Month: February 2010

THE long-awaited children’s play- ground for Lahinch looks set to get the final go ahead in the coming weeks following unanimous sup- port for a license to be granted to the Lahinch Playground Committee at yesterday’s meeting of Clare County Seiee

A local group has been working on a number of proposals to construct a

playground on the promenade area of Lahinch for the last number of years. The group has raised tens of thousands towards the project while funding has also been secured from the council own funding for play- pace Uien

The project had become bogged down with choosing a site for the playground but it now looks almost certain that the green light will be given to construct the playground

on a piece of land belonging to the council supported by Lahinch Sea- (eyule

The local authority will lease a sec- tion of land belonging to Seaworld for £15,000 per year and will in turn licence the operation of the site to the Lahinch Playground Committee for a nominal fee, believed to be €1 per year. Some of this money will be recouped by Clare County Coun- cil through the provision of 12 extra

parking places as part of the devel- opment.

“A huge amount of funding has been raised by the community in Lahinch for this project and we are delighted to be able to proceed with this at last,” said Cllr Richard Nagle ¢3D)

“The playground committee have worked in very close co-operation with the staff here and in Ennis and we are now happy to start this

work.”

Councillor Martin Conway (FG) also complimented the local group on the work they have put in.

“The playground committee have done the rounds in terms of submit- ting the different sites that were up for consideration. They have done great work. This won’t be just a play- ground for the children of Lahinch, it will a playground for all the visitors who come to Lahinch and the people

THE contribution of Bishop Willie Walsh to the diocese of Killaloe was the subject of widespread tributes last week after he submitted his resigna- tion to Pope Benedict on reaching his Rll metaretee ys

Dr Walsh, who has served as Bishop since 1995, is to remain in charge of the diocese for a number of months until a successor is appointed.

Feakle parish priest, Fr Brendan

Quinlivan said: “Bishop Walsh has provided a model for leadership in the 21st century in how he led the di- ocese. He is a true Christian and has been Christ-like in how he interacted with others.”

Fr Quinlivan said that Bishop Walsh stepping down as Bishop “will not only leave a deep void in the diocese, but leave a void in the hierarchy”.

‘As a Christian, Bishop Walsh has tremendous credibility amongst the people and he has lived the Gospel as

he preached it. His affability, warmth and kindness was there for all to see in how he dealt with others.”

“IT cannot speak of him highly enough. He has provided effective and inspiring leadership and _ this came from his deep humanity. Bish- op Walsh has always been available to priests and was never more than a phone call away,” Fr Quinlivan said.

Stating that the diocese had bene- fited from Bishop Walsh’s leadership humility, collaboration, availabil-

ity and affirmation, Ennis priest, Fr Tom Hogan said that “the Holy Spirit came the way of the Diocese of Kil- laloe when Dr. Walsh was appointed Bishop”.

‘We have been blessed by his pres- ence. He has enabled so much to hap- pen. He is a very wholesome man, who is very comfortable with him- self,’ Fr Hogan said.

Parish priest of Shannon, Fr Tom Ryan said that Bishop Walsh becom- ing bishop was one of the greatest

blessings for the diocese in his life- time. He said that Bishop Walsh is a man of deep prayer and is respected and admired throughout the country.

‘He has provided tremendous lead- ership. It was providential that he became bishop when he did. He has given 50 years service to the Church and we will miss him. I am delighted that he is in good health and I wish him the best in his retirement where he can enjoy life at a slower pace. He deserves it.”

ALMOST 500 children in Clare had brushes with the law in 2008, more than 50 of whom were brought be- fore the courts on charges.

Children under the age of 18 are brought to court on a weekly basis on various charges including public or- der, criminal damage, thefts, motor- ing offences, assaults, or occasion- ally on drugs charges. According to a report presented to the Oireachtas last week, 472 children in Clare were referred to the national garda youth diversion programme in 2008. This was down marginally from 2007 when the figure was 492.

The diversion programme aims to deal with children in a manner other than prosecution and under the scheme, cautions are issued, where the child is suitable. It deals with children between the ages of 10 and 18. However, prosecutions are taken in the childrens’ court, when all oth- er options are exhausted. Prosecu- tions were taken against 54 children in 2008; down from 60 the previous year. Formal cautions were issued against 84 children (107 in 2007); information cautions were given to

279 (267 in 2007); while no further action was taken against 34 children (27 in 2007). At the end of the year, 21 cases were still pending.

