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THE top cause of loneliness among the 16,500 seniors living in Clare is a lack of money, a recent nationwide survey has found.

The survey conducted by financial consultants, Seniors Money found that a large portion (33 per cent) of those over 55 years surveyed feared that a lack of money when they retired would lead to a lonely life.

Geraldine Clare, CEO of Aware, a voluntary organisation assisting those affected by depression told The Clare People that “although there are certainly socio-economic factors to consider in retirement, money doesn’t necessarily improve isolation and loneliness. There are a number of other factors which cause isolation and loneliness in later life such as the passing of loved ones and peers.”

The survey also found that almost two thirds of Irish people worry that they will experience loneliness when they retire as a result of not having enough interests. Many fear that they have put so much time and energy into work that they have neglected other aspects of their life such as friends, hobbies and sports, while 53 per cent also felt that poor health contributed to loneliness.

This, according to Ms Clare, does not necessarily have to be the case. She said that, “although depression can be perceived as part and parcel of growing old and elderly people can become more debilitated making them more predisposed to depression, this is very treatable. There are also many activities and facilities now available for the elderly.”

CAMPAIGNERS opposed to the erection of an ESB telecommunications mast will have to wait a little longer to discover if they can begin their legal battle.

Local residents in Cahercalla More are attempting to take the action against the ESB who have asked that the case to be heard in the High Court be adjourned for two weeks until July 17.

Residents agreed to the request providing no work commences on the proposed site in the meantime. Residents have applied to the High Court to seek leave to appeal a decision by An Bord Pleanála to grant planning permission to the ESB for an 80 foot telecommunications mast. Locals are confident leave of appeal will be granted.

While campaigners await the outcome of the legal battle, attention now turns to mass protest that will take place in Ennis on Saturday, July 8. The protest is being organised under the auspices of the Better Environmental Safer Telecommunications (BEST) group to highlight the concerns of communities throughout Clare. Large numbers are expected for the march which will set of from the Éire Óg clubhouse at 11am. The march will continue down the Kilrush Road, across the Mill road and up Parnell Street. The march will conclude with a rally featuring a number of speakers in O’Connell square.

Leading campaigner Noel Mulhaire said, “We would appeal to people from across Clare to take part on Saturday. This is an issue that has affected many communities and we want to make it clear to the government that it is not okay to put up masts near houses and schools.”

PROFITS at Clare’s best known hotel, Dromoland Castle, increased last year to over €1.2 million, accounts filed to the Companies Office reveal.

According to the accounts lodged by Dromoland Castle Holdings Ltd, the company returned a net profit of €1.24 million – a slight increase on the net profit of €1.18 million in 2004.

Last year, the five-star hotel won the prestigious AA Irish Hotel of the Year Award and recorded gross profits of €10.64 million.

The figures also show that costs increased from €8.67 million in 2004 to €9.13 million last year. The company paid a dividend of €300,000 to its 30 investors in 2005, the same amount that was paid in 2004.

The accounts show that the company now has accumulated profits of €9.9 million.

Underlining the contribution the hotel makes to the local economy, €4.281 million was paid in wages and salaries.

Managing Director of Dromoland Castle, Mark Nolan, said, “All profits at Dromoland are re-invested. The investors just want Dromoland to be the best. They are not in it for any great return.”

Mr Nolan said that the hotel had recently spent €1 million on renovating 20 rooms, €1 million on a new golf academy and would spend €2 million on a new health spa for which a planning application was before Clare County Council.

The accounts value the hotel and conference centre at €11.4 million and the golf course at €1.19 million.

The accounts also reveal that €504,800 was paid to Hallmark Management Ltd in 2005. A total of €305,000 was paid to the company in 2004.

The accounts state that Hallmark Management Ltd is controlled by Mr Nolan and the company is paid a consultancy fee for the management services that it provides.

Mr Nolan has a share of two per cent in the business, while Sir Tony O’Reilly has a share of just under 25 per cent. The remainder of the shareholders are US based.

Room rates at the hotel range from €388 per night to €1,200 for the presidential suite, though discounts are available.

A number of international figures have stayed at Dromoland, including Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton, along with Hollywood stars Demi Moore, Bruce Willis, Robin Williams and John Travolta.

THE Kilrush Spirit was with the 18-man crew on board Clare’s only yacht in the BMW Round Ireland Yacht Race, as they passed Loop Head at 3pm yesterday.

The 18-man crew were in an impressive 4th place overall at time of going press last evening (Monday).

Although the Clare team is in fourth position in what is known as “laps time”, when their handicap is applied they are estimated to be in about 10th position.

The Limerick boat Altana Chieftain was in 5th position in lap time, but 8th when its handicap was applied.

The provisional results which reached The Clare People last evening showed the New Zealand yacht “Konica Minolta Zana” in first position.

