Month: September 2006

AN ASSORTMENT of drugs were seized in the county over the weekend, as gardaí said that the allocation of additional resources would help tackle drug dealing.

A third garda has been added to the Divisional Drugs Squad on a full-time basis. One member of the force has also been made available, temporarily, while another is expected to be added within weeks.

A planned search of a residence in Kilfenora early on Saturday morning resulted in the seizure of €2,000 worth of drugs. This included nine mature cannabis plants and more than 100 unidentified tablets, which have to be sent for analysis. A man in his 40s was interviewed and a file is being prepared for the DPP.

Separately, a swoop on a house in the Rossbracken area of Shannon on Saturday evening resulted in cocaine with a street value of €4,000 been seized. A man in his 40s was arrested and detained overnight at the local Garda station. He was released without charge on Sunday and a file is being prepared for the DPP.

Meanwhile, a small quantity of heroin was seized in Corofin and a small amount of cannabis was seized in Ennistymon, both on Saturday.

“We are committed to targeting known individuals involved in drugs. A huge amount of people are using cocaine. Cannabis resin is still the big one,” said the Head of the Clare Garda Divisional Drugs Unit, Sergeant John Brennan, who welcomed the increase in resources, to tackle drugs.

“We certainly welcome this. Any increase in manpower is a major benefit,” he added.

TWO rare historical maps of County Clare dating from the 17th and 18th centuries have been digitised for the first time and made available online. The Grand Jury and Petty’s Down Survey Maps, which precede the first Ordinance Survey Maps of 1842, have provided historians with some of the lost information from the destroyed parish and barony maps. Clare County Library has described the maps as ‘unique’ and said that the advent of digital mapping has helped to preserve and create a newfound interest in local history.

Commissioned by the Grand Jury of County Clare in 1779 and completed by Henry Pelham in 1787, the Grand Jury Maps feature roads, rivers, townlands lakes and large houses on a scale of 1.5 inches to the mile. The Grand Jury was the most important local body in rural Ireland during the late 18th Century and early 19th Century and was empowered to raise money by means of county rates. Its responsibilities included the construction and repair of roads and bridges and the upkeep of local institutions.

The Petty’s Down Survey Maps of County Clare (1658-59), meanwhile, provide unique information on the baronies of Corcomroe, Moyarta and Bunratty and is widely regarded as a precursor to the first printed atlas of Ireland (c1685). The map, now freely available on www.clarelibrary.ie, preserves some of the lost information from the destroyed parish and barony maps. “These new additions now join the 1842 (6 inch) Ordnance Survey Maps, giving users of the site a unique key to the county,” said Noel Crowley, County Librarian.

“The aim of this extensive online collection of maps is to support personal and academic users in their learning, teaching and research of historical issues relating to Clare. With so much material now being published on the internet in either un-reviewed form or on a pay-per-view basis, Clare County Library has opted to promote the study of local history by publishing these priceless resources for their historical value in one place and free of charge. The digitising of these rare maps also reduces the threat of them being damaged in the future”, Mr Crowley added.

Clare County Library’s website has recorded over two million hits since it first went live in 1998. Recent additions include Churches with Round Towers in Northern Clare by T.J. Westrop; New Literature of County Clare; Standing Stones; Ecclesiastical Remains; Windmills & Tumuli – Clare monuments; and Census Search Forms 1841 and 1851.

SEVERAL terrified children were forced to flee indoors over the weekend as fireworks and bangers exploded in housing estates in Ennis.

Although Halloween is over a month away, gardaí in Ennis received several complaints about bangers on Saturday and Sunday.

Gardaí are warning people who distribute or explode fireworks that they will face prosecution. They are urging parents to take action, in an effort to prevent injury.

Crime Prevention Officer, Sergeant Joe Downey said, “We are warning people that explosives are illegal. You should never throw them at anybody, through doors or at animals. They drive dogs crazy. We are reminding those who are found with fireworks they will be confiscated and people will face prosecution.

“There seems to be a significant amount of them around. People who sell them are driven by greed to make handy money. They are easily got in the North and sold down here,” he said.