There were three times the number of boys getting into trouble with the law, when compared with girls. The figures show that, in Clare, 360 boys were referred to the diversion pro- gramme in 2008, compared to 112 girls.

In Clare, there were 616 referrals to the diversion programme in 2008. This is also marginally down on the figure for 2007, when 625 cases were referred on. The difference between the number of referrals and the number of children referred is that some children were responsible for HOLD Lee om usKourDhS

Of the 616 referrals; 107 were not suitable for the diversion programme. Formal cautions were issued in 130 cases, while information cautions were issued in 318 cases. No further action was taken in 32 cases.

Nationally, there was a decrease of 2.4 per cent in the number of children referred to the diversion programme in 2008. A total of 21,412 children were referred to the programme in Autry

A WOMAN has told a court she feared she would be killed after a car came towards her zig-zagging over and back on the road, along the En- nis bypass.

Arising out of the incident, Kath- leen McCarthy (29), of Acha Bhaile, Lahinch Road, Ennis, was charged with driving without due care and consideration, on November 19, 2008. She denied the charge.

Kathleen Gibbons, from Lisdoon- varna, told Ennis District Court on Friday that she was driving on the Ennis bypass, near the Claureen roundabout, on the date in question.

She said she was travelling at a speed of between 45 and 50 mph when she noticed a car coming to- wards her, zig-zagging over and back the road. “First of all I thought it was somebody doing wheelies. I hoped it would straighten up. I thought, ‘I’m going to be dead’,” she recalled.

She said the car moved onto her side of the road and crashed into the side of her car. As a result, Ms Gibbons’ passenger door flew open. The airbag burst and there was blue smoke for a few seconds. She said the incident has “severely damaged my confidence.”

Defending solicitor Tara Godfrey said her client lost control of the steering wheel and spent several days in hospital after the crash. She received 21 stitches to the side of her head and suffered internal bleeding.

In a statement to gardai made some time after the accident, the accused said she did not know what had hap- pened.

“All of a sudden the steering wheel went free from me. I had no control,” she told gardai.

The court heard that the accused’s car was examined by the PSV in- spector and this found there were no defects with the steering wheel.

The solicitor said the accused was “driving carefully with all due care. There has to be an element of doubt. It was the middle of the day. It was highly unlikely she would be engag- ing in boy racing tactics.”

Judge Timothy Lucey said there may be another explanation for what had happened and said Ms McCa- rthy “may have had a blow out, but who can tell?”’

‘There is no question but the State have proved their case. There may be other explanations. It’s up to the de- fence to produce any evidence,” said the judge.

He convicted the defendant and fined her €250. He fixed a bond in the event of an appeal.

He told the solicitor, “If what you are Saying is correct, you should ap- peal it but you’d want to get better proof, better evidence.”

A WOMAN who complained about loud music got more than she bar- gained for as the neighbour she com- plained to arrived at her house a few hours later with a spade.

Arising out of the incident, Seamus Nestor, of Cluain Ard, Clarecas- tle, was charged with threatening a woman in the course of a dispute, at Cluain Ard, on July 7, 2009.

Inspector Michael Gallagher told Ennis District Court on Friday that loud music was being played at a house at around 7pm and a neighbour complained to the accused.

“She asked him to turn down the music as it was loud,’ he said. How- ever, Nestor laughed in the woman’s face and closed the door. At around 10.45pm he arrived at her house with a spade. The incident was witnessed by another neighbour and the court was told the witnesses were very traumatised as a result of what had

happened.

Defending solicitor John Casey said those involved live very close to each other. “At the time he (Nestor) had a serious drink problem. He had dif-

ficulties with Clare County Council at the time. It is council accommoda- tion,” he said.

‘He was wrong and he accepts he was wrong. He realises his neigh-

bours are entitled to quiet enjoyment of their own property,” he said.

“I suggest an adjournment for a pe- riod of time to leave the sword hang- ing over him. If he offends again he will face the full rigours of the law,” said Mr Casey.

However Judge Timothy Lucey was told that Nestor is still drinking and asked, “Is there any reason why it won’t happen again next week? He is still drinking.”

