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AN Ennistymon woman, who was sexually abused, raped and traumatised by her father, is seeking a meeting with Justice Minister Helen McEntee to overhaul the sentencing regime for people convicted of domestic violence, rape and serious sexual assault. Last Friday, Michael O’Donoghue (44) from Ennistymon saw his sentence double from five to ten years, with the last six months suspended for brutally raping and abusing his only daughter following an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions. O’Donoghue, with an address of Colmanstown, Ballinasloe, Co Galway, previously pleaded guilty to 31 counts of sexually assaulting Aimee Foley, one count of raping her and one count of producing child pornography. In her comprehensive victim impact statement, the 21 year-old described her father as a “monster, paedophile, an animal”. Aimee is calling on Justice Minister Helen McEntee to conduct a thorough review of sentencing for all types of sexual assault offences and rape. She believes that any convicted perpetrator should not have …

Ennis has enjoyed more high profile success in the national Tidy Towns competition, being named this Friday as Ireland’s Tidiest Large Urban Centre for 2022. Announcing the winners, Minister Heather Humphreys said, “I want to sincerely congratulate Ennis and all of its TidyTowns volunteers. “This is a moment of great pride for Ennis and indeed the wider county of Clare. Having won the overall prize in 2021, Ennis today continues to showcase all that is good about community and volunteerism. “I have no doubt that the Tidy Towns Group in Ennis will receive a warm and deserving homecoming as they celebrate this wonderful occasion. “The level of competition was extremely high this year with the third highest number of entries ever recorded. “I want to pay tribute to all the winners today but, above all, I want to say a huge thank you to the thousands of TidyTowns volunteers across the country. “The time and effort that you put in …

WHILE licensing laws are set to be liberalised, people in the trade in Clare say it is unlikely to have much impact on business in the county.  Pubs are set to be allowed to open until 12.30am every day of the week, removing the need to close at 11.30 from Monday to Thursday and at 11 on Sundays.  Nightclubs are set to be allowed to stay open until 6am.  Chairman of the Clare branch of the Vintners Federation of Ireland Charlie O’Meara said it is unlikely that the change will make much impact on pubs in the county. “There are so many pubs that are just trying to keep their doors open at the moment, with the overheads, and even trying to staff them is hard. Bringing in opening until 12.30, I don’t think it’s going to make a major difference in rural Ireland.” He said that even in Ennis, many pubs are already closing two or three nights a …

AN EXCITING mix of trad and classical sounds comes to Kilkee on Saturday, October 29, as the West Ocean String Quartet come to West Clare.  Among the programme on the night will be pieces from their latest, and fifth album, Atlantic Edge. Blending traditional and classical elements, the album was recorded in Dublin  over three days in November 2019, and marked the Quartet’s two decades together. The album release was to have been accompanied by a tour of venues along the Atlantic coast in Spring of 2020, but as with so many other cultural events fell victim to Covid. The Quartet’s founder, Belfast musician, composer and television producer, Neil Martin, said that the Quartet is thrilled to be fulfilling the original tour schedule, including Cultúrlann Sweeney on Saturday. The repertoire for their Clare concert  is music from or about the west of Ireland, both traditional and newly-composed.  The Quartet celebrates the deeply rich vein of airs and dance tunes that …

FORMER Sinn Féin TD Violet-Anne Wynne took out two loans totalling €30,626 – one to repay Sinn Féin and another one to repay Dáil allowances due to her reduced attendance as a result of Covid-19 restrictions. The Independent Deputy, who resigned from Sinn Féin last February, confirmed her former political party approved a €12,126 loan as it wanted the issue concerning rent arrears due to Rural Resettlement Ireland to be resolved after details about these difficulties emerged on the eve of the 2020 General Election. In an interview with the Clare Champion, Deputy Wynne outlined she took out a loan for €18,500 from another source with no connections to Sinn Féin, to repay Dáil allowances, which are now fully repaid. The Kilrush-based mother-of-six created a political sensation by becoming the first Sinn Féin candidate to win a Dáil seat in almost 100 years after securing 8,987 first preferences in the 2020 General Election. Dáil deputies are paid a series of …

Ennis Dons edged a hard fought derby to take the first silverware of the season. On a wet as windy night in Frank Healy Park, Ryan Jennings’ header early the second half ultimately proved the difference between the sides. The goal appeared to give Dons renewed energy and belief, qualities that were required to withstand everything Hermitage threw at them in the game’s final moments. This was a sold all round team performance from Ennis Dons with the individual moments of quality supplied by Jack Devitt at fullback, Kingsley Maokombe and Barry Woods in midfield. In an entertaining and fast paced contest, there was little to separate the teams. Hermitage had enough chances to take the lead and will reflect on those periods either side of half time when they played their best football. Much of what was good about Tage flowed from the performance of Davie Keenan who quickly set about making his mark on the final. Keenan already …

WHILE Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien came to Clare on Monday for the launch of four new social schemes, there are still plenty of  housing challenges in the county. The new developments were launched in Ennis, Miltown Malbay and Tulla with a total of 153 homes being delivered from a total budget of over €40 million. The Cluain Gréine development in Lifford, Ennis, is the largest of the four new developments, with an approved budget of €18,923,877. This development provides 61 social housing units through the turnkey delivery stream. It was constructed by Manozo Ltd for Focus Capital. Also in Ennis, the Cnoc na Scoile development at Ashline on the Kilrush Road, provides 40 social housing units through a direct build scheme by Clare County Council. This development had an approved budget of €10,534,481. The project was completed in June and the appointed contractor on the project was M. Fitzgibbon Contractors Ltd. The Baile na mBan …

A LANDLORD “exploded” and threw building blocks through the windows of his tenant’s home before taking out a knife and threatening the pensioner, a court has heard. PJ Walsh (75) was left “badly shaken” by the ordeal which occurred at the property he rented from Christopher Meaney (39) at Poulawilliam, Miltown Malbay, on October 13, 2019.  Ennis Circuit Court heard Meaney owned the house and “snapped” on the day because of a tenancy dispute with Mr Walsh.  Meaney, a block-layer, with an address at Quilty East, Quilty, pleaded guilty to one count of burglary and one count of criminal damage.  Judge Francis Comerford reserved sentencing and adjourned the case to October 28.  The court heard Meaney has assembled €30,000 which is available to Mr Walsh if he chooses to accept it.  Outlining the facts of the case, Garda Bríd Troy said Mr Walsh had been cooking dinner and watching a hurling match on television when he heard the sound of …