End of the Summer Market

The final Farmer´s Market of the summer season will be held in Corofin on this Friday September 6th. The introduction of the market as part of the Festival of Finn in May showed the demand for a local market and it has continued on the first Friday of each subsequent month. The organisers are planning a Christmas Fair as their next venture and they also intend to resume the farmer´s market again in 2014. The market on this Friday will be hld as usual in Church Street from 11.00am until 3.00pm.

Exodus To Croker

A big number of hurling supporters from the parish will be joining the thousands of Clare suporters heading to Croke Park for Sunday´s All Ireland decider against Cork. There has been a mad scramble for tickets over the past two weeks since Clare´s semi final victory over Limerick but it would appear that most of those who are making the trip to the final have managed to secure the all important entry ticket. In common with the rest of the county the Corofin area has seen Clare flags and colours promintently displayed in recent days as the entire county lends its support to the Clare hurlers in their attempt to secure another title for the Banner county.

Charities Benefit

The Corofin Vintage Tractor Committee succeeded in raising more than 1,000 euro from the vintage car and tractor rally held some weeks ago in Corofin and North Clare. Corofin Senior Citizens and The Clare Crusaders are the two charities to benefit from the fund and both are greatly appreciative of the efforts of the local group. The organising committee expressed their thanks to their sponsors and suporters and to everyone who helped out on the day.

Recent Death

The death occured at the weekend of Mr. Frank Fitzpatrick of Bridge Street Corofin. His funeral took place from Nagle´s Funeral Home Ennistymon on Monday evening and he was interred at Kilvoydane Cemetery following funeral mass on Tuesday morning.

Kieran´s Win

The Corofin Golf Society held its August outing at Castletroy Golf Club on Saturday last in excelent weather conditions. Kieran Reidy emerged winner over Martin Flaherty and Pat Curtis. The next society outing will be David Daly´s Captain´s Prize at Gort Golf Club on Saturday week September 14th.

Golfers In Castletroy

Corofin Golf Society will hold its August outing at the Castletroy Golf Club in Co. Limerick on this Saturday August 31’st. The tee is reserved from 9.00 am and members and guests intending to take part are asked to arrive in good time. Members are also reminded that David Daly’s Captain’s Prize outing will be held at Gort Golf Club, just two weeks later, on Saturday September 14th.

Draw For Tickets

Following Clare’s great win over Limerick in the semi-final, the scramble for tickets for the All-Ireland Hurling Final is going on in earnest. Corofin Minor Club is currently running its annual fundraiser with great prizes on offer with a first prize of 2 tickets for the All-Ireland Hurling Final on September 8th. There are also cash prizes for the runners-up. Lines can be bought from club officers, mentors and players or from local businesses in Corofin. All sellers are asked to return all completed or uncompleted cards to club officers by 12 noon on Saturday 31st of August with the draw scheduled to take place on Sunday September 1st at 12pm in Minihane’s Centra Foodstore, Corofin.

On the playing front the U16 hurlers reached the quarter final of the County B hurling championship with two impressive wins in their last two outings. They had a comprehensive win over Whitegate on a score line of 5-10 to 1-04 and then accounted for Cratloe on a score line of 1-16 to 1-10. The Minor A footballers travelled to Ennistymon for their latest fixture. The game finished in favour of the home side on a score line of 1-11 to 0-09. In intermediate football Corofin having secured their place in the semi-finals of the championship following a comprehensive 10 point victory over near neighbours Kilfenora play their last group game this Saturday against Kilmihil.

