Back row, SBCR Station Manager Jim Collins, board members Pat O’Brien and Tom Hanley, volunteers Daragh Leamy and Stephen Minogue. Front Row Trish Nugent and Marie McNamara.
CLARE COMMUNITY RADIO stations won big at the Craol Féile and annual achievement awards held this week.
Scariff Bay Community Radio (SBCR) and Raidió Corca Baiscin (RCB) took top honours and brought four awards back to Co Clare.
Held at The Charleville Park Hotel in Co Cork, the crews from SBCR and RCB were in celebratory form Leeside.
A hat-trick of wins was completed for SBCR as they picked up their third gold award in as many years. They took the top accolade in the ‘Social Benefit News & Current Affairs’ category for their broadcast of Saturday Chronicle live from the European Parliament and all associated programming.
Twelve volunteers from the station travelled to Bruseels in May at their own expense where they recorded nineteen separate interviews, among those put behind the mic were Scariff native Anthony Whelan who is a senior economic advisor to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Lyne and Ireland South MEP, Michael McNamara (IND).
‘London Calling – live from the BBC’ (2024) and ‘A flavour of Lisdoonvarna’ (2023) were their previous wins in this category. The station also picked up a standout award in the social benefit news and current affairs category, again marking the third time in three years that the station has won both gold and Standout awards in their chosen category.
RCB won gold in two categories. They were awarded in ‘Commissioned Programme’ category for their coverage of the 2025 West Clare Mini-Marathon where Mike Lowe, Máiréad O’Higgins Finnegan, Steven Addy and James Flanagan were involved in making the show. This brings the total of awards won by the station to 28.
Sports coverage was also recognised for Kilkee based RCB. The sports show won gold in the ‘Technical and Production Values’ category. Adrian O’Connor is presenter and producer of the sports show with well-known reporter Seamus Hayes and Moy native James Sexton a stalwart of Clare Athletics regular contributors to the show who were also included on the plaque.
Speaking at the award ceremony the Bainisteoir at Ráidió Corca Baiscinn Máiréad O’ Higgins Finnegan said “I am delighted that we have received two GOLD awards, and it is a testament to the hard work of the wonderful and talented Staff and Volunteer’s here at Raidió Corca Baiscinn have been recognised by CRAOL at Féile 2025”. The Treasures Mary Arthur who also attended said “That the two Gold awards received at this year’s Féile hosted by CRAOL was testament to the manager, staff and Volunteers for all their hard work and dedication. Also in attendance were Lee Costelloe staff member and Ger Costelloe (Volunteer) with RCB. These awards recognise the valuable contribution everyone at the Station has made to our varied and wide programme of entertaining broadcasts over the last 25 years”.
Celebrations continue for Scariff Bay who have made a successful application for a full-time community sound broadcasting licence, subject to the successful conclusion of Contract negotiations it will be the first full time license granted in the Community radio sector in over eight years.
Station manager with Scariff Bay, Jim Collins told The Clare Echo, “We in Scariff Bay Community Radio are delighted to receive this award. Receiving this recognition is a tribute to our brilliant group of volunteers who are the backbone of our station. We had twelve volunteers working for up to a week in Brussels and a good cohort more keeping the show on the road back in East Clare. Our goal is to continue serving the people of east Clare with a community radio service and from 2026 on we will be fully licensed to carry out that work”.
Tulla’s Stephen Minogue, a politics student in UL was part of the broadcasting team in Brussels, “I had an incredible experience and it was a great opportunity to broadcast from the heart of European politics,” he said. Secretary of SBCR, Marie McNamara stated, “it is nice to see the hard work by our volunteers recognised by our fellow peers in community radio” while fellow presenter Trish Nugent commented, “it was a great night for the Banner County and we are delighted that our trip got its rewards and due recognition”.
