Month: September 2006

A RADIO consortium headed by Clare FM boss Liam O’Shea and Killaloe rugby star, Keith Wood, has been awarded a licence for the new south west regional youth radio service by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. The new service will broadcast to 15-34 year olds in Clare, Limerick, Kerry, North Tipperary and South West Laois. SPIN South West will initially employ 43 people from the region.

“We are delighted to have been awarded this licence by the BCI. I would like to thank the team and the shareholders for their commitment and hard work. We believe the SPIN youth brand will be very successful in this region. SPIN South West will be regional, relevant and revolutionary in everything we do. We will encourage creativity and provide opportunities and training for new young local talent,” said Mr O’Shea.

Keith Wood said that he was “absolutely delighted to be a shareholder in SPIN South West and was looking forward to the project.”

SPIN South West plan to launch in June 2007.

THE Health Service Executive MidWestern Area has confirmed that there are no plans to proceed with a controversial renaming of three Limerick City hospitals.

It was feared that the move would serve to disenfranchise Ennis and Nenagh General Hospitals. However, a HSE spokesperson has stated that, “There are currently no plans to proceed with the name change at present.”

Early last year, it was announced that three Limerick facilities – the Mid Western Regional Hospital, the Mid Western Regional Maternity Hospital and the Mid Western Regional Orthopaedic Hospital in Croom – would be renamed University Hospital Limerick. Some months beforehand, the facilities had been tagged under the umbrella term, ‘Mid Western Regional’.

So opposed were staff, management, politicians and hospital groups to the proposed renaming to University Hospital, that the HSE’s Programme Manager for Acute Hospital Services offered to resign from two key HSE committees in protest.

North Clare Councillor and Ennis hospital Committee member, Joe Arkins (FG), has welcomed the decision of the HSE not to proceed with the name changes. Councillor Arkins had raised serious concerns regarding the matter when it first arose over 12 months ago.

“The hospitals at Ennis and Nenagh would have been out on limb completely and further relegated for training purposes if the singular link with the Limerick hospitals and UL had gone ahead.

“It is time to end the smoke and mirrors act, and do something tangible about moving forward the refurbishment of Ennis General, which is drastically overdue,” he said.

CONCERNS have been expressed that the revised Scariff Feakle Quilty Mullagh Sewerage Scheme may not be servicing an area as wide as originally hoped.

Junior Marine Minister John Browne was in Mullagh this week to announce the granting of the foreshore licence for the scheme.

But it has since emerged that the original proposal has been substantially reduced to meet with the Government’s strict water pricing policy.

Clare General Election Candidate, Cllr Madeleine Taylor- Quinn (FG), expressed her concern about what she described as the €3.2 million shortfall to make up the €12 million scheme.

She said the council was planning to gather €700,000 from the people of the area. This will cost each household €1,500 each.

The former TD said she was particularly concerned about current households outside the revised scheme who will not be able to avail of the scheme.

She is now calling on the Minister for the Environment to increase the €8.8 million he granted last week, and has asked the Minister responsible for Rural Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív, to provide some funding for the scheme.

The disappointed chairman of PlanClare, Ciarán O’Dea, said, “We got no indication that the scheme was to be rationalised.

“The contract documents are yet to be approved after a twoyear waiting period, and we remain unsure as to the design and extent of the network which has been specified by the Department of the Environment.

“It now appears that the design approved in the preliminary report is not the design which will be constructed under the cost/ benefit stipulations of the pricing policy,” he said.

“The Government’s pricing policy is being used as a tool to copperfasten the national spatial strategy by hindering necessary rural infrastructural development.

“The tone and application of this policy begrudgingly acknowledges rural communities while justifying a withdrawal of infrastructural investment from communities outside of the larger urban centres.

“If rural communities are to prosper, it is now necessary to adopt a principle of ‘investment’ in rural communities, as opposed to an application of current ‘value for money’,” he added.

Clare Minister of State Tony Killeen said he was glad that the visit of junior Minister John Browne had “effectively hastened the delivery of the foreshore licence”.

“I regret that the long delays and other elements in the saga did damage in the eyes of the public in their belief in the public sector’s capacity to deal with the project and also that credibility of the political system,” he said.

OVER 400 Shannon-based staff of Aer Lingus could reap the rewards from share packages when the company is put up for flotation at the end of the month.

418 of the company’s Shannon-based permanent staff are members of the Employee Share Ownership Trust (ESOT).

Employees currently own 14.9 per cent of the company under the terms of the ESOT deal struck between Aer Lingus and the unions, a profit-sharing scheme could be used to purchase shares on behalf of staff. Staff will, though, have to use some of their own funds to buy shares in order to prevent any erosion of their shareholding.

Some analysts have predicted that the 3,475 Aer Lingus employees in the Share Ownership Trust could pocket shares worth an estimated €43,000 each.

SIPTU, who strictly oppose the sale, have warned that the sale is not being done for the right reasons.

