Moroney's Bar

Well Brian John and his staff certainly ushered in the New Year at Moroneys in style with Marcus Moloney and nine of his friends playing out the old and welcoming in the New Year with some great music. The bar was decked out for the occassion and at 12 o clock the champagne bottles were uncorked and a great hooley began. Credit also must go to Tracy who fed a packed pub and was also responsible for all the bunting, streamers etc that added to the night.

Here's hoping that 2008 will be another great year for Moroneys and that all our loyal customers will continue to enjoy their favourite local.

Well it's true Pat Hennessy has got engaged to the gorgeous Karrieann McDonald. To say this is one of the fittest couples in Ireland would not be a exaggeration. Karrieann is a well know fitness instructor and can often be seen pounding the roads of Ennis and beyond. Many's a male driver that has been distracted by this lovely sight.

As for Pat, one knows that he's in residency at the West County gym such is his dedictation to the pursuit of supreme fitness. One look at Pat will tell you he'a a serious guy where training is concerned and his other love Man Utd is a poor second to his training. One expects that it will only be a matter of time before Karrieann has Pat jogging the roads of Ennis also.

Well the happy couple have not yet set a date for the big day but all their friends and… Read more

Well it's hard to credit that twelve months have passed since last Christmas but as they say time does not stand still and we're all a year older now. Despite a terrible summer made up somewhat by a mild and dry October plus November here we are again waiting for Santa to arrive.

Already here in Moroneys Brian John and his loyal staff have the bar decked out for the festive season and the front window looks really well with Santa having a fiddle, rugby ball, hurley and football to signify the sporting and musical nature of Moroneys. As always if you want to celebrate your Christmas party in the bar you can contact Brian John or Mary Daffy and they will cater for all your needs.

At the close of another year Brian John ,Tracy, Mary, Colm, Cathal, Irene and all the staff at Moroneys wish all their loyal customers a… Read more

On Sunday 11th November as part of the Ennis Trad Festival there was a mighty Trad Session in Moroneys and there to take pictures of the event was our very own Brian John. Among the artists playing were Marcus Moloney, John Joe Kelly, Murty Ryan, Shane Mulvey, Niamh O Dea, Marie O Beirne, Mags Hehir, Liam Joyce, Noelie Ryan, Derek Hickey, Tony O Connell, Siobhan Peoples, Grace Kelly, Carmel O Dea, Michel Siko (alias Paris), Silvan ( Brittany on flute) and Flo (France -Harpist).

All at Moroneys would like to thank all the musicians most sincerely for the efforts over the year at the weekly trad sessions on Wednesday and Thursday nights and also for making this years Ennis Trad Festival one to remember.
See in gallery re Trad Session 07 for pictures of the session.

On Friday night last Dieter Langer (Louis Lovett) of RTE Killinascully fame visited Moroneys for a few pints of Guinness. While it was a long way from Dinny's Bar in the TV comedy programme he did feel at home when he saw the pictures of greyhounds on the wall. He really enjoyed his stay and came back again on Saturday night for a few more pints after the show in Glor ( Improbable Frequency ) where he starred alongside Carrie Crowley ( ex RTE News reader).

On hand to take some pictures with her camera phone was Mary Daffey and these can bee seen in the picture gallery under Dieter.

Tonight we give a hearty welcome to Nicola Dormer, her husband Jason and all their family and friends to Moroneys to celebrate her birthday. Now as everyone knows one should'nt ask a lady her age and in this case we'll just say she does'nt look a day over 25! Nicola is a qualified fitness instructor as is hubby Jason so as one can see this is a very fit couple.

All at Moroneys wish Nicola congratulations on her big day and hopefully we'll get a song from her before the night is over. If not I'm sure we can rely on Tom Dormer and Kieran Ryan to sing a song or possibly two!

At the Annual Ennis Tidy Towns Awards Moroneys Bar has won a third consecutive award for it's window box floral display. The awards are being presented at the De Valera Library on Friday night and it's great for Brian John ,Tracy and all the staff who help to keep the premises in such pristine condition that this honour was secured.

