Tag Archives: Ennis

Sale of land depends on securing planning THE HSE has been urged to lodge a planning application for the development of a new €25 million community hospital in Ennis at the earliest opportunity. The call was made by Deputy Joe Carey after the HSE confirmed it intends to lodge a planning application for this project in the first quarter of 2022. Jim Curran, HSE national director of capital and estates, said the HSE has “sale agreed” lands comprising 5.09 acres of Diocesan property near the Turnpike in Ennis for the provision of a new 100-bed community nursing unit. However, the sale of lands is subject to planning permission for the development of a community nursing unit. This project will see a new state-of-the-art facility, providing a 100-bed HIQA compliant community nursing unit for long stay residents including 88 single, four twin rooms and four palliative care facilities. A full design team was appointed in March 2021 following a tender and …

DISCUSSIONS are underway with a view to installing a filter light for those travelling from the Limerick Road to Old Gaol Road in Ennis, the local authority have confirmed. Councillor Pat Daly highlighted the need for the light at the monthly meeting of the council at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District where he urged the council, “to install a filter right arrow on the traffic lights at the Clare Road, adjacent to the tyre centre, to accommodate traffic coming from the Limerick Road side who presently are finding it very difficult to turn right in the Gaol Road.” Ian Chaplin, Executive Engineer, responded, “The Ennis Municipal District recently installed two hatch boxes at this junction to assist access from Clare Road Tyres and the hatch box at the Captain Macs Cross side of the junction should assist the traffic flow as buses will not be obstructed when turning left out of Old Goal Road. The Ennis MD …

THE position of planters and bollards on the segregated cycle way on Clonroadmore are forcing motorists to cross the centre line of traffic it has been claimed. Councillor Johnny Flynn told the monthly meeting of the Ennis Municipal District that the planters and bollards from the front of St Flannan’s to the Kilrush Road should be adapted. He insisted this is needed so that drivers exiting estates and private houses “can do so without crossing the centre line onto oncoming traffic”. Eamon O’Dea, Senior Executive Engineer, in his written reply stated, “The Road Design office have confirmed that all the junctions comply with DMURS. On the tighter junction radius the driver has to approach the junction square to the main road and then rotate to the left. If the driver proceeds to cut the corner they will either mount the kerb (hit the bollard) or have to cross the centre line to turn left. The purpose of the tighter radii …

WORKS aimed at connecting parts of Ennis with walking trails are set to begin next year the Ennis Municipal District has confirmed. Funding totalling €950,000 has been secured by the council under the government’s Active Travel grant scheme. The plans were detailed at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District where Councillor Johnny Flynn had sought an update on the Connecting and Co-Creating Ennis project which was undertaken in 2020 by the Intelligence Unit (IU) of the School of Architecture at UL. The project was undertaken on the invitation of the Director of Service of the Ennis MD executive Carmel Kirby, in conjunction with the elected members. The councillor outlined that this project looked at Connecting, by re-joining parts of Ennis physically and socially and Co-Creating, getting citizens and visitors actively involved in the development of Ennis. Councillor Flynn described the document as “a very important piece of work”. The students and academics who worked on the project spent …

IF you are wandering around Ennis on the afternoon of St Stephen’s Day, you might see some heads bobbing in the Fergus. Don’t worry! That will be members of the Ennis Sub Aqua Club taking part in the annual sponsored Fin Swim. Gerry Gilroy, chair of the club said, “The annual Fin Swim been going on for over 20 years, and is always great fun. All funds raised from the activity go to support the search and recovery activities undertaken by the club.” The swimmers enter the chilly river at Droichead na Gabhar near Lees Road, float along the quiet stretches before rounding the bend to Victoria Bridge on the Lahinch Road. The rapids at the Mill have torn a few wet suits over the years so they get out upstream of the Mill Bridge and jump back into the dark waters at the Mill wheel. The ducks and geese of the Post Office field look on in surprise at …

THE HSE has announced the opening hours for Community Testing Centres in the Mid-West over the Christmas/New Year period, and have asked the public to remember that, at present, walk-in testing is not available. The are directing those who require a PCR test to book an appointment online. The online booking system, and further details, are available via https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/covid19/testing/get-tested/ Opening hours for Covid-19 Community Testing Centres are as follows: December 25 – Limerick Test Centre – 10:15 – 13:30 Clare Test Centre – CLOSED Nenagh Test Centre – CLOSED December 26 Limerick Test Centre – 07:45 – 17:15 Clare Test Centre – 09:15 – 16:45 Nenagh Test Centre – 08:30 – 17:45 December 27 – 31 – Normal CTC Hours Limerick Test Centre – 07:45 – 19:00 Clare Test Centre – 09:15 – 18:30 Nenagh Test Centre – 08:30 – 19:45 January 1 and 2, 2022 Limerick Test Centre – 07:45 – 17:15 Clare Test Centre – 09:15 – 16:45 …

AN elderly woman using a walking frame was forced to step onto the road due to cars being parked on the footpath at a popular Ennis beauty spot in an incident described as “upsetting and frightening”, a meeting of local councillors heard. The Ennis Municipal District is now to make the case to gardaí to have double yellow lines installed at the entrance to Ballybeg Woods after “health and safety concerns” about motorists parking on the footpath at the entrance was highlighted. Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy raised the issue at a recent meeting of the municipal district calling for a review of the area to be undertaken to address “ongoing parking on the footpath approaching the Ballybeg Road entrance to the Ballybeg Woods”. She said the current situation “is preventing pedestrians, pedestrians with child buggies and wheelchair users from using the footpath, thereby forcing them to walk on the road”. The councillor acknowledged recent improvement works carried out at Ballybeg …

AN Ennis toyshop will feature in a brand new television show airing this week on RTÉ. Little Ones on Parnell Street, in the county town, which specialises in traditional wooden toys and children’s gifts, is among the stores to appear in The Toy Shop which airs on RTÉ One on Wednesday evening at 9.30pm and again on Christmas day on RTÉ 2 at 8.45pm. The programme has been made by Atom Films, the makers of the acclaimed Older Than Ireland, Abbeyfealegood and The Irish Wedding. Fiona Ryan, owner of Little Ones, told The Champion she was delighted to take part in the programme and to be able to share the joy that toy shops can bring into people’s lives. “I was contacted by Atom Films to take part in the programme, I don’t know how they found out about us but I think originally they were looking at doing a programme on toys in general, then they wanted to focus …