Month: June 2006

THE Mid-West Branch of the Stroke Support Group is celebrating its first birthday by holding a mid-summer party and by appointing a coordinator to take care of the day-to-day running of the group.

The branch held its first meeting in June 2005. Since then, a committee has been elected and there has been a busy year of meetings and talks by invited guests.

Committee member, Tom Clifford, said that the year was “very busy and we covered a lot of ground. Next year will be just as busy,” he said.

Among the issues tackled by the mid-west branch were services for stroke survivors and their families, welfare issues, depression, public health services and medication.

Speakers during the year were representatives of the Department of Social Welfare, the Health Service Executive and a transport expert who explained the use of wheelchairs, power chairs and adapted vehicles.

The mid-summer party will be held at the Kilmurray Lodge Hotel in Castletroy in Limerick on Thursday, June 22 from 7pm to 9pm.

All stroke survivors, their families and friends are welcome. Tickets are available at the door.

A CLARE hurler who drove a car in a fatal accident which cost the life of a young woman has been banned from driving for five years.

Aidan Quilligan (18), of Cloughoolia, Sixmilebridge, was convicted of dangerous driving causing the death of Charelle Howard, at Shanaway Road, Ennis, on July 16 last year.

Charelle, from Watery Road, Ennis, was a back seat passenger in a Volkswagen Polo car, which was involved in a single vehicle accident. She was one of seven people in the car, when it hit a kerb and overturned a number of times.

Mr Quilligan’s solicitor Rachel Dobson said the young man described the day of the accident as “a black day. . . a day that will haunt him for the rest of his life.”

He had played a hurling match that afternoon, before going to a party on the Shanaway Road in Ennis. He then drove into town, giving six people a lift.

“The party was in high spirits. Everyone was in good form. My client didn’t touch any drink. As an act of kindness, he brought a number of people into Ennis. Nobody could have foreseen the tragedy,” said Ms Dobson.

She said her client, who was 17 at the time and an inexperienced driver, accepted that seven people was too many in the car. He didn’t discourage or disallow anyone from getting into the car.

The accused, who has been supported by his parents throughout the case, was waiting his Leaving Certificate results at the time of the accident, and has since starting studying Engineering.

Ms Dobson handed in a number of testimonials on behalf of her client, along with a psychiatrist’s report.

She described him as an “ardent hurler” who plays with the Clare under-21 side.

“He is helpful, mannerly and a role model. He has never been in trouble before. He was a happy-go-lucky person but the events of that day have left an indelible mark on him. He has to bear this for the rest of his life,” she said.

The solicitor said her client wished to apologise to Charelle’s parents, David and Teresa.

Inspector Tom Kennedy said he had no issue with anything said in court, adding that the deceased was also a “model citizen,” and said the accident was “freak.”

Judge Joseph Mangan imposed a fine of €2,000. He disqualified Mr Quilligan from driving for five years, to take effect in September. He took into consideration a charge of overloading.

WITNESSES who refuse to make statements do not deserve the protection of the courts, according to a District Court judge.

Judge Joseph Mangan was speaking in the case of a man facing public order charges, arising out of an incident in north Clare last summer.

Simon Bracken, of Doon, Kilfenora, was accused of being intoxicated in public and of engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour, at Lisdoonvarna Road, Kilfenora, on August 12, 2005.

Garda Louise Casey told Ennnistymon Court that the accused was extremely drunk and abusive at 1.30am. He was handcuffed and placed in a garda patrol car.

“All witnesses were approached with a view to making statements, but they declined to take the matter further,” she said.

Defending solicitor Jim Finnegan said his client has had medical problems, for which he is now receiving treatment.

“It was this, rather than any malice, which was the cause of the incident.”

Judge Mangan read from a report on the accused and said, “It says here he has poor control over his temper. Temper is something none of us ever have a right to have.”

Referring to the witnesses, the judge added, “If these people aren’t prepared to make statements, they don’t deserve the protection of the courts.”

He adjourned the case for two months and ordered that an anger management report be carried out, along with reports on drug and alcohol abuse.

DETAILED business proposals drawn up by CIE on the re-opening of the Ennis to Athenry leg of the Western Rail Corridor are now with the Department of Transport and work could start this year, it has been revealed.

This section of the rail restoration and a future link to Shannon Airport were two of a tiny number of sections, which got the economic thumbs-up from the chairman of the group set up to examine the proposal.

Rail corridor working party chairman, Pat McCann, originally cast doubts on whether the €365 million cost of re-opening the line could be justified, given that just 750 passengers a day were expected to use it.

In his original report for the Government, the former chief executive of Jury’s Hotels said that he had not “heard any economic, commercial or social arguments that would justify the complete restoration of the line as one project and I would not support such a proposal.”

But he was more enthusiastic about the opening of the line between Ennis and Athenry, saying that the section “would appear to be one of the more viable as things stand.”

He also reported that having connections to Shannon and Knock “could add significantly to the economics of the line.”

