Month: October 2007

A DEVELOPER in east Clare has been given to go ahead for conten- tious plans to build 27 homes in Tua- mgraney — only after An Bord Plean- ala disregarded the recommendation of its inspector to refuse permission for the development.

Earlier this year, Conor Daly se-

cured planning permission for the housing development in the east of the village. Mr Daly secured permission for the development in spite of strong local opposition. with local residents stat- ing that “it is not too late to learn from the mistakes made in other villages and towns that now have de- velopment but inadequate water and sewerage facilities, increased traffic hazards and a ‘commuter’ popula- nto) ae

However, local residents appealed

the decision and outlined their con- cerns in relation to a lack of public facilities and highlighted the serious lack of water pressure and supply, the traffic generation from the pro- posed development an implications for safety and the contemporary and suburban nature of proposed houses.

They stated that, “The present situation with regard to waste water treatment and public water facili- ties in the Tuamgraney-Scariff area is unsatisfactory and no further de- velopment should be permitted until iW slontomrsDUoMUN Osea eALOloLem

“Public water supplies are grossly inadequate serving existing develop- seTS ale

“We are aware that there are plans to upgrade the sewage system in late 2007, but are unaware of any plans to upgrade the existing water sup- ply that is already seriously deficient — we may be another seven or eight

years waiting for this.

An Taisce also pointed out that the development would be premature pending water and wastewater sys- tems installation.

The site is zoned for housing, how- ever, the inspector in the case recom- mended that planning be refused.

The inspector stated, ““Whilst ac- knowledging the land use zoning of the proposed site, I do not consider that its development should take place in the absence of a detailed master plan which should include the land to the east and address the crucial issue of traffic safety in the overall context.

“IT am not satisfied based on the information submitted that the traf- fic and safety implications of the proposed development are properly addressed. Arising from my assess- ment above therefore I recommend that planning permission be refused

for the proposed development for one reason.

However, the appeals board ruled that planning permission for the de- velopment should be granted, stating that further submissions made on ap- peal dealt with the concerns of the inspector.

The board ruled that having regard to the residential zoning of the site and the submissions made in regard to the appeal, it 1s considered that, subject to compliance with the con- ditions set out below, the proposed development would not seriously in- jure the amenities of the area or of property in the vicinity, would not be prejudicial to public health and would be acceptable in terms of traf- fic safety and convenience.

The proposed development would, therefore, be in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable de- velopment of the area.

YOUNG music fans from east Clare last week had a day they will never forget, courtesy of the RTE National Symphony Orchestra, Glor and Scar- iff Community School.

On Wednesday, 500 youngsters from surrounding national schools were treated to three, hour-long ses- sions on classical music by the or- chestra.

Now that Scariff is offering mu- sic aS a subject right up to Leaving Certificate stage, their own music students were able to benefit enor- mously from the visit.

“It was definitely one of the best thing ever to happen at the school,” said Principal, Sean Daly.

‘The conductor, James Kavanagh, had a great rapport with the young- sters and he really got the best out of them. They loved it and the staff were just blown away by it.”

Roughly half the orchestra turned up for the three sessions in the school hall.

The sessions were part of a larger visit organised by Clare County Council Arts Office and Glor.

The National Symphony Orchestra took up residence in County Clare last week and their programme en-

compassed workshops for primary school students, concerts for second- ary school students and public con- certs in Kilkee and Ennis with mas- ter piper Liam O’F lynn.

An estimated six thousand people heard the musicians of the orchestra perform in the course of the week.

To prepare the ground conductor James Cavanagh ran a training ses- sion for teachers in Glor in Septem- oe

Members of the orchestra also con- tributed their own informal voluntary element to the residency week with outreach activities including per- formances in local nursing homes.

Principal Daly said that staff and students at the Scariff school were “delighted that they choose to come here. It was great for the area and great for the school as well”.

PM CUESS deem pede mete) eco s colonel oy the RTE NSO, with enthusiastic re- sponses in past years from schools and public audiences alike in Kerry, Donegal, Cork, Mayo, Galway and Laois.

ANNE Marie Bourke (nee Collins), Limerick and formerly of Kevin Pa- rade, Killaloe held a most interest- ing and colourful exhibition at the Abbey Court Hotel during the bank holiday weekend.

Anne Marie, who comes from a most artistic and musical Killaloe family, is daughter of Danny and Maureen (nee Ryan) and a niece of the late Killaloe tenor, Sean Ryan.

As a young child, Anne Marie was always seen with her drawing pad

and pencils and frequently sat on the Canal Bank wall sketching the many interesting sights, buildings, hills etc around her. It is not surprising that the inspiration for many of her paint- ings comes from her native Killa- loe. She vividly recalls her very first painting, – a little boy seated under a tree cuddling his dog, which was completed at the tender age of twelve years.

