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THE war of words between Ennis 2040 DAC and Save Ennis Town has heated up in recent days with Ennis 2040 DAC responding to claims made by the voluntary group about the Abbey Street Car Park in Ennis. The claims came at the start of an archaeological dig at the car park last week, ahead of controversial plans to develop the area. The Save Ennis Town group had described the re-development plans as “destructive” to the town. The ‘big dig’ as it is being referred to locally, are excavations undertaken by Archaeology and Built Heritage Ltd, under licence, to investigate the ground at the site and obtain archaeological and heritage information. It is hoped the findings will shed light on the archaeological heritage of the site before any proposed development, and will inform the design process of a landmark building. Ennis 2040 Designated Activity Company (DAC), the entity responsible for delivering nine transformational projects for Ennis town, has rejected a …

Well there I was last week thinking it had been a while since my last stay at the wonderful Twelve Hotel in Galway when I saw the bags being packed and loaded in the car. I supervised proceedings to ensure that my bag was packed too, as I wasn’t going to be left behind no matter where we were off to. Snuggling down in my bed in the back seat, we set off and I sniffed that we were heading North, which was very promising indeed. We stopped on the way for a quick dogguccino in Clarinbridge but in short order, we continued on to Galway city and out the other side. This was really looking promising and I howled with excitement as we pulled into the Twelve. I strutted into reception and who was there to greet me only my favourite receptionist, Monika, who always makes a great fuss of me. Going up to our room, there was another …

THE unmarked graves of at least four people have been discovered inside the Ennis Cathedral. The graves, which are located beneath the floor of the main cathedral, are understood to be more than 100 years old, and may have been the resting places of local priests and bishops. The burial sites were uncovered during ongoing works to remove a vinyl floor covering from the cathedral. This covering was installed in 1973 and it is unclear if the graves were known about before the covering was installed. Each of the four graves were identified by a distinctive cross pattern in the original tile floor, located beneath the vinyl covering. Land for the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul was donated to the diocese in 1828 and the building itself was constructed in various stages between 1828 and 1894. Mass was first celebrated in the church in 1842, and it is not clear exactly when during this period the original tile flooring …

The battle for the leadership of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) comes to Clare this week with all four candidates for the presidency and vice-presidency speaking at an event in Dromoland. The race to become the next leader of the IFA is a direct shoot-out between Francie Gorman from Laois and Martin Stapleton from Limerick. This could be an historic election for the organisation, with Alice Doyle from Wexford hoping to make history and become the first ever female Deputy President of the IFA, when she takes on Pat Murphy from Galway. Clare IFA chairperson, Tom Lane, is encouraging farm families to attend the IFA President and Deputy President Election Debate next Wednesday, October 4, in The Inn at Dromoland, Newmarket-on- Fergus at 8pm. “Farmers, like everyone, are very conscious there is an issue with climate change, and are playing their part to reduce emissions, protect water quality and safeguard biodiversity. As set out in Food Vision 2030, there must …

THERE was great cause for celebration at the Rineen Ambush centenary events on Sunday as Joseph O’Neill, the great-grandson of Comdt. Ignatius O’Neill of the Mid Clare Brigade, proposed to his partner, Megan Roots at Spanish Point. A large crowd had gathered that morning at Miltown Malbay for the unveiling of a plaque to his great-grandfather, and Joseph’s father, John delivered an address at the remembrance ceremony. Asked where the proposal happened, Joseph said: “It was when we got back to the Armada Hotel and everybody was getting settled and chatting… it was pretty bad weather and I could see there was a break in the clouds so I took Megan outside on a three-minute walk along the coast. “I had the engagement ring for three months now and I kept it with me pretty much at any given point for a month and a half and I was waiting for the right moment.” Ahead of the special moment the …

Nine Clare hurlers have been nominated for the PwC GAA/GPA All-Stars. Only Limerick have received more nominations than the Banner with 14 Treaty men up for the prestigious individual award. Clare goalkeeper Eibhear Quilligan, along with defenders John Conlon, Adam Hogan, Diarmuid Ryan and David McInerney have all received nominations. McInerney previously claimed an All Star award in 2013 when Clare lifted the Liam McCarthy. Meanwhile, Conlon scooped up an All Star award in 2018 in the forward division as the Clonlara man’s seamless transition to the centre back role has helped Clare reach successive All Ireland semi finals. Hogan, Quilligan and Ryan go in search of their inaugural All Star awards. Midfielder David Fitzgerald, as well as forwards Tony Kelly, Shane O’Donnell and Mark Rodgers have also received nominations. Kelly, O’Donnell and Fitzgerald all secured All Star awards in 2022. Ballyea’s Kelly could receive his fifth All Star, which would place him top of the Banner leaderboard, just ahead …

Substantial damage has been caused to a well known popular pub in Killaloe following the outbreak of a fire on Monday afternoon.   There are no reports of anyone who is missing or major injuries following the blaze in Walsh’s Bar, which is located just a stone’s throw from St Flannan’s Catholic Church at Main Street, Killaloe, Members of the Clare Fire and Rescue Service are still on the scene of the fire with units from Killaloe and Scariff who are being assisted by the gardaí and the National Ambulance Service. An aerial piece of equipment has been obtained from Nenagh Fire Station to facilitate access to the roof of the building. The Main Street in Killaloe has been closed off to vehicular traffic while emergency services continue to remain at the scene. It is understood the alarm was raised at about 12.50pm. While it has not been definitely determined the exact cause of the fire, one theory that will …

Clare Champion journalist, Jessica Quinn, was the toast of the Local Ireland Media Awards last week, winning the award for the National Lottery Best Community Story of the year. Jessica won the award for her story about Mná ag Gáire, the Ennis women’s community hub, and their work connecting women in the Ennis area. The feature, which is entitled ‘Mná-some place of welcome for all’ was published in The Clare Champion in September of last year. It focussed on the work of the Mná ag Gáire group, including media training for local women, which allowed two friends to connect online for the first time in 50 years. Speaking after winning the award, Jessica said she was delighted to have won and stress the importance of the local media in highlighting community efforts and local stories. She also thanked the Mná ag Gáire group in Ennis for sharing their experiences with her. The National Lottery Best Community Story of the year …