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Tag Archives: christmas

shannondoc

ShannonDoc prepares for festive rush

SHANNONDOC has predicted patient numbers across the Christmas period this year will be double normal operating levels. Looking ahead to the busiest period of the year for the service, which provides non-emergency GP care outside of normal surgery hours, ShannonDoc Chair Dr Ailish Kenny urged the public to be patient as staff try to deal with the huge increase in calls. “We normally deal with about 2,500 patients per week but that will more or less double over Christmas when GP practices will, of course, be closed for public holidays as well as weekends. Over the course of the Christmas and New Year period, we could care for approx 10,000 patients in total. “That’s a huge throughput and a credit to all our staff. Every year the organisation rises to the challenge and our staff have been incredible over the past 20 months with Covid-19, while the public, too, have been understanding and supportive in light of the challenges facing …

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Ennis toy store gets shop window on RTÉ

AN Ennis toyshop will feature in a brand new television show airing this week on RTÉ. Little Ones on Parnell Street, in the county town, which specialises in traditional wooden toys and children’s gifts, is among the stores to appear in The Toy Shop which airs on RTÉ One on Wednesday evening at 9.30pm and again on Christmas day on RTÉ 2 at 8.45pm. The programme has been made by Atom Films, the makers of the acclaimed Older Than Ireland, Abbeyfealegood and The Irish Wedding. Fiona Ryan, owner of Little Ones, told The Champion she was delighted to take part in the programme and to be able to share the joy that toy shops can bring into people’s lives. “I was contacted by Atom Films to take part in the programme, I don’t know how they found out about us but I think originally they were looking at doing a programme on toys in general, then they wanted to focus …

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Samaritans illuminate service on the longest night

PROMINENT buildings in Ennis will be illuminated on the longest day of the year to highlight the Samaritans’ Christmas campaign. Clare County Council headquarters, the Active Ennis Leisure Complex and Clare Youth Centre will all be lit up in green on December 21 in solidarity with the Samaritans and to show people the service is available to them in their darkest hours. Director of the Ennis and Clare branch of the Samaritans Margaret McMahon said, “We’re getting buildings to light up in green and if more could it’d be welcome. “It’s just to raise awareness that the Samaritans are there and we picked the longest night. It’s to emphasise that at this time of year when the clocks go back and Christmas is coming it can be a really tough time. “I think I got my first call about Christmas back in August. People really think about it and worry.” She said that in recent weeks people have been concerned …

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Ennis lady Deirdre storms charts at 60

Poignant Christmas song hits number 2 on iTunes, just behind Mariah MOVE over Mariah Carey, it looks like there is a new queen of the Christmas song – and she lives in County Clare. Ennis-based Deirdre Devally, an MA Creative Writing student, has penned a new song ‘Christmas in Dublin’ in a collaboration with Niall Teague which is proving to be a festive hit. Sung by Anne Brennan the track is 60-year-old Deirdre’s first song release and recently reached number two in the iTunes holiday song chart for Ireland. “It was behind Mariah Carey, in front of Michael Bublé, Bruce Springsteen and other huge names. It has got USA and Irish airplay,” she told The Champion. She described the reaction to the song as “phenomenal” saying she couldn’t believe it when she saw its position in the Irish charts. “It’s so thrilling and exciting.” Deirdre, who is originally from Dublin but has lived in Ennis for 24 years, explained that …

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Ennis Christmas pedestrianisation begins this weekend

CHRISTMAS pedestrianisation of Ennis’ main street begins this weekend, while free parking at public carparks is also being introduced at certain times for the festive season. O’Connell Square and O’Connell Street will be car free from 11am to 6pm on December 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 to 24 inclusive. The Ennis Christmas Market takes place in Abbey Street Car Park from this Friday until Sunday and as a result, the west of the main through road, adjacent to the river between Costa Coffee and O’Briens, is unavailable from 6pm Wednesday, November 30 until 8am on Monday, December 6. Abbey Street Car Park will be unavailable during these times. Until Sunday, January, 2 there will be no charge in public car parks from 2pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Additional parking free of charge has been made available at Clare County Council headquarters on December 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19 from 9am to 6pm. Free parking is also available at …

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Christmas market is on but lights switch-on stays virtual

ORGANISERS of this year’s Christmas Market in Ennis have stated the event is going ahead. Confirmation comes after the official switch-on of Ennis’ Christmas lights, planned for this Friday in Abbey Street, has been replaced with a virtual switch-on. From December 2 to 5 Abbey Street Carpark will be transformed into a festive Christmas Village with live entertainment, creative crafts and food along with a vintage carousel, Christmas-themed amusements and other festive surprises. An estimated 10,000 people visited over the three-day event in 2019. Organisers say they are hopeful that by extending the event by an extra day this year, it will facilitate an anticipated increase in numbers. The appetite for live events has increased and to comply with government and public health guidelines an extra day is likely to be necessary. Thousands of people had been expected to turn out for the official switch-on of the county capital’s Christmas lights this Friday. However Clare County Council made the “difficult …

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A Christmas Fairy Tale

Switching on of Ennis Christmas lights to be virtual this year

THE official switching on of the Christmas lights in Ennis on Friday, November 26, will now take place as a virtual event. Clare County Council said that details of the online event will be made available soon. In a statement this afternoon the Council said, “This decision has been taken by Clare County Council based on current public health advice and in view of anticipated numbers of up to 6,000 people attending the event. “This was a difficult decision and Clare County Council appreciates there will be disappointment for those involved. “Other planned events in the Christmas in Ennis programme, including the Christmas Village, Cadbury Postal Service and Retro Drive-In Movies, are expected to go ahead. However, we strongly advise that members of the public monitor all media platforms for updates in relation to the planned programme of events.” The Council also called on the public to support the town in the coming weeks. “Please remember to visit Ennis to …

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Happy Howly Christmas everyone.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Well, I hope you all enjoyed the Christmas break. I know it was a bit different from other years but that didn’t make it any worse. Before the real lockdown happened, I got the chance to pay a flying visit to two of my favourite places – Brooklodge in Wicklow and The Twelve in Barna. We hardly stirred from either hotel, with lazy days spent snoozing in the room or in the lounge. A change is as good as a rest and snoozing in different surroundings is very refreshing I always find. I had some sad news in BrookLodge though. My friend Oscar went to Doggie Heaven a few weeks before our arrival. I’ll miss him as he was always good for a laugh and a gossip. He had a lovely, long, happy life though and that’s all a dog ever wants. On the way to Galway from BrookLodge, we stopped in Dublin to meet my Aunty Aileen and we …

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