While the west Clare crew on board The Spirit of Kilrush are believed to be well, they, like the other contenders, are struggling with a lack of wind.

Starting in Wicklow the 704-mile round Ireland race began on Saturday with the contenders sailing clockwise around Ireland keeping all islands to starboard.

The Spirit of Kilrush is a Volvo 60 yacht.

The Volvo 60 is a 19.5m ocean racing yacht and is capable of 35 knots, which is helped by 5,000 litres of water ballast.

She comes complete with a downwind sail area of some 4,490 square metres, upwind sail area 200 square metres, carbon fibre mast and the famous big boat coffee grinder winches.

All this means that the Spirit of Kilrush is a high performance, light weight and very sophisticated race machine.

Kilrush-based Saint Gobain has sponsored the yacht for the prestigious race.

Saint Gobain Managing Director, Tony Kennedy said the enthusiasm and energy that exists around the Spirit of Kilrush would hopefully translate into a successful weeks sailing and a high finish.

SEVENTEEN staff at Aer Arann’s call centre in Shannon are to lose their jobs at the end of next month, due to outsourcing.

The news emerged, as Aer Arann yesterday resumed its direct flight between Shannon and Dublin, which will run five days a week.

A spokeswoman for Aer Arann confirmed to The Clare People that the call centre, at Shannon Airport, was to close on August 31.

Work will be outsourced, but the company could not confirm if this would be in Shannon.

“We have decided to outsource the work to a third party,” said spokeswoman Jennifer Mooney.

“We are getting another company to do it, possibly in Shannon, possibly not,” she added.

She said the decision was a company move and Aer Arann would be speaking to the 17 staff who currently worked at the Aer Arann premises at Shannon Airport within the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, Shannon Airport has been chosen by Airports Council International (ACI) Europe as the Best Airport in Europe, for the one million to five million passenger category.

Airports were judged on excellence and achievement in the areas of operations, facilities, customer service, security, retail and community relationships.

The judges stated that Shannon Airport “continues to impress with its can-do spirit in constantly looking for improvements in its retail offerings, facilities and passenger/airline facilitation”.

Shannon is the first Irish airport to receive an ACI Best Airport Award and it adds to its two consecutive Best Irish Airport Awards from the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland.

CLARE’S newly elected mayor, Flan Garvey, may have been the first member of his family to join Fianna Fáil but he was never in doubt as to the political allegiance of his parents.

Inside the cover of his mother’s prayer book was the signature of her hero – Eamon deValera, while his father was a lifetime supporter of local TD and president Paddy Hillary.

The family’s civic service can be traced back to the new mayor’s grandfather, Johnny Murphy, who served on the Board of Guardians in Ennistymon at the turn of the last century.

Twenty-one years ago he marched for the first time with the soldiers of destiny in the council election and was last week elected first citizen of Clare.

Taking the chain of office from outgoing mayor Cllr Pat Keane, he said his first priority was the provision of a proper health service for the people of Clare and the promotion of local industry.

A keen environmentalist, he has already installed solar power, wind power and waterpower in his north Clare home and is currently installing woodchip heating.

The new mayor was the driving force behind Clare’s twinning arrangement with Newry and Mourne. He is currently studying for an MA in local history and folklore in the Institute of Technology Tralee, where he is also chairman of its governing body.

AN ambitious programme of initiatives and events with an emphasis on the less well-off was announced by Cllr Flan Garvey (FF) in his maiden speech as Clare’s mayor last Friday.

The Inagh councillor told the local authority’s annual general meeting that he had ‘finally won the race’ and was ‘absolutely delighted’ after he was the unanimous choice of the 32member Council to become Mayor.

Green party councillor, Brian Meaney was elected as Clare’s deputy mayor. The two will share a mayor’s allowance of €35,000 for the year.

The election pact forms part of a deal agreed between Fianna Fáil and independent councillors two years ago that leaves Fine Gael with only two of the ten posts on the Council for the next five years.

The new Mayor said he wanted the council to establish a Merit Award Scheme for Clare people and the 2007 Budget would include a contribution to the developing world. He said that a 22-day trip to the Clare Valley in Australia would take place next year for the 21st anniversary of the twinning with the Clare Valley.

AN ENNIS man convicted of criminal damage and theft has had his sentence reduced on appeal, after his solicitor asked that he be afforded ‘light at the end of the tunnel.’

Jamie Clune (28), of John Paul Avenue, Ennis, was jailed in the District Court for 11 months, along with two nine-month terms.

Referring to one of the incidents, Sergeant Michael Haran told Ennis Circuit Court that Clune stole prescription forms from a doctor’s surgery and attempted to use them to obtain drugs in a number of pharmacies in Ennis.