The awards will be presented by the Mayor of Ennis Tommy Brennan and will be accepted by Marian Moroney on behalf of everyone connected with Moroneys.Well done to all concerned.

It's that time of the year again when the trad festival hits town starting on Thursday 8th until Monday 12th November. As usual Moroneys will play their part with sessions on each night with the likes of Marcus Moloney, Michael Butler and company ringing out the tunes. On of the highlights of the festival will be the awarding of a Gradam Award to the great Sonny Murry from St Michaels Villas at Cois na hAbhna on Saturday night.

Sonny who is originally from Kilmihil is one of the greatest exponents of the concertina and is also well know for his love of the greyhounds and indeed is a life long member of the Ennis and Clarecastle Coursing Club. All at Moroneys wish the festival well and congratulate Sonny on his award.

Local artist Harry Guinnane recently completed a painting of Moroneys and this was a labour of love for him as his late father Sean who was a founding member of The Faughs and County Board Secretary was a great friend of Gerry's. Indeed many is the match that was played in the bar when these two got together. Harry spent over two months painting the picture and I think you'll agree that he did a tremendous job. Note the greyhound in the picture something that Harry always associated with Gerry, seeing him walk the dogs up the Market and felt it should included in the picture.

The family in the picture were just passing at one point when Harry was sketching and he put them in to add life to the painting. See picture gallery under Harry Guinnane.

Going on over 50 years Jimmy Fenton Snr from Ard Na Greine in Ennis has been a customers of Moroneys. Always dressed in a beautiful suit Jimmy would make his way up to the Market and have a few pints in Gerry's while also attending bingo in the Community Centre in Chapel Lane.

Jimmy is a dab hand at pitch and putt being a long standing member of the Clare Road Club while also being a shark on the Ennis Golf course. While not venturing out much at nigh now Jimmy occasionally joins his son James jnr in Moroneys for a pint of Guinness and looks over the many pictures on display of old Ennis.

On Friday 2nd November Johnny Moroney presented Jimmy with a new Moroneys polo top which no doubt will get plenty of wear around the Ennis links.See picture gallery.

Finally a piece of silverware for the Eire Og hurlers when on Sunday last they beat Ogonnelloe on a scoreline of 0-20 to 0-15 at Cusack Park. On the day they had big performances from Danny Russell, Mark Fitzgerald, Kevin Moynihan, Barry Nugent and captain Fergus Flynn.

After receiving the cup the Eire Og team lined up to form a guard of honour for the Eire Og team of 1982 who were being presented with trophies on the 25th anniversary of their victory over Sixmilebridge. This is a relatively young Eire Og team and hopefully they can build on their success for next year and follow in the footsteps of Tulla who claimed victory in the Senior A final after a 74 year wait on Sunday last also.

The famine has finally ended for the footballers of Lissycasey when they defeated Eire Og in last Sundays County Football Final. Having been beaten in two county finals in recent years there was no stopping them on Sunday and it was apt the Martin Daly was named Man of The Match as he is one of the finest footballers Clare has ever produced. Celebrations have been going on all week in the Lissycasey parish and all us Townies which them well in their quest foe Munster Club honours.

On Sunday Eire Og will do battle with Ogonnelloe in the Senior Hurling B Final in Cusack Park and John Russells boys will be hoping for victory for what is a very young senior team. Also on the day the Eire Og senior championship winning team from 1982 will be honoured and players such as Declan Coote, Jack and Francis Heaslip, Pa Lynch, the Barrys Joe, Pete and Gerry will be honoured.

Hopefully they can bring home the Ryan Hannon Trophy and give a much needed boost for hurling in the town.

On Sunday next Eire Og take on Lissycasey in the County Senior Football Final in Cusack Park in what is a repeat of last years final. On that occassion The Townies emerged winners having overcome a stubborn Lissycasey fight back in the second half. Once again there should be nothing between the sides at the final whistle and all at Moroneys wish captain Shane Daniels and the boys every success in their efforts to bring back the Jack Daly cup to Ennis on Sunday evening.

