Tag Archives: clare champion

FOR the second year running Fleadh Nua will not be taking place in Ennis due to Covid 19 restrictions, organisers have confirmed. But Fleadh Nua chairman Frank Whelan is looking forward to the return of the festival in 2022, when he promises it will be bigger and better than ever. In the meantime, he hopes that memories of the great Fleadhannas down through the years will sustain the many lovers of traditional music, song and dance for whom the Fleadh Nua has become a much anticipated annual event. “Those of us who are old enough remember the ‘70s and ‘80s when the Fair Green became a tent village for the last week in May,” said Frank. “Then there were the huge parades and colorful floats winding their way through the narrow streets of the town, with set dancers batterin’ away on the back of a moving truck, and no one ever fell off! But sadly Health and Safety regulations did …

AN incentive scheme to encourage those who witness the “scourge of illegal dumping” to come forward and report it to the authorities has been proposed by an Ennis councillor. Councillor Pat Daly believes that an award scheme which recognises those who come forward publicly should be put in place, and he has received the backing of his council colleagues. Speaking at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District he urged that the Council “consider finding ways to incentivise civic-minded members of the public to report incidences of illegal dumping in the Ennis municipal district area and, where possible, make evidence available”. The councillor commented, “There are two types of people who see illegal dumping and want to report it. One is someone who gives the information and wants to stay anonymous, but the other is a person that has no problem reporting and is prepared to give evidence. “This is a suggestion, but some award scheme should be given …

CONSTRUCTION on the County Museum redevelopment project has begun with hopes the works will be complete by August. Contractors M. Fitzgibbon Contractors Ltd started works on site following the lifting of Covid-19 Level 5 restrictions for the construction sector. The Clare County Council project will see the refurbishment and conversion of the upstairs rooms in the building into modern office and meeting room space, while the downstairs will be transformed with the addition of Éamon de Valera’s 1947 Dodge car to the Museum exhibition, together with an improved Tourist Office. The iconic 1947 Dodge Plymouth transported two of Ireland’s presidents, including Éamon de Valera, in the early years of the State. The County Museum redevelopment project was designed in-house by Clare County Council’s Design Office in conjunction with the Property Management unit, with external consultancy services engaged for mechanical, electrical and interior design. Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr Mary Howard, said, “I am delighted to see this investment in …

AN Ennis family are the raining champions following success in a nationwide conservation competition. Green-Schools, in partnership with Irish Water, recently announced the winners of its Water Conservation Photo Competition, with one of the five winning families being from Ennis. The winning entry from Ennis was taken by Áine Purcell of her daughter Róisín and Róisín’s Grandad working together on a rainwater harvesting system. The competition encouraged families all over Ireland to save water by asking students to do water saving activities at home, and for parents/guardians to put a photo of them on Twitter or Instagram. The best five photos were chosen by Green-Schools, with winning families getting waterproof cameras. Other winners for the competition this year included a system to keep plants watered in the summer; a smart way to save water when washing a car, an inventive idea to use the water from a tumble dryer for watering plants; and a family who always saves water washing …

Aisling Drennan found a new audience for, and engagement with, her work online after the pandemic struck THIS time last year Clare artist Aisling Drennan was facing into an uncertain future with all of her scheduled exhibitions were cancelled due to Covid-19. However, the Lisdoonvarna born, London-based abstract painter has managed to turn this setback into an opportunity and is now showcasing her works all over the world and expanding into new markets. Recalling when her shows were cancelled last year she says, “I just felt that everything had fallen apart and I didn’t know how to pick the pieces up and mend them back together. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt like that – a pure sense of loss of control. Of course, countless people also felt the same in the face of uncertainty.” However, it wasn’t long before she decided to take positive action. “There are times when you have to stand back from a situation and assess …

AN Ennis woman has been leaving people starstruck with her out-of-this-world photograph. Caroline Gleeson has been selected to feature in an exhibition of the judges’ 20 top-rated images, as part of the inaugural ‘Reach for the Stars’ astrophotography competition. Run by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS), the competition exhibition is running online initially, on www.dias.ie. An outdoor exhibition at DIAS’ premises on Burlington Road is planned for the coming weeks, followed later in the summer by an exhibition at DIAS Dunsink Observatory. Caroline’s image ‘Poulnabrone Dolmen’ captures the Milky Way above Poulnabrone Dolmen. Commenting on the images selected for the exhibition, Professor Peter Gallagher, Head of Astrophysics at DIAS and a member of the judging panel for ‘Reach for the Stars’, said, “The standard of entries to the competition was excellent, and the judging panel had a very difficult job making our final selection. “The chosen images showcase a variety of striking and impressive astronomy scenes, and capture …

A POPULAR Ennis nightclub is making all the right moves towards a potential re-opening on a pilot basis. In recent weeks, facilitated by Ennis Chamber, management of The Queens and directors of antigen testing company, Westland Health, which is headquartered in Ennis, have created a “considered and robust plan” to support a safe pilot nightclub reopening for a maximum of 250 people. If the pilot is given the go-ahead, antigen testing will be delivered by professional nurse practitioners on behalf of Westland Health. Clare Fine Gael TD, Joe Carey, has made representations to An Taoiseach Micheál Martin, in an effort to seek support for the pilot reopening. Donal Lyne, Queens nightclub director, commented, “We need to look beyond outdoor events and we need to look beyond Dublin to pilot a safe reopening of the night-time economy. “Nightclubs throughout Ireland have been shuttered since March 2020 and currently we are in the dark about when we will have permission to reopen. …

AN Ennis student has been named as the overall winner of a prestigious all-Ireland competition. DCU student Eoin Murphy is the 2021 winner of the €2,000 Mary Mulvihill Award, the science media competition for third-level students that commemorates the legacy of science journalist and author Mary Mulvihill (1959–2015). Eoin, a student on DCU’s MSc in Science and Health Communication programme, won the top prize for his audio documentary Black Market Oxygen – The Peru Project, which examined the contrasting experiences of Ireland and Peru during the Covid-19 pandemic. The piece was inspired by a photograph in The Guardian showing a stand-off between hundreds of impoverished and desperate families attempting to leave Peru’s capital, Lima, on foot to return to their home villages, and riot police, who blocked their path in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The documentary, which Eoin wrote and narrated, is a stark reminder that old age and underlying conditions are not the only …