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THE first open days ever to take place on conservation farms in Ire- land took place in the Burren over the weekend. On Friday and Satur- day, the BurrenLIFE Project hosted two such open days in premises on Slieve Carron Nature Reserve.

The days, which were open to the public, was part of the project’s awareness campaign a saw large crowds turn out for a series of dem- onstrations. The main focus of the open days was to highlight the work of the BurrenLIFE Project in the field.

“The project has achieved much in the first three years of operation. The

most important aspect has been the establishment of strong and durable partnership with the local farming community of the Burren,” said the Project’s Finance and Operations Officer, Ruairi O Conchuir.

“Detailed farm management plans are being implemented on each of the participating farms in conjunc- tion and in co-operation with the farmer concerned.

“The area now actively farmed for conservation covers in excess of 2,400 hectares of Burren SAC land. This figure is above the original tar- get set by the Project with the Euro- pean Commission.”

The main objective of Farm Dem- onstration Days, according to O

Conchuir, will be to highlight the work of the BurrenLIFE Project in the field.

‘We aimed to ensure those present at the events are given a compre- hensive overview and real picture of the work being undertaken on LIFE farms and the key role played by LIFE farmers,” continued O Con- Onttew

“The following aspects in _par- ticular were highlighted, farming for conservation in practice, animal health on conservation grassland areas, grazing regimes to support farming, the use of supplementary feed, targeted scrub removal and treatments and the treatment of re- erowth; conservation grade Burren

beef and lamb, habitat assessment work on SAC areas.”

One of the main aims of the project is to help protect the Burren’s pre- cious limestone payment by finding was to encourage farmers to farm in the traditional way, where animals are housed outside in the Winter months. These cattle and sheep help to keep down the scrub and brush and prevent it from taking over and destroying the natural Burren land- scape.

BurrenLIFE 1s a partnership-based, EU funded, project which aims to develop a new model for sustainable agriculture in the Burren. For more details on the project contact 065 708900 or on Www.burrenlife.com.

THE story of west Cork farmer, Jack Sheehan, is the subject of a new book to be published by the Cork University Press in the coming weeks. Jack’s World – Farming on the Sheep’s Head Peninsula, 1920- 2003 tells the story of Jack, a farmer erowing up and struggling to survive in the 1920’s and 1930’s, managing his farm through the 1950’s and ad- justing to new forces in the 1970s but marginalized by the times we now live in.

Sheehan was one of eleven children born into an impoverished farming family on the Sheep’s Head penin- sula in southwest Ireland. Growing up in hungry times, he stayed on the farm all his eighty-three years, taking it over when his father died and steadfastly caring for its fields through the dormant 1950s and the better times that came in the decades that followed.

He lived to see the eclipse of his farming world and to view with dis- may the way encroaching property speculators and consumerism were

changing the nature of his landscape. Jack Sheehan was born just as the Irish state was coming into existence and his life is as revealing of that country’s history as the more famil- lar accounts of national figures. Jack’s World’s is illustrated in col- our with specially commissioned photographs taken by three people, Danny Gralton, Ciaran Watson and Danny Levy Sheehan, who all knew Jack and know his farm. The book is also illustrated with maps, includ- ing one showing the farm’s fields and their Irish names that were preserved

by Jack, and photographs of early documents relating to his farm’s his- ro a’s

The book’s unique sources, in addi- tion to the memories of friends and family who knew Jack and shared aspects of his world, include diaries kept by Jack from the early 1930s onwards.

Author, Sean Sheehan, is a nephew of Jack and he has written a number of books, including a guide to anar- chism and a biography of Socrates. He is presently writing a book about aie

THE long awaited ban on Brazil- ian beef imports looks to be inching ever closer follow news this week of a change in political attitude on the issue. Following meetings in Scotland and France last week, the IFA’s National Livestock Committee Chairman, John Bryan, said there was strong momentum building in Europe for a total ban on Brazilian beef imports into Europe.

Bryan claims to have received 100 per cent support for a Brazilian beef ban from the NFU England and Wales, NFU Scotland and the Ulster Farmers’ Union following a meeting in Edinburgh.

Meanwhile across the water in France, the FNSEA, have also placed their full support behind a Brazilian beef ban.

