Ennis

VISITORS to the county capital from its twin city of Phoenix certainly didn’t ‘bank’ on the kind of reception they received when they visited the town recently. While the recent Phoenix Week has been hailed as an overwhelming success, one local councillor has criticised the way some of the Phoenix delegates were treated in the town’s banks.

PROPOSALS for the transformation of Ennis into Ireland’s answer to Venice are set to get underway between Ennis Town Council and Promote Ennis. At a recent meeting of the local authority, Councillor Johnny Flynn called for the town to build on Lisdoonvarna’s world renowned match making reputation by promoting Clare and Ennis as the “premier romance county”.

PLANS for the future development of Éire Óg GAA Club are looking bright, with An Bord Pleanála upholding a decision to grant planning permission for the erection of floodlights on the club’s all-weather pitch.The Clonroadmore-based club has been given approval for the installation of four 1,000 watt flat glass floodlights to light the pitch, with one floodlight to be erected on each of four existing 12m-high steel columns. Permission had been granted for the development by Ennis Town Council, subject to three conditions. However, a third party appeal was lodged with An Bord Pleanála by Enzo and Nuala D’Auria of Clonroadmore against the decision of the local authority.Among the grounds for appeal, the couple insisted the development would lead to a greater intensification of use. They argued there would be traffic safety implications, noise, nuisance and their property would experience light spillage.Responding to the appeal, the club stated the floodlights are to facilitate winter training and games. It was accepted …

IN 1914, a group of people in Doora took up arms to fight for the cause of Irish freedom.The group, known as the Doora Volunteers, were formed and trained by a local man, Monty Delahunty, on the use of arms and ammunition. As guns and ammunition were scarce, they used timber replica guns to train. The volunteers trained two nights a week in Calleys field in Bunnow Inner, Doora, sometimes under the cover of darkness to avoid been caught by the authorities and jailed or maybe face execution. Delahunty later went on to fight in the battlefields of Flanders on the Western front and never returned.When the war died down and some kind of peace reigned, a local bard composed a song about the exploits of the volunteers. The song became a rebel song for the volunteers and has been sung in the parish for years. However, with the passing of time, the words of the song were lost and …

ENNIS’ retail and hospitality businesses are being urged to capitalise on the town’s Purple Flag status by offering later shopping hours and earlier entertainment.Plans are underway for a meeting of local businesses, organised by Promote Ennis, to highlight the opportunities that are available with expert speakers from Killarney, Dundalk and Ennis set to attend. Throughout the process of research and application for the international evening excellence award, the Purple Flag Working Group found one topic to be recurring and presenting a real opportunity for the town of Ennis – the early evening shopping and entertainment.Upon receipt of the award earlier this year, it was decided at consecutive meetings a customer survey would be carried out to confirm visitors’ interest in evening shopping and entertainment and a business briefing was suggested to inform the retail and hospitality sectors in Ennis of the findings, the opportunities and the long-term planning for Ennis town. The initial results of the survey, which as distributed …

WITH only days to go, record numbers have already signed up for Pieta House’s Darkness into Light event next weekend as the suicide charity gears up for what looks to be the biggest turnout ever for the event.This year’s 5km event in Ennis will start at 4am Lees Road this Saturday,  simultaneously with other events nationwide. Preregistration will take place in Lees Road and the boardroom of the Temple Gate Hotel this Thursday from 6pm to 8pm. Now in its fifth year, Darkness Into Light is taking place in 20 locations nationwide. This unique event begins in darkness at 4am on Saturday morning as thousands of people gather at locations across Ireland and walk or run a 5km route as dawn is breaking. Pieta House are asking people to bring glow sticks or torches to guide the way at the beginning of the walk. “The buzz this year is incredible,” said Joan Freeman, founder and CEO of Pieta House who …

AS part of the National Famine Commemoration 2013, Clare Roots Society has organised the unveiling of a memorial gravestone to mark the nameless burials of more than 2,000 victims of famine and fever.