Tag Archives: business

2019 is not a bad time to become president of Ennis Chamber, as Gwen Culligan is doing, with the town’s economy in a relatively sweet spot, while still strengthening and improving. Gwen is co-owner of the County Boutique on O’Connell Street, with her sister Maeve Flouch, and it is a family business that goes back to the 1960s. The business was a huge part of Gwen’s childhood. “Our playground was O’Connell Street. After school, at lunchtime from school and whatever, we’d be there. I’m from Clon Road, so we’re real townies,” she laughs. Her mother worked in the business right up until her death in 2005. Gwen was away for a number of years working in AIB but has been in the shop for around 30 years now, placing her at the heart of Ennis commerce. She has also been active in the chamber for quite a long spell. “I’ve been involved in the chamber on and off for years. …

PEOPLE may be on tenterhooks over Brexit but there are indications that the local economy is still performing well, with unemployment falling again in February. There were 4,876 signing on the Live Register in February, down from 5,045 in January. Year on year, the number signing on is down by 939, or 16% of the February 2018 total. West Clare County Councillor Ian Lynch works in construction and he said there has been an improvement. “It’s more positive than it has been. In the construction sector, on a national scale, there has definitely been a pick-up but in the Mid-West Region, there is no major activity. What I’m finding is that the smaller contractors, who are doing houses and extensions and stuff, are actually gone a little bit quieter. But while there is no huge demand for work, they’re still tipping away; there aren’t long spells of three or four weeks out of work. “You’d find a lot of them …

JOBS are at risk at Shannon IT company Avocent today. The company is a subsidiary of Vertiv, and in a statement it said, “Vertiv has notified the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection that we are considering staffing changes at our Shannon site. We are keeping our employees and customers informed. This is part of our efforts to deliver our products and services to our customers in the most effective and affordable way possible.” According to its accounts, Avocent International Designated Activity Company employed 84 people in the year to September 30, 2017. It had an after tax profit of US$6.4 million. Owen Ryan      

A BUSINESS that combines a pub and shop is nearly a thing of the past but a few of them still survive, including Kenny’s in Ennis. Located at the corner of Carmody Street and Drumbiggle Road, it is a type of premises that is now almost unique in Ennis, where one can get a newspaper and a couple of groceries at the front and a pint of Guinness or a whiskey in the back. When The Clare Champion visited on Thursday night of last week, Tony Coote was one of those seated comfortably at the bar. “I’m a regular here; it’s a very unique pub. There aren’t many places you’d come in and see tennis balls for sale,” he laughs, pointing at a bag of them hanging up in the shop. If you were looking for an authentic Irish bar, it would be hard to beat Kenny’s and some visitors to the town do make their way there, Tony said. …

THERE was a sense of hope and excitement in Kildysart this week, with news that €1.8 million has been allocated for the development of maritime and cruise liner-related training facilities at the disused school and convent in Cahercon. It is expected that a facility will be developed offering training in all sorts of activities related to marine industries, from piloting cruise liners to catering to mechanics for ships. Ultimately, it’s expected that private sector interests will develop the facility in the next couple of years, while a statement from Clare Deputy Pat Breen this week said that the National Maritime College of Ireland, which is based in Cork, will be central to providing the training. When it finally does open, it will bring a certain amount of new jobs and, presumably, a significant number of trainees and students to the nearby village. Such a development will be a major boost for Kildysart, the likes of which  it has not enjoyed …

PEOPLE living adjacent to the site of a proposed one million square foot data centre campus on the outskirts of Ennis have been almost completely left in the dark about the implications for them. On Wednesday, several of the people living close to the site said that while prospective developer Tom McNamara has spoken to them, they still have little information and harbour significant concerns. One woman said she is “totally in shock”, while resident Edward Casey said it has caused a degree of upset in the area. “A neighbour of ours didn’t sleep for two or three nights after hearing about it. The first time I heard it, I didn’t know what to think. I have a business, going well, but it could be turned upside down,” he said. However, Mr McNamara, said that consultation has taken place. “Significant consultation has already taken place with adjoining residents and there is more to follow,” Mr McNamara told The Clare Champion on …

AROUND 40 jobs are being shed from Digital river in Shannon, as the work is being transferred to Bulgaria. Laura May, vice-president of global delivery and commerce operations with the company, this week said, “We recently made a strategic decision to transition a part of our customer service business to an existing third-party provider, which resulted in a reduction of staff in our Shannon office. Digital river’s Shannon office continues to be a vital part of our global business and remains our largest European office, with no plans to relocate the remaining operations. “We have just concluded a consultation process within our Shannon office, where employee representatives were consulted with and came to agreement on several items related to the transition, including the redundancy package. “We are currently in the process of individual consultation with the at-risk employees and are committed to providing as much support as possible.” Minister of State Pat Breen said around 60 jobs will remain in …

Minister for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen is looking forward to seeing the next wave of “exciting and innovative initiatives” that will be supported by the Regional Enterprise Development Fund and drive employment creation in the regions. The Minister of State was speaking at the launch of the second call for proposals under the Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) which is worth a further €30 million. Last December €30.5m was awarded to 21 collaborative projects right across the country under phase one of REDF. Minister Breen said, “The Regional Action Plans for Jobs have provided a structure for collaboration so that individual counties can work together, harness collective abilities to support enterprise growth, and respond to economic challenges. The €60 million Regional Enterprise Development Fund builds on and supports this structure. It puts regional investment into the hands of local stakeholders, and encourages local groups to develop and drive enterprise growth and employment …