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AN INQUEST has heard that an elderly farmer died after he fell from his tractor in west Clare during the summer.

Peter ‘Peadar’ Moloney (81), of Tournavolla, Killimer, Kilrush, died in the accident on his farm, on July 18 last.

His son, Paul, recalled the morning in question. They were putting cows into a field, at Tonovoher, Knockerra, and his father went home – in his tractor – to get a sweeping brush.

Some time later, Paul saw the tractor running on a mound and wondered why his father had parked it there. He called him but his father did not answer.

“I called him. He didn’t answer. He was lying on the ground,” recalled his son.

A doctor later pronounced Mr Moloney dead.

Sergeant Deborah Marsh said she was called to the scene of Mr Moloney’s death at lunchtime on July 18. She said it appeared that Mr Moloney had fallen from his Massey Ferguson tractor and he had been found by his son.

She pointed out that he had sustained a cut to the side of the head.

A PSV inspector noted that the tractor was in a very poor condition, and was without brakes.

A health and safety inspector was notified but is not taking any further action, the inquest heard.

Dr Peter Fawl carried out an autopsy on the body of Mr Moloney. He said death was due to shock, secondary to multiple shock injuries, consistent with being involved in an accident with a tractor.

Coroner Isobel O’Dea suggested that a verdict of accidental death be returned and the jury returned this verdict. Ms O’Dea, Kilrush Superintendent Joe McKeown and the foreman of the jury extended sympathies with the family of Mr Moloney on their tragic loss.

“SHE was lovely – innocent. My child got a death she never deserved and we will never be the same again.”

Those were the words of a mother in torment as she spoke of how the murder last year of her daughter, Ann Walsh, had demolished her world.

“This is something we can never forget, ever. It’s with us every minute of every day. I can never forget that knock on the door at 1.30am on August 24. There are still questions to be answered. When she went out that day, I thought she was coming home. Now I’ll never see her again.”

Ann Walsh senior was addressing a hushed gathering at the council offices in Drumbiggle, for a ceremony to commemorate the 125 women who had been murdered in the last ten years.

She didn’t need words to communicate how her life had been laid waste by the loss of her lovely daughter.

It was evident from her haunted look, her strained face and her eyes, full of pleading for some understanding of how such horror could be.

The family of another murder victim, Geraldine Kissane, were also on hand for the moving ceremony.

Clare Haven Service workers spelled out the figure with 125 candles, each one representing a life that had been cruelly snuffed out.

When the service was being planned, only 124 candles were needed. But by Tuesday, another light had to be added, after Baiba Saulite was gunned down on her own doorstep.

“Every year, we organise this ceremony and we go out to buy a number of candles” said Clare Haven founder, Madeline McAleer. “And every year, by the time the day comes round, we have to add more candles. “

The ceremony was organised as part of the 16 days of action against violence against women.

McAleer told the gathering that the services also acknowledged that men could be victims of domestic violence.

To the strains of Mozart’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’ the names of the 125 women were read out.

The scroll of the dead brought heartbreak home as the names of Clare women, Lorraine O’Connor, Ann Walsh, Marguerite O’Dwyer and Geraldine Kissane were read out.

The later murder list was dotted with names of women who had come to these shores from other countries to build new lives. Instead, they found their deaths.

The inclusion of the names of foreign and non-nationals made it clear why women’s services in Clare had chosen to launch their new information leaflets, printed in nine different languages.

There are leaflets in English, Polish, French, Russian, Romanian, Lingala, Arabic, Slovak and Czech.

The information sheets are the work of the Clare Women’s Network, the Refugee Council and Ennis CDP. They were funded by the Department of Justice Equality and Law Reform.

The leaflets are available from refugee services, social workers and are currently being distributed to outlets around Clare. And they all say the same thing. No matter what her nationality, if a woman is speaking the language of the beaten, bullied and terrorised, there is help at hand.

Clare Haven Services can be reached at their 24-hour emergency helpline at 065 6822435 or at their daytime office number, 065 6891764.

