Ennis

  UNDERSTANDING, compassionate, kind, generous and honest – words used to describe the Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh who was accorded a civic reception by Ennis Town Council last week.However, Bishop Walsh, who found himself in the eye of a storm over his handling of a canonical process concerning allegations of child sex abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese, availed of the occasion to declare that only by being open and transparent can the Catholic hierarchy regain the trust of the people.He also admitted that it would “take a long time” for bishops to fully regain that trust and that the position of Irish bishops was “hazardous for sad reasons” and “at risk” from some mistakes made up to 50 years ago.“I do believe that I tried to treat every victim with respect, with kindness, with sympathy and I do have a sense of their dreadful pain,” the bishop said.“It’s very sad that mistakes have been made but I do …

THE development of a new school building for Ennis National School is unlikely to be delayed by the collapse of architectural firm Murray O’Laoire and construction company Keco.

SIX St Flannan’s students are hoping to take pole position in the Formula 1 In School’s Technology Challenge. Three first year and three Junior Certificate students form the team the Fire Dragons who have built a Formula 1 car from start to finish.The team is made up of Norbert Rosik, Christopher Ogdonna and Brendan Golden who are all Junior Certificate students. They are joined by first year students Eric Mullally, Jack O’Dea and Tim Jansen. They beat off tough opposition from other schools, as well as another team, Speed, from their own school, at the regional finals earlier this month in Cork Institute of Technology. The F1 project was undertaken in co-ordination with the University of Limerick’s engineering and aeronautical departments. Science teacher at St Flannan’s College, Michael Hogan explained that this is the fifth year of the competition, which attracts more than 90,000 students, has been run in Ireland under the guidance of the Irish Computer Society (ICS) in …

PARENTS concerned at the ongoing operation of headshops in Ennis have organised a petition on the streets of the county town this Saturday.Maria Ryan, chairwoman of Colaiste Muire parents’ association and Councillor Paul O’Shea are spearheading the petition and are calling on anyone who is worried about the effects of substances being sold in headshops to sign the petition, between 10am and 6pm this Saturday in O’Connell Square, Ennis.“The purpose of this petition is again to raise awareness about headshops. We are asking landlords to be vigilant about who they are leasing premises to and encouraging insurance companies not to give insurance to operators of headshops. Until proper legislation is in place to deal with headshops, all we can do is make it very difficult for headshops to operate. Landlords to a large extent don’t seem to be aware that headshops are being run in their premises,” Maria said.She said that the petition would highlight their concerns about the substances …

A SCULPTURE to pay tribute to the work of nuns in Ennis throughout the years has been commissioned by the Ennis Sculpture Trail Initiative.Committee member Donal Griffin confirmed that they had been looking for some time at a way to pay tribute in an appropriate way to the contributions all orders of nuns had made.“They have had a huge role to play in Ennis in terms of education, care of people in the community, and for the love they have shown to so many over the years,” he said.The sculpture is currently being design by artist Barry Wrafter, who is well known for his involvement in other artistic works around the county. Mr Griffin said that the sculpture would be in the form of a nun with a number of children around her. “It will be very tasteful and will be in marble. It will be located in the archway beside the Friary,” he added.The Sculpture Trail hopes that the …

SOME 70 business premises in Ennis town are currently vacant, according to the CEO of Ennis Chamber, Rita McInerney, and Fine Gael Deputy Joe Carey.

FLOODING in Ennis last November was due to a combination of unprecedented high river levels in the Upper Fergus River and high volumes of rainfall over a period of three weeks. The information was given by senior executive engineer with Clare County Council,

ICARUS, the statue which had pride of place in the Market Square until three years ago, is finally going to have a new home on the Rocky Road Roundabout.