He is urging people who become aware of the availability of fireworks or bangers to contact their local Garda station.

Last October, a young girl was taken to hospital with severe burns to her face, after she was hit by a lighted firework, outside St Flannan’s College. The incident occurred when groups of students were waiting to be collected after school. The firework hit the girl on her jacket collar and her face was burnt as a result.

While gardaí said it was not believed to be malicious, it typified the dangers of fireworks and the damage they could potentially cause.

THE number of people arrested on suspicion of drink driving is threatening to spiral out of control – there has been a 70 per cent increase so far this year, when compared with last year.

A massive 333 people have been arrested for the alleged offence, up to yesterday (Monday) which compares with 196 during the same period last year.

Fourteen drivers were arrested over the weekend – eight in the Ennis/Shannon area, four in north Clare and one each in east Clare and west Clare.

The head of the Clare Garda Division Traffic Corps, Inspector Kevin Moynihan says despite repeated warnings, the message is not being taken on board.

“Quite a few people are being breath tested at mandatory checkpoints, but people are still trying it. They can be stopped anywhere at any checkpoint and we are warning people they are likely to be caught,” he said.

He is warning people travelling to work after drinking the night before to bear in mind mandatory checkpoints can be set up anywhere.

He said the crackdown on drink drivers will continue throughout the winter months and those caught will be prosecuted. He is urging people to obey the rules of the road.

“With the long winter nights coming in, people should take care on the roads,” added Inspector Moynihan.

CRUCIAL talks aimed at averting strike action at Shannon Aerospace will take place today.

The development came after the Labour Court clarified a recommendation it made in relation to the dispute last July.

SIPTU and management at the aircraft maintenance company, which employs 800 staff, have agreed to meet today following several rounds of talks last week.

Shannon Aerospace maintains that it requires cost offsets to enable it to pay the last two phases of the national agreement, Sustain-

ing Progress. An independent assessor exam ined these issues and reported last January that “the company is entitled to and needs off-setting costs”.

On July 6 last, the Labour Court recommended that the parties should enter into discussions “and take a balanced approach towards agreeing cost offsetting measures in return for payment of the increases due under Sustaining Progress”. While the company accepted that recommendation, SIPTU rejected it.

On Friday, the Labour Court stated that payments under Sustaining Progress should be disposed of before talks on ways of offsetting cost could take place.

According to the Labour Court, “The company has indicated it has other issues which need to be addressed in terms of its cost structure and its viability going forward. The Labour Court is of the view that once payment of the Sustaining Progress has been disposed of and agreed, these issues should be addressed as part of Labour Relations Commission facilitated talks. The court continues to be available to the parties in these circumstances.”

SIPTU has welcomed the clarification stating that it would be “happy to enter talks with the company on the basis of the Labour Court clarification.”

A fortnight ago, the almost 800 workers at the aircraft maintenance company were placed on protective notice. Strike notice issued to the company remains in place.

Shannon councillor, Geraldine Lambert (FF) said she was pleased that both sides were engaging in talks.

“As far as I’m aware there is goodwill on the part of the workers I have spoken to and a willingness to look at a possible solution so I would hope that management would reciprocate.”

VISITORS to the Cliffs of Moher when the new €31.5 million visitor centre becomes operational will pay on average around €7 to access all facilities at the site.

Defending the pricing structure in the first Cliffs of Moher newsletter, the council cite charges for other natural beauty spots, including the Grand Canyon, the Giant’s Causeway and the Great Barrier Reef.

The council is splitting charges to the Cliffs site into two areas: a “facilities” charge levied through parking charges and a separate charge for those who choose to access the interpretative centre.

Already plans by the council to charge coach operators €60 have come under fire. The council is currently in dialogue with the Irish Tour Operators Association (ITOA). Motorists are to be charged €8 to park their cars in the Cliffs’ car-park

Visitors will also be charged an additional €4 to access the visitor centre. Families of six will be charged €11.95 with lower charges than €4 applying for students, children and OAPs.

The council states: “The average cost of the facilities charge will amount to less than €3 per visitor. Some visitors will pay more and some less according to how they choose to travel. . .