Tony Carroll, SIPTU representative for Shannon, said employees made major sacrifices in return for the shares. He also repeated concerns that employees could lose out in the long run and stated employees would have to pay out of their own pocket to safeguard their own shareholding.

“There is speculation about figures but that will only happen if the company goes on the stock market, and we remain very much opposed to that. If staff want to preserve their shareholding, they are going to have to pay for it themselves. They gave up a lot when they entered into the deal; they accepted redundancies and gave up on wage increases. They didn’t get it for nothing.”

Strong reservations have been expressed about the flotation due to the perilous state of the aviation industry, with the Government coming in for criticism from members of the opposition.

The government say the move will give Aer Lingus a stronger financial position in the marketplace.

GARDAÍ have warned young women not to walk home alone late at night, after a woman in her 20s was set upon and attacked over the weekend.

The woman was walking home via Ard na Gréine – close to the Ennis/Limerick road – shortly before 2.30am on Saturday, when she was attacked.

A young man, believed to be in his 20s, who was standing in a laneway, came up behind her and pulled her to the ground. They both fell and the young woman, who was wearing runners, managed to escape.

Gardai say the motive was likely to have been a “sexual” one.

“The young woman’s attacker was wearing a hoodie and was of medium build. We are particularly interested in speaking to any taxi drivers who may have seen anyone in Ard na Gréine or Station Road on Friday night,” said Ennis Superintendent John Kerin.

Gardaí investigating the assault have examined CCTV footage in the area and are appealing to members of the public who may have noticed any suspicious activity to come forward.

“This is the first incident of its type in a long time. We are warning girls not to walk home alone late at night. Get a taxi or get a lift,” said Supt Kerin.

“We cannot say that the motive was robbery or sexual, but it was more likely to have been sexual. Thankfully the young woman managed to make good her escape,” he added.

CLARE County Council has confirmed that algae on the Clare side of Lough Derg is not the same as the poisonous bloom that claimed the life of a family pet in Tipperary.

But a spokesperson for the council has told The Clare People that it will continue to carry out weekly visual inspections as well as gathering samples from the lake. The council continues to leave warning signs in place. These measures are merely precautionary.

All tests carried out by the local authority to date have come back clear for the dangerous toxic bluegreen algae.

“There is algae there but it is not toxic,” a spokesperson said.

“As there is algae bloom already present, we are keeping notices up as a precautionary measure.

“If people still wish to bring their dogs or walk them there it is fine, but do note the precautionary signs that are up,” she added.

Meanwhile, the lobby group Save Our Lough Derg (SOLD) has issued a warning to all hunters to be vigilant when shooting duck around the lake.

The warning came following the death of a Jack Russell shortly after ingesting the toxic algae on the Tipperary side of the scenic lake.

It took the family pet just minutes to die. Lough Derg attracts duck shooters from all over Clare, Galway and Tipperary every year.

A CHRONIC shortage of housing in Shannon is poised to be addressed with an announcement that more than 100 acres of land are to be opened up in the town.

Clare County Council says the land will be made available for residential and commercial development.

A link road, to facilitate the significant development, is also to be built, at a cost of several million euro, and is due to be completed next August.

The announcement – which coincides with the second anniversary of the transfer of responsibilities for the town from Shannon Development to Clare County Council – will see an initial investment of €4 million from the council’s resources.

Shannon Town Manager Ger Dollard said, “Phase one of the new road network will link the road near St Caiman’s School with Slí Na Mara road.

“This significant development represents one of a number of projects initiated by Clare County Council since it took over responsibility for Shannon Town in September 2004.”

Shannon Mayor Councillor Tony McMahon (Lab) said the development would be widely welcomed in Shannon, where lack of housing for young couples was a huge concern.

“In recent times, the population of Shannon has been at a standstill and it is good to see options opening up. The construction of the road means the development won’t impact on any existing roads in the town – the main thing is the new road,” said Cllr McMahon.

“This is going in the right direction. We have often had the development first and the road after, but the procedure is right in this development,” he said.

Cllr McMahon said it was crucial that most of the land was made available for housing.

“I would like to think there will be a lot of houses and the development of social facilities. I would like to think it won’t be an investment-type development,” he added.

THE father of a 22-year-old Clare man who died by suicide said that his son shot himself in “a moment of madness”.

“I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. The whole house is destroyed from what happened and we are even thinking of leaving this home where we have spent all our lives,” the man said, after the Clare Coroner’s Court recorded an open verdict in the death.

The Clare man heard a loud noise that he thought was the sound of a toilet seat banging down, shortly after his son came home from a night out. He discovered his dead son slumped against the door of the bathroom after forcing the door open.

“Our son was home at 12.30 and dead at 12.50. You question what happened all the time, but I remember the undertaker saying there is no point, because all the answers are gone with our son.”

The father told The Clare People that no note was left by his son. However, he believes that the apparent suicide was connected to a friend of his son who committed suicide three weeks beforehand.