€400
Pat Curtis, Inchiquin, Kilnaboy

€200
Diane Egan-Doody, Laghtagoona, Corofin

€100
Stacey Behan, Ennis, Co Clare

Seller’s prize Colm Carey

Next Draw:
Crowleys Bar
Friday August 30th 9.30pm

Corofin – Kilnaboy Notes for Thursday August 22nd

Preparing for New Drama Season
A meeting of Corofin Dramatic Society will be held at the Teach Ceoil, Corofin, on Monday night next August 26th commencing at 9.15pm. All existing and new members are invited to attend and members are reminded that fees for the new season are now due. The main business of Monday’s meeting will be to decide on what production or productions might be chosen for ‘home’ entertainment over the coming months. A production for the festival circuit will be chosen at a later date. The society is always anxious to encourage new directors and actors to get involved in the local plays and Monday’s meeting will provide an opportunity for new ideas to be discussed.
Wild Winds at The Castle
A great night’s entertainment was had at Dysert O’Dea Castle Corofin on Friday last with a performance of “Wild Winds” a fusion of theatre and music inspired by some of the great Irish writers. The show incorporated an enactment on Maire Rua and also featured monologues and comic verse which greatly amused the large audience. The show was followed with a light supper. The success of the two recent shows held at the castle has highlighted the potential of the venue to host other similar events in the future.
Minor Club Draw
Clare’s exciting victory over Limerick at Croke Park on Sunday last sees the Banner contest a first senior hurling All Ireland final since 2002. While Clare supporters appeared to be outnumbered by Limerick fans for last Sunday’s semi-final there is likely to be huge demand for tickets for the final against Cork on September 8th. The annual fundraising draw being promoted by Corofin Minor GAA club is therefore likely to generate considerable interest. The fundraiser has great prizes on offer with 1st prize being 2 tickets for this year’s All-Ireland Hurling Final. There are also cash prizes for 2nd and 3rd prize-winners. Lines can be bought from club officers, mentors and players or from local businesses in Corofin.
Walking Events
On Sunday next 25th August a Butterfly Hunt is the latest initiative by the National Park Information Office in Corofin to promote activities in the Burren National Park and to create an awareness of what the Park has to offer. Meet at Mullach Mór Crossroads at 14:00. On Thursday 29th August a free guided walk takes place along the Nature Trail in the National Park. Meet at Mullaghmore Crossroads, Gortlecka, at 11:30. The walk will last approximately 1.5 hrs. On Friday 30th August they will be offering a free guided walk along the Brown Trail in the Slieve Carran-Keelhilla Nature Reserve. Meet at the parking area outside the nature reserve at 11:00. The walk will last approximately 2 hrs. Finally on Saturday 31st August there will be a free guided walk along the Green Trail. This walk consists of a return journey to the summit of Mullaghmore along the eastern side, and back down the same way to the Crag Road. Meet at the Cragg Road at 14:20. It will take approximately 3 hrs. It’s possible to avail of the free bus service leaving the Information Centre in Corofin for all of these events but it’s important to book and check the bus time table in advance.

Burren Birds & Butterflies

The Burren National Park Information Centre in Corofin is planning a number of activities as part of National Heritage Week. On Sunday 18th August a Bird-watching Walk providing an Introduction to the Birdlife in the Burren National Park will take place. The meeting point is at Mullach Mór Crossroads at 9:00. Walkers should bring their own binoculars if possible and booking is required. A talk by Hugh Carthy on Burren Archaeology planned for Wednesday August 21st will not take place but it is hoped to arrange an alternative activity on the day at the information centre. Details on an alternative event can be found on the website www.burrennationalpark.ie. On Sunday 25th August a Butterfly Hunt will be held in the Burren National Park. Once again the meeting point will be at Mullach Mór Crossroads at 14:00 and booking for this event is required. On Sunday 18th August there will be a kids scavenger hunt in the Burren National Park. Meet at Mullach Mór Crossroads at 14:15. The free National Park Bus service leaving the Information Point in Corofin at 14:00 will arrive at the crossroads at 14:15. The hunt will last approximately 1-1.5hrs. On Wednesday 21st August there will be a free guided walk to Cahercommaun Stone Fort. Meet at the start of the trail at 11:30. The walk will last approximately 1.5 hrs.

