Tag Archives: Lees Road

FOR many teenagers their mid-term break away from school is a time to kick back, take it easy and relax. Not so for 16-year-old Claire Cuddihy from Lissycasey who this February is set to take on an incredible challenge with the aim of raising mental health awareness as well as funds for a well-known charity. Claire is preparing to complete not one, but an amazing, seven marathons over the course of just one week in aid of Pieta. The student of St John Bosco Community College, Kildysart, will be taking on a gruelling 42km run each day, getting back out on the track every day for seven straight days in a row. Speaking to The Clare Champion ahead of her marathon challenge, she laughs as she considers the daunting challenge she has set herself. More seriously, however, she adds her strong belief that the issue of mental health needs to be highlighted, while she also wants to raise awareness and …

THE “great endeavours” of world champion athlete ‘Honest’ John Purcell should be honoured in a more visible way, as the existing plaque at John O’Sullivan Lees Road is “not noticed”, says Mayor of Ennis Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy. A request for a more prominent memorial to the Ballymaley world record holder, following representations from the Purcell family, is now to be made to the Memorial Committee of Clare County Council. Councillor Colleran Molloy told a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District that members of the Purcell family had been in contact about the need for a new memorial. The track at John O’Suillivan Lees Road is dedicated to world champion ‘Honest’ John Purcell who reigned as world champion and world record holder for long jump, and for hop, step and jump in the 1880s.  John Purcell was born in Ballymaley in 1860 and died in San Francisco in 1904.   Councillor Colleran Molloy outlined that the existing dedication marker is a …

AN Ennis councillor is seeking to court support for the provision of basketball facilities at Lee’s Road, John O’Sullivan Park saying it would be an “ideal location” for people to enjoy the sport. A feasibility study is to be carried out by the Ennis Municipal District to “scope out the possibility”, however the local authority have cautioned they do not have the funding to provide a basketball court at the moment. Councillor Mary Howard, speaking at a meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, stated she receives requests regularly “from both young people and not so young that we provide a basketball court at Lee’s Road John O’Sullivan Park.” She urged the council to “seriously” consider the request. Tim Forde, Head of Sports & Recreation with the council, confirmed that they have also received requests for a basketball court. “Clare County Council Sports & Recreation are not in a position presently to provide a Basketball Court in Active Ennis John O’Sullivan’ …

THE tragic death of teacher Ashling Murphy sparked calls for an audit to be carried out of Ennis’ public spaces to ensure they are safe. This week’s meeting of the Ennis Municipal District heard Councillor Mary Howard urge that the examination be carried out with a focus on lighting levels, footpath conditions and hedgerow maintenance starting with the Fairgreen and Lees Road. She said she was inspired to propose the motion following the “awful events” of last January in Tullamore when the teacher was killed while out jogging. “In light of recent events I believe it is important to ensure our public spaces / physical environment are safe,” she said. The councillor cited a United Nations Women’s Safety Audit as an example of what could be used to determine how safe the local environment is. “I’m putting this forward because women are asking me to, they just felt some places might be a little bit overgrown? The lighting mightn’t be …

A NEW facility to help children learn to cycle could be on track for Ennis, writes Jessica Quinn. A proposal to create a ‘Learn to Cycle Track’ in the county capital is currently being explored by the local authority. Putting forward the idea at the monthly meeting of the Ennis Municipal District Councillor Mary Howard stated that the track would help build children’s cycling confidence and encourage them to get on their bikes more. She urged the council to follow the lead of Dungarvan which recently opened Ireland’s first learn-to-cycle track. “We are all talking about walking buses and cycling buses to school, we are putting in cycling lanes and other infrastructure around the town. It is very important that we teach children how to use the road correctly.” She explained that the track allows for children to learn to cycle in a way that mimics a real life road structure with road lines, signs and pedestrian crossings. The only …

A PITCH is being made for the provision of shelters around the playing fields of an Ennis amenity to protect exposed sports fans. Ennis’ Deputy Mayor Councillor Paul Murphy says sports fans are being “drenched” on the sidelines at Active Ennis, John O’Sullivan Park, Lees Road. Speaking at a meeting of the Ennis Municipal District the councillor urged that funding be sourced to provide a large dugout or small stand to provide shelter on the perimeter of the pitches. “Provision of these would give much needed shelter from the elements to players and management of teams as well as vulnerable groups such as the elderly and disabled,” he urged. He said signage should be added to indicate that priority be given to vulnerable people to use the shelter. The councillor recalled his own first-hand experience of being on the side-lines recently. “The rain was falling and it really opened my eyes to what it could be like in December or …

FAIRY magic is returning to Ennis thanks to local efforts to restore a beloved children’s attraction recently destroyed by vandals. Last week The Clare Champion detailed how a fairy post box, part of the popular Active Ennis John O’Sullivan Lees Road fairy trail was smashed beyond repair in an act described as “heartbreaking”. We can now reveal that a brand new fairy post box has been installed along the trail, and is now open for children to write their letters to the magical folk who live along the woodland looped walk. The pretty new post box featuring images of fairies, dragonflies and butterflies has been created by Ennis’ Martin Tuohy. Councillor Mary Howard, who initiated the idea for the fairy trail said she is delighted that Martin stepped in to build a new post box for the children. “On foot of the publicity regarding the fairy post box being destroyed a local man, a neighbour of mine Martin Tuohy offered …

THE hopes and wishes of children have quite literally been destroyed in Ennis in what has been described as an act of “wanton destruction”. A ‘fairy post box’, part of the Active Ennis John O’Sullivan Lees Road fairy trail, has been smashed beyond repair. The vandalism is believed to have been carried out using a child’s hurley which was found at the scene, along with the tattered remains of letters children had written detailing their hopes and dreams to the fairies of the trail. Councillor Mary Howard, who was involved in the establishment of the popular trail, says this act of vandalism is “heartbeaking”. “I got the call to come up and saw the post box was in smithereens, it’s terrible. I was just so disappointed see that somebody would think it’s okay to do this. This is just wanton destruction, it’s senseless”. Children have been flocking to the fairy trail since it was established five years ago, with the …