CLARE’S Moneypoint power station is belching more poisons into the air than any other industrial source in the country, a new report has revealed. The environmental cost of the damage has been put at €1 billion, according to the British Stern Report on Climate Change.

Also featuring in the list for chemical pollutants were the neighbouring Tarbert ESB plant and Aughinish Alumina in Limerick.

Figures published by the European Pollutant Emission Register show that Moneypoint tops the list for highest emissions of a number of environmentally-damaging chemicals.

The coal-burning station near Kilrush is the greatest source of carbon dioxide emissions, producing 5.55 million tonnes of the stuff in 2004.

It was also the leading source of arsenic and its compounds, along with five other chemical pollutants.

The Tarbert station came second in the emission of chromium and its compounds, sending 0.141 tonnes skywards in 2004, while Aughinish was second for the production of arsenic and its compounds, releasing 0.052 tonnes into the air in 2004.

A spokesman for the ESB said that they are “taking steps to reduce emissions and, with investment in cleaning technology, we expect to see them drop dramatically in the coming years.”

He added that the station is a vital part in the power production chain as it “lowers Ireland’s dependence on a single fuel to produce electricity”.

The ratings come in the wake of the ESB taking a hammering over revelations that an average annual pay for employees of the company range between €750,000 and €100,000 per annum.

The Environmental Protection Agency said that the inclusion of any company does not mean that it is in breach of its environmental obligations, just that it has been assessed to be among the State’s largest producers of pollutant chemicals.

THERE are almost 3,000 more people registered to vote in Clare than living in the county.

Amid claims that there are still deceased people on the register, especially in the Shannon area, more have complained that no-one called to their home to check who was eligible to vote.

This week, people who have voted in previous elections and still live at the same address have discovered that their names have been removed from the register without any notice.

As many as 12,335 amendments have been made to the Clare register since the Minister for Environment, Dick Roche, directed Local Authorities to undertake work to improve the accuracy of the Register of Electors.

Clare had one of the highest rates for deletion of names in the country, with 20 per cent of names removed.

Clare County Council engaged 66 field workers to undertake house-tohouse enquiries with a view to ensuring that eligible voters were correctly recorded in the Register of Electors.

In a written response to a council motion, Senior Executive Officer Michael McNamara said, “The current Register in force for 2006/2007 contains 86,331 names while the Draft Register published on November 2 following the fieldworkers exercise contains 83,748 and this will no doubt change having regard to the responses being receive since the publication of the Draft Register and the issuing of letter to persons where clarification was needed.

“Arising from the work of the fieldworkers, there were 12,335 amendments to the current register in force, these included persons who had changed address within the county in addition to persons who had moved away from the county or were deceased since the previous register was published.”

The full cost of the highly criticised register review has not been finalised, but so far a total of €90,512 has been spent in Clare.

The Department of the Environment have notified the council of an initial allocation of €79,000 for this work and say further allocations are available.

“If and when an election/referendum is called, persons have a further opportunity to get on the register through the supplementary list which has to be compiled within 14 working days of the polling date.”

The Draft Register is on display at all council offices, post offices, Garda stations and libraries or online www.checktheregister.ie.

CLARE County Council has refunded over €1 million in rates to businesses across the county this year, it has emerged.

News of the refunds emerged ahead of the council’s series of meetings to approve a budget for 2007. Over 2004 and 2005, the council collected over €50 million through commercial rates from businesses across Clare.

Concern was expressed last night that the refunds could adversely affect council finances.

The largest recipients of rates refunds were Shannon Development that received over €600,000 and the Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) whic received €229,720.

Other companies to be refunded sizeable amounts include William Neville and Sons of Rockfield House, Wexford who received €43,544; Business Integrated Services who received €18,933 and Austin Delaney of Ballykilty Manor, who has been refunded €9,097.

Council documents show that Shannon Development received €516,628 as a result of vacant properties in the Free Zone and €89,888 for properties in the ‘Clare County Cluster’.