Anne Marie is a Self-taught artist who works in watercolour, oil and pastel and indeed she sometimes combines other media to create

mixed media works.

“T always let the subject I am paint- ing dictate the medium I use and the result never fails to be visually stim- ulating,’ she explains.

Flowers are among her favourite subjects but she also paints splendid landscapes, lakeside scenes, sea- scapes, nostalgic buildings/scenes and still life.

In the summer, Anne Marie trav- elled to Venice and Provence where she tutored students from all over Eu- rope. She also painted for the Les-tr- ois-puits Gallery in Provence where

her work is currently on display.

In spite of her extremely busy schedule, she finds time to pass her knowledge and expertise on to other aspiring artists through the work- shops she conducts around Munster. Through these events she passes on liberating techniques to help stu- dents become free in their work and develop their own individual style.

Anne Marie is a director of Gallery 75, a professional associate of SAA London and a member of Limerick Art Society where she was chairper- son from 1999 to 2001.

GARDENING the way our grand- parents might have done it is making a comeback.

A community garden in east Clare is providing inspiration for many local people who had never turned their hand to growing their own fruit and vegetables before.

Brendan Sanders is part of the esroup which set up the community garden two years ago and now that it has been so successful, he hopes to see a project on a larger scale get off the ground with a community allot- ment of a few acres.

The garden became possible thanks to the generosity of a local woman, Mary Henchy, who owned one eight of an acre of land behind Brian and Joe’s Café in Scarif.

She wanted to see some use made

of it rather than simply keeping the grass and weeds under control and she offered it to the intrepid garden- ing group.

‘Four people got together initially to set up the garden project,’ said Brendan. “It’s a place where people can come and work in the garden or learn about growing plants and veg- etables or just come and sit.”

Local people drop in from time to time to get advice on growing or to see what is being done in the garden and some come to help.

It is also used by clients of the Brother’s of Charity.

The gardeners also cultivate me- dicinal and culinary herbs and trees, making it a woodland garden.

One day a week, it’s the setting for a sculpture workshop.

“We had two local girls in their twenties drop in last week. They

were very interested in learning how to grow their own food and they’ve agreed to come and work with us. We also get older people coming in and they tell us how there was always a bit of land on their parent’s farms where vegetables and fruit were grown for the house,” said Brendan.

Parents often call at weekends with their children to show them around and school groups come in from time to time.

The Alpha Project, an alternative second-level education project, has a module on gardening on it’s curricu- lum and the youngsters involved do the module in the garden.

“It’s a way of bringing different sections of the community together, doing something which 1s sustain- able and productive,” said Brendan.

Recently, a community composting facility has been started in the gar-

den with funding from Agenda 21 for a compost bin and two wormer- ies. Nearby households were given plastic composting buckets and they bring their compostable waste which will be put to use as garden fertiliser once it has been broken down.

“We’re hoping in the future that this idea will expand and that we will be able to get a larger piece of land for people to work as a community allot- ment, where crops could be grown on a small scale and more people would get involved,’ said Brendan.

NEIGHBOURS of Brian Fitzgerald have told the trial how they woke up of the night of his death to hear gun- shots.

One woman, Monica McElvanney, said she was awakened at 3.37 am to hear someone shouting out “Oh God ona

Almost immediately she heard two or three shots. There was a gap of around 30 seconds before another two or three shots sounded. She said

she stayed in bed terrified.

Another witness, Mary Mannix, said she woke up just after 3.30am hearing four or six shots. She heard a man crying or shouting out “help me, I’m being shot at.”

Patrick Healy said he had been leav- ing a friend’s house on the street. At around lam, he saw a “filthy dirty” red Ford Mondeo driving slowly down the road.

He could see the driver who he described as a “stocky, bald man”. He became suspicious when the car

made an awkward three-point turn, but when he went towards the car to get a better look it sped away.

Another neighbour, Paul O’ Byrne, said he was awakened by the sound of shots, at around 3.45am. He got up to phone the gardai and saw a man walking past the window wearing a white motorcycle helmet with the visor down over his face. He heard someone shouting “hurry up” but wasn’t sure if it was the man he had ore tb

Elaine Murphy was also awak-

ened by the sound of gun shots. She looked out of the window and saw a man wearing a light coloured helmet and dark clothes walking away from the Fitzgerald’s house.

A few minutes later she saw some- one sprinting out of the estate “out of the corner of my eye” and a second man walking out of the estate. She noted again he was wearing a light coloured helmet and dark clothes. She said she thought at first this man was injured but now wasn’t sure. He was holding a gun.

