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FROM an office in Brussels, Clare’s youngest county councillor, Cathal Crowe, pays tribute to a man he never met; a man who paved the way for the modern Fianna Fáil without representing its modern ethos.

The complexity of feelings of the new generation of Fianna Fáilers towards the former party leader is mirrored only by the life of the late Charles J Haughey himself.

Cathal Crowe was just 10 when Haughey was forced to resign as Taoiseach following revelations that he was aware of telephone-tapping on two journalists. More than a decade of revelations and scandals were to follow, leaving young Fianna Fáilers with first-hand experience only of the later part of the Haughey years.

“For me, he is a character in history. I have to balance the good, the bad and the ugly as I have heard and read them.

And the Clare councillor believes Haughey will be remembered for how he served the country

“In time, when people look at him

as a character in history, the contro versy of more recent years will fall into background.”

SHANNON Airport had never seen anything like this in its storied history and probably never will again. It had all to do with Taoiseach Charles J Haughey, some pomp and plenty of ceremony.

On December 22, 1987, the crown prince of Fianna Fáil took to the microphone on the Rineanna runway and asked for a round of applause.

It wasn’t for a departing Head of State – that came later on in the reign of the self-titled spirit of the nation, when he met the self-titled spirit of Perestroika, Mikhail Gorbachev on a stopover in Shannon.

Instead, it was for an American bald eagle that got lost over the Atlantic and crash landed in Castleisland. A lone eagle, not unlike the pioneer aviator Charles Lindbergh, who came to Rineanna, as the hub of world aviation was been built.

And the applause rang out for what the Taoiseach called “this magnificent young bird”. The brown-plumed eagle was momentarily taken out of its holding box and ceremoniously handed over to a US government representative, on the steps of the Aer Lingus jet, Saint Colmcille.

The bird played to the gallery, flapping his seven-foot wingspan and almost taking flight again. Charlie dived for cover, but remained unflappable as he spoke to reporters about the bird, which he christened ‘Iolar’.

“I think from every point of view, this is a very auspicious occasion. I know you will all join with me in wishing God speed to our young feathered friend and may his life be happy for many a long year in the wilds of Washington. There is an analogy between Fianna Fáil and the eagle. This young bird is full of strength and vigour,” said the Taoiseach.

IT is expected that plans will be lodged shortly for a plant that will produce an environmentally-friendly fuel in Shannon.

The plan will lessen the county’s dependence on fossil fuels.

A presentation on Clare’s future energy needs has also been told that wave energy off Clare’s coast has the potential to produce 150 per cent of the county’s current electricity needs and that, by 2015, wind-energy could supply almost 50 per cent of those requirements.

According to the manager of the Limerick Clare Energy Agency, Pat Stephens, it is anticipated that the Shannon-based pilot project will produce 100,000 litres of bio-diesel from pure plant oil each year.

Mr Stephens said that the project had the potential to produce 20 to 40 million litres. The company involved is seeking pre-planning discussions with Clare County Council on the issue.

In a presentation to the council’s Special Policy Committee on the Environment, Mr Stephens pointed out that Clare had no tillage land, nor experience in the tillage of rape seed.

Illustrating Clare’s dependence on fossil fuels, Mr Stephens said that Clare’s motorists consume 210 million litres of petrol and diesel each year. Mr Stephens said that 89 per cent of Clare’s energy needs are met by oil.

“We cannot produce oil, but we can produce electricity from wind, water and solar energy. Clare needs 200MW of electricity for its present needs”.

Mr Stephens said that, by 2015, Clare might have wind-farms producing 87MW of power.

He said that the Clare County Development Plan had targeted to have 20MW of wind-power by 2008.

However, he pointed out that 32MW was already connected through wind-farms at Connolly (19.5MW) and Moanmore, Kilrush (12.6 MW).

Mr Stephens said that 22MW was due to be contracted for connection before the end of 2007. Mr Stephens said that it was estimated that a further 33MW would be connected before 2015.

On the potential for developing electricity from the Atlantic ocean off Clare’s coast, Mr Stephens said that the potential annual output from wave energy was between 30 and 300MW. On the energy that could be developed through energy crops and forestry, Mr Stephens said that Clare had 43,700 hectares of land under forestry, which at 14 per cent was five per cent more than the national average.

CLARE County Council has again asked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reconsider two warning notices issued over the council’s management of the Inagh landfill facility.

The environmental agency issued a one-line response to the council’s previous five-page-long request to have the notices withdrawn.

Now, in response to the EPA’s letter, the council has written that, as licensee of the facility, it “requests that the Inspectorate of the Agency reconsider the details of the correspondence, dated April 12 and its subsequent reply”.