News that the corridor is being actively looked at, came via a reply to a Parliamentary Question from Deputy Pat Breen.

“Subject to railway order approvals the expected completion date of the Ennis to Athenry section is 2008 with work expected to commence this year while the Athenry to Tuam section is expected to be completed in 2011,” Transport Minister Cullen replied.

Deputy Breen said that despite the small investment involved, the project was a “very important for the people of the West, particularly with a new age of uncertainty opening up at Shannon Airport with the advent of Open Skies and the privatisation of Aer Lingus.

“The Western Development Commission’s recent report underlined that the gap between the West and East is greater now than it was seven years ago; and that single-carriageway roads and other shoddy infrastructure will cause long-term decline in the region.

“Sound transport infrastructure will be critical to the future economic prosperity of this region.”

AS EXAM tension grinds on, it has emerged that Clare students perform better than average in the Leaving Cert, according to an important new study.

Clare came fifth in the nationwide study of Leaving Cert results for 36,000 students in 2004.

Using figures compiled for the Higher Education Authority, the analysis looked at the number of students who entered higher eduction with five higher-level C grades, or better. The national average came back at 39.7 per cent, but Clare’s average was 45.1 per cent.

The results come as thousands of the county’s students prepare this week to face papers on history, business studies, science, German and home economics. Last week, students were generally pleased with the papers. There were no surprises in the English paper, while the Irish paper was being described as fair, with maths a little tricky.

The Banner county came in behind Cork, which scored 52.3 per cent, Dublin, which had 46.3 per cent, Limerick which returned 45.6 per cent and Kilkenny, which had 45.4 per cent. The figures were published as part of a HEA/ESRI survey.

Students in large urban areas outperformed those in rural areas. The high performing counties were also those with a large number of fee-paying schools.

CONCERNS expressed by a number of organisations over the development of a €115 million incinerator for the mid-west region seem unlikely to halt the project.

This follows the publication of the review of the Regional Waste Management 2006-2011, which contains a number of changes to the original document after a wide-ranging public consultation exercise.

One of the contentious parts of the plan is the proposal to develop an incinerator in the region where, by 2013, over 40 per cent of Clare’s waste will be treated.

In its submission, The Centre for Environmental Living and Training said an incinerator would be detrimental to the region in terms of health landscape and tourism and would require constant supply that would negate the value of recycling.

Clare Council’s Special Policy Committee (SPC) on the Environment submitted that there was an inherent contradiction in the draft regional waste management plan proposing an incinerator while promoting reduction, reuse and recycling.

However, in its submission, the Ennis Chamber of Commerce stated that the provision of an incinerator should be considered as a form of waste management.

Chamber CEO Rita McInerney said the advantages of thermal treatment outweigh the disadvantages, but only as a last resort as there were questions over the technology. In the short-term, efforts should be concentrated on recycling and re-using, she said.

In spite of the submissions to halt the drive towards an incinerator, the revised draft plan maintains that thermal treatment is required for the region and only adds that “the policy will encourage industry to substitute the issue of fossil fuels with alternative fuel sources”.

The new draft regional waste plan doesn’t identify a site for an incinerator, although a feasibility study for the provision of thermal treatment has stated that the provision of such a facility “can be best achieved through some form of public-private partnership arrangement”.

“The plan allows for such a facility to emerge from the private sector, with the local authorities facilitating the provision of a thermal treatment facility in the region as a means of achieving landfill diversion targets.

“If progress is not made in implementing thermal waste treatment in the region by 2009, the local authorities will take steps to ensure that it is delivered according to the public-private model or a similar approach.

It is anticipated that the incinerator will treat 150,000 to 200,000 tonnes of waste each year.

ENNIS Town Council have blasted an An Bord Pleanála decision to grant planning permission for a controversial telecommunications mast in Ennis.

But members of Ennis Town Council resisted calls to launch a judicial review into the board’s decision to grant planning permission for the mast at an ESB substation in Cahercalla More.

The council say they will write to the Taoiseach to voice their opposition to the move and will explore the possibility of contributing to a legal campaign being taken by local Riverview residents.

The Mayor of Ennis, Frankie Neylon (Ind), urged those opposed to a proposed mast in Knockanean to join with Ennis residents in their campaign.

It was also revealed that a section of the legal advice presented to the council stated that the ESB did not conduct an adequate search of the available sites for the 80-foot mast.

The advice said it should be noted that the eventual site at Cahercalla More should only have been chosen as a “last resort”.

However, the advice stated that the council should not proceed with legal action, as there was no precedent for doing so. Since then, local residents have decided to fund their own judicial review to block the erection of the mast.

There was widespread condemnation of the board’s actions at last week’s monthly meeting of Ennis Town Council.

Councillor Johnny Flynn (FG) requested the council reconsider its decision and take legal proceedings.

“There were no other sites looked at and there wasn’t an analysis done and we are bound by this. This council shouldn’t be slave to precedent.”

Mayor Neylon said that big business was taking precedent over people’s health.