The trial heard that gardai recov- ered a 9mm semi-automatic pistol from the bed of the Mulcair River in Anacotty.

Detective Garda John Higgins said the weapon was a Czech made weapon which had been reactivated for normal use.

He told the court he had examined the victim’s jeep, finding a canister of CS gas, a steel baton and a throw- ing knife in a leather sheath. He said he had found no sign of a handgun in the jeep.

THE first ever Ennis Style and Glam- our Awards took place on Thursday last at the Old Ground Hotel. It was the highlight event of Ennis Fashion Week, an event organised to height- en the awareness of Ennis as the bou- tique capital of Ireland. Lisa Fitzpatrick, celebrity stylist, brought a touch of glamour to the night, together with her fellow judg- es, PJ Gibbons and Edward Alex Fit- zgerald.

Lisa was impressed, “For a first time event I was absolutely bowled over by the effortless glamour at En-

nis Fashion Week and by the sheer professionalism of all involved.”

The pinnacle of the evening was the awards ceremony where judges had a very difficult task choosing a BUONO e

Bernie Garry, from Cooraclare was named the Most Stylish Person at Ennis Fashion Week. A mother of one and a nurse by profession, Bernie wore a black and white halterneck dress and a fur stole.

Ennis Fashion Week Most Glamor- ous Person 2007 is Marie Slattery from Ballymaley, who is head of sales and marketing with Shannon Heritage. She has always worked in

tourism and previously worked with Delta Airlines.

The Ennis Fashion Week Design Student Style Award 2007 went to Siobhan O’Callaghan for her crea- tion, Urban Warrior.

Her design was inspired by the ar- chitecture of Ennis and also Quin Abbey, creating a look that com- municated the unique and complex landmark that spans and typifies Tem Nioay

The dramatic fabric mix worked into the dress represents medieval architecture and all its intricacies.

Siobhan is currently studying in The Limerick College of Art and

Design.

The Ennis Fashion Week Up-Style Hair Award went to Creative Edge for the best interpretation in relation to the student design titled Blathan- na. The hairstyle had autumnal flow- ers interwoven into the hair. A col- laboration by Caroline, Marie and Fiona at Creative Edge.

The Ennis Fashion Week Make- Up Award went to Aveda CSpa and Medi CSpa for their interpretation of Student Design titled Urban Warrior It was truly an artistic creation and had the absolute wow factor created by Claire Connellan at Aveda CSpa and Medi CSpa.

STUDENTS at St Anne’s school in Ennis did their bit for People in Need on Friday when they took part in a sponsored walk.

63 pupils participated in the walk which took place at Lees Road, help- ing to collect €3,225 in the process.

St Anne’s is a recognised school, which enrolls pupils from age four to 18.

The school caters for pupils with mild general disabilities and also students with more complex learn- ing needs. St Anne’s is financed by the Department of Education and Noto een

The broad range of learning the school provides is tailored to meet the individual needs and each pupil in the school has an individual edu- cation plan.

In this way, the many services the school provides such as music therapy, wood technology, aquatics, horse-riding and cookery, can be harnessed to provide as broad a cur- riculum and learning experience as possible for all pupils.

As they progress through junior and senior cycle at post primary lev- el, St Anne’s students have received FETAC awards with some going on to take exams in Junior and Leaving Certificate applied.

Recently appointed principal Sarah Barnes said the school was eager to give back after benefiting from gen- erous contributions from People in Need in the past.

‘We have a fantastic staff and won- derful pupils in here at St Anne’s. I know that the school has benefited generously from People in Need in the past. But this year it’s our turn to change things around and give something back. A sponsored walk was organised and all the pupils participated in this. On the day of the walk 63 pupils collected €3,225 with more to come.”

The sponsored walk was one of nu- merous events organized in Ennis for

People in Need.

The Clare Branch of Network Ire- land organized a cocktail event for People In Need on Friday in Rogue’s Bar & Restaurant, Ennis. The Lif- ford bar hosted a slave auction.

Coffee mornings were held in Clarecare and the Chapel Lane com- munity centre while students at St Claire’s school are organizing a Hal- loween sing-a-long.

A PLANNING row continues be- tween two Lahinch-based business- man over plans to extend premises in the town.

Earlier this year, plans by Olan O’Connor to extend Flanagan’s pub in Lahinch were opposed local re- tailer Pat Kenny. The plan is now before An Bord Pleanala.

Now, Mr Kenny has an application before Clare County Council to ex- tend a retail premises on the Main Street but Mr O’Connor has object- ed.

In his objection Mr O’Connor

states, “I am generally supportive of development that would add, and be beneficial, to the commercial vitality of the town centre.

