Month: January 2010

Clare hits the sweet spot in Lonely Planet guide

THERE’S a great thirst in Tulla for cups of tea, coffee and, later in the day, something a bit stronger.

Friends and neighbours will be drinking up on Friday, February 12 when local women, Kay Madden and Lavender Wright have their an- nual ‘open house’ serving cuppas in a good cause.

Kay and her friend and neighbour, Lavender, have been hosting a coffee day in Main Street for 12 years now in aid of the Clare 250 Cancer Cen- tre to raise funds to send patients to Lourdes.

Kay is modest about the amount raised last year because the pair don’t like anyone calling to feel un- der pressure to donate any specific amount.

‘“Let’s just say it was a significant amount and it sent a good number of people to Lourdes. We just put a box by the door and people can donate any amount they want. We just keep the tea and coffee coming. We want it to be another great community day,” said Kay.

Friends, neighbours and the wider community are all invited to call to number 23, between 10am and 10pm, for a hot cuppa, soup, lovely home baking and even an Irish coffee.

The two women are no strangers to the seriousness of cancer, having both walked that road ten years ago.

“I was nominated back then to go to Lourdes and I really believe that the strength I got from that trip and all the support and help I got were what turned me around,” said Kay.

Over the last twelve years, Kay and Lavender, with the support of neigh- bours and friends, have raised money every year through the coffee days, car boot sales and donations.

“T really want to thank my neigh- bours and friends. They have been SO supportive to us. They come along and help us set up in the morn- ing, they make the tea and coffee and Irish coffees and at ten at night they help me wrap up. They’re wonderful. They have me where I am today,” said Kay.

Both Kay and Lavender have had to confront dealing with the terrify- ing disease so they know how im- portant care, research and the moral and emotional support offered by the people who take part in the Clare 250 is. Apart from the good cause, the day is an occasion where neigh- bours and friends come to call, sit down and take time out.

“One of the highlights of the day is when the children get off school and they come in. It’s great for the younger people to be part of this

community day.

“We have everyone – older people coming after they’ve collected their pensions and children coming after school – it’s a real community day, a team effort and that’s why it’s so special,” explained Kay.

AN INTERNET posting that invites people to take a trip down memory lane has become a huge hit with 30 somethings from Ennis.

‘You’re a true 30-something from Ennis if you remembet…’ has so far attracted comments from 814 users of the social networking site Fa- cebook. Users are asked to submit their recollections of life growing up in Ennis. The thread, first posted in early January, catalogues the events, buildings and people that made up the social scene in the county capital throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Many of the comments posted on- line refer to former shops, pubs and fast food outlets.

One user recalls “Buying a blank video tape in Hurdy Gurdy’s for £13, taping the Friday night movie on RTE, watching it the following day and wondering, in awe, if technology like this could ever be equalled…”

Another writes that “you’re a true 30-something from Ennis if you re- member when the Queen’s disco gave a dinner of roast chicken, chips and peas, and gravy, and all for a fiver”.

Discos at the Cloughleigh Commu- nity Centre, Chapel Lane are also re- called, as is the Little Theatre Café, which one Facebook user says had the “best ice-cream in the world with the sweets on top”.

Another comments that true En- nis 30-somethings will remember “Smyth’s on Carmody Street and Broderick’s and Arthur’s on Parnell Street where you could buy loose eye N | Rae

Knox’s supermarket, Crubeens and a chip shop in Chapel Lane, Layden’s Pub in the market and Denis Moran’s — “the only place where you could buy net curtains and a bra at the same time” – are among the other old

Ennis businesses recalled.

One post remembers, “When Cheers (pub) first opened and they had the Cheers Ennis logo on all the pint glasses and the ashtrays, everyone had one! Place was robbed of glasses and ashtrays every night haahah.”

The price of fast food is a popular topic, with one post wistfully recall- ing when a bag of chips in Enzo’s cost SOp and another noting that a bag of chips in Oodles, formerly located at

Drumbiggle, cost 30p.

The heyday of bands like Bitter Harvest who made up the local mu- sic scene in Ennis is also remem- bered with one user commenting that “You’re a true 30-something in En- nis if you remember The Big G (Gen- erator) on bank holiday Monday’s in Henry J’s.”

Another person recalls, “Taking that long dark road to the rugby club to hear Bush Plant… and then trying

to find your way back.”