He told the court that since these cases were dealt with, the accused has been convicted of possession of a knife, failing to appear in court and for a public order offence, and was sentenced to 12 months in jail, at Ennis District Court in May.

Defence solicitor Tara Godfrey said while her client didn’t “expect to get a non-costodial sentence,” she was asking for light at the end of the tunnel.

Judge Carroll Moran said, “These are serious matters.

“He has got a lot of convictions. I can’t roll them all in and not give some extra punishment for these matters.”

He said he would reduce the 11-month term to nine months, and that would run concurrently with the two nine-month sentences imposed in the District Court.

He said this would run consecutively to the 12-month sentence imposed for possession of a knife, bringing the total to 21 months.

“The intention is 21 months, which is the appropriate discount,” said Judge Moran.

IT WAS at the mercy of God that noone was seriously injured in an Ennis Traveller feud, according to a judge who handed suspended jail sentences to six of those involved.

Judge Carroll Moran made the comments at Ennis Circuit Court yesterday as he dealt with four separate offences in Ennis.

Before the court were Edward (Ned) and Christopher Mongan,from Clondalkin, Dublin; Bernard McDonagh (39), 1 Ashline, Ennis; Christopher McDonagh (31), Davitt Terrace, Ennis; Bernard McDonagh Junior (22), Considine’s Road, Ennis; and Peter McDonagh (19), Considine’s Road, Ennis.

Four of the six accused no longer live in Ennis and were ordered to remain out of the town.

Outlining details of one of the incidents involving the four McDonaghs, Sergeant Michael Haran said an incident occurred at Tipsy McStaggers pub, Drumbiggle Road, Ennis, on Christmas Eve, 2004.

The row spilled out onto the street and up to 60 people were present, the majority of who were intoxicated.

“The McDonagh family, totalling 40, were highly charged. Ten members of another family did not get involved,” said Sgt Haran.

He said Christopher McDonagh jumped out of a car and brandished a hatchet.

A garda who tried to take it off him sustained an injury to the hand in the process.

Christopher McDonagh subsequently “violently resisted” arrest and broke from garda custody.

Gardai had to call for back-up and reinforcements arrived from Shannon.

The four McDonaghs pleaded guilty to affray, while Christopher admitted possession of an offensive weapon in the course of a fight, and with escaping from custody.

Arising out of separate incidents, Edward (Ned) and Christopher Mongan pleaded guilty to affray; Bernard, Christopher and Bernard McDonagh pleaded guilty to violent disorder; while Bernard McDonagh from Ashline, and Christopher McDonagh, pleaded guilty to criminal damage.

Judge Carroll Moran was told that the Mongans live in Dublin and that the geographical separation helped the situation.

“It was at the mercy of God that persons weren’t seriously injured, including members of An Garda Síochána, who went to defuse the situation.”

He said he was taking into account that peace has now been established between the two families and that the accused were “at a low risk of reoffending.”

He imposed sentences of three years, suspended for three years, and ordered each to keep the peace for that period.

RESIDENTS in the Moveen area of west Clare have called on Eircom to remove a telecommunications mast they consider illegal.

But, Eircom has warned that the removal of the mast would leave the area without Eircom or Vodafone coverage for a substantial period of time.

In a submission to the council, Eircom states that “the time required to find a further three suitable sites together with obtaining planning permission for masts of these sites will give rise to a prolonged service interruption or downgrade if the Moveen installation has to be removed.”

Last year, Eircom lodged plans with Clare County Council to retain the structure, near Kilkee, after planning permission for it expired on in May 2004.

The lodging of plans to retain the structure provoked widespread local opposition.

In the objection lodged on behalf of the Moveen East Protest Group, its chairman, Shay Hynes said the mast was an illegal structure, “which should be removed without further delay”.

“The existing mast doesn’t have planning permission and should have been removed since May 2004 in accordance with the original planning permission. Eircom Ltd has blatantly ignored the requirements of the original planning permission, has changed the use of the mast without permission, increased RF radiation emissions to unknown levels and ignored the enforcement order issued by the council.”

Mr Hynes said that the mast was in breach of existing guidelines “because of its proximity to dwellings with six homes within 300 metres of the mast”.

Sixteen other objections from local individuals and families have also been lodged against the proposal.

However, in its response, Eircom has stated that “locating the structure on a less elevated site would necessitate either much higher masts at other locations and or the location of further intermediary masts to relay the radio signal along the signal route. Furthermore, the size and construction of the mast as existing is what is required to carry the dishes necessary for a point-to-point radio digital telecommunications system

“A reduction in the height or width of this mast would seriously reduce its effectiveness as a telecommunications mast, affect the range and quality of customer services and may require the erection of further structures in the area in order to maintain the communications links now in place. The nature of the terrain indicates that at least two if not three mast locations would be required to restore the current communications links”.

A decision is due on the application later month.