This article is from page 2 of the 2006-03-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
DISTRICT Court Judge Joseph Mangan has said he may refuse to sit in Ennistymon after September, because of the poor heat and bad acoustics of the building where the court normally sits.
The judge made the comments at this month’s district court, at the Teach Ceol premises (which is owned by Comhaltas), where it has sat for more than 10 years.
A spokesperson for the district court offices in Clare said the judge “couldn’t hear anything and he was frozen” during the March sitting.
“He will not sit in Ennistymon after the annual licensing court this year. He will do the September court, but not after that. The facilities are not suitable there,” added the spokesperson.
The spokesperson added that it was up to the Court Services, nationally, to find a suitable place to hold the monthly court sittings.
“Ennistymon is very important, as it is the main court area for north Clare and the people of the town like to see a court there,” added the spokesperson.
The Court Service will seek out a suitable building and failing that, the hearings could move to Ennis courthouse. Prior to sitting at Teach Ceol, the courts were held at the local credit union building and the community centre in the town.
One of north Clare’s most senior solicitors, Michael Petty, said the conditions were “not satisfactory. It is like Siberia up there.”
“It is a beautiful old building but is not suitable as a venue at all. The administration of justice is a serious business, but the Department of Justice can’t provide a suitable venue for us. I have been saying this for a long time, I agree with Judge Mangan and I am surprised he did not move before.
“We don’t want the court to be taken out of the town. Lisdoonvarna and Miltown Malbay are also both frightful. You can’t talk to your clients which is run-of-the-mill in the district court. That is not good enough,” said Mr Petty.
If an alternative venue is not found prior to October, the court may well have to move to Ennis, which means gardaí and legal practitioners will have to travel there for the hearings.
Ennistymon Superintendent Eamon Dolan said the regional manager from the Court Services had visited Ennistymon, with a view to finding an alternative venue.
“This is a matter for the Court Services. It will have to be looked at by them,” said Supt Dolan.