Author: admin

THE Air Accident Investigation Unit of the Department of Transport has confirmed that it is investigating an incident last Wednesday in which an Aer Arann flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Shannon after a fire broke out in one of the plane’s two engines.

The ATR turboprop aircraft was travelling from Farranfore Airport in Kerry to Dublin with 37 passengers and crew when a warning light indicated a fire in the port side engine, forcing the captain to declare an emergency and seek permission to land at Shannon.

The plane touched down safely but was quickly escorted by a fleet of emergency vehicles off the main runway to a taxiway and evacuated. Passengers were taken by bus to the terminal building as fire crews and engineers inspected the aircraft.

Units of the fire brigade from Shannon Town were also mobilised as back up to the airport fire and rescue service, while two crews from Ennis stood by at Dromoland. Two ambulances from Ennis and Limerick were also deployed. Airport operations were not affected during the emergency.

An Aer Arann spokesman was unable to confirm whether there was a fire in the engine, as the airline was awaiting a report from their engineers who had carried out a detailed examination of the aircraft.

It is understood however that an internal automatic fire extinguisher was deployed and the fire was fully out by the time the plane landed.

Aer Arann said all passengers were transferred to Dublin by coach and the aircraft remained grounded as engineers continued their examination of the aircraft.

A spokesperson for the Air Accident Investigation Unit of the Department of Transport confirmed they were notified of the incident on Wednesday evening and initiated their own investigation.

This is the fifth official investigation by the AAIU of incidents involving Aer Arann aircraft in recent years.

AER Arann has defended its safety record following the fire alert at Shannon Airport last week involving one of its commuter planes.

The emergency is the latest in a series of incidents involving the airline in recent years, four of which resulted in probes by the Air Accident Investigation Unit of the Department of Transport. This latest incident is also being investigated by the AAIU.

In February 2001, an Aer Arann plane carrying thirty passengers and three crew careered off the runway at Sheffield Airport after one of its tyres burst on landing. No one was injured in that incident.

Aircraft operated by the regional airline were involved in two further incidents that year. In May 2001, while approaching Cork Airport, the crew of an Aer Arann plane experienced severe airframe vibrations after a large panel at the fuselage/wing joint became detached along its trailing edge. No one was injured in the incident.

The following December, two passengers and a crew member on board a flight from Dublin to Donegal were slightly injured when the plane experienced difficulties a short distance from the airport. Bad weather conditions and severe turbulence were blamed for the incident.

On July 17, 2003, An Aer Arann fight from Dublin to Sligo was forced to divert and make an emergency landing at Shannon and the plane, which was carrying thirty one passengers and a crew of three, touched down safely with one engine functioning.

In August 2003, another Aer Arann plane flying from London to Galway with 51 passengers and crew on board was forced to land at Shannon on one of its two engines. The findings of an Air Accident Investigation Unit concluded that the engine shut down because the fuel tank feeding it was empty.

The investigation established that a faulty fuel gauge gave trouble on all flights during the day and investigators expressed concern the problem was not recorded in the aircraft’s technical log. When previous flight crews were contacted, investigators found the fuel gauge problems could have been going on for more than five weeks without being recorded.

The investigation also noted that “the crew was faced with considerable operational pressures and a lack of resources, including the simple non-availability of a set of steps to check the drip-stick indicators. These circumstances contributed to inadequate fuel management.”

In December 2004, an Aer Arann plane left the runway and became embedded in soft ground at Galway Airport. There were no injuries or damage to the aircraft reported.

Defending the company’s safety record, Managing Director Garry Cullen said they were fully compliant with all regulatory requirements and standards set by the Irish Aviation Authority.

“We operate in one of the most highly regulated and safety conscious industries in the world. Safety is afforded the highest priority over any operational or commercial considerations in our company.”

“Aer Arann operates over 600 flights a week and has won numerous awards over the years. This recognition coupled with our millions of satisfied customers is testament to the professionalism and level of service that Aer Arann offers”, he said.

ONE of Clare’s most successful locally owned companies recorded a doubling in profits last year, according to the latest accounts filed to the Companies Office.

