*Moira and Catherine Kelly pose for a selfie with Santa. Photograph: Arthur Ellis
SHOP LOCAL this Christmas was the message issued from the Interim Chief Executive of Clare County Council this week.
Ennis’ streets have reopened since the end of November with the €11.5m public realm works paused until January 6th to facilitate and encourage Christmas trading in the county town.
Speaking at Tuesday’s sitting of the Ennis Municipal District, Carmel Kirby, the interim Chief Executive of Clare County Council stated, “please shop local and shop in Ennis, there is a fantastic atmosphere in the town so please ask your friends and relatives from outside the county to come and shop in Ennis this Christmas”. She paid tribute to all staff within the Ennis MD involved in the Christmas in Ennis programme.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, CEO of Ennis Chamber Margaret O’Brien admitted businesses are finding it hard to gauge activity at present. “The weather has had a negative impact on business, the red alert was a hammer blow. Generally people start shopping for Christmas at the beginning of December, this year the 1st of December fell on a Sunday so most of the business was expected to run from last weekend until the final weekend of December, we were expecting it would ratchet up but that has been impacted by Storm Darragh. Hopefully the businesses will be compensated with strong footfall this weekend”.
There is widespread agreement among businesses that the reopening of the streets has improved the feeling around Ennis. “They are definitely saying there is a great atmosphere on the street but they are finding it hard to predict how busy things are”.
Christmas Artisan Markets take place every Saturday from 10:30am to 3:00pm at the Templegate Plaza every Saturday from 30th November to 21st December from 10.30am to 3.00pm. The complimentary ‘Santa train’ will operate through the town this weekend and again from December 20th-22nd.
Free parking for shoppers from 2pm is in place at all public car parks exclusing on-street parking in the town up until New Year’s Day in Ennis.
Deputy Mayor of the Ennis MD, Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua (FF) commended the local authority for the Christmas in Ennis programme. “It is fantastic to go up the town and see the lights, it wasn’t just one person, it was collective, we should be really proud of what we have achieved in such a short period of time”. She added, “Ennis is open for business, we need to keep positive and keep the magic, children can see magic in anything”.
Efforts to date must be matched by strong messaging for Ennis to capitalise, Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) insisted, “It is wonderful when we have everyone working in the same direction. We can have differences of opinion, there is nothing wrong with that but when it works it works, retailers feel like they have been listened to a bit. We’re getting the message across that Ennis is open for business, I made it my business to get Senator Mark Daly (FF) to walk through the town and he said Ennis is taking shape. There is nothing wrong with having a relook for Ennis 2040, we can learn from mistakes, Senator Daly said don’t do what we did in Killarney that the place is choked with cars but doesn’t have the parking within the town. There has been a lot of work done on free parking but we need to push that”.
“The old Ennis Town vibe was back,” remarked Cllr Mary Howard (FG) when reflecting on the turning of the lights in Abbey Street car park.
Apologies for missing the lights ceremony were voiced by Cllr Paul Murphy (FG), “I was out canvassing and trying my best to get my good friend Leonora Carey elected, we didn’t get there but we had a good campaign”. He added, “I was genuinely mortified for missing it, I generally don’t miss these things”.
Senior engineer, Seán Lenihan told the meeting that the Christmas in Ennis programme has been “very well received” to date and will be strengthened this weekend by the addition of the free Santa train which will accept donations to support Ennis Voices for Autism, Ábalta Special School, Sláinte an Chláir and Clare Crusaders”. He advised that additional parking has been granted approval for the Gort Rd Industrial Estate and that progress was being made on Shanaway Rd.