“However, when a site attracts close to a million annual visitors, most of whom travel by car or coach, a range of facilities and services need to be provided.

“It is our intention to ensure that people living near the Cliffs of Moher can benefit from the new facilities. We are currently exploring ways to provide special arrangements for locals who use the Cliffs of Moher as an amenity for walking and family outings.

“It is reasonable and fair that the people who avail of these facilities are the ones who contribute towards their cost. . .

“This will serve to provide visitors with what they need to enjoy the site and to ensure that the site itself is protected from the negative effects of mass tourism. . .

“The Cliffs of Moher New Visitor Experience is a €31.5m not-for-profit investment by Clare County council to positively promote the tourism development of County Clare and to generate a wider benefit for the entire community. It will also help preserve our priceless natural heritage and provide those visitors that choose to visit the Cliffs of Moher with facilities that live up to Nature’s demands.

THE concept and content of Clare County Council’s new €31.5 million visitor centre has been revealed with the centre-piece being a computer generated image (CGI) exhibition allowing visitors to ‘swoop’ down along the cliff ledge.

The visitor centre is currently under construction, but the council has revealed that the dome is organised into four principal themed areas: ocean, rock, nature and man. A series of interactive and informational displays depicts aspects of these four themes and the interrelated connection with the Cliffs.

The centre-piece of the exhibition will be “The Ledge”, which is a virtual reality experience using state-ofthe-art CGI technology to surround visitors front, side and below, taking them on a journey only possible in a virtual world.

The council states: “Taking the point of view of one of the Cliffs’ many seabirds, visitors swoop along and around the cliff ledges before diving deep below the surface of the water from the viewpoint of a salmon swimming through the undersea kelp forest.

The centre will also contain an audiovisual experience entitled The Clare Journey, which will be shown in the main exhibition area.

According to the council: “This presentation will provide an aerial tour of the many natural and geological wonders that the county of Clare has to offer, whetting visitors’ appetites to see more of this historic and beautiful county.”

“Ocean” will depict how the Atlantic Ocean interacts with the Clare coastline, while the section dealing with rock will have on display a range of exhibits and displays exploring how the Cliffs themselves were formed millions of years ago. The nature section will allow visitors interact with the displays and learn about the interdependence of the ecological chain.

The section dealing with man is to deal with the rich folklore and legends surrounding the area and will include profiles of key local figures in history.

NEW benchmarks are being set for property prices in Ennis, with one bungalow fetching €715,000 at auction last week, a site with planning permission being sold for €2.45 million, and a family home on the Mill Road believed to have made €900,000 after being sold without going to auction.

The stunning prices could herald a property boom as Ennis becomes a desirable, commutable location for high-flyers who want to live outside cities, according to property sources.

The house in Cahercalla which sold last Friday for €715,000 on 0.4 of an acre will probably be felled by the wreckers’ ball, effectively putting the price of the site at €715,000.

The 1970’s bungalow is typical of the type of property which becomes available only rarely in the Cahercalla area, which is becoming an increasingly desirable address.

Cormac O’Sullivan of DNG O’Sullivan Hurley, who handled the Cahercalla sale, said that the area was one of a number seeing increasing demand and corresponding increases in prices.

He said that the price, “sets a new benchmark. It is in the middle of the town and Ennis is becoming an increasingly attractive prospect for people who want the more relaxed lifestyle of living outside cities. The town is commutable for Limerick and Galway and the by-pass is going to be a major boost. The trend is being set for up-market developments and that’s not surprising when you consider that Lahinch is 20 minutes away, we have excellent shopping facilities and we’re surrounded by championship golf courses.”

O’Sullivan said that other mature areas which were coming into heavy demand included Ballyalla and Ballybeg and the rising values here were being reflected in other parts of the town.

“Currently, a two-bedroom semidetached house in Steele’s Terrace is on sale for €322,000,” he said.

The 3.08 acres site in Clarecastle which fetched €2.45 million last week was sold to a Galway-based developer, KC Developments.

