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Tag Archives: clare

Ennis author shortlisted for An Post Irish Book Awards

ENNIS author Sean O’Driscoll has been named on the shortlist for this year’s An Post Irish Book Awards. His book Heiress, Rebel, Vigilante, Bomber has been nominated in the Odgers Berndtson Non-fiction Book of the Year category. His book tells the astonishing story of Rose Dugdale. She grew up in a Chelsea townhouse and on a Devon estate and was presented to the Queen at Buckingham Palace as a debutante in 1958. Rose trained at Oxford as an academic economist and had a love affair with a female professor. At thirty, she commenced giving her inheritance away to the poor and in 1972 she travelled to Ireland and joined the IRA. She went on to become a committed terrorist, participating in a major art heist and a bombing raid on a police and army barracks; who kept a pregnancy secret for nine months in prison and gave birth there; and who ended up at the heart of the IRA’s bomb-making operation …

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‘That desire to do the right thing hasn’t waned’

AT the moment there are just over 3,000 refugees from Ukraine living in Clare, having fled their homes following the brutal Russian invasion of their country. Providing care and support for so many means numerous challenges, and Jason Murphy is in charge of Clare County Council’s response, having been appointed Director of Services for Ukrainian Services Development. It’s a position no one could have envisaged would be needed this time last year, but while putting support structures in place was required quite suddenly, Jason says some of the structures Clare had in place from the Covid-19 response were a help. “None of the Covid response was from one agency, it wasn’t from one agency, one community group, it was everyone in County Clare responding and the Ukrainian piece, it’s an all-of-Co. Clare response as well. “While Clare County Council has a co-ordinating role, various agencies have their own responsibilities and actions, NGOs are out there leading as they have always …

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Ennis to craic on with its biggest Tradfest yet

ENNIS is set to host the 28th Annual Ennis Tradfest this November with a line up of top international, national and local traditional music stars. Amongst the stars will be Anxo Lorenzo, a virtuoso award-winning Galician piper renowned for his energetic and inspiring performances.  Over 1,000 are expected to travel from the US, Canada, Spain and the UK for Ennis Tradfest 2022.  From its early years, Ennis Tradfest has established itself as one of the most vibrant and dynamic traditional music festivals in Ireland with fans and visitors returning year after year. Michael ‘Blackie’ O’Connell, widely recognised as one of the best pipers in the world, has been tirelessly building this festival over the years into an extravaganza of traditional music.  Tradfest 2022 is no exception, boasting a stellar line-up of musicians including the Galician Anxo Lorenzo Band, legends Sean Keane (formerly of The Chieftains) and Gay Mc Keon, John Carty and Mike McGoldrick, Damien and Conor Connolly and popular concert band Jiggy.   …

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Three courses of drama at the ready with Ennis Players

ENNIS Players’ Annual Supper Theatre is back with three offerings to whet your theatrical appetite this November. Rehearsals are well underway for this four-night production, offering the finest of theatre and the finest of food in the surrounds of the Old Ground Hotel, Ennis. This year’s production will showcase performances of Elysium Nevada by Barry McKinley; Trapped, by Barry Woods and Tony Layton’s Where there’s a Will. Elysium Nevada is set in a retirement village in the sweltering Nevada desert. Two residents reflect on life, youth and how they got there. They are joined by a mysteriously silent woman whose presence adds an entirely new dimensions to the discussion. Directed by Saoirse Byrne, and features Hugh Gallagher as Bob, Conor Lynch as Mike and Amy McEnnis as Constance. Trapped sees Faye respond to a distressed phonecall from her best friend. They discover information that is both profound and life changing. A ten minute play about the unexpected parts that people …

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Minister claims government delivering on housing for Clare

WHILE Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien came to Clare on Monday for the launch of four new social schemes, there are still plenty of  housing challenges in the county. The new developments were launched in Ennis, Miltown Malbay and Tulla with a total of 153 homes being delivered from a total budget of over €40 million. The Cluain Gréine development in Lifford, Ennis, is the largest of the four new developments, with an approved budget of €18,923,877. This development provides 61 social housing units through the turnkey delivery stream. It was constructed by Manozo Ltd for Focus Capital. Also in Ennis, the Cnoc na Scoile development at Ashline on the Kilrush Road, provides 40 social housing units through a direct build scheme by Clare County Council. This development had an approved budget of €10,534,481. The project was completed in June and the appointed contractor on the project was M. Fitzgibbon Contractors Ltd. The Baile na mBan …

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Heritage Week awards for County Clare Bogs, Boats and Dolphins

THREE Clare events celebrating the county’s heritage have been honoured by the Heritage Council. Ninety events took place in County Clare for National Heritage Week this year, with many outstanding events showcasing the fantastic heritage of County Clare. Three Clare Heritage Week events starred at the National Heritage Awards 2022 which were held recently. Shanakyle Bog Restoration Project, Connecting Communities with Peatland “Walk & Talk on Shanakyle Bog” was awarded the County Clare Heritage Event Award. Shanakyle Bog is located near Parteen. It is approximately 70 acres in extent, of which 30 acres was subject to restoration and rewetting work by Shanakyle Bog Restoration Group in 2021. The bog was managed for domestic turf cutting in the past with peat extraction peaking during the 1940s. Turf cutting has not been practiced in over 40 years on the bog and some sections of the bog regenerated on its own to form active raised bog (ARB) on cutover characterised by Sphagnum lawns …

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TII and council urged to replace trees affected by ash dieback

THE devastation that has been caused by ash dieback has been highlighted by a local councillor who is urging Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the council to replenish affected trees in Ennis and its environs. Councillor Ann Norton raised the issue at a meeting of the Ennis Municipal District where she outlined that trees have died from the disease along the motorway, Barefield and other areas of the locality. “I ask Ennis Municipal District to write to the TII to replenish the ash trees that have died from the ash dieback along the Motorway  and ask Ennis Municipal District to do the same in Barefield and other area around the Ennis municipal District and appropriately dispose of the dead ones,” she stated. Tommy Scott, Senior Executive Technician, responded, “Ash dieback is a disease that effects the Common Ash tree (Fraxinus Excelsior). It was first identified in Ireland in 2012. “The disease will cause most of the Ash trees in this …

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Cantare looking to hit the high notes in the Derry Air

WELL-known Ennis chamber choir, Cantare, are practising hard these days under the very expert baton of choir director, Michael Hennessy with their sights set on competing in the upcoming City of Derry International Choir Festival. The festival is taking place from October 19 to 23 and features a range of singing activities and performances for everyone in a wide variety of venues around Derry and its environs. Cantare will perform against a host of national and international competitors on the afternoon of Saturday, October 22 in the Millennium Forum in the historic walled city. Choirs will travel to Derry from as far afield as Estonia, Sweden and the US, and from closer to home including Dublin and Galway. According to Michael, “It’s great to have the opportunity to compete, to have a Clare choir perform in such a renowned competition. All the members have worked exceptionally hard over the last number of months – I’m confident we can hold our …

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