Recent Deaths

Anne Walsh formerly Anne Fitzgerald of Dromoher, Kilnaboy died in the United States last week. Burial took place in Middletown, New Jersey, were she resided. She is survived by her husband and four children and also by her brother John and sisters Bridie and Elizabeth. The death occurred suddenly last week of Christopher (Christy) Shannon of Carhunamadra, Kilnaboy. His funeral took place from Nagle’s Funeral Home Ennistymon on Monday evening to Kilnaboy Church and he was interred at the new cemetery Laghtagoona, Corofin on Tuesday morning.

GAA News

Corofin defeated Kilfenora in the Intermediate Football Championship last weekend on a scoreline of 2-11 to 0-7. Corofin played with the aid of a strong breeze in the first half and led at half-time by 1-8 to 0-3, with Damien Ryan scoring the goal from the penalty spot. A second-half goal from Gearóid Kelly and three pointed frees from Damien Ryan sealed the victory for Corofin. Scorers for Corofin were Damien Ryan 1-4 (1-0 pen,0-4 frees), Gearóid Kelly 1-3 (0-1 free), Jamie Malone 0-3 and Jack Campbell 0-1. After receiving a bye in the first game, Corofin are now through to the semi-finals. Corofin’s second and last group game is against Kilmihil at the end of August. Meanwhile in the underage scene, the Corofin/Ruan minor hurlers had mixed fortunes last week with one win and one defeat. They defeated Clonlara away by 0-17 to 1-12 while they lost out to Kilmaley by 2-16 to 1-12 in Corofin. Their final group game is against Clarecastle in Corofin this Friday evening. The minor footballers had a good win away to Doonbeg/Kilkee winning by 3-9 to 2-4, while the Corofin/Ruan U-16 hurlers made the long journey to Parteen last Sunday and came away with a share of the spoils, 1-14 apiece. The U-14 footballers were defeated by Cooraclare. Corofin Minor Club are currently running their annual fundraiser with attractive prizes on offer. First prize is two tickets for this year’s All-Ireland Hurling Final, while there are also cash prizes for 2nd and 3rd prize. Lines can be bought from club officers, mentors and players or in local businesses in Corofin.

Welcome For Historical Profile

Michael McMahon’s new publication ‘The Parish of Corofin’ has been hailed as the definitive history of the combined ancient parishes of Rath and Kilnaboy. The publication was launched to a packed Clare Heritage Centre audience on Friday night last by Dr. Ciarán Ó Murcadha, who praised the author’s contribution to the preservation and recording of local history and in particular to his life-long involvement with the Clare Archaeological and Historical Society. In his own address Mr. McMahon spoke of the changes which had taken place in the parish from earliest records to modern times and highlighted how the history of the area was intertwined with the story of two branches of the O’Brien family, descendants of Brian Boru. The village of Corofin began to be developed in the early 18th century with the arrival of Lucius O’Brien from Lemenagh, who had married Catherine Keightley a first- cousin of two English monarchs, Mary and Anne. According to the author the village would most likely have prospered greatly at this time only for the untimely death of Lucius at the age of 42. The 400 page publication is now available to buy. It is written in a very readable style which makes it accessible to all age groups.

Let The Building Begin

Building work on the redevelopment of St. Patrick’s Hall is expected to commence next week when contractors Galvin Construction move on site. The development will see the removal of the existing toilet blocs, with new extensions accommodating, changing rooms, new kitchen facilities, dressing rooms and showers as well as new toilet and storage facilities. The main body of the building and front meeting rooms will also be revamped and modernised and a training room, community café and community office will also be provided. While the timeline for completion of the project is not known as yet, CHAF, the local hall development group is hopeful that the facility will be available for use during the second quarter of 2014.

Tournament Win

Corofin Harps was one of eight teams which participated in the Noel Mullane Memorial Tournament organised by Ennistymon Celtic in Lisdoonvarna at the week-end. The Ennistymon native had played with both Celtic and Harps prior to his untimely and tragic death two years ago. The tournament featured both a Cup and Shield competition. Having been defeated by Hermitage A in the cup Harps went on to defeat the hosts in the final of the shield. The local club plans to enter both an A and B team in this year’s Clare league competitions which are scheduled to get under way in early September. The club will bringing all players from both squads together over the next three weeks as part of the pre-season training programme.

