Month: November 2011

THE refurbishing of council housing stock in Kilrush has been held up as offering a beacon of hope for the community and a timely antidote to the sense of hopelessness that was out there, the monthly meeting of the town’s urban authority was told last Thursday night.

The comments were made by town clerk John Corry, as all nine councillors were universal in their praise of Kilrush Town Council’s commitment to upgrading its council housing stock, through a scheme that will eventually see up 40 houses in the town renovated.

“There was a lot of talk about the feeling of hopelessness in the estate,” said Mr Corry about John Paul Estate, “but the appearance alone is a lot brighter and raises the positivity around the place. People can be proud of the area they’re living in. It has come on a long way in the last couple of months and sends out a very positive note,” he added.

Mr Corry made his comments following confirmation that the first phase of the council’s 2011 redevelopment programme has been completed, with the next stage set to commence in the coming weeks fol- lowing the completion of a tendering process for a range of works.

“There has been significant work going on in the estate over the last number of months,” said Mr Corry. “It has consisted of refurbishment of 11 houses has been virtually completed.

“The work was done to a very high standard indeed. Ten of those houses have been occupied with the 11th being snagged presently. With regard to the next phase, we propose to a further 21 houses, that needs to be split into two phases of 11 and 10.

“We have tendered for that and the tender is with the Department of the Environment. We would hope that works would begin there very, very shortly and can proceed to the next phase of 11 houses. In anticipation of that we have met with the tenants of the 11 houses and a number of them have already been transferred to alternative accommodation,” he added.

In addition to the works in John Paul Estate, improvement works have been undertaken on seven houses on Wilson’s Road, four of which have already been occupied, while the remaining three will be over the next couple of weeks.

THE future of the Burren Farming for Conservation Project beyond 2013 is inextricably linked to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) – with the future of the unique Burren landscape now tied to negotiations which will take place in Brussels.

With the entire grant funding of the project now coming from unspent SFP, any major change to the CAP could threaten the entire future of the project.

Despite this uncertainty however, project manager Brendan Dunford is hopeful that the project could be rolled our right across the Burren in the years to come. A total of 35 farm families applied to become Life Farmers in 2010 and it is though that this number has swelled following the success of the first two years of the project.

“My biggest regret is that we cannot accommodate all the farmers who want to be involved. So all that we can do for the time being is to do as good a job as we can with the farmers that we have and hopefully that will strengthen our position in the future to do more,” said Brendan.

“It is very much our vision that every farmer in the Burren who wants to farm for conservation would be available to do that. That is dependent on funding but the better that we do the better position we are in to get funding into the future.”

While scrub encroachment is often seen as the enemy of biodiversity in the Burren, according to Mr Dunford the key is to strike a balance between all the natural habitats that exist in the area and now allow any to dominate.

“The problem that we are dealing with now is that, because of the withdrawal of farming from some areas in the past thirty years, we are getting a big imbalance between the areas of encroaching scrub and the areas of well managed grassland. What we want to is to maintain a balance,” he said.

“Even with the work we are doing here, the amount of scrub encroachment exceeds the amount that we are able to remove each year. But in a way that is beside the point, scrub can turn into a great woodland itself and we are certainly not trying to eradicate it. It is about a balance, what we want to do is manage the grassland to maintain what is some of the most bio-diverse landscape in Europe and if scrub comes in on these areas we want to push it back out again.”

MORE than 20 per cent of the limestone pavement of the Burren is now covered in scrub, with more hazel encroachment taking place each year. While the scrub explosion is only one of the threats to the biodiversity of the Burren, it has become a rallying point for Burren management, both because visual impact of scrub encroachment but also because of the direct correlation between new farming techniques and spread of hazel.

Farming in the Burren Farming for Conservation Programme now actively manage more than 50,000 acres of land n the Burren. Scrub is kept under control by encouraging cattle and goats to use the old winterage area of the Burren, instead of being housed inside during the winter.

While outside in the dry limestone winterage, the animals eat the young hazel saplings and prevent the bushes from becoming established on the limestone pavement.

“It doesn’t really pay farmers to graze these areas anymore. There is too much work and labour involved in making these areas suitable for grazing. That is what has happened over the last 20 or 30 years, a lot of the upland areas are not being grazed anymore – and that is where we find all the wonderful monuments and the flora,” said Brendan Dunford of the Burren Farming for Conservation Organisation.

“So what we are paying for is good management of non-profitable areas. And there is a cost for this, over and above what the farmer will make back. So what we make sure is that payments are only made when the land is managed properly. If the farmer isn’t bothered then he won’t be paid, but if a farmer is willing to go that extra mile then we are happy to pay for it – because in the long term for the future of the Burren it is incredibly cost effective.

