Clare FM

A Clare lifeboat station is warning "the sea is in no mood for visitors" this weekend. The Irish Coast Guard, Water Safety Ireland, and the RNLI have issued a joint statement urging people to exercise caution near the water this Easter Bank Holiday Weekend. It comes as a Status Yellow wind warning comes into effect at 2 o'clock this afternoon and expires at 11 tonight. Kilrush RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer Charlie Glynn is advising people to stay way from areas where there's a risk of falling into the water.

A number of East Clare residents are reportedly experiencing difficulty accessing their homes due to damage on their roads caused by the Killaloe Bypass project. Unveiled last May, the €88 million development saw the construction of a new bridge connecting Killaloe and Ballina as well as a two-kilometre single carriageway bypass. Follwing complaints of parts of nearby roads having sunk due to wear and tear caused by construction vehicles, Killaloe Municipal District has pledged to seek restoration works funding from the Department of Transport. Fianna Fáil Councillor Tony O'Brien, who raised the issue at the latest Killaloe MD meeting, says at the very least, the roads should be restored to the condition they were in before the project began.

A housing charity fears a new Government proposal could bring the "wild west of renting" to Clare. The planned extension of the rent-a-room scheme to modular cabins has been met with criticism by many including leading members of the opposition. Threshold and Age Action have issued a joint statement claiming those who rent garden homes could be "incorrectly treated as licensees", meaning they'd have "little to no tenancy protections". Threshold Campaigns Officer Cat Clark says it's likely there'd be little security for these renters.

Fr Brendan Quinlivan presents Beyond Belief for Easter Sunday which this week features Fr. Luke McNamara OSB from Glenstal on celebrating the season of Easter. It also includes a piece from the archive of the late Bishop Willie Walsh speaking about having faith in the resurrection in the face of loss and bereavement. Also messages and greetings for Easter from Bishop Michael and Bishop Fintan

On Friday’s Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey discussed the upcoming sporting fixtures this weekend with Clare FM’s Derrick Lynch. Games Previewed: NHL Division 1B Final: Clare v Dublin (Sunday, TUS Gaelic Grounds, 1:45pm) Munster U20 Football Championship: Clare v Limerick (Friday, Mountcollins, 7pm) Munster Minor Hurling Championship, Round One: Tipperary v Clare (Friday, FBD Semple Stadium, 7pm)

Amy McCarthy is a distinctive voice in Ireland’s contemporary Soul Blues scene. Known for her commanding, expressive vocal and emotionally honest songwriting, Amy creates music rooted in live instrumentation, depth, and dynamic intensity. Raised in a musical family on Ireland’s west coast, Amy developed an early love for performance through choirs, musical productions, and formal training in Music Performance, where she was awarded Student of the Year in 2011. From classical choral work to fronting rock bands, the stage has always been her natural home. Amy’s sound has evolved from high-energy rock into a richer Soul Blues direction, blending grit, emotional directness, and vocal power. Her songs explore self-reflection, inner conflict, and the strength found in vulnerability. With four independent releases to date, including her latest single “Rain”, Amy continues to establish herself as a rising independent Irish artist. The track features a full band sound with layered guitars, keys, drums, and a choir-led bridge, highlighting both her dynamic vocal range and growing confidence as a songwriter. Performing regularly across Galway and the west of Ireland, Amy is steadily building a loyal audience and refining her live presence. Each release brings her closer to defining a sound that is soulful, powerful, and unapologetically honest. Her fourth single, “Rain”, marks Amy’s first venture into Soul/Blues, following her earlier rock releases. The track blends reflective lyrics with a choir-led crescendo, showcasing her powerful, expressive voice. At its heart, “Rain” is about feeling stuck in your own thoughts — holding onto ideas you can’t let go of, while struggling to begin again. The imagery of rain runs throughout the track, symbolizing both heaviness and clarity. It reflects the tension between being overwhelmed and finding release. Lyrics such as “My compass is broken, I can’t find myself at all” capture the vulnerability at the center of the song. Rather than offering easy answers, “Rain” sits in the questions — exploring doubt, self-reflection and the quiet search for direction. Speaking about the track, McCarthy says: ‘’Rain came from a place of overthinking and feeling lost in my own head. I wanted to capture that sense of building walls around yourself, but also the hope that comes when something finally breaks through.”

Coming up on the show, we will look to Sunday's National Hurling League Division 1B final as Clare take on Dublin at the TUS Gaelic Grounds. Clare's minor hurlers and U20 footballers are both in action this evening, we will hear from the minor management and coming up after the show, we will be live in Mountcollins for that U20 football tie. It's another busy weekend of local soccer action, Alan Troy will have Greyhound Focus and we also have our latest More Than A Club episode where the focus in on Clarecastle GAA Club

The Clare-based Deputy Vice President of the Irish Road Haulage Association says further fuel supports are needed by next week at the latest to prevent a collapse in the industry. The IRHA has met Transport Minister Darragh O'Brien this morning to discuss new proposals to offset the escalating oil prices. It comes as the excise duty cuts introduced for Petrol and Diesel a fortnight ago have been effectively eroded by the ongoing Middle East conflict. Ennis Haulier Eugene Drennan has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan the situation is urgent.

Gardaí in Clare are urging motorists to "drive to the conditions" this weekend. A Garda Road Safety Campaign commenced at 7am on Thursday morning and will run until 7am on Tuesday, with checkpoints and enforcement activity taking place across the country. Of the 41 people who've lost their lives on the roads so far in 2026, eight died on a bank holiday weekend. Superintendent in the Clare/Tipperary Garda Division Eddie Golden has been telling Clare FM's Seán Lyons everyone has a role to play in preventing fatalities.

Lissycasey GAA are hosting the official lighting ceremony at Páirc na Muintire this Saturday, April 4th, marking an exciting new chapter for the club. The event celebrates the installation of a new walking track, pitch floodlights, and upgraded facilities, made possible through Sports Capital funding and strong local support. For more on this, Alan Morrissey was joined by joined on the line by Lissycasey clubman, Paudie Carmody. Image (c) Lissycasey GAA Club via Facebook

If you’re looking for something uplifting and musical this April, the Kilrush Choral Society is bringing a true classic to the stage. The Sound of Music will be performed at Kilrush Community School from April 7th to the 11th. For more on this, Alan Morrissey was joined by the director, Ger Rushe and member of the society, Geraldine Keating.