In March, the Agency served the fifteenth non-compliance notice on the council over the management of the €8 million landfill.

The notice centred on the council allegedly felling trees during the nesting season and on continuing odour problems caused by the landfill.

However, in a lengthy and strongly-worded response, the council formally requested that the agency withdraw the two non-compliance notices, claiming that it had acted outside its powers.

The council stated that “the agency would appear to have arbitrarily issued a non-compliance in relation to tree-felling which it can be argued is outside the scope of the licence as the issue of tree-felling is defined and protected within other statute.

“In the council’s view, the agency has in effect acted ultra vires in the issue of non-compliance notice as the basis for its issue is held by other authorities.”

The council pointed out that the Forestry Service and the National Parks and Wildlife Service had both categorically indicated that they had no reservation in relation to tree-felling on this site.

However, in spite of the lengthy arguments put forward by the council, the EPA, after a five-week interlude, issued the one-line reply that “notwithstanding the information submitted by the council, the agency considers that the Non-Compliances should remain”.

In its latest response, the council writes that “as licensee (it) outlined a number of matters in support of the case for the withdrawal of the notification of non-compliances.

“We respectfully request that the rationale forming the basis of the position of the Inspectorate is outlined. A detailed response to all other issues raised would also be appreciated”.

THE spiteful vandal that put the vehicles available to an emergency medical service out of action knew what they were doing, it was revealed this week.

But it is not clear whether the person, or persons, who slashed all the tyres on the Shannon Doc vehicle parked outside the hospital in Ennis, were acting out of a personal vendetta or just wanton vandalism.

The ruthless slasher cut all the wheels of the Shannon Doc vehicle parked on the grounds on the Mid Western Regional Hospital Ennis, during the last bank holiday weekend, before attacking the on-call doctor’s car.

Not content with putting both cars beyond use, the vandal then slashed the tyres on the private car of Shannon Doc’s designated driver.

During the mindless rampage, single tyres on other cars parked close to the Shannon Doc vehicles were also cut.

Shannon Doc Supervisor for the Clare area, Sean Lyons, said he was not willing to speculate if it was wanton vandalism or a personnel vendetta, but said the incident put lives at risk

“They could even have put one of their own families lives at risk had they needed the emergency service,” he pointed out.

The car was equipped with emergency equipment, including a defibrillator and oxygen.

The staff had to transfer all of the equipment into a taxi when an emergency call came in shortly after the attack, losing vital minutes.

“It was almost like interfering with an ambulance,” said Mr Lyons.

Despite being one of its busiest times, an Ennis taxi service gave priority to Shannon Doc, according to the service’s spokesperson.

“We are very grateful to all the people involved who assisted on the night,” said the Shannon Doc manager based in Limerick, Larry Maher, paying tribute to the taxi firm, the Shannon Doc staff and supervisor.

The doctors beginning the morning shift used their own cars until the emergency vehicle was repaired, ensuring that all calls could be responded to.

Gardaí in Ennis say they are investigating the incident. Shannon Doc have two other units in Clare.

THE young man killed in a road accident in Kildysart in the early hours of yesterday miraculously survived a crash which claimed the life of his girlfriend almost two years ago.

Stephen Corry (21) was killed when his black Honda Civic hit a wall in Kildysart village at 2am yesterday (Monday). He was on his way to his home at Moyfadda, Labasheeda, when the tragedy struck.

Stephen, the eldest son of Michael and Vera Corry and brother of MJ, had socialised with friends in Ennis and Kildysart in the hours leading up to his death. He is understood to have given a lift home to a friend, before bidding other friends farewell at The Square in the village. Minutes later, he hit a wall to the front of a house, adjacent to the Community Centre on Main Street.

Stephen is the fifth person to die in road crashes in Clare since the start of the year. All of the fatal accidents have occurred on Mondays.

A sticker with the words, “God is my co-pilot” was fixed to the back windscreen of the car he cherished.

Stephen was the driver of a van which was involved in a tragic accident 22 months ago, which claimed the life of his then girlfriend, Brigid O’Brien from Coolmeen.

On that occasion, Stephen was driving his Berlingo Van when he collided with a bullock at Tiermaclane, Ennis, at 10pm on August 14, 2004.

Stephen attended Brigid’s inquest at Ennis Coroner’s Court last October, which heard that he did not realise he had hit an animal until he got out of the car and saw the bullock lying on the grass.

A LAKE popular with tourists has been closed due to the outbreak of a toxic algal bloom.

Clare County Council has erected signage around Lake Inchiquinn advising people not to enter the lake after an outbreak of blue-green algal bloom. The council took the measures after a dog which had drank water from the lake died. Another dog, which had also been in the lake, fell seriously ill but recovered soon after. The dogs were owned by two English tourists who were visiting the Corofin area last Saturday, June 3. When the incident occurred, they took the sick animal to an Ennisbased vet. Signs were subsequently erected by the county council on the Monday following the incident.

