Month: November 2008

OBK Equator European Architects, which has a number of Clare projects in the planning process, have ex- panded their practice by opening a dedicated office in Galway.

The office will be lead by Eugene Mulcaire, former director of OKM Architects whose projects include the Crown Plaza, Mervue and the Galway City Webworks and Bus Sta- tion. Clare projects on-the-boards include a mixed-used development, a

neighbourhood centre and a primary CHIR ee NIB KSe

Planning permission for these de- velopments will be granted in early 2009 with construction commencing later next year

Stating that he was looking forward

to the challenges that lay ahead in the construction and development indus- try at large, Eugene Mulcaire said OBK’s current strength and tie-in to Equator European Architects would allow him offer extensive develop- ment support to those who “venture abroad and bring opportunities to those who may be new to the idea.”

OBK Equator European Architects have forged a unique, pan-European reputation as one of Ireland’s leading architectural design firms. OBK is the Irish office of Equator European Architects (EEA). Equator has for over 15 years built a European wide network of architectural practices. This interactive group of over 300 architects provides support to local and international clients from offices throughout Europe.

“The opening of OBK’’s Galway office demonstrates our commit- ment to the Irish market and our cli- ent’s needs locally and abroad.” said Arthur O’Brien, Managing Director, OBK Architects. “Although we have completed projects in Galway such as the Courtyard by Marriott, having the calibre of Eugene Mulcaire will allow us to fully support our client’s from our new premises.”

THE Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) has confirmed that the air- port’s overall traffic for the first nine months of 2008 is down 13% on the corresponding period for last year with transatlantic traffic down 24% and London traffic down 16%.

The downturn in these sectors is due to the ending of the Shannon stop-over with the advent of ‘open skies’ in May and the ending of the Shannon-Heathrow route in January.

For the first nine months Shannon had a throughput of just under 2.5 million passengers.

Terminal traffic at 2.2 million is down 11% while traffic for the full year will be down about 400,000 – a decrease of 14% on 2007”.

Announcing its half-yearly results, Ryanair re-iterated its threat to dras- tically reduce its services at Shannon from next November because of the Government’s €10 air travel tax.

In recent days, CityJet boss Geof- frey O’Byrne-White said that the air

travel tax move could result in his airline scrapping plans to begin a service between Shannon and Lon- don City Airport.

CityJet has been examining the fea- sibility of this route for some time, but was constrained by a lack of available aircraft.

Mr O’Byrne-White said the move upset Midwest interests as a number of international flights from Dublin to places such as Manchester and Liverpool will qualify for the lesser €2 exit tax for flights under 300km,

but none from Shannon meet the cri- our

Aer Arann chief executive Pad- raig O Céidigh has also launched a fresh attack on Ryanair’s influence at Shannon in a press interview at the weekend. “They’re in Shannon for around three years now and in that time Shannon has lost seven or eight different airlines. Ryanair are now doing roughly two out of every three flights in and out of Shannon so it’s become a Ryanair airport, while oth- er airlines are being squeezed out.”

THE second Building of Hope project being organised from Clare is already bearing fruit in Kenya, where twelve sewing machines have been bought so women can make a living.

The organisers of the building project have just returned from a planning mission to Migombani in Mombasa where Cranny priest, Fr Martin Keane, is working with the

poorest of families to provide basic education and training.

At a meeting of volunteers from the first Building of Hope Project in Missionvale, enough money was raised in a raffle to buy twelve sew- ing machines, which have been given to local women who will use them to make souvenirs which can be sold to help support their families.

Architect with the project, Jim Lynch was with the party and de- scribed the conditions in Mombassa

as “devastating. The people have nothing – they have little or no way to make a living and there is no social welfare support so they are barely SUrVIVINg. ”

Jim was also the architect on the last Building of Hope project, when almost 200 volunteers went to South Africa to build a hospice at Mission- vale run by Clare nun Sr Ethel Nor- moyle.

“Even the poverty there would not prepare you for this. But as far as the

work 1s concerned, we learned a lot in South Africa and we will be ready for some of the pitfalls this time,” he told

FINE Gael in Clare are calling on the Government to introduce emer- gency legislation to close a loophole which allows head shops in Galway and Limerick to sell potentially dan- gerous herbal-drugs legally. Concerns have been raised over the mental health implications of the use of a herbal version of ecstasy known as the ‘party pill’. According to South Galway Senator, Fidelma Hea- ly Eames (FG), two young people are currently undergoing treatment for

mental health problems in the area as a result of taking the ‘party pill’.

