Month: August 2006

ONE of Shannon’s longest operating companies and biggest employers, Molex Ireland Ltd sustained a loss of €3.3 million last year, according to the most recent accounts to the Companies Ofce.

The loss is partly attributable to restructuring costs of €1 million.

During 2005, the numbers involved in production at Molex dropped from 497 to 433 at the end of June last year.

In all, there are 536 people employed at the plant making it one of the biggest employers in Clare. In 2005, the company spent €25.5 million on staff costs.

The accounts show that the USowned company enjoyed a turnover of €119 million in 2005, down €2 million from 2004.

The company’s gross prot increased from €12.4 million in 2004 to €13.6 million last year.

However, the company’s administration costs – which includes the restructuring charge – jumped from €11 million in 2004 to €16 million last year.

As a result, the company’s prot of €982,000 in 2004 turned into a loss of €3.37 million last year.

The director’s report accompanying the company accounts, states: “The directors are pleased with the performance of the company during the year and expect protability to be maintained in the future.”

The directors did not propose a dividend during 2005.

However, the accounts show that the company has considerable accumulated prots of €49 million.

The numbers employed in sales and marketing continues to rise with 21 employed in the sector in 2005 compared to the 2003 gure of six.

The numbers employed in administration remains at 81.

The accounts also show that there is a net decit in the company’s pension scheme of €4.5 million.

Molex Ireland Ltd. was established in 1971 at Shannon as the company’s rst European facility.

In 1982, a 50 per cent share was taken in Smithstown Light Engineering, also at Shannon, which is engaged in the design and manufacture of precision tooling, including moulds and dies.

The present Shannon facility was acquired in 1985, and was extended to its current 20,000 m2 area in 1997, following a IR£20 million investment programme.

CLARE County Council continues to have concerns over the scale of the planned €70 million retirement village at Carnelly House and has requested the developers to scale back its plans.

Last December, €70 million plans were announced by the Dublin-based Master Group to transform the 18th century house near Clarecastle into a retirement village.

The project involves the constriction of 120 homes of various sizes, 35 apartments and a 64-bed retirement home in a scheme that will accommodate 300 residents.

Already, the promoters of Ireland’s rst full-scale retirement village have conrmed that they are to spend €120,000 on ensuring the welfare of 30 tiny bats on the site in a bid to meet the conservation requirements at the site, which is regarded as a nationally important maternity roost for the rare and protected Lesser Horseshoe Bat.

But the council says that it continues to have some concerns in relation to a number of issues.

These include waste water treatment, the scale of the proposal on Carnelly House, the provision of a potable water supply, the loss of mature trees and habitat and details pertaining to restoration of the historic structures.

In relation to its concerns over the scale of the development, the council stated that it is considered that the proposal for 152 residential units is excessive and would greatly impact on the rural parkland setting of Carnelly House and its associated outbuildings, thereby contravening the policy of the Ennis and Environs Plan 2003.

The council has also asked the developers to submit revised plans as the scheme referred to is a retirement village and the build elements don’t reect the typography of Irish village structure.

CLARE farmers John and Martina Keating scored a magnificent double at last week’s Tullamore Show when their animals won both the prestigious Supreme Champion Saler Cow and the best Irish Bred Saler Champion Heifer of the show.

The Keating’s winning cow, Riquita, saw off stiff competition from 25 animals, each of which qualified from regional competitions and were of the highest of quality. Riquita has a long history with the show having claimed second place in last year’s event and third the year before.

“I am absolutely delighted with the win,” said Mr Keating, from Kilnaboy. “The Salers are new breeds for Clare and have just been starting to make an impact over the last ten years or so.

“A lot of Charlet and Belgian Blue breeders are using them because of their calfing ability. They are ideally suited for wintering in the Burren.”

The Keatings hail from Ballymackeogh Lodge in Kilnaboy, and have a long association with breeding quality animals.

“There is an awful lot of hard work involved in producing a champion animal,” continued Mr Keating. “We have worked very hard for this over the last 8 years because the quality is awful good.”

