Moroney's Bar

The Ennis Street Festival celebrates 10 years in existence and a fantastic weekend is in prospect for young and old. There will be plenty of entertainment featuring local,national and international acts and performances with many free events on the streets in Barrack Street, O Connell Square and Lysaghs Lane not to mention events in Glor and Templegate Hotel.

There will be a colorful mix of Street Entertainment, Circus, Theatre, Poetry, Comedy, Music Events, Dance, Visual Arts, Street Art, the local Art & Craft Market and the Duck Race, put together by both national and international artists and local community groups. It promoses to be a fantastic weekend and coupled with the big GAA games in Cusack Park on Saturday evening there certainly will be a buzz around the town for the weekend. List of events can be got on ennisstreetfestival.com.

Last Thursday night in Templegate St Michael's A History and Miscellany compiled by Cora (Hahessy) McNulty in association with Clare Roots Society was launched following Mass in The Cathedral which was said by Fr Tom Ryan ,himself a Michael's native. It is a magnificent history of the area stretching to 212 pages and approximately 350 photos and will bring many memories flooding back for all of us who know The Villas. The contents include 'The Dogs of the Villas, St Michael's Weddings, The Villas Twins, Children of the Villas, Hunting,Shooting and Fishing Folk, The Lodgers, Music,Song and Dance and numerous other event in what is a must read for all Townies.

Thanks to the dedication of the Clare Roots Society which was the brain child of Larry Brennan all these books will be there for future generations and give a glimpse of what life was like for their ancestors. We should… Read more

The National Flower Festival takes place in St Peter and Paul Cathedral and St Columba's Church this weekend in suppor of the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association. Well know RTE Sports commentator and Clare man Marty Morrissey will open the festival at Ennis Cathedral on Friday at 8pm. Members of the public can view the fantastic exhibits in both churches during the event with upwards on 3,000 people expected to travel to the town for the event.

The festival is organised by AO-IFA, the Association of Irish Floral Artists and it was founded in 1973 and has over 80 clubs spread all over the country. O Connell Street and O Connell Square will be closed to traffic on Saturday with the influx of visitors and there is also a concert on in The Cathedral on Saturday evening at 8pm, Ceiliuradh Na hInse.The exhibits in the churches are not like you… Read more

The death has occurred of Fr. Oliver O’Doherty better known to countless students in St Flannan's as Ollie Ba. Without his influence there would never have been gaelic football in Flannan's and indeed the present Clare football manager Colm Collins played under his guidance for many years. Obviously with hurling being the main sport in Flannan's he was fighting an uphill battle as many of the footballers were excellent hurlers and the big ball was an after thought. However this did not deter the flame haired Irish teacher who finally saw the Blues win the holy grail of Munster Colleges A football in 1993 and 95 beating the famed Tralee CBS and St Brendan's Killarney in the respective finals. Indeed they also contested the 94 final where Brendan's beat them. Although not in charge at the time Fr Ollie was there to witness these triumphs and everyone associated with Flannan's… Read more

Well all the waiting is over and all Clare GAA supporters will be heading to Cusack Park and Thurles to cheer on the footballers and hurlers in their Munster Championship clashes with near neighbours Limerick. First into action will be the footballers in Cusack Park with thrown in at 7pm on Saturday evening. With two Eire Og men taking the field in Dean Ryan and Ciaran Russell and Davy O Halloran waiting in the wings no doubt the attendance will be swelled with Townies and hopefully we can get one over on the Treaty men after our recent defeat to them in the National League. The Clare team lines out as follows : Clare team: Joe Hayes; Ciaran Russell, Kevin Hartnett, Martin McMahon; Shane Hickey, Gordon Kelly, Dean Ryan; Cathal O'Connor, Gary Brennan; Shane Brennan, Jamie Malone, Sean Collins; Eoin Cleary, Podge Collins, Pat Burke.

Then on Sunday it's off to… Read more

Since the inception of the Fleadh Nua in 1970 Ennis has been its spiritual home since 1974 and thus we kick start the 42nd event with the All Ireland Fleadh to come in August 2016. Fleadh Nua has developed from a 3 day event to a festival spanning 8 days and Ennis will comes alive to the sound of traditional music,song and dance. As always there is a huge programme of events with free events during the day in The Food Haven, Cafe Aroma, the new Maria Assumpta Hall, The County Museum, the O Connell Monument, Cois Na hAbhna, The Tea Cosy Market Street, Bia Agus Caife, The Cloister, The Community Centre Chapel Lane, O Briens Parnell Street, The Rowan Tree and of course the pub session trail. With Clare kicking off their Munster Championship this Saturday and Sunday it promised to be a hectic week of music in the… Read more

After a lapse of 39 years the All Ireland Fleadh Cheoil will return to the Ennis in August 2016. There was terrible disappointment this time last year when Ennis was pipped to the post by Sligo but this time around there was tremendous joy when the Ardchomhairle of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann made the announcement in Dublin yesterday afternoon. Ennis was awarded the honour of hosting the festival ahead of Drogheda and Sligo and it is estimated that it will bring a financial bonanza of €30 million to the town along with 300,000 plus visitors.

