Lifestyle

Fáilte Ireland today confirmed Ennis has made the shortlist of ten top towns from across the country selected for their 2013 Tourism Towns Award. The shortlist was announced at the National Tidy Towns Awards in The Helix, Dublin. Ireland’s Top Tourism Town in 2013 will now be selected from this shortlist and announced this November. The shortlisted towns are: Cobh, Cork Drogheda, Louth Ennis, Clare Kenmare, Kerry Kilkenny City. Kilkenny Letterkenny, Donegal Mulranny,  Mayo Murrisk, Mayo Tralee, Kerry Westport, Mayo

Clare County Council has signed a contract with L&M Keating Ltd of Kilmihil, Co Clare, for the provision of a new social housing development at Glór na Srutha, Knockbrack Lower in Clonlara. The 12-unit housing scheme is being constructed as part of the ongoing Clare County Council Social Housing Investment Programme which has in recent years resulted in the delivery of affordable and step-down units in Shannon and social housing units in Miltown Malbay. The Clonlara development features 6 No. 3-bed semi detached two storey units, 4 No. 2-bed semi detached single storey units, and 2 No. single storey cottage style units. The housing scheme is funded by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government and is scheduled for completion by August 2014. The project design team is led by Clare County Council’s in-house Architectural Services team with engineering design by Hassett Leyden & Associates and Moloney Fox Consulting, and Tom MacNamara & Partners providing cost management.

Clare manager Davy Fitzgerald told the post match press conference that he was extremely proud of his team. Clare drew the All-Ireland final, thanks to a dramatic injury time point from corner back Domhnall O’Donovan. When Pat Horgan gave Cork the lead in injury time it was the first time that the Jimmy Barry Murphy managed team had lead during what were 70 pulsating minutes. “It just showed what character and what steel is about. I am so proud of my guys. Whether they win, lose or draw the next day, I don’t give a damn. That’s being honest. There was a lot of tough things went against them out there today. I won’t say unfair. I could. But they still came back for more,” Fitzgerald said. “You think about it, three goals in the second half and we scored none. No matter what happens, I’m so, so proud of them. Will they get up to that height the next …

Thumbs up! Patrick Kelly makes A great save early in the game

The Banner army is on the march

The Clare fans are on their way in droves to Croke Park. They’re all in good cheer and confident of victory.

Getting an early seat in Croke Park

‘Champion reporter Nicola Corless spent two months volunteering in Guatemala this summer. Here, she speaks about everything from buses to bugs, environmental threats, rain water harvesting and developing a niche Spanish vocabulary. ‘Champion reporter Nicola Corless spent two months volunteering in Guatemala this summer. Here she speaks about everything from buses to bugs to environmental threats, rain water harvesting and developing a niche Spanish vocabulary. Earlier this year, Ennis resident Nicola Corless learned she had won a partially paid scholarship to spend two months volunteering on environmental sustainability projects in Guatemala. At the time she wasn’t even certain what ‘environmental sustainability’ really meant. Even now, she says, it is a bit vague. Nicola and another Irish woman Elaine Doyle were recipients of Global Awareness Awards from EIL Intercultural Learning based in Cork. Within weeks Nicola was saying goodbye to her husband at Shannon Airport and venturing to Central America where she would live and work with local people in rural …