“It is my understanding that the council’s finances are turbulent to say the least in terms of meeting the targets set down by the budget last year.

“Now, having to pay back this money is putting extra pressure on Clare County Council and I’m sure there are valid reasons for the refund of rates, but this warrants an explanation from management,” said Cllr Brian Meaney (GP).

“I would be concerned about the number of vacant industrial buildings and I would also be concerned about the council’s finances, but I believe that the council would have been aware at some level that these buildings were vacant,” Cllr Patricia McCarthy said.

“It would appear that five per cent of rates income is being paid back to state companies. That is completely unacceptable and the Local Government Act needs to be amended.

“The amount of vacant property is an indictment on Shannon Development and when the council vacates its office at the information age park to relocate to its headquarters, is it then going to be the information age park white elephant?” said Cllr Martin Conway (FG).

A council spokeswoman said, “Rate refunds are made in accordance with the Local Government Act 1946 Section 14, which is the appropriate legislation in this area.These are provided for as part of the annual budget process each year.”

A MASSIVE rescue operation was launched last Friday for a group of surfers who got into difficulty while surfing the elusive Aill na Searracht wave underneath the Cliffs of Moher.

The operation, involving 100 people, was launched after a group of surfers got into difficulty during “tow-in” of the 30-foot-high monster wave.

Five surfers, including two with jet-skis, set out from Doolin on Friday afternoon.

The alarm was raised after 2.20pm when the Irish Coastguard helicopter and local rescue services, including the Doolin Coastguard, were launched.

Three surfers got into difficulty and were nearly smashed into the cliff underneath O’Briens Tower. They took refuge on the flaggy shore underneath the cliff.

As rescuers prepared to descend the steep cliff to reach the surfers, they saw two of the men swimming back out to sea to try and catch another wave.

When a coastguard helicopter flew over the men to airlift them to safety, they refused to be rescued.

It later emerged that the men were unwilling to leave their surfboards and be airlifted to safety.

A short time later, a rescue boat from Doolin reached the two men and took them on board. The third man was later picked up by another member of the group on a jetski and brought to safety.

“This is a very dangerous place and someone is going to be killed here before long,” said a member of the rescue services from the scene on Friday.

“It is very easy to get smashed onto the rocks and killed. The famous Aill na Searracht wave is becoming better known around the world now and we are afraid that someone will be killed here.”

The rescue operation involved the Doolin Coastguard, a search team from Kilkee, the Aran Islands Lifeboat and the Shannon-based Irish Coastguard helicopter.

“There were up to 100 people involved in this rescue,” said a member of the Coastguard.

“The staff at Valentia Coastguard Radio were also tied up with this rescue for some time.

“It was a huge waste of resources and the greatest insult is that two people refused to be rescued by the helicopter.

“At the end of the day, they were safe and that is the main thing, but anything could have happened during the rescue to one of our people.” COASTGUARD warnings are unlikely to stop surfers from taking on the Aill na Searracht wave under the Cliffs of Moher even after this weekend’s near disaster.

Two surfers who refused to be winched to safety by the Irish Coastguard helicopter when they were told they would have to leave their boards behind were described as “very foolish” by a prominent member of the Doolin Coastguard yesterday.

“The crew of the helicopter and the winch-man were risking their own lives in manoeuvering to rescue the three,” said Mattie Shannon of the Doolin Coastguard.

“It was an extreme measure to go in there and has been tried only once before. It was a life-threatening situation and the surfers refused a helping hand.

“They were very foolish to refuse and it shows an extreme view of the value placed on a surfboard.”

According to the Doolin Coastguard, the three surfers had only two boards between them. They were rescued only when another surfer left from the shore with two boards and battled the surf, with the boardless surfer, as far as the Doolin Coastguard rescue boat.

