Moroney's Bar

Despite the doom and gloom over 2009, the Ennis floods and the terrible Budget that was announced last week Christmas is now little over a week away. It's a time for familys and friends to get together, welcome relations home and above all for the kids the coming of Santa Claus on the 25th.

To all our loyal customers and friends we sincerely wish you and your families a Happy and Peaceful Christmas and Happy New Year. Brian John, Tracy, Ethan, Zara, Irene, Cathal, Trevor and Marita look forward to your continued support in 2010. D

Well know Ennis singer Maura O Connell who hails from the Upper Market has been nominated for a prestigious Grammy Award for her latest album Naked with Friends. This is Maura's second time to be nominated fot this award having been previously nominated in 1991. Unaccompanied singing has been a part of Maura's music since her earliest days and on this album she is joined by a host of well know musicians including Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss, Kate Rusby, Paul Brady, Mary Black, Jerry Douglas, Tim O'Brien, Darrell Scott, Aoife O'Donovan (Crooked Still), Sarah Dugas (The Duhks), Mairéad Ní Mhaorigh, Moya Brennan, Liam Bradley, Declan O'Rourke, and her sister Áine Derrane. This is a bold move by Maura to launch such an album but those of us who knew her mother Amby ( nee Costelloe ) will testify to the great singing voice she possessed and was obviously inheritated by… Read more

On Thursday evening last Ennis experienced a one in a hundred year flood when after constant rain since Tuesday evening coupled with strong winds the River Fergus could take no more and burst its bank in the Lower Abbey Street Car Park. Unfortunately this was only a prelude of what was to come and over the next 24 hours areas such as New Road, Willow Park, Oak Park, Honeywell, Tobastascain, Castle Lawn, Foir Uisce, Ard Aoibhinn, Francis Street, Gort Road and St Flannans College were all experience flooding. Indeed part of the grounds of St Flannans were flooded to a depth of 5 feet and the water flowed out over the main wall on to the Limerick Road and flooded the estate of Ard Aoibhinn directly across from the college.

Over the years one always associates flooding in Ennis with Parnell St and it's car park along with the Mill Road… Read more

Last Saturday night was a special day for the lovely Marie O Byrne as she celebrated her 30th birthday in Moroney's. As Marie and her boyfriend John Joe Kelly are very well know in the trad circles what better way to celebrate your birthday that with a good old session ! All who had the fortune to be in Moroney's on the night enjoyed the session and boy can John Joe play that bodhran.

Sincere best wishes to Marie from all her friends at Moroney's.

Yes it's going ahead despite all the speculation that the 16th running of the Ennis Trad Festival would have to be cancelled due to lack of funding. Thanks to the dedication of the committee the festival is not being lost and one can look forward to some great sessions in the coming days. There are over twenty pubs and hotels where nightly sessions will be going on as well as all the usual CD launches, recitals, instrument and singing masterclasses and céilís.

One of the highlights of the festival is the Árd Ghaisce na mBuíonta (the Great Céilí Band Challenge) which will take place on Saturday 7th November from 7pm in the West County Hotel, with fear-an-tí for the night, Brendan Begley. Ten of Ireland's top ten ceili bands will compete for a first prize of €5,000 in a public setting designed to test their mettle against each other. There are… Read more

It was a great night at Galway Greyhound Stadium on Thursday night for The Rineanna Syndicate boys as their dog Oscar Two raced to victory in his second ever race. Having failed to be placed in his first race on the 8th October last there was no doubting his determination to put things right this time out. When the traps rose he broke very smartly, led to the first bend and extended his lead to 4 lengths going down the back stretch. Having faded coming home last time round Oscar did'nt disappoint this time round and galloped home in a good time of 29.59 and won by 3 3/4 lengths.
To make the night even better Oscar was returned on the tote at odds of 6/1 ( 5/2 with bookies) thus ensuring a nice payout for the syndicate members that were present on the night. Unfortunately some of the lads were… Read more

On Tuesday last 13th Oct our neighbour Mai Quinlivan (nee Frawley) who lives directly across the road from the pub celebrated a milestone few of us will ever see ,her 100th birthday. Indeed when the pub was reopened after being renovated over four years ago Mai was a special guest on the night. Mai is now the oldest living native in Ennis and is a pleasure to talk to with all her history of the town. Mai late husband Jim was a well know figure in the town having worked in Shannon Airport Catering for over 40 years and he also won a county hurling medal with the Dals. Mai and Jim raised four sons Brian, Ken, Eddie and Dermot and a daughter Rita who lives in the family home. All in Moroney's wish our great neighbour many more years of health and happiness and also could she tell us… Read more

On Monday night last Moroney's launched a new mug with the logo emblazed on them. The logo was the original won found on tea and sugar bags when the pub / grocery first opened it doors in 1840. One of the original tea bags can be founded framed in the lower bar as one exits to the smoking area. The mugs were designed by Tulla woman Mags Lysagh and such was the demand that a repeat order was put in on Tuesday morning.

