Well-known Ennis figures remembered with memorial plaques

MEMORIAL plaques were unveiled on Wednesday evening to remember the lives of two of Ennis’ best known figures. A plaque was unveiled at the Queen’s Hotel dedicated to the late Laura Brennan, while the late Michael Tierney and his dog Paddy were remembered opposite Ennis Cathedral with a plaque dedicated in their memory.
Unveiling the plaques, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Councillor Mary Howard, in one of her last functions in the role, said
“For many years I have tried to have something permanent in the town of Ennis to remember the larger than life character that was the late Michael Tierney. Last June when I became Mayor of Clare I promised that both Michael and Laura Brennan would have a permanent presence in the town, my term is finished on Friday,” she said.
Laura was diagnosed with cervical cancer and passed from this life in March of 2019 after dedicating her final months to advocating for the HPV vaccine and her work ensured that prior to Covid-19 the uptake with Irish teens had increased from just 50% to over 80%.
Michael Tierney has been described as one of the last great characters of County Clare. For decades he could be seen walking the streets of Ennis, delivering newspapers on his daily round or standing outside the Ennis Cathedral on Sunday mornings after mass. He was recognised by his hats, his choice of jewellery, or the smell of perfume as he walked by. When he died in 1998, it was one of the largest funerals ever seen in Ennis.