Tag Archives: Ennis

Work on the Garraunakilla Market Regeneration Project in Ennis will lead to the closure of both Market Street and Market Place from Monday next for a 12-week period. The closure of both roads from Barrack Street to Market Place, including Drumbiggle Road junction, is to facilitate the construction of new roads and footpaths, including diversion of overhead services and the provision of new sewers. Municipal District engineer, Eamon O’Dea said that as a result of the road closure, Summerhill will be temporarily open to two-way traffic, with parking restrictions on Summerhill. Mr O’Dea outlined that access to Summerhill, Market Place, Lower Market Street, Cabey’s Lane and Lower Parnell Street will be via Summerhill, with exit through Cabey’s Lane and Summerhill. He said existing signs and road markings on Summerhill would be removed and adjusted during the temporary road closure. Pedestrian access, Mr O’Dea explained, would be provided on Market Street and Market Place through the works area adjacent to the …

GARDAÍ were evacuated from Ennis Garda Station for four hours this Monday morning after a live grenade found during renovation works was brought to the public office of the station. The old grenade was unearthed by workmen at a house in McNamara Park on Monday morning. They picked up the device and it was brought to Ennis Garda Station at approximately 10am. Superintendent Brendan McDonagh of Ennis Garda Station explained that “Workmen working on doing up an old house in the McNamara Park area of Ennis came across this old grenade. It was buried and while they were doing the work they unearthed this grenade. It was very old so they decided to pick it up and bring it into us here in Ennis Garda Station, which was very nice of them”. “The garda in the public office got some shock. He would have got a bigger shock if it had gone off,” he added. The grenade, which was established …

ENNIS taxi drivers have helped save four people at risk of suicide, since getting involved in a pioneering suicide awareness initiative late last year. As highlighted in The Clare Champion, drivers with AAA Taxis signed up to the Taxi Watch initiative last year, receiving training in how to identify and talk to people at risk. According to Trevor White of AAA this week, the training has saved the lives of four people in the county capital. “At the time we first started looking into getting involved with the Taxi Watch initiative, we thought that if it just saved one life, it would be worth it. But four of our drivers have helped people in four separate incidences,” he revealed. “Thankfully, in each case, the individual spoke to and felt comfortable enough to confide in the taxi driver that they were travelling with, after the driver had asked the correct questions when they felt something wasn’t quite right. Further help and …

A BUS route running from Clarecastle to Ennis could be worth €200,000 a year to an operator, it has been claimed as the pedal is being put back on efforts to initiate a service. Councillor Johnny Flynn, at this week’s meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, urged that the Minister for Transport and the National Transport Agency support any licence application to initiate a trial bus route from Clarecastle through Ennis and on to the Gort Road Business Park. According to Councillor Flynn, this could have the potential to become phase one of “an important transport option” for students, residents, visitors and workers in Ennis. He outlined that a feasibility study had been carried out by Ennis Town Council into the possibility of running a service. “The work was done but the collapse of the economy put a stop to it,” he said. According to the councillor, the proposed route has 1,300 students and 1,695 workers living and potentially travelling …

THE claim many years ago by Samuel  Johnson that “there is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern or inn” springs to mind when  looking back on nearly 80 years of trading in O’Dea’s pub, Ennis. Over that period, the popular O’Connell Street premises carved out a niche for itself in the licensed trade of the capital town. Like most pubs, it has many a story to tell with its characters – and there were many of them – the great music sessions and the sing-songs, now almost exclusive to a family-run pub like O’Dea’s. But it has run its race with the decision of proprietor, John O’Dea, to retire from  the licensed trade entirely and consider other options for 66 O’Connell Street. Last weekend, as patrons ordered their last drinks, they looked back on great times in O’Dea’s but, at the same time,  expressed their disappointment at …

A JURY has returned a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity in the trial of a County Kerry man accused of holding three people hostage at gunpoint at a Sixmilebridge residence last year. Thomas Howard (50) of Gortnaminch, Listowel pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to having a shotgun in his possession with intent to cause robbery, three counts of false imprisonment of a father, daughter and her fiancé and two counts of robbery on July 2, 2015 at Donnybrook Cottage, Sixmilebridge. He also pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to an eighth count, which was the theft of an over and under double-barrel shotgun from a property in County Limerick on a date unknown between June 29, 2015 and July 2, 2015. Detective Garda Roddy Burke told Ennis Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday that matters unfolded at 4.45pm on July 2 last, when a lone male armed with a double-barrel shotgun, wearing a balaclava and dressed in dark clothes, approached Tadhg …

Ennis actress Denise Gough has been named Best Actress in this year’s Olivier Awards for her critically acclaimed role in the play People, Places and Things. The actress from College Green was the bookies favourite to take the award where she was up against actresses including Nicole Kidman, Gemma Arterton, Janet McTeer and Lia Williams. Denise used her acceptance speech in London’s Royal Opera House to voice concern about the lack of diversity. The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys TD, has described Denise as “an ever rising star of stage and screen” as she congratulated both the Clare actress and other Irish winners. The Minister added, “When we see Irish successes on this scale at ceremonies such as the Olivier Awards, it underlines the importance, and indeed the benefits, of providing funding to Culture Ireland, which helps Irish artists to bring their work overseas and helps to showcase Irish talent internationally.” Critics have been raving about …

The decision of the Ardchomhairle of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann to stage Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2017 in Ennis has been warmly welcomed in County Clare. Hosting the world famous traditional music event for two years in a row is a mammoth challenge but one that we embrace with open arms, according to Mícheál Ó Riabhaigh, Cathaoirleach of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann Inis 2016. “On a Sunday morning during Fleadh Nua in 2010, Frank Whelan, Rory Casey, Pat Liddy and I first discussed the idea of bringing the Fleadh back to Ennis. Little did we realise then, the time and effort it would take to have it back in Clare for the first time in nearly 40 years. To have the Fleadh back twice in consecutive years is beyond our wildest dreams,’ he continued. “Right now, it’s full steam ahead in Ennis to make this year’s All Ireland the greatest ever. We are learning a great deal in a very short …