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A HEALTHCARE assistant in Shannon is currently living in his car, with apparently little prospect of finding a place to live in the town. James McCarthy now sleeps in his Toyota Yaris, while he feeds himself with fast food. Although he has been estranged from his wife for years and they are divorced, she allows him to take showers at her house. He said that he has tried to get accommodation in homeless hostels, but there isn’t a place available, particularly with Covid prevalent. While he works full time in a role that requires Garda vetting on a regular basis, he feels that his membership of the Travelling community counts against him when it comes to renting accommodation. “They still look at me as a McCarthy knacker from Limerick. I’m not known to the Gardai, I’m a quiet man, I’ve never blackguarded anyone, but people watch things,they see things, and this is what they think.” He left his last house …

ENNIS boutiques had their day in the sun this week when a fashion piece for the Today Show shot in the county town was aired. Celia Holman Lee and models Asta and Anne were in the Old Ground Hotel with an RTE crew last Friday showcasing clothes and footwear from The County Boutique and Nozomi Shoe Boutique. All the style is available from their online boutiques, as shops are still shut during the pandemic. “We were delighted to welcome Celia to Ennis, as we have worked with her over the past 30 years or more,” said Gwen Culligan of the County Boutique. “She is such a positive person and definitely brought her glamour to Ennis for the day.” Of the location Gwen remarked that the Old Ground Hotel would normally be too busy for a fashion shoot and they were glad of the opportunity to showcase the hotel and garden, in the very heart of Ennis. “We are so looking …

DARRAGH McAllister has been elected to the role of President of business advocacy group Ennis Chamber at this week’s AGM. A well-known publican in Ennis, Darragh together with his business partner Dylan Hayes, runs Lucas’ Bar and Considine’s Bar, both located on Parnell Street.Colin Ryan, Branch Manager, Bank of Ireland, Ennis was elected Vice President. Mr McAllister takes over as President of Ennis Chamber from Allen Flynn, Old Ground Hotel, who held the position during the unprecedented, turbulent Covid times experienced over the past 12 months.Speaking after his election, Mr McAllister said, “I am delighted to take on this role, no doubt it will be challenging, especially in this climate, but I’m up for it.”He said the past 12 months have been among the most challenging in living memory, for both business and private life. “The spectre of March 2020 continues to haunt us, in new and varied ways. What many have lost can never be replaced and, without a …

Gardaí seized €7,200 of suspected drugs in Ennistymon on Wednesday. As part of an ongoing investigation into the sale and supply of drugs in Ennistymon, Gardaí executed a search warrant at a house on the outskirts of Ennistymon Town. Gardaí from Ennistymon and Kilrush Garda Stations carried out the search at around 5pm. During the course of the search Gardaí seized €6,000 of suspected cannabis herb and €1,200 of suspected cocaine. All of the suspected drugs will now be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis. No arrests have been made but Gardaí are following a definite line of enquiry. Owen Ryan

A PILGRIM trail through the streets of Ennis has been created to reflect on the suffering caused by the pandemic and to mark the feast of Easter. Representing the stations of the cross, a number of art works and images have been installed in windows from the monastery of the Poor Clares, through Abbey Street, The Square and into O’Connell Street. Director of Youth Ministry for the Killaloe Diocese Joanne O’Brien said the aim is to help people to reflect on the meaning of Easter as well as on the struggles of the last year. The initiative will culminate on Easter Saturday with the installation of an Easter Garden at the Town Hall on O’Connell Street. The trail has been in the planning for the last six weeks and also involves Pastoral Worker Maureen Kelly and Dr Sue O’Brien who is Director of Ecumenism for the Diocese of Killaloe. “We came together, along with Róisín O’Loughlin and Sr Betty O’Riordan …

The Department of Public Health Mid-West has highlight the importance of strong hand hygiene and effective well water treatment, following a recent outbreak of Verotoxigenic E. coli (VTEC) in a single setting in the Mid-West region. VTEC is a powerful strain of E. coli bacterium that can cause serious illness in children aged under five, and the elderly. The Mid-West has one of the highest incidences of VTEC in Ireland. Public Health Mid-West is currently managing an outbreak of VTEC among young children in a single setting. The HSE can confirm that it is currently under control. The public health department reassured the public that these isolated outbreaks do not affect its work in managing the Covid-19 pandemic, or any other infectious disease in the region. Incidence of VTEC tends to be higher in warmer weather, particularly over the summer time, though the annual case number is likely to be lower in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the …

A CALL has been made for progress on changes to the Fair Deal Scheme, which funds nursing home care, in the interests of Clare’s farm families. Councillor Joe Killeen made the appeal at the March meeting of the West Clare Municipal District when he proposed that members write to Clare’s Oireachtas members on the matter. “The Fair Deal Scheme takes 7.5% of the value of a family home for a period of three years,” he noted. “If someone wishes to defer payment, the State pays, and it’s essentially a loan on the estate of the resident. For those who have a farm or a business, it’s not capped and people pay indefinitely. A family farm could be lost in 14 years. The only exemption is in the case of sudden illness or disability. The Fair Deal Reform Bill proposes capping the 7.5% payment after three years, subject to terms and conditions. I am proposing that we ask our Oireachtas members …

A QUIN man, who has terminal cancer, is to receive his Covid-19 vaccination on Friday and has urged the government do all it can to avoid any repeat of the Beacon Hospital row. John Wall spoke out on the national airwaves over the weekend, following revelations that left-over vaccine doses were administered by the private hospital to some of the staff of a fee-paying school in Wicklow. “I didn’t expect the item to get the time or traction that it did on the Saturday show with Katie Hannon,” said Mr Wall who has stage four prostate cancer. “To be able to put questions and react to the comments of a junior minister was a real, real bonus in terms of highlighting the frustration and anger of those who in Cohort 4 and in 4A, who are really seriously ill, and who cannot get clarity on when or where they will get a vaccine.” Mr Wall said the Beacon story left …