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AN ambitious plan aimed at rejuvenating Ennis’ town centre was given the star treatment at its recent launch. The Canvas Project, led by Experience Ennis, has a vision to aesthetically transform the entire town of Ennis, street by street, making it an even more attractive place to live and visit. The project was launched with a presentation of the Parnell Street Pilot on the big screen in Ennis’s Empire Movieplex last week. The team seeks to maximise the impact of the rejuvenation plans by concentrating initially on one section of the Parnell Street; the pedestrianised stretch between Dallas Barbers and Bonfire restaurant. This street having undergone a recent public realm investment of €6 million euros has a beautifully paved surface that provides the perfect canvas for rejuvenation, and, when completed it is anticipated this postcard perfect street will become the launching pad for the delivery of a much larger scale vision for Ennis, explains Rosemarie Noone CEO of Experience Ennis. …

THE development of a second Lidl store in Ennis has been put on hold as separate appeals have been lodged to An Bord Pleanala, including one by the supermarket giant itself. An appeal has also been made by retailer representative group The Retail Grocery Dairy & Allied Trades Association (RGDATA) who say the decision to grant planning permission should be overturned. Last month Clare County Council granted planning permission to Lidl Ireland for a €20 million mixed-use development at the junction of the Clare Road and Tobarteascain Road. As well as a new store, the plans included 20 residential apartments, a café and two commercial units. According to Lidl, the development would create 30 local jobs along with 100 more during construction. However, Lidl has appealed against conditions of planning, including one which places restrictions on the use of the accommodation units. Lidl have also disputed a Special Development Contribution of €325,000 describing it as “not warranted and considered excessive”. Meanwhile …

LOUGH Derg RNLI and Killaloe Coast Guard have been commended for their quick action in rescuing 40 people whose vessel ran aground on Lough Derg at the weekend. On Saturday afternoon Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat to assist the people on a 40ft passenger vessel aground on a rocky shoal off Bonaveen Point on the County Galway shore, at the north-western end of Lough Derg.   At 1.20pm Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat Jean Spier launched with helm Eleanor Hooker and crew Doireann Kennedy and Oisín Higgins on board. Given the large number of people on board the casualty vessel, Valentia Coast Guard also requested Killaloe Coast Guard to launch.  The casualty vessel was spotted aground off Bonaveen Point at 1.35pm. Using local knowledge and electronic navigation tools on board the lifeboat, the RNLI volunteers navigated around two shallow shoals to make a safe approach to the stern of the casualty vessel. Those on the casualty vessel informed the lifeboat crew …

SHANNON historian Gearóid Ó Faoleán has written a sequel to his 2019 book on support for the IRA in the Republic during the Troubles. A Broad Church: The Provisional IRA in the Republic of Ireland, Volume 2: 1980-1989 was released earlier this month. “I did the 70s the last time and the book finished off at 1980, so it’s just continuing. Also, with the 30 year rule you couldn’t even do the 90s yet, you’d have to wait until 2029 to get those details,” says Gearóid. Now based in Belfast, he works in publishing, with the new book having been written as a side project. “Lockdown was about a year after the first book came out. Everyone had spare time so I kicked off again.” The true extent of support for the Provos south of the border in the 1980s is hard to quantify, he believes. “It was much harder to tell than in the 70s. By the time you’d …

GARDAÍ are appealing for the public’s help after a knife wielding robber escaped from an Ennis business with a sum of money.  A man holding a knife demanded the money from staff of a business premises before leaving on foot. Ennis Gardaí are investigating the robbery which occurred at approximately 6.11pm on Thursday, March 16. A lone male wearing a hoodie entered a business premises in Clare Road Mall, Clare Road. He was holding a knife and demanded money from the staff member. He got a sum of money and left on foot in the direction of Limerick Road. “This is a busy time of the evening on this road and we are appealing to anyone who saw this male or anyone who may have dash cam footage to contact Ennis Garda Station on 065 6848100,” said Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks.

A YOUNG female cyclist was hit by a car and dragged into the middle of a roundabout during a hit and run in Ennis last week. The Clare Roads Policing Unit are investigating the incident that occurred on Wednesday, March between 5.25pm and 5.40pm at the Dunnes / Friars Walk roundabout. The woman was cycling on the roundabout near glór when she was hit by the car which failed to stop at the scene. Luckily she was not seriously injured. Gardaí are now seeking witnesses to the hit and run or those who may have camera footage to contact them. Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks outlined that, “A young lady was cycling her bike on the roundabout and was struck by a vehicle that was coming from the Temple Gate side.  She was dragged into the middle of the roundabout and the vehicle left in the direction of Dunnes Stores towards Station Road.” Giving a description of the vehicle, …

GOVERNMENT officials are to travel to Ennis to discuss a request that councillors be allowed to use their powers to draw up an air quality management plan.  It follows the tabling of a motion by Councillor Johnny Flynn, cosponsored by Councillor Cillian Murphy, who sought to invoke members’ powers under the Air Pollution Act of 1987. The Fine Gael member voiced significant frustration that that matter has been discussed at all sorts of Council committees, over the course of two years, without any progress being made. Repeated instances in Ennis of high levels of particulate matter have garnered national headlines, with readings that have been compared unfavourably to those in one of the world’s most populous cities: Beijing.  The average air quality for Ennis was robustly defended by the Council. A response to Councillor Flynn’s motion from Senior Engineer Cyril Feeney said limits set out in regulations are “only deemed to be breached if more than 35 exceedences occur over …

CLARE Museum in Ennis is seeking donations of artefacts to expand its collections and to achieve greater representation of the lives of people in Clare for future generations to enjoy. Clare Museum’s Collection Policy is designed to help the museum achieve its mission through focused collecting. It also recognises the collection as the museum’s greatest resource, underpinning exhibitions and educational activities. According to Curator John Rattiganm, “Clare Museum will collect items that exist in, or can be provenanced to, County Clare. We are particularly interested in items associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, but also items relating to the lives of women and local businesses from days gone by.” Items from more recent decades are also required. “An ongoing survey of museum visitors has highlighted an interest in items from the 1950s to the turn of the century. This is a period many of our visitors remember and would like to tell stories about to their children or grandchildren on a …