Ennis

An Ennis councilllor, whose family was involved in the drinks industry for many years, has welcomed the proposals contained in the heads of The Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015. These proposals are long overdue and the bill contains far reaching measures to tackle the widespread problem of alcohol misuse in this country, according to Coucillor Mary Howard. Ms Howard is very familiar with the licensed trade, as a daughter of the late Senator Michael Howard, who owned and operated the One Mile Inn in Ennis for many years. Senator Howard was also a past president of the Vintners Federation of Ireland. “I particularly welcome the proposal to make it illegal to sell alcohol at a price below a set minimum price. The minimum unit price will be set at a level which evidence shows will reduce the burden of harm from alcohol. “This is the most far-reaching legislation on the matter of alcohol. This legislation addresses alcohol as a public health measure. …

STAFF members in St Joseph’s Hospital are planning a ‘crew cut’ for a fundraising event in memory of their former colleague, Anne Fox, who lost her battle with cancer in September 2013. Three of Anne’s former colleagues are stepping forward for the short back and sides by hairdressers from K&G Hair Salon on Parnell Street, at the function in O’Keeffe’s Bar, Lifford, on February 27. But that’s not all. The group, and the 10-year-old niece of one of the volunteers and the daughter of another, will then hand over their tresses to the Rapunzel Foundation to make into wigs for children and adults who suffer from alopecia. Tommy Guilfoyle, Deirdre Allan and her daughter, Mary, who works in Ryan’s Centra, and St Joseph’s colleague, Nuala Casey haven’t had a haircut since last April or May. Tommy’s niece, Ava Burke, aged 10, a pupil in Gaelscoil Micheál Chiosóg, has never had more than a trim. Now she’s prepared to have 14 …

ENNIS councillors have called for garda numbers in Clare to be restored, following a drop in strength of one sixth of the force since 2010. Despite the drop in garda numbers, the Mayor of Ennis Municipal District (EMD) has congratulated Superintendent Derek Smart from the Ennis Garda District on what he described as “probably the best work done in the country”, following a crackdown by gardaí on moneylenders targeting vulnerable people. The figures on the fall in garda numbers were outlined to Ennis Municipal District (EMD) councillors by Superintendent Smart during a quarterly meeting at County Hall. He said, since 2010, 53 gardaí have retired, two have died and a further two resigned. In the past two months, two more gardaí have retired and three have commenced three-year incentivised career breaks, with four more to take this up before April 1, and another due for transfer. As a result, Garda numbers in the Clare division are down by 53, or …

ONE hundred years ago this week, 26-year-old, Private Patrick King, who was born in Kildysart and lived in Turnpike, Ennis, died of “exit wounds” near Bailleul in France. According to information from the Clare Museum, Private King arrived in France with the 2nd battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment on August 14, 1914, just 10 days after war was declared. The South Lancashires were part of the 3rd Division that engaged in winter operations between November 23, 1914 and February 6, 1915. His division was involved in an attack on Wytschaete on December 14, 1914, which had resulted in high casualties. Private King was wounded just a few days before the ending of winter operations and died of his wounds on February 2, 1915, in a hospital close to where he is buried. In 2008, a successful effort was made to reunite Private King’s World War I Victory Medal with its rightful owners, following a Clarecastle man’s discovery that it …

TWO Clare-based athletes are busy preparing for the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles next July. Seventy-two-year-old Patrick Rutherford is very excited to have been selected as a playing partner for 29-year-old Paul Kirrane from Ennis. Apart from being “shocked and surprised” at being selected for the games, Patrick is also “very happy”. “At my age it is marvelous,” he said. With seven centrally planned events, Patrick won’t be taking his foot off the pedal and will be training four times a month at Ennis Golf Club. Not content with just playing golf, which he has been doing for over 25 years, Patrick also enjoys triathlons and athletics. When he’s not on the golf course or completing triathlons, widower Patrick is kept busy with his family of two sons and six grandchildren. Paul is very excited to be competing in this year’s Special Olympics as part of Team Ireland. The moment Paul heard the news that he had been …

Former Progressive Democrats leader and government minister, Des O’Malley will participate in a special political debate as part of the Ennis Book Club Festival in March. The Limerick politician will join a panel of experts for this year’s Sunday Symposium, entitled The Naked Politician on Sunday March 8. The panel discussion about life as a politician in Ireland today also features Professor Gary Murphy, political scientist at DCU; Mick Clifford, correspondent for The Irish Examiner; and Katie Hannon; political correspondent for RTE. Supported by Clare County Council, Clare County Library and The Arts Council, the three-day programme of festival events is expected to attract an estimated 3,000 book club members and literary enthusiasts from all over Ireland, Europe and North America.

LOCAL historian, Cora (Hahessy) McNulty is working on a history of St Michael’s Villas, in association with the Clare Roots Society. The book will be launched on June 18 next. Cora is putting out an appeal for the names of the children in the photograph above and is seeking two photographs, which must be included in the book. One is a photograph of the St Michael’s Grotto Committee. This committee was formed in 1958 to raise funds for the construction for the iconic grotto in St Michael’s. A photograph appeared in The Clare Champion of the blessing of the grotto in March 1960. Cora has a very poor copy of this photograph and is confident that someone out there has an original. The committee members were as follows: PJ McGarry (chairman); P Considine (designer); M Ryan; M Coleman; J Lynch; P Sheehan; J McGuane; M Kinnane; T Coffey; M Culligan and R O’Brien. The second photograph being sought is of …

Friends and family of missing Ennis man Eoin Madigan, whose body was recovered from a Galway canal on Friday morning, have expressed their thanks to all who had engaged in searches for him over the past few weeks. Eoin, from St Michael’s Villas, Ennis, had been living in Galway for the last number of years. He was last seen leaving Kelly’s pub in the city on January 5. There was an appeal last week for people to take part in searches in Galway on Saturday and Sunday however his body was found on Friday morning and removed to University College Galway Hospital for a post mortem examination. Eoin’s funeral mass was held on Monday morning at 10am with burial afterwards in Drumcliffe Cemetery. Eoin is deeply regretted by his mother Alice, brothers Patrick and Anthony, sister Nollaig, relatives and friends.