*Photograph: Páraic McMahon.
LOCAL MEDIA in Clare are not helping Ennis’ reputation by putting out a negative picture about the county town, a senior official in Clare County Council has said.
In a surprising contribution at Tuesday’s meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, senior executive officer Seán Lenihan took aim at the local media in the county. “Sometimes the negative gets out more from the media,” the Miltown Malbay native remarked when airing his disappointment with ongoing coverage of the county town.
He confirmed the Council would be carrying a two page advert in The Clare Champion this week to try assist with messaging on the ongoing works in the town centre which has greatly impacted on businesses and mobility. “We’re here and available to meet with Clare FM when they want a speaker, I’ve never refused Clare FM an interview when they put it to me,” he added.
Lenihan said works can sometimes be completed prior to the release of local newspapers on Thursday and as such the information can be inaccurate. “I don’t think the Champion is the place,” he admitted. “I would appeal to all media to positively promote Ennis because to do otherwise is not helpful at all”.
Mayor of the Ennis MD, Cllr Pat Daly (FF) had proposed that the MD consider doing “a PR job” with so many roadworks taking place across the town “by putting notices on the Ennis page of The Clare Champion, The Clare Echo and the news bulletin of Clare FM, stating where the works will be happening in the town in the coming days, which no doubt will give a lot of people the opportunity to avoid those areas, thus reducing queues that are occurring presently”.
Acting senior executive engineer, Paddy Tiernan said the Ennis MD currently advertise all individual road closures, traffic diversions and road works on local papers, social media and Clare FM in accordance with statutory requirements. “Depending on the nature of the works considerable consultation is also undertaken with local schools, hospitals, emergency services and local businesses by both Ennis Municipal District and utility providers such as Úisce Eireann”.
Tiernan continued, “In light of the significant and important construction projects currently ongoing within Ennis we do see the merit in a coordinated approach as per the suggestion. Going forward Ennis MD commits to utilizing social media and Clare FM in order to inform the public of all current road works. This will provide an overview of all road works including road closures within the town. Live updates will also be listed on the Ennis Municipal District section of Clare County Council website”.
Addressing Tuesday’s meeting, Cllr Daly commented, “in recent times all I’m hearing is Ennis is like a warzone all over the town, it is good to see the works happening because it shows a town is expanding”.
Ongoing works “show how progressive Ennis is,” asserted Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF). “If your proposal can get clearer PR messaging then it is worth supporting,” the Quin native stated.
“People have described what is going on as the Siege of Ennis,” commented Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG). State agencies like Uisce Éireann should be liaising with the Ennis MD on the timing of works, he stressed. “We’ve had a big dig in O’Connell Street and we closed the town unnecessarily during COVID. Anything that can be done to help people to visit the town is welcome”.
Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) told the meeting, “I’ve personally spoken to every business in Ennis Town, I’ve heard it straight from the mouth” which prompted fellow councillors to pull faces. “We know what the realm is going to look like, I genuinely believe a focus on the survival of existing business will be welcome”.
Images of what O’Connell Street and O’Connell Square is intended to look like need to be displayed across the streets, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) maintained. “I spoke for regular updates on Clare FM and for adverts in the Clare Champion,” she added of her contribution at a behind closed doors briefing last week. “There is €11m being spent on the town, Ennis has never had anything like this. This is a good news story with serious investment in the town of Ennis”.
Responding to councillors, Lenihan advised, “We can’t do what we’re doing without going through what we’re going through, you can’t carry out major capital works without the disruption”. He said, “The longer term and future benefits will far outweigh the suffering”. He added, “In no way are we taking light of the difficulties businesses are going through, many of my own family are in business, lots of people in the Council have partners and family in business, it is not just about rates and digging up rates, energy costs gone up by 220%, inflation has increased hugely, there are issues with succession, some businesses are closing because the next generation don’t want to work as hard as the next generation, context is needed”.
Mayor Daly told the meeting both The Clare Champion and The Clare Echo have been utilised. Cllr O’Callaghan responded to Lenihan, “at no stage did I suggest ye were not doing enough” which prompted Cllr Howard to shout across the Chamber, “another state of the union address”.