“We are an environmental scheme so our focus is on delivering environmental aims such as good water, biodiversity and good landscape. But the only way that we can achieve that is to try and continue the old farm practices, which were dying out in some areas. So the farmers are absolutely key to the future of the Burren.

“Farmers are a part of the social fabric and the spirit of the area but they are absolutely key in managing the Burren environment. The farmers have the skills, the motiva- tion and the know-how to make this work. The farmers are also the first people who will benefit if this works, not the environmentalist or the tourists,” said Mr Dunford.

“We see ourselves not as saving farming in the Burren but just adding an extra impetus on the ecological side of things. We feel that the production of food is still important and farmers will still benefit from the Single Farm Payment but hopefully what we are doing is helping to put some confidence and relevance back into farming. Farming is about producing food but it is also about managing environments.”

AN EXTRA € 1 million will be pumped into the north Clare economy over the next two years with the news that the Burren Farming for Conservation project will now run until December of 2013.

The project, which is worth € 1 million each year to almost 150 Burren farm families, has been given an extra year of grants funding by the Department of Agriculture, however, administration funding to cover the roll-out for the scheme for the extra has yet to be confirmed.

The lion’s share of the money granted to the project’s farmers will be spent locally to cover the cost of on-farm environmental works such as stone-wall building, scrub removal and water infrastructure – to enable the grazing of non-profitable sections of the Burren. Because of this, the funding is likely to have a massive knock-on effect in the local community with local labourers and suppliers also to benefit.

The future of the project, which was officially recognised this year as Europe’s top Life Farming Project, is still unsure beyond 2014. Grant funding from the project is currently sourced directly from the Department of Agriculture through unclaimed Single Farm Payments (SFP), while the project team is funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

“The project is now going to run to four years. The funding for this is linked to CAP so as long as the CAP stays in place we should have enough funding to see us through until then,” said project co-ordinator Brendan Dunford.

“We don’t see the project ending after four years. Once this section of funding is completed, we hope to be in an even stronger position to get funding for the future because of the positive results that we have been producing. Once we can show measurable results, there is no reason why we should not continue to get funded after the CAP reforms.”

This project has grown from the pilot BurrenLIFE Projects, which was ran in the Burren between 2005 and 2010. The project, which involved 20 local life-farmers, was Ireland’s first farming for conservation project.

The project has grown from these original 20 farmers to almost 150 with more farm families being added this year.

“We began last year with 117 farmers but this year, because of an under spend, we have been able to increase that to 143 farmers, right across the Burren. The farmers stretch all the way from Doolin up to Kinvara and down as far as Corofin, so we have a great geographical spread,” continued Brendan.

“We need to make sure that every euro spent represents value for money. So the farmers receive some funding to pay for small infrastructure projects which can help to improve farm management but the lions share of funding goes toward a field-byfield assessment of each field. So the farmers get rated and paid by how well they manage their fields.

“So if the farmers put the work in then they will get paid for it, but if they are not bothered then they won’t be getting any money out of it. This year we will rate about 1,000 fields from all over the Burren.”

COUNCILLORS have backed a proposal that could eventually see Clare County Council take a role in the future ownership of Shannon Airport.

Yesterday’s special council meeting was called for the council to formulate a submission to Booz and Company who have been appointed by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to advise on options for the future ownership and operation of Cork and Shannon airports.

In a briefing document circulated to members, Mr Coughlan outlined four potential options regarding the future of the airport: (1) Retaining the status quo – to continue to operate as present; (2) Divest public control – privitisation; (3) Long term lease of the airport – commercial lease without public sector involvement; (4) Retain state ownership of the airport facility, including the airport landbank by vesting the facility and landbank in local public sector authorities who could; (a) involve regional private sector interest and/or (b) concessions for operational services and the vesting of ownership of the airport landbank in local public authorities.

Commenting on the first option, Mr Coughlan states that the decision by the Government to appoint consultants “is a clear indication that the current model, whereby Shannon airport is controlled by the Dublin Airport Authority, is not operating satisfactorily and will not secure the optimum development of the airport as a strategic asset for the region.”

In reference to privatisation, Mr Coughlan states that the “transfer of the airport and its assets to private, profit driven operators would be a matter of serious concern to the region”.

Regarding the prospect of a long term commercial lease of the airport, Mr Coughlan states that a “commercial lease without public sector involvement would be profit driven rather than public interest driven and this could lead to a concentration on financially lucrative routes at the expense of routes which would meet the needs of the people and businesses in the region.”

Mr Coughlan states that option four “would have a number of distinct advantages in that the public sector authorities have a vested interest in the sustainable development of the region. He explains that given the long existence of local authorities, “authority for the airport and adjoining landbank would be vested in the people of the region through the democratically elected local authorities”.

Referring to the financial health of the airport, Mr Coughlan states, “It would be imperative that the airport would not become a financial liability for the local public sector agencies and the issue of outstanding debt would have to be resolved as would other legacy financial matters.”

