Regional

EFFORTS to increase the level of coach tourism business in the town have moved up a gear with new plans unveiled by Ennis Town Council this week. Additional bus and coach parking spaces have been allocated in the Friars Walk area of the town centre, located adjacent to Clare Museum.The council is also investigating a number of other capital projects, including the development of a dedicated bus park equipped with maintenance facilities for tour operators.Welcoming the initiative, Mayor of Ennis Councillor Michael Guilfoyle said, “Ever since the completion of the N18 Ennis Bypass, we have witnessed a decline in the number of bus and coach operators visiting the town. Coach tourism remains very important for Ennis businesses and therefore, the council and its elected members along with members of the local business community must continue to examine ways of facilitating operators with easier access to the town centre.”The provision of five additional coach parking spaces at Friars Walk is the …

Those opposed to plans to construct a €34 million retail development on the outskirts of Ennis say that an independent survey conducted by Retail Excellence Ireland confirms their concerns about the proposal and the potential impact of the ‘doughnut effect’ on the town.Ennis Chamber, Ennis Development Forum, Ennis Street Associations and individual businesses recently made submissions to An Bord Pleanála calling on the planning authority to refuse planning for a retail development by Michael Lynch Ltd on the Limerick Road/Tobairteascain Road, with Tesco set to be the anchor tenant. While the developers say the plan will create 500 jobs and will make a “positive contribution” to the town, complementing existing business, those against the proposal say the Retail Excellence Ireland survey shows the potential for job losses in Ennis.The survey was carried out in Naas, County Kildare with the objective of determining the impact the opening of Tesco Extra 12 months ago had on the viability and vitality of its …

THE children of An Bóithrín GAA Club, along with Ennis Tidy Towns, has been helping to brighten up the town this week with a colourful painting project.The children got their brushes out to paint a house in the Old Boreen in Ennis on Tuesday. According to Áine Purcell, chairperson of Ennis Tidy Towns Committee, “As well as brightening the area, we want to encourage local children to get to know the history of our town. An Bóithrín is called after the old boreen and we wanted the children to realise this connection and that in its day so many children would have lived in the boreen. They really enjoyed the experience and there was also a talk on the history of the boreen. It was fantastic to see the young people getting involved and being so enthusiastic. All over Ennis, there are lots of young people getting involved in clean-ups and other initiatives to improve our town,” she said.She added, …

TWO local schools are to perform at the National Concert Hall in Dublin next week as part of a prestitigious national music competition.Both Holy Family Senior Primary School and Knockanean National School have made it to the finals of the Waltons Music for Schools Competition. The finalists in the first annual national competition and celebration of music in Ireland schools were recently announced by Lyric FM presenter Liz Nolan. The 12 finalist schools will travel to and perform at the National Concert Hall in Dublin on Monday, April 16 at 1pm, when six schools, three primary and three post-primary, will be chosen to win first, second and third prizes, as well as €3000, €1500 and €500 vouchers. In deciding to make Holy Family Senior a finalist, judges acknowledged that in addition to a 120-strong choir and an 80-strong chamber choir, tuition in several instruments and a newly introduced violin teaching programme, Holy Family Senior Primary School has “taken highly creative …

CELEBRATING 70 years in existence this year, the Ennis Swimming and Lifesaving Club has played an integral part in the life of the town. From the early days of swimming at ‘The Turret’ on the River Fergus to hosting championships at Ennis Leisure Complex, the club has grown immensely over the years.According to Caitriona McMahon of the Ennis Swimming and Lifesaving Club, “The club has a fabulous heritage of which we are very proud. The club has given a lot to the town through the years.”It was while researching the history of the club for their application for accreditation under Swim Ireland that it was first realised that this season marks a very special anniversary.“We had applied for the accreditation and we had to go through a comprehensive process that lasted about a year and a half. Part of that process involved getting background on the club and that’s how all of this started and we realised it was the …

IT was a full house at the Strand Hotel, Limerick for the Southern Regional Final of the ERP Junk Kouture Recycled Fashion Competition, which saw the top 50 entries from the south take to the catwalk in their self-made creations.Among them was Coláiste Muire pupil Caoimhe McCabe’s creation Winter Garden, which wowed the judges and was named among the 18 selected outfits that will now go on to the grand final. Modelling the outfit was fellow pupil, Niamh Hickey.The competition, which is in its second year, challenges second-level pupils to rework trash and other recycled materials into remarkable high-end couture fashion.Milliner Aisling Maher, fashion designer Pamela Heaney, Tracey Fahey, head of department at Limerick school of Art and Design and head of corporate communications at ERP Ireland, Yvonne Holmes judged on the night and were blown away by the standard and variety on show.Caoimhe and the other finalists’ designs will now go through to the Grand Final, which will take …

THE proposed construction of a River Shannon Crossing, Killaloe Bypass and other road improvements costing an estimated €40 million could remove 40% of the current traffic from the existing bridge in Killaloe.That’s just one of the conclusions of a future traffic forecast included in a Natura Impact Statement completed by Roughan and O’Donovan Consulting Engineers on behalf of Clare and North Tipperary County Councils.A traffic survey revealed approximately 550 vehicles cross Killaloe Bridge during the peak hour last year.Having spent over a year in limbo, Environment Minister Leo Varadkar approved the publication of the Statutory Orders by Clare County Council for the construction of the Killaloe Bypass (€11.93m), the Shannon Bridge Crossing (€12m), Killaloe bypass (€11.93m) and upgrading works costing (€16.6m) on the existing regional road linking Ballina and Birdhill in July 2011.In terms of assessing the proposed Shannon Bridge Crossing, Killaloe Bypass, upgrading of the regional road linking Ballina and Birdhill, the consulting engineers assumed an opening year of …

MUNSTER rugby may not be in the pink after Sunday’s unhappy clash with Ulster at Thomond Park but hooker Damien Varley isn’t singing the blues. He’s singing for the Pink Ribbon movement instead, with the Killaloe Gospel choir.The choir has produced a CD, the proceeds of which are going to the Killaloe Pink Ribbon walk and Damien took time off from training to serenade the organisers of this year’s event, which takes place on Saturday, June 16.The 10km sponsored walk, now in its third year in the picturesque Shannonside venue, is a fundraising endeavour for Action Breast Cancer, a part of the Irish Cancer Society which raises awareness and provides much needed services and information for cancer patients and their families.It’s a cause that Damien is happy to support.“It’s a very worthy cause. Some of my friends have lost their mothers to breast cancer and I’m very happy to be in a position to help out,” said the rugby star.He …