Tag Archives: Ennis

ENNIS has been named as one of the five finalists vying to be named Ireland’s Friendliest Place. The county capital has passed through a rigorous auditing process with Ennis based retailers assessed by mystery shoppers testing service standards in the town. In 2017 Ennis secured the coveted title and hopes are high for a repeat win. Ennis is up against Carrick-on-Shannon in Leitrim, Cork City, Limerick City and Naas. Retail Excellence, the largest retail industry representative organization in Ireland, will announce the winner at a black-tie awards banquet on Saturday, November 9 in the Great Southern Hotel, Killarney. The Friendliest Place competition is the central part of the Retail Excellence Annual Awards, which were established in 1997 to promote best practice and encourage the highest standards in the Irish retail industry. David Fitzsimons, Group Chief Executive of Retail Excellence commented “All five finalist places have beaten intense competition to make finalist status. County Councils have nominated local retail businesses who …

THERE was surprise and disappointment on Tuesday as it was announced that The Clare People newspaper had closed, after 14 years in business. It is understood that a meeting of its creditors is due to take place on August 23 at Hotel Woodstock and that the company will nominate Tom Murray of Friel Stafford as liquidator. The company has two directors, Emmet Moloney, a Clarecastle man who edited The Clare People for several years and Dómhnal Slattery, the hugely successful Ennis businessman, who is chief executive of aviation leasing company Avolon. The company last filed accounts covering 2017 and these show that it made a loss of €135,440 for the year. This was worse than 2016, when the loss had been just under €67,000. Liabilities exceeded assets, with the equity attributable to the owners a negative amount, of just over -€1.4 million The accounts showed that a sum of €747,283 was repayable to Mr Slattery, with this figure having increased …

KATE Crotty and her mother Caitríona from Ennis are this week gearing up for the annual Tour De Munster Charity Cycle, which takes place from August 8 to 11. Thirty three year old Kate has completed a Certificate in General Learning and Personal Development in Mary Immaculate College and is currently undertaking a course on Office Administration in the Adult Education Centre, Ennis. Armed with her qualifications Kate has her eyes on an office job, and she and Mum Caitríona are so grateful of the supports received through Down Syndrome Ireland, which have led to so many doors opening for Kate. These supports would not have been available without the funds raised by the public through events like the Tour de Munster charity cycle, which marks 10 years in partnership with Down Syndrome Ireland Munster this year. The cycle takes place over four days, covering six counties of Munster where cyclists will traverse a 600km route. Last year the charity …

Sometimes good things come in big packages. That was the case when Bruno, a five year old Rottweiler Husky cross came into the care of Clare Animal Welfare. Having spent most of his life tied up on a chain, Bruno, who weighs in at a hefty 50 kilos was relinquished to a concerned neighbour by his owner who got in touch with Clare Animal Welfare (CAW). “Our first priority,” says Judy, one of CAW’s volunteers, “was to get Bruno checked over completely by our vets.” Bruno was found to be in remarkably great physical shape despite his tough first years. Neutering, microchipping and vaccinations were next for this gentle giant. Bruno’s next steps towards his new life were into foster care with Stiofan and his wife Christine who are veteran foster carers, for Galway SPCA, Madra and now with CAW. Stiofan says: “Bruno missed out on a crucial stage of socialisation because he had so little contact with people or …

A SITE has been secured for the construction of a new €25 million St Joseph’s Hospital in Ennis. The construction of the 100-bed, community nursing unit on five acres of Diocesan lands located near the Turnpike in Ennis will ensure that elderly care services remain at the heart of the county town, according to Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen. Deputy Breen said, “I am delighted that a site has been secured at this central location in Ennis for the construction of the new €25 million St Joseph’s Hospital. The sale of the 5.09 acres of land remains subject to planning permission for the development of the 100 bed Community Nursing Unit, but I believe the site provides the best option following the appraisal of a number of sites in the Ennis environs by the HSE. “The new state-of-the-art St Joseph’s Hospital building has been prioritised in the HSE Capital …

THE Friends of Ennis Hospital/Shannondoc group are planning a protest for Sunday, May 5, at 3pm. The group also say that some 2,000 people have signed its petition, looking for full A&E services in Ennis to be restored. Sunday’s protest is one of three planned across the region in the coming days, as public anger about the trolley crisis at University Hospital Limerick continues. “Our friends in Nenagh are arranging a protest on Friday, May 3, we will be sending representatives to Nenagh to lend our support. There is a protest planned for 1pm on Saturday, May 4 at City Hall, Limerick in relation to the ongoing crisis in UHL and we are sending a speaker to that meeting too. “We have several speakers lined up for Sunday who have personal experience of the horrors of UHL’s emergency department. We will also be reading into the public record a list of the local election candidates who have refused to sign …

TWO Ennis families will come together, a year on from Ennis Rugby Club’s U-15s North Munster Cup win, to present a newly-established Brothers in Arms Cup dedicated in memory of Jack Kenneally and Shay Moloney. On April 28, ahead of the first anniversary of Jack and Shay’s tragic passing as they enjoyed the summer sunshine swimming in Ennis, the Kenneally and Moloney families will join in solidarity to present the cup to the new U-15s champions.Coaches Eamon Connaughton and Pádraig Brennan decided to dedicate a new North Munster Cup in memory of the two players, who are deeply missed but never forgotten. Shay’s mother Fiona said, “The cup means so much to us as a family; it is lovely. We were so involved.Most of my Sundays for years were spent on the sideline, so it was like they were all my children. Shay’s favourite things were family, rugby and friends and they were one family. It’s beautiful to have Brothers in …

2019 is not a bad time to become president of Ennis Chamber, as Gwen Culligan is doing, with the town’s economy in a relatively sweet spot, while still strengthening and improving. Gwen is co-owner of the County Boutique on O’Connell Street, with her sister Maeve Flouch, and it is a family business that goes back to the 1960s. The business was a huge part of Gwen’s childhood. “Our playground was O’Connell Street. After school, at lunchtime from school and whatever, we’d be there. I’m from Clon Road, so we’re real townies,” she laughs. Her mother worked in the business right up until her death in 2005. Gwen was away for a number of years working in AIB but has been in the shop for around 30 years now, placing her at the heart of Ennis commerce. She has also been active in the chamber for quite a long spell. “I’ve been involved in the chamber on and off for years. …