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Dawn of a new day in Ennistymon

After a combined total of 362 years of education, staff and students at the Ennistymon CBS, Scoil Mhuire Ennistymon and the Ennistymon Vocational School, performed their last official acts last Friday, as the class of 2023 collected their Leaving Certificate results. The schools, which have been central to the lives of tens of thousands of people across North and West Clare over their lifetimes, officially amalgamated on Monday to form the Ennistymon Community College. Each of the former school buildings will remain in operation for the time being however, as the state of the art new school on the Lahinch Road is not yet completed. The buildings at Ennistymon CBS, Scoil Mhuire Ennistymon and the Ennistymon Vocational School have been renamed the North, South and Central Campus of the Ennistymon Community School respectively, until the new building is officially opened. Junior and Leaving Certificate Classes will remain in their original base school for the time being, while other non-exam classes …

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Positive Leaving Cert results across the county as the final page is turned on 362 years of education in Ennistymon

As more than 1,200 Clare students picked up their Leaving Certificate results this morning, three North Clare secondary schools were completing their very last official acts as places of study. There were large gatherings of students at the Ennistymon CBS, Scoil Mhuire Ennistymon and the Ennistymon Vocational School today, as the last Leaving Certificate classes from each school collected their results. The schools, which will officially amalgamate on Monday to form the Ennistymon Community School, collectively represent 362 years of education in the region. Schools across Clare have reported generally positive results this year, and the same was true of the students in the thee Ennistymon schools. “It’s a very special day for our school. We’ve had such a long history of Leaving Cert results going right back to the 1920s, and what a great group to finish with. They are outstanding students at all ability levels,” said Seosaimhin Dhomhnallain, principal of Scoil Mhuire. “We are very pleased with how …

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Writer Mary O'Donoghue. Photo: James McNaughton.

Tales of transit in ‘The Hour After Happy Hour’

A HANDWRITTEN message from one Clare author to another has proven to be both a mystery and an inspiration for writer, Mary O’Donoghue. The North Clare woman, who is to launch a new collection of short stories in the coming days, met Tuamgraney’s Edna O’Brien in Boston at a public reading event in 2011. More than a decade later, Mary is an established writer herself, and still fondly wonders about a message from Edna which remains undeciphered. “Edna was just marvellous and she signed my book, and, to this day, there’s one little part of her message to me that I can’t read,” Mary explained. “She has lovely copperplate handwriting and I’ve shown it to a number of people, but there’s one little part that we’re never sure what that says. I kind of like not knowing what that is. The book has an even more mysterious quality for that reason. I’m an ardent fan of Edna and of her …

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Ballyvaughan plans for low carbon future

A LOW carbon plan is to be developed for the community of Ballyvaughan, thanks to a project spearheaded by An Taisce. The blueprint will be drawn up over the course of the next three months and will see the An Taisce Legacy4LIFE working intensively with the community. John Sweeney, Emeritus Professor of Geography at Maynooth University, is director of the Legacy4LIFE project and regular visitor to Ballyvaughan. “This is a great opportunity for the people of Ballyvaughan to plan the climate action they want,” he said. “To have their say in how they decarbonise their community; brainstorm the jobs that will be needed as they decarbonise their economy; figure out what changes will be most effective in decarbonising their energy systems, buildings, transport, agriculture, land use, industry and waste. They can explore ways to build a circular economy and ensure a Just Transition for everyone so that nobody is worse off having played their part in the greatest challenge of our time.” An example of the challenges faced in coastal areas is rising sea levels. …

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I remember hearing the shot – The Death of Murt Moloney

Historian Dr Tomás Mac Conmara examines the story of IRA Volunteer Murt Moloney, shot dead by Free State forces 100 years ago this weekend. ‘I was standing with my hands up when a bullet struck me. There were two soldiers standing in front of me, about 9 or 10 yards away’ The final words of Murt Moloney as he was being removed to Ennistymon infirmary, recounted by Dr D.J. Keane, who attended him on that journey. Moloney had been shot by a member of a Free State military unit, who had come to arrest both him and his brother Tomás in the final month of the Irish Civil War. While Dr Keane claimed that Murt did not name his killer, this would be disputed by Murt’s father, who was also by his son’s side and listened with the intensity only such occasions can encourage. Murt Moloney was born on 12th December 1901 to Martin and Bridget Moloney (nee Clune) in …

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Acclaimed poet for Doolin performance

DOOLIN is the destination for a unique poetry performance on Saturday night next (March 25). Fiddle and Bow Collection will host Leitrim’s Stephen Murphy, whose exciting and authentic work is attracting huge attention.  A reading as part of Listowel Writer’s Week went viral, capturing the hearts and minds of thousands who saw video clips. John O’Connor, who has organised a Wild Atlantic Way tour for Stephen described the live performances as “incredible”. “I’ve never seen anyone to establish such a strong connection with an audience and he does everything straight out of his head,” he said. “It is quite something to witness.” Originally from rural Leitrim, Stephen is a bard in the truest sense of the term. His live performances have seen him previously called “the highlight” of the Electric Picnic by Kitty Holland in The Irish Times. He was hailed as a “poet of our age” by Irish Independent columnist Billy Keane, and “a splendid, gifted and courageous young …

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Breathing new life into Corofin’s Main Street

A HUB for artists and a welcome for visitors and the local community alike is on offer on Corofin’s Main Street, thanks to the opening of a gourmet café and gallery.  Morning Dew is the realisation of a long-held dream for Nadaa Hyder and Nolan Crampsie, who upped sticks from their Toronto home to open the business in the former Inchiquin Inn. The couple, and their business partner and close friend Jack Campbell who inherited the Inchiquinn in 2019, also live over their new business. Instinctively, they have revived the old Irish urban tradition of ‘living over the shop’ – something which has been widely advocated as a way of breathing new life into rural towns. “We have a personal joy in revitalising the Campbell family premises and bringing new life to the historic building – with Kenny’s Drinking Emporium stained glass window an artistic reminder of that history,” said Nadaa.  It is no coincidence that the couple came to …

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North Clare town’s branch of BOI slated for upgrade

BANK of Ireland has announced plans to invest €11.5 million across its nationwide branch network this year, with the Ennistymon branch listed as part of the upgrade plans.   The planned network investments include refurbishments and enhancements to the branch network, upgrading of branch services including ATMs in a number of locations, and ongoing maintenance works.   Additional works as part of the €11.5m investment will also include the installation of new external and internal ATMs in a range of branches, and the improvement of facilities for staff in over a dozen bank branches.  As part of this investment, Bank of Ireland also plans to install energy efficient LED lighting in each of its 169 branches this year, including all five of its Clare branches. This will achieve over 50% in energy savings from a reduction in lighting energy consumption, as the organisation looks to become more energy efficient and reduce its total energy consumption.   Commenting on the planned investment in its Clare branch network, Susan Russell, Director, Retail Ireland said, “Our branch network of 169 locations across Ireland, including the five branches we operate in Clare, is a very important part of how we serve our customers – whether that be for routine cash, cheque and coin transactions or more detailed conversations about loans, mortgages and pensions.  “That’s why we continually invest in this network, and …

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