Tag Archives: Margaret O’Brien

THE LATE Oliver Moylan was remembered at his Requiem Mass last Sunday (August 7) as a man of business, a man of faith and a man devoted to his family, his culture and his native town. Mr Moylan was a prominent businessman and owner of The Ennis Cash Company. Dating back to 1880, the shop is a landmark in the town centre and in the town’s history. Oliver Moylan had been at the helm since the late 1950s and, even in the weeks before he passed away, he continued to play an active role in the development of Ennis, attending the July meeting of the Chamber of Commerce sharing his rich insights and ideas. In a tribute, CEO of Ennis Chamber, Margaret O’Brien commended Mr Moylan’s “strong civic spirit” and contribution to several organisations including Ennis Golf Club, Ennis Tennis Club, Ennis Chamber, Chambers Ireland, Clare Local Development Company (CLDC), and the Clare Association of An Taisce. She described him …

MOVIE fans are set to enjoy a brand new film festival launching in Ennis which will quite literally be ‘fantastic’, writes Jessica Quinn. Plans are underway in the county capital to develop a film festival dedicated to the ‘Fantastic’ genre for the Halloween season. ‘Fantastic’ in this sense acts as an umbrella term and includes everything from horror and sci-fi to thrillers and fantasy and it is surging in popularity in the US. According to Ennis Chamber CEO Margaret O’Brien the development of the festival is at an “advanced” stage, with a dedicated committee working on bringing the plans to life in various venues across the county capital. Work is ongoing with full details yet to be announced, including the festival’s name, however there are talks underway for a world leading fan magazine for the Fantastic genre to be aligned with the festival. Ms O’Brien explains, “We were always looking for a festival for the Halloween period, I had worked …

WORKS on the regeneration of Ennis’ Parnell Street are to re-start, Clare County Council have confirmed. A statement issued by the local authority this Monday stated, “Further to discussions at departmental level, a review of critical transport infrastructure projects has been undertaken and it is now appropriate to re-commence the Parnell Street, Laneways and Bow-ways Public Enhancement Scheme.” Ennis Chamber had urged that the works go-ahead while the country remains under Level 5 lockdown, with concerns raised last week by Ennis Chamber vice president Darragh McAllister about the effects delaying the project would have on local business. Reacting to the announcement of the recommencement of the works, Ennis Chamber CEO Margaret O’Brien said, “Ennis Chamber is delighted that clarifications sought from Minister Darragh O’Brien and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, about re-starting public realm works in Ennis have been communicated to Clare County Council and that works will now re-commence.” On Thursday it was confirmed that Minister …

OVERWHELMING loyalty from Christmas shoppers has given retailers a badly-needed boost, as the sector braces for further restrictions. While non-essential outlets face another period of uncertainty as Covid cases rise, shop owners have thanked people for making a concerted effort to support them in the month of December. Tina Grogan from Bambino in Ennis said it was very apparent that people made a conscious decision to back local retailers. “It has been so touching and the support coming up to Christmas was phenomenal,” she said. “It was really obvious that people were making an effort to shop local and, after the year that’s been in it, it was almost overwhelming to see.” At the County Boutique, Gwen Culligan described the support as “unbelievable”. “We were just blown away by it,” said the former President of Ennis Chamber of Commerce. “We did brilliant business. Our customers came back to us and it was clear they were determined to give their support.” …

THE wearing of face coverings become “part of the new normal” for shoppers in Ennis with most agreeing it makes them feel safer, according to CEO of Ennis Chamber Margaret O’Brien. On Monday regulations making face coverings mandatory in shops and other indoor public settings came into force. Similar to the regulations requiring people to wear masks on public transport, those in breach of the rules can be fined up to €2,500 or face six months imprisonment. Members of Ennis Chamber have welcomed the move, Ms O’Brien tells us. “Feedback from Ennis Chamber members is largely positive.  Staff in most shops were already wearing masks and have become used to them.” She continued, “So far there haven’t been any incidents reported of customers refusing to mask up, although some have needed to be reminded. Public sentiment has changed considerably in recent weeks around the wearing of facemasks, they have become part of the new normal. Most agree that the wearing of …

MANY small businesses around the county are said to be playing a waiting game over their futures, with some cautious optimism that a new focus on supporting local companies could provide a life-line. While Phase Three of the re-opening of the economy brought a welcome upturn in footfall in towns across Clare, some businesses had already made the tough decision to keep their doors shut. “The future is less uncertain, but it is still is uncertain,” said Margaret O’Brien, CEO of Ennis Chamber of Commerce. “We’re very sad to see one our members who have already taken the decision not to re-open. Pandora had a very attractive shop on O’Connell Street, with a lovely offering and great staff. They had renewed their membership in March, so they certainly didn’t expect that they would be closing down for good. For the retail sector as a whole, there is a lot of concern about how things will go and it will be …

CHECK your wallets or down the back of the sofa and you might just come across some gold. Over €65,000 worth of Ennis Gold vouchers sold last year have yet to be used at retailers in the county capital, Ennis Chamber have confirmed. The Chamber are encouraging people to redeem these vouchers in the coming weeks, giving the public an opportunity to buy something new while also supporting local businesses, many of which have been affected by Covid-19. Ennis Chamber CEO Margaret O’Brien says that with over 70 local businesses aligned to that scheme, the choice of where to spend those vouchers is huge. She said, “Of the vouchers sold last year over €65,000 Euro worth have yet to be redeemed. Spending those vouchers now will pump cash into the businesses where they are spent. We urge people to spend their vouchers over the coming weeks, local businesses will be immensely grateful to receive them.” A business boost is even …

A NEW survey carried out by Ennis Chamber of Commerce has provided a localised view of how businesses across Clare have been impacted by COVID-19. The COVID-19 Business Survey, conducted in conjunction with Clare FM, also gauges reaction to the suggestion that the town centre be pedestrianised to facilitate social distancing. Ennis Chamber CEO, Margaret O’Brien said the response reveals just how stressed and anxious business owners are. “Although we now have a government roadmap for reopening our economy,” she said, “the level of uncertainty evident from the responses by business owners in County Clare, suggests that those fears, rooted in uncertainty, are set to continue. Shops, cafés, pubs, hotels, hairdressers and beauticians now know when they can open, but that knowledge does little to quell the fear that co-existing with COVID-19 restrictions could mean trading to break even, as opposed to turning a profit.” The strongest sectoral response to the survey, came from retail, representing 42% of all respondents, with hospitality and tourism accounting …