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Call for Ennis election poster zone

Election 2024 is already on the minds of Ennis councillors with a call being made for the creation of designated sites for the erection of election posters rather than having them on lampposts and other locations throughout the county capital. Councillor Mary Howard (FG) made the novel suggestion at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District where she said specific sites for posters would encourage “responsible consumption, climate action and reducing the visual impact of posters, while also ensuring equity between new and existing candidates”. The council executive responded by stating a bill intending to regulate the placement of election posters and referendum material to “designated areas” chosen by local authorities has not been enacted. Councillor Howard recalled that back in 2019, sitting members of the Ennis Municipal District voluntarily agreed not to erect posters, however this agreement did not extend to incoming candidates. Councillor Howard described the move as a “very brave step” for the members of the …

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Johnny to call time on Ennis institution this Saturday

“This is no ordinary shop,” says Johnny Murphy as he prepares to close the doors of his family shoe repair shop in Ennis for the final time this Saturday. More than six decades after the business was first started by his father John Murphy Senior, Johnny has announced the closure of Ennis institution ‘Johnny Murphy Shoe Repairs’ in Cronin’s Yard/Taylor’s Lane. Since news of the decision to close was revealed, Johnny has been inundated with good wishes and messages of support from valued customers and friends. In fact, when The Clare Champion caught up with Johnny this week to reminisce on his time in the trade he had to pause a number of times to answer calls from people wishing him well. He tells us he has been touched by the outpouring of support and goodwill admitting that this has been an emotional week. “You would be made a stone if it wasn’t,” he smiles. Sitting in his shop surrounded …

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Silent ‘Save Ennis Town’ march delivers petition to Clare County Council

A petition of 3,500 signatures requesting county councillors to halt plans to build on two riverside car parks in Ennis, was presented to Ennis Mayor, Pat Daly at Clare County Council buildings this morning. This was following a silent march of over 200 townspeople and business owners who marched from the Abbey Street car park to Clare County Council’s buildings on the New Road. The atmosphere on the morning was convivial with a number of marchers holding a large inflatable elephant to symbolise the potential of the proposed development becoming a ‘white elephant’. The march was organised by the Save Ennis Town voluntarily group who are opposed to the council and Ennis 240 DAC proceeding with plans to build on the two car parks. The group says the move would deprive the town of vital civic and amenity spaces and view such plans as “destructive”. Joan Duggan, a concerned citizen with limited mobility delivered the red petition box to Councillor Daly and …

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Mental health counsellor to deliver suicide prevention talk in Ennis

A CLARE mental health counsellor has been moved to deliver a suicide prevention talk in Ennis after receiving news that a childhood neighbour had died by suicide. Sheila McMahon, who is based in the UK and originally from Newmarket-on-Fergus, said, “I was told it was the second suicide in the village within a week” adding that on the same day she was aware of two others who died by suicide in the county. “This is horrendous really when you sit back and think about it.” The registered mental health counsellor works to help arm people with the skills and tools to help anyone experiencing thoughts of suicide, or suicide intent, as part of her continuing mission to “create positive change” and stop the stigma in the Midlands and wider UK. Sheila even faced a fear recently and challenged herself to learn to ride a motorbike, in an emotional effort to encourage more people to learn to help those at potential …

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CPR Skills Essential Says Hero Doctor

AN Ennis doctor who helped save the life of a hurling fan after he collapsed in a busy Dublin train station has modestly told us, “I think there was a lot of luck involved and I was in the right place at the right time.” Dr Carly Lewis, who is originally from the Tulla Road in Ennis, sprang into action and performed CPR on the man who is in his 70s after discovering he had no pulse. Fortunately he is now doing well, and following the experience Dr Lewis is appealing to the public to get Basic Life Support training saying, “The more people who are trained, the better the outcomes all round”. Dr Lewis was in the Drumcondra train station with her sister having come from watching Clare play Kilkenny in the All Ireland semi-finals in Croke Park when the emergency situation unfolded. She recalls they were about to get on the train when she noticed a commotion on …

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Ennis 2040 DAC Appoints Design Team to Develop Master Plan for Francis Street development

ENNIS 2040 Designated Activity Company has announced the appointment of a collaborative design team to develop a Master Plan for a “much-needed high-quality mixed-use sustainable development” for Francis Street in Ennis’ Town Centre. This will be managed under an agreed Service Level Agreement with Clare County Council. Vincent Hannon Architects (VHA) in collaboration with Cundall Consulting Engineers and Ian Douglas Environmental Consultants have been successful in the tender process to prepare the Master Plan for the site. According to Ennis 2040 DAC the development has the potential to include up to 45 housing units, aiming to “redefine urban community while embracing sustainability and modern design principles in line with the ambitions set out in the approved Ennis 2040 Economic & Spatial Strategy”. Master planning will commence immediately with the aim of launching a comprehensive public consultation process in four to five months’ time to give the public an opportunity to view and comment on the proposed designs.  Subject to a successful planning …

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Love of Ennis music inspires latest book by Byrnes

WITH a love for music that goes back to his childhood, it’s little surprise that Ennis author Ollie Byrnes has decided to write a book on the subject. Ollie is currently working on his latest publication ‘Music in Ennis’, examining the history of music in the county capital from 1950 onwards. Already he has amassed a wealth of information for the book including nearly 300 high quality photographs. Speaking to us about the planned publication he outlines, “For many years the writing of a book on music has been on my mind but I could not think of an angle, something that had not been done. Then a friend said “why not write a book on the Ennis scene, taking in all musical styles”? Recalling where his love of music began he says, “As a child, I heard the finest of Irish traditional music played live in my parent’s living room on the Gort Road, just off Marian Avenue. The …

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Public urged to have their say on renaming of bridge after McTigue

THE public are being urged to have their say on a proposal to rename a bridge in Ennis after a sporting legend of Clare. As reported in The Clare Champion earlier this month efforts are being made to change the name of Victoria Bridge at Cusack Road to The Mike McTigue Bridge in honour of the famous sportsman from Kilnamona. The Ennis Municipal District is now inviting the public to make submissions on the proposal with online consultation now open and continuing until Friday, April 7. The bridge is dated to 1840 and when this road was first built, the road was known as New Road. It later became Victoria Road, then Cusack Road. Mike McTigue was born in Lickaune, Kilnamona Co Clare in 1891, Mike was one of 11 sons and one daughter of Pat McTigue and Ellen McTigue (née Nylon). He emigrated to New York in 1912 where he went on to become a professional boxer and fought …

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