Walk To The Summit

On Sunday 11th August the National Parks and Wildlife Service will be providing a free guided walk along the Green Trail in the Burren National Park. The meeting point is the Crag Road at 14.20. This walk is to the summit of Mullaghmore along the eastern side, and back down the same way to the Crag Road. It will take approximately 3 hrs. Walkers can avail of the free National Park bus service, leaving the Information Point in Corofin at 14.00.

On Tuesday 13th August there will be a free guided walk along the Orange Trail in the Burren National Park. Meet at Mullaghmore Crossroads, Gortlecka, at 11.30. The free National Park bus will leave the Information Point in Corofin at 11.15 and will arrive at the crossroads at 11.30. The walk will last approximately 1.5 hrs.

Willbrook Gathering

The national school at Willbrook served the educational needs of a very sizeable portion of the Corofin parish since 1884. It continued to do so for 104 years until following dwindling pupil numbers and rationalisation it closed its doors in 1988. It is appropriate in this year of The Gathering, which marks the 25th anniversary of its closure that a number of past pupils have banded together to organise a reunion of all former pupils of the Willbrook school. The date selected for this unique gathering is Saturday October 12th 2013 with the event taking place as The Falls Hotel, Ennistymon. The organisers are hoping for a very good response and are confident that this will be an occasion to remember, when memories can be shared and friendships renewed. Anyone interested in knowing more about the reunion should contact one of the following: Tom Burke 087 6982210, M J Leyden 087 2524148, Sheila Organ 087 2404226, Gerry O’Loughlin 085 1743050, Jack Hanrahan 065 6837834 or Mary Ward Browne 086 8451322.

History Launch

Well-known local historian, Michael McMahon will see years of painstaking research and compilation come to fruition this week with the launch of his long awaited historical publication, entitled, ‘The Parish of Corofin’. The event will take place at the Clare Heritage and Genealogy Centre on this Friday August 2nd at 8.00pm with the official launch being performed by historian and writer Dr. Ciarán Ó Murchadha. The history provides a historical profile of the united parishes of Killinaboy and Rath from the earliest times to the present. The hard-back publication should prove of great interest to Corofin people everywhere and will be available to purchase on the night or in local outlets in the coming weeks.

Contract Signed

There was considerable relief among the local community last week-end with the news that the contract has been signed with the builder for the redevelopment of St. Patrick’s Hall following years of planning and encountering many setbacks along the way. CHAF Ltd. the local hall development group signed the contract with contractors Galvin Construction (Faunrusk) Ltd. on Thursday last and the expected commencement date for the work on the redevelopment project is Monday August 12th.

Farmer’s Market

The Friday August 2nd sees the return of the Farmer’s Market to Corofin. It will be the third monthly market to be held in the village since the market was revived as part of the Festival of Finn in May. The market will run from 11.00am to 3.00pm at the now established venue in front of the Clare Heritage Museum in Church Street.

Wild Winds

An evening of mediaeval entertainment was held recently at Dysart O’Dea Castle as a Gathering event and proved a major success, being completely sold out on the night. It featured music, singing and story-telling and was very well received. Following on from this the castle is hosting a Theatrical Performance from “Wild Winds” on August 16th at 8pm. Wild Winds is a fusion of theatre and music, inspired by the inner landscapes, travels and muses of Irish writers including Yeats, Synge, O’Casey and Joyce. The piece was written by and will be performed by Eleanor Feely, actor and Etain McCooey, musician. Booking advisable; please contact Breda on 086 1000 295 or Marion on 086 172 3019.

Daly’s Day

John Daly held off tough competition to capture Jimmy Lahiffe’s President’s Prize at the Corofin Golf Society’s July outing at Gort Golf Club on Saturday last. It was a good week for Daly who was part of the Gort team which claimed the Connaught senior’s title also last week. John Williams finished second with Brendan McDonagh third and Martin Flaherty fourth. McDonagh also won the longest drive with David Daly taking nearest the pin. The nines were won by Michael Ryan, Tubber and Pat Curtis. Thirty two golfers took part on the day making it one of the most successful club outings this year. Jimmy Lahiffe presented the prizes to the winners at the Gort clubhouse following the event.

