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Buskers hit bum note B USKERS and beggars are causing interference and disruption to the trade in Clare’s county town, it was claimed this week. Traffic wardens have the authority to deal with buskers that break Council bye-laws which state they cannot use amplification when performing in the streets of Clare. This emerged at Ennis Municipal District’s June meeting when Cllr Mary Howard queried the matter. Administrative Officer Bernadette Haugh detailed that bye-laws came into effect in July 2016. “Enforcement of the Bye-Laws is a matter for a member of An Garda Siochána or an Authorised Person”, she stated. Ms Haugh revealed that only two official complaints have been made since the introduction of the byelaws which surprised Cllr James Breen. Cllr Howard expressed her worry that Ennis could turn into Shop St in Galway which she called “a den when you go down the street”. “We do have good buskers coming into town but I don’t
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21 Jun 2018
THE BANNER ROAR
PÁRAIC McMAHON
paraic@clareecho.ie
want them to play each other out of it”, she added. The Ennis councillor stated there “very loud” musicians that were not approached by working members of the police force or traffic warden at the top of O’Connell St. Her Fine Gael colleague, Johnny Flynn added his support. “There are a number of serial offenders that land in with fairly loud music”. He is adamant amplification is interfering with trade and rate payers in the town. The bylaws will be reissued to Gardaí, this prompted Cllr Flynn to ask for street beggars to be dealt with. He said they were congregating “at tourist hotspots” and “organised at coach collection stops”. The Ennis councillor revealed that he has told beggars what they’re doing is “illegal”.
Ollie Breen, Garry Glynn, PJ Lynch, Christy Talty and Eugene Breen at the Clare V Limerick, Munster Minor Hurling Championship, Round 5, Cusack Park, Ennis, Co. Clare, 17th June 2018. Photo By Chris Copley