TRIBUTES have been paid to two giants of the sporting and music and scene in Clare.

Yesterday’s monthly meeting of Clare County Council was adjourned for 15 minutes as a mark of respect to the late Francie Mahon and also to the late Muiris Ó Rócháin, both of whom passed away last month.

Mayor of Clare Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) led tributes to Mr Mahon who was a former member of staff at the council. Cllr Hayes said Mr Mahon had “contributed hugely” to sport in Clare from his long involvement with the Éire Óg GAA club and Clare camogie squads.

County manager Tom Coughlan said Mr Mahon had given long years of service to the council and was “very high regarded” by colleagues at the local authority.

He said the high turnout at Mr Mahon’s funeral in Ennis last month showed the high level of regard people in Clare had for him.

He described the former Éire Óg hurler as an “exceptional employee”, one whom all staff members could aspire to.

Tributes were also paid to Muiris Ó Rócháin, one of the founding members of the annual Willie Clancy summer school in Miltown Malbay. Mr Ó Rócháin was the driving force behind the summer school, which is one of the most famous celebrations of traditional Irish music in the world.

Cllr Hayes said Mr Ó Rócháin had done enormous work to promote Irish music and culture. Praising the work done by Mr Ó Rócháín, Mr Coughlan said he worked closely with him during the development of the Glór music venue in Ennis.

THE SHANNONWATCH organisation has welcomed the inauguration of Michael D Higgins as the ninth president of Ireland – and has already dubbed him “Ireland first anti-war President”.

President Higgins has been a longstanding campaigner for human rights and has written extensively on many global conflicts includ ing Nicaragua, Chile, Cambodia, El Salvador, Iraq and Somalia. He has spoken at a number of anti-war rallies at Shannon Airport and was particularly critical of the foreign policy employed the US under President Ronald Regan (Rep).

He remained opposed to the use of Shannon Airport as part of the socalled War on Terror and at a peace rally in March of 2008 said that Ireland was “complicit in war and torture” because of the use of US military use of Shannon Airport and Irish airspace.

Speaking after his inauguration last week a spokesperson from the Shannonwatch organisation said that the election of an anti-war president will further the cause of peace and will bring a renewed focus on the importance of Irish neutrality.

“These are issues that he has passionately defended throughout his political career and it is hoped and expected that he will continue to do so as president,” said a spokesman.

“Michael D Higgins has consistently opposed the use of Shannon, a civilian airport, for the invasions and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. He was critical of the apparent Irish collusion with the US government in relation to suspected rendition flights through Shannon and in 2010 he called on the government to withdraw the Irish military personnel serving in Afghanistan.

“However there are still up to 600 armed US troops a day passing through Shannon Airport, and there is no oversight or inspection of planes suspected of carrying illegally kidnapped prisoners, CIA assassination crews or dangerous munitions.

“This is despite the fact that the current programme for government, which Michael D Higgins’ Labour Party signed up to, says they will enforce the prohibition on the use of Irish airspace, airports and related facilities for purposes not in line with the dictates of international law.

“It is hoped that as Head of State Michael D Higgins will continue to articulate his lifelong anti-war message. While the Irish president does not have a direct executive or policy role in Irish affairs, he nonetheless represents the people when undertaking official engagements at home and abroad.”

MICHAEL D Higgins has never been afraid to mince his words – never afraid to go against the establishment grain. Way back when and on his first day as President of Ireland.

Way back then he was in the frontline of 500 protesters who marched to the gates of Shannon Airport in 1984 in opposition to US president, Ronald Reagan’s state visit to Ireland.

Higgins, then a member of Seanad Éireann, mounted a spirited attack on what he termed “the mound of lies” which constituted the foreign policy of the Reagan administration, and applauded when fellow socialist, Jim Kemmy called for “a minute’s silence for all those who had suffered as a result of Reagan’s foreign policy” and that “Americans came here treating Ireland as though it was some sort of puppet State, a banana republic”.

Nearly 20 years later Higgins was one of eight Dáil deputies who marched on Shannon again – again rounding on American foreign policy as he used the politics of protest to get his point across.

“We have to support each other in making sure that the clear public opinion which is against war is heard by those who are staying silent,” he said when voicing his opposition to the war in Iraq, “their silence being complicit not only being the breaking of their own laws, but breaking the Irish constitution. Isn’t it extraor- dinary that they haven’t the courage to say what it is that Bertie Ahern agreed when he met George Bush,” he added.

So it was that Clare’s third president after Eamon de Valera and Dr Paddy Hillery used the occasion of his inaugural address to turn his voice of protest at the Ireland of recent years – the Celtic Tiger years that sparked economic meltdown, as he vowed to make his term of office a “presidency of transformation”.