For some of Moroneys younger brigade Tuesday proved a fruitful day at the Tipperary races. Cathal McCarthy who works in the bar and his colleagues Ross Griffin, Chris Shannon, Ian Guilfoyle, Stephen Dinan, Danny Russell and Eamon Callinan had a day only some of us can dream about that is fleecing the bookie. The boys headed down in two cars and unfortunately were late for the first race where they were going to back Prospectorous and you guesses it he romped home.

Not to be detered the boys asked a bookie friend of theirs for some tips and by the end of the race meeting the boys had four winners to their name. Indeed one of the lads had got a loan of €5 and ended up the day with €190 to his name. They reserved their biggest cheer for Monty Mint who obliged them in the last race and sparked… Read more

On October 1st Mike Fahy will launch his new venture Green Light Driving Instruction based in Newmarket on Fergus. Mike who along with his good wife Jacquie are regulars in Moroneys will offer 1 & 2 hour lessons in your own car or theirs, students welcome ( discounts available), intensive driving courses and pre test assessments.
We in Moroneys wish both Mike & Jacquie best wishes and success in their new venture from all their friends. Mike can be contacted as follows;
Tl No: 086-8322122 or @ www.greenlightdrivinginstruction.ie
There is a picture of the happy couple in the picture gallery under the heading people.

Now most of us like to take things easy for our 40th, others would prefer to let the day pass un noticed but not our good friend Christy Nestor. Instead Christy and his friends went to Lanzarote for themselves and even found an Irish bar run by a Ennis man to celebrate the great occasion.

Frank Burns runs Murphy's Bar in Lanzarote and to compound matter further his father also Frank was born next door to Moroneys bar in the Market where the Burns family also had a public house,so Christy and the crew must have really felt at home. All the gang wore their Moroneys tee shirts for the big night and their was plenty of ol, craic agus ceoil during the evening and long into the night. If you want to hear more of the going on you'd better talk to the crew, although I expect the motto… Read more

Bodhran player extraordinaire John Joe Kelly will play Glor along with accordianiast Dermot Byrne, fiddler Ciaran Tourish, flute player and piper Mike McGoldrick and guitarist John Doyle. This promises to be a great night for traditional music and expect Glor to have the full house signs up.

John Joe is a regular visitor to Clare and one can expect to see him in Moroneys catching up with old friends like Marcus Moloney and of course Brian John. As he spoke to Gerry Quinn for an article for this week Clare People John Joe explained " I've been over and back to Ennis a bit lately,Ive got lots of friends there. I often go to the session in Moroney's bar on a Wednesday night. The Landlord in there, Brian John McCarthy is a good mate. Marcus Moloney, a banjo player who plays there, is another friend of mine.

I've know Marcus since I… Read more

Despite the terrible summer we had weather wise it seems an eternity since the soccer season ended. On Sunday next one of the clashes of the season takes place when Liverpool and Chelsea clash at Anfield and expect Moroneys to be rocking come kick off at 4pm.
The Scottish Premier League is also back with another mouth watering clash on Sunday when Aberdeen take on Celtic at Pittordie.This is one for the Celtic boys who meet regularly at Moroneys for the Celtic games. The following is a list of the games that will be shown on Sky Sports over the coming months.One can also see all the Setanta soccer fixtures in Moroneys once again this season.Now hurry on down and support your team .

AUGUST
Thu 16 Rotherham v Sheff Wed (7.45pm) 7.30pm Carling Cup
Sat 18 Portsmouth v Bolton (12.45pm) 12.30pm Premier League
Sat 18 Stoke City v Charlton Athletic… Read more

Sunday is a big day in the hurling year with Clare and Limerick meeting in the All Ireland Q/F in Croke Park.While many will make the trip those of you who stay at home can join us in Moroneys where the Banner Roar will be heard throughout the afternoon hopefully cheering Clare to victory. Come on and join us and enjoy the Trad session after the games when the crack will be great.