*Photograph: Tom Micks
SAVE ENNIS TOWN, one of the most vocal opponents to controversial aspects to the Ennis 2040 economic and spatial strategy is to stand down.
Founded in May 2023 to fight against plans from Ennis 2040 to build on the car parks of Abbey Street and Parnell Street (Harvey’s Quay), Save Ennis Town has announced this week it is to stand down.
It follows Clare County Council adopting a variation to the County Development Plan which removes the contentious proposals.
Chairman of Save Ennis Town, Gearoid Mannion confirmed to The Clare Echo that the vote helped the voluntary community group achieve their aims over the past three years.
Over the past three years, clashes between Save Ennis Town, Ennis 2040 DAC and Clare County Council were frequent but eased considerably following the decision to pause the strategy in March 2025.
Silent marches, public demonstrations attended by 200 people plus and the submission of a petition containing 3,700 signatures were all organised by Save Ennis Town as part of their efforts.
Mannion told The Clare Echo, “The people and businesses of the town and surrounding areas were against this proposed development from the outset. Thousands signed a petition to stop the buildings going ahead, followed by a silent march to the Council offices on New Road and a public rally in O’Connell Square”.
He added, “Then, at the local elections in 2024, the public voiced their objections at the ballot box when the majority of councillors elected for the Ennis Municipal District were strongly opposed to that aspect of the Ennis 2040 plans. This, combined with our on-going campaign and a change of leadership at both the Ennis 2040 DAC and Clare County Council Executive, led to a review and now a withdrawal of the plans.”
“After three long years of fighting to save these important river-side civic spaces, and having achieved that aim, we are delighted to say our job is done and we’re standing down from the public stage. We would like to thank the thousands of people in Ennis and beyond who supported our campaign, the public representatives both local and national who stood with us and the local media who always presented both sides of the controversy in a fair and balanced manner, allowing the people to make up their own minds on an issue that was vital to the future of the town. We would also like to thank the current County Council Executive, the CEO of Ennis 2040 and the elected members for their role in resolving this issue,” he concluded.
Prominent members of Save Ennis Town included, John O’Connor, Bridget Ginnitty, Hilary Tonge, Cora Hahessy, Michelle O’Connell, Teresa McGrath, Edel Cassidy, Johnny Flynn and Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF).
Former Director of Service with the County Council, Seán Lenihan previously questioned the legitimacy of Save Ennis Town’s petition describing it as “an empty box” while in the heat of the 2024 local election campaign, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) labelled the group’s supporters as “bananas”.
