Tag Archives: Ennis

Mid West Simon has launched an emergency food appeal after it emerged that some families in Ennis and Kilrush were struggling to put food on the table. The charity told The Clare Champion that they “urgently need support in order to maintain our vital food banks in Ennis and Kilrush for families under severe financial pressure”. Mid West Simon general manager, Jackie Bonfield, said people who cannot pay for food are sometimes too embarrassed to ask for help. “It is difficult to understand how food poverty can be experienced by families or individuals in Clare but the facts are so clear. People are suffering behind closed doors and are often too ashamed to ask for help. Low incomes, high rents, high mortgage payments and increasing utility bills are forcing people to choose between food and bills,” she revealed. The most recent CSO statistics indicate that over 15% of the population is at risk of poverty, with more than 8% living …

THE prisoner who escaped from Ennis Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon is still at large more than 24 hours later. Jason Freyne, a 22-year-old man from Carew Park in Limerick, appeared before Judge Patrck Durcan on Wednesday, where he accepted he had stolen a car in April and that he was also guilty of other related charges. He was already serving a sentence prior to his appearance before Judge Durcan, who adjourned the matter until Thursday but within hours, Mr Freyne had absconded. Shortly before 5pm on Thursday, gardaí confirmed that he has not been apprehended and the search for him continues.

  A home in Ennis was found to have more than three times the acceptable level for radon gas, the equivalent to receiving two chest x-rays a day, according to figures revealed by the EPA’s Office of Radiological Protection. The details emerged as the EPA raised concerns about the low rate of testing for the cancer-causing gas in Clare. The figures show that in the first six months of 2015, three homes in Ennis and one in Doolin tested above the acceptable level of 200 becquerels per cubic metre (Bq/m3), with one home in Ennis measuring levels of 620Bq/m3. However, according to the EPA, the rate of testing in Clare is very low, with only 26 homes having been tested for radon in the first six months of 2015. A total of 4,301 homes have been tested in Clare to date and, of these, 538 tested above 200 Bq/m3. Commenting on the latest findings from the county, Stephanie Long, senior scientist with the …

Plans to promote Clare as a County of Culture during 2016 have taken a significant step forward with the issuing of a call for expressions of interest for key cultural events and festivals during the year. The County of Culture initiative was first announced in March after Ennis was designated as the host town for next year’s Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. The Clare County Council-led initiative will incorporate the development of a programme of cultural events, to be promoted nationally and internationally, around the prestigious annual event which is expected to attract up to 400,000 people to Ennis in August 2016. The council is now calling on community groups and individuals throughout Clare to submit expressions of interest for cultural festivals and events that will form part of the County of Culture programme. The local authority anticipates that the scheme will support a minimum of four projects each to a maximum value of €10,000. Expressions of interest are invited from …

FIFTY jobs are to be created at Woodstock Hotel, after the Choice Hotel Group bought the upmarket 67-bed hotel on the Shanaway Road, Ennis, for a reported €1m-plus. The hotel is to re-open on a phased basis, starting in the middle of next month, with the bar, lobby and bedrooms available to guests, while €750,000 in refurbishments are carried out to allow the hotel facilities – including its function/conference room, leisure centre (complete with 15-metre pool), restaurant, meeting rooms and spa – to be fully open for business by the end of September. Regional group general manager, Darragh Brady is currently in Ennis, overseeing the start up and recruitment of around 50 staff for the hotel. “It’s a fantastic hotel and we’re getting great support from local people, who are delighted to see Woodstock Hotel reopening as part of the Choice Hotel Group,” he said. The Choice Hotel Group is the largest four-star operator in Ireland, with over 1,300 rooms …

Two separate car crashes brought disruption to a sunny Sunday evening in Ennis. The incidents resulted in traffic being redirected while gardaí inspected the scenes. There were reports of a car being driving erratically around the time of the incidents, just before eight o’clock last night. Cars were struck at the Mill Road and Barrack Street. There were a number of occupants inside the car that was hit in the second crash. A man was subsequently apprehended by gardaí. On Friday night, a teenage boy was airlifted to hospital in Cork after he was struck by a car, as he cycled between Sixmilebridge and Cratloe. A man in his 30s remains in hospital after he was injured in a single car accident at Shannon Banks on Saturday night.

AS MANY as 40 African countries are represented in Ennis, according to the town mayor. Councillor Johnny Flynn was attending the Africa Day Celebrations in Ennis last week and welcomed the contribution made by all the people of the African communities in the town and throughout Clare. Africa Day marked 52 years of the African Union and African Independence and provided an opportunity for all Africans – including those who have made Ireland their home – and non-Africans to celebrate Africa, its people and their potential at a time of both great turmoil and opportunity for the continent. The day was marked on Wednesday afternoon last at the Civic Building in Drumbiggle, with food, music, poetry and the planting of an oak tree in the grounds at Waterpark. The community event shared some aspects of the rich heritage of a number of African countries and created an opportunity for everyone to enjoy some time together on a special occasion. “There …

UPGRADING works at Cusack Park in Ennis will begin on June 15, Clare GAA secretary Pat Fitzgerald has confirmed “The contractor wants the site handed over in total. It’s an eight-month contract and the work must be completed by the end of the eight months,” Fitzgerald explained at a meeting of the GAA county board. “There are other issues with the Cloister side. We went for planning and there are fairly significant costs involved with preparation, much more than €20,000, €30,000 or €40,000. More information was sought and the cost of preparing that won’t be far off €20,000,” he continued. “Decisions have to be made,” the secretary went on adding, “We would have anticipated that we may be able to use the venue. If we don’t hand it over, the eight months may be much more, maybe 10, 11 or 12 months. The contractor has to be told”. Responding to a query from Clonlara chairman, Flan Mullane, as to where …