The unavailability of a suitable venue in Ennis has paved the way for a General Election count to take place in North Clare for the first time.
A large function room and dining facilities are a prerequisite for an election count nowadays and the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon qualifies on both counts.
With the Government giving the minimum required notice for polling day, county registrar Pat Wallace found that the West County Hotel, the traditional venue for major election counts, was already booked for Saturday, February 27. He said the move away from Ennis was unavoidable.
The election count will bring a welcome boost for the Falls Hotel and other businesses.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.