School memories also figure prom- inently throughout the list with one person recalling former principal of Ennis National School “Gary Stack giving a free for stupidity against you on the hurling field in the “Nash.”

ANYONE interested in joining one of Ireland’s largest voluntary organi- sations is being urged to attend two upcoming Samaritans information evenings in Ennis.

The Ennis branch of the Samaritans are holding two information and se- lections evenings at the Old Ground Hotel on Thursday, January 28, and Monday, February 1, at 8pm.

The events will give potential vol- unteers an opportunity to learn about the service provided by the Samari- tans. The organisation is looking for

open-minded, non-judgmental peo- ple to get involved.

The Samaritans provide confiden- tial, non-judgmental emotional sup- port for members of the public who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including feelings that may lead to suicide. The service is provided by telephone and email, as well as through face-to-face con- tacts.

A Samaritans spokesperson said the branch are looking for people to commit a few hours a week to the Service.

“Our volunteers come from a wide

variety of age groups and _ back- grounds. What’s important is that people would be able to commit a few hours each week to help provide the service,” said the spokesperson.

All volunteers who join the Sa- maritans will take part in a compre- hensive training programme and are also shown how to develop listening skills.

A spokesperson explained, “It’s very important that volunteers would be able to give that commitment and that they would be able to listen to people without being judgemental. All those who do go on to join the

organisation will take part in a very comprehensive training programme which will equip them to offer emo- tional support to callers.”

The Samaritans vision is for a soci- ety where fewer people die by suicide and its core values include confiden- tiality and being non-judgemental. For further information on volunteer- ing please call 065 6829777 or come along to one of information/selection evenings.

In 2009, the Samaritans received more than 375,000 calls from the Republic of Ireland alone.

Flannans students get into the fast lane

A TEENAGER who threw a brick through his mother’s window has asked a judge to let her stand bail for him. The 16-year old was before Judge Joseph Mangan having plead- ed guilty to a number of charges, including criminal damage to his mother’s house.

A probation officer told the court that a psychological report would be advisable. “ADD is suspected” the boy’s solicitor, Tara Godfrey said.

The teenager was accompanied by his mother during the hearing and in setting bail for six months at an in- dependent surety of €200, the judge asked the accused if he wanted his mother or some other person to stand or DU Koy muDOOE

When he replied that he wanted his mother, the judge warned him, “If your mother feels you might breach your bail, she can come in here and withdraw her bond and then you will go to jail.”

The 16-year-old had pleaded guilty to criminal damage and breaching the peace in December at his moth- er’s home in Shannon.

He also admitted stealing a hat and gloves – valued at €4 – from Dunnes Stores, SkyCourt, on December 18.

A MAN who was involved in a hit and run accident near his home has loLerolsMEUNLecO MUO eCO) U0 am

Joseph White (53), of Ballagh- fadda, Clarecastle, pleaded guilty to careless driving at Kildysart Cross, Clarecastle, and also admitted four other charges in relation to the inci- elle

Inspector Michael Gallagher told Ennis District Court on Friday that a hit and run accident took place at the Kildysart Road, Clarecastle, on August 2, 2009.

He said a woman complained that a red Peugeot van had hit her vehicle and had failed to remain at the scene. He said it was claimed that the Peu- geot had crossed to the incorrect side of the road and this caused evasive action to be taken.

Judge Joseph Mangan asked would there be allegations of speed and was told there would not.

Defending solicitor John Casey said his client was fully insured and he said it was accepted that the accused had failed to remain at the scene, which, he said, was due to “onset of migraine.” He said that his client had been to visit his daughter, had felt unwell and set about driving home. ‘He has a vague recollection of the accident. He should have stopped,” he said.

White, who had no previous con- victions, was fined €500 for care- less driving and €100 on each of the other four summonses.

A MAN who repeatedly shouted across a courtroom has been jailed for seven days for contempt.

The ruling was made in the case of Derek Malone after he failed to de- sist from shouting at Ennis District Court on Friday.

Malone (46), of Millstream Court, Mill Road, Ennis, was charged with public order offences, but did not appear in the courtroom when his case was called. However, it was then brought to the attention of his solicitor Tara Godfrey that he was outside. He was then brought into the courtroom, where he was asked why he had not been present earlier. He said he was told, by a garda, that he was not due in court and was told to go home as his name was not on the court list.