Burren Rambles

On Sunday 4th August the Burren National Park Information Centre in Corofin will be organising a walk along the Nature Trail in the Burren National Park. The meeting point is at Mullaghmore Crossroads, Gortlecka, at 14.15. Walkers can also avail of the free National Park Bus service. The bus leaving the Information Point in Corofin at 14.00 will arrive at the crossroads at 14.15. The walk will last approximately 1.5-2 hrs. On Wednesday 7th August a walk will take place along the Brown Trail at Slieve Carran/Keelhilla Nature Reserve. Meet at the parking area outside the nature reserve at 11.30. The walk will last approximately 2 hrs.

President’s Prize

Corofin Golf Society members and guests will be in action at Gort Golf Club on this Saturday July 27th when they will compete for Jimmy Lahiffe’s President’s Prize. Although membership numbers have remained at a constant level in recent seasons the turn-out at some of the monthly outings this year has been somewhat disappointing. However Saturday’s event is one of the big two annual competitions in the society’s calendar and all members are expected to take part. The tee is reserved at Gort from 9.30am.

Show Time

With all of the hard preparatory work completed everything is in readiness for the annual Corofin Show on this Saturday July 27th. As usual the show has a wide and varied programme and has something to offer all of the family. The show has been very well promoted and entries are high in the various classes. It is important that the local community come along and support this important social event and acknowledge the huge effort that goes into organising it on an annual basis. Jumping competitions get under way from 9.30am and events will continue throughout the day at a number of different venues.

Marvellous Mammals

Following closely on the heels of ‘Fabulous Fossils’ comes another free art event for children promoted by the Burren National Park Information Centre in Corofin. This latest endeavour takes place at the centre on Monday next July 29th from 11.00 am to 12 noon where the participants can learn all about ‘Marvellous Mammals’. Meanwhile on Sunday 28th July the National Parks and Wildlife Service will be providing a free guided walk along the Brown Trail at Slieve Carran-Keelhilla Nature Reserve. Walkers should meet at the parking area outside the nature reserve at 14.00. The walk will last approximately 1.5-2 hrs. On Wednesday 31st there will be a free guided walk to Cahercommaun stone fort. Meet at the start of the trail at 11.30. The walk will last approximately 1.5 hrs.

Development News

Corofin and District Development Association held a general meeting at the Teach Ceoil in Corofin last week which was attended by several local organisations. The meeting heard updates from, Corofin Tidy Towns committee, the Tonquedec Twinning Group, Corofin Tourism Association, CHAF, the Christmas Lights Committee and Corofin Dramatic Society. The meeting also heard that a new garda is to be appointed to Corofin in the near future and it is intended to reactivate the Corofin Community Alert scheme shortly, which was set up by the last garda stationed in the village, John Feehan.

Recent Death

The death occurred in Boyle, Co. Roscommon last week of Ms. Jean O’Grady, widow of the late James O’Grady of Nooan, Kilnaboy. Funeral mass took place in Sligo and she was interred at Coad Cemetery, Kilnaboy on Friday last.

Soccer Meeting

Following the recent AGM of Corofin Harps Soccer Club a general meeting will be held at the hall on this Friday night July 26th at 8.00pm. This important meeting will discuss arrangements for the start of the new junior season as well as finalising the set-up of the schoolboy structure in the club. Fundraising ideas will also be discussed at this meeting. All officers, mentors and players are asked to attend.