The accounts show that the profit of Data Display in Ennistymon after tax was €1.1 million last year, compared to €540,000 in 2004. Turnover at the company increased from €14 million in 2004 to €18 million.

Managing Director, Kevin Neville told The Clare People : “2005 was a good year. We are doing very well and we are continuing to increase profit and turnover this year with very strong orders.

“It is not getting easier with rising costs and we invest 8 per cent to 10 per cent of turnover in research and development.”

The accounts show that the company spent €853,553 on R&D last year and in 2004 spent €781,510.

The principal activity of the group is the manufacture and sale of electronic display products. It is currently working on a prestigious contract to provide electronic signs for the subway system in New York city.

Data Display also has contracts for high profile public transport projects in Seattle and Denver.

The contract for the New York city subway has resulted in Data Display establishing a manufacturing plant in New York.

Mr Neville said, “In order to secure federal contracts in the US, the government has a ‘made in America’ policy where 60 per cent of all contracts must have the produce made in the US.

Mr Neville said that the Irish Government should consider a similar policy to provide support for indigenous Irish firms.

Data Display was first established in 1979 employing 13 people. Mr Neville confirmed that a total of 270 are employed at the company with 168 based in Ennistymon.

The company has subsidiaries in the UK, Sweden, Portugal and France. It is now wholly-owned by the Neville family who bought out the remaining shares owned by a third party last year.

The accounts show that the company now has accumulated profits of €4.2 million. An analysis of its turnover shows that the €4.6 million was generated in the US, €5.1 million in the UK, €5.6 million in other EU countries and €3.2 million in Ireland. The importance of Data Display to the north Clare economy is shown with the staff costs at €6.5 million – an increase of €130,000 on the 2004 wage bill.

ENNIS based company Sellityourself.ie has been shortlisted for a Golden Spiders Award for Best Website Launched in 2006.

The prestigious Golden Spiders Awards recognise and rewards companies for excellence in the Irish Internet industry.

Sellityourself.ie is run by husband and wife team Anne Marie Doyle and Neil Doherty and employs 5 people.

Sellityourself.ie provides a dedicated service to property owners who wish to sell their property without using an estate agent. For a fixed fee of €195, property owners can place their property photos and details on Sellityourself.ie. They will then receive a For Sale signboard and pointer board for outside their property. Sellityourself.ie then advises on an advertising campaign in local and national newspapers, which includes booking, designing and placing the advertisements.

“The idea of selling a property without an estate agent is quite new in Ireland, but is common practice in many countries including the USA,” says Anne-Marie Doyle, director of Sellityourself.ie.

“The substantial cost saving of commission-free property sales, combined with the flexibility and convenience of managing your sale online, has meant that selling your home yourself has become an increasingly attractive option for many people

“This nomination reflects the hard work and dedication of the Sellityourself.ie team,” she said.

“Since we launched our service in May, the response from those buying and selling property has been phenomenal.”

This nomination is also a feather in the cap for Ennis Web design company Advanced Internet Marketing, (aimdesign.ie), who designed the Website.

AIM are also responsible for the marketing and promotion of the site. This is the second time a Website designed by AIM has been nominated for a Golden Spiders award.

The 2006 Golden Spiders Awards nominees have been chosen by a prestigious panel of leaders in the Irish Internet industry.

The panel includes Eamonn and Brian Fallon (Daft.ie), Jim Miley (CEO MyHome.ie), Rachel Harwood (eBay.ie), Gareth Lambe (Pigsback.com), Adele Cooper (Google Ireland) and Brendan Finucane (Enterprise Ireland).

The winners will be announced on November 23 at a gala event in the Burlington Hotel.

A BOOK to be released next week about slain Garda detective, Jerry McCabe, harks back to the East Clare post office raids and the shooting dead of Clarecastle IRA man, Hugh Hehir.

But as two of the McCabe killers begin High Court proceedings for early release, the author of the new book, Dermot Walsh, insists it is “a book about Jerry McCabe and not about his killers.”

The Clare connection concerns Kevin Walsh, one of the four man gang who were convicted of killing the detective garda in a botched postoffice raid in Adare in June 1966.