Mr Casey said his client is not drinking as much as he used to and has “quietened down. Perhaps in time it will settle. He would rather get on with his neighbours.”

The judge said, “It’s up to him to address his own difficulties. I can’t address them for him. He’s on the edge of a suspended sentence but perhaps a sentence would be too much, given his plea.” He imposed a fine of €400.

GARDA reinforcements had to be brought in during a domestic dispute at a house on the outskirts of Ennis town, a court has heard.

Thomas Quinn (36), of Ashline, Kilrush Road, Ennis, was convicted of breaching the peace at his home on August 11, 2009.

Inspector Michael Gallagher told Ennis District Court on Friday that gardai were called to a disturbance at the house.

He said that a woman had a large cut to her head and wounds to her body.

He said the accused asked gardai to leave the house and became ex- tremely agitated.

“He kept saying to his wife, * You are not going to complain, are you?’,” said Inspector Gallagher.

He said that a broken shovel was found in a room in the house.

The court was told that garda rein- forcements had to be called in and it took three gardai to restrain the ac- Leer

The court heard that Quinn has a string of previous convictions.

Defending solicitor Andrew Darcy told the court that there has been a lot of tragedy in his client’s family in Kero nN DON Tere

“There have been two suicide at- tempts recently in his immediately family. His first cousin died tragi- cally last week,” he said.

Referring to the offence before the court, Mr Darcy said his client had been off drink and drugs for a number of years, but had indulged on this occasion, resulting in a domestic situation.

The defendant’s wife Margaret told the court that the incident was “out of character.”

‘“He’s a very good husband; a very good father. He was only after losing a sister at 39.

“He lost a nephew at 31. It was too much,” she said.

She said that she and her husband “are getting on like a house on fire now.”

“T’ve got six kids. If Thomas goes to prison, I don’t know how I’d man- age,” she said.

Judge Timothy Lucey said, “Even though she doesn’t make a lot of it, I think it was a serious incident that required gardai to be called.”

“Anybody who defies the gardai, that aggravates the whole thing. He made it difficult for everybody. It merits a suspended sentence. He’s got to watch himself and make sure he doesn’t lose the head,” said the judge.

He imposed a three-month jail sen- tence, suspended for a year, on con- dition that he keep the peace for that period of time.

A RELATIVELY one-sided affair as an experimental Waterford side had 12 points to spare over an equally new look Clare side on Sunday. Wa- terford were sharp, focused and ea- ger to impress while a lifeless Clare looked like a side that had executed their pre-match routine up the nearby Knockmealdown Mountains.

In such circumstances, you would expect the winning manager to be glowing but as he watched his play- ers warm-down in the centre of the field after the game, Davy Fitzgerald was agitated, sensing that his former team-mates Ger O’Loughlin, Danny Chaplin and Liam Doyle had cagily refused to show their full hand. And in his typically passionate manner, he wasn’t about to keep his suspi- cions to himself.

“You can’t take anything from that game because Clare, in my opinion, did not try. Last Tuesday night they worked very hard and they were un- real last Tuesday night. The way they worked, the way they battled was unreal. I’m not fooled at all by that. That’s only mind games and I’m not into that so we came out, we played the game and I just don’t feel that they worked hard and that’s only my honest opinion. I know that there’s way more in Clare than that without a shadow of a doubt.

“The game last Tuesday night, they blocked and tackled and hassled and harried. Can you tell me that they blocked and tackled outside there? No.

“Listen, we did what we had to do and that’s fine but I’m not fooled. If they say that there are no mind games, then that’s rubbish, they did not go flat out there.”

Delving further, was he angry at Clare’s supposed tactics?

“We came to play a game and I’d like to have got more tackles and whatever, but I’m sure we will get them on June 7. I know myself be- ing from Clare what they are capa- ble of and I just feel they are capable of a bit more than what they showed there. All I am saying is we are read- ing nothing into that and we are ex- pecting an avalanche on June 7, we know what it’s going to be like. But at the same time, we had to come out and try to play the game today and we tried to play it.

“T just don’t believe in rubbish. I think you can’t tell me if you were at the game last Tuesday night that it was the same as today. You cannot. They put tackles into the Tipp lads, I was down there and I saw it my- self. I was waiting for that today and I didn’t see it. Did I learn anything today? No. Don’t be fooled.”

