Ennis

A new version of the Visit Ennis Guide is now available and it’s proving a big hit for families and shoppers seeking to make the most of what’s on in and around the county town. The free visitor guide features sections on ‘what to do and see’, shopping, accommodation, travel, emergency services as well as dining and entertainment. Now in its third edition, the Visit Ennis Guide is an initiative of Promote Ennis who contracted local company Actonbv to manage the publication process. Chairman of Promote Ennis, Brian O’Neill, is delighted by the both the standard of the publication and the feedback amongst visitors and local businesses. He is grateful for the support shown by local business that financed the production, “I would like to thank the business owners of the area who have funded the Guide through their advertising and listing contributions. This is a massive contribution to tourism in the area as a visitor guide of this standard …

CONFLICTING views have been expressed about the €1.75 million redevelopment of the market area in Ennis by local councillors. Councillor Mary Howard said the provision of a covered Milk Market-style area for the town would result in one of the most “exciting projects” to rejuvenate the town centre. In fact, Councillor Howard told an Ennis Municipal District meeting on Monday that this development would provide an “iconic building” similar to the new Harmony Row Bridge in the town. However, Councillor Clare Colleran-Molloy expressed concern about the impact of funding this ambitious project from the council’s own finances, after director of services for planning and enterprise, Ger Dollard, confirmed the council had applied for department approval for a €1.75 million loan. The Fianna Fáil Councillor noted the lack of finance is already resulting in delay for the upgrading of public infrastructure. Councillor James Breen told the meeting he had been approached by people who claimed the planning notice for the Part …

THE Fourth of July is known in America as Independence Day but it was also the date that McNamara Park opened and there were celebrations there last Friday for its 50th anniversary. Colin Fitzgerald was born there back in 1964, one of a small number of children to arrive in the year the estate opened. He was involved with the celebrations and said they had sought to remember those who have died from the original residents. “Everyone that passed away from those who moved in originally were recorded in a booklet. After that we had a mass, the brass band played before that and we had entertainment then until midnight.” He said a new structure was put in place to mark the half-century milestone.“There is a brand new statue erected. The council put it up to celebrate it, it’s at the right hand side of the green. There’s a bit of the history on it and it explains the name. …

Homes and businesses in Clare are set to benefit as a result of a joint ESB and Vodafone venture to upgrade broadband facilities across the country. The  €450 million investment will benefit 50 towns, among them Ennis and Shannon. ESB and Vodafone are to invest €450 million in building a 100%  fibre-to-the-building broadband network offering speeds from 200 Mbps to 1000 Mbps, propelling Ireland into the ranks of the world’s fastest broadband countries. Ireland will also become the first country in Europe to utilise existing electricity infrastructure on a nationwide basis to deploy fibre directly into homes and businesses, initially reaching 500,000 premises in 50 towns.

Emotional Life in Ireland is the theme of the 2014 Merriman Summer School, which  will take place in Ennis,  from August 13 to 17. It is, according to the organisers,  a timely topic for a country which has yet again been dealing with the aftermath of trauma, as we listen to stories of hidden pregnancies, secret births and unacknowleged deaths. Many of the events will be held in Glór. “How do we deal with our emotions and their consequences? Are we better at it now than we have been? What legacies have been left by our difficulty in understanding and reluctance to deal with our emotions? These are some of the areas for discussion at this year’s Merriman Summer School,” a spokesperson said. The director of this year’s school is Dr Patrica Coughlan, Professor Emerita in the School of English at UCC. She has selected a rich panel of speakers. Social historians, writers, ethno-musicologists, psychologists, a psychiatrist, journalists and critics …

All-Ireland hurling medal winner,  Podge Collins, visited Gaelscoil Mhíchíl Cíosóg in Ennis  to raise the school’s new Yellow Flag. The Yellow Flag programme recognises a school’s work in promoting interculturalism, equality, diversity and inclusion in both the school and wider community. The programme works through an eight-step model, which allows schools to apply those steps to the day-to-day running of the school in order to promote and support an environment for interculturalism. According to teacher Aoife Ní Conchúir, the whole school was involved in achieving the flag, and all classes were involved in the sports day held to mark raising the Yellow Flag. “It was a great day. We have about 11 different countries represented in the school community, between children and parents. To achieve the Yellow Flag, we held a series of events in the school celebrating diversity and involving the wider community. We made contact with different groups from different countries and held events. We had African drummers, …

The parishioners of Clarecastle will celebrate the 175th anniversary of the construction of  the Church of Ss Peter & Paul on this Sunday. A special mass at 12 noon will be the focal point of the occasion and there is an open invitation to everyone to attend and hear Dr Joe Power outline the history of the church. Construction of the chapel was begun in 1839 to replace a much smaller thatched chapel, which lay about 100m to the south-west of the present church. The work was instigated by the parish priest, Fr Patrick O’Gorman, who came to the parish in 1834. The plot of ground upon which the church stands was donated by the Protestant landlord, Mr Patterson, in 1839. Other Protestants living in the parish, such as Mrs Stamer of Carnelly, who gave £60, also donated generous sums to the building project. The walls and roof of the building were completed in 1841 and in October of that …

More must be done if  town centres are to survive, according to Ennis Chamber. Ennis Chamber and Chambers Ireland have called on Government to introduce measures to support business growth and job creation in town centres. The call comes following a presentation by the latter to the Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Ennis Chamber is calling on Clare County Council to reduce the county-wide rates to the Ennis town level, incentivise town centre locations for businesses and to give additional weight to local businesses in its procurement of goods and services. According to Chambers Ireland, the Government can support the revival of town centres by reducing the cost of doing business in town centres and by implementing fair public procurement policies that do not discriminate against SMEs, among other measures. Chambers Ireland chief executive, Ian Talbot said, “If our economic recovery is to be successful, it must be sustainable at a local level. Town centres have consistently suffered …