Meitheal Residential Summer School is taking place this week.

They will also hold their finale concerts over the next couple of days.

For more on this, Alan Morrissey chatted with, Garry Shannon, Coordinator of Meitheal Residential Summer School, flute player and member of the Kilfenora Ceilí Band.

Last week, we spoke with Andy Moloney, a Shannon man who embarked on a 220km walk from Shannon Town to Croke Park to raise money and awareness for autism.

Andy joined Alan Morrissey once again, to update us on how his epic trek went.

Fears of major service disruptions at Ennis General Hospital have been averted after an administration vacancy was filled at the eleventh hour. Its claimed patients presenting to Ennis for Urology appointments this week where told they could no longer be handled due to an unfilled secretarial position and were advised to report to University Hospital Limerick instead. It's understood cover was sourced following a last minute intervention from the office of HSE MidWest Regional Executive Officer Sandra Broderick. Clare Independent TD Violet-Anne Wynne says the lack of forward planning almost led to a crisis.

Senior Vatican officials will visit Clare this week for a special event that will see a local cleric promoted to a high profile position. Monsignor Seamus Horgan from Ennis will be consecrated as Papal Nuncio to South Sudan and Titular Archbishop of Árd Sratha in County Tyrone during a ceremony at Ennis Cathedral. The event will take place at 11am on Saturday and the illustrious guest list includes Deputy to Pope Francis, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and the Papal Nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor. St.Flannan's College Principal, Fr Ignatius McCormack is looking forward to the landmark occasion.

Clare people are being urged to attend MMR vaccination clinics in this county following a spike in local transmissions. It comes as the HSE is currently managing and investigating an outbreak of 16 measles cases in the MidWest region. The catch-up campaign is primarily targeting children, young adults and walk in clinics will be taking place from 10 until 1 today at Kilrush Health Centre, with further clinics scheduled for centres in Shannon, Scariff and Ennis next week. Acting Consultant in Public Health Medicine Dr Kenneth Beatty says the disease can be fatal if not prevented.

A Midwest Addiction Counsllor insists that educating young people is key to ensuring they don’t travel the road to alcohol addition.

It comes as new figures from the Health Research Board show cases of treatment for problem alcohol use here are the highest they’ve been in a decade.

8,163 people received treatment last year, a 10 per cent rise on the year before, while one in four cases in 2023 also reported problem use of another drug alongside alcohol.

Addiction Counsellor with Cuan Mhuire Addiction Centre, Michael Guerin insists that targeted programmes for students in secondary schools are vital to prevent alcohol and drug addition in young people.

The dispute dates back to 2009, when cost cutting solutions known as FEMPI or Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest, were taken to reduce government spending after the recession.

In the last budget, criminal barristers were granted a marginal restoration to their fees, but despite this, their earnings reamin almost 20% below 2002 levels.

Currently two-thirds of newly qualified criminal barristers leave the profession within six years and Barrister Lorcan Connolly from Ennis says the brain drain is placing the sector on the verge of a crisis.

According to the Bar Council of Ireland, criminal barristers are now the only people working in courtrooms who haven't their fees reinstated, while the likes of Gardaí, baliffs and registrars have all now achieved parity.

This is despite a claim from Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Pascal Donohoe in the Dáil last week, that FEMPI cuts had been restored to all public servants previously affected.

The withdrawal of services so far by criminal barristers has led to significant cancellations and delays for cases proceeding in circuit courts nationwide and at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.

Barrister Patrick Whyms insists that if remedial action isn't taken by the Government in Budget 2025, there will be a major escalation of strike action.

Celtic Waves swimming club in Shannon enjoyed success in the Irish age group National Swimming championship which took place in UL recently.

Celtic Waves performed really well at the Irish Swimming Nationals, coming 9th out of 72 Clubs.

To find out more, Alan Morrissey was joined by Molly Lynch, swimmer with Celtic Waves and Sinéad Lynch, Molly’s mother and former olympic rower.

Picture (c): Celtic Waves Swimming Club via Facebook

It is time to bring you another weird and wonderful tale, which means it is time for another edition of Seanchaí Corner.

Seanchaí Corner sees the renowned author, storyteller, lecturer, and broadcaster Eddie Lenihan regaling us with a memorable story from his extensive collection of old Irish tales and fables.

In our latest installment of Seanchaí Corner, Eddie Lenihan brings us the tale of Small Biddy and Big Tom.