Ennis

IT was a day of mixed emotions for students of St Joseph’s Education Centre in Ennis as they celebrated the year’s achievements, aware that this would be the last major awards event to be held by the centre, which is facing closure.The presentation of awards took place in the Auburn Lodge Hotel, Ennis, during the annual celebration of academic year achievements by St Joseph’s learners. The centre is to be phased out in 2012 as a result of cutbacks being implemented by the Department of Education and Skills.The programme for the award’s day displayed the affection in which the centre is held. Kathleen Marie Keenan wrote, “I have the opportunity to learn to read and write. I will miss it when they close us down. The teachers are nice. We will never get to meet anyone like them again.”Michael P Mongans commented, “It means a lot to me to be here in the centre; I love coming here. I never …

More than 500 school children, many bearing fiddles, harps, flutes and drums representing eight schools in Ennis, converged on Ennis Cathedral recently to participate in a thanksgiving service in honour of retired Bishop of Killaloe, Willie Walsh.The event was an initiative of Ennis Parish Education Forum, which was set up in 2005 by Bishop Walsh. The children were welcomed by Isobel O’Dea, chairman of the forum, who commented, “It is a great credit to the teachers to have so many children here to acknowledge the contribution of the bishop to Education in Ennis.” Musicians from Gaelscoil Mhíchíl Cíosóg opened the proceedings with their rendition of Slán le Máigh. Choir directors and accompanists in turn led the groups from Holy Family Senior School, Ennis National School, CBS Primary School, Scoil Chríost Rí and St Anne’s School in a selection of hymns reflecting the themes of praise and thanksgiving. A group of dancers from St Clare’s School delighted the congregation and Bishop …

A COUNTY councillor has urged the council to help in the provision of watering points at Drumcliffe graveyard claiming that we do not live in a “third-world country”. Councillor Tony Mulqueen made the comments at a recent Ennis West Electoral Area meeting where he called on the local authority to provide more watering points at Drumcliffe graveyard and other public graveyards in the electoral area. After outlining to the meeting that those needing to water flowers at gravesides needed to walk some distance to do so, many of them being elderly, he appealed to the council to help fund further water points.  “We are not a third-world country are we?” he said In a formal reply to the motion, Eamon O’Dea senior executive engineer explained there are two taps located inside the main gates in Drumcliffe currently, which he said “would be deemed suitable”. “I would not envisage the provision of additional watering points due to the issue of water …

A CELEBRATION of the life of a Coláiste Muire pupil, who tragically lost her battle with cancer last year, has resulted in pupils at the school, who vowed to honour her memory, being presented with two national awards.

PLANS to extend and renovate the historic chapel at St Flannan’s College to provide new classrooms for the school have been given the go-ahead by Ennis Town Council.

THERE are shades of the adventures of fictional characters, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in a novel fundraising event being planned by an Ennis group at the end of the month.Members of the Chill Out! river and sea kayaking club are undertaking a trip down the River Fergus from Dromore Woods in Ruan to Steele’s Rock in Lifford, Ennis on Sunday, May 28.They will abandon their usual modes of transport in favour of heading downriver in a bathtub. Around 20 members, both male and female, have signed up to this relay challenge to support the Irish Heart Foundation.The specially adapted craft, which is for a single oarsman, will be accompanied by a flotilla of kayaks and canoes, the Chill Out Armada.The man behind the project, local community activist, Jacko McMahon from Willow Park, has already brought the bath on a trial run. His friend, Mark Torpey is also prominently involved in the project.Jacko stumbled on the idea when, after some …

THE proposed closure of the Teagasc office in Scariff has been described as the equivalent of an anchor tenant pulling out of a major shopping centre by the chairman of the Scariff branch of the IFA.

Motorists travelling along the Ennis to Kilmaley road by the Ennis Golf Club were driving in excess of 70km per hour in the 50km zone prior to the installation of ramps, it was revealed at the Ennis West Electoral area meeting this week.The ramps were a cause of much disquiet locally following their installation last month and prompted Councillor Tom McNamara to table a motion to have them removed. Councillor McNamara suggested that if left in their current form, the ramps would be “illegal” under the legislation dealing with speed ramps and called for the pedestrian crossing with traffic lights to be installed and for the ramps to be removed.Councillor McNamara claimed the traffic ramps created on the R474 to provide a pedestrian crossing between both sides of Ennis golf course failed to live up to the spirit of the act governing the installation of speed ramps. He called for them to be removed with immediate effect and replaced with …