It was last hosted in the town in 1977 (prior to that 1956) and for those of us of a certain vintage it was an unbelievable event.The Fairgreen was a sea of tents,there were musicians on every corner and walking up O Connell Street was like leaving Croke Park after an All Ireland Final such were… Read more

It was on Union Glacier last Thursday in The Antarctic that our very owm Townie Keith Whyte wrote his name into the history books of Ultra Marathoners with his record breaking win in the 100K Ice-Marathon on Antarctica. He completed the race in 9 hours 26 minutes and two seconds on the 5 lap 20K loop course in temperatures that plummeted to minus 20 plus and where there is 24 hour daylight. To us ordinary mortals this is an extraordinary feat but one we have come accustomed to Keith doing over the years in Ultra Marathons all over Europe but this was on another level as even getting to the race was an ordeal in itself.Everything hinged on weather conditions and landing on ice on a Russian type aircraft is not for the faint hearted.

For those of us accustomed to seeing Keith on his trice daily training runs around Ennis… Read more

Well that was a quick twelve months but as they say time does not stand still for anybody and we're all a year older now ! Well we did have a lovely summer and autumn even if we are paying for it now with constant rain. Here in Moroney's Charlie and his loyal staff have the bar decked out for the festive season and the shopping is all but complete with the final push tomorrow for last minute presents.

As we salute the end of another year Charlie and all the staff at Moroney's John, Hanna, Majella, Sarah Jane wish all their loyal customers a warm and Happy Christmas and a Peaceful and Prosperous New Year and thank you most sincerely for your continued support. We also think of lost friends at this time and hope they are looking down on us from on high. So do drop in and say… Read more

Just published by the Clare Roots Society is an excellent book Summerhill (Ennis) Times Past New Beginnings by Nuala Kennedy (nee Naughton) who was herself born and reared in Summerhill. To people not familiar with Ennis, Summerhill is situated between Carmody Street and The Market area and is made up of 20 houses whose first tenants moved in on 26th February 1949. In her extremely comprehensive book Nuala details each and every resident from that day to the present with the book dotted with photos which will bring back memories of times and friends past.

Two present day residents Maura Verling and Carmel Healy recall moving into the houses just after they were built and there are also articles on sporting heroes Noelie Ryan, Vincent Nevin (Twice South Of Ireland Champion 1976+78)and his brother John Nevin of Clare hurling fame. Families synonymous with Summerhill are the O Briens, Hursons, Ryans, Meehans,… Read more

Have you ever heard your parents or grandparents speak about neighbours or shops that are no longer around but were well know in old Ennis in their time and I'm sure the answer will be yes. When I was growing up in the Lower Market or to give it it's correct name The Mall I often heard my late father Gerry speak of the Guiton family who lived across the road from the pub but were long gone when I arrived on the scene. However thanks to meeting local historian and author Larry Brennan I was given an insight into the Guiton family.

The Guiton family lived in 35 Market Street (17 The Mall) which is now home to Subway or to folk of my generation My Lady boutique and overhead was Gallery's hairdressers. When Richard Guiton went to his eternal rest on Sunday 27th May 1957 the town lost one… Read more

It was with shock we learned on Saturday 26th July that our colleague and staunch Leeds supporter Alan Murphy had suffer a torn achilles tendon in a charity game. In actual fact Alan only got the call on Friday night as numbers were short and true to form he was not found wanting when the call came.

Alan is now over his operation but faces a long rehabilitation and all his friends at Ennislusc and Moroney's wish him a speedy recovery.

Today is a monumental day in the life of Sarah Jane White and Fran Harding as they walk down the aisle in St Joseph's Church and tie the knot on their marriage. Sarah is well know to all the customers in Moroney's having worked behind the bar with her brother John and has the voice of an angel when she's called upon for a song.

Her husband to be Fran is an avid Tipperary supporter and a die hard member of the Tipperary Suuporters Club so you can imagine the slagging he puts up with living the The Banner County but no better man to fight his corner. All their friend at Moroney's wish Sarah and Fran years of happiness and look forward to seeing them after their honeymoon for a few sociables.