“There is concern about this mast and the one in Knockanean. The question is what should come before our health, and that is nothing. Political parties should move on this in the Dáil. To me, An Bord Pleanála are the faceless people of Ireland.”

Councillor Tommy Brennan (Ind), who lives close to the proposed site and who requested the council take legal advice, was equally critical.

“I asked the ESB if this was needed as a replacement mast and I was told that it wasn’t. An Bord Pleanála don’t know where this mast is located. We have inspectors and planners making decisions and they don’t know anything about the area.”

Cllr Donal O’Beara (GP) added that it was ludicrous that health concerns were not considered when planning decisions were made.

A COURT has heard that a Lahinch nightclub was overcrowded when it was inspected by gardaí and fire services officers, last summer.

Before Ennistymon District Court was Gangarelli Ltd, of Aberdeen Arms Hotel, Lahinch, arising out of an inspection at the Coast nightclub, on July 31, 2005.

Sergeant Michael Gallery said he found 417 people on the premises, sixteen of whom were staff. The limit, under the licence, was 335.

The accused’s barrister said the second last dance licence was applied for in February 2005, which included a limit of 335 people.

She said that once certain fire and safety works were carried out, the premises could hold 535 people and these works were completed in June 2005.

However, the licence, which would allow 535 people on the premises, was not applied for until last September.

When that application came before the court on September 7 last year, there were no Garda objections.

She said that it was accepted that 417 people were on the premises on the night of the inspection but that “no persons were in any danger.”

The barrister pointed out that the management operated a ticketing system.

This was to ensure that no more than 470 people were on the premises on any night, according to counsel.

She said that Gangarelli has since handed over the licence to another licensee.

Judge Joseph Mangan said he was declining jurisdiction. He adjourned the case for preparation of the Book of Evidence.

A MAN who was found in possession of 10 Rohypnol tablets in Ennis took them to help him sleep, according to his solicitor.

Josef Duna (39), a native of the Czech Republic, and with an address at Pineview Estate, Killarney, was, according to gardaí, caught ‘red-handed’ with Rohypnol – commonly known as the date rape drug – and three wraps of speed in Ennis, in July 2005. The street value of the drugs was €110.

His solicitor, Tara Godfrey, said her client had no previous convictions for drugs offences. Duna, she said, worked very hard in the kitchens of a hotel, where he earned €300 a week.

He moved to Ireland a number of years ago and has lived in Kerry for some time.

“He was taking amphetamine to keep him going and was taking the Rohypnol to help him sleep,” she said.

At a previous court hearing in April, Ms Godfrey said Duna – a father of three – was paying over money to an alleged supplier, when gardaí arrived on the scene.

She pointed out that her client was not a regular drug user, and hadn’t taken drugs for five years before the incident before the court.

“He is at a low risk of re-offending. He isn’t taking drugs now,” she said, on that occasion.

Judge Joseph Mangan, who had adjourned the case for a professional report on drug and alcohol abuse to be carried out, fined Duna €400.

MOUNTSHANNON Community Council is calling on the three local authorities responsible for the shoreline of Lough Derg to take action to regain the Blue Flags lost to the lake.

While Clare was awarded six Blue Flags in the most recent round of awards, both Mountshannon and Ballycuggeran lost their flags as a result of continued threat from algal blooms.

The community council has been studying the methods which Kerry

county council used to solve the al gal bloom problem in the lakes of Killarney and they will be pointing to this as something which could be done by Clare, Tipperary and Galway county councils.

“We can get the flags back but not by just sitting around and hoping. The councils have been monitoring and testing the water but that’s not enough,” said Community Council PRO, Paul Bugler.

Meanwhile, Councillor Madeleine Taylor-Quinn (FG) has welcomed the allocation of the six Blue Flags to Cappagh, Kilkee, the White Strand in Doonbeg, Lahinch and Fanore, but said that the Government needs to move on the sewerage treatment schemes to improve the algal bloom situation.

“Tourism, recreation and environmental interests in west and north Clare have made it clear to me how critical it is that our beaches reach the highest standards of evaluation,” she said.

“But we must not forget that both Mountshannon and Ballycuggeran are previous Blue Flag winners. What has befallen them is the result of Governmental incompetence . . .”

The local authority has arranged a series of information events promoting Clare’s Blue Flag beaches in the coming weeks. The environment section of Clare County Council will host the series, which will enable members of the public to learn about water safety, environmental management and marine life. The events will allow children explore marine creatures and take part in other activities. The events will take place at:

* Fanore – Wednesday, June 14, 10.30am-1pm

* Lahinch – Wednesday, June 14, 2.15-4.30pm

* Doonbeg/White Strand – Friday, June 16, 10.30am-1pm

* Miltown Malbay/White Strand – Friday, June 16, 1.30-4.00pm

* Kilrush Cappa beach – Tuesday, June 20, 10.30- 1pm

* Kilkee – Tuesday, June 20, 1.304pm

Booking is essential through Geraldine Madden, Environment Section, on 065 6846281.