Ennis

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 …

It is estimated that more than €15,000 worth of electrical equipment was stolen in a smash and grab burglary of Ennis Electrical in Parnell Street, Ennis overnight. Gardaí received a report at 3.12am on Wednesday morning that three males had broken into the electrical goods store having used a sledge hammer to break the door. It is understood that a quantity of electrical goods, including flat screen televisions, ipods, tablets and laptops were stolen in the incident with a value approximately €15,000, although the full cost will not be known until a full stock take is carried out. Gardaí say there are similarities between this incident and that of a burglary which occurred at Cassidy’s Pharmacy in Ennis last month. A silver Daewoo car, which was found out burnt out in Quin, is believed to have been used in the burglary and gardai are appealing to anyone who may have seen it, or any unusual activity in the Parnell Street …

WHAT happens to greyhounds after their track or coursing career has ended? It’s been a difficult question to address in the past but more and more the breed is becoming popular as a pet. Rover Rescue, based at Shanaway Road in Ennis, has been involved in taking pound dogs since 2008 but until recently, greyhounds weren’t readily available for adoption as pets. Now, thanks to the co-operation of Frankie Coote and Ennis Pound, Deirdre Ryan has co-founded a group with Eileen Twomey called Clare Greyhound Project. “We aim to build alliances with rescue groups all over Europe who will get on board in helping us find these loving pets caring homes. Rover Rescue has already secured supports from greyhound rescues in the UK, as well as Italy and Sweden. Due to the recent implementation of the Pet Passport Scheme between the UK and Ireland, it can now cost up to €400 to get a dog to the UK. This is …

This year’s Ennis Street Festival line-up is branching out in new directions, as it introduces Ennis Sounds Good, a parallel music festival, and offers the public a modern take on dancing at the crossroads. The festival takes place from July 4 to 6 and this year’s latest addition, Ennis Sounds Good, will mean the fun and spectacle of Ennis Street Festival continues. With 36 gigs across 15 venues, it is sure to be a success. Highlights include Mikey and the Scallywags, Drizzle, Skazz, The O’Malleys, DJ Will Softly, Keith McDonald, Buck Tailor, La Orquestra Kalamares, blues, folk, ska, salsa, world music, Spanish music, trad and more, culminating in a big festival music finale on Sunday, July 6. One of the other new elements to this year’s festival is a 21st-century interpretation of the traditional custom of dancing at the crossroads. Through participation in modern art forms and dance, dancing at the crossroads will take place in O’Connell Square with the Ennis …