News

AFTER 18 years of helping the homeless in Ennis and throughout Clare Josie O’Brien has revealed that this will be her last year cooking Christmas dinner for the county’s most vulnerable. Over the years Josie has invited people to her home for Christmas and Easter dinner, as well as preparing food to be delivered to people in need. Covid-19 meant that the dinners at her home were stopped, but Josie and her team continued to supply hampers and meals. However, the 69-year-old says this Christmas will be her last time taking on the mammoth endeavour, telling us she is “burned out” from years of campaigning, fundraising and supporting those living on the streets as well as others in difficulty. Josie is hopeful that someone else may step in to help keep the annual Christmas dinner going, saying she feels the homeless situation is “getting worse” however she has done all that she can at this stage. “I’m doing this for …

THE increasing pressure on the Emergency Department at the University Hospital Limerick (UHL) has resulted in longer triage times for patients, which poses a “clinical risk”, a new report has warned. The Deloitte Report on patient flow and overcrowding at UHL expressed concern about the 7% increase in ED attendances between 2019 and 2022, a growth rate far in excess of demographic growth. This demand demonstrates an increasing reliance on acute hospital care and is associated with an increase in self-referrals to the ED as capacity constraints in primary care and particularly within general practice continue. Acknowledging the chronic lack of adequate bed capacity in the region, this new study recommends an additional 302 inpatient beds required by 2036 to meet current unmet demand, future demand and to replace outdated infrastructure in multi-occupancy nightingale wards. It proposed the provision of additional 63 day beds by 2036, and stressed additional medical consultant, non-consultant hospital doctors and nursing staff in the Emergency …

THE father of 29-year-old Sharon Bennett, who was repeatedly kicked and had her head “danced on” by her partner in a public toilet, has said that their lives are “devastated” and described her murder as a nightmare from which they cannot wake up. PJ Bennett told the Central Criminal Court this Friday that he was sorry he had let his daughter down and that he did not protect her enough. He added: “I would like to say that I don’t blame the Ballard family for what happened to my daughter. I blame Patrick Ballard only; we have all lost here”. Mr Bennett also told the court how Covid restrictions meant the family were not permitted to see Sharon in intensive care for five days after she was admitted to hospital and could not hold a proper funeral when she passed away. Sentencing judge Mr Justice Paul Burns noted that the circumstances of the killing were “truly harrowing and grim” and …

ENNIS councillors have voiced concerns over plans for the largest ever private housing scheme in the county capital, with fears it could lead to “social problems”. Glenveagh Homes has lodged plans for a €65-million 289-home scheme at Ballymacaula direct to An Bord Pleanala under the Strategic Housing Development (SHD) scheme. However, at this week’s meeting of the Ennis Municipal District councillors highlighted a number of concerns about the plans, including that the density of the development is too high. The meeting was told that the council’s planning department is preparing a report for An Bord Pleanala on the proposal, and that councillors views were being sought. If given the green light the development will include 125 three-bed townhouses, 74 3/4-bed semi-detached homes, 66 two-bed townhouses, 12 two-bed duplex and 12 one-bed maisonettes. There are also plans for a 60 place creche and 488 car parking spaces. Speaking at the meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, Councillor Pat Daly acknowledged that …

MOVES are underway by a “global leader” to create a ‘Centre of Excellence’ in Ennis with an employment boost of up to 100 jobs predicted. While the Council has not revealed the name of the company involved, it is understood that Vitalograph is behind the proposal. Liam Conneally, director of economic development with Clare County Council has described the plans as “exciting”. In order to bring the plans to fruition, the council are set to sell a building at the Ballymaley Business Park on the Gort Road for €1.2 million to the company. The sale of the property is to be brought before a full meeting of Clare County Council next week for approval. Ennis Municipal District councillors already voiced their support for the plans at their monthly meeting. The building at Block B in the Ballymaley Business Park had been acquired by the council in 2020 for the development of touchdown space for Foreign Direct Investment and the development …

A MAN has pleaded guilty two days into his trial at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of his former partner, who he kicked and stamped to death in a public toilet in Clare last year. Defence counsel Mark Nicholas SC, for Patrick Ballard, previously told a jury of seven men and five women that his client admitted his actions caused the death of his partner and accepted that her killing was unlawful. However, Ballard (35), formerly of Ashford Court Hotel, Ennis, Co Clare, had initially pleaded not guilty to murdering Sharon Bennett (29) in the Market area of Ennis on January 28, 2021. Ms Bennett died in hospital in Limerick two weeks later on February 10, 2021, due to her injuries. Mr Ballard and Ms Bennett were in a relationship at the time of the murder. Ms Bennett was a mother of two girls, then aged nine and six, from a previous relationship. This morning, the court heard …

A KILLALOE tennis coach is continuing his drive to bring a smile to the faces of refugees who are living in camps in a bid to secure a better life. Wesley O’Brien recently returned from his sixth overseas trip and his fourth “Hit and Hope” programme in a third country, which included one in Turkey, two in Greece and one in Bosnia. Having flown into Sarajevo, Wesley completed a full week of tennis classes at Usivak Refugee Camp, which is a temporary reception area for refugees fleeing from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran. Most of the refugees who are hoping to travel to one of the wealthier European countries such as the United Kingdom stay, on average, in the camp for a week or two. One of the distinguishing features of this camp is the exclusion of single men as its accommodates children from the age of three in families of all age groups. In total, the camp caters for …

A 35-year-old man carried out “a violent attack” on his partner, mother-of-two Sharon Bennett, by “repeatedly” kicking and stamping on her head in a public toilet in Ennis last year, a prosecution barrister has told a murder trial. Defence counsel Mark Nicholas SC, for Patrick Ballard, told the 12 jurors that his client admitted that his actions caused the death of his partner Ms Bennett and accepted that her killing was unlawful. However, Mr Ballard (35), formerly of Ashford Court Hotel, Ennis, Co Clare has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Bennett (29) in the Market area of Ennis on February 10, 2021. Mr Ballard and Ms Bennett were in a relationship at the time of the alleged murder. Ms Bennett was a mother of two girls, then aged nine and six, from a previous relationship. In his opening address on Wednesday, prosecuting counsel Dominic McGinn SC said Ms Bennett died on February 10 2021 as a result of a …