This article is from page 17 of the 2011-06-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 17 JPG
A CAMPAIGN to make Ennis the friendliest town in Ireland would be boosted by a twinning arrangement with the American city of Charlestown.
That’s according to local Fine Gael councillor Johnny Flynn, who is calling on Ennis Town Council to investigate and consider the potential benefits of a possible twinning with Charlestown, South Carolina, America’s friendliest and “best mannered” city.
In a motion to be discussed at today’s meeting of Ennis Town Council, Cllr Flynn states that the ar rangement should be considered in light of the Council’s adopted resolution in 2010 to request the Government “to assist in the development of a National Irish Centre of Welcome in Ennis at Glór (or such similar alter native) and which could be used for other possible re- lated functions including issuing of cer tificates”.
Cllr Flynn explained that the proposal should also be considered in light of “Ennis Chamber and Ennis Development For um’s recent job creation and enterprise initiative to seek to position Ennis as Ireland’s friendliest town.”
The Create the Magic campaign, which was launched in Ennis in March, is aimed at raising the standards of customer service in businesses in Ennis and around Clare.
The Create the Magic initiative was developed by the Ennis Development For um and Ennis Chamber with the aim of making Ennis and Clare, Ireland’s friendliest town and county. Spearheaded by local businesswoman Aoife Madden, the project is cur rently in pilot phase with an initial 25 local businesses taking par t.
Launching the campaign in March, customer service expert and former Clare businesswoman Kathleen O’Sullivan urged Ennis to follow the example of Charlestown, which has been named America’s friendliest town for 14 of the past 30 years. She said the city had reaped a huge tourism benefit from its status.
Entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den panelist Bobby Ker r gave his backing to the campaign at a public meeting attended by over 150 business owners in Ennis last month.