“It was very brave of the man to go out and come back for his friend, but it was very foolish – they could have been winched to safety earlier,” continued Mr Shannon. “I’ve no doubt that they are strong swimmers, but they must recognise when they are in danger and not put their own lives and the lives of others at risk.”

However, according to one prominent Lahinch-based surfer, last Friday’s near accident is unlikely to deter people from surfing the Aill na Searracht wave.

“It is dangerous, there are no two ways about that, but it is also one of the very best waves anywhere in the world and people are not going to stop surfing it,” said the local surfer, who asked not to be identified.

“It is certainly one of the best waves Ireland. The people who go out and surf that wave are all on top of their game. It is at the very extreme end of the scale and the only people who go out there are surfers who are 100 per cent fit and have been surfing big waves for many years.”

Mr Shannon said that one of the three men was showing the early signs of hypothermia when rescued.

A SENIOR member of Clare County Council has hit out at what he called scaremongering over the council’s €31.5 million Cliffs of Moher visitor centre.

The chair of the council’s Special Policy Committee (SPC) for Economic Development, Cllr Richard Nagle (FF) said, “There has been all sorts of scaremongering over the project.”

The council is currently facing a shortfall of €3 million over the project and is seeking sponsorship for ‘naming opportunities’ at the Cliffs.

Addressing a meeting of the SPC earlier this week, Cllr Nagle said, “I have no doubt that the shortfall will be addressed. The project is on time, and on budget will open in January with an official opening in early February.”

Cllr Nagle expressed his annoyance, “at so much negative publicity” surrounding the project, in contrast to how positively the project had been received overseas.

“It has the potential to create an additional 100 jobs that should provide national headlines. It will be of huge economic benefit to the western seaboard.”

Cllr Nagle said that with 700,000 visitors per annum and projections of 1 million visitors each year, “I have no doubt that the project will be financially sustainable,” the councillor said.

Separately, the project leader of the scheme, Ger Dollard said this week that, “While there are some issues which require to be addressed and understandably so in a project of this scale, profile and complexity, the council is absolutely convinced that the Cliffs of Moher New Visitor Experience will be a development that will have far reaching benefits for the north Clare area and indeed for tourism at a national and international level.

“The project is now at a stage where the physical structure has been completed and the building covered back to blend into the landscape.

“The development looks exceptionally well on site and fulfils perfectly the original architects concept for the site.

“The concentration now is on fit out of the various elements within the building, particularly the Atlantic Edge exhibition, and the completion of the external works.

“The charges proposed for the development are exceptionally reasonable and I have no doubt will prove to be so when visitors see for themselves the finished product and the new and improved visitor facilities and management within the overall site,” he said.

ENNIS Town Council revealed yesterday that it was met with a demand of €1.7 million to settle an access dispute before the case went to the High Court this year.

Last week, The Clare People revealed that the Kennedy family of Francis Street, Ennis was to receive €300,000 plus legal costs arising from an access dispute that stopped the council proceeding with a €1 million land-sale adjacent to Glor.

The council is to pay the family €200,000, while the developers, Ray Staunton and Kieran Flanagan are to pay €100,000. Last year, the two secured planning permission for an apartment block on the site, but could not proceed as a result of the dispute.

Last week, James Kennedy said the council was made aware of a dispute relating to the site on the morning of the auction and criticised their failure to settle the dispute.

However, a statement from the council yesterday claimed they were forced into bringing High Court proceedings in 2004 because of the “unacceptable demands” made by the Kennedy family.

The council said numerous attempts were made to reach a resolution, culminating in their solicitors sending an open letter of offer to the Kennedys’ solicitors in June, 2005.

“No response was received to that letter which contained, as part of the settlement terms, the provision of access to the Kennedy house which was ultimately accepted by the Kennedys in settlement of the proceedings.

The council stated that the eventual settlement avoided a further 10 days in court and that costs associated with the case would be funded from the €1 million land sale.

Yesterday, Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) and Cllr Donal Bearra (Green Party) raised questions over the original land sale, while Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said that it was “very serious” that there won’t be much left over from the €1 million land sale.

