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this week, ““What could we do? We had to do this. We are very sad and the people of Ballyvaughan are very sad at what has happened.”

The two built the restaurant without planning permission and over the past 20 months tried to stave off a District Court ruling of December 2003, affirming a Clare County Council order to demolish their premises.

Sibylle said this week, “We never ex-

pected the restaurant to be such a suc- cess. It has been quite an experience. We don’t know what impact the closure will have on Ballyvaughan.”

The Holywell restaurant will relocate to the old Market building in Ennisty- mon and will be ready to open in late No- vember or early December. The workers laid off will have the option of working in the new venture.

Councillor Martin Lafferty (Ind) ex- pressed regret this week that a compro- mise could not be reached between the council and the Dietls in ensuring that the restaurant would remain open at Bal- lyvaughan.

“The restaurant will be a loss to Bal- lyvaughan, as the likes of B&B owners have told me that the restaurant was a tre- mendous asset to the place. What is Bal- lyvaughan’s loss is Ennistymon’s gain.

“IT can’t understand how they could

have spent so much money on something they didn’t have permission for.”

An Bord Pleandala has turned down two planning retention applications for the restaurant. Permission was initially se- cured from Clare County Council, only for a competitor to appeal the decision.

The couple borrowed €1.5 million to finance their Ballyvaughan venture. Their plans to transform it into a lan- guage centre were turned down by the County Council. They have appealed that decision to An Bord Pleanala.

The appeal against the district court decision was adjourned to the October sittings of Kilrush Circuit Court.

At the last hearing in June, the Dietls’ counsel Des Longe BL told Judge Carroll Moran, “The Dietls accept that this 1s the end of the road for operating a restaurant at this location and they intend to comply with the court.”

A 16-year-old Kilrush youth threatened to kill three gardai and said he would find out Where every garda lived, it was alleged in court.

The accused, who cannot be named, is charged with engaging in threatening, abu- sive or insulting behaviour at Kilrush Garda Station on September 20.

Detective Garda Michael McDonagh told Lisdoonvarna District Court last Wednesday that the accused arrived at the garda station to sign on, as part of his bail conditions as- sociated with another case. He told the garda that he knew where two shotguns were.

The garda told the court that two shotguns, stolen in Kilrush, were still missing. The ac-

cused is alleged to have said the guns were being ‘kept for something big’, otherwise, they would be let off every night.

He allegedly said he would kill three Kiul- rush-based gardai. The youth also allegedly said he would find out where “every one of ye lives.”

In court, the accused said he did not have a solicitor.

“T want to speak for myself… Sure I did nothing.” He said he had taken tablets the previous evening and could not remember what had happened.

“I’m sorry but I don’t know what I done,” he said.

Judge Joseph Mangan granted an applica- tion to remand the accused in custody, to ap- pear again in court later this week.

A COURT application that a 16-year-old boy currently be- ing detained at St Patrick’s In- stitution in Dublin, be placed in the custody of his parents, has been refused.

The youth, who cannot be named, has pleaded guilty to eight charges, including burglary, larceny, criminal damage and the unauthorised taking of a vehicle, in the Miltown Malbay and Spanish Point areas, between October 2004 and February last.

Earlier this month, he was remanded in custody to St Patrick’s Institution and a probation report was to be carried out. Lisdoonvarna District Court heard last Wednesday that the report was not available.

“It is not my client’s fault that there is no probation re- port here,” said solicitor Jim Finnegan. He said that his client has suffered an injury and that he did not seem to be getting attention for this at St lsu le ay

Judge Joseph Mangan re-

plied, “If you have a prob- lem with the way he is being treated you have one of two options — the Minister for Justice or the High Court.”

The accused boy’s mother said if he was allowed to go home, he would not cause trouble.

“T think he has realised the Seriousness of the matter, having been in St Pat’s for a week. I presume he’d prefer to be at home,” she said.

Judge Mangan remanded the boy in custody, to appear in court again next month.