Such was Fitzgerald’s frustration that he couldn’t even fully evaluate his own side’s performance in such a lob sided clash.

““Isn’t it easy be good when you are not being tackled as hard? That’s what I’m saying to you. I will put it to you this way. Even Sparrow’s emo- tion on the sideline today compared to last week was totally different and I watched it closely. Last Tues-

day night, he was non-stop moving up and down the sideline, keeping the players going. Today I think you saw it yourself, not a word. I’m not an idiot. I’m not going to read into it like that so at the end of the day we won the game, that’s grand and we will play the final next week. I suppose for us, the National League starts in three weeks time and we know be- ing without seven or eight of the lads, we are going to have to work hard but I think my lads will work hard. We will be up against it in a lot of games but we will work hard. There are some great young lads there, ab- solutely fantastic but we will be up against it missing so many.”

However, it wasn’t long before the conversation reverted to Clare and Whether or not they simply rolled over ahead of the sides’ Munster championship semi-final on the June Bank Holiday Monday.

“T’m not saying that, I’m just say- ing why didn’t they tackle as hard as they did last Tuesday night? That’s all I’m saying, I just don’t feel they did it. They can say what they like, I don’t care. I saw the difference last Tuesday night compared to today. The way I looked at it, no-one is go- ing to learn anything for next June because we are missing a number of players, they are missing a number of players so what is it? Why waste a Sunday and just come down – let’s have a good game, that was the way I was taking it but at the same time, you have got to respect whatever way they want to do it, they do it and that’s the bottom line and we will do

the job we have got to do.

“The one thing I am very sure about, I know the lads that are over them they are very shrewd guys and I know that we will be in for an ab- solute dinger of a game come June. I know that, ’’m under no illusions whatsoever and we know that there will only be a point in it either way.”

Minutes later, Clare manager Ger O’Loughlin stepped out of the Clare dressing room blissfully unaware of his counterparts comments.

“IT wouldn’t expect him to say any- thing different,’ he responded with a smile. “No, we came down genuinely to give a good account of ourselves but we were just very flat today and just didn’t play any brand of hurling

at all. So we will put our hands up and say ‘look we have to recognise that we have an awful lot of work between now and June in the league and we will take heart from the other games we played in the competition as well’. I suppose the other side of it is that we are very much trying to settle on a team as well, we are try- ing out five or six lads every match so it’s not a settled team. That’s not an excuse, we were just very poor today.

“It was a wake up call I suppose. We were well and truly outclassed in nearly every position but I sup- pose from our own point of view, we have got a bit out of the Waterford Crystal. We were decent against Tip-

perary, we were very honest and we tried hard and in also in our first day out against WIT, we were very hon- est but today we just came up against a very smart and sharp team and we were a good bit behind. Don’t anyone underestimate that we have a moun- tain to climb if we are going to com- pete with them in June but that’s the task we have. So hopefully we will get there.”

With the championship firmly in mind, O’Loughlin is very wary of Clare and Waterford’s contrasting National League fixture list, however he also feels that playing in Division 2 should not be detrimental to Clare’s chances in this year’s Munster cham- eyCoyetsieul oy

‘There is no doubt about it, Water- ford will get three or four very good games in the league and we probably won’t have that but that’s the position we are in. We will have to go looking for matches that we will be playing top class teams in challenge matches but I think what we have to do is pre- pare ourselves to the best of our abil- ity and if we do that, we should be a match for most counties.”

Whether intentional or not, 1t seems the mind games have already begun ahead of the Munster championship. It may be over four months away but for two determined managers, realis- tically it will be never far from their thoughts.

this week, it seems as though Wicklow could be in for some winter time blues as they build towards the main business of championship.

“Our supporters will have great expectations for the league, but it’s tried and trusted that Micko is more a championship man than a league man. He seems to turn into a differ- ent man altogether once the champi- onship comes,” said O’Brien.

‘“We’ve blooded a few players in the O’Byrne Cup and will be blooding a few more on Sunday and will be hav- ing areal go to collect a few points, but at the moment we’re aiming at the championship. Having said that it would be nice to get a run in the league.

