*Mayor of the Ennis MD, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) with Ken O’Sullivan. Photograph: Eamon Ward.
“REMARKABLE PEOPLE” in the town of Ennis have been honoured with the presenting of mayoral awards.
Mayor of the Ennis Municipal District, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) presented mayoral awards to artist Mick O’Dea, documentary filmmaker Ken O’Sullivan plus owners of Henry’s Bistro & Wine Bar, Rony and Liz Barobhuiya on Thursday evening at Áras Contae an Chláir.
St Michael’s Villas Choir provided music for the reception beginning with ‘have you ever seen the rain’ with their set-list also including ‘Let it Be’, ‘We had it all’ and ‘Clare My Heart My Home’. Their warmth and tones were praised by all Mayoral Award recipients.
Addressing the crowd, Cllr Howard began, “today is about joy and having a little bit of fun” and “to celebrate some truly remarkable people here in our community”. She singled out St Michael’s Villas Choir for how they take care of one another, “if you looked up the definition of community in the Collins dictionary, a picture of St Michael’s Villas should be beside it”.
All recipients have made “an extraordinary contribution” in the fields of art, media and hospitality, Cllr Howard stated.
Filmmaker, underwater cameraman and ocean conservationist, Ken was born in Drumbiggle and now lives in Lahinch. His company SeaFever Productions has produced six TV documentary series and multiple feature-length documentaties totally twenty two documentary films. “His documentaries are now on the Junior Cert cycle curriculum, it is perhaps the first time student can claim they are doing homework when watching the telly,” commented Cllr Howard. “You wear your talent and skills so lightly, you are an incredibly humble man”.
Ken who also wrote ‘Stories from the Deep’ admitted, “It is hard to find the words to say how much the honour and privilege it is to receive this award in my hometown, it means everything to me, it is forty years since I left Ennis but you never leave in your consciousness”.
Tracing back his family roots to 1750 in Fenit Island, Ken said “I’m very proud of where I come from. It was a great privilege to grow up in 1980s Ennis”. This was a time of “mass unemployment, terrible economic times and drug issues” but a period full of “creativity,” he recalled. On the music scene, he reflected as to how twenty bands existed in the town and how Archie Meaney from Corrovorrin set up the Rock Club, “it gave us confidence to stick our heads above the parapet, it gave us the confidence to celebrate creativity and come to the world and live that out”.
O’Sullivan continued, “I do hope we continue to mentor young people and mentor that creativity. Mary would like us to think she is a great character and as mad as a hatter but we know our life and time has been spent working for the betterment of the people of Clare”.
Painter and sculptor, Mick a member of Aosdána was born in Ennis in 1958 with Cllr Howard pointing out how he has studied all over the world, “his achievements and honours are extensive”. In March, he was the Grand Marshal for the St Patrick’s Day parade in Ennis with the Mayor expressing her pride at selecting O’Dea for that honour, “it was a fitting recognition for someone who brings such pride to our hometown”.
Mick quipped, “I feel like the main man thanks to Mary, it’s like Goodfellas but it’s not that. The Choir has evoked nostalgia, I think of where I grew up on O’Connell Street, a lot of Clare people are now born in Limerick so to say you are a bona fide Clare person can be difficult but we were born above the pub and grocery”.
O’Dea’s Pub brought them to heart of the town, he stated, “In the 1970s if you were from town of Ennis then you were from town of Ennis.. People who lived in the town, that is something of the past but we all remember it, the interaction from the pub and grocery shop, I remember saying this at my late mother’s funeral, growing up where we did was like a corridor, it was a public house in every sense, the street was an extension of the home”. Mick recounted that he never met obstacles in his education at the Convent in Ennis now the County Museum, CBS primary school or St Flannan’s College in pursuing his passion for art. The influence of his former teacher Jim Hennessy was also brought to his memory.
Generosity of Rony and Liz Barobhuiya from Henry’s Bistro saw them presented with a Mayoral award. Since 2022, they have provided free meals on Christmas Day for the elderly, homeless and people on their own.
According to Cllr Howard the couple “represent a community. Liz and Rony, their story reminds us of the power of kindness, the impact a simple act of compassion can have for a community. In December 2022, Liz received a call from a woman asking to provide a meal for Christmas Day for her aunt in Clarecastle, the thought stuck with them, if there is one person then chances are there is a lot more than one, Christmas is a difficult and lonely time, we are the walking wounded and think of people who should be with us. People often end up on their own at Christmas, they decided to do something extraordinary, offered free hot meals to elderly, homeless and those on their own”.
When they started in 2022 they provided 42 meals, that grew to 75 in 2023, 120 in 2024 and over 140 in 2025. Roast beef, turkey, ham and a variety of desserts were among the offerings dished out.
Rony said they were “very thankful” to be recognised. “Without all the volunteers we would not be here. We are very thankful for the recognition. I came to this country in 2014, I got so much, when I got the chance I got my own restaurant and I wanted to give back, that is what we’ve done and we will continue to do so for many more years”.
Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua (FF) praised the recipients for the “phenomenal” contributions. “Ye all have the same kind of heart, it comes through in your work, you can see it for the community, we should be honoured that ye call Ennis home and that ye can come back and say it is home, we are honoured to have ye”.
Proud Townies were out in force, Cllr Pat Daly (FF) commented. He said Mick O’Dea’s profile is growing thanks to Cllr Howard. Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) was reminded of Bobby Sands through the singing of the choir and said he would honour the late member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army had he been Mayor. “It is like a shamrock, the three awardees coming together, ye make a community, lads born and raised in Ennis, people not from Ennis but making it is what it is, a powerful awards ceremony,” he added.
Mayor of Clare, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) spoke of the “small world” as he pointed out O’Dea formerly worked with Hanrahans in Barntick while his own wife assisted with one of O’Sullivan’s movies, “what Liz and Rony do is beyond charity and generosity”. On behalf of the Choir, Gabriella Hanrahan congratulated all recipients.
