*President Catherine Connolly working with Instructor Cian Corcoran assembling a cabinate during her visit to Common Knowledge, the award winning Social Enterprise in Co Clare on Friday. Photograph by Eamon Ward
PRESIDENT Catherine Connolly made her first visit to Co Clare since her successful election.
A month into her new role as Ireland’s tenth President, the Galway woman visited North Clare on Friday. She has yet to move into Áras an Uachtaráin, which is undergoing minor renovations and is temporarily residing at the Steward’s Lodge at the nearby Farmleigh House.
Her predecessor Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina moved out on the eve of the President’s inauguration. No date has been made as of yet for Connolly’s move into the Arás.
On Friday, she visited the social enterprise Common Knowledge in Kilfenora. The organisation described it as “a proud moment” but it was that the local media of Clare were not invited to attend or report on, it is unclear if this is due to the President snubbing all interview requests in Clare and Limerick during her sole visit to the county on the campaign trail in October.
During her latest visit, President Connolly met with staff, local volunteers and participants from programmes such as Build School, Field Good Fridays and Queer Sheds.
Guests shared personal stories of learning new skills and building confidence with Common Knowledge. Ecological restoration work across its fifty-acre site were highlighted on the visit plus recent upgrades to the Kilfenora learning centre.
Instructor Cian Corcoran worked with the President to assemble a cabinet that will be used for Common Knowledge’s main community event space. The visit closed with a handmade gift from one of the organisation’s instructors and a group photograph with staff and local participants.
Speaking after the visit, Co-CEO Fionn Kidney said, “It was a real honour to welcome the President to the Burren. Her visit shines a light on the community spirit that has shaped Common Knowledge from the beginning. Everything we do here is rooted in people supporting one another, and today’s gathering reflected that”.
Aoife Hammond, Community Projects Manager at Common Knowledge stated, “Tá cultúr láidir i dTuaisceart an Chláir maidir le comharsana ag cabhrú lena chéile – tá sé tábhachtach go mbeadh ár bpobal linn, a chabhraigh leis an áit seo a thógáil, anseo ag am nuair a aithnítear muid ag leibhéal náisiúnta. Táimid an-bhuíoch de gach duine a chabhraigh leis an áit seo a thógáil”.
Founded in 2021 by Erin McClure, Harrison Gardner, Spider Hickman and Fionn. Common Knowledge has had over 10,000 people take part in its courses, events and programmes. This year, Common Knowledge received an award at the inaugural National Social Enterprise Awards and recently was recognised as Best Business with Social Impact at the Clare Business Excellence Awards.
President Connolly intends to announce her appointments to the Council of State “early in the New Year” according to The Irish Times. Her closest advisor, Beibhinn O’Connor who was a central figure in the Presidential campaign has joined her as a special advisor. She as a further three appointments to make including a Head of Communications, a speech writer and a personal assistant.
Alterations to the Áras website since Connolly’s election includes the removal of a section dedicated to the spouse of the office holder. She is married to Ennis native, Brian McEnery. Originally from Hermitage, Brian is a retired woodwork teacher, he taught for twenty five years at Garbally College in Ballinasloe and a further nine at St Joseph’s Patrician College in Galway City.
They have been married for thirty three years and have two adult sons, Brian and Stephen. He moved to Galway with his family in 1988, one of five children he played football and hurling as a child before becoming a keen motorcyclist, driving a Harley-Davidson.
