Peter O'Connell

2 weeks ago | rte.ie | Peter O'Connell

The possibility of Clare becoming home to a League of Ireland soccer team is to be raised in the chamber of Clare County Council. At last night's June meeting of the local authority Sinn Féin councillor Tommy Guilfoyle had a motion on the agenda calling for "the appropriate personnel in Clare County Council to come together and set up a discussion to explore the possible setup of a League of Ireland soccer team in the Banner County with all the relevant stakeholders".

2 weeks ago | rte.ie | Peter O'Connell

Up to 100 local shops close annually in Ireland with at least three outlets shutting their doors every fortnight, according to the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association (CSNA). It says the future of small, mostly family-owned shops around the country is a concern for many people, particularly those who live in rural Ireland. Flora Crowe employs around 50 people across two retail outlets in Sixmilebridge, Co Clare.

3 weeks ago | rte.ie | Peter O'Connell

Road Safety Authority figures, up to the end of April 2025, show that 2,397 people who had applied for and paid €85 to sit their driving test did not show up. With approximately 81,000 people currently waiting for a driving test, the number of no shows puts more pressure on the waiting list. Susan Gray, who is the founder and chairperson of road safety group PARC, has highlighted the number of learner licence holders who are on the waiting list but often do not turn up for their appointed test.

1 month ago | rte.ie | Peter O'Connell

Earlier this month, the Residential Tenancies Board warned of "concerning trends" of rent increases in Galway that needed further investigation. It announced it is going to probe the issue after two years of rental inflation in Galway city. In the last 12 months alone - rents in Galway have increased by 12.6% - the average monthly rent in Galway city is now €2,304. So how are tenants coping with these increases? Peter O'Connell spoke to people in Galway about their rental experience.

1 month ago | rte.ie | Peter O'Connell

GAA club officials in Co Clare are asking for policy changes at Government level to encourage more people to live and work in rural areas to save their GAA clubs and their communities. The change in demographics means more rural clubs are being forced to amalgamate. The west Clare town of Kilkee in the Loop Head peninsula sits on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The town's year-round population is about 1,200 people but that swells to 15,000 during the peak weeks of high summer.