Herbal ecstasy contains a substance knows as BZP or Benzylpiperazine, which has been banned in most EU countries but remains legal in Ireland. According to north Clare county councillor and psychiatric nurse, Joe Arkins (FG), legislation is needed to tackle this situation.

“The onus is on the Government here to resolve this situation. If a sub- stance is dangerous then it should not be sold. Cannabis is a herb and that is not for sale legally in Ireland so the

same should apply here,” he said.

“These substances have been banned in most EU countries already but it is better later than never. If we had a good, quick bit of legislation on this then we could solve this problem very quickly.”

While no official figures exist on the usage of herbal drugs in Clare, anec- dotal evidence would indicated that both the ‘party pill’ and the halluci- nogenic herb salvia are both widely used in the tourists areas in the north and west of the county, particularly CLUN mn ercaMetomclUbevaeCoumeelOyelsetcy

Salvia, which is a variety of sage, is the only naturally occurring sub- stance known to induce a visionary or hallucinogenic state.

Last week gardai carried out searches in a number of head shops throughout the country as part of an investigation into the licensing of certain products.

CLARE TD, Tony Killeen, came out swinging last week in response to a number of negative comments made by Irish farm leaders in relation to last month’s budget.

Despite much negative sentiment being directed towards the budget, and especially it’s impact on poorer farmers, the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisher- ies and Food, released a statement on Thursday describing Ireland’s Dis- advantaged Area Scheme as one of the best-funded schemes of its type in the European Union.

Minister Killeen said that a total of €200 million in funding has been earmarked for the scheme in 2009.

“Despite the intense pressures

caused by the current economic difficulties, the fact is that Ireland continues to benefit greatly under the Disadvantaged Area Scheme,’ he said. However, the decision has reluctantly been taken to reduce ex- penditure on the disadvantaged area scheme in 2009.

‘This had been done in a targeted way that ensures that 67,000 of the 102,000 farmers in the scheme will experience no reduction in their pay- ments.

“All participants in the scheme will continue to benefit from the substan- tial increase of 8 per cent introduced in the rate of payments introduced in 2007 while almost half of those in receipt of disadvantaged area pay- ments will also benefit under REPS, which includes a seventeen per cent

increase in the level of payments made under REPS4.”

In addition, over 47,000 participants will benefit from the suckler welfare scheme, which is a new stream of in- come for Irish farmers and in respect of which €77 million will be paid out in the next couple of months. Furthermore, farmers in disadvan- taged areas will receive €920 mil- lion in single farm payments.

Despite these reassurances, Clare opposition TD Joe Carey last week attacked the government for the budget and in particular it’s effect on farming.

“The farming sector is being hit disproportionately in this budget. Hitting farmers by amounts in ex- cess of €2,000 is simply not right,’ he said.

“The measures are unfair, unjust and clearly need to be revisited. I appeal to the Minister to look again very closely at the harshness of sus- pending the young farmer’s installa- tion aid scheme, the early retirement scheme and the disadvantaged area payments.

“In disadvantaged areas 40,000 farmers will lose over €1,000 per year. This cut is a direct attack on the rural communities in the West of Ireland, it’s a direct attack on Farm- ers in my own constituency of Clare, where 6,120 farmers will be directly NEKO Koen

“The disadvantaged area payment was introduced to give farmers some respite as the land which they farm is poor and much harder to make a living from.”

THERE was some good news for Clare farmers yesterday with the an- nouncement that the Department of Agriculture have started payments under the Suckler Welfare Scheme.

Payments amounting to €80 per cow will continue on a rolling basis in respect of the 2008 born calves, as additional animals become eligible.

“These payments will be worth some €77 million in respect of 2008 born calves for the 53,000 applicants in the scheme and payments will continue into 2009,’ said Munister Brendan Smith.

“It is expected that up to €33 mil- lion will be paid this year, and a further €44 million paid in 2009 in

respect of cows that calved in 2008. The sooner farmers complete these important returns the sooner these cases can be processed.