Journalist Walsh – who wrote the book in co-operation with McCabe’s widow, Ann – traces the possible seeds of the brutal killing back to an event in May of 1988.

That was when Kevin Walsh, the man widely believed to have been the one who opened fire with an automatic weapon on the Garda car in Adare, set out to rob the post office in Caher along with Hugh Hehir.

They hadn’t bargained on the pluck of the post mistress, Mary Kelly, who wrestled a gun from Walsh’s hands.

The raiders turned tail and ran while the postmistress alerted gardaí that they could be on their way to Feakle.

The two were indeed bound for Feakle, where they planned to raid the post office.

They were met en route by a Garda car and Hehir was shot in the head in an exchange of fire between the raiders and the gardaí.

Researching the book, Walsh spoke to many people who believed that the surviving IRA man was shamed at allowing an elderly woman to get his gun and make him run.

They also believe that Kevin Walsh felt responsible for Hehir’s death and that this was the event which spurred him on to being at the forefront of IRA activity.

“To The Honour Of Jerry McCabe” will be published next Monday and its author said he “could never have written this book without the McCabe family.”

Last week, two of the men convicted of the killing, Jeremiah Sheehy and Pearse McAuley began an application to the High Court for early release.

But Walsh stated that the timing of the publication is “a co-incidence, This book is not about them.,”said the author.

THE mother of one of the Kilkee teenage girls killed in a car driven by a 15-year-old has called on the Director of Public Prosecutions to appeal the length of sentence handed to David Naughton.

At Ennis Circuit Court last Thursday, Naughton – now aged 19 – was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of friends and neighbours, Stacey Haugh (16) and Lorna Mahoney (13) on October 17, 2003.

After the three-year term was imposed, Lorna’s mother, Geraldine broke down in tears, shaking her head from side to side.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the outcome of the case, Ms Mahoney told The Clare People , “I believe that the sentence is not long enough and doesn’t deter anyone from doing the same thing.

“The message seems to be ‘take two lives, you get three years, you’ll be out in two and the State will pay your costs’. The State is saying ‘boyracers, keep doing what you are doing because you are not going to pay’.”

At her home in Kilkee yesterday, Ms Mahoney said the families had been let down by the State in the prosecution of the case.

“There has been a catalogue of blunders. First he was granted bail after absconding from the unit in Galway. He absconds in February 2004 and it takes until June of this year to find his whereabouts, even though he first came before the English courts in September 2004.

“Then the European Arrest Warrant used to extradite him contained only one charge so the charge of driving without a licence, no insurance and no tax, had to be dropped.

“The maximum sentence for dangerous driving causing death is ten years but on the European arrest warrant, it said a maximum sentence of five years. So the judge had to start from five and give time off for a guilty plea and other mitigating factors.

“We would like answers as to who cocked-up, because there is no other description for it. My fear is that the State won’t appeal because it will be embarrassed having its blunders highlighted again. But we need answers and the only way to get those is through an appeal.”

The decision not to impose a driving ban on Naughton was described as by Ms Mahoney as “a joke”.

She also expressed anger that he was not punished for absconding and said he had been rewarded for it.

GARDAÍ are treating as suspicious

a fire that destroyed the community

hall in Drumgeely, Shannon, on Fri-

day morning.

The blaze at the disused hall broke

out shortly before 9am and despite

efforts by two fire units to salvage the

building, it was totally destroyed.

While gardaí are awaiting the re-

sults of forensics’ findings, they be-

lieve the fire was started malicious-

ly.

“We believe it was deliberate and

we are following certain lines of en-

quiry in relation to it. We have not

yet established the cause of the fire,”

said a Garda spokesman. SHE also expressed anger that he was not punished for absconding and said he had been rewarded for it.

Ms Mahoney said that the threeyear ordeal since the girls’ deaths had left her angry with the legal system.

“It has been three years of frustration. We are angry too that as families of victims, we don’t have a voice. That someone can do this to your family and create this much havoc and the sentence is three years, says to you ‘what was the value of your child’s life?’”

