Tag Archives: Ennis

THE developer of a primary health care facility in Ennis insists a proposed extension, refused planning permission, is required by the HSE to facilitate the operation of a Chronic Disease unit for the region. Valley Healthcare Fund Infrastructure Investment Fund ICAV has lodged an appeal to An Bord Pleanala against the refusal by Clare County Council of plans to increase the size of the development at the former Braids site on Station Road. Last month, in a split decision, Clare County Council refused to amend planning permission previously granted for a mixed use development that would increase the floor area from 7,250sqm to 8,008sqm with the provision of an additional floor set back at roof top level as well as an additional deck of car parking. The local authority gave the green light to other aspects of the application seeking to amend the initial health care facility plans. The new proposals were the subject of a number of objections from …

  Walk-in vaccination clinics for adults, and children aged 12 and over, are being held in Mid-West Covid-19 Vaccination Centres over the weekend. The clinics will be held in the Abbey Court Hotel, Nenagh, this Saturday, and in the vaccination centres at Limerick Racecourse and the West County Hotel, Ennis, on Sunday. These local clinics form part of the nationwide effort to maximise uptake for Pfizer Dose 1&2, and to ease access for those people who have received AstraZeneca Dose 1 and who now, as per national guidance, can receive the Pfizer vaccine as their second dose. Clare people can receive this Pfizer Dose 1 and 2 in the Nenagh Abbey Court Hotel on Saturday from 9am to 6pm. On Saturday, there will be a walk-in clinic in Limerick Racecourse for those wishing to receive Prizer 1 and 2 between 9am and 6pm. Pfizer Dose 1 and 2 will also be administered in Treacy’s West County Hotel, Ennis on Sunday …

A NEW €560,000 Irish language plan for Ennis was launched by Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and Sport Jack Chambers on Friday. The plan comes with a guarantee of €80,000 in expenditure each year ofr seven, years, while there will be a language planning officer recruited, and an attempt to connect the language across public services and businesses. in Ennis. Speaking at Gaelscoil Mhíchíl Cíosóg on Friday, the Minister said, “It’s a really important morning for Ennis, we’re launching a language plan which will strengthen and promote the language, it’s a seven year plan with €80,000 per year. There’s the recruitment of a language planning officer and there will be an attempt to connect the language across public services and businesses. These plans are being rolled out across the country and it’s great to see a county and a town with such a tradition of language and culture, have all the groups work together to get to this day.” …

AN Ennis secondary school will be able to expand its number of student admissions after the Department of Education gave the go-ahead for a multi-million euro extension. The development at Rice College will see state-of-the art facilities added to the school campus including 13 new mainstream classrooms and a designated suite providing education and support to autistic students. Principal Louis Mulqueen has described the development as “a major advance in the post-primary educational infrastructure of Ennis”. The ability to increase student numbers has been particularly welcomed in light of unprecedented demand in recent years for secondary school places in the county capital, which Mr Mulqueen has described as “a major challenge” for post-primary schools area. As well as enabling increased pupil numbers, the new extension will also allow for an expanded curriculum and broader services for students with special needs at Rice College. Following the announcement, Mr Mulqueen said, “Rice College Board of Management welcomes the recent announcement by the …

AMERICAN film star Lacey Chabert spent three weeks at The Old Ground Hotel in Ennis and was quite taken with the place. Chabert, of Mean Girls fame, recently stayed incognito at the hotel while filming her new movie, Christmas at Castle Hart, according to a spokesperson for the hotel. The Hallmark production, which co-stars Irish actor Stuart Townsend, was being shot around Clare and Limerick. The hotel spokesperson also revealed that the actress stayed so long at the Old Ground, because she thought it was “so fetch”. For those of you not au fait with the lingo, ‘fetch’ is another way of saying ‘cool’. Built in the early part of the 18th Century as a private dwelling, the manor house has been a hotel since 1895 and reopened under the ownership of Allen Flynn and the Flynn Hotel Collection in September 1995. They have undertaken five major refurbishments and extensions, bringing it from 11 bedrooms to 108, and it now operates …

CONCERNS about the risk of flooding on the Tulla Road, close to the site of a proposed €1.2 billion Ennis data centre, have prompted calls for screens to be put in place at bridges to prevent blockages, writes Jessica Quinn. However, while council executive engineer Barry Conway has confirmed the local authority will carry out maintenance and clearance works, he cautioned about the use of screens. The engineer said that screens “can often times create bigger issues than they resolve”, citing recent “devastating consequences” when screens were installed in Dublin and Donegal. Flooding at Aughavadda on the Tulla Road and Gaurus Bridge was highlighted by Councillors Johnny Flynn and Mary Howard at the monthly meeting of the Ennis Municipal District. Councillor Flynn pointed to “historic” flooding of R352 Tulla Road and previous river flow blockages/restrictions at Aughavadda bridge and concern about the river flow capacity at the downstream Gaurus bridge. He urged the Ennis Municipal District to “immediately” provide screens …

ENNIS will be formally recognised as a university town from Friday, October 1 when the new Technological University for the Mid-West and the Midlands will commence operations. Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris has confirmed to Clare Fine Gael TD, Joe Carey, that he will visit the Ennis campus in Bindon Street in the near future. “Thank you for all your support and engagement regarding the importance of a Technological University for the Mid-West region and how this could benefit both Ennis and Clare in terms of access to higher education, regional development and investment,” Minister Harris said in reply to a letter from Deputy Carey. “I am delighted to confirm to you that the new Technological University for the Shannon: Midlands Midwest will formally commence on the October 1. So from next month, Ennis will be a university town. I am very much looking forward to working with you on ensuring the county …

As part of the ongoing Operation Tara, a garda raid on a house in Ennis yielded drugs with a street value of almost €10,000 On Friday, September 17, at 9.10pm, gardaí from the Clare Divisional Drugs Unit carried out a search under warrant at a house in Ennis. They discovered a quantity of suspected Cannabis Herb with an estimated street value of €3,200 and suspected Cocaine with an estimated street value of €6,790. No arrests were made at the time but investigating Gardaí are following definite lines of enquiry and a file will be prepared for submission to the office of the DPP. The suspected controlled drugs will be forwarded to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis.