Tag Archives: Ennis Municipal District

ILLEGAL dumping at Clare Abbey, one of the county’s most historic sites, has been described as “soul destroying”. A meeting of the Ennis Municipal District this week saw Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy ask that the Clare Abbey Task Force Group be recalled and a meeting organised to address a number of concerns raised about the national monument. She described “ongoing” problems of fly tipping and anti-social behaviour at the abbey on the outskirts of Ennis saying a meeting of the taskforce is needed. A recalled meeting of the taskforce should also focus on accounting by the municipal district as to the recording of “dumping” complaints lodged, and action steps taken to address these complaints. The meeting would also help identify concrete proposals to improve “this longtime ongoing unacceptable situation”. The councillor outlined that a previous meeting of the taskforce was attended by representatives of the OPW, council and local interested bodies. She said that illegal dumping in the area is …

THE Ennis St Patrick’s Day parade will be going ahead this year, the Ennis Municipal District have confirmed. The last time a St Patrick’s Day parade was held in the county capital was 2019, with the annual celebrations cancelled since then due to Covid-19. The theme for this year’s parade will be ‘Coming Together’ with full details of the event set to be released in the run up to the parade. According to the local authority the parade will be a celebration of Irish heritage and social networks, particularly communities. According to a spokesperson for the council, “Ennis Municipal District with the assistance of other agencies is organising the 2022 St Patrick’s Day parade in Ennis, in accordance with the public health guidelines at that time. “The Mayor of Ennis Municipal District, Councillor Ann Norton, is delighted to announce the theme of this year’s parade is ‘Coming Together’, a celebration of our Irish heritage and social networks, especially our communities. …

EFFORTS being made by a group of volunteers to maintain the Ballymaley roundabout are in the weeds, with the local authority been urged to step in and help. Mayor of Ennis Councillor Ann Norton urged at a meeting of the Ennis Municipal District that the council look after the maintenance and grass cutting at the roundabout following representations from a number of people. Tommy Scott, Senior Executive Technician, responded, “The top of the roundabout is maintained as a Biodiversity meadow. The crop will now be cut and removed. Grass cutting has finished for the season and will recommence in April. “The grass cutting on the Ballymaley roundabout is carried out in a similar manner to the roundabouts on the N85 where the grass is permitted to grow and become a wild flower meadow in line with good biodiversity practices. This is part of the Tidy Town’s biodiversity programme.” Councillor Norton thanked Mr Scott for the response, stating that she appreciates …

RESIDENTS living in an Ennis housing estate fear “vermin” are nesting in a river bank which has been left as a habitat for biodiversity. Calls for vegetation, trees and bushes along the riverbank at Lenabeg to be cut back were made on behalf of the residents by Councillor Mary Howard at a meeting of the Ennis Municipal District. “It is currently badly overgrown and the residents fear vermin are nesting there plus this area is being used to dump rubbish,” she said. Responding to the motion, Tommy Scott, Senior Executive Technician, stated, “The riverbank is left to look after itself and provide a natural boundary to the river edge. It provides a habitat for all sorts of biodiversity and wildlife and is fenced off from the development. “A river walk was built along this area as part of the development. It forms a fitting natural finish along the interface between the development and the River Fergus.” He continued, “This area …

THE provision of an Ennis town bus service “is a priority” for the National Transport Authority (NTA), with route selection currently being finalised. An update on the progress of plans on the long awaited bus service for the county capital were outlined at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District. Deputy Mayor of Ennis Councillor Paul Murphy had sought the details, saying, “we need to have a local bus service for Ennis”. Leonore O’Neill, Senior Executive Officer, responded, “The Ennis Municipal District are in ongoing communication with the NTA Public Transport Service Planning Team who are responsible for the planning and design of the Town Bus Service in Ennis. The NTA are currently finalising route selection. Implementation is dependent on budgets being available to support the operational cost of providing the service.” Director of service Carmel Kirby told the meeting that discussions with the NTA are “at an advanced stage” with routes being finalised throughout the town. “The Ennis …

THE former Our Lady’s Hospital in Ennis is set come under new ownership, with confirmation the development site is sale agreed. Ennis councillors are now urging that the historic site be re-zoned, and parts of the property de-listed as a protected structure, in a bid to realise its full development potential. Selling agent DNG O’Sullivan Hurley have confirmed the property is sale agreed and is currently going through the legal process, though they would not reveal the name of the prospective buyer. Calling for its rezoning and delisting, Councillor Pat Daly told the monthly meeting of the Ennis Municipal District that the former hospital has been a “hindrance” to any kind of development at the key site on the Gort Road. He recalled previous plans, including a hotel and private hospital, did not come to fruition at what he described as “a prime site in the town of Ennis”. He urged the municipal district, with the support of his fellow …

IF farmers can be fined because people illegally dump on their property, then the operators of Ennis’ bus and train station should have to pay up for any litter found on its grounds, believes Ennis’ deputy mayor. Councillor Paul Murphy was speaking in the wake of the recent Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) litter league results, which saw the station come in for criticism by the adjudicators despite a strong showing in other parts of the county capital. “If an innocent farmer can get a fine for having rubbish dumped on his land or ditch, can we not issue the landowners of the station with a fine? That would soften their cough,” he said. The final survey of 2021 by business group IBAL showed Ennis retaining third spot in the ranking of 40 towns and cities. However, of all the areas surveyed by An Taisce the station ranked the lowest with a B grade. The adjudicators report stated, “The main litter …

DISCUSSIONS are underway with a view to installing a filter light for those travelling from the Limerick Road to Old Gaol Road in Ennis, the local authority have confirmed. Councillor Pat Daly highlighted the need for the light at the monthly meeting of the council at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District where he urged the council, “to install a filter right arrow on the traffic lights at the Clare Road, adjacent to the tyre centre, to accommodate traffic coming from the Limerick Road side who presently are finding it very difficult to turn right in the Gaol Road.” Ian Chaplin, Executive Engineer, responded, “The Ennis Municipal District recently installed two hatch boxes at this junction to assist access from Clare Road Tyres and the hatch box at the Captain Macs Cross side of the junction should assist the traffic flow as buses will not be obstructed when turning left out of Old Goal Road. The Ennis MD …