GAA Round-up

In intermediate football Corofin had a one point win away to Coolmeen in their last Division 3 league game of the season. The game finished 0-09 to 0-08. In the U14 A football championship Corofin had a good win against Wolfe Tones on a score line of 1-11 to 1-07. The minor footballers were defeated in the latest round of the A championship by Kilmurry-Ibrickane on a score of 1-09 to 1-06. In the U16 B hurling Championship Corofin defeated Eire-Og in their latest fixture and face O’Callaghans Mills away in their next round. The minor A hurlers were narrowly defeated by Eire-Og by three points in a recent championship game and now host Sixmilebridge on Friday evening in the next round.
The Corofin U12 hurlers rounded off the season with two games against Inagh-Kilnamona in the U12 finals day held in a sun-drenched Cusack Park on Saturday evening last. Corofin fielded two different teams of eleven a side for both games. Both teams gave outstanding performances. A brilliant team display in the Division 1 final saw Corofin defeat Inagh-Kilnamona on a scoreline of 0-08 to 1-04. The second team lost out narrowly in their game. Well done to all the players and mentors involved. The following players were outstanding in both games Josh Ryan, Sean Danagher, Eoin Fitzgerald, Cian O Loughlin, Luke Livingstone, Conor Leen, Killian McGroary, Michael Cahill, James Collins, Luke Neylon, Kevin Keane, Gearoid Hanrahan, Cathal O Halloran, Mark Livingstone, Shane O Brien, Diarmuid Cahill, David Nagle, Cillian O Connor, Cian Doolin, Evan Flanagan, Colin Farr, Declan Brennan, Dylan O Brien.

The Limestone Cowboy

Former world champion darts player and former world number one, Bob Anderson, will make a guest appearance at Daffy’s Bar, Corofin on Tuesday night next July 30th. Nicknamed ‘The Limestone Cowboy’ he is currently on a promotional tour around Ireland and his invite by the local darts club, will be his only engagement in Clare. Daffy’s Bar is one of the top darts venues in North Clare and the local team have competed with some success in the North Clare league for the past number of seasons. Club members and other league members will have the opportunity to compete against one of their heroes on the night, in what will be another sporting first for Corofin. The event is open to the public and everyone is invited to come along.

Donoughmore Success

Following the excitement of the All Ireland competitions in Corofin the previous week-end it was back to Munster action for the B urren Tug-O-War club on Sunday last when they travelled to Donoughmore in Co. Cork. It proved a great pick-up for the club following the disappointment of missing out on an All Ireland title and both teams brought home the trophies, winning both the senior and junior classes. The club will have a two week break before resuming competi

Gearing Up For Show

The Corofin Show Society has been very active in recent weeks as they put the final preparations in train for the annual North Clare Show which takes place in the village on Saturday week July 27th. Show secretary, Mary McMahon, is advising anyone who has yet to place an entry in any of the many classes that they must do so before this week-end. She can be contacted on 065-6837795 or 086-3769791. There will be 19 show jumping classes to be decided with the first competition getting under way at 9.30am. There will be all of the usual classes for horses, ponies, cattle and sheep while other classes including the very popular dog show will be going on throughout the day. A big entry is also expected for the indoor classes with extra poultry classes added for this year. Baking, flowers, crafts, art and photography as well as children’s classes will also feature. The organisers are hoping that the recent spell of good weather will hold to ensure a bumper crowd at this year’s event.

Heartache for Burren

There was a great turn-out for the All Ireland Tug O War championships held in Corofin on Sunday last with clubs from all over Ireland making sure that the event was a really competitive and colourful occasion. In addition to the men’s competitions there were also ladies and u-23 titles to be decided. There was heartache for the local Burren Club which had to settle for the silver medals in the final of the 640kg class losing out once again to the Offaly team Boyneside. As expected the senior title came down to the class sides of Boley of Wexford and Lakehill of Mayo with the Wexford-men triumphant. In the 680 novice class The Shop from Tipperary defeated Cluanraithe from Cork. Overall it was a great event for the village with local businesses benefiting from the influx of visitors while the organisers were high in their praise of the excellent facilities available at the Pairc Finne venue.

