Magic night with Dragon

WITH his strong Clare connections, it’s not surprising that an opportunity to hear from entrepreneur and RTÉ Dragon Bobby Kerr this week proved to be such a draw for people from all over the county.

Bobby spoke in support of the Ennis Create the Magic initiative at The Old Ground, where his late father, who hailed from Kilkee, was a former manager.
The project has been initiated by Ennis Development Forum and Ennis Chamber in a bid to improve customer care and encourage more spending. It is hoped that this project will help bring Clare out of recession and make it Ireland’s friendliest county.
As well as addressing the large crowd of more than 150 people, Bobby also presented the 25 pilot business owners who have been taking part in the scheme with their ‘customer charter’, which they will display in their premises.
Speaking to The Clare Champion after the event, Bobby said, “I thought there was a fantastic atmosphere in the room, a great sense of people working together for what they can fix rather than worrying about the other stuff that they can’t control. I like the idea that they have agreed on a message of making people feel welcome in their business.
“I thought there was an immense, positive energy in the room and I was really impressed with it.”
Bobby spoke at the event about his journey in business, motivating those gathered. “Working together, with some sort of common vision, you can achieve a lot,” he said.
He recalled his connections with the county, with both his late father and his sister having worked in the Old Ground. His mother also has a house in Kilkee.
“I have a very strong association with Clare and it’s people so I was delighted to be involved with this project,” he said.
He outlined the importance of networking in business, of aiming high for what you want and to not be afraid of failure. He also stressed the importance of tourism in the recovery of Ireland’s economy.
Bobby also spoke to many individual business owners after the event and said he was very interested to hear their ideas.
In line with the Create the Magic theme, the event also included a performance by a magician.
Aoife Madden of Ennis Development Forum commented, “It was a great turnout and we were delighted to have Bobby speak. We are genuine about trying to be Ireland’s friendliest town and he could see that. We all have to think outside of the box and he really believes in that concept. We all need to pull together and get back to basics and get to know each other in order to get out of this recession.”
Also speaking at the event was John Dillane, president of Ennis Chamber, who stressed the importance of doing business with each other locally. Rita McInerney, CEO of Ennis Chamber, added, “Bobby was very practical in what he had to say and was very down to earth.
“He stressed that people need to forget the begrudgers and encouraged them to go for their goals and aim for what they want.
“The event was very well received and it ended with a call to any business who wants to get involved in the second phase of the project to contact us at Ennis Chamber.”
The second phase of the project will be held in the end of June, beginning of July, and details can be obtained from Ennis Chamber on 065 6842988.