As one exile home on holidays from London commented on receiving a mug " The tea will taste all the nicer in the morning as I'll always think of Ennis when I see the mug". We'll all drink to that :-)

See Gallery under Moroneys Mugs

Last Thursday night in Galway Greyhound Stadium the Rineanna Syndicate ( Austin Clair, Val O Sullivan, Declan Cullinan, Noel and Enda Howard, Gerry O Connor, Mike McNamara, Jason Roche, Paddy Ryan, Steve Wynne and Johnny Moroney ) finally got to see their greyhound Oscar Two make his racing debut. As you will see from previous articles the dog was expected to be named Delta One but when the official name came back from the greyhound board it was our second choice Oscar Two that was accepted.

Having purchased the greyhound over 18 months ago is was with nervous expectations that we headed to Galway. Oscar is being trained in Ballyea by John Browne (a member of the well know Browne family associated with the Burnpark prefix) who has done a tremendous job for the syndicate as Oscar had some health problems early on. The Syndicate has commissioned lovely rugby style tops… Read more

Tuesday evening next the 22nd September at 7.45pm there should be some atmosphere in Moroney's when Leeds host Liverpool in the live League Cup game. As everyone knows the Ennis Leeds United Supporters Club consider Moroney's their home venue as they hold their meeting and watch live games there. While all their supporters will acknowledge that Leeds have no aspirations of winning this competition it will be a good barometer as to how much progress they have made in footballing terms this season. With a crowd of 30,000 plus expected at Elland Road it promises to be a good game and will no doubt bring back many memories of their days in the Premiership.

With many Liverpool supporters also regulars in Moroney's and others coming down for the slagging the crack should be mighty. So get on down to Moroney's on Tuesday evening and enjoy some great grub (at half time)… Read more

Sunday the 13th of September 09 will live long in minds of all Clare people that were lucky enough to be in Croke Park to see John Minogue's charges win their first ever All Ireland U21 Hurling title. In a epic battle that went down to the wire the young Banner Boys held out for a one point victory on a scoreline of Clare 0-15 Kilkenny 0-14. While it was a superb team effort one must mention the contribution of Colin Ryan, John Conlon, Eamon Glynn, Nicky O Connell and outstanding goalkeeper Donal Tuohy who brought off a stunning save from Richie Hogan. Once again the Croke Park officials had to resort to Plan B as there was no way off stopping the Clare followers from invading the pitch after the final whistle to see captain Ciaran O Doherty lift the Celtic Cross trophy.

After the game it was down to… Read more

On Sunday next the 13th September Clare will take on reigning Champions Kilkenny in the U21 Hurling Final in Croke Park. While Clare will enter the game as underdogs their tremendous spirit and will to win allied with a superb forward line will I believe see them over the line. Over 5,000 Clare supporters are expected to travel for a game that throws in at 4.30pm following the camogie finals.
It is also being shown on TG4 so if you can't make it to the big smoke come down to Moroney's and enjoy the atmosphere. Here's wishing the young Banners Boys best wishes on Sunday and hopefully we'll see them in O Connell Square on Monday night with the U21 trophy. ( It's not a cup as the GAA did'nt want to promote drinking out of a cup , yes it's true.)

It was with great sadness that early on Friday morning last we learnt of the passing of Jimmy Fenton, Ard Na Greine Ennis. Jimmy was one of life's true gentleman in every sense of the word and for over forty years he worked in Shannon Airport as a wine waiter in the Lindbergh Restaurant.Jimmy as was recalled at his funeral Mass on Monday met Muhammad Ali among many other celebrities in the airport long before it was every know his relationship with Ennis. His spare time was devoted to pitch and putt, golf and of course gardening. I as a young boy can recall Jimmy coming in to Moroney's for his pint of Guinness on his way to and from bingo in the Community Center Chapel Lane and as always he was the best dressed man in the place.

