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Tag Archives: Clare Road

The history of the Halfway House

HISTORY will come alive in The Halfway this week, when a very special recording will take place. Peadar White, whose family have lived on the Clare Road for generations, will be detailing a verbal history of both the Clare Road and The Halfway on this Friday night. He will be recorded, ensuring that the many stories of those who lived and worked in the area over the years will not be forgotten by future generations. Fittingly, the recording will take place at The Halfway and those visiting the venue at 8pm will get a chance to hear the historical stories firsthand. “The whole idea for this came about when I was on walkabouts and I saw signs up saying such and such a pub was so old, and another pub was another age. I said to Frank, my brother, who owns The Halfway, how old is this place? And he said, you do the history and we will find out,” …

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The late Bernie Wrafter, Roslevan, Ennis

THE death occurred recently of Bernie Wrafter, Roslevan, Ennis. A native of Ennis, she was a member of the well known Dunne family from Clare Road. A daughter of the late Freddie Dunne, who was a CIE bus inspector and Mary Dunne, Bernie was educated at the Convent of Mercy, Ennis and Ennis Vocational School and at the young age of 17 years emigrated to America. She was employed in New York for the next 10 years, during which time she met her husband to be, Alo Wrafter, who was a native of Tullamore. They got married after returning to Ireland and made their new home in Tullamore. However, some time later they decided to return to New York and after five years made a return journey home in 1967. On this occasion they lived in Dun Laoghaire where Bernie had a thriving guesthouse business overlooking the pier. To her credit she made her rooms available in the off-season holiday …

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The late Michael Lynch

Tributes paid to the late Mickey Lynch

MANY tributes were made during the week to the late Michael Lynch snr, the well-known building contractor and hotelier who died in the early hours of last Monday morning at his home on Clare Road, Ennis. Aged 85 years, he was one of the best known personalities in the Mid-West through his construction company and the West County Inn Hotel. From humble beginnings, he pioneered a company which saw off competition to win contracts for major construction developments in the region, including the former Syntex (now Roche) Ireland in Clarecastle, the ESB generating station in Moneypoint and Irish Cement Ltd. Born in Drumbiggle on September 12, 1928, he moved to Ballyea two years later after his father, Jim, received a divide of land from the Land Commission and built a house on it. The second eldest of a family of nine, Mickey, as he was popularly known, attended Ballyea National School but left when he was in fifth class to …

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