“The new Agriculture Minister in the Scottish Executive, Richard Lochhead has expressed his real concern regarding Brazilian beef imports which fail to meet EU stand- ards and has undertaken to write to the EU Commission outlining his concerns on the matter,” said Bryan.

“Serious pressure 1S now emerg- ing on the EU Commission to apply further restrictions on Brazil. The regionalisation policy adopted by the EU Commission in Brazil has no credibility in view of the complete lack of traceability and movement

controls.

“With the vast majority of animals not tagged, no traceability, no effec- tive border controls and ineffective FMD controls, the EU policy of re- eionalisation cannot work.”

Clare farmer and Chairperson of ICMSA’s Beef and Cattle Commit- tee, Martin McMahon, has also com- mented that the ban would seriously aid struggling farmers.

“The situation with Brazilian beef 1s very serious and it has to be stopped. It shouldn’t be allowed to bring in a product of inferior quality when we have very high standards in the Irish industry,” he said.

“The beef industry is under se- vere pressure but Minister Cough-

lan seems to be very committed to making sure that it isn’t sold out. The winter finishers will determine the price on store cattle and if people aren’t prepared to go back out and buy stores then farmers will have to sell at lower prices.

“It has a knock on effect on the size of stores. The price of feedstuff is also a concern. Barley can be up to €180 a tonne and the prices rose again recently so farmers are losing again at that end. There are limita- tions on cattle over 400 kilos so if you can’t sell those cattle at a pre- mium you just have to take a lower price. The industry is all up in the air at the moment.”

IRISH farmers are once again breathing a collective sigh of relief this week as the collapse of the latest round of World Trade Organisations have seen them dodge a potential disaster, at least for the time being.

In an increasingly familiar pattern, the latest round of the WTO talks collapsed in Potsdam in Germany on Tuesday last leaving the future of agriculture in Ireland and across the EU zone in a continued state of limbo.

Commenting after the collapse IFA President, Padraig Walshe, launched

an astonishing attack on EU Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson, describing him as “completely dis- credited, his negotiating tactics in shreds.”

‘There is now a very serious ques- tion mark over Peter Mandelson’s ability as the EU trade negotiator, and the EU Commission should se- riously consider removing him from the WTO trade negotiations/”

Before the collapse of the talks the IFA had claimed that strategy being employed by Mandelson in relation to the WTO would cut EU farm in- come by €20 billion, and the G20 proposal would mean an income cut

of s37 billion.

“It is evident from analysis of the October 2005 EU offer on agricul- ture, that the beef sector is the most vulnerable to tariff cuts ranging from 60 per cent in the case of unproc- essed full carcass beef to 50 per cent in the case of beef cuts,” he said.

“The beef sector accounts for one- third (34 per cent) of Ireland’s agri- cultural output, and involves about 90,000 farmers. It is clearly a vital national interest for Ireland, worth $1.5 billion.”

Indeed, in a letter delivered to Commissioner Mandelson before the collapse to talks, the IFA President

said it is clear from our analysis that the tariff cut offers you have made in the case of “high value beef prod- ucts” will undermine the EU price by almost 50 per cent.

‘Farmers in the EU are obliged to meet high standards with regard to food safety and tractability, animal welfare and protection of the envi- ronment. IFA has first-hand evidence that standards of production in some major food exporting countries, for example Brazil, fall far short of the standards demanded from EU farm- ers, and indeed far short of the stand- ards necessary to guarantee safe food to consumers in the EU.”

AN UNCLE of stab victim Michael Doherty has been warned about his behaviour, following an incident out- side Ennis Courthouse on Friday.

The matter caught the attention of the judge, minutes after a young man charged in connection with the 14- year-old’s death appeared before the Children’s Court.

That case was dealt with in a matter of seconds shortly after 1lam and the accused left the court.

However, as other cases were being

dealt with, the judge noticed a group of people related to the deceased who had gathered outside the courthouse near a window. Some were speaking loudly.

Judge Joseph Mangan twice or- dered that the matter be addressed. He told the court garda to go out and “get people away from the window.”

The judge then noticed that a young man had jumped on a window sill and was peering into the courtroom. The lower glasses on the courtroom are frosted, but the upper panes of glass are transparent.

The judge pointed out that the Chil- dren’s Court was not open to the public and ordered that the man be brought before him.

