*The Save Ennis Town banner which was removed.
CLARE is no longer the Banner County, members of Save Ennis Town have claimed.
It follows a move from top brass in Clare County Council to remove a banner erected by the community group within the space of twelve hours.
Save Ennis Town is a community group of local traders and business people who have clashed with Clare County Council regarding some of their plans for the Ennis 2040 Strategy.
As part of their opposition to plans to build on the riverside car parks in Abbey Street and Parnell Street, Save Ennis Town presented the County Council with a petition of 3,500 signatures, held a silent march, a public rally and were infamously referred to as “bananas” by Mayor of the Ennis Municipal District, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy during The Clare Echo’s election debate.
Last week, a Save Ennis Town banner was erected across O’Connell Street attached to private property above ongoing public realm works but was taken down by general operatives for the County Council on the instruction of senior management.
In a statement to The Clare Echo, a spokeswoman for Clare County Council outlined, “The banner as referenced below was removed on Wednesday last and returned to the owner soon after. Related to same, Ennis MD staff also last week commenced the process of removing banners and bunting on O’Connell St, the majority of which were erected earlier in the summer in support of the Clare Hurling Team. Clare County Council would like to take this opportunity to remind the public that under the Roads Act, Signage should not be erected on or above a public road without the necessary statutory consents being in place”.
A spokesperson for Save Ennis Town told The Clare Echo, “Interestingly there have been many banners in the past, some left up for months on end such as for the Clare Hurlers, The Fleadh, Ennis Book Club Festival. The banners are all hung from privately owned properties, with the permission of the owners. Clare is no longer the Banner County”.
John O’Connor of Save Ennis Town told The Clare Echo that the banner was only returned after repeated requests to the Council. He said the €400 cost of the banner was funded by the Retailers of Ennis. “We wanted to let people know that Save Ennis Town still exists and we haven’t gone away. There would have been no problem with the banner only for it went against the Council’s narrative”.
O’Connor pointed out that there was no issue from the Council on adhering to the Roads Act when he hung a banner on behalf of the now defunct O’Connell Street Traders supporting the Clare hurlers for two months, without permission.
“We were spotted at 07:30 on a lovely autumn morning putting up the banner by someone high up in Ennis 2040 DAC and I knew the bells were already tolling, twelve hours later the banner was taken down,” he said.
He continued, “it is very important that the sauce for the goose is also the sauce for the gander and the signage on all approach roads to Ennis need to be looked at and to see if the owners of these signs have permission”. O’Connor confirmed they will now be attempting to secure permission under the Roads Act to have a Save Ennis Town banner flying in the heart of the county town.
