Tag Archives: Ennis Book Club Festival

A MINISTER for Justice who slept with a gun under his pillow, the very nemesis of Charles Haughey and the founder of a political party that exercised influence way beyond its size throughout the 1980s and ’90s, Des O’Malley wasn’t struggling for material for his book Conduct Unbecoming: A Memoir. Much of O’Malley’s career was defined by his enmity with a certain former taoiseach, an era that was revisited in the recent RTÉ mini-series, Haughey. O’Malley feels it was a relatively fair exploration of the time. “You have to take it as a drama, rather than a factual documentary, but a great deal of it is factual. It is of course based on fact but, for dramatic purposes, certain things are written into it and the chronology of some of the things changes, they happened in a different order. But I thought it was a fair enough representation of the atmosphere at the time, the atmosphere of fear and intimidation.” …

THIS Friday,  The Pat Kenny Show will be in Ennis to broadcast live from the Temple Gate Hotel. This will be the first time that Pat Kenny will broadcast from Clare in front of a local audience since joining Newstalk last year. As well as bringing you analysis of news and current affairs, Pat will be speaking to Ciana Campbell, chairperson of the Ennis Book Club Festival as well as local authors and book club members. After each serving 15 years on death row for murders they did not commit, Sonny Jacobs and Peter Pringle will be discussing their incredible story of strength and survival, while well -known priest Fr Harry Bohan will be looking at the problems with rural isolation. The show, which will air from 10am, will also hear from local families, businessmen and farmers about the recent flooding, coastal erosion and the effects these have had on day-to-day life. Musical entertainment will be provided by  Kate Purcell.

AS the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War approaches, a booklet commemorating those with Clare roots who lost their lives in the Great War has been created. The booklet, ‘The Great War 1914-1918 – The Clare War Dead WWI’ will be officially launched at the Ennis Book Club Festival. And it is hoped that the booklet will raise awareness, and assist plans, for the establishment of a memorial in the Friars Walk area of Ennis honouring Clare’s war dead. The publication, prepared by Ger Browne in association with the Clare Roots Society is now available but will be officially be launched during the Ennis Book Club Festival on the Saturday, March 9 at 2.30pm in St Columba’s Church. John Bradley of Clare Roots Society explained, “This year marks the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War and with it comes four years of commemorations. The official commemorations will begin in Sarajevo with a …