A MAN who had a gripe with a priest over a book he wrote, shouted obscenities outside another priest’s house late at night.

Joe Cullinan (57), of 6, Elm House, Shannon – a writer of books and poetry – appeared before Shannon District Court, facing criminal damage and public order charges, following two separate incidents.

Sergeant Michael O’Connell told the court that Fr Colm Hogan complained that the front window of his house had been broken during the night of March 18.

He said the accused was seen shouting in the area, calling the priest a “Tipperary f*****.” The incident took place at around 11pm.

“He admitted that he was very drunk and was shouting, roaring and calling the priest obscene things. He said he had no fault with Fr Hogan but he had with another priest,” said Sgt O’Connell.

Relating to a separate incident, Garda Chris Lanney said the accused banged on the front window of the porch of a house, at around 1.30am on December 27 last.

He broke the porch during the incident and verbally abused the occupant of the house.

“He called the occupant a f***ing c*** and a b****. It is an ongoing thing between the occupant and the defendant. A friend of his lives next door,” said the garda. The court was told the accused, who has a drink problem, agreed to pay €450, in respect of the criminal damage to the porch.

Mr Cullinan, a separated father-of-two, writes books and poetry on Clare, which he sells to tourists. He was in dispute with a priest in relation to one of his books.

Defending solicitor Rachel Dobson said both matters related to alcohol and her client had never been in trouble before.

Judge Joseph Mangan noted that €450 damage was caused on one occasion and €40 on the other and heard that no compensation was in court.

“If someone has a dispute with a neighbour, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it,” added the judge.

He adjourned the case for a week, remanding the accused in custody with consent to bail.

Referring to the compensation, he said, “I don’t expect him to have all of that next week, but I’m certainly not going to wait another six months.”

He ordered that a Probation report, with specific reference to alcohol abuse and anger management, be carried out.

A NUMBER of Ennis taxi-drivers are at the forefront of an “army-deafness” style legal action against the Government to secure millions in compensation over the deregulation of the industry.

Prior to deregulation in 2000, the most expensive taxi “plates” in the state were being sold in Ennis because the local taxi market was restricted to just 20 taxi-drivers.

In the previous year, a local man bought a plate for €150,000, while others purchased plates for €142,000 and €135,000.

However, as a result of legislation introduced by former Progressive Democrat Minister, Bobby Molloy, any person could enter the taxi market by purchasing a plate for €6,500.

Six years on, Ennis has 116 licensed taxis. One of the original 20 taxi-drivers Paul Kelliher is among the local operators who has been contacted to join the legal action.

The Ennis man purchased his plate for €92,000 in 1996 and is confident the legal action will succeed.

“You could buy a decent house in 1996 in Ennis for €60,000. When we purchased our plates, we were investing in our futures and our pension and that was wiped out overnight and we are hoping to be re-imbursed. Natural justice would suggest that what was done was wrong.”

“Deregulation is not the issue – restrictive entry enforced by the Government was and is wrong. Allowing entry at very little cost, thereby wiping out the investment made by existing operators, is at issue here. If the government had issued licences at a cost to reflect value, existing taxi drivers would not be aggrieved nor would a legal challenge be now pending.”

“No single group of self-employed businessmen had ever been isolated and destroyed as quickly and effectively.”

“All these operators converge on the only taxi rank in Ennis to ply their trade. Ennis Town Council has got a windfall of €624,000 in licensing fees since deregulation and their only response has been a proposal to move the existing taxi rank to a ‘back-alley’ location in possibly the most dangerous location in Ennis, at the Parnell Street car park.”

He said that Limerick legal firm, Mc Mahon O’Brien Downes has been in contact with him on the issue of instituting proceedings – the firm was one of the highest earning firms in the legal actions taken against the Government over the army-deafness cases.

THE VILLAGES of Flagmount and Scariff were in shock yesterday after a popular local man was found dead in the River Graney.

Local people joined gardaí from Scariff in a search of the river after the Flagmount man failed to return home from a fishing trip on Sunday night.

His body was located in shallow water near Caher this morning. Emergency search and rescue services were put on alert when the fisherman was reported missing but they were stood down after he was found.

He has been named locally as 56 year old Johnny Leonard, a father of four grown up children from Knockbeha in Flagmount.

A driver for the forestry service, he was married to Margaret and one of a large family. His brother, Michael Leonard, is a priest working with emigrants in Chicago. Other family members living abroad were being informed of the tragedy last night.

A post-mortem examination will be carried out today at the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick, but gardaí said they did not suspect any foul play.