“We’ll take it as it comes. You nev- er send out any team to lose, that’s for certain. Micko always says that the championship is the main goal, but if we were to make progress in the league and get a settled team wed be happy — at the end of the

day the league is the league because come a winter’s day you can’t match the championship to the league, even though we’ll be going down and trying to get those two points,” he added.

Former All-Star and All-Ireland Club winner with Baltinglass in 1990, O’Brien is in his fourth year as a selector under Mick O’Dwyer, yet still marvels at his boss’ enthusiasm for football that has raised the coun- ty’s football stock to its highest ever

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‘““Micko wants to improve Wicklow right across the board, whether that’s the seniors, under 21s or minors. Even after we gathered on Sunday, Micko was heading off to talk to the Wicklow Vocational Schools team that beat Dublin in the Leinster sem1- final to reach the final.

“He puts the work in with all teams at all ages in the county and with Micko it doesn’t feel like work go- ing out training and he’s full of en-

thusiasm. It’s his fourth year but with Micko every year 1s a new year — where he gets the enthusiasm from, I don’t know, but he’s infectious, loves the game and loves being part of it and it rubs off on everyone.”

And, even allowing for O’Dwyer’s indifference to league _ football, O’Brien is hopeful of making the long journey home to Baltinglass with two league points.

“Both teams are relatively close — conditions in the game two years ago

in Cusack Park were extreme and it was lucky that the game went ahead. Clare were that bit stronger than us on the day.

“With the way the weather has been we wouldn’t be as prepared for the first match as we would have been last year, but the lads we have have been on the panel for the last few years so we hope things work out on the day. We know it will be tough. Clare have new management and they will be hoping to get off to a winning start.”

AND so it begins.

The real beginnning of Micheal McDermott’s journey as Clare senior manager — the journey out of Divi- sion 4 where Clare have laboured these past three seasons.

That’s the aim. That’s why McDer- mott boldly told his Clare public in Christmas week “We’ve broken the season down in stages and our main focus is to win Division 4. Not get out of Division 4, but win it. There’s a cup to be won, there’s a national title to be won. Why just be happy with promotion?”

Fighting talk and festive cheer for Clare football, but McDermott knows that the practice of actions speaking louder than words begins with the throw-in at Cusack Park next Sunday.

And, McDermott has upped the ante once more by highlighting the importance of a winning start. “The display against UCC wasn’t good enough, but we have done a lot of training in the past few weeks, and looking at us in training and in chal- lenge matches, I think we can deliver a performance that the Clare public will be proud of,” he says.

“We’re going into this game after challenge matches against Roscom- mon last Thursday and Kilmurry Ibrickane on Sunday. We’re going in the right direction — we still have a lot of work to do for the year but

we’re pleased where we are at this present point of time.

‘The first match is going to be the one that Clare need to win to set the team up for the rest of the league campaign. We always said that and that’s the way we’re approaching the Wicklow game.

“Wicklow are a top quality side, there’s no doubt about that but the league is the league and it’s early in the year and I’d say that Wicklow are in the same place as we are as regards preparation for 2010.

“Going into the game there is no form to judge either team on — that’s

why it’s important to do everything to try and get those two points under our belts. We feel quite confident that we ll put up a very good performance and if that’s good enough to win the two points, great,” he adds.

And, McDermott has pledged a dif- ferent style of football in 2010 when

compared to previous years, eschew- ing short-passing for a more direct and traditional approach.

“In previous years Clare ran the ball a lot — I wouldn’t disagree with those styles, but this year it’s about moving the ball much faster and get- ting it into the full-forward line much quicker and our half-forward line be- ing in position to support the full-for- ward line quickly to get the scores,” |temr-Ke C6 Kp

“Our game is going to be based around intensity. We’re looking to play good football, quick ball into our forwards and looking to get scores on the board. We’ve been working on scoring power in training and if we can hit ten or 12 points we’ll be there or thereabouts winning the game. I think we’re capable of that and capa- ble of taking the two points.

“We want the players to buy into this style and if that produces a per- formance and a victory on Sunday, the players will really start believ- ing in the system that we’re trying to eNe

“It’s such an important match that you can’t under-emphasise it and say it enough. The first game and we’re playing at home and for the support- ers of Clare we want to give them hope for the year.”