Aside from Riquita’s success, her daughter Elzy was also a big winner in Tullamore taking home the first ever award for Irish Bred Saler Champion Heifer.

“To win Tullamore is the ultimate – it’s the highest level you can reach with an animal in Ireland,” said David Clarke of the Tullamore.

“There were more than 50,000 people in Tullamore for the one day show so if you do well there you know you are good.

“The animal was second last year and fourth the year before, so it shows you that a lot of work has gone into it over the years.”

The Tullamore Show is Ireland’s foremost agricultural event and the supreme champion from each category qualifies for a Pan European Show.

“You don’t go to Tullamore unless you are the very best – it really sorts the men from the boys,” continued Mr Clarke.

“It is the highest prize that you can get in Ireland so it a great honour. She is number one in Ireland and her daughter is the number one heifer.”

CLARE is one of six constituencies being actively targeted by the Green party in the next General Election.

As it officially unveiled its Clare candidate, Cllr Brian Meaney, the party said it “should take seats in Clare, Wicklow, Galway West, Carlow-Kilkenny, Dublin North-East and Louth”.

This would ensure a doubling of the number of Green TDs already in the Dáil.

The Clare councillor is not perturbed by suggestions that rural counties such as Clare are often put off by perceived Green Party policy.

“I know that there is a lot of negative campaigning going on in relation to me and the Green Party here in Clare, but I ask people to treat with suspicion the whispers of those who view me as a threat,” he said.

The outspoken councillor said farm incomes had fallen and Clare farmers had to work longer and harder for less.

“Farmers are fearful that the Greens are anti farming, well I want to make it very clear that I and the Greens see the production of food as far more than the hobby activity the other parties have relegated it to.”

Chairman of the Green Party in Clare, Gerry Murtagh, said the Green candidate was the popular choice among the membership in Clare.

“His record of political activity to date is exemplary and while his comments may raise eyebrows at times, his motivation to seek further involvement in public life is beyond reproach. The people of Clare need more than a populist representative, who you can drink pints with and is good at going to funerals.

“Our representatives need the ability to engage with the legislative process and plan for the future of the constituency and the country. We believe that Cllr Meaney has those abilities.”

This will be Cllr Meaney’s third general election.

THE 12th annual Éigse Mrs Crotty traditional music festival saw upwards of 10,000 visitors dancing on the streets of Kilrush over the week.

Attendance figures for daily concertina classes were up on previous years, while the ‘ceili in the square’ remained one of the most popular features of this growing arts festival.

Mrs Crotty, a native of Cooraclare, was one of the most respected exponents of the concertina in West Clare. For many years she ran a bar in Kilrush Square – Crotty’s – with her husband Micho. While Micho ran the bar, his wife could be found sitting in a corner, teaching students from far and wide the intricacies of the concertina.

After her death in 1960, several attempts were made to hold a commemorative event to mark her contribution to traditional music, but it wasn’t until 1994 that concrete plans were put in place.

Outlining the importance of the festival, local councillor, Liam O’Looney said that from a business point of view, it’s one of the focal points of the summer season. “It’s an important way for us to attract tourists to town for the weekend. If they come one year, they always seem to return, we get great repeat business and I think that’s a testament to the event.”

In advance of the festival, there was some concern that the staging of the World Fleadh in Ballybunion would adversely affect numbers in Kilrush. Yet the opposite seems to have been the case, with many foreign visitors taking in both events.

“There was some concern that the World Fleadh would have an affect,” said Cllr O’ Looney, “We had 1,500 every day at the sessions in the square alone and we seem to be have had our busiest year. Certainly we have a larger foreign contingent, they may have been disappointed with Ballybunion and decided to head down here for the weekend.”

During the festival, Crotty’s Bar staged a nightly concertina club, where members of the Kilfenora Ceili Band orchestrated proceedings, while the local primary school doubled as a concert hall for the likes of Andy Irvine, Clare native Chris Droney and the Five Counties Ceili Band.

“The festival was spurred on by the local community,” said Crotty’s proprietor, Rebecca Brew, “there was a feeling it was there to be done. The concertina is linked with this area, having arrived here in the middle of the last century on the tall ships, it was a very affordable instrument, only costing a shilling, and women have always been associated with it mainly because of its size. The festival has gone from strength to strength in recent years and we are delighted with the response”.

