Identity ThiefDIRECTED BY: Seth GordonSTARRING: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Bateman, Robert PatrickCERT: 15A There’s plenty of laughs in Identity Thief, if your idea of fun is the Three Stooges with an added dose of Judd Apatow-style vulgarity. The comedy here is about as subtle as a punch in the throat. And there’s a lot of that going on. Sandy Patterson (Bateman) is a nice guy with a nice life, a lovely wife (Amanda Peet) and two cute little girls. The only thorn in his flesh is a monster boss (Jon Favreau), but that’s about to change and then it’s blue skies all the way. Or until the next gas station, where his credit card is declined and his nice life starts to unravel. Arrested for skipping court in a state he’s never been to, Sandy discovers that his identity has been stolen – probably something to do with that time he gave all his personal info to a stranger on the …

End of Watch is, at its heart, a love story. It might look like a cop movie and sound like a cop movie but it’s really about the friendship between Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Peña).

ENNIS National School has just launched its mobile app, making it one of the first schools in the country to do so. A survey at the school last winter revealed that almost 90% of families owned a smartphone or tablet of some sort and it was decided an app would be a quick and efficient means of communication between school and home. The app was launched on Monday at the school by past pupil and well-known referee, Rory Hickey.  

TAKE Me Out West Clare Style will throw in at 8pm on Sunday evening in The Armada Hotel, Spanish Point. More regularly seen keeping the ball out of the Clare senior football team’s net, goalkeeper Joe Hayes will act as master of ceremonies.

PLANS to build 150 new homes in Gort were refused this week by An Bord Pleanála. Galway County Council had refused planning permission to Daleoak Developments Ltd for 26 houses and two apartments and for outline permission for a further 122 houses at Ballyhugh. This was appealed by the company to An Bord Pleanála, who recently published its decision to turn down the appeal.

TWO members of the Shannon Kayak Club are getting ready to undertake a 250km kayak trip in aid of Bunratty Search and Rescue.

EAST Clare councillors are at odds over the best method of providing a safe place for children to cross near Tulla National School.

The largest genealogy event scheduled to take place during The Gathering Ireland 2013 will be held in Ennis next week. The Gathering the Scattering festival, hosted by the Clare Roots Society will take place from Tuesday until April 6 in the Temple Gate Hotel and will be addressed by leading figures in the field of tracing family histories and genealogy.