Tag Archives: Ennis

THE “dangerous condition” of the footpath leading up to St Joseph’s Church has been blamed on “vigorous root growth” prompting calls for an assessment of trees at Kincora Park in Ennis. Councillor Mary Howard highlighted the concerns of local residents at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District. The councillor pointed out that some of the trees in the area are dead and need replacing while the footpath is “in a dangerous condition due to vigorous root growth, especially so on the footpath leading up to St Joseph’s Church.” She pointed out that the area is one of the older parts of the town and is a popular place to live in Ennis. She suggested it might be time for a list to be issued of trees that are suitable for planting in urban settings so people could ensure what they grow would “look good without disturbing water mains or raising footpaths.” Councillor Johnny Flynn backed the motion stating …

A search is due to resume this morning for a person reported to have entered the River Fergus in Ennis late last night. The alarm was raised shortly after 11pm when Gardaí observed a male at a bridge in the town centre. It’s understood the man entered the river and that Gardaí deployed life-buoys in an effort to rescue him. Despite the best efforts of Gardaí, the man was quickly taken downstream in the strong current. The River Fergus is currently quite high and fast moving following recent heavy rain in the county. A major multi-agency search and rescue operation was quickly mounted. Units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Ennis station were mobilised including specially trained swift water rescue technicians (SRTs). The National Ambulance Service also dispatched paramedics and a rapid response advanced paramedic unit. The Irish Coast Guard was notified and the Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter was tasked. Clare Civil Defence was also requested to …

THE inspirational story of a community that said no to domestic abuse has been brought to life in a brand new book which will be launched in Ennis next week. The public are invited to come and celebrate an important milestone in Clare – the launch of the book ‘Light on the Horizon’ at a wine reception in The Old Ground Hotel, Ennis on November 10 at 6.30 pm. The book tells the story of Ennis women Mary Fitzgerald and Colette Redington who met by chance in 1992 when they both helped women who were victims of domestic abuse. Clare Haven was born and three decades later there is a refuge, second-stage houses, a full range of outreach services and education programmes are available to victims of domestic abuse in County Clare. It is an enduring statistic that one in four Irish women who have been in a relationship has been abused by a current or former partner. It became …

VANDALS who caused damage to a war memorial in Ennis last month have been described as “cowards” by a local councillor as it is confirmed this week that action is being taken to deal with litter in the area. Last month the Clare Champion reported that one of four stone benches installed at Clare’s World War 1 memorial in the Clare Peace Park near glór had a piece broken off while rubbish had also been left strewn about. The importance of respecting the memorial as a place to remember the people of Clare who lost their lives in the war was emphasised by Councillor Mary Howard at the monthly meeting of the Ennis Municipal District. The councillor called on the local authority to provide bins for rubbish and to cut back overgrown weeping willow trees at the site. She added that “once it is allowed I will be looking for CCTV cameras to be installed.” The Ennis Municipal District have …

THE Green Party has selected Bridget Ginnity to be its local area representative for the Ennis electoral area.  Bridget thanked the Clare Greens for the selection, stating, “I’m delighted to be given the opportunity to represent the Green Party for Ennis. Senator Róisín Garvey and Councillor Liam Grant have been doing great work in Clare to make climate, communities and equality a priority and I hope to further their work in Ennis. “Given the current fossil fuel crisis I have a particular interest in renewable energy and energy efficiency. “The Green Party was instrumental in introducing a new Home Energy Upgrade Scheme with grants for everything from timers and attic insulation to full upgrades. Well insulated homes means warmer homes, lower heating bills and reduced carbon emissions. “Locally I will be working hard to improve walking and cycling infrastructure in Ennis as well as public transport routes. We got a taste of the calm that comes from reduced car use …

IT will be lights out early in the county capital this festive season in response to the ongoing energy crisis. The Ennis Municipal District has confirmed that while the town will have its traditional Christmas lights, the festive display will shine for a reduced number of hours each evening. Details of this year’s Christmas in Ennis programme were released at the monthly meeting of the local authority this week with plans including free parking initiatives, pedestrianisation, street radio, a Christmas village and the return of retro drive-in movies. The official turning on of Ennis’ Christmas lights will take place on Friday, November 25 in Abbey Street Carpark, with the lights to stay on for 12 hours from 3pm to 3am every day. The move to reduce the time of the lights in a bid to conserve energy was welcomed by councillors at the meeting, with Deputy Mayor Mary Howard quipping, “We do our best to be on the nice list …

THE fire service in Clare had to respond to four bonfires on Halloween night, one in Shannon and the other three in the Cloughleigh area of Ennis. A spokesperson for Clare County Council said there was some trouble in dealing with the Cloughleigh bonfires. “Yes, there was opposition to the fire service when we arrived in Cloughleigh, however procedures were in place to deal with such incidents and the Fire Service worked with An Garda Síochána to respond to the calls.” Councillor Mary Howard said that many people had fun on Halloween night and children enjoyed trick or treating, but the type of anti social behaviour seen at Cloughleigh cannot be tolerated. “That kind of behaviour cannot continue. It is wrong and it has to be stamped out,” she said. “It’s a night that everyone should be able to enjoy and to be in a safe environment. Parents or whoever is in charge of those young people need to be …

TELEVISION’S Lorraine Keane will MC a fashion show and a sex and wellness panel as part of a celebration of Ennis’ independent boutiques and women’s health next month. Ennis will stage a day-long fashion and wellness extravaganza on Saturday, November 5 to showcase the variety of independent shops the town offers. Organised by Experience Ennis, the jam-packed event is set to put the fun back into the traditional shopping experience while also honing in on the importance of women’s hormonal and sexual health. Known as the ‘Boutique Capital of Ireland’, Ennis has long held a reputation as a shoppers’ paradise. Putting itself firmly back on the map, the fashion and wellness experience will shine a spotlight on how women can feel and look fabulous with a number of fashion shows, talks, demos and a lively Sex and Wellness panel discussion. Rosemarie Noone, Experience Ennis, said, “Ennis has an impressive range of independent shops offering all sorts of everything – you just …