Regional

SEAMOUNT pupils are leading the field when it comes to keeping girls involved in sport for longer. An initiative launched two years ago in Kinvara has been so successful that it may be emulated across the county.

A MUSIC festival established by Canadians in Clare will extend to Galway from this summer, it has been announced.

Former Fianna Fáil county councillor Colm Wiley is to be honoured at a special function in Mountshannon next week, where Taoiseach Brian Cowen is due to attend.

A Clare company seeking to develop a seaplane operation in Mountshannon has submitted further information requested by Clare County Council in relation to its proposal.

ENNIS woman Gráinne Cronin, who 33 years ago became Aer Lingus’ first female pilot, retired on Tuesday.To mark her many years of loyal service to Aer Lingus, Captain Cronin made her final flight as an Aer Lingus captain with Captain Elaine Egan and First Officer Shelley Gahan on an Airbus A330 aircraft, operating flight EI 137 from Dublin to Boston. She is originally from New Road in Ennis, but now lives in Malahide, County Dublin.Gráinne ’s career commenced in 1977 when she became the first female pilot at Aer Lingus. Her first flight was in January 1978, piloting a Boeing 737 aircraft. Of the experience, Gráinne  said, “It wasn’t easy, I have to say, entering such a male-dominated arena but Aer Lingus were very forward-thinking for the time, they were the second airline in Europe, after SAS, to introduce female pilots. British Airways did not hire any female pilots for at least a further seven or eight years. In 1978 …

A NEW Irish hotel group with its head office in the Quin Road Business Park, Ennis is recruiting 50 new staff. Great National Hotels was formed at the end of 2009 and five three and four-star hotels in Ireland, including the Woodstock Golf and Spa Resort in Ennis, joined the group in February and March. Four three and four-star hotels in the UK’s Midlands also joined Great National Hotels.Managing director of Great National Hotels, David Byrne, explained that the company is a new Irish hotel brand. “Independent hotels can avail of a number of services from Great National Hotels, including a reservation call centre, on and offline marketing, national advertising and promotions, as well as group discounts, all enabling economies of scale making it possible for hotels to reduce their costs and offer a real competitive edge,” he said. Mr Byrne said that the concept of the hotel group is “quite unique”. “The hotels are part of our group, but …

SIX months of Saturday pedestrianisation on some of Ennis’ ­shopping streets begins this week, as part of a joint Ennis Town Council and Ennis Chamber Saturday Shopping promotional campaign.Consultation and discussion has been ongoing between the council and business representatives in recent months and the decision was made to pedestrianise Abbey Street, O’Connell Square and O’Connell Street on Saturdays from 12 until 6pm.Welcoming the initiative, Mayor of Ennis, Councillor Frankie Neylon, said, “This joint initiative involves the promotion of Ennis as a great place to shop and the traffic-free streets will create a pleasant atmosphere in which people can move more freely and enjoy what Ennis has to offer.  “All public car parks will be accessible and these car parks are conveniently located adjacent to pedestrianised streets,” he commented.Guy Flouch, president of Ennis Chamber, underlined the importance to local businesses of regenerating Saturday shopping in the town. He said the promotional campaign for Saturday shopping in Ennis includes a regional …

THE old baptismal font from Ennis Cathedral has been reinstated in its rightful place after an absence of 98 years. Fr Tom Hogan, administrator of Ennis Parish, unveiled the reinstated baptismal font in the cathedral last Thursday, to coincide with the launch of the Ennis Baptismal and Marriage Records (1837-1900) online. The font had been lost for years but was discovered around 1964 during construction work at the property of Paddy Brennan, late sacristan, of 62 O’Connell Street, Ennis.  “The font later made its way to Clonroadmore, where Paddy’s son, Pat, has been its custodian ever since. The font functioned as a floral garden ornament at Pat’s property. This use seems to have maintained it in perfect condition. During judging of the best garden competition as part of Ennis Tidy Towns, Fr John Molloy, a judge, queried the flower pot and Pat Brennan was quick to give the historical background to the pot,” a spokeswoman for the Clare Roots Society …