“I believe that it was a copy-cat thing. It was a moment of madness and it gets harder to try to deal with it. We just can’t handle it. He came into the sitting room asking about CDs, but I believe that he was going to his brother’s room looking for shot-gun cartridges.

Paying tribute to his son, the father said, “He was a model son. He never caused us any bother.

“He was a bubbly young man and talking to friends he was out with on the night, they said that he was on top of the world. He was a brilliant boy, intelligent and brilliant at the work he did.”

The inquest heard how taxi-driver Dermot Walsh gave the man a fare from O’Connell Square in Ennis. Mr Walsh said that they had a general chat and the man appeared to be in good form.

After dropping the man off, Mr Walsh said that he was given a €2 tip on top of the fare by the man.

Pathologist Dr Peter Fawl said that the man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Alcohol levels in the man’s blood were 302 milligrams per litre and urine tests show that alcohol levels were 226 milligrams per litre.

The legal limit for driving is 107 milligrams per litre in urine tests, while it is 80 milligrams per litre in blood tests.

County Coroner, Isobel O’Dea said that the 22-year-old died from a single shotgun to the head and gave an open verdict in the case.

She said, “I am mindful that we heard evidence that the man wasn’t suffering from depression and was in good form and there is insufficient evidence to record any other verdict.

“I am satisfied that there was no third party involvement and I sympathise with the man’s family for their very sad and tragic loss.”

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Moosajee Bhamjee said, “Family members or friends should not over-question themselves over a suicide. It can lead to people unnecessarily feeling guilty.

“Family members and friends can avail of counselling through Clare Links or be referred for counselling through their GP. One has to worry that when friends commit suicide. It influences behaviour and brings about copy-cat suicides. Also, excess levels of alcohol reduce self-control and people do things that they wouldn’t normally do.”

The contact number for Clare Samaritans is 1850 60 90 90.

THE Chief Executive of the Irish Water Safety Association (IWSA) has urged people to always wear a lifejacket during water pursuits.

John Leech made the call after an inquest in Ennis heard that a Limerick man drowned in Lough Derg.

He said that nine times out of 10, wearing a lifejacket will prevent a drowning taking place.

The dead man, 26-year old John Buckley, Ballyculhane, Glin, County Limerick, drowned on January 22 after his girlfriend, Lucinda Murphy (24) stood up to give him a hug, causing their canoe to capsize. They had only one lifejacket between them and it was decided before going into the water that she would wear the lifejacket.

In her deposition, Ms Murphy said, “I stood up to give John a hug and the boat toppled over. John and I both fell into the water. The water was very cold. John was not wearing a life-jacket.

Ms Murphy said that the two swam toward the canoe and tried to turn it over, but failed.

Ms Murphy said that she then inflated her lifejacket and took off her shoes.

She said that John saw a boy on the shore and called out to him and the boy went off to get help. Ms Murphy continued: “I started swimming towards the shore and John told me to keep swimming. I swallowed some water and started coughing.

“I called John and asked ‘are you okay’ and he did not reply. I turned around and I saw John’s hands out of the water. I knew that he was in trouble and I swam back to him and he kept pushing my hands away.

“He kept going under. I shouted to a man on the shore and he ran off. John then sank under the water and I waited for a few minutes and I tried to swim to the shore for help.”

Ms Murphy then said that she was rescued by a man called John with the help of a surf-board.

The Killaloe Search and Rescue Unit recovered Mr Buckley’s body from the river-bed at 8.55pm later that evening.

Coroner Isobel O’Dea told Wednesday’s Coronor’s Court that death by misadventure could occur where an unintended action brought about an unintended outcome.

THE coroner’s court in Ennis last Wednesday returned an open verdict in the death of east Clare man, John Leonard.

Mr Leonard of Knockbeha, Caher drowned in the River Graney on June 12 last.

Mr Leonard had not returned from a fishing trip when his wife Margaret contacted gardaí. Mr Leonard’s body was found following an intensive search of the River Graney. His car had been spotted near the river by the search party.

In her verdict, County Coroner Isobel O’Dea, said that she would return an open verdict in the case. She said, “While there is no evidence how Mr Leonard entered the water, it is clear that he had no intention to commit suicide.

“Mr Leonard was found with his fishing rod in his hand. There was nothing suspicious about it. There is no evidence that he took his own life in any fashion.

She added, “It was a very warm day. He was wearing wellingtons at the time and he may not have known how deep he was going in the water and would have made it difficult to get out of the water.”

In his evidence, Dr Peter Fawl said that Mr Leonard died from asphyxia brought about by drowning. The coroner’s court was told that Mr Leonard was a married man and worked as a truck-driver.

In her deposition, John’s wife, Margaret said that the last time they spoke was 6.30pm the night before, when John said that he was fishing near a bridge at Caher.

At the inquest, Margaret was comforted by John’s brother, Paul who gave evidence on formally identifying John’s body.