Dramatic Society

Corofin Dramatic Society held its Annual General Meeting last week and reviewed a very successful year in which the local club reached the All Ireland Open Drama finals in Athlone for the second successive year and claimed two national awards in the process. Director John Clancy and his cast and crew were praised for their great achievements throughout the season. Willie Lahiffe was re-elected President while Martin O’Donohue took over the role of Chairman from Pat O’Reilly. Pat was thanked for the work he had done as Chairman and in his address he acknowledged the huge progress which the society had made in recent years. Alan McGuire is the new Vice Chair while Carol Andrews and Mary O’Donohue continue as Secretary and Treasurer respectively. Maura Clancy takes on the role of Festival Secretary with Eileen Lahiffe as Assistant. Rona Lyons and Sandra Cox are the club’s joint PROs.

Visit Corofin

Mayor of Clare, Cllr. Joe Arkins officially launched the new tourism website www.visitcorofin.com at a function at the Inchiquin Inn on Friday night last. There was an excellent turn-out of locals and visitors for the social occasion to mark the launch. Pauline Bradley, co-ordinator of the Corofin Tourism Association gave a brief account of the aims of the group and outlined their achievements since they were formed in early 2012. Miranda Hearne of Gecko Design & Marketing who designed the website explained the features on the site and encouraged all local businesses to get involved in the promotion of the area.

Fascinating Fossils

On Monday 22nd July a free kids art event ‘Fascinating Fossils’ will take place at the Burren National Park Information Point in Corofin from 11.00am to 12.00 noon as part of the children’s education series at the centre. They will be encouraged to make their own fossils and learn all about the fossil creatures. Meanwhile on Sunday 21st July the National Parks and Wildlife Service will be providing a free guided walk along the Green Trail in the Burren National Park. The meeting point is at the Crag Road at 14.20. This is to the summit of Mullaghmore along the eastern side, and back down the same way to the Crag Road. It will take approximately 3 hrs. If you would like to avail of the free National Park bus service, the bus leaving the Information Point in Corofin at 14.00 will take you to the starting point. On Wednesday 24th July they will be providing a free guided walk along the Orange Trail in the Burren National Park. Meet at the Mullaghmore Crossroads, Gortlecka, at 11.30. The free bus service will leave the Information Point in Corofin at 11.15 and will arrive at the crossroads at 11.30. The walk will last approximately 1.5 hrs.

Harps Officers

A number of important decisions were taken at the Annual General Meeting of Corofin Harps held on Friday evening last. Firstly it was agreed that the junior and schoolboy’s clubs would operate as one for the coming season. It was also agreed to enter a B team for next season which would in effect be a reserve team for the A team which will compete in the Premier Division of the Clare League for 2013 – 14. It was agreed to work with schoolboy teams at u-7, u-9 and u-11 and coaches have already been identified to work with these sides, while it was also decided to enter an u-13 side in Clare Schoolboy competitions for the coming season. Gerry Halpin will continue as Chairman for next season with Martin Tierney as Vice Chair. Steve Kent is the new club secretary while the position of Treasurer will be filled before the next meeting which is scheduled for Friday July 26th. Tommy Molloy will be the club representative at both Junior and Schoolboy level with the Clare leagues.

Pulling Power Brings Champions To Corofin

The Burren Tug-O-War Club will host the All Ireland Tug-O-War championships at the Corofin GAA grounds on Sunday next July 14th and this is sure to be a major spectacle. Clubs are expected from all parts of Ireland including World Champions, Boley from Wexford and Lakehill from Mayo. With several titles on the line competition is expected to be fierce and the local club will be competing with the best in the land in the hope of adding to their impressive haul of silverware this season. On Sunday last Burren were competing in Co. Sligo where they had to be satisfied with the silver medals in both the lightweight and heavyweight classes. They will be going all out on Sunday to add an All- Ireland title to their achievements. The championships are also a welcome boost to tourism in the Corofin area with many of the teams expected to arrive on Saturday and stay in local accommodation. Competitive fare gets under way at 1.00pm on Sunday and with fine weather predicted over the week-end a huge crowd is expected to pack the Pairc Finne venue. Gus O’Loughlin is very proud of the achievements of his charges so far this season and he is appealing to locals to come out in force on Sunday to cheer the Burren on.

