Welcome to Ennis, County Clare

WHEN Enda Kenny announced his front bench on Thursday last there were no Clare TDs in the line up.
Deputy Pat Breen (FG) said he was not disappointed because he was not expecting an appointment.
His colleague Deputy Carey (FG) also claimed he did not expect a promotion, as he was just three years in the Dáil.
Deputy Carey had been one of the first TDs to come out in support of Deputy Kenny, during the leadership challenge led by Richard Bruton.
The Clare TD said he believed that the new front bench, which included Deputy Bruton, represented “a very strong and credible team as we look forward to a general election in less than two years time”.
“There is a good geographic and skills spread among the new team. I particularly want to congratulate Michael Noonan and believe his appointment, as finance spokesperson will benefit the whole of the mid-west when Fine Gael lead the next government.
“From my own personal view, I know there was a lot of speculation in the past fortnight regarding my position, yet it’s worth remembering, I’m only in this job three years and never expected a front line promotion so quick. To be even linked with one was flattering. 
“I’m happy to continue to serve as best I can the people of County Clare and continue with my current brief as juvenile justice spokesperson,” he said.
As well as his brief as deputy spokesperson in justice, Deputy Carey was also appointed Deputy Chief Whip of Fine Gael.
“There’s a lot of work to be done in the years ahead to ensure that this country is put back to work and on a sound financial footing. I intend to play my part fully to ensure that happens,” he said.
Deputy Breen also welcomed the appointment of Limerick Deputy Noonan to the front bench.
The former leader was appointed finance spokesperson.
“It is an appointment that will benefit the mid-west,” said Deputy Breen.
“It is business as usual for me and back to representing the people of Clare as best I can,” he added.
Deputy Breen is to remain as deputy spokesperson on Foreign Affairs.
Fine Gael leader Deputy Kenny said, “Fine Gael is united and focused on the major challenge facing the party and the country.
“The team I have picked provides a mixture of both experience and youth and will lead our party into Government after the next election,” he added.

DEPARTMENT of Education inspectors have heaped praise on Clare hurling legend and principal of St Aidan’s National School Ger Loughnane for his work at the Shannon school.
According to the latest department inspection report of the 14-teacher school, the double All-Ireland winning manager with Clare “has a very strong, visible presence in the school. He provides decisive, committed leadership and accordingly the school is very effectively managed.”
The report goes on to state that Mr Loughnane “is very supportive of the staff and the school community. Over the course of the evaluation, it was reported by staff that his regular, affirming interaction with pupils has a very positive impact on their academic and social development.”
Mr Loughnane has served in his role since 1982 and in that time the co-ed school has expanded with a new school built in 1987 to educate 267 students today,
The positive report on the school goes on to state: “The principal is ably supported by a deputy principal and four special-duties post holders who engage in a range of duties. Post holders carry out their duties diligently and they work with a sense of camaraderie as a mutually supportive team.
“There is evidence that post holders have provided some purposeful guidance in relation to whole-school curriculum planning and implementation and it is noted that there is readiness to extend this role. Accordingly, the school’s capacity to further improve is good.”
The report also stated that “the principal and in-school management team assume a more active role in relation to curricular leadership and in overseeing the implementation of the school plan from class to class.”
It adds: “In particular, there is a need to ensure that the approaches and methodologies outlined in the whole-school plan are put into practice consistently throughout the school.
“A more specific focus on the use of child-centred teaching methodologies as observed in some classes is also needed. In order to assist teachers to develop as reflective practitioners, it is advised that progress in relation to curricular implementation be evaluated more regularly through review and discussion. Additionally, it is advised that long-term and short-term goals for development in specific aspects of the curriculum be identified and addressed at whole-school level.”

CLARE’S water drought is set to continue into the coming week with the water ban to stay in place.
A spokesperson for Clare County Council said it was informed by Met Eireann that the soil moisture deficit levels in Clare are among the lowest in the country.
Even the rain has made no impact on the county’s water levels.
The county, that had one of the highest levels of rainfall just seven months ago and one of its wettest Novembers on record, is now technically in a drought.
The rainfall so far this year is one of the lowest ever, and the rain last week was equally low.
Just 20 millimetres of rainfall was recorded in Ennis last Wednesday.
Clare County Council’s reservoirs and water supplies are now significantly low.
“The rainfall over the last week was insufficient to replenish supplies,” the council spokesperson said.
“The outlook does not indicate significant rainfall so the ban and conservation measures will remain until further notice.”
This remains bad news for those living in Ennis, north Clare and the Tulla and Kiltannon District Electoral Divisions.
Water users in these areas can be fined up to €5,000 if found in breach of the restrictions set down by the local authority under Section 56(16) of the Water Services Act 2007.
The restrictions which will remain in place until at least the end of this month include a complete ban on hosepipe or “similar apparatus” for the purpose of watering a garden, watering recreational parks or sports grounds, either generally or any particular type of such park or ground, irrigating or spraying crops, either generally or any particular type of crop, or washing a mechanically propelled vehicle or a trailer.
Anyone who contravenes this order will according to Clare County Council be committing an offence and is liable on “summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €5,000”.
Alternatively a person may be subject to an ‘on-the-spot’ fine of €125.

ENNIS Town Council voted Monday to suspend its trial of pedestrianisation of two streets for a time on Saturdays after a heated meeting which was attended by traders in the town.
The public gallery of the council’s monthly meeting was packed with traders who heard Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) had conducted a survey of businesses affected by the last six weeks of pedestrianisation.
The councilor told the meeting that 75 per cent of businesses which replied to his survey are down on turnover and 65 per cent of those had lost 30 per cent or more on their till receipts.
Almost half of the traders have been forced to shed staff hours, in some cases letting their Saturday staff go, he said.
Many business owners shut up shop to be at the meeting and to make a presentation to the town council members before the monthly agenda was taken up.
Cllr Flynn said that traders had co-operated and supported pedestrianisation but it “just hasn’t worked. We are first and foremost a commercial town, not a civic area,” he told the meeting, proposing a motion that the town council suspend the Saturday pedestrianisation experiment in Abbey Street and O’Connell Street.
His motion was supported by Labour Cllr Paul O’Shea, who said that at a time when unemployment was higher than ever “we cannot afford to allow this to continue if Ennis is losing trade and losing jobs”.
Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) said that he still supports the trial and said that he was concerned that the council’s own staff might not have the right experience to assess the trial and analyse the results.
“This was to be done on a professional basis…we need to come to an informed decision based on information from independent qualified outside consultants.”
Mayor of Ennis Tommy Brennan (Ind) proposed a counter motion that the trial be allowed to continue for the agreed eight weeks. “We said we would give it an eight week trial and I think we should go along with that.”
He said he agreed with Cllr Meaney that a private assessor needs to be brought in. “We need to look at this and if it needs tweaking with signage or whatever then let’s do that, but we said we would have an eight week assesment and I think we should go along with that.”
Town manager Ger Dollard said that the council’s own footfall survey “showed that quite clearly there are people on the street. We’ve had six pedestrianised days to date and on three of those there were festivals.”
There was a cheer from the traders when members voted six to three in favour of Cllr Flynn’s motion to suspend the pedestrianisation.