Town Manager, Tom Coughlan said: “The comments attributed to the three councillors seem to respond to an inaccurate and slanted article which appeared in last week’s Clare People.

“The council solicitor expressed concern to the newspaper about the article’s content.”

When contacted last night, James Kennedy said that he was declining to comment for the moment.

FRUSTRATED Clare parents, who are already struggling to care for their disabled children, have been forced to take on the role of health service provider by seeking a qualified speech therapist as far away as Canada.

Amid claims that there are not enough qualified speech therapists in the country until next year’s graduates, The Clare Crusader’s charity has done what the Government has failed to do. The group has located and employed a qualified therapist.

Lorne McLash, a speech and language pathologist, will begin work in Ennis this January treating children with Cerebral Palsy.

A speech and language pathologist is “technically the same in roots” as a speech therapist, Mr McLash explained.

The difference with Mr McLash’s qualification, however, is he has a dual degree including audiology.

“As we are seeing these children, we can assess if the ears are functional as well,” he explained.

Mr McLash is not convinced that the extra graduates next year will solve the Irish problem.

He said there was no shortage in the private sector, indicating that competitive salaries and working conditions needed to be addressed in the public sector.

Early intervention is also critical according to the expert.

“If we wait until they are four, they have had those four years, and one of the things to me that is crucial is the brain is so pliable when it’s young. As they develop, the brain becomes structured and the neural connections aren’t necessarily developed. So I think we have lost a huge opportunity if we don’t get them when they are young and so we are working trying to fight against the growth and development,” he told The Clare People .

He said the children could have advanced more if they had speech therapy.

“They may not be speaking, but I think they may have been able to express their wants and needs.”

The aim of The Clare Crusader’s clinic will be to encourage communication.

“Getting children to communicate – not just with family, but with the whole community – their basic wants and needs. The children are isolated if communications are underdeveloped,” he said.

During the next two years, the Canadian plans to set the foundations of a clinic that will be sustainable.

“I don’t want this to be a two-year term and then, all of a sudden, there are no more services. I want to ensure what we are developing is a sustainable project.”

THE country’s first ‘priest-less parish’ once more has its own parish priest after a gap of eight years.

The Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh has appointed Fr Michael Hogan as parish priest for KillanenaFlagmount.

Fr Hogan has been parish priest at Feakle and will now operate as parish priest to both parishes.

In July 1998, Dr Walsh came under fire from a number of parishioners after he announced that the outgoing parish priest, Fr John Slattery would not be replaced.

However, the ‘priestless parish’ of Killanena-Flagmount was soon touted as a model for Catholic Church structures in the new millennium.

Now, Dr Walsh has announced the return of a parish priest for Killanena-Flagmount, though he pointed out that Fr Hogan will not be living in the parish.

“Since the departure of the resident priest, the parish council at Killanena-Flagmount effectively took control of the running of the parish and that will continue.

“Fr Hogan will take responsibility for the direct pastoral care of the parishes and the parish council will retain responsibility for finance, buildings and so on.”

On Flagmount-Killanena becoming a priest-less parish in 1998, the old parish council, whose membership had remained unchanged since 1981, was dissolved.

In response, 102, or a fifth of the parish, applied for membership to the new 16-member Council.

“I am very keen that the parish council would continue in its work. The people of the area over the past number of years have responded very generously to the challenge.”

Dr Walsh said that the re-appointment of a parish priest “should not be seen as a step-backwards” in the Church identifying a new model in parish structures.

“Rather, it should be seen as how best the needs of both parishes can be met. The model in FlagmountKillanena allows Fr Hogan to focus completely on providing direct pastoral care.”

Pastoral council member, Mary McMahon told The Clare People yesterday: “We are delighted to have a parish priest once more. Fr Hogan is most welcome.

“He is very with it and very positive in his thinking.

“We have learned an awful lot over the past eight years. The many new things that we had to do without a priest were no big deal in the end and we got on with things.”