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IT was glamour all the way in Ennis last Saturday as the town staged a day-long fashion and wellness extravaganza to showcase the variety of independent shops the town offers. Organised by Experience Ennis, the jam-packed event certainly put the fun back into the traditional shopping experience.  The day-long event kicked off at 11am with a prosecco brunch in Ennis’s hottest new venue, The Monks’ Society, formerly Cloisters Restaurant.   This was followed by a fashion show where broadcaster Lorraine Keane and stylist Laura Jordan discussed the latest trends and style tips and introduced highlights of the season from over 16 participating Ennis boutiques.   Following the fashion show, visitors went on to enjoy a wide range of events, entertainment and promotions in boutiques across the town.   Such was the buoyancy around the town, retailers reported a 30% increase in sales, and others noted it was the equivalent of Christmas Eve.  The day was wrapped up with a ‘Sex and Wellness’ panel discussion in …

LAST week was a hugely successful one for Shannon Kickboxing Club at the World Kickboxing Association World Championships. The local club took home a number of medals from the championships held in Prestatyn, Wales. Celtan Delaney was a double gold medallist in K1 and Low Kick, while Gráinne Egan also won two golds in Full Contact and Low Kick. Jamie Dobbin took two silvers, for Low Kick and Full Contact, while Luke Flynn won bronze in full contact and silver in low kick kickboxing Also in Prestatyn, Liam Alford made the final of the WKA Emerge Fight Series, a result that saw him pick up a professional K1 contract. Howie Vincent is the driving force behind Shannon Kickboxing Club and he said that while Liam hadn’t won the final, he still enjoyed a very good degree of success. “Liam was fighting in an offshoot of the championships, ina style of fighting that they’re trying to set up a league in. …

Eoin Brennan previews the Munster senior, intermediate and junior quarter-finals involving Éire Óg, Kildysart and Liscannor this weekend Munster Senior Club Football Championship Quarter-Final (Extra Time if Necessary – Result on the Day) Éire Óg v The Nire (Waterford) at Cusack Park Ennis, Sunday 1.15pm (John Ryan, Cork) The mere mention of Ballymacarbry around Ennis tends to evoke great memories of ladies football clashes between Banner Ladies and the perennial Waterford champions. Indeed, only last weekend Ballymac edged out the Clare champions to win back the prestigious Munster Senior Club honours after a 22 year gap but their winning legacy hasn’t exactly transferred over to their male counterparts in recent years. The Nire, based on the Waterford/Tipperary border have a unique GAA Club relationship as their three codes are spread into as many entities, with Ballymacarbry (ladies football), Fourmilewater (hurling) and The Nire (men’s football). Up to this year, one man predominantly oversaw all three as former Waterford hurling manager …

THERE’S no need to worry that the transition to wind energy is happening too slowly in west Clare, according to Minister Eamon Ryan. The Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications was at Moneypoint to officially open its new €50 million synchronous compensator, which will enable higher volumes of renewables on the system, and provide greater grid stability. The Moneypoint synchronous compensator is one of the largest in the world, and he said it is at the forefront of a huge shift in how energy is produced. “This is historic and it’s in line with that Ardnacrusha tradition,” said Minister Ryan. “Then they built the leading example of hydro in the world and this is at the forefront of a new green revolution in energy. “When you have a lot of renewables on the system, a lot of wind, this supports it to make sure the system stays stable. This is the biggest one of these in the world, it’s the …

THE “dangerous condition” of the footpath leading up to St Joseph’s Church has been blamed on “vigorous root growth” prompting calls for an assessment of trees at Kincora Park in Ennis. Councillor Mary Howard highlighted the concerns of local residents at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District. The councillor pointed out that some of the trees in the area are dead and need replacing while the footpath is “in a dangerous condition due to vigorous root growth, especially so on the footpath leading up to St Joseph’s Church.” She pointed out that the area is one of the older parts of the town and is a popular place to live in Ennis. She suggested it might be time for a list to be issued of trees that are suitable for planting in urban settings so people could ensure what they grow would “look good without disturbing water mains or raising footpaths.” Councillor Johnny Flynn backed the motion stating …

TWO fatal road collisions, which happened within days of each other, have left the community of East Clare reeling.  The incidents, which claimed the lives of a two men, have also prompted an appeal from Gardaí for vigilance on the part of all road users, particularly in bad winter weather.  Last Saturday night, Billy Hickey, a man in his 80s died in an incident on Main Street, Mountshannon, shortly before 8pm. Warm tributes were paid by those who knew him. Senator Timmy Dooley, a Mountshannon native, extended his sympathies to Mr Hickey’s family.  “I’ve known Billy all my life,” he said. “The entire community is just shocked at his untimely passing. He was a kind and friendly gentleman and deeply rooted in the area, even though he was a native of Tipperary. “His wife is from Scariff and the community is in shock there too. His grandchildren are part of the GAA community and well known, particularly in Clare camogie. …

A GROUP of Clare firefighters have voted in favour of proposed industrial action in a dispute over pay and working conditions. While the final result of the ballot for industrial action in Clare hasn’t been made public, SIPTU Sectoral Organiser, Brendan O’Brien told the Clare Champion members in the retained fire service have voted “strongly in favour” of taking some form of industrial action. Mr O’Brien said the union hadn’t received any meaningful proposals to resolve this dispute from the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) or engagement from Clare County Council, apart from an acknowledgement letter. Having referred this matter to the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) and dealt directly with employers, Mr O’Brien said the union had to ballot its members for industrial action. Despite a number of recent recruitment drives by Clare County Council, Mr O’Brien claimed they had attracted very few new applicants in some cases because the overall package is not attractive enough for new entrants. Acknowledging …

A search is due to resume this morning for a person reported to have entered the River Fergus in Ennis late last night. The alarm was raised shortly after 11pm when Gardaí observed a male at a bridge in the town centre. It’s understood the man entered the river and that Gardaí deployed life-buoys in an effort to rescue him. Despite the best efforts of Gardaí, the man was quickly taken downstream in the strong current. The River Fergus is currently quite high and fast moving following recent heavy rain in the county. A major multi-agency search and rescue operation was quickly mounted. Units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Ennis station were mobilised including specially trained swift water rescue technicians (SRTs). The National Ambulance Service also dispatched paramedics and a rapid response advanced paramedic unit. The Irish Coast Guard was notified and the Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter was tasked. Clare Civil Defence was also requested to …