Tag Archives: Ennis

DARRAGH McAllister has been elected to the role of President of business advocacy group Ennis Chamber at this week’s AGM. A well-known publican in Ennis, Darragh together with his business partner Dylan Hayes, runs Lucas’ Bar and Considine’s Bar, both located on Parnell Street.Colin Ryan, Branch Manager, Bank of Ireland, Ennis was elected Vice President. Mr McAllister takes over as President of Ennis Chamber from Allen Flynn, Old Ground Hotel, who held the position during the unprecedented, turbulent Covid times experienced over the past 12 months.Speaking after his election, Mr McAllister said, “I am delighted to take on this role, no doubt it will be challenging, especially in this climate, but I’m up for it.”He said the past 12 months have been among the most challenging in living memory, for both business and private life. “The spectre of March 2020 continues to haunt us, in new and varied ways. What many have lost can never be replaced and, without a …

A PILGRIM trail through the streets of Ennis has been created to reflect on the suffering caused by the pandemic and to mark the feast of Easter. Representing the stations of the cross, a number of art works and images have been installed in windows from the monastery of the Poor Clares, through Abbey Street, The Square and into O’Connell Street. Director of Youth Ministry for the Killaloe Diocese Joanne O’Brien said the aim is to help people to reflect on the meaning of Easter as well as on the struggles of the last year. The initiative will culminate on Easter Saturday with the installation of an Easter Garden at the Town Hall on O’Connell Street. The trail has been in the planning for the last six weeks and also involves Pastoral Worker Maureen Kelly and Dr Sue O’Brien who is Director of Ecumenism for the Diocese of Killaloe. “We came together, along with Róisín O’Loughlin and Sr Betty O’Riordan …

CLARE County Council has been granted a sum of just over €4 million towards the Ennis Town Centre Public Realm Regeneration project. On Friday Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien announed that Ennis was among the successful applicants under the State’s Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), which is intended to drive regeneration and rejuvenation of strategic and underutilised areas in cities and large towns. In Ennis it will see works at O’Connell Square, High Street, Bank Place, Barrack Street and Old Barrack Square, with an overall cost of €5,390,391. The URDF funding comes to €4,042,793 with Clare County Council financing the remainder. In O’Connell Square, High Street and Bank Place there will be civic space and public realm enhancements including traffic calming, resurfacing, provision of upgraded street furniture and planting. The Barrack Street and Barrack Square area will see traffic calming, planting of street trees, public artwork, the provision of distinctive street furniture and lighting and …

WHILE over €4 million has been announced for Ennis under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, the second largest town in Clare wasn’t successful. It has left a sour taste in Shannon, where recent years have seen persistent complaints that the town does not have the facilities that a town of around 10,000 people and with a huge industrial base should have. It is hard to think of any major projects in the town that have been completed in recent years with the exception of Shannon Town Park, which opened in 2019 at a cost of €1.5 million. There are also plans for a future new community sports hub. There is no doubt that the centre of Ennis is already a far more attractive place than the equivalent area in Shannon, which still doesn’t have a conventional streetscape and local independent councillor Gerry Flynn said that the failure to get anything from the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund is another …

SERIOUS anti social behaviour is now a grave problem right in the middle of Ennis, according to a number of traders in the O’Connell Street area this week. Several of them told the Clare Champion that preventing traffic from accessing the area has turned it into a haven for problematic behaviour, with violence, drug taking, alcohol abuse and public urination all rife at the moment. Last weekend a video of a fight just in front of the O’Connell monument was widely viewed on social media, and several of the traders said that such incidents are relatively common now. Despite being frustrated at what they say is happening around the most prominent street in Clare, several of the traders complimented the efforts of the Gardai. However they are very critical of the Council for persisting with pedestrianisation of the area, claiming that it is unlikely to make any difference to the spread of Covid, while it has led to a serious …

A YOUNG woman missing from Ennis has been located safe and well by Gardaí, along with her baby daughter. 16-year-old Larisa Rostas and her ten-month-old daughter Narcisa had been missing for a number of weeks. Gardaí confirmed this evening that both have been found, safe and well. The force has thanked Gardaí and the media for their help.

CLARE County Council has been granted a sum of just over €4 million towards the Ennis Town Centre Public Realm Regeneration project, writes Owen Ryan. Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien announced that Ennis was among the successful applicants under the State’s Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), which is intended to drive regeneration and rejuvenation of strategic and under-utilised areas in cities and large towns. In Ennis it will see works at O’Connell Square, High Street, Bank Place, Barrack Street and Old Barrack Square, with an overall cost of €5,390,391. The URDF funding comes to €4,042,793 with Clare County Council financing the remainder. In O’Connell Square, High Street and Bank Place there will be civic space and public realm enhancements including traffic calming, resurfacing, provision of upgraded street furniture and planting. The Barrack Street and Barrack Square area will see traffic calming, planting of street trees, public artwork, the provision of distinctive street furniture and lighting …

THE future of the Ennis market building, built at substantial cost for little return, was discussed at last week’s meeting of local councillors, and business people in the Market area are appealing that it not be forgotten about. Michael McGrath of Safeway Tyres said that the building, which was designed to accommodate market traders, isn’t cutting it as a car park. “It’s not fit for purpose. Even as a car park there’s too little space, if it was going to be a car park it should have been a few storeys high. Also it’s too tight, there isn’t a day that goes by that there isn’t an accident, that someone hits off someone else because the spaces are so tight. The colour of the walls-white-from a design point of view it might be beautiful, but if you’re reversing back into a space its next to impossible to judge. Just look at the walls and you’ll see how much damage has …