Tag Archives: Tony Mulvey

Long serving Clare Champion journalist, Tony Mulvey has been honoured with a Media Award for his distinguished service to the regional press. A native of Colonroad in Ennis, Tony joined The Clare Champion staff all of 58 years ago and during his time with the newspaper, owned by the Galvin family, he has chronicled events be they news, current affairs or sporting events that have defined the Banner County. His late father, George was editor of The Clare Champion prior to his death in 1958. Tony was presented with his award at the annual Mid West Press Ball in The Strand Hotel, Limerick by special guest, Finance Minister Michael Noonan. Limerick Live95FM’s Len Dineen, who has been working in radio locally since the 1970s, was also honoured. JT McNamara, the Limerick jockey who died tragically in July from injuries sustained in a fall, was the posthumous recipient of the biennial Shannon Group Media Merit award. Presented by special guest Finance …

The President of Ireland Michael D Higgins recalled his boyhood days in Clare, when a group from Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus were among his garden party guests at Áras an Uachtaráin last Sunday. The President mingled with his former neighbours, exchanging stories of their formative years in Ballycar National School. Talk also came around to many events that made their way into the parish history books and he even recalled enjoying playing handball in the local alley. President Higgins and his wife, Sabina, welcomed the 80-strong Ballycar group, part of a gathering of nearly 500 people, at a marquee on the grounds of Áras an Uachtaráin. The afternoon programme included a tour of the stately residence, viewing the gardens and even a respite to watch the Ireland-France soccer game on a large screen. President Higgins’ one-time neighbour, Kathleen O’Leary, presented him with a hollowed vessel made from Ballycar ash by local man Ray Walsh. Each year, President Higgins and Mrs Higgins open …

LOOKING at an old photograph from the 1950s and reminiscing about the skiffle group that he formed with his three childhood friends, Tony Mulvey’s eyes sparkle as he recalls the memories. Tony says the photograph of the group, called the Drifters, was taken by his late brother, Frankie, a priest based in Cardiff since 1959, who died in August last year. “The picture was taken in the laneway between myself and Tom Quinn’s house at Clonroad, Ennis in 1957, I’d say,” he says. “Skiffle was in vogue at the time and there were a few skiffle groups in Ennis.” Tony says a skiffle group had a steel washboard that was used for the rhythm section and a tea-chest that was converted into a bass. “There were a number of skiffle groups in Ennis there at that time around the ’57, ’58 period and there were a lot of skiffle competitions going on,” Tony recalls. “It was kind of the start …