Paddy Dermody, who handled the sale for Sherry Fitzgerald, said that the sale had a number of unique features which helped boost the price.

“There is full planning permission for 33 residential units on the site and it does not include any social or affordable housing.”

Meanwhile, the firm involved in the sale before auction of a house on Mill Road last week were remaining tight-lipped about the price but it is believed that the property changed hands for in the region of €900,000.

THE MAYOR and the council’s director of services are to go to the US to try to raise sponsorship to make up the cash shortfall for the new Cliffs of Moher project.

But while the contingent got the support of elected members at yesterday’s county council meeting, a number of councillors expressed their opposition to what was described as a “begging bowl” mission.

Cllr Madeleine Taylor-Quinn said that, while she was sure that the deputation would “do a very fine job, I think it is regrettable that we have to resort to this to secure funding for the project.”

The Fine Gael general election candidiate said that, considering the Ryder Cup was “just one event, which will last a week in one place in Ireland and is getting €8.8 million, I think we should go back to Tourism Minister John O’Donohue and ask for additional funding.”

The Cliffs Visitor Experience project is set to cost more than €3 million in excess of the €31.5 million originally envisaged.

To make up the shortfall, a delegation has been formed for a 10-day trip to New York, Chicago, and Phoenix in Arizona for meetings with potential sponsors.

Director of Services, Ger Dollard, told the meeting that the council is convinced that opportunities will arise to attract funding to the project and that suitable mechanisms exist to acknowledge such funding.”

He said that by following up contacts made on the St Patrick’s Day visit, “considerable progress” had been made. One large organisation seems set to contribute to the project, while funding has been secured to fit out the first aid room.

A schedule of visits is planned for the October visit. On the agenda are presentations to key members of the business community in New York, meetings with Irish-American business leaders, a meeting with the Clare Association in Chicago and meetings in Arizona to finalise arrangements for the first aid room, which are being paid for to honour a deceased relative of the donors.

CLARE lost a link with the nation’s celebrated past this weekend, with the death of one of the county’s oldest men, Clonlara native Lieutenant Colonel Sean Clancy, at the age of 105.

The centenarian, who stood with Michael Collins in Dublin Castle when the seat of British power was handed over to the Free State, celebrated his huge birthday in July.

Lt Col Clancy died in Dublin on Sunday, having made his final trip home to Clonlara last month.

Following the War of Independence, Sean Clancy attested for the National Army on May 22, 1922. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1923. He came under the command of the late Charles Haughey’s father, Johnny, as a member of the Fifth Battalion (infantry). Later he developed a friendship with the former Taoiseach’s brother, Fr Eoghan Haughey.

In 1922, he was present at the handover of Dublin Castle and just a few months later, marched in the State funeral of the assassinated Commander-in-Chief, General Collins.

Sean was a life-long Fine Gael supporter. A friend of the former Clare TD Frank Taylor (RIP), he continued the friendship with the late deputy’s daughter, General Election Candidate, Cllr Madeleine Taylor-Quinn, who described the retired soldier as an “intelligent and interesting conversationalist”.

“He was a man of high recognition and was held in high esteem by military personnel and by the Fine Gael party. After retiring from the party, he was of huge assisstance to Fine Gael leaders James Dillon and the former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrove,” she said, extending her sympathies to his family, including his nephew Michael Clancy in Clonlara.

Mourning the loss of the retired soldier, Fine Gael TD Pat Breen said it was a privilege to have made his acquaintance in recent years.

“He kept up with affairs, both nationally and in his native county, to the last. He was alert to the end and even knew who won the All-Ireland on Sunday,” he said.

The old soldier lived out his days in Newtown Park nursing home in Blackrock, Dublin. Lt Col Clancy was the oldest surviving person receiving a Military Service Pension for Service Rendered in the War of Independence, under the Military Service Pension Act 1924.

He was predeceased by his wife, Agnes Creagh from Castlebar, and is survived by his five children.

His remains will arrive at Donnybrook Church this evening at 7pm for requiem mass at 10am on Wednesday, followed by burial at Deansgrange Cemetery, Dublin.