The Department is now issuing letters to farmers where there were queries and farmers are urged to re- ply as quickly as possible to any cor- respondence in relation to Suckler Welfare Scheme.

Clare and Galway farmers can get more information by ringing 1890 252 707 while Limerick farmers should ring 1890 252 822.

Meanwhile, the Minister also con- tacted EU Commissioner Fischer Boel last week to express his serious concern about the current weakness in dairy product prices.

Minister Smith called on the Com-

missioner to introduce early supports for the sector in order to restore con- fidence and put a floor under current market prices.

During the Health Check nego- tiations Minister Smith had made crystal clear his view that the criti- cal market management mechanisms underpinning the sector must be maintained throughout the transition period to the ending of supply con- trols in 2015, in order to deal with periods of volatility that could arise.

“These mechanisms must retain their essential characteristics and should be used when necessary to respond to developments on interna- tional markets,” he said.

‘Now would be an appropriate time to demonstrate responsiveness to dif-

ficult market conditions by deploying the market management tools at her disposal.

Despite current difficulties, Minis- ter Smith believes that the medium term prognosis for the international dairy sector is extremely positive.

“There are significant new oppor- tunities for growth in Irish dairy product sales arising from world population growth and GDP growth in developing counties and in Asia,” he said.

“The immediate outlook necessi- tates that the Commission acts now to restore confidence in the market and in so doing provide a reassuring signal to stakeholders of its willing- ness to act decisively when there is a perceptible need in the market.”

I CAME to Hauycan in 1997 and since then I have been greatly en- riched by it’s warmth, hospitality and the variety of it’s cultures. Lo- cated at the foothills of the Andes, on the outskirts of Lima, Huaycan is a rocky and sandy area which has only been inhabited since 1984 – when people fled political violence NOLO MXo1RO (ore DONEC oer D Ror.

I gradually came to know these

people and their reality. Many of them had suffered and continue to suffer from great poverty, social exclusion and violence – especially against women.

As I made friends with the local children, I began to invite them to workshops in subjects such as draw- ing, dancing and even setting up a Christmas crib. I got to know more and more families and invited the lo- cal women to Tai Chi classes.

Eventually different classes emerged and women began to travel from outside of the area to attend. In 2000 the time seemed right to set up a women’s centre.

We rented a room called Warmi Wasi or The Woman’s House and be- gan training in self esteem and the prevention and treatment of violence against women. With the help of a psychologist and three local women, a Human Development Programme began to emerge.

By the end 2002 we were renting a

bigger centre and a number of new programmes had been established. In 2004, a programme was started in a local secondary school geared to- wards the prevention of gender vio- lence, which set the foundations for a more complete programme in other secondary schools.

Over the years a number of people have learned to read and write while other have successfully learn to make bags, jewelry or candles for sale.

The training of women leaders is now needed and we hope to integrate this into our project in the coming years.

To have our own centre, and not have to rent, has been a huge dream for all of us. September 26 of this year was a great day for all of us as our new centre was blessed and in- augurated.

There was great rejoicing and ex- pressions of gratitude towards for the great efforts made by the many friends in Inagh, Corofin and all over

Clare. All of our efforts over here are made possible by your help back in Ireland.

A special thanks also to Cllr Flan Garvey, who helped raise more than €10,000 for the project through his mayoral ball.

SOME of Clare’s most talented voic- es will be at the Cliffs of Moher this December to raise money for a very worthy cause.

The Clare Tenors, Kate Daly, Helen Houlihan, Ruth Kelly and Mary Howard will all perform at the new Cliffs of Moher Centre to raise money for the Clare Branch of the NaN E

“I think this is about giving people the chance to support the lifeboats. Even over the last 12 months the Clare coast have had awful tragedies

and people want to support the life- boats and the work that they do,” said Joe Queally of the RNLI.

“There is a lovely line-up for the concert – it’s our own people in our own place and everyone is giving their time free for the lifeboats, as are the people from the Cliffs of Mo- her.

“The cliffs is one of the most vis- ited sites in the world and they now have a stunning venue for people to host events like this.”

Restaurant facilities at the Cliffs of Moher will stay open later to allow concert goers to have some food and

a drink before the show.