“However, I have serious concerns that the development, as proposed, will have a negative impact on my property and will also constitute an inappropriate precedent for similar forms of development in the future for the centre of Lahinch.

‘“T have recently applied for permis- sion for an extension to Flanagan’s Bar. This application was granted by the council. However, it has been ap- pealed by the current applicant for a variety of reasons and the matter is

currently under the consideration of An Bord Pleanala…

“His current application is effec- tively providing 100 per cent site coverage and the envelope of the building is being provided up to the boundary with all neighbours.

“It is clear that the applicant is seek- ing to provide the maximum amount of retail floor space at this location without any recourse as to how this proposal will affect the amenities of neighbouring properties or proper re- gard given to how the retail units will function…

“Mr Kenny is now proposing to build right up to his site boundaries

and provide a two-storey building with pitched roof at a location where previously only single storey devel- opment was in place. This will un- doubtedly have an adverse impact on the amenities of adjoining proper- Hone

“The developed as proposed by Mr Kenny would clearly have an adverse impact on my property and the amenities. Again, I would like to stress that I am not anti-develop- ment but I do have grave reservations regarding the nature of the current proposal.”

A decision is due on the application later this year.

A JURY failed to reach a decision in a trial of a Kilrush man accused of push- ing a woman down the stairs at her place of work, after the defence raised an issue over the identity parade.

Patrick Hall (21), of Beech Park, Kil- rush, had denied assaulting Bernadette Adams, causing her harm, at Leahy’s accountancy office, Francis Street, Kilrush, on April 6, 2006.

Mr Hall was found not guilty by the jury of stealing her mobile phone on Wd eLomcy eH OOLemOk-I Kor

Ms Adams told Ennis Circuit Court that she was shocked to see two young men “with hoods” walking out of her office.

‘I asked them what were they doing there. I knew they weren’t there for the good of their health. I said “If you have taken something, can you please give it back’,” she said.

She said one of the assailants was small with red hair and freckles. She knew him to see from being in the shop previously.

She said she tried to push one of the men back into the office and he started to push her back.

“The two of them pushed me down the stairs. I hit my head at the bottom of the stairs. They ran off and left me. I could have been dead,” she said.

She sustained a bump to the side of the headand was treated in hospital

and later made a recovery. When she returned to her office, Ms Adams no- ticed that her mobile phone was miss- ing. The following day she _ identified Patrick Hall in an identity parade at Kilrush Garda Station.

Mr Hall’s barrister, Mark Nicholas, put it to the witness that she was mis- taken in her identification.

She replied, “I’m very happy with my identification. For months afterwards I could see his face”.

Mr Nicholas pointed out that another red-haired man, Michael Sweeney (19), of Wood Road, Kilrush, was ar- rested in connection with this incident. He pleaded guilty to a charge of as- sault and his case would be finalised at a later stage.

Mr Nicholas stressed that only two of the 10 men in the identity parade were red-haired while one had sandy hair, after Ms Adams had said the as- sailant had red hair.

‘This case against my client revolves only on the identification parade. You put six brown heads in to identify a red haired man,” he said.

Garda Donal Corkery said he inter- viewed the accused, who had denied going into the office and denied push- ing Ms Adams down the stairs.

After deliberating for over three hours, the jury indicated that it was unable to reach a verdict. Mr Hall was remanded on continuing bail. The DPP will decide if a retrial will take place.

A YOUNG man had his two front teeth knocked out when he was punched after a night

out in Ennis.

Luan Heta (36) of Ivy Hill, Ennis, was convicted of assaulting Rory Clohessy (20) in the early hours of No- vember 11, 2006.

Mr Clohessy told En- nis District Court that he saw Heta pulling a girl’s hair outside the Queen’s nightclub.

“T walked up and told him to cop himself on. He told me to r** off and he hit me to the face. My two front teeth were knocked out,” said Mr Clohessy.

Defending solicitor John Casey said his client admitted punching Mr Clohessy, but that it was in self- defence after Mr Clohessy and his

friends were “stuck in his face’’.

Heta, who is a bouncer but was not

working on the night of the assault, told the court he was “very scared”

and hit Mr Clohessy. However Inspector Tom Kennedy said, “Mr Heta, you are considerably larger than Mr _ Clohessy. Mr Clohessy is a very slight young man. It 1s incredible to suggest you were threatened by Mr Clohessy. You assaulted Mr Clohessy unprovoked.” Judge Eamonn O’Brien convicted Heta of assault. After hearing that he had two previ- ous convictions for assault, he im- posed a 12-month jail term, suspend- ed for two years. He fixed a bond in the event of an appeal.