Tag Archives: Ennis

THE official switching on of the Christmas lights in Ennis on Friday, November 26, will now take place as a virtual event. Clare County Council said that details of the online event will be made available soon. In a statement this afternoon the Council said, “This decision has been taken by Clare County Council based on current public health advice and in view of anticipated numbers of up to 6,000 people attending the event. “This was a difficult decision and Clare County Council appreciates there will be disappointment for those involved. “Other planned events in the Christmas in Ennis programme, including the Christmas Village, Cadbury Postal Service and Retro Drive-In Movies, are expected to go ahead. However, we strongly advise that members of the public monitor all media platforms for updates in relation to the planned programme of events.” The Council also called on the public to support the town in the coming weeks. “Please remember to visit Ennis to …

THE first interment of ashes has taken place at the new columbarium at the Cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul. Ennis Cathedral is the first Cathedral in the country to offer a columbarium for the interment of ashes. The development of the columbarium was approved by the Pastoral and Finance Committees of Ennis Parish last year while planning permission was granted by Clare County Council. Local builders Michael Clancy and Michael McInerney recently installed the facility which was consecrated as a place of rest by Bishop Fintan last month. On Saturday the ashes of Michael Fitzgerald were the first to be interred in the Columbarium in a ceremony led by Fr Tom Ryan. Mr Fitzgerald, who passed away in August made the decision with his wife Ann and his family that he would be cremated and interred in the Cathedral. Mary Quinn, who was married to Ann Fitzgerald’s brother Jim and who died in London in May 2019, was also …

WITH the long awaited and welcome return of live entertainment, an exciting event like no other is on its way to glór. The Iron Annie Cabaret will be travelling the country in style, with 15 dates scheduled this autumn including right here in Ennis on Thursday, November 18. The show is based on Luke Cassidy’s critically acclaimed debut novel which The Irish Independent described as “probably the most ambitious and well-written debut this year.” Now, as producer, Luke Cassidy is bringing that same story to the stage. The Iron Annie Cabaret tells the story of Aoife, and her doomed relationship with the beautiful but capricious Annie. Set against the backdrop of a larger-than-life criminal underworld of Dundalk, their adventures also take them on a whirlwind trip across the Irish Sea to offload ten kilos of cocaine swiped from a rival. A Juncture Arts production, the Iron Annie Cabaret stars actor Eleanor McLoughlin as the inimitable Aoife, and is directed by …

AFTER announcing Ennis as the winner of the overall Tidy Towns prize, Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys praised the efforts made in the county town. “This is a fantastic achievement for Ennis who are very deserving winners. Ennis first entered the SuperValu TidyTowns competition in 1959 and continue to showcase all that is good about community and volunteerism. They have been consistently achieving high standards in the competition at local, regional, national and European level and won the competition previously in 2005. Given the tremendous interest in the competition and the increasing efforts made by all entrants, it is a wonderful achievement to take the national title for a second time; this really demonstrates that resilience and determination do reap rewards. “I want to congratulate Ennis and all of the other deserving prize-winners announced today. It has not been easy for TidyTowns groups during what has been an unprecedented period.” Clare TD Joe Carey also lauded the …

ENNIS took 355 marks from a possible 470 en route to being named Ireland’s Tidiest Town. One of the adjudicators of Ennis praised the level of participation in Tidy Towns in Ennis. “A core committee of 20 is a strong team and doubtless you have a strong ‘bench’ too as you can boast 100 volunteers behind your many initiatives.” They added, “It’s impressive to read the range of supporting organisations. This isn’t limited to environmental or residential groups (although these are in there indeed) but also include groups where social inclusion and justice are core aims. Inclusivity is increasingly important in modern Ireland and we are cheered to see the involvement of our ‘newer’ citizens as well as older volunteers “ There was also praise for the streetscapes and public places of the town. “Those banners for the railway station look gorgeous. It is hoped that these will look just as good in place. The Lanes & Bows regeneration will have huge impact …

FIANNA Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe has lauded the achievement of Ennis, which was this afternoon named as Ireland’s Tidiest Town for 2021. Clare’s county town scooped the top prize at this year’s Tidy Towns Awards, which were held in a scaled back ceremony at the RDS today. “This is a phenomenal achievement for the town of Ennis and for the Tidy Towns committee,” said Deputy Crowe. “I’m just thrilled for them. To beat off stiff competition from 846 other entrants is no mean feat but a quick walk-through Ennis will show you exactly how they achieved it. “It’s a regular occurrence to drive through the town on any given day and see the team of volunteers bending over backwards to pick up litter in the hi-vis vests, sprucing up the flower beds and pots and so on. “Not only did Ennis manage to take the top prize, the town was also named the country’s tidiest large urban centre …

A SOCIAL life-line for hundreds of people from Clare, and beyond, may have had its last dance, due to new rules on e-ticketing. Members of the Dancing for Pleasure group have had to sit it out over the long months of lockdown. As restrictions eased for the live events sector, they were keen to dust off their dancing shoes. Organisers were dismayed, however, to find out that the rule on advance ticketing applies, not just to nightclubs, but to their social dancing outings. Regular attendees, who range in age from 60 to 90, are unlikely to take to the e-ticketing system, organisers believe. “We love our dancing,” said Ennis-based committee member Andy Carmody. “Now, we have completely lost our exercise and our social life. A lot of people are not into the internet. I just don’t think that having to buy a ticket by email, at least an hour before the dance, will work for us. It’s not really something …

ENNIS has been named as Ireland’s Tidiest Town for 2021. It was named as the winner at Friday afternoon’s ceremony. Ennis also took the award for Ireland’s Tidiest Large Urban Centre. At the ceremony Minister Heather Humphreys announced Ennis as the winner, while presenter Anne Cassin said that its Tidy Towns group had done great work to keep people positive during the pandemic. She said adjudicators had found that that Ennis had excelled on social media, while they praised initiatives such as artwork on the town’s drain covers, which were described as “combining the aesthetic with the practical”. Also praised were the town’s parklet, the work done on pollinators, gum drop bins, and sustainability initiatives such as school walking buses and the town’s bike week. MORE TO FOLLOW