I see Gerry Finnerty is to quit his role as manager of Gort Mart at the end of the month and become operations and assistant manager of the thriving Ennis Mart. His departure was due to be revealed to the Gort mart committee on Wednesday night by chair Michael Gill.

Gort will now have to go about finding a replacement and is then likely to push on with cost-cutting measures. The mart is busy but labouring under debt.

Finnerty had been there for about 12 years and is very well known in his locality as a popular Fianna Fáil county councillor. He had hoped to make a run for the Dáil in next spring’s election but was squeezed out at the party’s convention.

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There were over 100 applications for the Ennis job, I hear, reflecting how well the Clare Marts group is doing these days.

Meanwhile, congratulations to Sixmilebridge Mart and its manager Sean Ryan. After a long battle, Ryan has got his licence from the Property Services Regulatory Authority. This gives more assurance to farmer customers buying and selling at the mart. His name will shortly go up on the PSRA’s list of current licence holders.