Website Launch

Another boost for local tourism will happen at the Inchiquin Inn on this Friday night July 12th when the new Corofin website promoted by the Corofin Tourism Association will be officially launched by the Mayor of Clare, Cllr. Joe Arkins. The revamped website is very user-friendly and contains a huge amount of information on everything to do with the Corofin area. The launch is being promoted as a social evening for the community with refreshments being served and live music on offer, which means that everyone is invited to attend. The event gets under way at 9.00pm.

Harps Organise

The Annual General Meeting of Corofin Harps Soccer Club will be held at the hall on this Friday night July 12th commencing at 7.30pm. The club is appealing to anyone interested in the promotion of schoolboys and junior soccer in the parish to attend this meeting, which is seen as an attempt to get the club back on a sound footing before the start of the new season in August.

Professed In France

Sr. Mary, daughter of T.P. and Bridie Cox of Ard na Reithe, Corofin recently took her final vows of profession in France. A nun of the St. John order she was joined by family and friends for the happy occasion including some family members who had travelled from Australia to be present. Having spent three years in the Cameroon where she ran a school for local children she will now be based in France to continue her studies. Sr. Mary will spend the month of July with her family in Corofin before returning to her new role in France.

Burren Walks

The guided walks in the Burren continue to be very popular and the National Park information centre is inviting anyone interested to join them for two upcoming events. On Sunday 14th July there will be a guided walk along the Orange Trail in the Burren National Park. The meeting point is at Mullaghmore Crossroads, Gortlecka, at 14.15. The free National Park bus service leaving the Information Point in Corofin at 14.00 will arrive at the crossroads at 14.15. The walk will last approximately 1.5 hrs. On Tuesday 16th July there will be a guided walk on the Brown Trail at Slieve Carran/Keelhilla Nature Reserve. Meet at the parking area outside the nature reserve at 11.00. The walk will last approximately 1.5-2 hrs.

GAA News

In Minor A hurling two rounds have been played to date. In the first outing the Corofin/Ruan side were narrowly beaten by a last minute goal against Inagh/Kilnamona on a scoreline of 1-14 to 3-11. They hosted Feakle/Killanena last weekend and in a very entertaining game they went in at the break a point in arrears. In the second half the home side were unlucky not to convert a number of goal chances and this proved to be the difference in the end with Feakle/killanena winning on a scoreline of 1-17 to 0-14. In the U 16 hurling B championship the combination of Corofin/Ruan played Doora-Barefield in a first round tie, with the sides level heading into the three quarter stage on 3-06 each Doora-Barefield had marginally the better last quarter and the game finished 4-09 to 3-09 in their favour. In their second championship game they hosted Sacrriff/Ogonnelloe and had a very comprehensive win on a scoreline if 2-24 to 1-08. The U14 footballers kicked off their U14 A championship with a comprehensive win against Clondegad on a scoreline of 4-07 to 1-06. In their second round game they then met a very strong Kilmurry Ibrickane side and were defeated. They face Kildysart/Coolmeen in the next round. In U12 hurling the two under 12 teams had good wins against Clonlara in the division 1 for the county hurling league. Last weekend they travelled to Sixmilebridge and recorded a good win on a scoreline of 3-09 to 2-03. They face Inagh/Kilnamona in their final league games next weekend.

World Skills Gold Medalist

Joseph Kelly, son of Noel and Anne Kelly won a gold medal at this year’s World Skills Championships held at Leipzig in Germany earlier this week. Joseph represented Ireland in the Aircraft Maintenance category and took first place ahead of competitors from several leading nations including Sweden and China. This is a wonderful achievement by the local man who can now claim to be a world champion.

Development Meeting

A meeting of Corofin Development Association will be held at the Teach Ceoil, Corofin on Monday night next July 15th commencing at 8.30pm. The meeting will discuss a range of local issues including Tidy Towns activities, Tonquedec twinning, tourism development and a range of other activities. All members and interested individuals are invited to attend.