Tag Archives: Ennis

THE transformation of Ennis’ Abbey Street Carpark into a retail and office space is set to be the first project to be delivered under the Ennis 2040 plan it has been revealed. The proposed re-development, if given the green light, is expected to create hundreds of jobs and draw thousands of shoppers into Ennis’ town centre. A planning application for Abbey Street is to be lodged by the middle of this year, the Ennis Designated Activity Company (DAC) have confirmed. The Ennis 2040 DAC say the proposed project would result in 100 permanent jobs once complete and 200 jobs during construction, and create a town centre footfall of 20,000 shoppers a week. COO of Ennis 2040 Kevin Corrigan said that, “The Ennis 2040 team and Clare County Council are working hard to deliver on the vision of a vibrant and sustainable town centre for future generations. Ennis 2040 will be commencing extensive public consultations on the proposed town centre projects …

The Really Truly Joyful Ennis Gospel Choir are on song for a post Covid return. The popular choir are relaunching their programme and they are currently recruiting new members. The choir will be holding an open night on Thursday, February 9 at 7.30pm in the Chapel Lane Community Hall in Ennis. There are no formal auditions as such required to join the choir, but you do need to have a basic singing ability and a willingness to sing. “If you’ve ever wanted to join a choir, make new friends and have a bit of fun through the medium of music, then we are the group for you,” says director Fiona Walsh. “There’s no formal audition, just come along to our open night. We are quite a friendly, inclusive bunch, exuding enthusiasm and joy wherever we go ……and that’s why we’re called the Really Truly Joyful Ennis Gospel Choir. This spring we are developing a show that we plan to take …

THE development of Clare’s first MRI unit is being planned for Ennis by a leading provider of diagnostic imaging. At the moment patients in need of MRI scans have to travel outside Clare, with the nearest units in Limerick and Galway. Alliance Medical is seeking planning permission to allow for the development of an MRI diagnostic unit at the newly opened Primary Care Centre situated at the former Braid’s site on Station Road. The planning application seeks a change in use of an already permitted ground floor cafe/coffee shop unit, which is currently vacant, to medical use. The company has been given permission by the site’s owners Valley Healthcare to make the planning application to Clare County Council. A planning statement prepared by Coakley O’Neill on behalf of the applicant and lodged with the application outlines that Ennis, as the county’s key town “is ideally suited” to provide these facilities and “within Ennis, the newly opened primary care centre is …

COMMUNITY groups in Clare are hosting a Culture Exchange afternoon in glór on Bank Holiday Monday, February 6 to celebrate St Brigid’s Day. “This is the first St Bridget’s Day Bank Holiday and we want to make it memorable,” said Michelle Nolan, of Clare Local Development Company, one of the organisations alongside Women’s Collective Ireland – Clare, Mna Ag Gaire Women’s Shed and Respond who are organising the gathering of communities from all over Clare. “This event will have something for everyone and all are welcome,” said Hilary Tonge of Mna Ag Gaire Women’s Shed. There will be, stories of St Brigid from Ruth Marshall, singing from Mary Frances Keenan and Yvonne Ketwa music from Los Paddy’s, interactive art workshops with Aine O’Brien.     There will be cultural performances from around the world, art exhibits and face painting for children. Those in attendance will get to sample teas and food from around the world. “In preparation for the event …

THIS year’s Ennis St Patrick’s Day parade will celebrate ‘Communities in Action’ as it wends its way through the streets from 11am on March 17. The Ennis Municipal District are inviting individuals, groups, clubs and societies from across Clare to participate in the 2023 Ennis St Patrick’s Day parade. The local authority stated it was looking forward to its regular participants showcasing their talents again this year while also encouraging new groups and individuals to take the plunge, submit an entry and get in on the fun. The deadline to apply to get involved is Thursday, February 16. Mayor of Ennis, Councillor Clare Colleran-Molloy commented, “The St. Patrick’s Day parade is a wonderful event where people from all over Clare unite, from the world of sports and the arts in addition to our many community groups to celebrate our Irish culture. “I would like to thank all the other agencies, who work alongside Ennis Municipal District to co-ordinate this event.” …

A FATHER was out walking with his two young children in Ennis town centre last week when he was allegedly assaulted by his first cousin armed with a long handle slash-hook, a court has heard. At Ennis District Court, Garda Alan Hill said that the alleged daylight assault by Peter Molloy (22) – who was wearing a red Man Utd replica top at the time – with a long handle slash-hook on his cousin, Eamon Quinn at Simms Lane, Buttermarket, Ennis shortly after 2pm is part of an ongoing feud between the Molloy and Quinn families. Garda Hill told the court that Mr Quinn suffered lacerations to his left arm and right leg from the alleged assault. He said the two men “are well known to each other as they are first cousins”. Garda Hill told the court that the incident “is one of a number of instances being investigated in an ongoing feud between the Molloys and the Quinns”. …

PEOPLE from Clare are jetting off to the sun for surgery in a bid to avoid long waiting lists in Ireland. An organisation which works alongside the HSE to facilitate surgery abroad, have said the service is particularly popular with Clare residents, confirming they have helped 24 people in the county access treatment in Europe under the EU Cross-Border directive. Among them is well known Ennis business man Ken O’Grady who flew to Spain for an operation after being told he would have to wait four years for surgery here in Ireland. Ken has said he was amazed to discover he could fly to Alicante on Spain’s Costa Blanca to get the operation for free under the EU Cross Border Directive which allows patients here in Ireland to go to other EU countries for healthcare. The cost of his operation at the Vithas hospital in Alicante was reimbursed by the HSE after he called Healthcare Abroad Ireland. Mr O’Grady, owner …

ENNIS man Professor Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin, MA, MBA, HDE, DUÉF, PhD was recently appointed Director of the School of Irish Studies at Concordia University Montréal. This international School—the largest of its kind in North America—has a faculty of twenty professors, lecturers, fellows and tutors, and 1400 students who take its undergraduate and postgraduate courses every year. Delivering interdisciplinary programmes in Irish language, history, music, geography, film, literature, theatre, and diaspora studies, the School has hosted over a hundred visiting scholars during the past decade, including Fulbright Scholars from the US and Marie Curie Scholars from the European Union. It is the only School of Irish Studies in the world where research is conducted in four languages: Irish, French, English and Spanish. This synergy is made possible by the Canadian Irish Studies Foundation, the Québec government and Concordia University, who have donated over $14 million to the School since it was founded in 2009. A multilingual scholar who emigrated to France …