CLARE farmers could be in line for a cash windfall if new measures aimed at protecting Irish herd numbers are passed through.

Senator Brendan Daly (FF) has made representations to the Minster for Agriculture Mary Coughlan to support discussions which are taking place at present with regard to the protection of the Cow Suckler Animal Welfare Scheme. These measures are aimed at protecting the Irish suckler cow herd which currently numbers 1.1 million.

It is expected that when details are finalised and passed by the European Union, payments of €100 a cow could be made to farmers. Talks are taking place with farming organisations and it is expected the proposed scheme would be ready for next year.

The main focus of the suckler cow welfare scheme is to maintain the suckler herd and to produce better beef animals. It would also focus on record keeping, breed improvement, environmental and welfare standards and education and training. Courses would be organised by the Department of Agriculture and Teagasc with the costings likely to be funded by the Exchequer.

At present there are 65,000 suckler farmers in Ireland and the new measures are expected to be tied with the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme (REPS).

“I have spoken to the Minister who made a strong commitment to the protection of the suckler herd when she spoke to me at the Tullamore Agricultural Show. I have drawn her attention to the situation in Clare where many farmers are apprehensive about the of the agricultural industry” said Senator Daly.

JUST three days into proceedings and this year’s Merriman Summer School has already created it’s fair share of highlights and controversy. The theme of this year’s festival is the life of Michael Cusack and has been organised to commemorate the centenary of the death of the Carron man who founded the GAA.

The Summer School was officially opened by Mícheál Ó’Muircheartaigh at the Spa Wells on Saturday night. This ceremony was followed by the opening lecture of the school which was entitled ‘The Man from Carron’ and delivered by Ennis native Br Seán McNamara.

Mr Ó’Muircheartaigh must have been impressed with what the former teacher from the CBS in Ennis had to say as it prompted him to mention Br McNamara’s belief that Croke Park should have been called Cusack Park during his Radio 1 commentary between Cork and Kerry on Sunday.

Interestingly, Br McNamara has donated one of only two copies of a diary kept by Cusack on a visit to Clare in 1902 to the Burren Centre in Kilfenora. The diary will remain on display in Kilfenora until the Michael Cusack Centre is officially opened in Carron in 2007.

Another early highlight of the Summer School was a lecture by Luke Gibbons entitled ‘Putting in a Good Word for the Citizen: Joyce, Race and Immigration’ which took place on Sunday night.

“It is going very well so far – there is a great buzz going through the place,” said Marian O’Callaghan, of the Merriman Summer School. It is starting to take on a life of it’s own. With the Merriman you go from one highlight to another but I think that the Balloonitics on Wednesday evening will draw a very large crowd so people should make sure to come early.”

The Balloonitics Theatre Company will stage a dramatic performance of the Cyclops Episode from Ulysses on Wednesday evening at 8.30pm. The character of ‘the citizen’ in this episode is widely believed to be representation of Cusack.

Aside from this an exhibition of the work of eight local artists will be opened in the Spa Well today, August 22, at 4.30pm. The former President of the GAA, Seán Kelly, will host a talk entitled ‘Remembering Michael Cusack: Legacy and Commemoration’ on Thursday evening.

Also on Thursday, the founder of the Merriman Festival, Con Howard, will launch a new book entitled ‘There Might Be a Drop of Rain Yet’ which is set in Scariff in the 1920’s.

GARDAÍ are urging members of the public who may have information on a robbery on the the post office in Liscannor to come forward, after the horse box believed to have been used in the raid was found in east Clare.

The robbery took place last Thursday night week, August 10, after entry was gained to the premises via the adjoining public toilets.

Initial suggestions indicated that €20,000 was stolen in the raid. However gardaí have now increased this estimation to €37,000 in cash, along with stamps and dog licences.

A dark coloured car, pulling a blue horse box, was seen leaving the scene, in the direction of Lahinch and was seen in the Lahinch area at 5.40am.