GARDAI in Clare are being advised not to use their person- al mobile phones, laptops and cameras for official use.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) issued the advice in response to delays in introducing a new radio system, despite repeated calls for it.

The GRA has been told the new “Tetra” digital radio sys- tem will not be introduced for four years. Justice Miunister Michael McDowell has said there are no finances available,

before then.

Clare-based member of the GRA Central Executive, Garda Tom Keane of Ennis says this is not good enough as the existing system regularly breaks down in rural parts of the county.

“We are trying to get a radio system for years. There are a lot of blackspots where the cur- rent system breaks down. This happens regularly. It 1s totally outdated,’ said Garda Keane.

“We are urging our members not to use mobile phones until they give us a radio system,’ he said.

MILTOWN MALBAY received a massive boost this week after Clare County Coun- cil granted planning permission for a €4 million eTown project in the village. The Shannon Development project involves the development of 12 residential and six com- mercial business units.

‘“Miltown Malbay needs this. It’s a tre- mendous boost for the area,” Cllr Christy Curtin (Ind) said yesterday.

The elown project is part of a new con- cept for developing rural towns in the Shan- non region.

Speaking at the launch of the project, Shannon Development’s Chief Executive, Kevin Thompstone, said that all the ele- ments were now in place.

“The town plan, incorporating the 2.2- acre elown site, has been completed, broadband access has been studied and a solution identified, 12 members of the com- munity have completed training and the ‘Courtyard’ — an integrated complex of workspace and residential accommodation — has been designed,” he said.

The ‘Courtyard’ will accommodate 12 houses, incorporating ‘wired for broad- band’ office space. House sizes will aver- age 2,000 sq. ft., with business units rang- ing from 750 sq. ft. to 1,000 sq. ft.

The work-life accommodation will be available for sale and will be targeted at es- tablished businesses in the traded services sectors. DTZ Sherry Fitzgerald will act as ‘selling agents’ for all sites.

THE NUMBERS working at the Cliffs of Moher are set to double when the new €31 million visitor centre opens in 2007.

The newly appointed manager of the visitor centre, Katherine Webster said this week that 87 will be em- ployed there, made up of 39 permanent and 45 sea- sonal staff. Currently, 40 people work at the Cliffs.

“It is very important that the Cliffs are at the centre of the visitor experience. They are what people are coming to see and the facilities will be there to com- pliment that. There is an incredible, splendid vista at the cliffs and we need facilities that live up to that.”

Last year, the Cliffs attracted 780,000 visitors, making it one of the most popular visitor attractions NOMA eeMerOlUNNIB AE

Ms Webster said that this year the numbers would be closer to 700,000, due in part to a drop in the number of US visitors in Clare last Summer.

But, in the visitor centre’s first full year of opera- tion, the numbers would break the 800,000 mark, she Sr nLee

It is expected that 40 per cent of these will come during the months of July and August.

“We will try to build off-peak business and, on the busy days, we will try to distribute flow of visitors as evenly as possible.”

The new visitor centre — complete with interpreta- tive facilities, including a hi-tech audio-visual display — will lengthen the visitor stay at the cliffs.

Currently, the average stay at the Cliffs is one hour and 20 minutes, but people may soon be spending over two hours in the interpretation area alone.

‘The audio-visual room 1s very impressive and very interesting and will be focusing a lot on the wildlife that people don’t get to see too much to see on the cliff edge,” she said.

Ms Webster said the visitor centre will provide an all-weather experience, when outside visibility is poor.

She said that work on the centre was ahead of schedule. It includes installing viewing platforms and extending the path to Hags Head at the end of Cliffs.

Ms Webster said that the introduction of a Park ‘n’ Ride scheme for the Cliffs centre would take place in Phase Two of the development.

She said, “The tourism spend has been going down in Clare … so we want the tourism community in Clare to capitalise on the Cliffs centre.”

