Regional

  THE new SkyCourt Adoration Chapel opened on Tuesday afternoon and was blessed by Bishop of Killaloe, Willie Walsh.Located in the Town Square, it replaces the old oratory in SkyCourt, which opened in 1976.The chapel was developed at a cost of €250,000 and can accommodate 60 people, although there was a larger crowd at Tuesday’s opening with the congregation spilling out the doors. Writing in the booklet that was distributed at the opening, parish priest, Fr Tom Ryan said it was a very significant moment for the parish. “On an occasion like today, there is an undoubted sense of nostalgia as we consider all those who helped build and give shape to our parish over the past 42 years and who have gone to their eternal reward. I thank all who have helped make this oratory a reality; the owners of SkyCourt, Shannon Development Company, parishioners and friends who use this place as part of their daily lives. Our ceremony …

  TWENTY-five year old Raj Singh is one of the leading members of the Clare Cricket Club, which was formed two years ago.The Indian national, who lives in Ballycasey and works in Limerick, says that the club has a good number of members living in Shannon, where much of their summer training was done. “This was just our second year. Because we don’t have our own ground, we have to play all away games. We trained on the all-weather pitch here in Shannon and in Ennis a bit. For the winter, we are training indoors in Newmarket.”Of course, there is a very small cricket base in the county, with many of the players having recently arrived to Ireland. “We have three or four from South Africa, a few from England and Australia and three or four more from India. We have a few Irish playing as well. It’s a mixture of people from all different cultures.”While it’s not a game …

OVER two decades of hard work and innovation paved the way for an Ardnacrusha businessman to scoop the top gong at the country’s largest retail sector awards last weekend. Instore managing director, Oliver Moloney was the toast of the retail sector after his furniture outlet at Stillorgan, Dublin was named National Store of the Year 2009 at the FBD Retail Excellence Ireland Awards.He was presented with his award by Enterprise Minister Mary Coughlan at a gala event held at the Lyrath Estate Hotel in Kilkenny on Saturday night. Hosted by RTÉ’s Miriam O’Callaghan, the awards ceremony was attended by 500 representatives of the retail industry in Ireland. Instore was one of 13 recipients from across the country to scoop an award at the annual event, which seeks to recognise and reward high standards of excellence across the entire retail industry. In addition to being judged Best Extra Large Store of the Year, Instore beat off stiff competition from Meteor, which …

WHILE the recession had hit hard leading to a slower than usual shopping splurge, Ennis Chamber is expecting business to gather momentum in the coming weeks as shoppers finally splash the cash.Chamber president, Guy Flouch said the town was bracing itself for a bumper shopping season and key shopping streets had been pedestrianised and parking spaces have been massively increased in anticipation of large shopping numbers. “The town is a fantastic place to shop. The town centre is compact, pulsating with family-friendly stores all offering a range of initiatives to create a traditional festive atmosphere,” Guy stressed.Mr Flouch added, “Visiting Ennis this Christmas will restore a hassle-free shopping experience imbued with traditional seasonal values. You will have choice, convenience and fantastic bargains.”To promote the town, Guy and Chamber CEO, Rita McInerney have been appearing on regional radio stations and have launched an intensive advertising campaign. They have also tapped into social networking sites.Ennis Town Council is playing its part, with …

  AN Ennis Town Council-led crackdown on public urination isn’t going to go ahead.At a meeting this week, Councillor Paul O’Shea, who recently suggested creating a position of urine warden in the town, brought forward a motion asking that a six-month pilot project be introduced that would see two people employed as environment and nuisance wardens. But town clerk Eddie Power shot down the proposals. “The gardaí have the powers under the Criminal Justice Public Order Act 1994 to deal with public urination. Ennis Town Council as a local authority does not have the legal basis to take any action in this regard. In any event, the council is prohibited by the public service staffing embargo to recruit additional staff.”However, Councillor O’Shea was not deterred and claimed that funding could be found. He also claimed that the problem isn’t being tackled. “When was the last time anyone saw in the papers that someone had been fined for public urination?” he …

ALL “the old rules” that have surrounded flood control in Ennis are now irrelevant, this week’s meeting of Ennis Town Council heard.Engineer Eamon O’Dea told the meeting that there would be an evaluation of the floods and funds would be sought to make improvements, while he also said that there is no safety risk at the Bank Place Bridge, although further inspections will take place when the water level recedes.Councillor Brian Meaney asked at what point it would be necessary to relocate people to higher ground, rather than continually tackling flooding at their homes. He said that certain works in the ’80s had been carried out “nefariously” and that a new approach was needed. “We need a substantial look at flood management. All the old rules have gone,” he commented.Councillor Meaney also said that the situation would have been much more grave but for the works that have been carried out at the Parnell Street car park.There needs to be …

SUCH is the lack of public street lighting at St Patrick’s Terrace in Kilkee, Councillor Paddy Collins has likened the local authority estate to “the Black Hole of Calcutta”.The Black Hole of Calcutta was the guard room in the old Fort William, at Calcutta, India where troops of the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah, held British prisoners of war after the capture of the Fort on June 19, 1756.With reference to the absence of sufficient light at St Patrick’s Terrace, Councillor Collins claimed that it is impossible to see the housing estate once it gets dark, adding that the bulb has blown in the one public light that normally works.“If you passed St Patrick’s Terrace (at night) you wouldn’t know it was there. Now the only lights you can see are Christmas lights,” he said.“There’s only one light there at the moment and the bulb is gone. It has been gone for a week. There are no lights in St …

  THE work done on restoring Loughnane and Quinn Memorial Hall in Labane was recognised at the Galway County Heritage Awards which took place in Claregalway last week.The committee in charge of the memorial hall’s major conservation and restoration project was awarded second place in the Loughrea Electoral Area section of the awards which seek to acknowledge voluntary contributions to the county’s heritage.There were 13 nominations from the Loughrea Electoral Area where Comhar Creidmheasa Naomh Breandáin in Loughrea scooped the top award. The other nominees were Carrabane National School, Carrabane, Athenry; Craughwell National School; Doorus Orchard Project, Kinvara; Eoghan Mac Cormaic and Pádraig Ó Baoill, GLÓR-Gaeilge Locha Riach; Karen O’Neill, Ardrahan Heritage Group; Kileeneen National School, Clarinbridge; Kilnadeema National School; Killeenadeema History and Heritage Society; Scoil Chiaráin Naofa, Kinvara and Saint Joseph’s National School, Woodford.Speaking at the awards ceremony, Councillor Tom McHugh, Mayor of County Galway, said, “Our heritage belongs to each one of us and it is vital that …