Book festival makes shortlist

THE Ennis Book Club Festival has been shortlisted in the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards, the winner of which will be announced later this year.
This is the eighth year of the scheme, which is run in conjunction with the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. This year a record number of applications were received; 101 in all from 26 local authorities.
The inaugural Ennis Book Club Festival was held in 2007. The three-day festival, which is run in association with Clare County Library, attracts hundreds of book club members and book lovers from all over the country and Britain each March.
Senior executive librarian with Clare County Library, Frances O’Gorman, said the festival has kept improving and growing since its beginnings.
“It was founded in 2007 and all of us on the committee were book club members. At that stage the October Arts Festival had kind of run its course and we thought that it’d be nice to fill that gap. It has gone from strength to strength since. This year we were a bit worried about the impact of the recession but it went very well.”
Clare county manager, Tom Coughlan, said the nomination is due to a lot of hard work.
“This nomination is the result of over five years of hard work by the festival committee who have contributed immensely to the town’s growing reputation as an attractive visitor location. The local authority, through the library service, is delighted to have been able to support the festival over the past five years.”
Festival organising committee member, Paul Sheils, said that the nomination would help to further raise the event’s profile.
“We are already preparing for next year’s festival, which takes place from March 2-4. The event is continuing to grow in popularity and we would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who has supported us during the last five years.”
Past participants in the festival include the likes of Patrick McCabe, Edna O’Brien, Brian Keenan,  Lionel Shriver, Roddy Doyle and Tim Pat Coogan.
The winners of the award will be presented with a specially engraved piece of Tipperary crystal, while all those shortlisted will be given a citation of best practice. The winners will be announced on Wednesday, November 9 at the Burlington Hotel.