Tag Archives: clare champion

MEMORIAL seating to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Ennis Mental Association is to be installed in the coming weeks in the Abbey Street Carpark. Details of the plan were unveiled at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, where Councillor Mary Howard also urged the local authority to make it easier for people to commemorate their loved ones with suitable memorials in the town. Councillor Howard outlined that she has been approached by a number of local people who would like to sponsor items such as seats and trees in memory of a loved one who has passed away. “It’s time we took responsibility for this,” she said. She continued, “I know we have a memorial committee, but it can be overly complicated. People want to put in place something to remember their loved ones.” Mayor of Ennis, Councillor Ann Norton a member of the memorial committee stated they are “working to ensure we are …

Ennis Tidy Towns chairman pays tribute to volunteer spirit of diverse set of partners ENNIS cleaned up at this year’s SuperValu Tidy Towns awards taking home the overall title of Ireland’s Tidiest Town 2021. “We are over the moon. This is the first time in 16 years, and only the second time since the competition started that we have brought the prize back to Ennis,” Ennis Tidy Towns chairman Cormac McCarthy told the Clare Champion after the announcement. “This is a testament not only to our volunteers, and we have a wonderful committee, but we very much accepted the award on behalf of the entire town. “Our submission every year is peppered with projects that Ennis Tidy Towns partner with other groups on. Then there is the wonderful landscaping around the town and how clean the streets are kept by the council staff. “We partner with Macra na Feirme, Ennis Sub-Aqua Club, the Brothers of Charity, HSE Dulick centre, schools, …

Thriving Ennis charity shop provides the perfect example of sustainable social enterprise supporting a vital service COVID-19 brought many challenges to the voluntary retail sector, however an Ennis “charity superstore” is not just surviving, it is thriving. Since opening eight years ago in Munster House in the Gort Road Business Park the Clare Haven Horizons Charity Shop has rapidly expanded. It is now made up of seven units including fashion, furniture and homeware sales, a specific donation drop-off point and an upcoming pop-up Christmas shop. According to manager Mairead Mannion the store’s location and business model allowed it to respond to the pandemic in a way that facilitated its growing success. The shop’s expansion hasn’t just been confined to the physical store however, with Clare Haven Horizons Charity Shop making the move online during the pandemic, attracting a brand new set of customers. Its profile also continues to grow not just locally, but nationally. The shop was recently awarded three …

A NEW memorial which remembers all those from Clare who were involved in World War II is to be dedicated in Ennis this weekend. The memorial at Friars Walk includes the names of 62 people from Clare who died in the Second World War, and includes six women. This will be the first time their contribution has been permanently acknowledged in the county. Also included in the memorial are the names of nine RAF airmen who died in air accidents in Clare and four Irish defence personnel who died in the county while on duty during the war. An addendum of World War I names which have come to light since the memorial to the Great War was unveiled in 2016 in the Peace Park is also included. Construction of the World War II memorial has been delayed since 2020 due to Covid19 restrictions, but the members of the group behind the project in the Clare Peace Park Initiative are …

A CALL is being made for a civic reception to be held in honour of the Ennis Tidy Towns committee following their “monumental achievement” in being named Ireland’s Tidiest Town. Clare Fine Gael TD, Deputy Joe Carey, said, “This is a monumental achievement, and the hard-working volunteers deserve huge credit for their work this year and indeed over many, many years,” he added. He believes that Clare County Council should mark the achievement by hosting a Civic Reception in recognition of the work of many volunteers, throughout the years. “I am calling on Clare County Council to hold a civic reception for the volunteers who have selflessly given their time freely over the years. “This news is a huge boost to Ennis and an example to all of us around Clare as to what can be achieved through hard work and persistence. Their success is even more impressive in light of the pandemic and the challenges that has brought,” Deputy …

CLARE gardaí are urging people planning for the festive season to ‘Buy Safe and Pay Safe’ when it comes to online shopping. In the lead up to Christmas and in particular the Black Friday sales promotion period An Garda Síochána are supporting Europol’s online fraud prevention campaign which encourages safe online shopping by customers. “More and more businesses are using the internet as the primary channel to sell goods and services. Whilst convenient for both the consumer and retailer it also presents opportunities for fraudsters who can use the anonymous nature of the internet to rip off consumers or target retailers who do not have the necessary defences in place to protect themselves,” outlines Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks. There was a total of €22 million in credit and debit cards fraud losses on Irish consumers in 2020, according to the Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI). “Consumers and eCommerce merchants will be particularly active online over the …

THREE Clare poets have been named as recipients of Poetry Town Bursaries. Sixmilebridge based Carrie Barrett O’Donnell is based in Sixmilebridge, Eileen O’Malley who lives between Miltown Malbay and Spanish Point and Marianne Slevin living in Doolin are among the 24 awardees of the bursary scheme. Poetry Ireland put a call out during October for submissions from poets all over the island of Ireland, with three categories (New Poets, Experienced and Spoken Word). Each bursary was worth €300-500, depending on the level of support requested by the applicant.   The bursaries are designed to be used by the awardees for opportunities to develop their poetry – some examples given during the submission process were: taking a writing course, attending a writing residency, paying for mentoring or critical assessment, paying a filmmaker to create a film of poetry work, or simply taking time off work to devote to writing.   Niamh O’Donnell, Director of Poetry Ireland, said, “We were overwhelmed with the number of applications for bursaries and …

COUNTY Clare has provided the inspiration for the latest single by singer songwriter Aoife Doyle. Aoife has released Clare Sky, the second single from her upcoming album Infinitely Clear. The song is a folk infused lament set in the beautiful west coast of Clare. Originally from Bray, County Wicklow she moved to Liscannor in 2014. “I wrote Clare Sky after a tragic incident that happened in the community. It’s a lament and a tribute to this magical place and the warmth of the people here. I have found great solace and peace on the West Coast of Ireland. With Clare Sky I’ve tried to paint a picture of the places I love the most.” While she has been performing for many years, it was upon moving to the West Coast of Ireland that she found her songwriting voice. “In Clare I had more quiet time to reflect. The lack of billboards, traffic and other superficial stimulation makes life a lot simpler. I think nature is the most primal form …