Ennis

GARDAÍ in Clare have issued a renewed appeal for witnesses to a road traffic collision in which a cyclist was injured. The incident occurred just over one month ago in Ennis, on Tuesday, June 8, at Clare Road. A female cyclist reported that while she was cycling inbound on the Clare road towards Ennis town she collided with a vehicle while travelling around a roundabout. The vehicle, an older model gold coloured Volkswagen Passat, pulled in front of her exiting the roundabout causing the collision. The Passat was travelling towards the Hawthorns Estate from the Clare road. The cyclist suffered minor injuries. The incident occurred on Tuesday, June 8 at Clare Road, Ennis and gardaí are asking anybody with information to contact Ennis Garda Station at 065 6848100.

CALLS for a public/private partnership to develop campervan facilities in the county capital have been made by Ennis’ deputy mayor. Councillor Paul Murphy believes that Ennis has the potential to become a “very effective destination” for campervan holiday makers looking to stay in an urban setting. At the monthly meeting of the Ennis Municipal District the councillor urged, “That Ennis Municipal District conveys a message that Ennis welcomes campervan users/owners this summer, provided that they can be self-sufficient in terms of sanitation”. He added that consideration should be given to using one of the council carparks at Drumbiggle or Áras an Contae “to facilitate this endeavour and valuable business opportunity.” Carmel Greene, Senior Executive Officer, responded, “The use of council car parks, either at Drumbiggle or New Road as campervan parks would require fully manned facilities specifically for this purpose. At present, the car parks are full on the five-day working week serving staff, councillors and customers. With greater numbers …

A NEW book celebrating the creative synergies that exist between poetry and the visual arts will be launched in Ennis in September. The Record Break Poetry Art Publication comprises 12 poems and 12 corresponding images of original visual artworks and has been compiled by Sinéad Ní Síoda. Since opening The Record Break seven years ago, Sinéad has built a community of artists, writers and musicians who gravitate towards the shop for its coffee, its collection of vinyl albums and its dedication to contemporary culture. “I hold an art exhibition annually at The Record Break,” Sinéad explained. “In 2019, we brought together 12 artists and 12 poets, and at the end of the year I decided to document the exhibition. “Creative Ireland sponsored the book and just as lockdown was setting in, we managed to get the photos taken of the pieces on the walls of the closed shop.” The relationship between the images and the poems is one that Sinéad …

AN Ennis man has completed a mammoth ultra-cycling race of 804km, taking second place after a gruelling 31 hours non-stop in the saddle. Noel Cusack took part in the Joe Barr 500, an 800km race around Donegal and Northern Ireland with a three-person crew following behind to give him food and hep with navigation along the way. He described the race as an “epic battle”, which saw him break his previous 800km record by more than six hours. The race started in Derry at 9.23am on Saturday, June 12, with each competitor leaving at three minute intervals. “We raced over to Donegal before tackling all the coast line and mountains areas before finally sprinting through Sperrin mountains in Derry to finish,” Noel told The Champion. “The riders cannot race together, we have to be a certain distance apart from each other until you make your move to overtake or pull away if possible,” he said. His support crew kept him …

A MILLIONAIRE Clare farmer has escaped a speeding conviction after disputing a garda’s “geography” of the area where he was stopped, writes Ronan Judge. At Ennis District Court last week, Judge Mary Larkin told John Joseph McCabe (84) that she was giving him the benefit of the doubt and striking out the speeding summons against him. Mr McCabe, a retired farmer with an address at Skehanagh, Clarecastle, denied the allegation that he was driving in excess of the speeding limit at Ennis Road, Clare Commons, on August 7, 2020. In evidence, Garda Darren Lynch said he recorded a Toyota Hilux driven by McCabe, allegedly at a speed of 73km in a 50km zone. The court heard a fixed charge penalty notice was issued and went unpaid. McCabe sold 48 acres of land near Clarecastle in the mid-2000s in a multi million euro deal that was the largest in Clare during the Celtic Tiger era. He is also a former local …

SAINT Clare’s school in Ennis has been given the go-ahead to open two additional classes in September 2021 and again in 2022. Principal John Murphy has said this is “wonderful news” for the school. “The ongoing engagement with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and the Department of Education has been very positive and confirms that St Clare’s school remains a first choice of parents for children with additional needs,” he said. St Clare’s school has grown and developed significantly in the last two years increasing the roll from 54 two years ago to 83 in September 2021 and is projected to hit 100 learners in 2022. Mr Murphy said that this “is a great tribute to the staff at school who are touching the future everyday and dealing with young people’s dreams”. “This welcome news arrived at the same time as the award of the school’s Amber Flag, Active Flag and a forth Green Flag rounding off a …

THE green light has been given for traffic calming measures to be introduced in Ennis at a location where cars are travelling at speeds “way past any acceptable level”. A special meeting of the Ennis Municipal District heard details of the proposed works at Cappahard on the Tulla Road and a local route known as The Lane. The project involves the construction of a new footpath from Cappahard Lane to where it meets the Tulla Road. Works will include the installation of kerbing and tarmac footpath, dished kerbing, tactile paving, signage, road gullies and the installation of drainage pipes. The plans also include road markings, and additional ducts for eight lighting lamp standards. The project went out to public consultation and four submissions were received. Among the submissions there were calls for signage to denote ‘Children at Play’ with one stating, “There are some cars which travel at speed which would be way past any acceptable level.” Councillor Johnny Flynn …

MEMORIAL plaques were unveiled on Wednesday evening to remember the lives of two of Ennis’ best known figures. A plaque was unveiled at the Queen’s Hotel dedicated to the late Laura Brennan, while the late Michael Tierney and his dog Paddy were remembered opposite Ennis Cathedral with a plaque dedicated in their memory. Unveiling the plaques, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Councillor Mary Howard, in one of her last functions in the role, said “For many years I have tried to have something permanent in the town of Ennis to remember the larger than life character that was the late Michael Tierney. Last June when I became Mayor of Clare I promised that both Michael and Laura Brennan would have a permanent presence in the town, my term is finished on Friday,” she said. Laura was diagnosed with cervical cancer and passed from this life in March of 2019 after dedicating her final months to advocating for the HPV vaccine …