Tag Archives: clare champion

A GRAPHIC designer has created coloured prints of iconic Clare lighthouses on his journey to capture every lighthouse guarding the Irish coast, inspired by his boyhood hero Tintin.  Bert DuFour has spent the last three years and travelled over 2,000km trying to capture all 80 operational lighthouses dotted around our coastline, including Clare’s Beeves Rock, Blackhead, Kilcredaun and Loop Head.  Fifty-five lighthouses across the country have so far been framed as artworks – and now his huge project will go on public show at Gifted, Contemporary Craft and Design Fair at Dublin’s RDS from November 30 to December 4. “There is a beauty to these towers, and how they stand over the ocean,” said Belgian native Bert, who moved to Clonakilty, Co Cork, in 2011.  “I am gobsmacked by how these structures were created 150 to 200 years ago. I find how they were built and where they were built utterly fascinating.”  Bert, who started design business, The Designer of Things, …

A CELEBRATION of the men and women of Clare who contributed to Ireland’s independence will take place next month in Ennis. ‘Breith (Birth): A Clare Celebration of Irish Independence’ is a production to mark the centenary of the War of Independence in County Clare. The work is the vision of Dr Tim Collins, composer, musician and member of the world-renowned Kilfenora Céilí Band. The event will take place in glór Theatre, Ennis, on Saturday, December 10, at 8pm. This is a fully booked event but will be live-streamed on the night – details will be available on www.clarearts.ie “It is indeed a great privilege to bring together such diverse and illustrious artistic talent to commemorate what is one of the most important events in modern Irish history,” says Tim Collins. “My vision for Breith is to create an artistic space to remember and celebrate Clare men and women who lived through, and participated in, the Irish War of Independence. It weaves their local stories …

THE transformation of the site of the former Ennis Boys National School on the Kilrush Road into a new temporary car park has been given the green light by Clare County Council. City Cinemas Ltd have been granted planning permission to provide 156 parking spaces in the town. The car park will include 12 accessible bays and four electric vehicle parking bays. The development will also include minor alterations to the entrances, signage, pedestrian access and internal footpaths and perimeter fencing. Under a condition of planning permission, all vehicular movements leaving the car park are to be monitored in the first six months of its operation. This comes after concerns were raised by the Roads Office of the local authority that increasing numbers of exiting vehicles turning right onto the R475 may cause a safety hazard. After the six months a report is to be submitted to the planning authority and “thereafter, if deemed necessary, the applicant shall signalise the …

MORE than €30,000 has been raised for Bushypark as a result of a fundraising campaign organised by Ennis Lions. When Ennis Lions Club committed to fundraise for the development project at Bushypark a full year ago they sought a project that provided a win for all stakeholders. Led by the success of their colleagues in Galway Lions they chose to undertake the mammoth task of a charity auction to be carried out online and on radio. The principle reason for this choice was that it provided an avenue that gave back to donors as well as providing great value on a broad range of desirable goods to local people. Little did they know their choice would end up being the talk of October 2022 across the county! Project team leader David Goodstein credited this WIN/WIN formula to the huge success of their recent Charity Auction during October which saw them raise a magnificent €30,343 for Bushypark. Back in March the …

ENNIS students are urging the public to help them become a ‘Secret Santa’ to those most in need in Clare. Transition Year students at Ennis Community College and Gaelcholáiste an Chláir joined forces with the St Vincent de Paul and next week they will be taking over the Vincent’s Charity Shop in Ennis. This is just one of a variety of actions the students are taking to support the St Vincent de Paul, with a clothing and food drive and a no-uniform day also planned. On Thursday, December 1 the Ennis teenagers will take on the entire running of the charity shop from 9am until 9pm, doing everything from manning the tills to managing the floor. And for those hoping to pick up some bargains ahead of the festive season, there are plans for a flash sale with up to 50% off items teacher Martina McNamara reveals. Ms McNamara explains that the theme of this year’s annual fundraising campaign by …

ENNIS has once again attained the coveted Purple Flag award. After a gap during COVID-19 years, when night life everywhere was interrupted, Ennis Purple Flag Committee re-convened last autumn to apply for Purple Flag accreditation once more.  Following a full, in-person assessment conducted during the hours of 5pm to 5am, by national and international assessors, Ennis was awarded a Purple Flag to fly proudly, plus a certificate of award, at a recent national ceremony held in Cork.  Purple Flag certification recognises the work done by a multi-sector Purple Flag Committee, to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of Ennis town centre Evening and Night-time Economy. Areas awarded the Purple Flag are recognised for providing a vibrant and diverse mix of dining, entertainment and culture while promoting the safety and well-being of visitors and residents.   Other towns and cities in Ireland to renew Purple Flag accreditation this year include Dublin city centre, Cork, Waterford and Sligo, with many more towns …

CLOSE to one million people have attended over 8,000 performances in glór, which this weekend celebrates its 21st birthday. On Saturday, the Ennis cultural venue celebrates 21 years in business and in that time has welcomed 950,000 people to over 8,200 ticketed performances and events. To celebrate reaching its milestone birthday, glór is collaborating with broadcaster and producer Áine Hensey to present a 21st birthday concert this weekend. This Saturday, a generation of younger Clare musicians and performers will take to the glór stage this Saturday to echo the opening night performance and to celebrate in true Clare style. The anniversary concert will once again raise the roof and feature a host of special guests from Clare and beyond, celebrating our creative community through music, dance, and word. The concert will also feature just some of the many recent collaborations that glór is very proud of. Compered by Therese McInerney, the concert will feature some of Clare’s finest musicians and …

ENNIS Players are going on tour. Due to popular demand and having performed a completely sold out Supper-theatre run in The Old Ground Hotel, Ennis Players have announced a very special performance of ‘One-Acts on Tour’ in North Clare this weekend. The Players will perform two one-act plays in Hotel Doolin on Sunday, November 27. Speaking about the event, Mary Curley, Chairperson, said, “We in Ennis Players are delighted with the return of our very popular one-act season, as we have missed our audiences for the past two years, and look forward to welcoming the people of Clare and further afield to our performances.” The Players will take to the stage performing Elysium Nevada by Barry McKinley and Trapped by Barry Woods. Set in a retirement village in the sweltering Nevada desert, Elysium Nevada by Barry McKinley tells of two residents reflections on life, youth and how they got there. They are joined by a mysteriously silent woman whose presence adds …