National Park is located there. The information point offers a wonderful service to people wishing to visit Ireland’s newest national park. In addition the office provides a free daily bus service to the park during the tourist season and organises free guided walks and other events in the park most week-ends from May to September and occasionally mid-week. Even though the information point has been in existence for the past three seasons there has been no official signage in place to make drivers, passing through Corofin, aware of this jewel, much to the frustration of the local tourism group. In addition many visitors who arrive in Corofin have difficulty locating the information point which is housed in the Clare Heritage and Genealogy Centre on Church Street. It is hoped that the new bilingual signs which are manufactured to national standards will address these issues.

Big Shove for Show

The big voluntary effort that’s required to get everything ready for the annual North Clare Show in Corofin will swing into action early next week with the final touches being put to preparations for this year’s major event happening on Saturday week July 25th. The show-jumping arenas will need to be prepared as will the venue for all of the other outdoor classes at Kilvoydane. The indoor exhibition area returns to Corofin Hall where the show society is looking forward to utilising all of the new facilities there, having been accommodated at the GAA sports hall last year. The local group recently issued an appeal for additional volunteers and will welcome support from all comers both in the lead up to and on Show Day itself.

New Drama Season Looms

While it’s only a matter of weeks since Corofin Dramatic Society brought the curtain down on the 2014-15 season the local club is already preparing for another busy year. A play has been selected for the three-act drama festival circuit where Corofin has achieved much success in recent years and once again John Clancy will be the director. Rehearsals for this production are expected to begin as early as September. Eileen Lahiffe who was the director of Corofin’s last one-act production ‘What’s For Pudding’ which won the All Ireland confined title in Ennis in 2013 will take charge of another comedy for this year’s open competition. Rehearsals for this will get under way in the coming weeks with the play ready for staging in November. Meanwhile a three act play to be staged in Corofin towards the end of October is also in the pipeline. Rehearsals for this had commenced towards the end of 2014 but it was put on hold as work on completing the hall had been delayed. The Corofin group held a very enjoyable open day at the hall on Saturday last involving most of the society members.

Weather Below Par

Royal Encounter

Local farmer Pat Nagle of Baunkyle and his son Oliver were among those to meet with Prince Charles during his visit to The Burren last week as part of his four day trip to Ireland. The Nagle family are part of the Farming For Conservation Project on their land at Carron and the Prince of Wales who was accompanied by Dr Brendan Dunford, Manager of the project, met with Pat and Oliver on site, where they had a brief discussion with the royal party on the farming practices involved. The event was extensively covered by local, national and international media.

On Irish Angling Team

Local angler Thomas O’Loughlin of Newtown, Corofin, travelled to England this week as part of a fourteen strong Irish team to compete in an international fly-fishing competition at Rutland Water, near Peterborough which started on Tuesday May 26th and concludes on this Saturday May 30th. Meanwhile Thomas and other members of the O’Loughlin family were the winners of a team angling competition held in Killarney last week.

Confirmation Day

Sunday last, May 24th saw the sacrament of confirmation conferred on thirty eight local children at St. Joseph’s Church, Kilnaboy. This was one of the biggest number of children to be confirmed in the parish for many years and resulted in a huge congregation in Kilnaboy. The school hall was used to accommodate many of the attendance with the confirmation mass being screened live on a big screen for the occasion.

Archaeology Lectures

The Irish Fieldschool of Prehistoric Archaeology and the Department of Archaeology at NUI Galway will hold a series of lectures on local archaeology in the lecture room at Corofin Hall during June and July. The first lecture ‘Seeking Darkness: The Bronze Age ritual use of caves in The Burren’ will be given by Dr Marion Dowd of Sligo IT on Tuesday night next June 2nd commencing at 7.00pm. The series, comprising eight lectures in all, will continue each Tuesday at the same time until the end of July. Further details on the proposed list of talks as well as on each weekly lecture can be viewed on corofinhallfield the Facebook page for St. Patrick’s Hall, Corofin. The lectures are open to the public with special prices for students, unemployed and pensioners.

Boxing Champion

Kilnaboy’s Clóda Collins, who is a member of the Kilfenora Boxing Club, became the club’s latest All Ireland champion when she won the 86kg championship, in the Youth 2 competition, at the National Stadium, Dublin recently. She defeated Katie Rourke from Brosna Boxing Club in the final.

Walk The Orange Trail

Sunday next May 31st will see a free guided walk on the Orange Trail in the Burren National Park. This is a walk suitable for all ages and fitness levels. It is a 1.3km loop walk passing through mature ash and hazel woodland, meadow and also passes a turlough. The walk gets under way at 2.15pm and walkers will meet at the Mullaghmore Crossroads. Alternatively participants can avail of the free bus service from the Information Point in Corofin which departs at 2.00pm.

Hurlers Win

The Corofin u-14 hurlers are competing with distinction in this year’s A championship and on Friday last claimed the scalp of Sixmilebridge on a score of 2-1 4 to 2 – 06 to top their group. They will face the East Clare amalgamation of Broadford-Smith O’Briens in the semi-final in Corofin on this Friday evening at 6.30pm which should attract a good attendance at Pairc Finne. The intermediate hurlers are also in action on Saturday when they play Killenena in the championship in Clarecastle. Jamie Malone played for the Clare senior footballers in the championship win over Limerick on Saturday lst while Manus Malone was on the county junior side. Primary school players Cillian McGroary and Diarmuid Cahill featured on the Clare schools football and hurling teams respectively at the week-end while Gearoid Cahill was named St. Flannan’s College player of the year for 2015.

Corofin GAA Club will be taking a final order for club gear on this Thursday night (May 28th) from 8:15pm-9:00pm in the clubhouse. Club gear such as jackets, tops, polo-shirts, togs etc. will be on display on the night and will be available to order, if there is sufficient demand.

Vintage Run

The annual Corofin Vintage Tractor and Car Run will take place this year on Sunday July 5th. A big turn out of cars and tractors from all parts of Clare and farther afield are expected on the day. Sponsorship cards for this event are now on display in all local businesses with Clare Crusaders and Corofin Senior Citizens among the groups to benefit from this novel occasion.

Recent Death

The death occurred at the week-end of Eileen Lynch, nee Hanrahan, of Cahercalla, Ennis and formerly of Drumcavan, Corofin. Her funeral took place from her residence to Ennis Cathedral on Sunday. She was interred at Drumcliffe Cemetery following funeral mass on Monday