Gardaí believe this travelled the back roads, en route to Killanena, where it was discovered last Monday afternoon. However none of the money stolen was recovered.

“This horse box was found in a forest area and the safe, which contained the money, was found beside it. The safe had been broken open,” said Ennistymon Superintendent Eamon Dolan.

“We believe this may have travelled the back roads, possibly via Corofin. We believe the horse box was stolen in the Liscannor area. We are appealing for anyone who may have seen the horse box to contact us. It is distinguishable,” he said.

A teenager was arrested in Ennis, in connection with the incident last Friday morning, under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

He was detained at Ennistymon Garda Station throughout the day, before been released without charge later that evening.

“Our enquiries are ongoing in relation to this and we are continuing to look for information. We believe up to four people were involved,” said Supt Dolan.

Gardaí have viewed CCTV footage of the incident, which showed that three people were on the premises, while another person may have waited in a car outside. This footage is being sent to Dublin for further analysis.

Ennistymon gardaí can be contacted on (065) 7071020.

A DISABLED CLARE woman, who needed to park her car in a reserved hospital space, claims that she couldn’t do it because some hospital staff were hogging the spaces.

When her husband rang to complain that the new spaces allocated for wheelchair users at Limerick’s Regional Hospital were full of nondisabled cars, he claims he was told that staff who regularly use the spaces had threatened industrial action if they were clamped.

The east Clare woman, who has asked not to be identified, has to use a wheelchair.

Last week, her husband drove their car, bearing an official disabled sticker, to collect her from hospital but found all the disabled spaces full.

“There used to be just a few spaces in the car park, but this was increased to 11 spaces recently,” he said. “But I still couldn’t get a space. There’s a notice warning that anyone illegally parking in a disabled space will be clamped, yet not one of these cars was clamped.”

The man rang the car-park management company and claims that he was informed that “after the extra spaces were provided, they contacted hospital management to say clamping should begin, But that the parking company said the hospital had told them not to do that because staff who had used the spaces before they were converted were threatening industrial action if any of their cars were clamped. What my wife and I want to know is how these people can be let away with that?”, he said.

In a statement on behalf of the hospital, a spokesman said, “We regret any difficulty experienced by this couple. The new parking system was introduced on May l and a review of its operation over the first few months will be held early next month. We have not been clamping illegally parked cars so far in an effort to get voluntary co-operation with the new system but this will change.

“Illegal parking by staff or members of the public in disabled places will not be tolerated. The remarks attributed to hospital management are incorrect.”

CLARE shopaholics are still lagging behind their city slicker cousins when it comes to the spending league.

People in Clare are ninth in line nationally in terms of how much disposable income they enjoy, while Dubliners have more money to throw about than residents in any other county.

Figures just released by the Central Statistics Office for 2003, the latest year the stats are available for, reveal that Dubliners have an average disposable income of €21,082 while Clare residents have just €17,541 to play with.

That’s in comparison with individual disposable income in Clare in 2002 of €16,210.

Dublin is followed closely by Kildare, where consumers have an annual €19,261 to throw away and Limerick, where earners can spend €18,785 of their annual income.

Cork also scores highly on the rich list, with individual disposable income running at €18,583.

The breakdown showed that workers living in the southern and eastern regions have disposable income which are 2.9 per cent above the national average, but the west, the midlands and the border regions are eight per cent below the State average.

The poorest county in the State in terms of disposable income is Donegal, where denizens have just €15,594 to spend each year.

This is being attributed to the county having suffered a series of major job losses in recent years.

Kerry also performs poorly, with disposable income there running at €16,087, fourth from the bottom.

More than 1,500 jobs have been lost in IDA supported companies in Kerry since 2002.

Disposable income is calculated as total income less deductions for tax and social insurance contributions.

The CSO figures reveal that both actual and disposable income has doubled in the period 1995-2003.

In 1995, average gross earnings were €11,344 compared to €22,553 in 2003.

The statistics also show that the southern and eastern regions are the country’s economic powerhouse.

The value of goods and services produced in these regions rose by a total of 67 per cent between the years 1998 and 2003.