THE COST of the Cliffs of Moher visitor cen- tre has now climbed to more than eight times the original estimate and Clare County Coun- cil faces an estimated €4 million shortfall in funding for the scheme.

Work commenced on the project last April. Project Leader Ger Dollard has confirmed that the revised estimate for the cost of the scheme is now €31.45 million.

Already, the Council has secured €10 million in grant aid from Failte Ireland for the scheme, while it has approval from Government to se- cure a loan of €15 million.

The overall figure includes an historic invest-

ment of €2 million by the Council in the 15- year-old project in land acquisition and project development, including payments to consult- ants.

The grant aid, loan approval and historic in- vestment add to €27 million, leaving a short- fall of €4.45 million.

However, the Council will be able to recover monies from Shannon Development spent on fit-out costs and the cost of providing tempo- rary facilities.

The two-storey centre is to be built into the hillside by Cork firm, Rohcon, behind the ex- isting centre.

Mr Dollard said that in an effort to bridge the funding gap, “we are putting in place a separate

company structure to manage the commercial aspects of the operation and allow VAT re- EN bes mae

He said, “We also have an application for additional grant aid with Failte Ireland, based on the actual tender received as opposed to the estimates originally submitted. And we are de- veloping a strong pitch for a corporate spon- sor.”

With the closing off of the lower part of the viewing area at the Cliffs as a result of the con- struction work, a growing number of tourists are going over the wall barrier near O’Brien’s tower to sit on the cliff edge.

Mr Dollard said, “I think the situation will be very much improved when the new experi-

ence is put in place. The location of the path- ways further back from the edge, the creation of raised platforms as viewing areas and the putting in place of extensive discreet signage will all help to encourage visitors to remain on the official pathways.

Wardens will also assist 1n advising visitors not to go to the cliff edge.”

As part of the project, the Council is to also seek World Heritage Site designation for the Oa

The Council’s business plan anticipates a 21 per cent increase in visitor numbers to 790,000 in the first five years of operation of the visi- tor centre, which will allow the Council secure over €4 million in entrance fees.

IN A WEEK when Ireland celebrated IRA decommissioning, the people of East Clare made it clear to the Minis- ter for the Environment, Dick Roche, that they would not be giving an inch when it came to their boundary row with Limerick.

The minister said he would consider Limerick City Council’s proposal to extend into Clare and Clare County Council’s opposition, and make a de- cision as soon as possible.

The people of East Clare are ada- mant that will not change their iden- tity overnight, however.

“If Limerick city wants to expand, let them take some of County Limer- ick,” said Parteen councillor Pascal Fitzgerald.

The councillor believes that the people of Parteen, Meelick, Westbury and Shannon Banks are being used as pawns by Limerick City Council.

““T believe the main objective of Lim- erick City Corporation is to move out the boundary to take in the university and the industrial estate in Raheen.”

He said the rates from these areas were very attractive and that Parteen and surrounding areas was merely making up numbers for the Limerick authority.

He said a lot of work had been put

into the area and the proposed bound- ary would split communities and

GAA clubs. Earlier this week, people from East

Clare raised their disapproval on a lo- cal radio programme where Minister

Roche was a guest.

One woman from Cratloe suggested that the change to a Limerick address would result in increased insurance costs, while another man suggested that the extension of the boundary would continue until Shannon Air- port would become part of the Treaty City.

Meanwhile, Limerick Labour Dep- uty Jan O’Sullivan, a native of Clon- lara, said she supports the boundary extension, but believes there should be no incursion into Clare “without ask- ing the people of Clare first.”

Limerick city mayor Diarmuid Cre avaareyle!

A WOMAN has claimed that she was only summonsed to court to face charges, after she made a complaint against a garda on a separate matter.

