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ENNIS Scouts are looking forward to celebrating on the double this weekend. September marks the 90th year of Scouting in Ennis and the 1st and 4th Clare Group are looking forward to catching up with former and current members at the official opening of their new Scout Hall on Station Road this Saturday. The new state-of-the-art Scout Hall is the result of a massive community effort and fundraising campaign. The Scout Hall will be officially opened on Saturday by Chief Scout Jill Pitcher Farrell who is the youngest and first female Chief Scout. The Ennis Scouts group was founded in 1932 and the very first meetings were held in a room above Griffin’s shop in the Square. “We have had various homes throughout the years including the building where Madden’s furniture shop is now, the old cinema and in the early 1960s we moved to our two present location which was built as a temporary hall until a suitable hall …

Ivan Smyth rounds up the Clare soccer action across league and cup competitions BRIDGE United progressed to Round Two of the Munster Junior Cup as they saw off Newmarket Celtic B 4-3 after extra time. Paul Corry scored the decisive goal as Newmarket’s B side provided a stern test. Brendan Harkin, Damien Halpin and Conor McCarthy all found the net for Newmarket but it wasn’t enough for them to cause a major upset. Leon Daly grabbed his side’s first goal but after Bridge fell behind, substitute Ronan Tuohy put them back on level terms with U16 players Jack O’Halloran and Darragh Hayes playing pivotal roles for their third goal before Corry edged Bridge through. Tulla United produced an upset of sorts as they knocked out fellow Maloney Hardware Premier Division side Lifford AFC. Mike Moloney’s side were 2-1 winners as they gained revenge after losing to Lifford AFC in league action the weekend previous. Ian MacNamara and Daragh Corry grabbed …

A LAHINCH-based artist, who is the only Irish painter with three paintings in the British Royal Collection, has described the death of Queen Elizabeth II as the “end of an era”. Michael Hanrahan feared the worst when he heard the Queen’s family were summoned to come to Her Majesty’s Balmoral Castle residence as quickly as possible on Thursday, September 8. The North Clare father-of-four was saddened when her death was subsequently confirmed. “It was the end of an era following 70 wonderful years on the throne. The Royal family has lost their mother while the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth have lost their longest monarch. Her death came suddenly enough. “To see the number of UK Prime Ministers and US Presidents she saw during her reign was incredible. For most people who are living in Ireland and the UK, they can’t remember any other monarch before she took the throne. World leaders will travel to her Funeral Mass on Monday …

KILLALOE has been lauded as a crucial hub along the River Shannon by a well-known senior waterways manager. Speaking at a media event to preview the Lua End of Season Celebration in Killaloe this weekend, Waterways Ireland regional manager, Eanna Rowe said the future development of this hub is outlined in the Shannon Tourism Masterplan, which was completed by Waterways Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and officials in ten local authorities. “One of the best ways of putting places like Killaloe on the shop window is through festivals like Lua. Waterways Ireland are delighted to support the Lua Festival. “This is in addition to the bricks and mortar development work we carry out as well. It is great to see Lua getting off the ground at last. Covid-19 got in the way previously. Hopefully this festival will go from strength to strength.” Mr Rowe said it is great to see so many elements of the waterside and waterways community coming together in …

VOLUNTEERS from the Samaritans Festival Branch will be at Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival from September 16-18 to offer emotional support to anyone in need. The Lisdoonvarna Festival began 160 years ago when visiting gentry came to take the waters at the spa and looked to match their unmarried children with suitable partners. Now known as the Matchmaking Festival, the event offers music, dancing and daily matchmaking sessions for hopeful singletons. Thousands of people are expected to attend the festival following a two-year absence because of Covid restrictions, but for some the weekend may be challenging. Volunteers from Samaritans Festival Branch, who come from all branches in the country, will be available from September 16 to 18, to anyone who wants to talk. Samaritan Festival Director Tony Leech believes that this year more than ever it is important that people have a chance to talk about their feelings following the difficulties they may have had to cope with during the past two …

AN East Clare boat operator, who been conducting tours to Holy Island for 32 years, has questioned whether Clare County Council’s purchase of the old Mountshannon Rectory represents a value for money deal. Described by the council as a “landmark tourism project” on the banks of Lough Derg, plans were lodged for a proposed new Inis Cealtra (Holy Island) visitor centre in the heart of Mountshannon village last February and were adopted by the council last May. The Old Rectory Visitor Centre building will comprise a reception area, three exhibition areas interpreting stories from Mountshannon and the island of Inis Cealtra as well as a community/co-working space and a revitalised Rectory Garden. Councillors were told at the January meeting of Killaloe Municipal District this visitor centre is expected to be operational by early to mid-2023. The Visitor Experience project to interpret the 41-acres island is a collaborative initiative involving the council, Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands (Fáilte Ireland), Waterways Ireland, the Office …

SHANNON Chamber is joining forces with the Mid-West Regional Skills Forum and Modular Automation to host an event that will showcase the wide range of Government-funded flexible learning courses available in the region. The event will be held in Modular Automation in Shannon on Thursday, September 22 from 9.30am to 12.30pm. The event is free of charge to attend but online booking is required via Shannon Chamber’s website www.shannonchamber.ie/events-training Its purpose is to ensure that that the Mid-West region continues to have a highly skilled and trained workforce, given that talent is now the determining factor for companies to maintain competitiveness. Launching the event, Mid-West Regional Skills Forum manager Joe Leddin said: “Lifelong learning is not new; however, what is new is the rapid pace of change in technology with career pathways less defined. “This event will give people working in Shannon the opportunity to meet with representatives from the University of Limerick, Limerick Institute of Technology, Limerick and Clare …

A LIMERICK-based medical technology company has announced an investment of €100 million in its existing plant which will potentially create 80 new jobs. Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Ireland UC, a global leader in eye health and part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech, today announced an expansion of its existing facility in Plassey, Limerick. The €100 million investment has the potential to create 80 new jobs and will support the company’s ambition to redefine healthy sight for life for more people around the world. The Johnson & Johnson Vision¹ site in Limerick is one of the largest contact lens manufacturing facilities in the world. The investment will expand the facility’s manufacturing capacity, with the installation of fully automated flexible manufacturing lines built with industry-leading technology. This will support the future growth of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care’s ACUVUE® Astigmatism product family and deliver the company’s future new product introduction pipeline. Construction is currently underway with production expected to commence in …