The young man identified himself as Edward Sherlock. “Yes I jumped up on the window,’ he told the

judge.

Judge Mangan asked him, “Why did you do that?”

He replied, “My nephew was

stabbed. I’m here to see justice.” Judge Mangan warned him about

his behaviour. “If you don’t conduct

yourself Ill have you barred from

court when that case is at hearing again.”

The accused, a 17-year-old teenager who is charged in connection with Mr Doherty’s death, was remanded on continuing bail.

He 1s charged with production of an article capable of inflicting serious injury, at O’Connell Street, Ennis, on Saturday, June 23 last.

Superintendent John Scanlan of Ennis Garda Station applied for the case to be adjourned until September 28. Judge Mangan agreed to the ap- plication.

concerning reports that a number of people had been sent to Sweden for treatment for a serious lung disease which could not be dealt with in this country.

The HSE spokesman said that he could only confirm that a female patient from Clare had been sent

abroad for treatment for a serious lung disease.

The spokesman said he could con- firm that one case had been referred abroad. He was not aware of any other cases and could not confirm reports that up to 13 people from the Clare area had been sent to the Swedish hospital or that one of these patients had subsequently died.

The HSE would not release any further information about the nature of the lung disease, nor could they say which part of the county the ill woman was from because of of pa- tient confidentiality.

THE number of US military person- nel going through Shannon Airport in the second quarter of this year increased by 135 per cent on the number that went through the airport between January and March.

According to figures published by the Shannon Airport Author- ity (SAA) yesterday, the numbers of troops that went through Shan- non from March to June was 63,827 with 27,104 passing through in May alone.

Some 27,070 US military person- nel went through the airport between January and the end of March.

According to the Executive Chair- man of the Shannon Airport Author- ity (SAA), Pat Shanahan, Shannon Airport outdoes all other airports in the world in terms of service levels for the various military carriers.

Last year, profits from the US mili- tary traffic kept the SAA in profit. 280,785 military personnel used the airport’s facilities, which was a drop of 17 per cent or 59,903 on the number that went through Shannon in 2005.

The airport made a profit of €9 mil- lion from the troop traffic in 2005. The profit last year is an estimated ae esneeleyee

“Shannon has a tradition of han- dling military traffic. We do it very well and we have the infrastructure to do so.

“Geographically, the airport is ide- ally located between the two great continents,’ said Mr Shanahan.

“It is a business we do very well. Obviously the ultimate decision is a Government decision. While there is a business opportunity we will certainly capitalise on it. Shannon captitalises on it more than airport that I know in the world in terms of friendliness and in terms of the serv- ice level we give the various carriers that operate that business.”

Asked would the authority be look- ing for additional military business, Mr Shanahan said, “We’re good at that business, but if opportunities come along, certainly, but it is not a business you can rely on or predict a certain level of income, it fluctuates oA AAW NCCU RA

“It is not a business we will basing our future on, but it is a reasonable revenue generating business when there is an opportunity to capitalise One

“It is not a predictable business, but it is a business that we are happy to be in 1f the Government is happy to allow the carriers to go through Shannon,” said Mr Shanahan.

that its architect was in Kilrush dur- ing the week to sign off on the fitting out of the building.

“The terms and conditions of the lease have been agreed and it is with the solicitors to be signed off,’ he nee

He said once the documents had been signed the OPW would be able to hand over the building. In the meantime, the remaining staff des- tined for the Kilrush office continue in their current assignments. The ten staff transferred from other depart- ments reported by prior arrangement to Kilrush on Monday week last.

‘As a temporary measure while Revenue is awaiting approval to oc- cupy the designated accommodation in Kilrush and due to the unavail- ability of suitable alternative accom- modation and facilities in Kilrush, these staff were allowed home,’ a spokesperson for the Revenue Com- missioners said.

“The position is under constant review in the light of on-going con- tact between Revenue and OPW,” he aXe Celoren

Revenue staff were expected to ar- rive in Kilrush on June 11, but the OPW said it had not put any date on the move. In total 70 civil servants will be employed in 50 positions in the Kilrush offices. Some of the staff will avail of part-time work or job sharing.

A third of them are believed to be coming from Ennis, another third from Limerick and one-third from Dublin.

