Tag Archives: Ennis

The countdown has begun to the Irish Christmas Tree Throwing Championship, which takes place at Active Ennis Tim Smyth Park in Ennis on Sunday, January 4. All proceeds raised by the fourth annual event will go towards ISPCC Childline. The championship, which is based on age-old lumberjack traditions and is commonplace across Germany and Austria, will see members of the public competing to achieve the longest distance for throwing a standard 1.5 metre tree. John O’Dea from Limerick and Gary O’Growney from Dublin share the Irish record having both thrown their trees a distance of 10.2 metres, which is just under 2 metres short of the World Record currently held by Klaus Pubnaz, who hurled a tree a distance of 12 metres at an event in Germany four years ago. Last year’s U-12 section was won by Soran Drayas (9.2m), who finished ahead of second placed Aoife O’Gara (7.86 m). This year’s winner will once again receive the Irish Christmas …

Fianna Fáil Leader Micheál Martin has branded the Taoiseach’s comments about the choice facing voters in the next general election as “arrogant, out of touch and an indication of how out of touch with public sentiment” Mr Kenny has become. Addressing the annual Éamon DeValera commemoration in Ennis, on Sunday, Deputy Martin said “It is increasingly clear that the Taoiseach has lost touch with the Irish public. The public has lost faith in his Government – it is not within his gift to try and define the outcome of the next general election. The fact that he would try is indicative of the arrogance that has defined the last 12 months of Government activity and is an insult to voters. It is up to the people to decide who will be in the next government and it is up to each party to spell out their vision for the future of the country and put forward credible policies. “Fianna Fáil, …

Over 4,500 Team Hope Christmas shoeboxes, filled with gifts for needy children in Ukraine, will be leaving Ennis this evening (Tuesday). Over the past three weeks schools, businesses, factories and individuals throughout the county have put together the shoeboxes which were packaged at Elevation Business Park, Clonroad, Ennis. “We have packed all these boxes into cartons to be loaded onto a lorry this evening. There will be 489 cartons to put onto the lorry, which are filled with 4,561 shoeboxes to get to needy children in Ukraine before Christmas,” said Margaret Angland, Clare coordinator for Team Hope.

An 80 year old former national school principal. who “robbed his victims of their childhood” has received an 11 year sentence, with five years of it suspended at Ennis Circuit Court today, Wednesday. Patrick Barry, of Well Road, Kilkee had pleaded not guilty to charges of indecently assaulting 11 women, who were pupils of his at Moyasta National School between 1964 and 1985. Having been found guilty by a unanimous verdict by a jury last July on 59 counts of indecent assault  Barry was sentenced by Judge Gerald Keys this week. Judge Keys structured the sentence so that Barry received a year sentence on each count of indecent assault in respect of the abuse he caused to each victim. While these sentences were to be served concurrently he ordered they run consecutively to one another giving a total sentence of 11 years. Judge Keys said he would suspend five years of the sentence given the mitigating factors in the case, …

Students from seven Clare schools will exhibit 22 projects in the 2015 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition at the RDS, Dublin in January. Leading the way, with 10 entries, is Mary Immaculate Secondary School, Lisdoonvarna, followed by Scoil Mhuire, Ennistymon and Meanscoil na mBráithre, Ennistymon, with three each; St John Bosco Community College, Kildysart and Gaelcholáiste an Chláir, Ennis, with two each, and Rice College, Ennis and Kilrush Community College with one each. Among the Galway schools an interest in the Young Scientist competition are Seamount College in Kinvara, with one project, and Portumna Community College, with three. At the 51st annual event from January 7 to 10, there are over 120 awards to be won, including the prestigious BT Young Scientist & Technologist of the Year. The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is organised by BT Ireland, one of the country’s leading communications and networked IT service providers, and is supported by a number of valued partners …

AN ENNIS woman with an incurable case of ‘puppy love’ is at the centre of an incredible tale of devotion and care for sick and abandoned dogs. Martina Flaherty, from Westbourne, loves all breeds of puppies and dogs and has saved more than 130 lives since she set up Babydog Rescue with her friend, Mags Mooney from Lisdoonvarna, earlier this year. Dog warden, Frankie Coote can’t praise Martina enough. “Martina’s work is essential because she has about 130 dogs taken from the pound since she started Babydog Rescue earlier this year. It’s a huge amount of dogs. She has a wonderful way of dealing with people and other rescue groups. “Martina and Mags Mooney fundraise and I think they have over 60 pups inoculated with the seven-in-one injections that have gone out to homes in Clare as well,” Frankie said. “There’s a lot of work goes into it and a lot of expenses before the dog goes out. They’ve fundraised …

Clare County Council has been accused of “massaging” official figures on its social housing list, amid growing concern of a 28% hike in applicants seeking local authority accommodation. Strategic policy committee chairman, Councillor Gerry Flynn, claimed official figures did not fully reflect the real social housing waiting list, which is already at “crisis point” and of “epidemic” proportions. Councillor Flynn claimed the council is “massaging” the overall figures due to the lack of a proper validation process, as applicants were knocked off the list if they didn’t respond to a council letter, asking them if they had a house. He believes an applicant should be left on a list unless the council has “concrete proof” they have obtained permanent accommodation. His charge coincides with a challenge from Housing Minister Paudie Coffey for the council and other local authorities to “step up to the plate” in terms of social housing provision. According to the most recent figures provided by the council, …

House prices in Ennis have begun to rise again after losing more than half their value over the past seven years and may be up by 20% this year. But the number of properties for sale are falling, as the supply of houses coming to the market contracts. “We’ve seen a significant change since the beginning of August. There was a change from March or April on but from August on – particularly in Ennis – quite a lot of housing supply was snapped up and the available stock has contracted significantly. Houses are selling but the supply is just not being replaced,” said Diarmuid McMahon of Sherry FitzGerald McMahon. “There are more people buying than selling and there’s no new supply. There has been nothing built in five or six years, and that’s starting to bite,” he said. Much of the impetus for rising prices comes from the rise in confidence in the economy this year; and also from …