Mother-of-one Karen Hyland (35), of Dromard, Lahinch Road, Ennis, was before Ennis District Court, ac- cused of obstructing a garda, while she was out for her work Christmas party, at the Queen’s Hotel on December 19 Ee

Garda Denis Lavan told the court that Garda Cathal O’Sullivan arrested a woman shortly before 2am. The ac- cused, Karen Hyland, was attempting to pull the arrested woman – who was her friend – away from the garda and was trying to come between them.

“She said we weren’t taking her friend. They were her words…She was very wound up and aggressive towards Gda O’Sullivan and I. She refused to calm down,” said Gda Lavan.

Defending solicitor Stephen Nicho- las said the woman being arrested was very upset over a personal matter and his client was trying to help the situa- tion. He said she was a ‘calming influ- ence.’

Mr Nicholas said his client did not receive a summons until the follow- ing March, after she made a complaint about Gda Lavan at Ennis Garda Sta- tion, in relation to another matter.

The solicitor said to Gda Lavan, ‘The reason you are bringing this case is you are angry and annoyed. You bear something of a grudge against this defendant.” Gda Lavan denied this, saying he had six months to serve a Summons on an accused.

Karen Hyland told the court she drank a number of glasses of Guinness in a pub in town, before going to the Queen’s, where she drank a bottle of Bulmer’s. She said her friend was ‘very down in the dumps’ and was crying. She went out to comfort her. “I tried to explain to the guard that she was very upset, to leave her alone. I said I was bringing her home,” she said.

She denied pulling at one garda and denied shouting at another garda.

She said she was involved in a road traffic matter the following March, during which she met Gda Lavan. She told the court on that occasion, Gda Lavan said to her, “You assaulted a garda one night.” She said she replied, “T didn’t.” She then complained about Gda Lavan at Ennis Garda Station and after that she received a summons re- lating to the incident at the Queen’s.

A security employee at the Queen’s, Frank Rocke said Ms Hyland wasn’t highly excited or aggressive and wasn’t abusive to the gardai on the night in question.

Judge Joseph Mangan dismissed the Oe Neo

HUNDREDS of inoculation doses that can prevent bacterial meningi- tis are to be sent out to Clare doc- tors next month, following the trag- ic death of a County Louth toddler.

After media reports on the death of the two-year-old, anxious par- ents began turning up in droves at GPs’ surgeries only to find the doctors did not have supplies of the booster vaccine.

The little boy died while on holi- day abroad, several days after hav- ing been seen at Our Lady Of Lour-

des hospital in Drogheda.

He developed bacterial meningi- tis, despite having been vaccinated against it as an infant.

The child had been thought to have recovered from Haemophilis influenza group B (HiB) but de- veloped meningitis. Children are vaccinated against the potentially deadly disease as babies and given booster vaccinations later on.

The Department of Health has confirmed that supplies of a boost- er vaccine will be made available to Clare GPs over the coming month.

GPs usually have a limited supply of the vaccine, but not enough to cope on an on-going basis with the OCSTeee Neem e-UI orem ON AUST E-Te-VOIA YA

But the Department came in for serious criticism after it emerged that it threw responsibility for the €10 million funding needed for a vaccination campaign back to the Health Services Executive respon- sible for the Louth area.

Dr Niall O’Cleirigh, spokesman for the Irish College of General Practitioners, said that a November date for the roll-out of the booster

vaccine is not soon enough.

“In the light of a child having died, it is not quick enough. Moves should have been made over the summer to have this programme in place,” he said.

A vaccine against the life-threat- ening strain of meningitis 1s includ- ed in the five-in-one immunisation given to all children.

But two months ago, the National Immunisation Advisory Commit- tee urgently recommended that all children under the age of four should be given a booster vaccine.

Of 50,000 children vaccinated since 1996, 38 have developed the disease, despite being vaccinated.

It is believed that there are 200,000 children in need of the booster shots nation-wide.

The Department of Health con- firmed that booster vaccines will be distributed next month and that further supplies will be available in Deore

The shot will be made available free at GPs surgeries and any par- ent who has concerns is urged to contact their family doctor imme- diately.