Ennis

FEARS emergency services may have access difficulties due to cars parking in an “ad-hoc” nature at the Clareabbey end of the new River Fergus Walk and Cycleway has sparked calls for a review of the parking situation at the popular amenity. The risk of danger to children who have been seen “running straight onto the road” at the Quin Road side of the walk has also been highlighted. Councillor Paul Murphy, at a meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, called for a review of parking at Clareabbey saying, “This amenity is being used by huge volumes of people which is fantastic, but emergency services may have problems getting in if something isn’t done to sort out the ad-hoc nature of parking that currently exists.” Responding to the motion, Eamon O’Dea, Senior Executive Engineer, stated, “The Ennis Municipal District will examine the land ownership between the N85 and the Clareabbey access road on the Clareabbey Roundabout side of the railway line …

AN Ennis sports club which recently launched a fundraising campaign for the development of a multi-sport facility has received a boost which will support their goal for expansion. Established in 2019, Ennis Hockey Club is the first and only hockey club in County Clare, and players currently have to travel for matches as they have no home pitch. It is the club’s ambition to build a multi-sport 2G facility in Ennis where they can play, compete and develop the next generation of people passionate about this Olympic sport. The club has now been named county winners in the recent Texaco Support for Sport initiative, and has been presented with a cheque for €5,000 which will be used by the club to expand its membership and to cater for adults with mental and physical disabilities. After only three years in existence, it has already shown enterprise and creativity with programmes for children age 5 to 18 and for adults familiar with …

A 1947 DODGE car once owned by Eamon de Valera has been moved from its display building in Harmony Row to a new home in the newly refurbished exhibition area at Clare Museum. The car, which was used by Eamon de Valera during his years as President of Ireland, was often to be seen on the roads of Clare in the 1960s and is fondly remembered by the Clare public. It was manufactured in Detroit, Michigan, US, in 1947 and was originally the property of President Sean T O’Kelly. Although de Valera continued to use a Rolls Royce for State occasions while President of Ireland, he purchased the Dodge from Sean T O’Kelly, the outgoing President, and had it resprayed from its original maroon to black for his personal use in the late 1950s. The black Dodge would go on to be a familiar sight in Clare. Many older Clare people associate the vehicle with the annual Clare Agricultural Show …

CONSTRUCTION has commenced on the Clarecastle Sewerage Scheme, Irish Water have confirmed. The new sewerage infrastructure to be constructed as part of this scheme aims to eliminate the discharge of raw sewage into the River Fergus and Shannon Estuary. Irish Water, working in partnership with Clare County Council, are commencing with the installation of new below-ground infrastructure at the site of the existing Quay Road Pump Station and construction of a new rising main pipeline along Quay Road, Barrack Street and the Ennis Road that will transfer sewage from Quay Road Pumping Station for treatment at the existing Clareabbey Wastewater Treatment Plant. Irish Water aim to have the project completed by mid-2023. Once operational, this infrastructure will ensure compliance with wastewater discharge regulations. It will also improve water quality in River Fergus and Shannon Estuary and protect recreational water whilst protecting the integrity of the local marine environment. Speaking about the project, Seamus Glynn, Infrastructure Delivery Regional Lead with Irish …

FROM all across the United States members of the O’Dea clan will be in Ennis and Dysert O’Dea this weekend for their 11th annual clan gathering. The international O’Dea clan gathering, from July 8 to 10, will see more than 50 clan members travelling from various parts of the USA, including California, Florida, Missouri, Ohio and other states to attend the event. Unfortunately, clan members from Australia and New Zealand will not be attending due to Covid 19 restrictions. Nevertheless, a fully packed weekend programme for those attending includes lectures, DNA workshops, a visit to Dysert O’Dea castle, a sightseeing tour to the Cliffs of Moher, Ballyvaughan and Corcomroe abbey and a farewell gala dinner in the Old Ground Hotel. The highlight of the weekend will be the inauguration of the incoming Clan Chieftain (Taoisigh) Ennis man Shane O’Dea at Dysert O’Dea castle on, Saturday. In honour of the weekend event, the Ennis Municipal District will host a mayoral reception …

THE untimely death of David Woodford in May 2020 was a huge loss, not just for his family, but also for the wider community and music lovers across the county. While Covid ruled out a large public gathering to mark his passing, David’s legacy is now enshrined in the launch of the Bassment rehearsal space at Clare Youth Service in Ennis. A generous donation from Eileen Woodford on behalf of her late beloved David has allowed young people at CYS to get together, remodel, and design the studio and rehearsal space located in the Ennis Youth Centre. As Eileen explained, David was always a supporter of Clare Youth Service and, with his band ‘Hot Ice’, had run an event to raise funds for the organisation, “David always had great time for young people and helping to revamp their space to allow greater opportunity for young people to come and play music seems very fitting.” It has been nearly 15 years …

CLARE County Council is coming under pressure to lead a multi-agency approach to tackle persistent anti-social behaviour after Ennis residents outlined their experiences of “neighbours from hell” for almost seven years. Councillor Johnny Flynn, Ennis Mayor, Clare Colleran-Molloy and Councillor Mary Howard have called for a multi-agency approach involving the council, Tusla, Clare Gardai, councillors, and residents to evict local authority tenants who are causing havoc in estates. Their call came after hearing a litany of complaints from frustrated residents who claimed they were “living in fear” and were “prisoners in their own homes” at a residents’ meeting on Monday night, which was also attended by Councillor Paul Murphy and Councillor Mark Nestor. One resident in the affected Ennis estate described Family A as the “neighbours from hell”. She has asked to remain anonymous and for the estate to remain unnamed due to residents’ fear of a reprisal. “We are living in fear. There is intimidation, verbal abuse and physical …

THE welcome “with open arms” which has been given to the people of Ukraine has been praised by Ennis’ outgoing mayor as she reflected on her year in office. Councillor Ann Norton recalled “a very good and very positive year” as the county capital’s first citizen at the AGM of the Ennis Municipal District on Friday. She revealed that on the morning before handing over the chains of office she paid a visit to the children of Ennis Educate Together, which has welcomed 44 children from Ukraine in recent months. “We have a war still going on in Ukraine and we have many Ukrainian people now living in County Clare. “We have a huge amount of them in Ennis. I am the chairperson of Ennis Educate Together and we have taken 44 children into the school. “Before I finished and handed over the chains I wanted to go in and talk to them and see how they are doing and …