This year’s Blacksmith and Craft Festival is looming large on the horizon.

The event will take place at the Market Place in Ennis, from Saturday 13th to Sunday 14th.

To find out more Alan Morrissey was joined by Guy Urbin, organiser of the Blacksmith and Craft Festival La Petite Galerie in Ennis.

Both parties’ TDs gathered yesterday to discuss their main priorities ahead of the start of the new Dáil term on the 17th of September.

Fine Gael is meeting in Mullingar, where budget priorities and the strategy for the Presidential election will be up for discussion.

Tánaiste and party leader Simon Harris arrives to his party's meeting under the cloud of a further threat against his family - with his home having been thoroughly searched by gardaí.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin has come together in Dun Laoghaire.

Party leader Mary Lou McDonald has as described it as the final chance for her parliamentary party to have a say on their Presidential plans, although she has ruled herself out of the race for the Áras.

To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Joe Cooney, Bodyke Fine Gael TD and Donna McGettigan, Shannon Sinn Féin TD.

©Oireachtas.ie

The first Clare County Council meeting of the new term has been adjourned in memory of a late former elected representative. Cooraclare's Bill Chambers served on the local authority from 1985 until his retirement in 2023, before he passed away peacefully last month. Proposed adjournments in honour of the late Ennistymon firefighter Joe Crosse and Margaret Burke; mother of Whitegate Fine Gael Councillor Pat Burke were also carried. Chair of the Fianna Fáil Group in Clare County Council, Councillor Pat Hayes says Bill was an example to everyone.

Fáilte ar ais chuig eagrán nua de Ar An Lá Seo ar an 8ú lá de mí Mheán Fómhair, liomsa Lauren Ní Loingsigh.

I 1976 bhí na Gardaí ag fiosrú tine sa halla pobail I gCorcaigh le níos mó ná 50 míle punt de dhamáiste déanta.

I 1983 bhí 12 stáisiúin gin ESB chun dúnadh timpeall an tír..

I 1983 dúradh gur shiúil Garda nach raibh ar dualgas isteach chuig áit agus beir madra air agus níor scaoil sé leis. Chuaigh sé chuig an úinéir agus dúirt an t-úinéir gur ardaigh sé a cos chuig an madra.

I 1997 bhí Dúlainn níos fearr agus bhí níos mó daoine ag dul ann nuair a tharla rásaíocht chapall sa bhaile.

Sin ABBA le Dancing Queen – an t-amhrán is mó ar an lá seo I 1976.

Ag lean ar aghaidh le nuacht cheoil ar an lá seo I 1957 tháinig Reet Petite ó Jackie Wilson amach don chéad uair ach chuaigh sé chuig uimhir a haon sa Bhreatain 29 bhliain tar éis.

I 1973 chuaigh Marvin Gaye chuig uimhir a haon lena hamhrán Lets Get It On agus d'fhan sé ann ar feadh dhá seachtain.

Agus ar deireadh breithlá daoine cáiliúla ar an lá seo rugadh aisteoir Martin Freeman sa Bhreatain I 1971 agus rugadh amhránaí Avicii sa tSualainn ar an lá seo I 1989 agus seo chuid de amhráin.

Beidh mé ar ais libh amárach le heagrán nua de Ar An Lá Seo.

Welcome back to another edition of Ar An Lá Seo on the 8th of September, with me Lauren Ní Loingsigh

1976: Gardaí were investigating fires which caused more than £50,000 in damages to a community hall in Cork.

1983: 12 of the country's ESB generating stations were threatened with closure.

1983: An off duty Garda claimed that he entered a premises and a terrier caught him by the shoe and wouldn't let go. When he brought this to the attention of the owner the owner said that the Garda must have raised his foot to the dog.

1997: A new dimension was added to the Doolin scene when horse racing took place in the parish.

That was ABBA with Dancing Queen – the biggest song on this day in 1976

Onto music news on this day In 1957 Reet Petite' by Jackie Wilson was released for the first time, it became a UK No. 1, 29 years later.

In 1973 Marvin Gaye went to number one with his track Lets Get It On and stayed there for 2 weeks.

And finally celebrity birthdays on this day – actor Martin Freeman was born in the UK in 1971 and musician Avicii was born in Sweden on this day in 1989 and this is one of his songs.

I'll be back with you tomorrow with another edition of Ar An Lá Seo.

10% of pupils in Clare primary schools are in oversized classes. New figures published by the Department of Education show average class sizes in schools have hit their lowest level in more than 25 years, with the average class size now 22.2 pupils, down from 22.5 in the 2023/2024 school year. The biggest class size in this county is at Gaelschoil Michil Ciosóg in Ennis, which had 37 pupils in one classroom, while Parteen and Tulla National Schools each have 96 children learning in classes of over 30 pupils. The reduction in numbers nationally is a result of almost 18 thousand fewer children in first level education and Chair of the Oireachtas Education and Youth Committee, Meelick Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan that the way in which transient pupils such as travellers and refugees are counted is posing complications.

Kilrush RNLI is hailing the outcome of a search operation in the Shannon Estuary as an "outstanding result". The West Clare lifeboat station was one of a number of agencies involved in the search yesterday which commenced shortly after 9am when a person was reported "overboard" from the Killimer to Tarbert ferry. After being spotted by the crew of the Rescue 117 helicopter shortly before 11am, the man was brought to University Hospital Limerick where he's being treated for "severe hypothermia" and is understood to be recovering well. Kilrush RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer Charlie Glynn has been telling Clare FM's Seán Lyons it was an extremely successful operation and credit is due to all bodies involved.

"Wordsmith – Part 1" explores the life and work of one of the greatest literary voices of our time, Edna O’Brien.

Produced by Clare FM's Programme Director & Head of Operations, Padraic Flaherty. Email: [email protected]

To review the sporting fixtures, Alan Morrisey was joined on Monday’s Morning Focus by Clare FM’s Derrick Lynch and Tommy Guilfoyle.

Games reviewed:

TUS Clare SHC Quarter-Finals:

Ballyea 2-13 Clonlara 0-16 (Saturday, Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg)

Kilmaley 1-21 Sixmilebridge 1-8 (Saturday, Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg)

Clooney Quin 1-20 Feakle 1-11 (Sunday, Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg)

Éire Óg 3-21 Inagh-Kilnamona 1-17 (Sunday, Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg)

TUS Clare SHC Relegation Semi-Final:

Newmarket-on-Fergus 1-19 St. Joseph’s Doora Barefield 2-15 (Saturday, Tulla)

Corofin 0-13 Scariff 3-20 (Sunday, Tulla)

The sister of Clare rugby legend Anthony Foley will be among the speakers at an upcoming event for families affected by a sudden cardiac death or living with an inherited cardiac condition.

The Friends of CRY is taking place in Barberstown Castle Hotel, Straffan, Co Kildare this Saturday (13th September from 9.30am to 3.30pm).

The free event is organised by CRY – which stands for Cardiac Risk in the Young – Ireland the national charity supporting patients and families who have lost someone to sudden cardiac death.

Orla Foley, creator of the charity initiative ‘Orla’s Wild Ways’ that celebrates the life and legacy of her late-brother, Munster rugby great Anthony Foley, will speak at the event.

To discuss this further Alan Morrissey was joined by Orla Foley, sister of Clare rugby legend Anthony Foley.

Photo (c) CRY Ireland via Facebook

On Monday’s Morning Focus, it was time again for our Arts Slot with County Art’s Officer Siobhán Mulcahy.

Siobhán provided our listeners with all the details of this week’s live events for entertainment lovers in Banner County.