Tag Archives: glor

SUNDAY will be an emotional afternoon for Síle de Valera, as the woman who represented Clare in the Dáil for 20 years returns for the commemoration of her grandfather’s East Clare by-election win of 1917. Fianna Fáil has organised a range of events to mark the centenary in Ennis. One of the central figures in 20th century Ireland, Eamon de Valera played a major part in his granddaughter’s decision to enter politics, while she has warm memories of him as a caring grandfather. Indeed, she feels Dev might have lavished more affection on his grandchildren because the circumstances of his life meant he had often been separated from his own children when they were young. “At a personal level, I was 20 when he died, so I had the opportunity to know him very well as a grandfather. I have lovely memories of that and it’s interesting to juxtaposition the personal from the political. Very often, people saw him as …

Clare County Council’s €250,000 annual grant to the Glór should not become a financial “crutch to lean on” over the coming years, a local councillor has warned. The comment was made as councillors agreed to extend the five-year lease for the use of the building to 15 years, for a nominal sum of €1, at a meeting this week. Acknowledging the provision of an annual subsidy of €250,000 is an “ongoing cost”, chief executive officer Pat Dowling said the authority is looking at ways to make the facility more economically sustainable. He added that the authority would also be examining governance issues. While Glór plays an important role in the cultural life of Clare, Mr Dowling stressed it is vital that the council ensure the facility is sustainable. He explained the lease is being extended to allow the facility, which has been in operation since 2001, to draw down extra funding. Councillor Gerry Flynn said he was aware that Glór …

Clare County Council’s Arts Office has announced of a four-year public art programme, entitled ‘Gaining Ground’. The aim of the council’s Public Art Programme 2017-2020 will be to utilise the pooled resources of the Per Cent for Art Schemes of the Local Authority and the Office of Public Works to maximise their potential. The programme comprises four strands taking place in North and West Clare, Shannon and Ennis. In North Clare, four six-month residency projects will be selected to take place over a two-year timeframe. A single residency project, entitled ‘Re-imagining the Rural’, will be selected to take place over a one-year timeframe in West Clare.  A single project, entitled ‘Dancing Together’ will be selected to take place over a one-year timeframe in Shannon.  ‘Reflections’, meanwhile, is the title of a publication and symposium in Ennis from 2019 to 2020. The launch of Gaining Ground will be held at Glór in Ennis on June 15 with guest speaker Annette Moloney, …

THERE will only be one campsite for Fleadh revellers this year if the plans in the event licence application are approved, local businesses have been told. While there were a number of campsites last year, this year there is only one campsite, which is in Clarecastle, in the event licence application. Details of car-parking arrangements and event control were outlined at the meeting by Clare County Council Fleadh co-ordinator Noleen Fitzgerald. The early part of the festival comprises of Scoil Eigse, a summer school of Irish traditional music, song and dance for children. It is competition time from Thursday to Monday, when competitors will flock from the United States of America, Europe, the United Kingdom and provincial champions from all over Ireland. Patrons can also look forward to concerts, lectures, Seachtain na Gaeilge and Fleadh TV. The Gig Rig will be located in Abbey Street again, although its orientation and layout will be slightly different this year. It will back …

ENNIS Musical Society will present its 60th production, the dark and hilarious comedy Little Shop of Horrors this month, opening this Wednesday night in Glór. The story is told from the perspective of a downtrodden florist shop assistant Seymour Krelborn, played by Eoghan Rice from Quin, whose interest in weird and exotic plants leads him to find a rather unusual plant of the fly-trap variety. The plant – with the right food – promises to drag this former street kid out of the gutter and into the arms of a loving woman, bringing him fame and fortune along the way. Seymour has to struggle between his conscience and his desire for wealth and notoriety. This year’s musical is being staged slightly earlier, with performances from March 8 to Saturday, March 11 in Glór. Typically, the society has a six-show run so with just four performances, Ennis Musical Society chairperson Anne-Marie Hassett said demand will be high. “This year is a …

THE development of the new flagship €8.5 million County Library project in Ennis is moving ahead, with confirmation that the local authority will soon be seeking approval from the Government to apply for planning permission. It is expected that, subject to approval from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, the planning application will be made in either March or April. It is hoped that the main building development near Glór will begin on site next year, with construction anticipated to take 18 months. Liam Conneally, director of service with Clare County Council for housing, culture, sports and amenities, outlined, “The project is subject to ongoing cost reviews and stage approvals, as per the guidelines issued by the department. “Stage two is due to be submitted to the department in late February 2017 to seek approval to proceed to submission of a planning application in March or April. The date is subject to department approval to proceed.” A full …

A FORTUNATE feline has managed to land on his feet after finding a ‘purr-fect’ friend in Ennis. A stray cat has become a regular fixture around Glór and six months ago, he caught the attention of an animal lover who has gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure all his nine lives are kept. Nuala Costello, wife of Ennis vet Michael Costello, feeds the stray she has nicknamed Pio every day, even travelling from her home in the Burren on weekends. In a positive ‘tail’ that gives ‘paws’ for thought, Nuala explains that when she first caught sight of the cat in the undergrowth of the car park, he was “small, puny and miserable looking” in desperate need of food. However, with her care and attention Pio, named after Padre Pio, has thrived. It seems Pio himself thinks that Nuala is the cat’s pyjamas, rushing to her whenever she arrives on the scene. “When I first noticed him, I called him …

Clare Youth Theatre (CYT), an initiative of the Arts Office of Clare County Council, returns to glór this year for a series of weekly workshops. Open to all young people who are in secondary school, CYT meet every Saturday afternoon and delivers a programme that includes acting, devising, writing and technical skills for theatre. With over 25 members currently from all over Clare, CYT offers teenagers a chance to meet and create with like-minded young people. “Over the years we have seen firm friendships forged at the youth theatre,” according to Siobhán Mulcahy, Clare County Council Arts Officer. She continued, “The development of theatre skills is primarily what we do but the holistic benefits of team building, self confidence and addressing issues relevant to young people in a safe environment is what differentiates the youth theatre from other drama groups.” Led by Eleanor Feely and Clare Townsend, the group engages in community events, pop up performances and productions throughout the …