With the passing of his beloved wife Vera five years ago Jimmy… Read more

The 1st September will go down in history for the townsfolks of Ennis and Clare as the day the greatest sportsmen of all time Muhammad Ali was made a free man of Ennis, the first person ever in the town's history. Ennis was festooned with bunting, Irish and American flags and most of the businesses on Abbey Street and O Connell St had their own tributes to the one the called The Greatest. However it was in the Turnpike area where Ali's great grandfather Abe O Grady had left 149 years ago to emigrate to America that he received a tremendous welcome. The whole road up to the Alymers Rest was thronged with people young and old and was a sea of colour with flags, bunting and posters. One such poster read Welcome Cousin Ali.

On the green area opposite the Alymers a plague was unveiled which formed part of a… Read more

On a superb playing sod that is Thurles the Clare U21 hurlers produced a magnificent display to beat a gallant Galway team after extra time in what has been hailed as one of the best hurling games of the last thirty years.
The now qualify for the All Ireland Final vs (you guessed it) Kilkenny which is to be played in Croke Park on September 13th next. As the final score line of Clare 3-23 Galway 5-15 this game had everything. Superb scores from play , frees, penalty's and two unreal sideline cuts from the fantastic Joe Canning ( he ended the game with 4-07 to his credit)and some brilliant goalkeeping on both sides left everyone in attendance in awe of these fantastic young hurlers. The standing ovation the received at the end from both sets of supporters was indeed warranted.

It seems unfair to pick out some Clare players from this… Read more

On Saturday the Clare U21 play near neighbours Galway in the All Ireland U21 Hurling S/F in Thurles with throw in at 2.30pm. Indeed this is The Banners first appearance at this stage of the competation and they will face a Joe Canning inspired Galway team. However the Clare management team of John Minogue, Cyril Lyons, Alan Dunne and Sean O Halloran have been with this team since U16 level and will be well prepared for Saturday's game.

As always if you can't get to Thurles on the day you can see the match live in Moroney's and hopefully see Cathal O Doherty, Nicky O Connell, Darach Honan and co point the Banner boys to a famous victory.

On the 1st September the former World Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali will visit Ennis the birthplace of Abe Grady , his great grandfather. He has accepted an invitation from the Town Council and the Mayor of Ennis Frankie Neylon to visit the Turnpike area where Abe lived before emigrating from Cappa Pier in Kilrush to the USA in the 1860's. Ali who is now 68 will be the first person ever to be given a civic reception by the council and an oak tree will be planted in the Turnpike area near where a local family reside.( the O Donovans ,live opposite O Dowd's shop are distant relations of Ali. The late Mrs O Donovan was O Grady)

Abe on arriving in the USA settled in Kentucky where he married an African -American woman. Their son also married an African-American and one of the daughters of that union was Ali’s mother,… Read more

There is a new face behind the counter of Moroney's in the person of Trevor Chandler from Hermitage. From a very popular town family Trevor for his sins is also a Leeds United fan and last night found himself serving the Ennis Branch of the Leeds United Supporters Club who were holding their AGM in Moroney's. On the night Trevor joined as a member so he can now get used to hearing the Leeds anthem Marching On Together sung while he's pulling pints of Arthur !

Good to have you on board Trevor and all at Moroney's wish you an enjoyable time behind the bar of one of the town's oldest public houses.

At Fraher Field in Dungarven on Wednesday evening last the Clare U21 hurleres finally broke their duck after 46 years in winning the Munster U21 title in a thrilling game vs Waterford. To John Minogue the manager and his management team of Sean O Halloran, Cyril Lyons and Alan Dunne ( himself a Waterford man and teacher in St Flannan's) there is enormous credit due especially after the heartbreak of last year's defeat to Tipperary in Cusack Park.

The game was televised on TG4 and there was a vocal support in Moroney's for the game and obviously a great atmosphere in the bar after Ciaran O Doherty ( his father Gerry is from the Turnpike ) lifted the trophy. Hoprfully this will kick start a revival in Clare hurling fortunes. Next up for the U21's is Galway in three weeks time with a venue to yet be announced. Congratulations to… Read more

All roads lead to Cusack Park, Ennis tomorrow evening for the eagerly awaited All Ireland Hurling Qualifier between Clare and Galway which has a throw in time of 7pm. This is the last chance saloon for Mike Mac's men after a disastrous League campaign and defeat to Tipperary in the Munster Championship three weeks ago.

As always the game will be shown live in Moroney's on the three screens so the atmosphere should be electric. As we write I just received a text from Whitegate hurling fanatic Liam Jones who says he'll be in Moroney's before the game with eight others East Clare men so have the sandwiches ready. Not a bother Liam we'll sort ye out as always. Now lets hope we hear The Banner Roar ringing out on Saturday evening after a Clare victory.