Tag Archives: Rita McInerney

THE Doonbeg One-Act Drama Festival takes place this weekend with a host of drama groups from around the county and the country treading the boards. Sliabh Aughty, Mountshannon; Amphitheatre Company, Kilkee and Castlewood Players, Cratloe will fly the Clare fly and will be joined on stage by groups from Cork, Kildare, Wexford and Waterford. The Sliabh Aughty group has selected Chasing Butterflies, which is written by Mountshannon writer Siobhán Donnellan, while Amphitheatre Company, Kilkee will perform Healing The Dead by John Hanrahan. Cratloe’s Castlewood Players will perform Faint Voices by John McKenna and all three groups are competing in the confined section. Also competing in the confined are Skibbereen Theatre Society with No Romance Act 2 by Nancy Harris and Coolgreany Drama Group (Wexford) with The Quiet Land by Malachy McKenna. Competing groups in the open section are Kilmeen Drana Group (Cork) with Whodidit, Insight Theatre group (Kildare) with Love in a Glass Jar, Rasper Players (Wexford) with Me and …

A NEWLY announced €50 million loan facility for the SME sector will allow businesses to grow, an Ennis business representative group has said. The Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland has announced that under the terms of the deal, SMEs will be able to access more and lower-cost funding for equipment, machinery and vehicles through Finance Ireland, a Dublin-based specialist lender. It is understood the preferential interest rates will be typically 2% lower than current market rates. Ennis Chamber CEO, Rita McInerney said, “As a business representative organisation, the chamber welcomes any initiative that will ensure access to finance for SMEs, who are the backbone of the Irish economy, especially in rural Ireland. “SMEs employ approximately 70% of the people working in this country and make up over 99% of all businesses. It has been particularly challenging in recent years for SMEs to access finance, therefore this fund will make it more affordable for businesses to grow as well as increasing …

Things went pretty much according to plan at Friday night’s Clare Fianna Fáil general election selection convention, with TD Timmy Dooley and GAA county board chairman, Michael McDonagh safely through. A lot of delegates were of the opinion that a third candidate would help them sweep up more votes and get two seats back for Fianna Fáil after the election. The fourth seat has been keenly contested over the past number of elections, with small margins deciding the outcome. With Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy the third placed convention candidate, ahead of Rita McInerney from Doonbeg, the likelihood is that she will be the one added to the ticket if party headquarters take on board the wishes of Clare Fianna Fáil. Following Dr John Hillery’s strong performance in the last election, it is expected that Fianna Fáil supporters in West Clare will be making an all out effort to give their area a voice in the person of Michael McDonagh, a …

Former Ennis Chamber CEO, Rita McInerney has confirmed her intention to seek a place on the Clare Fianna Fáil ticket to contest the next general election. Ms McInerney, who took a one-year sabbatical from her Ennis Chamber post to complete a masters in politics at University of Limerick, is looking forward to seeking the support of cumman members ahead of the Fianna Fáil Dáil Convention in Clare. The Doonbeg shop owner is facing stiff opposition from a number of candidates, after a Clare Champion survey revealed eight out of the 12 local Fianna Fáil county councillors expressed a preference for running three candidates at the next election. It is expected that Fianna Fáil leader, Micheál Martin, and the party’s national constituency committee will select Clare as one of the battlegrounds for a female candidate, in an effort to meet the national 30% gender quota requirement. Fianna Fáil Deputy Timmy Dooley said he will be putting his name forward for re-election …

FORMER Clare county manager, Alec Fleming has taken over as interim CEO with Ennis Chamber of Commerce, while Rita McInerney takes a year’s career break. Paddy Darmody, president of Ennis Chamber, welcomed the new interim CEO and said he is looking forward to working with Alec, in what promises to be a very busy year for the Chamber. “Ennis is recovering from a very deep recession and I am confident that Alec’s experience and expertise will be of great benefit to the Chamber and the town in the challenging year ahead” said Paddy. “I’m delighted to step in as interim CEO, while Rita is away,” Mr Fleming said. A public servant for 30 years, he retired from the top Clare public service job in 2009 and has been working in private industry as a consultant. A Tipperary native, Alec received his second-level education in St Flannan’s, before beginning his public service career, and has been living in Ennis since 2002, …

By Owen Ryan THERE were fewer people on the live register in Clare last month than was the case in any month of March since 2008. Figures from the Central Statistics Office showed that last month there were 9,023 people signing on in the Banner county, down from 9,242 in February. That drop of 239 equates to a drop of 2.5% in a single month, and, when compared to the figure of 9,869 in March of last year, the decline in the number signing on is slightly over 8.5% in one year. Comparing the figures for the month of March over the last number of years is quite telling. In March 2007, with the country still in rude economic health, there were just 4,102 people on the live register. Twelve months later, the number was almost 25% higher at 5,126. Over the next year, the economy would decline dramatically and, in March of 2009, the number on the live register …

ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour by groups of young people on the streets of Ennis’ town centre is having a “serious negative economic impact” on the county capital. 75 local businesses have signed a petition calling for a greater garda presence on Ennis’ streets amid concerns that people do not feel secure in the town. Members of the business community this week presented the petition to Ennis’ Joint Policing Committee, which includes members of Ennis Gardai, local elected representatives, local authority officials and community representatives. One business owner described how an elderly lady was sprayed with shaving foam on St Patrick’s day outside of his shop by two young people. Another stated that shoppers and business owners are being intimidated, young people are running in and out of shops and pathways are being blocked off by large groups. According to the business owners, “We consider that the anti-social behavior from underage groups in town are a serious offence to local businesses, local community …

THE recent closure of a number of high profile long established businesses in Ennis has prompted calls for a Government strategy to revitalise rural towns like Ennis. The decision of Leavy Shoes to close its O’Connell Street outlet after 36 years in business  last weekend surprised local retailers and shoppers. Customers with any outstanding gift vouchers and credit notices are being advised to present them at their retail outlets in O’Connell Street and William Street in Limerick City. Moody Cow Milkshakes, Abbey Street, Clowntown tattoo parlour and Charlie Stewart’s pub in Parnell Street,  Ennis have all shut their doors. Efforts by the Clare Champion to obtain a comment from the operators of these premises about the circumstances that led to their business demise proved unsuccessful. A spokesman for Seasons 22 confirmed that while Charlie Stewart’s pub had closed the restaurant would continue to operate upstairs in the premises. Leavy Shoes director, Thomas Leavy confirmed the Ennis retail unit employed one …