A FREIGHT yard at Ennis Rail Station should be used to provide tourist and student accommodation, helping to alleviate a “critical” shortage of accommodation in the county. That’s according to Councillor Johnny Flynn who believes the freight yard situated at a transport hub with the national rail and bus network could attract students commuting to neighbouring counties during term time, while opening up to tourists in the summer. Speaking at a meeting of the Ennis Municipal District he urged that discussions take place with Clare County Council’s Tourism department, Irish Rail, third level institutes in the Mid West and Failte Ireland to investigate the possibility. The councillor stated that the Clare County Council Tourism Strategy identifies “deficiencies” in Clare tourism offering “including a serious defect in tourist accommodation beds both in Ennis and Clare”. It also identifies poor transport links within the county to countywide tourism attractions in West, North and East Clare, he said. Making the case for tourism …
Read More »Getting Ennis business on track
Ennis needs to capitalise on its rail connectivity, local councillor Mary Howard said this week. Councillor Howard has highlighted the potential of increasing footfall in Ennis by providing incentives for the population in the hinterland of the Limerick Galway rail line to travel to Ennis and shop on the run up to Christmas. Ms Howard has requested a strategy that would seek to entice the estimated 300,000 people that live within a five mile commute to rail stations along the Limerick to Galway rail line. She recommends the provision of an easily accessible bus freely available to those willing to travel from the rail station to a number of stops in Ennis town centre. “Ennis has a lot to offer if it is properly marketed. “Ennis is situated practically half way between a population of 57,000 in Limerick and 75,000 in Galway and it offers a completely different shopping experience to the large retail outlets in both those cities,” she …
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