Regional

THE descendants of two Clare men who took part in a hunger strike in Mountjoy prison in September 1917 will lay a wreath at a unique commemoration in Ennis this weekend. Officers from the Irish Prison Service will take part in the ceremony marking one of the most significant events in the revolutionary period. In September 1917, 38 men including 16 from Clare, took part in the hunger strike in Mountjoy prison, changing the course of Irish history. This Sunday’s ceremony will commence at 12 noon at the monument to the Clare Mountjoy Hunger Strikers at the Monastery Park, Cappahard, Ennis. Mary Crawford chairperson of the Mid Clare Commemoration Committee described this weekend’s commemoration as “very significant” given the involvement of the Irish Prison Service. Governor James Kelly, Mountjoy Prison will give an address as part of the ceremony. Ms Crawford explains that the local group were contacted by the Irish Prison Service to support the holding of the event …

A PROMINENT Ennis retailer has raised concerns over the impression created by rough sleeping in the heart of the town, writes Fiona McGarry. Oliver Moylan of The Ennis Cash Company said the presence of a small number of people sleeping in an area around the top of O’Connell Street is creating a negative image of the town, particularly in the busy run in to Christmas. Those providing emergency accommodation, meanwhile, have said they are fully prepared to engage with rough sleepers, and that there is sufficient provision in Ennis so that nobody should be without a bed at night. Mr Moylan, who contacted The Champion to raise his concerns, is proprietor of a business trading since the 1880s. “People sleeping rough on the main street is creating a terrible impression of Ennis, especially as businesses are trying to get back on their feet and really need footfall and shoppers back on the streets,” he said. “There are people spreading out …

THE groundbreaking work of a neuroscientist known as the father of the cyborgs is the subject of an Ennis film maker’s documentary to be screened this Thursday. RTE will screen David Burke’s film, which is called Father of the Cyborgs, this Thursday night. It’s about groundbreaking Limerick neuroscientist Dr Phil Kennedy, who made global headlines in the 1990s for implanting several wire electrodes in the brain of a paralyzed man and then teaching the locked-in patient to control a computer cursor with his mind.  He was compared to Alexander Graham Bell in The Washington Post and became known as ‘The Father of the Cyborgs’. He made headlines again in 2014 when he travelled to South America and had tiny electrodes implanted inside his own brain in order to continue his research. The documentary examines the ethics of self-experimentation and the unintended consequences of a future where technology and human brains combine. When it comes to tech – how far is …

A TOXIC culture of bullying faces volunteers with the Irish Coastguard, two Clare TDs have claimed in the wake of the decision last week to stand down the Doolin unit. Six members of the north Clare unit resigned early last week, causing the unit to be benched. One source that is close to the Doolin Coastguard said that claims of “bullying and harassment” that led to the departure of the six volunteers from the unit was not caused by the 12 remaining members. Speaking in the Dáil, independent Michael McNamara said, “We need to get the Doolin Coast Guard unit reinstated but we need to address the issues that led us to where we are because the reality is there is a toxic working environment in the Coast Guard station in Doolin and there has been for some time. “Unfortunately it is not unique to Doolin; it exists the length and breadth of this country. There is a lack of …

THE Ennis Trad Fest returns to the county capital this week following the cancellation of last year’s event due to Covid-19. The 27th year of the festival, running from Thursday November 11 to until Monday, November 15 will be a scaled back event from previous years because of the ongoing effects of the pandemic. However a host of events have been organised including a session trail throughout the town, album launches, trad discos and concerts. Highlights include three concerts in the Queens Hotel featuring renowned performers. On Friday night Tola Custy and Cyril O’Donoghue will perform live tracks off their critically acclaimed 1994 album “Setting free” followed by a trad disco with DJ Ollie Mullooly. Saturday night the popular and multi-award-winning quintet Goitse will perform with another trad disco afterwards. And on Sunday Angelina and Peter Carberry, Dan Brouder and John Blake, the Five Star Quartet and Colm Murphy will take to the stage. Organisers say they are “delighted” to …

ENFORCEMENT action has been taken against an Ennis business man who promised Playstation 5s to customers which never arrived. Unwar Anwar trading at Innovate has been directed by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) to immediately issue refunds to consumers who have not yet been refunded and to cease engaging in misleading commercial practices, including providing misleading information to consumers Despite the findings of the investigation, when contacted by The Clare Champion Mr Anwar insisted that he didn’t mislead anybody. “The issue was dealt with months ago. I don’t believe I was misleading anyone. We were let down and so were many other retailers. Everyone has been issued a refund now,” he said, adding he had no further comment to make. The consumer watchdog took the action against Mr Anwar following a number of complaints by consumers who placed orders for Sony PlayStation 5s, but failed to receive them or a refund. Mr Anwar has been directed by the …

WHILE West Clare community radio station Raidió Corca Baiscinn has kept broadcasting throughout the pandemic, it is now under serious pressure for funding. Chairman of RCB Paul Williams said that the station generally fundraises to continue operating, but that has been very difficult since March of 2020. “We receive money from various outlets such as Pobal, we get money from the BAI for programmes and we have to top that up with fundraising throughout the year. “We’d have bands playing in pubs, we’d have draws so people would go out and sell tickets, even things like the bucket shake, you can’t have any music, there has to be social distance, so we’ve been hampered in our fundraising efforts.” Without the income that would be coming in, it is hard to keep things running. “The money that we need to pay for day to day things has been reduced, we’ve been put to the pin of our collar to pay the …

THE Mayor of Ennis has urged people to pick up their litter following the success of the county capital in this year’s Irish Business Against Litter survey. The first post-lockdown survey by IBAL showed Ennis in third position in the ranking of 40 areas nationwide. The county capital was one of eight areas across the country to be deemed ‘cleaner than European norms’. The success of Ennis in this national survey comes just weeks ahead of the announcement of this year’s Tidy Towns competition results. Speaking at the monthly meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, Mayor of Ennis Councillor Ann Norton paid tribute to the outdoor staff of Clare County Council and the volunteers of Ennis Tidy Towns for their efforts in keeping the town looking its best. “We are extremely lucky that everybody in Ennis is extremely proud of their town and the work that is being done,” she said. She pointed to colourful displays of flowers saying “amazing …