Ennis

EVERY year the town of Ennis transforms itself into a field of golden yellow for Daffodil Day as the county capital embraces the annual fundraiser for the Irish Cancer Society, writes Jessica Quinn. Volunteer fundraisers can be seen on almost every corner selling bunches of the spring flowers as well as other items in aid of the charity’s flagship fundraising day which is always generously supported locally. Behind this monumental effort has been a dedicated volunteer committee, many of whom have been involved with the charity for more than 30 years. After decades of service to the community, the organising committee are taking a well deserved retirement and they are encouraging others to take up the mantle to ensure that Daffodil Day in Ennis continues to be as successful as ever for the charity. Daffodil Day was brought to Ennis in 1989, one year after its initial launch in Dublin, by Michael Guerin Snr and following his passing, that baton …

A section of Ennis town centre was sealed off this afternoon after a large sheet of metal was discovered in dangerous position on the chimney of three-storey building. It’s believed the sheeting, thought to be copper and weighing about three quarters of a tonne, was blown off the roof of nearby building where works are being carried out. This is thought to have occurred over the weekend when two storms hit County Clare over the weekend. The sheeting may have been on the roof at High Street since Sunday and only spotted on Wednesday morning. Workers from the building site realised a section of the roof they had been working on was missing but it was nowhere to be seen. When the sheet was spotted this morning, units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Ennis station and local Gardaí responded to the scene and soon realised the seriousness of the situation. A larger section of the sheet, which …

WHILE students might not usually want to get in deep water with their teachers, one Ennis school is turning the tide when it comes to learning new skills. Scoil Chríost Rí’s ‘Kayak le Chéile’ club has been making waves with students since it was launched in 2020. Now efforts are being made to improve the experience even more with plans in place to install a ramp to allow greater access to the river for the club. A recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District heard that discussions are underway with stakeholders about the design of the ramp. The need for the ramp to be installed was raised by Councillor Mark Nestor who described the establishment of the county’s first school kayaking club as a “great achievement”. He acknowledged teacher Joe Garry for his efforts with the club which has gone from strength to strength. He said that a ramp would be “the final piece” in the development of the kayaking …

RESIDENTS of neighbourhoods in Ennis are “living in a nightmare” fearing a return of flood waters, a meeting of councillors heard, as it was confirmed funding has been made available to carry out a feasibility study aimed at finding a solution to the issue. The worries of residents from Victoria Court, the Lahinch Road and lower Cloughleigh were highlighted at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District. Councillor Pat Daly stated that flooding is a “big issue” for residents in these areas. He pointed out his brother is among those affected saying, “They are living in a nightmare, always worried there could be a flood in their gardens and houses.” At the meeting Councillor Johnny Flynn sought an update on previous requests for a solution to the flooding affecting properties in the area. He recalled flooding in 2012 / 2013 left one businessperson counting the costs after €30,000 in catering equipment was destroyed. “This urgently needs to be addressed,” …

IT was back to school for Environment Minister Eamon Ryan when he visited Ennis last week. The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport paid a visit to Gaelscoil Mhíchíl Cíosóg where he joined in with their walking bus. The walking bus has proven to be a massive success with pupils at the Gort Road primary school since its introduction two years ago. And on Friday the Green Party Minister got to see first hand how the children have been doing their bit to help the environment by walking to school. During the visit the minister also spoke with principal Dónal Ó hAiniféin on the importance of cycle lanes for the town, as well plans for the school’s new extension. Mr Ó hAiniféin told us,“Like other schools we have been dealing with traffic issues for many years, the dropping off and pick up in those 15 or 20 minute period when things are quite busy. “Instead …

FORMER Riverdance star Breandán de Gallaí will be bringing his latest show to Clare next month. De Gallaí has been at the forefront of pushing the boundaries of traditional and contemporary Irish dance in Ireland for over three decades. His role as a principal dancer with Riverdance, which spanned more than seven years, saw him tour the globe with numerous prestigious performances including dancing for King Hussein of Jordan, the Emperor of Japan and Princess Diana. Next month, Clare audiences are in for a treat as the former Riverdancer will be bringing his show “Walls Talk” to Glór, Ennis, on March 16, as part of a 10 venue tour across Ireland. Inspired by the phrase ‘if these walls could talk’, the show features de Gallaí’s solo dance routines set against songs from the golden era of jazz and blues, performed live on stage by jazz singer Gina Boreham. Speaking ahead of the tour, de Gallaí is encouraging audiences to come …

GARDAí are appealing for witnesses after two people burgled a home in Ennis and assaulted a woman in the house. The incident occurred in the Dun na Hinse estate at 11.43 p.m. on Thursday, February 10. Two males dressed in black and wearing black masks entered an apartment in the estate and assaulted the female resident. When they left the apartment they jumped the wall at the rear. It is not known what vehicle was used and what direction they left in. Crime prevention officer Sergeant Triona Brooks said, “We are appealing for anyone who may have seen any car or persons acting suspiciously in Dun Na Hinse on the night of Thursday February 10 between 23.30hrs – 00.00hrs. “We are also appealing to a person who passed near the scene at 23.45hrs on an electric scooter wearing a high-vis jacket to contact Ennis Garda Station on 6848100.” 

A NEW facility to help children learn to cycle could be on track for Ennis, writes Jessica Quinn. A proposal to create a ‘Learn to Cycle Track’ in the county capital is currently being explored by the local authority. Putting forward the idea at the monthly meeting of the Ennis Municipal District Councillor Mary Howard stated that the track would help build children’s cycling confidence and encourage them to get on their bikes more. She urged the council to follow the lead of Dungarvan which recently opened Ireland’s first learn-to-cycle track. “We are all talking about walking buses and cycling buses to school, we are putting in cycling lanes and other infrastructure around the town. It is very important that we teach children how to use the road correctly.” She explained that the track allows for children to learn to cycle in a way that mimics a real life road structure with road lines, signs and pedestrian crossings. The only …