‘He told me to go home,” he said repeatedly.

He was given the chance to apolo- gise to the court, which he did, but continued to shout aloud. When he was warned about his conduct, he said, “Send me to jail then because I’m homeless and I want to go to jail because I can sleep.

“Tm an alcoholic. From my heart I apologise,’ he said. The packed courtroom erupted in laughter at Malone’s comments and Judge Joseph Mangan told him, “You can entertain them all in Limerick.”

He jailed him for seven days for contempt.

A FIFTEEN-year driving ban has been handed down to a driver whose jeep dragged a man along as it moved.

John Corry, a builder in his 50s, with an address at Tullycrine, Kilmi- hil, was convicted of dangerous driv- ing, arising out of an incident on Feb- ruary 4, 2009.

Oliver Haugh, a haulier, told Kul- rush District Court that he had done work for John Corry’s son Fergus and was owed €17,300. He said he could not contact Fergus and called to the home of John Corry. He said that John Corry pulled up with a jeep and trailer. He said Mr Corry had to move in off the road so that traffic could pass as the road was narrow. Mr Haugh said Mr Corry was in the jeep and his son Cyril was at the oy: 1e) rey as Lm

“I explained I had been trying to get in contact with Fergus. The next thing someone shouted *Go, Go’ and the jeep took off. I was between the jeep and the trailer. The jeep was moving. I grabbed on to the towbar of the trailer. My feet were being dragged on the ground,” he told the

oo) thae

He said that the jeep continued to move along the road and he was pulled along. He eventually managed to get off.

‘He slowed down. I was losing my erip. It was a combination of losing my grip and throwing myself off,” he said. He said he sustained “a few scratches and scrapes” to his leg, while his clothing was torn in the incident.

Under cross-examination by de- fending solicitor John Callinan, Mr Haugh said that he had done work for Fergus Corry a year prior to this incident. He had been owed €60,000 initially, but some of this had been paid and the balance was €17,300. The court heard that this was eventu- ally paid off.

Mr Callinan asked Mr Haugh did he feel he was getting the run around and he said he did. “I gave Fergus all the chances. It came out on the grapevine that he was doing a runner and going to Australia, that he was going to Australia with the money. He had a digger. He had a ‘05 Land Cruiser. There was more than me owed money,’ said Mr Haugh.

Mr Callinan put it to him, “It was

you who got nasty and it was you who started to misbehave, rather than John Corry.’ The witness denied this. Mr Callinan asked him, “Could it be that you jumped on to the trailer to stop them pulling away as they pulled away?” Mr Haugh denied this. He said, “All I could do was hold on as best I could and bang on the back cover and shout ‘Stop’.” However, Mr Callinan said to Mr Haugh, “It didn’t happen the way you describe it.”

Another witness, Kieran Kelly said he had also called to Mr Corry’s house that evening. “I was trying to collect money as well. I was owed a lot of money as well,” he said.

He said he saw Mr Haugh caught between the jeep and trailer and said he heard shouting.

John Corry told the court that his son Fergus had operated a civil eng1- neering business and had employed Mr Haugh for about three years prior to the incident before the court. On that evening, he said that Mr Haugh “went to go for Cyril, my son. We drove off.”

He said that when he pulled off, Mr Haugh was “well behind my trailer.”

‘I drove very, very slowly,’ he said. Asked had he dragged Mr Haugh, he

replied, “It never happened.”

Mr Callinan submitted that there was a “complete conflict of evidence. There is insufficient evidence of dan- gerous driving before the court.”

However, Judge Joseph Mangan convicted Mr Corry. The court was told he had three previous convic- tions, the most recent of which was for a motoring offence in 2008. Mr Callinan said his client is a self-em- ployed builder who had been in good circumstances a number of years ago but had been hit by the recession.

He said that a driving ban would have a huge impact on him. “I don’t know what he would do if he was disqualified from driving. It would have a massive impact on him and his family. Some of the previous con- victions are ancient,’ he said.

Judge Mangan imposed a Six- month jail term and disqualified Mr Corry from driving for 15 years. He fixed a bond in the event of an appeal — his own surety of €3,000; €1,000 of which was to be lodged and an in- dependent surety of €3,000; €1,000 of which was to be lodged.

Dismay over swerage delay