Regional

Two Ennis girls are hoping to do their bit to help the South African community of Port Elizabeth when they head off to Sr Ethel Normoyle at the Missionvale township at the end of this month. Ellen Daly and Sarah Behan, both aged 20, are embarking on a journey that they hope will both challenge and help them in the future.

AN TAOISEACH Brian Cowen will be in town on Monday, September 28, having taken up an invitation from Shannon Chamber president, Ian Barrett.

THE completion of the proposed €66,000 historic tourist trail in Killaloe under a new scheme designed by Clare County Council should result in another increase in marks for the town in the Tidy Towns’ competition next year.

A Parteen man has recorded the highs and lows during a gruelling 10,500km charity cycle from Cairo to Capetown with three of his college friends through which over €26,000 has been raised.

FOR the second year in a row, Ennistymon are preparing to host a guilt-free culinary treat when the Clare Harvest Banquet takes place early next month. Organising an event that would stand up as something which people would want to support, even if the money was not going to charity, was a challenge embraced by Sinéad Ní Gharbhith.

A well-known scientist who spent the past year working with a North Clare project recently won a coveted British award for her ability to communicate scientific research to a non-specialist audience.

THE first citizens of Clare and Kilkee, Mayors Tony Mulcahy and Lily Marrinan-Sullivan were on hand for the Clare Inclusive Research Group’s first public interactive drama performance of Leaving Home at Garrihy’s Bar, Moyasta last Thursday afternoon, which was organised by the Brothers of Charity, Kilrush. There was an air of expectation in the community on the eve of the Nell Galvin Festival but all eyes at the packed function room were firmly fixed on the research acting troupe.Following a forum theatre format, first devised by Brazilian social dramatist Augusto Boal to help landless farmers stand up for their rights, the audience or as Boal termed them, the “engaged onlookers”, are drawn into the drama to suggest ways of solving a problem; in this case the problem of people with a learning disability overcoming over-protective families, officious social workers and the long arm of the law. After “spectactors” Teresa O’Dea and Orla MacMahon tried to placate a forbidding potential mother-in-law, …

PARNELL Street is “dying” and has become a “second-class citizen” compared to other streets in the town, local traders have claimed. Business people operating from Parnell Street raised concerns about the future of the pedestrianised street to members of Ennis Town Council this week.Speaking at this week’s meeting, Noreen Twomey Walsh commented that the recent economic downturn and flood relief works have compounded problems for businesses. “We recognise the necessity of the flood relief works but they are lingering with no end in sight,” she said.