The court was told last Thursday that Naughton didn’t have the social skills to face the families to say sorry and instead apologised to the families

This was the second time the build-

ing was damaged by fire – in August

2001 the annex was burnt but, most

of the hall remained intact.

Friday’s fire has marked the end of

a long and sometimes controversial

history of the building. It has been in

private ownership since 1992 when it

was sold by Shannon Development.

It had steadily fallen into decay un-

til renovations were undertaken over

the past three months.

Locals were concerned that the

hall – which was located between the

blocks of flats and the houses nearby

– had not been used in recent years

and they are now saddened that it has

been lost to the community.

Chairperson of the Drumgeely Resthrough his counsel.

Ms Mahoney said, “I don’t believe youth? Why aren’t his parents or the he is sincere. There is no remorse. We Western Health Board answerable?” are told he had no social skills, but he had plenty of social skills to buy a car the case was very hard to explain to and get two girls into a car who didn’t her other children. want to get into it.

“How much social skill do you need it is hard passing it everyday where to say ‘I’m sorry?’ He could’ve had she should be now sitting the Leaving access to us anytime over the three Certificate. Lorna’s class will be havyears. ing their debs this year and she won’t

“I have an intolerance of him. It be there. would be easier if he had shown remorse, because nobody goes out to do would she be like now? Would she something like that. still be the tomboy she always was or

“There are penalties for people who would she have refined. I know one sell alcohol and cigarettes to people thing that would never have changed under 18, but what about people who and that is her love of animals.” sell cars to minors? Are they not liable for prosecution? idents Association, Beatrice Keville, said the fire marked “another episode in a very long, sad saga. It has been going on for so long now.

“It was originally a hall where everything in Shannon happened, but that changed 14 or 15 years ago,” she said.

Local resident Derek Barrett said Drumgeely residents were sorry to have lost the hall.

“Drumgeely hall was the first thing that was built for the community in Shannon. It was a notable entity. It was a church for some people, others went there to set dance or to discos, while some people played tennis or badminton there. I had my First Communion after-tea there. That was all “Who was responsible for this Ms Mahoney said the outcome of “We live near the local school and “You wonder, three years on, what Shannon had at the time. It was the town centre at one point in time. It is such a shame that it is gone,” said Mr Barrett.

Work on clearing the site got underway yesterday (Monday). Mr Barrett said locals now wanted the area to be cleaned up and made safe.

Local Councillor Tony Mulcahy (FG) has called for the site to be converted into a play area for children.

“It certainly was an eyesore. It would be best for all if it was covered over and grass put in its place now,” he said.

THE search for the body of a 35year-old Polish fisherman who was washed out to sea by a freak wave will resume today off the Clare coast.

The man was fishing with a work colleague on Sunday at Tullig, north of Cross village, when a five-foot swell swept them into the sea.

His colleague was subsequently washed back on to the rocks and raised the alarm.

Both men worked in Limerick but did not know each other very well.

Kilrush Superintendent Joe McKeon said that gardaí used their contacts in the Polish community to help identify the man now presumed drowned.

It is believe he was married with four children, and was due to return to his Poland for a visit next week.

Gardaí were yesterday using his passport for identification purposes, but he cannot be named until the Polish embassy opens today.

A day-long search yesterday in dangerous conditions failed to recover the body. The search began early in the morning, but had to be abandoned as darkness fell at 4.55pm.

A pair of waders was found close to the scene of the accident last evening, but they have not yet been identified as belonging to the deceased.

The Kilkee Marine Rescue Service, Kilkee and Doolin Coastguard and the Shannon Coastguard Helicopter were assisted in the search by members of the Kilkee Diving Club from all over Ireland who had been spending the weekend in the Clare resort.

Members of the accident victim’s family are also believed to be planning to come to Clare to assist in the search.

Local people said that while the area would be known for mackerel, Tullig was not regarded as a fishing area.

Member of the Kilkee Marine Rescue Service Manuel di Lucia said the two Polish men would not be aware of the dangers of fishing in the area.

He said that a swell like that, which washed them out to sea, would look smaller from the top of the cliff.

