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GARDA Pat Keating should know within a week if he is to be reinstated to his post at Shannon Garda station, according to the Garda Representative Association (GRA).

Gda Keating (33) was last week found not guilty of threatening a woman in Shannon, after a four-day trial at Ennis Circuit Court.

Keating is facing a public order charge in the District Court in April, in relation to a separate alleged offence in March 2004.

A source close to the garda said he was keen to return to work in Shannon, where he had been stationed for most of his 10-year career in the force.

The GRA supported Gda Keating during the trial. Its Clare spokesman Gda Tom Keane believes Gda Keating should be allowed to return to work in the short term.

“He has been acquitted. He is not guilty of anything and he has nothing to fear. He has been totally vindicated by a jury of his peers.”

Chief Superintendent Liam Quinn, meanwhile, said the decision on Gda Keating’s future rested with the Assistant Commissioner in charge of personnel, Catherine Clancy.

“There is a process to be followed and that is in train. I expect a decision will be made in the short term,” said Chief Supt Quinn. He said there was no general trend in such cases, as the Gda Keating situation was “most unusual”.

“A decision to suspend a garda is made by the Commissioner and is made on the circumstances surrounding a particular case,” he said.

Gda Keating has been suspended since allegations were made against him by his former girlfriend Eavan Drysdale in August 2004. He was acquitted of the charge of threatening her.

The case he is facing in the District Court is a more minor charge, one of engaging in offensive conduct in March 2004, an allegation which did not result in him being suspended.

THE Clare GAA board will, in the next week, begin discussions with a number of property magnates who have made submissions to develop a new GAA headquarters for the county.

The Clare People can reveal that the board received 10 submissions from developers.

These submissions were tabled before the cut-off date of March 1 and offers include bids by parties from inside and outside the county.

The county board is remaining tight-lipped on the impending negotiations.

But sources have revealed that competition amongst property developers to secure Cusack Park has been unprecedented over the past month.

“There has been a great response and now the board will be sitting down to meet interested parties over the next month to see what avenue it will go down with Cusack Park. Then a document will be prepared for the clubs in April,” a county board source told The Clare People .

It’s understood that the submissions were made directly by property developers, or by auctioneers, estate agents and solicitors acting for property developers.

Developmental interest in Cusack Park was sparked by a survey by The Clare People , which revealed that 78 per cent of club chairmen in the county were in favour of selling the county grounds and building a new stadium in the environs of Ennis. This represents an overwhelming endorsement for cashing in on what has been described as “the jewel in Clare’s GAA crown” in the same year as the county gears up to commemorate Michael Cusack on the 100th anniversary of his death.

The first hints that Cusack Park could be sold came at the Clare GAA convention in December, when board chairman, Michael McDonagh, said that “we might have to develop a new stadium”.

The first bid for Cusack Park was made by a consortium involving businessmen Bernard McNamara, Sean Lyne and Noel Connellan.

In a €30 million proposal, they pledged to build a new state-ofthe-art Cusack Park on the Quin Road, in exchange for the existing ground.

The Clare People understands that the other high-profile submission has been made by Michael Lynch & Company.

The company has pledged to develop a stadium, also on the Quin Road, in return for Cusack Park.

Meanwhile, just as speculation about Cusack Park mounts, the county board has received full planning permission to develop two grass pitches and dressing rooms at the 70 acres it bought in Caherloghan in Tulla.

CLARE’S first sponsored walk to promote suicide awareness aims to get people talking about one of the few taboo subjects left in today’s society.

One of the organisers, Claire O’Brien, is already aware of the devastation that suicide can cause to a family. Her brother Peter died this way eight years ago. It is only in recent years that the young Ennis woman can talk openly about the tragedy.

Teaming up with her brother-inlaw Keith Molloy and niece Sasha O’Brien, she has organised a walk of awareness for Ennis on April 23.

Keith, who has lost seven Clare friends through suicide in the last two years, said the response to the walk so far had been overwhelming, giving a small indication of the number of people affected by the issue.

“It (suicide) causes so much pain. If people realised there are people they can talk to, it would make it so much easier,” Claire told The Clare People .

Sasha believes that the issue needs to be discussed more in society.

“People are afraid to talk about it,” she said.

The fourth-year student, who has encountered suicide a number of times in her young life, is now trying to raise awareness in Ennis schools through a non-uniform day. The Colaiste Mhuire student hopes to get all the schools in the county town involved.

“My hope is that people will talk about it a lot,” said Ennis-man Keith. He wants the walk to make society aware of the number of people that lose their lives to suicide every year. The organisers say that both the public and the Government need to be aware of the seriousness of the issue.

While helplines are in place across the country, all too often, callers go through to voicemail, which is not good enough, they say. More funding needs to be provided to man such services, they claim.

