Tag Archives: clare champion

AN Ennis man living and working in New York, which has seen the largest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the US, has told The Clare Champion, “I can’t imagine life ever going back to normal.” Journalist Colm Flynn has been covering the effects the virus has had on the people of New York for a number of television companies. Just recently he presented a widely acclaimed RTÉ Nationwide special highlighting how the Irish community in New York have been helping each other through the crisis. Speaking to The Clare Champion from New York, Colm describes the atmosphere in the usually bustling metropolis as “extremely eerie”. He says he has been “overwhelmed” with the response to the Nationwide show, revealing the show almost didn’t make it onto our screens. “The situation was getting worse and worse here in New York, and back at home RTÉ of course was so focused on what was happening Ireland there wasn’t too much coverage …

ENNIS artist Tomás O’Maoldomhnaigh has been shortlisted for a global art award. He is in the running to be named as the Wildlife Artist of the year 2020 for his painting ‘Rush Hour Okavango’. In 2018 Tomás was lucky enough to explore Southern Africa, namely some of the national parks of Namibia, Botswana and Zambia with a quick visit to Johannesburg South Africa. In 2019 Tomás held a solo art exhibition in Limerick celebrating the nature and landscape of these marvellous wild places. The shortlisted painting was featured in this exhibition titled ‘Under African Skies’. “Africa possesses beauty like no other land. There is a range of habitats and geographic locations from the swamps of the Okavango to the Namib desert,” he explains. The painting depicts early one morning in the Okavango delta. “We travelled in the dark by dugout canoe to a riverbank. We could hear the screeching of the monkeys as they descended from the safety their roost …

SCHOOLS may be closed, but the wheels on the bus of one Ennis secondary school are continuing to go round in support of the local community. Students at Rice College are carrying out their studies at home as efforts to control Covid-19 continue across the country. And while the youngsters are hitting the books from the safety of home, the school’s mini-bus is being put to good use. The school has begun a Community Reach Out, using the bus to provide support for the elderly and vulnerable. Principal Louis Mulqueen and Deputy Principal John Burns explain, “Thankfully all of our students are engaged in Remote Learning and we continue to support parents and teachers in ensuring ongoing teaching and learning as we navigate our way during this difficult time. Teachers are doing phenomenal work in this new educational landscape.However Management at Rice College are anxious to do what we can to assist our community in this very difficult time in …

ALMOST one thousand lights shone out of the darkness at an Ennis church on Wednesday evening, each one a beacon of hope that we will come through the current Covid-19 crisis. Cloughleigh Church was lit up with hundreds of candles in a special ceremony which was recorded and will be broadcast on Fr Ger Fitzgerald’s Facebook page. A number of people living in Cloughleigh also played their part by placing their own lights in the windows of their homes. According to Fr Ger he has been “overwhelmed” with the response to the Light up the Dark idea, and he hopes the broadcast will “bring a moment of peace to people.” “The idea for the Light up the Dark came, first of all, from the general sense of unease, uncertainty and anxiety that is around at the moment because of COVID-19. People are worried about their loved ones, themselves, their jobs and it’s for many a dark moment. So, I was …

HUNDREDS of frontline healthworkers are set to enjoy a night’s stay in Ennis following an “unbelievable response” to a local hotel’s ‘thank you’ to those leading the fight against Covid-19. Hotel Woodstock is one of five hotels as part of the Choice Hotel Group to donate a total of 1,800 free overnight stays to HSE healthcare workers in the frontline. Sean Lally owner / director of Hotel Woodstock explains that the Ennis hotel is providing approximately 360 rooms to the effort “to express our deep gratitude”. Just days after the hotel group made the announcement, the hotels were fully subscribed with Mr Lally saying “there has been an unbelievable response”. “There has been a huge reaction to this, we’ve had hundreds and hundreds of shares across social media. This is just a small way for us to give something back to those on the frontline. What they are doing for us can never fully be repaid, this is just a …

Gardaí have arrested five men in their late teens and early 20s, in relation to a burglary at a phone shop on O’Connell Street, Ennis in the early hours of this morning (Monday). Shortly before 2.30am, Gardaí in Ennis received a report of a burglary that had just occurred in which a grey car was seen leaving the area. Gardaí located the suspect car and carried out a managed pursuit. The car was abandoned on Ballyalla Grove and the occupants fled in different directions. One man was arrested by Gardaí and is currently detained at Ennis Garda Station. A search of the car was carried out and Gardaí recovered a large quantity of mobile phones that had been stolen. Gardaí put a cordon in place in the surrounding areas and a car was stopped on the Gort Road at around 5.30am. Three men who were in the car, were arrested and brought to Ennis and Shannon Garda Stations. At around …

THE Clare Champion was a very scary place on Thursday morning when dozens of children from Ennis National School visited to mark Halloween. The pupils were themselves dressed very scarily for the occasion, while Clare Champion staff were transformed into witches, ghosts and skeletons. While it was an exceptionally scary scene, the children were delighted when they heard that there was plenty of chocolate, sweets and taytos to help them come to terms with their ghostly surroundings.  

A SITE has been secured for the construction of a new €25 million St Joseph’s Hospital in Ennis. The construction of the 100-bed, community nursing unit on five acres of Diocesan lands located near the Turnpike in Ennis will ensure that elderly care services remain at the heart of the county town, according to Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen. Deputy Breen said, “I am delighted that a site has been secured at this central location in Ennis for the construction of the new €25 million St Joseph’s Hospital. The sale of the 5.09 acres of land remains subject to planning permission for the development of the 100 bed Community Nursing Unit, but I believe the site provides the best option following the appraisal of a number of sites in the Ennis environs by the HSE. “The new state-of-the-art St Joseph’s Hospital building has been prioritised in the HSE Capital …