Tag Archives: Ennis

AN incentive scheme to encourage those who witness the “scourge of illegal dumping” to come forward and report it to the authorities has been proposed by an Ennis councillor. Councillor Pat Daly believes that an award scheme which recognises those who come forward publicly should be put in place, and he has received the backing of his council colleagues. Speaking at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District he urged that the Council “consider finding ways to incentivise civic-minded members of the public to report incidences of illegal dumping in the Ennis municipal district area and, where possible, make evidence available”. The councillor commented, “There are two types of people who see illegal dumping and want to report it. One is someone who gives the information and wants to stay anonymous, but the other is a person that has no problem reporting and is prepared to give evidence. “This is a suggestion, but some award scheme should be given …

AN Ennis park, described as a “little oasis” is set for a makeover with plans by the local authority to carry out repairs, cleaning and repainting, writes Jessica Quinn. Calls for the examination and assessment of the park opposite Mill House were made at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District. Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy told the meeting that she had been approached by a number of people concerned about the state of the amenity. She said she was “pretty sad to see the state of it”. The councillor called for the park to be examined and assessed for maintenance. “The benches, fencing, lighting and lawns are in very poor condition with the benches being in such a state of disrepair as to render them unusable even on a sunny day,” she stated. She commented that the area provides a “beautiful break” in an urban setting, pointing to the “fabulous” sculpture Memory and Meaning created by Colin Grehan and …

FIRST day of term for the new Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest has been announced as October 1, writes Jessica Quinn. From that date, Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) and Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) will cease to exist, and more than 15,000 students and 1,200 staff across the Midlands and Midwest will be teaching, learning and researching at the newly designated TUS: Midlands Midwest. On this day also, Ennis will become a university town for the first time, given the presence of a campus there, while Athlone, Clonmel and Thurles will also become university towns. The recruitment of a president for Ireland’s first cross-regional university has also begun, with the application process now opened to suitably qualified persons. The inaugural president will be charged with leading transformational change across adjacent regions linked by the River Shannon. Chair of LIT Governing Body Tony Brazil said, “October 1, 2021 will not only be a significant day in the history …

AN Ennis family are the raining champions following success in a nationwide conservation competition. Green-Schools, in partnership with Irish Water, recently announced the winners of its Water Conservation Photo Competition, with one of the five winning families being from Ennis. The winning entry from Ennis was taken by Áine Purcell of her daughter Róisín and Róisín’s Grandad working together on a rainwater harvesting system. The competition encouraged families all over Ireland to save water by asking students to do water saving activities at home, and for parents/guardians to put a photo of them on Twitter or Instagram. The best five photos were chosen by Green-Schools, with winning families getting waterproof cameras. Other winners for the competition this year included a system to keep plants watered in the summer; a smart way to save water when washing a car, an inventive idea to use the water from a tumble dryer for watering plants; and a family who always saves water washing …

AN Ennis woman has been leaving people starstruck with her out-of-this-world photograph. Caroline Gleeson has been selected to feature in an exhibition of the judges’ 20 top-rated images, as part of the inaugural ‘Reach for the Stars’ astrophotography competition. Run by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS), the competition exhibition is running online initially, on www.dias.ie. An outdoor exhibition at DIAS’ premises on Burlington Road is planned for the coming weeks, followed later in the summer by an exhibition at DIAS Dunsink Observatory. Caroline’s image ‘Poulnabrone Dolmen’ captures the Milky Way above Poulnabrone Dolmen. Commenting on the images selected for the exhibition, Professor Peter Gallagher, Head of Astrophysics at DIAS and a member of the judging panel for ‘Reach for the Stars’, said, “The standard of entries to the competition was excellent, and the judging panel had a very difficult job making our final selection. “The chosen images showcase a variety of striking and impressive astronomy scenes, and capture …

Chamber chief and publican believes new reopening regime better than last year’s A NEW chapter in the Covid recovery story begins on Monday, when restaurants and pubs can begin outdoor service once again. As visitors to Ennis on weekend evenings during May would have observed, certain pubs have been giving takeaway services for some time, but from Monday people can stay and consume their drinks in the outdoor sections of pub grounds. For those without outdoor areas but not doing take away, it will be the first time to open in 2021, although indoor drinking and dining won’t resume until July 5. Publican and President of Ennis Chamber of Commerce Darragh McAllister is planning to reopen Lucas’ Bar on Parnell Street on Monday. Delighted to be finally getting the chance to do so, he admitted to a certain level of apprehension too. “We’re over the moon, but yeah, there are a few nerves as well. It’s a bit like the …

A POPULAR Ennis nightclub is making all the right moves towards a potential re-opening on a pilot basis. In recent weeks, facilitated by Ennis Chamber, management of The Queens and directors of antigen testing company, Westland Health, which is headquartered in Ennis, have created a “considered and robust plan” to support a safe pilot nightclub reopening for a maximum of 250 people. If the pilot is given the go-ahead, antigen testing will be delivered by professional nurse practitioners on behalf of Westland Health. Clare Fine Gael TD, Joe Carey, has made representations to An Taoiseach Micheál Martin, in an effort to seek support for the pilot reopening. Donal Lyne, Queens nightclub director, commented, “We need to look beyond outdoor events and we need to look beyond Dublin to pilot a safe reopening of the night-time economy. “Nightclubs throughout Ireland have been shuttered since March 2020 and currently we are in the dark about when we will have permission to reopen. …

AN Ennis student has been named as the overall winner of a prestigious all-Ireland competition. DCU student Eoin Murphy is the 2021 winner of the €2,000 Mary Mulvihill Award, the science media competition for third-level students that commemorates the legacy of science journalist and author Mary Mulvihill (1959–2015). Eoin, a student on DCU’s MSc in Science and Health Communication programme, won the top prize for his audio documentary Black Market Oxygen – The Peru Project, which examined the contrasting experiences of Ireland and Peru during the Covid-19 pandemic. The piece was inspired by a photograph in The Guardian showing a stand-off between hundreds of impoverished and desperate families attempting to leave Peru’s capital, Lima, on foot to return to their home villages, and riot police, who blocked their path in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The documentary, which Eoin wrote and narrated, is a stark reminder that old age and underlying conditions are not the only …