The only 24-hour support for potential suicide victims in Clare is the Samaritans, according to Keith.

The group will give all proceeds from the walk to the Samaritans, and hope to organise a bag-packing day and non-uniform day in the future to raise more awareness and funds for the Samaritans. A pub collection will also be held on St Patrick’s Night.

The 10km sponsored Suicide Awareness Walk will begin at 2pm sharp from The Court House in Ennis. Light refreshments will be served afterwards in the Barge Rooms, Ennis.

Individual planning applications are costing Clare County Council an average of €10,000 each, with the applicant expected to fork out a further €7,100 per application.

According to Clare County Councillor PJ Kelly (FF), this is often borrowed money, which puts even further financial pressure on young people when they are refused permission and forced to reapply.

The figures were revealed by the councillor at a specially convened meeting between the Kilrush Area councillors and planners, to address what were described as “inadequacies” in the county development plan.

In the course of the heated meeting, the planners came under attack for inconsistency in their discussion making.

“It seems to me the architects have a different interpretation to the planners and the planners have a different interpretation to the elected members,” Cllr Bill Chambers (FF) said of the controversial development plan.

Cllr Tom Prendeville (FF) said that the county development plan might be the councillors’ plan but it was not their interpretation. He gave an example of four people who applied for planning permission on land in West Clare.

The first applicant got the permission almost straight away. The second person was told he would have to sign up to ‘Section 47’, a local planning provision, which meant that no other houses could be developed on that strip, while the third applicant was issued with the same response. The fourth applicant was given the permission with no reference whatsoever to ‘Section 47’, according to the councillor.

The councillors gave examples of farmers who could not get permission for a home on their own land, and other examples of what they described as “inconsistencies”.

Senior Executive Planner Liam Conneally said Section 47 was an operational issue.

“It would be a tool for us to grant planning permission in high-development areas,” he said.

The planner maintained that the development plan was a good one, with the council members at the heart of it.

THE mother of a six-year-old was jailed for 14 days after a judge heard she was found with 83 Ecstasy tablets that she admitted she was going to supply to other people.

Triona Hayes (28) of Oakwood Drive in Ennis pleaded guilty to the offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act before Ennis District Court at Newbridge Road, Ennis on May 21 last.

Her solicitor, Tara Godfrey, said Ms Hayes had a six-year-old son and had recently divorced after being in a very difficult marriage since she was 21.

“She admitted that she was going to supply the tablets to others and but for that admission, there would have been no evidence of supply in the case,” Ms Godfrey said.

She added that the Ennis woman “had a very hard time in her marriage and social workers commend her highly for the way in which she has worked with them to benefit her son.”

The solicitor told Judge Joseph Mangan that it was “the old story. She fell in with a bad crowd and was asked to hold on to these drugs one weekend and she did.

“She was not involved before this and no longer sees these people. Other than this incident, she is of good character.”

The solicitor added that Hayes had “her family behind her supporting her and her father is with her today.”

After leaving the matter stand until the end of the court sitting, Judge Joseph Mangan jailed the woman for 14 days. He set bail for an appeal at €500 with the woman’s own bond of €500.

LOCALS in Sixmilebridge were left in anger after eight cars were broken into during a three-hour period one night last week.

Four cars in the Mill Court housing estate, three at Cappagh Lodge and one at Chapel Court, were broken into between 2am and 5am on Thursday last.

All of the cars were searched. While nothing was taken from some of the cars, a stereo was taken from one and phones from two others.

“We would view this as a very serious incident. People in those estates may have heard suspicious activity,” said Supt John Kerin, who is appealing for witnesses to come forward.

“This is not the first time this has happened and we are very concerned about it,” said a community spokesman.

THE Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell has told each member of Clare County Council that there is no danger of infiltration by subversives or criminals into the new Garda reserve force.

In a bid to counter what he calls the ‘disinformation’ put into the public domain over the new reserve, Minister McDowell has written to each member of Clare County Council and stated, “I am confident that many of our fellow citizens will be proud to serve in the new Garda reserve.

“The reserve will provide an opportunity for continued involvement in law enforcement by retired members of the force, for many of whom policing and serving the community has been a life-time passion.

“Far from undermining the professionalism of our police force, these people will provide a diverse and rich resource for An Garda Síochána. Police forces across the common law countries have had reservists for many years. Is anyone seriously suggesting that police forces in the US or Britain are second rate as a result.

“The Garda Reserve concept has won the support of the Oireachtas, both in the ranks of Government and Opposition parties. I believe that the support of the public will also be forthcoming as the concept and the clear benefits it will bring are well understood”.