Decentralisation of Government offices to Kilrush was first mooted in 2001 at a meeting chaired by Sena- tor Brendan Daly (FF). When con- tacted yesterday, Senator Daly said the delay was due to “bureaucratic lolenerca pustcaae

“This is most unsatisfactory for staff left in limbo for the last year or so, when this could have been expe- dited.”

A NEW survey by BT Ireland sug- gests that many Clare men and wom- en are living secret online lives visit- ing websites, but hiding it from their family and partners.

The survey of browsing habits claims that 10 per cent of Irish men and 7 per cent of Irish women hide the websites which they visit from their loved ones.

The survey revealed that seven per

cent of men hid the fact that they were viewing pornographic material online from their partners while only two per cent of women admitted to secretly visited adult websites. How- ever, two per cent of women admit- ted to buying clothes and other goods online without the knowledge of their partners. The survey was carried out

by BT Ireland during May. ‘This research has thrown up some really interesting findings,” said

Emer Kennedy, spokesperson for BT

Ireland. “While men and women are spending more and more time online and seem to share a lot of the same interests, they are also very different in terms of the amount of time spent on the internet, the sites they use and the things they buy.

“While the internet has clearly im- proved the quality of life of all those who use it regularly, it is interesting to see males and females developing different habits, many of which will be familiar to the growing number of

regular internet users in Ireland.” Almost 30 per cent of females ad- mitted to using networking sites such as Bebo and Myspace, twice the percentage of males using similar websites. Also 17 per cent of males and 13 per cent of females claimed to be secretly ashamed of things they had done on the internet with online gambling being one of the main rea- sons. According to the survey more than 80 per cent of Irish adults use the internet at least twice a week. It

also claims that 56 per cent of people use the internet every day, with a fur- ther 30 per cent of males and 26 per cent females using the internet every second day or twice weekly.

The research was carried out among a sample of 200 men and women over the age of 18. More than 44 per cent of those surveyed were between 18 and 24 years, 22 per cent were aged between 25 and 34 years, 18 per cent between 35 and 44 and the remainder were 45 years old and over.

TONY CONSIDINE was drinking furiously from a small plastic bottle that contained one of those pro-biot- ic potions. Danone Actimel it was — strawberry or blackberry in flavour.

Thing is, the lifelong and devoted non-drinker could have been forgiv- en if this particular potion contained a thimble or two of Bushmills’ finest whiskey. Some malt even.

All because this hurling game was thirsty and stressful work and with each pro-biotic swig Considine was restoring some normal service and colour to his cheeks. His words be- trayed this — his team had just en- dured a rocky ride before securing the win.

“Relieved,” he says in the Case- ment Park corridor outside Clare’s dressing room. “They’re the words. Relieved, because we were on a hid- ing to nothing coming up here. To win was great. They put it up to us for a very long time.

“You can see that Antrim are no bad team. They’re well able to hurl and I was a happy man when Gilly buried that ball. It was looking dicey there for a while. I only relaxed when Gilly put that ball away.

“We said at half-time that there was going to be a period in the second half when we were going to have to really battle. They came at us and we showed a bit of character. It was the most important game I’ve had since being manager of Clare. It looked scary at times but 3-21 isn’t a bad score, no matter who you’re playing,” adds Considine.

Another swig of his pro-biotic po- tion, before Considine nods in the direction of Galway in Cusack Park. “The win colours up everything,” he says “and we know we still have a lot to do because we’re up against a good team next week.”

Then back to Antrim: “A win was important here, going home with the two points. If it was two points to one, we’d have been happy enough.

You could say that we were in trouble but they held on.

‘“Boc (Brian O’Connell) was tre- mendous at midfield and took the game to them all through. Diarmuid McMahon got great scores. It’s lead- ership we wanted and they showed leadership. There were leaders all over the field. Gerry Quinn, Conor Plunkett and Brendan Bugler who gave a great display.

“It was also an apprenticeship for the lads that came in. Those lads are going to be involved with Clare when I’m long gone. That’s what the game is about. It’s not about managers and coaches — it’s about fellas coming on, young players coming on and fight- ing for the cause of the jersey.”

They’ fight on their backs on Sat- urday next. They’ll have to when two Eee Te MOF E aoe miele. qmsi ments game of the weekend.