Tag Archives: Cormac McCarthy

THE hardwork and dedication of people who are working to make Ennis look its best has been honoured by the local Tidy Towns group. Ennis Tidy Towns annual Local Awards recently took place, with awards presented to residents for their voluntary efforts in keeping the town tidy. The usual awards night could not be held due to Covid-19, however Tidy Towns committee members visited the award winners to present them with their prizes. Cormac McCarthy, chairman of Ennis Tidy Towns said, “Even though our local awards night could not take place this year, we had the wonderful job to go around to each of our category winners with Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council Mary Howard and present them with their awards in the winning gardens, green areas, approach roads and shrines. “In a year that shook us all to the core it was a lovely way to end 2020. A huge congratulations to all our entrants.” Along with the overall …

RESIDENTS of Direct Provision in Ennis have joined efforts to keep the county capital looking its best by becoming the newest members of Ennis Tidy Towns. According to new member Innocent Iroaganachi, “Participating in taking care of the community, like we did in Miltown Malbay, is our little way of saying thanks to the community that has contributed so much to our well-being.” Ten men who are international protection applicants and are residing in Ennis Clare Lodge, which began operating as a direct provision (DP) centre late last year, have been inducted as members of the local organisation. The induction which took place at the Abbey Street Car Park, saw in attendance some long standing members of Ennis Tidy Towns. Among the newly joined members were: Aung from Bangladesh, Amin from Algeria, Godsway from Ghana, Membratu from Eritrea, Nicholas and Jonas from Zimbabwe, Andrea, Onise and Koba from Georgia and Innocent from Nigeria. In preparation for their first clean-up operation …

THE national Tidy Towns competitions may be cancelled, but that hasn’t stopped the dedicated band of volunteers who have been keeping Ennis looking its best all year round. Just one of a number of initiatives underway locally has seen Ennis Tidy Towns join forces with the little ninjas of Ennis Coderdojo, asking them to develop Tidy Towns themed games and apps. The local Tidy Towns committee are looking forward to adjudicating what the youngsters come up with later this month. “If we don’t have actual Tidy Towns, we have virtual Tidy Towns,” smiles chairman of Ennis Tidy Towns Cormac McCarthy. He admits that there was disappointment in the community when it was announced this year’s contest would not be going ahead. The Ennis team, who have been hugely successful in the national contest, put in a “very strong submission” this year having worked right through the year. However, Cormac believes it was the right decision given the current Covid-19 crisis. …

NATURE has felt the benefits of decreased human activity during the lock-down, according to experts in Clare, who feel that staying close to home has also given people an opportunity to develop a greater appreciation for local wildlife. “Over the last while, people have become much more aware birdsong in particular,” noted Tom Lynch, Secretary of the Clare branch of Bird Watch Ireland. “It’s not the numbers of birds has increased, it’s just the quietness has made their song much clearer. Chicks have a better chance of survival too and it’s easier for birds to forage.” The drop-off in human activity and regulations confining people to their immediate localities have also lead to a spike in interest in bird-watching, Tom added. “All of our group and formal activities are curtailed, but people are definitely reconnecting with nature and things they were aware of in their youth. We’ve had calls about people hearing cuckoos in mid-April. A bit of a novelty …

SOME unusual visitors have decided to make Ennis their home, after they were impressed by the Trojan work going on in one local estate. An Sean Dun in Roslevan has become home to six fairies, who are now living throughout the estate. Cormac McCarthy, of the local residents’ committee, said the new arrivals decided to stay after seeing the great work that children in the estate have done in recent years. At the recent An Sean Dun family fun day, the children were given clues to fairy doors that have been hidden throughout the estate. “This was a special thank you to the children; they’re always so enthusiastic about what we’re doing on the estate. The fairy doors are dotted throughout the estate and the children were given riddles to find them. They were all running around with their parents trying to find the doors and we encouraged the children to find them and upload photos to our website. The …