The reserve proposal is facing vehement opposition from the Garda Representative Association (GRA). GRA Central Executive member for Clare, Tom Keane stated, “a reserve police force, with little training and full Garda powers is something that we will not accept. It will be met with the opposition it deserves.”

In response to the letter, Councillor Brian Meaney (GP) said, “I am in favour of the Garda reserve and the attitude of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) needs to change on the issue.”

Cllr Meaney said that he would be applying to join the reserve only for Minister McDowell had ruled out members of political parties joining.

“The reserve needs to be given a fair chance. It will enhance the role of the Garda. However the resentment of the GRA towards reserve members will make life intolerable for the Garda reserve.”

CONTENTIOUS plans for a €50 million retail park on the outskirts of Ennis due to create 250 jobs when operational, have been given the go-ahead, in spite of opposition from An Taisce, independent retailers’ group RGDATA and local residents.

Ennis Town Council ruled in favour of the development on a 17-acre site, in close proximity to the St Flannan’s roundabout in Ennis.

According to the developer, Michael Lynch Ltd., 150 people will be employed during the construction phase.

It will comprise of a retail superstore, seven retail warehouse units and a garden centre.

A retail impact assessment lodged with the plan concluded that, “it will not adversely affect the viability and vitality of the existing Ennis town centre or the local economy.”

But as part of the 36 conditions attached to the planning permission, the council has ruled that no development can commence until An Bord Pleanala grants planning permission for a vehicular access to the development.

Residents of the Clare Road are appealing this decision to An Bord Pleanala. They are also set to appeal the granting of permission to the centre. A decision is due in August.

A spokesman for the local residents told The Clare People , “We are very disappointed with the decision and we feel that our concerns over the development, have been ignored by the Town Council. No concession was made to the residents concerns,” he said.

An Taisce has expressed “serious concerns with regard to the environmental sustainability of the proposal”.

A MAN found in possession of a stolen laptop, two brief cases and two driving licences told a court he had found them by accident and intended returning them to gardaí.

Thomas Halpin (36), of no fixed abode, was convicted of five charges of handling stolen property in Ennis in February. He had pleaded not guilty.

Principal of Ennis national school, Gary Stack, said a laptop had been stolen in a breakin to the school. A laptop was presented in court by investigating Garda Val McCormack and Mr Stack identified it as his.

Another witness, Donal Ó Loinsigh, said a briefcase containing GAA notes had been taken from his car, which was parked in the Tesco carpark, on February 9 last.

Gda McCormack told the court he found the items in the accused’s rucksack, on February 12 last.

“It was obvious the items were not belonging to him. They appeared to be stolen property,” said the garda.

Halpin was also convicted of a number of other charges including possession of a sharply pointed knife and criminal damage, on different dates.

Referring to the charges of handling stolen property, he told Ennis District Court, “I was afraid I’d be blamed for stealing them. I had full intentions of bringing them to the gardaí but I didn’t know how to go about it.”

Judge Joseph Mangan imposed a two year jail term, telling the Halpin’s solicitor Tara Godfrey, “He is not leaving me with a great deal of choice.”

OBJECTORS to the chosen site for a new bridge to span the River Shannon are to hold a public meeting to rally support for their stance.

John Young, chairman of the objectors group, recently wrote to all of those directly affected by the decision on the route of the bridge, inviting them to a meeting to discuss the issue.

With a turnout at a meeting last week of more than 60 local people, Mr Young said the group was “heartened by the level of interest and support. We are now planning to have a further, public meeting to let people know what is happening and to formulate a strategy of opposition.”

He stressed that the people involved with his group were “not anti having a new bridge across the Shannon. We are very pro having a bridge. But this is not the right location for it.”

The decision to site the new bridge at the historic Clarisford Palace in Killaloe and Roulagh Cross on the Ballina side was announced a few weeks ago. A second crossing, to be completed at a later date, is expected to be located just below O’Briensbridge.

The project will involve the demolition of at least one house and will cut across land close to St Anne’s Secondary School.

The route was decided on after the completion of a constraints study report on eight different locations by consultants, RPS MCOS.

Locals angered by the choice of route say it will be a danger to the heritage of the town and to 400 students who attend St Anne’s. They fear it will bring huge volumes of heavy traffic into the town. The objectors say that in routing the bridge in front of Clarisford, the council proposes going through land, which has been “consistently protected by an Bord Pleanála because of the heritage importance of the house”.

The group also believe that “not enough consideration has been given to the rate at which Killaloe is expanding and the extra amount of traffic that this will generate,” said Mr Young.

Local councillors from Clare, Tipperary and Limerick attended the meeting of affected residents in May’s Bar last week.

The next meeting will be an open, public one and will be held on Monday, March 20, at 8pm in the Kincora Hall Hotel in Killaloe. Anyone interested in the issue is welcome to attend, the chairman said.