‘People can go up and have a glass of wine and a meal if they like and then come in for the concert. The restaurant itself is giving a donation to the RNLI from the night,” contin- LUTer6 Nn (Olen

“One of the things that makes this so special is that most of the sing- ers are from Archie Simpson’s fa- mous Lismourahaun Choir. Both the Clare tenors, Dean Power and Peter O’Donoghue, are making great strides with their own singing ca- reers while Kate Daly and Ruth Kel- ly are very talented and they were all

hatched out of that choir.

“The concert kicks off at 8.30pm and we will be all finished before 10.30pm so it will be a lovely two hours for everyone.”

While everyone is offering their Services free for this concert, Pat McDonagh of Supermacs has do- nated €1,000 towards the general running costs and expenses of the evening.

Tickets for the concert are availa- ble directly from the Cliffs of Moher Visitors Centre at 065 7086141 and from Record Rack in Ennis at 065 6820769.

TEAMS of amateur journalists and photographers from Scoil Mhuire in Ennistymon have taken it upon them- selves to report all of the schools ac- tivities on the Internet.

A new website, located at www. scoil-mhuire.ie, is being updated dai- ly with news and information from the school by this budding group of young reporters.

“Up until last year we had no web- site in the school at all so I came up with the idea more as something for incoming first years to have a look at and find out what the school was like. But since it was set up it has

turned into much more than that,” said teacher Laura Cullen.

“Any event that takes place – wither it be a sports event or a retreat – some- one will write a report about it and we also usually have a student who will take some nice pictures. Most of the work is undertaken by the transi- tion year students but everyone helps out in some way.

“It’s updated pretty much every day which makes it something different from other school website which never really change.”

Besides the news section the web- site also includes a regularly updated school calander and a separate tran- sition year calendar which included

deadlines and reminders on all up- coming assignments.

“It’s great for the girls – they get a nice training in writing and photog- raphy and they get to have their work published as well. We are actually going to set up a photo section in the future where we will able to upload photo albums,’ continued Laura.

“Or aim by the end of the year is to have a team of journalists and a team of photographers who will have es- sentially built this website since the start of the year.

“We are still working at it and try- ing to improve it all the time and the hope is that we can keep make it bet- ter and better throughout the year.”

Some for the recent news items on the site include a presentation by the school Taekwon-Do team to Our Lady’s Hospital in Crumlin, a third year trip to the Merchant of Venice, a report on a first year basketball match and a heartsaver AED train- ing course for students.

In addition to all of this the website contains a career section with dates for up coming career events, a full prospectus for new students and de- tails for the school parents council.

YOUNGSTERS taking part in the Mountshannon based Alpha Project were getting a chemistry lesson last week which had nothing to do with fusty diagrams of molecules and eve- rything to do with real life.

Instead of watching dust motes dance in the classroom, the five stu- dents were out in the field, building a limestone kiln, learning about the chemistry involved in producing lime and also getting a lesson in traditional craft and history into the bargain.

“Traditionally, cottages were paint- ed with lime and lime was also used in mortar for buildings. It’s been

replaced now with cement but lime was a much more breathable sub- stance and more ecofriendlly”, said Alpha Project development officer, Caroline Kelly.

To learn about the versatile mate- rial which our grandparents would have used, the youngsters first built a lime-kiln from wattle and daub which they collected and made them- selves, under the expert eye of tradi- tional craftsman, Bernard Graves, who travels the world teaching crafts which are all but lost.

Having collected the ash for wattle and the wood to make charcoal in the Tuamgraney Community Woodland, the students were given limestone by McGrath’s quarry in Tulla. They lay-

ered the lime and charcoal, heated it to 900 degrees which left quicklime then slaked it with water to produce lime.

“They are anxious to use the lime and we will be doing some painting with it as well as letting some mature to make mortar’, said Caroline.

The project was funded by the Her- itage Council.

The Alpha project provides educa- tion through experience and the five students who took part in the lime kiln building have already gained Fetac certification in six subjects af- ter three years on the project.

“these are the first group to ask us to continue their education. Usually, when they reach 16, the students go

to do their Leaving Cert’, said Caro- line.

Established for seven years, the Alpha Project has put many students through and into the world of further education and work and they have just been awarded a research grant.

“We will use it to see where our students have gone and what has happened with them, so we will have a better picture next March’, said Caroline.