Last July, a 35-year-old father of two from Latvia was taking scenic photographs close to the lighthouse at Loop Head when he lost his footing and fell 80 feet to his death off the cliff’s edge landing on the ledge below.

It is also one year this weekend since three young men lost their lives off the cliffs in Doolin.

THOUSANDS of counterfeit DVDs and €3,000 worth of fireworks were seized by gardaí in Ennis in separate operations over the weekend.

An assortment of fireworks were confiscated, during a planned search of a house on the outskirts of Ennis on Sunday morning. A man in his 20s was questioned at the scene and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Gardaí say they believe the variety of fireworks were for sale in the Ennis market for Halloween and are warning that people found in possession of fireworks will be prosecuted.

“Some of these will be sent for analysis to the forensic science laboratory, while the rest will be destroyed,” said a Garda source.

This seizure followed a seizure of €150 worth of fireworks, along with three forged drivers’ licences, at a house in Miltown Malbay last Thursday.

A man was questioned in relation to those fireworks.

Last month, €800 worth of fireworks was seized when a van was stopped and searched in Inagh. Two men, from the Ennis area, were questioned by gardaí. Gardai believe these fireworks were intended for sale in various parts of the county, in the run-up to Halloween.

The existence of fireworks throughout the county in recent weeks has prompted gardaí to reiterate their warnings that fireworks are illegal and dangerous.

“We are warning about the dangers of fireworks. Several children have been taken to hospital with injuries in other parts of the country. We cannot stress this enough,” added the source.

Separately, gardaí swooped on a house in Ennis on Saturday morning and seized thousands of counterfeit DVDs, which they said were to be sold on the Internet, all over the world. Computer records were also seized. A man in his 40s from the Ennis area was questioned at the scene.

The DVDs will be analysed and a file will then be prepared for the DPP.

“We believe a lot of the DVDs were genuine, but many of them were being copied and the copies were intended for sale, via the internet, all over the world. Many of the DVDs are not new releases. We believe collectors were being targeted and they believed they were buying original dvds, when that was not the case,” said a Garda source.

“We will have to examine the DVDs that were seized. This operation was part of an ongoing investigation. All sales were Internet-based,” he added.

A 24-YEAR old Clare victim of child sex abuse has called on Fine Gael deputy, Pat Breen to apologise for his “crass insensitivity” in tabling a Dáil question enquiring into the possible early release of a convicted sex offender.

Last week, Deputy Breen caused a political storm after it emerged that he lodged a query into the possible early release of 74-year old bachelor farmer, Joseph Nugent who is due to complete his jail term in February 2008.

In his reply, Justice Minister, Michael McDowell ruled out the possibility an early release given the circumstances of the case.

Deputy Breen came under fire from party general election running mates, Cllr Madeleine Taylor Quinn and Cllr Joe Carey and in response, Deputy Breen accused them of making a political football out of the controversy.

But the 24-year old sex abuse victim says that Deputy Breen should apologise for the crass insensitivity in putting the question down in the first place.

“Did he not realise the negative impact and message tabling the question sends out to victims of sex abuse? No leeway should be given to sex abusers and instead of asking if this person should be released early, Deputy Breen should be asking for an extension to his sentence”.

“In this case, there were two male victims and the man received concurrent sentences. These sentences should have been consecutive. Why are people like Deputy Breen then asking questions about why they should be let out early?”

Arising from her own case, the 24-year old wrote to a number of Oireacthas members and councillors in Clare and said she didn’t even receive an acknowledgement from Deputy Breen’s office.

She said that she only received responses from Minister for State, Tony Killeen, Justice Minister, Michael McDowell and Cllr Brian Meaney in relation to the letter she circulated.

“I was furious when I read about the Dáil question being asked. The perpetrator didn’t even acknowledge the damage he caused.”

Deputy Breen was unavailable for comment last night. However, last week, he defended tabling the question, stating that he was not making representations on behalf of Mr Nugent and wouldn’t be in favour of an early release in the case.

He said that he was aware that Mr Nugent was a sex offender, but wasn’t aware of all of the facts in relation to the cases.