As the August Bank Holiday approaches, Drinkaware is urging the public to stay safe and make informed choices around alcohol and driving.

New findings from the Drinkaware Barometer 2024 show that 89% of adults now agree that any amount of alcohol can impair your ability to drive, up from 86% last year.

But only 80% believe that driving the morning after a night of drinking is just as dangerous, revealing a gap in awareness that could have serious consequences.

For more on the campaign, Derrick Lynch was joined by Alex Ainsworth, Digital Media & Content Specialist at Drinkaware.

“Wipe out that sadness and weave the dress of impossible from the tears.”

These striking words come from a poem by 13-year-old Roaa Al-Masri from Gaza.

Roaa’s work is part of a powerful new exhibition, Moon Tell Me Truth, featuring poetry and illustrations by children in Palestine, opening at Ennis De Valera Library from Wednesday August 6th to Saturday August 16th.

The exhibition has been kindly brought to Ennis by the Kinvara Palestine Solidarity Group, in partnership with UK-based charity The Hands Up Project, founded by Nick Bilbrough.

For more on the project and the voices behind these poems, Derrick Lynch was joined by Nick Bilbrough, founder of The Hands Up Project.

This year marks the 81st edition of the much-loved West Clare Kildysart show.

While it continues to celebrate farming heritage, crafts, and community, something new is stirring.

A rising tide of youth participation is bringing fresh energy to every corner of the event — from the show rings to the baking tents, from vintage tractors to hand-written poetry.

The show takes place this Sunday, August 3rd and to find out more about it, Derrick Lynch was joined by Chairman, Peter Donnellan and Bridget Garry, PRO of Kildysart Agricultural Show.

Lone parents continue to be one of the most vulnerable groups when it comes to poverty and deprivation. According to the report, 33% of children in lone-parent families were persistently deprived between 2016 and 2023.

One in five were persistently at risk of poverty, meaning they lived below the income threshold two years in a row.

These families are also among the most likely to experience material deprivation, going without essentials like adequate heating, proper meals, or warm clothing—not just occasionally, but consistently.

Earlier, Derrick Lynch spoke with Ursula, a lone parent from Kilshanny and began by how it affects her.

As we widen the lens, Derrick Lynch was also joined by Ann Marie Flanagan, a disability rights activist, to talk about another group the ESRI identifies as being at high risk: households with a working-age adult who has a disability.

While the overall poverty rate has declined in recent years, the report shows that material deprivation has actually increased, especially in the wake of the pandemic.

And for families where disability is a factor, the risk of persistent hardship remains high, due to extra living costs, limited employment opportunities, and gaps in support.

A West Clare teacher claims schools aren't sufficiently resourced to teach reformed curriculum coming in this September. At the beginning of the coming school year, nine new and revised Leaving Cert subject specifications will be introduced, with each of these to be worth 40% of students' final grade in the Leaving Cert. Teachers' representatives associations have previously called for the reforms to be delayed amid concerns around preparedness. St Joseph's Kilkee Community College teacher and former Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland president, Geraldine O'Brien, believes it's rushed.

An Ennis family business is aiming to give back with a charity auction fundraiser, ahead of its closure this weekend. Madden's Furniture on Station Road will close for the final time on Saturday evening, after 49 years serving the town. A key fixture of the Madden's journey since the 1980s, has been their larger than life teddy bear 'Henry the Christmas Hippo', who will be awarded to the highest bidder by 12 noon tomorrow in a competition on the store's facebook page, with all proceeds going to charity. Owner Michelle Madden is hopeful he will find a good home, while raising vital funds.

Kilmurry Ibrickane and St.Breckan's do battle this evening for control over Group 3 in the TUS Clare Senior Football Championship.

The top two meet in the tie of the round in Miltown after recording opening round wins a fortnight ago.

Kilmurry's young players came to the fore last time out with Cathal Talty nailing five points while Caoilfhionn O’Dea added 1-2 for David Egan's men.

Clare FM analyst Kieran Madigan says in the absence of big names they've found a wider range of scoring threats.

Fáilte ar ais chuig eagrán nua de Ar An Lá Seo ar an 31ú lá de mí Iúil, liomsa Lauren Ní Loingsigh.

I 1992 dhíbir 3 duine ón Bhreatain a raibh sna Cluichí Oilimpeacha de bharr gur theip siad an tástáil drugaí.

I 1999 tháinig Telecom amach ag rá go raibh siad chun a ainm a athrú go dtí Eircom agus go mbeadh an costas 6.5 milliún punt.

I 1993 chuaigh na haltraí ón Ospidéal in Inis ar stailc I gcóir lá amháin de bharr gur dhiúltaigh daoine a iarratas chun an tslí a raibh siad ag obair chun athrú.

I 1999 bhuaigh Peter Le Bas rás sa charr The Clare Champion Formula Vee I bPáirc Mondello.

Sin Ronan Keating le When You Say Nothing At All – an t-amhrán is mó ar an lá seo I 1999.

Ag lean ar aghaidh le nuacht cheoil ar an lá seo I 1969 thosaigh Elvis Presley a dturas cheol san Óstán Idirnáisiúnta Las Vegas agus chan sé ann ar feadh ceithre sheachtain. Bhí sé a chéad seó beo ó 1961.

I 1999 fuair Christina Aguilera a chéad uimhir a haon I Meiriceá lena hamhrán Genie In A Bottle. Shroich sí uimhir a haon sa Bhreatain chomh maith. D'fhan sí ag barr na cairteacha I Meiriceá ar feadh cúig sheachtain agus bhuaigh sí Grammy an bhliain sin chomh maith.

Agus ar deireadh breithlá daoine cáiliúla ar an lá seo rugadh J.K. Rowling sa Bhreatian I 1965 agus rugadh amhránaí Fatboy Slim sa Bhreatain ar an lá seo I 1963 agus seo chuid de amhrán.

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 31st of July, with me Lauren Ní Loingsigh

1992: 3 British Olympic competitors have been expelled from the games after failing drug tests.

1999: Telecom announced that its rebranding name change to Eircom will cost them £6.5m.

1993: Nursing staff went on a 1 day strike at Ennis General Hospital due to rejection of changes in work practices and redeployment.

1999: The Clare Champions' Formula Vee racing car driven by Peter Le Bas took its first win at Mondello Park.

That was Ronan Keating with When You Say Nothing At All – the biggest song on this day in 1999

Onto music news on this day In 1969 Elvis Presley kicked off a four week run at the Las Vegas International Hotel, (his first live show since 1961).

1999 Christina Aguilera scored her first US No.1 single with 'Genie In A Bottle', also No.1 in the UK. The song spent 5 weeks at No.1 on the US chart and won Aguilera the Best New Artist Grammy for the year.

And finally celebrity birthdays on this day – writer J.K. Rowling was born in the UK in 1965 and DJ Fatboy Slim was born in the UK on this day in 1963 and this is one of his songs.

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

A model four hospital for Clare has been recommended in a pre-budget submission. It will be presented to both the Finance and Public Expenditure Ministers, and claims a new acute hospital with an emergency department is the only solution to chronic overcrowding in the region. The document, published by Friends of Ennis Hospital highlights that the MidWest has the oldest population, highest level of multimorbidity and lowest amount of consultants of any health region in the country. Chairperson Angela Coll has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan that the findings are clear.

Today marks the release of a powerful new ballad by one of Ireland’s most iconic songwriters, Phil Coulter, joined by Cork folksinger Roy Buckley.

Their collaboration, For Another King and Country, tells a tragic and true story from World War I.

For more on this, Derrick Lynch was joined by Phil Coulter, Award-winning Singer-Songwriter.