“In more recent years, we saw the rise of a different kind of individualism – closer to an egotism based on purely matexrial considerations – that tended to value the worth of a person in terms of the accumulation of wealth rather then their fundamental dignity,” he said.

“That was our loss, the source in part, of our present difficulties. Now it is time to turn to an older wisdom that, while respecting material comfort and security as a basic right of all, also recognises that many of the most valuable things in life cannot be measured.

“During my campaign for the Presidency, I encountered that pain particularly among the most vulnerable of our people. However, I also recognise the will of all of our people to move beyond anger, frustration or cynicism and to draw on our shared strengths. To close the chapter on that which has failed, that which was not the best version of ourselves as a people, and open a new chapter based on a different version of our Irishness – will require a transition in our political thinking, in our view of the public world, in our institutions, and, most difficult of all, in our consciousness.

“In making that transformation, it is necessary to move past the assumptions which have failed us and to work together for such a different set of values as will enable us to build a sustainable social economy and a society which is profoundly ethical and inclusive. A society and a state which will restore trust and confidence at home and act as a worthy symbol of Irishness abroad, inviting relationships of respect and co-operation across the world,” he added.

THE ARTS community in County Clare has welcomed the inauguration of one of their own as Uachtarán na hÉireann and hopes are high that President Michael D Higgins can do his bit to help boost the arts at all levels in Clare.

Along with his distinguished career in politics, President Higgins has published three collections of poetry as well as contributing to a number of political and philosophical journals. President Higgins was also one of the main driving forces behind the establishment of TG4 which has played a significant role in the development of a sustainable art community in the west of Ireland.

Ennistymon filmmaker, Ken O’Sullivan, believes that the election of Michael D is a very positive move for arts in Clare. Ken, who’s surfing film “Seafever” became one of the underground hits of 2007, has just finished a six part nature series, Farraigí na hÉireann, on TG4.

“Michael D being elected as president is one of the best bits of news to happen in Ireland for some time. You could even hear it in his inauguration speech how dearly he loves and supports the artist community in Ireland,” said Ken.

“When I made the surfing film people I showed it to always said, “I can’t believe that is in Ireland”, when I made the underwater documentary people said, “I can’t believe that is in Ireland” – we live in such a beautiful country and I think that Michael D Higgins realises that.

“Ever from a business point of view – the important of the arts in Ireland cannot be underestimated. I remember around the time of the big meeting about the future of Ireland which too place at Farmleigh House – someone suggested that we could save money by getting rid of the Irish Film Board. But Dermot Desmond got up and said that when they go to China looking for investment – they only thing that they know about Ireland in Riverdance. So it is very important.”

These sentiments were echoed by the new director at Glór, Gemma Carcaterra, who believes that having a President who knows Clare and knows Glór will be an inspiration to the Clare artistic community.

“We are all absolutely delighted that he is the new President. The fact that he is so enthusiastic about the arts and is an artist himself is a great benefit for all of us – not to mention that fact that he lived in Clare and knows Glór,” she said.

“I think that this has the potential to inspire everyone who is involved in the arts in the county.”

THE spirit of community is the key to Ireland’s future, the country’s new First Citizen told the nation as he reached out to every nook and cranny of the county during his inaugural address as the ninth President of Ireland.

Higgins, who was brought up in the small community of Ballycar in Newmarket-on-Fergus, pledged to be a president of the people, saying that communities around the country would be embraced by his presidency and Áras an Uachtaráin.

“I will champion creative communities who are bringing about positive change at local level by giving recognition to their achievements on the national stage,” President Higgins said.

“I believe that when we encourage the seedbed of creativity in our communities and ensure that each child and adult has the opportunity for creative expression, we also lay the groundwork for sustainable employment in creative industries and enrich our social, cultural and economic development.

“In promoting inclusion and creativity, I will be inviting all citizens, of all ages, to make their own imaginative and practical contribution to the shaping of our shared future.

“Active citizenship requires the will and the opportunity to participate at every level and in every way – to be the arrow; not the target,” he added.

Expanding on this theme on inclusiveness, President Higgins said during his seven-year term he will cast the presidential net far and wide by holding a number seminars with people from a variety of backgrounds and experience.

These seminars, he said, will “reflect and explore themes important to our shared life yet separate and wider than legislative demand, themes such as the restoration of trust in our institutions, the ethical connection between our economy and society, the future of a Europe built on peace, social solidarity and sustainability.

“The first of these seminars will focus on being young in Ireland. It will address issues of participation, education, employment, emigration and mental health. I hope also that the seminars during the next seven years might encompass consideration of global issues, stressing the importance of the ethical connection between politics, economy, development and society.

”We Irish are a creative, resourceful, talented and warm people, with a firm sense of common decency and justice. Let us address the next seven years with hope and courage as we work together to build the future for our country -an Ireland we all feel part of, an Ireland we all feel proud of,” he added.