Lifestyle

Just over 20 years ago, things were very different on the radio scene, with Radio 1 and Radio 2 dominating the national airwaves and a few pirate stations broadcasting local news around Clare.But that all changed when Michael Evans and Flan Galvin became the main driving force behind obtaining a radio licence for a local station in Clare. After much hard work, Clare FM burst onto the scene with Caimin Jones on board as the station’s first chief executive. Mike Ryan, sales manager, joined the radio station shortly after it first began broadcasting. “It was all very exciting when we first started, everything was new. In the early days we were nearly like a first-year class in college starting out.”Times have certainly changed, he said. “We didn’t even have a mobile phone, let alone the internet or email. Sometimes I wonder how we did business at all,” he laughed.“From a sales point of view, before Clare FM there was very …

With less in the country’s collective pockets, Nicola Corless examines the rising popularity of clothes and shoe maintenance when it comes to looking good Less disposable income is having a huge impact on all businesses but boutiques and shoe shops are especially affected by the recession. That said, not all industries are suffering. There has been a noticeable increase in the number of people conscious of belt tightening who are now looking at maintaining and repairing their wardrobe staples, rather than replacing them. Yvonne Flanagan, proprietor of Ennis-based Rainbow Laundry and Drycleaners and House Maintenance Services, has seen a huge swell in the number of customers looking for her services.“I have seen a major increase in people coming in for clothing alterations and for dry cleaning. We see the same dresses week in, week out to be dry cleaned. A lot of people are repairing things too, rather than throwing them away.“It is more the older generation that come in. …

DETAILS for this year’s Ennis Fashion Week were unveiled this week, with organisers planning to bring an even sharper focus on the wide range of fashion retailers and leisure service providers located in the town.

While it’s a lot easier said than done, one way of dealing with being made redundant is to establish a small business. This applies particularly to people in Ennistymon or surrounding areas, who may have been laid off recently and are thinking about what to do next. Ennis woman Sharon Malone has recently been appointed by Project Ennistymon as business development manager for the Ennistymon Enterprise Centre in Deerpark, just outside the town.

In this part of the country, September will be remembered as the month Muhammad Ali, The Greatest, came to Ennis but it also marks the anniversary of one of the great milestones in the history of professional boxing – the fight between The Boston Strongboy, John L Sullivan, and Gentleman Jim Corbett.

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A NEW venue specifically targeted at promoting traditional Irish music is set to open in Ennis next week creating around 15 jobs and potentially helping to boost local tourism. It’s certainly been quite a journey for Michael Coffey from vice president of a multi-national company to investor in The Merchant, a new pub which will open on Thursday next.

Leaky tents, wet socks and portable toilets are integral elements of festivals. But there is a selection of products available to help repel the odours, the germs and the shabby chic. With the right stuff in your wash bag, you can disguise your decreasing levels of hygiene until you are back at home and again have access to a bath and a hairdryer, though these are not for simultaneous use.