On Saturday July 5th @ 12.00 noon Eire Og and Ennis Voices for Autism (EVA) will team up to host a sponsored charity walk along one of the town's best know areas, The Rocky Road. Generations of towns folk have gone up the Rocky picking nuts, mitching from school, courting,smoking fags or having the flaggen or nowadays cans of cider or beer and of course a leisurely walk with the dog.
At the start of the Rocky was a small cottage now sadly demolished when the Riverside housing estate was built and owned by the Carroll family. The last resident was Frank Carroll who frequented Moroneys and always greeted passerby with a smile and a salute. To older towns folk also referred to the Rocky as The Hawn and in the year 2000 the right of way was nearly loss with the advent of the Ennis bypass.

It was proposed to put… Read more

Last year Tipperary played Kilkenny in the National Hurling League Final, Cork beat Clare in the Munster Champions and Limerick beat Tipperary and played Cork in the final. In the Leinster Championship Dublin beat Wexford and Kilkenny drew their first game and drew Tipperary in the qualifiers. We got Wexford in the qualifiers and Waterford and Limerick contested the Munster Minor Hurling Final. And to cap it all Luis Suarez was suspended for biting. If this keep up we'll win the All Ireland !!!!!!

One of Ennis's most well know grocery shops Guerin's on the corner of Cornmarket Street and Simm's Lane closed it's doors for the final time on Saturday last 3rd May. Made famous by the legendary Johnny Patterson ((1840–1889) singer,song writer and circus entertainer) from Kilbarron, Feakle in the song 'The Stone Outside Dan Murphy's Door' it is the latest in a long line of businesses to close it's doors in recent months.

For over sixty years it served the people of Ennis particularly those living in Carmody Street, Cornmarket Street, Considines Road, Hermitage and Cloughleigh and will be a huge loss to the area. Owened by John and Clodagh Guerin and previously by John's late father and Urban Councillor Michael you were always assured of a great welcome and chat but having been the victim of a spate of break ins since January this proved to be the final straw. With… Read more

The weather may not have being kind on Saturday last for the 4th Annual Mike Mac Golf Classic run by the Ennis Leeds United Supporters Club but it did not deter 18 teams from taking part and raising much needed funds for The Clare Crusaders and Cahercalla Hospice. Unfortunately this year the legendary John Giles couldn't join us as he had a prior engagement in Leeds but will join us in late July for a social round of golf in Ennis GC. He did however send his good wishes on the day via satellite link to Ennislusc member Alan Murphy who was celebrating his 50th birthday as in previous years Alan and his son Tadgh had caddied for John.

Considering the recent storms last February the course was in immaculate condition and our heartfelt thanks goes to green keepers Kevin Browne, David Hoey and their team. We cannot forget all our… Read more

And we all thought our Ennis Leeds United Supporters club stalwart Marty Brennan was never going to propose to the love of his life Melissa O Connell but our Marty caught us all on the hop and did it in style. He brought Melissa to New York for her birthday and proposed to her on the top of The Empire State Building.

Now Marty didn't say if he went down on one knee but we'll give him the benefit of the doubt and by all accounts it is some rock of diamonds that he melted Melissa heart with when she said yes. As we all know this is only step one for Marty in walking down the aisle and going on his track record to date it will be some while before that happens. Best Wishes to Marty and Melissa from all your friends at Ennislusc. Definitely Marching On Together… Read more

Growing up in Ennis in the 70's one knew of many characters in the town with nicknames but that trend seems not to be the case nowadays. The conversation started over a few pints and led to a lot of debate so I decided to put together a list of nicknames that I knew of and had heard from my late father Gerry. Obviously there are many I missed but check out the following and if there are more that come to mind let me know at moroneyfamily@hotmail.com and we'll add to the list. But for now peruse and enjoy a trip down memory lane.

Ennis Nicknames

Tom (Hawker) Blake , Tony (Boston) Blake, Coco Broderick, Jim (Big) Burke, George (Dodo) Bradley, Michael (Foggy) Butler, Jigery Burke, Paddy ( Weesie) Carmody, Michael (Geets) Carmody, Jack ( Buster) Carroll, Michael ( Chief) Chandler, Michael ( Downey) Considine, Willie ( Dodger) Considine,… Read more

This weekend sees Ennis Leeds United Supporters Club who meet regularly in Moroneys for televised games embark on their 25th trip to Elland Road for the game with Millwall. While gone are the days of the 40+ member trips never the less the hardy band that will depart from Shannon tomorrow will honour the club with their presence at the holy grail. It says a lot about the supporters club that despite the recent humiliating defeats they will still have 12 members at the game. Once a White always a White and they'll be Marching On Together. See you all Sunday evening for the sing song.