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A MAN with 27 previous convictions, who stole a mobile phone from a woman’s handbag in a pub in Lahinch, has been jailed for six months.

Father-of-two Thomas McDonagh (37), of 3 Dún na hInse, Claureen, Ennis, was also jailed for one month for engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour, at a Lahinch nightclub.

Sgt Mick Gallery told Ennis District Court a woman was approached by the accused and another individual at the Spinnaker bar in Lahinch on July 10, 2004. At around 1am she noticed her mobile phone was gone.

On the same night the accused went to a disco and was refused entry. He tried to force his way in past the door staff continuously for 30 minutes.

Inspector Tom Kennedy said the accused has 27 previous convictions, mostly for motoring-related matters, while there was a conviction for assault, criminal damage, larceny and public order, in the 1990s.

Defending solicitor Tara Godfrey said in the past five years, her client has not come to the attention of gardai, for assault, theft or public order offences. Ms Godfrey said her client does not recall taking the mobile phone and walking out with it, although he does accept he had it.

She asked Judge Joseph Mangan to give her client the opportunity to continue to build his life.

Judge Mangan imposed a six month sentence for the theft charge and a one month sentence for public order. He fixed recognisances in the event of an appeal.

TWO former members of the Mid-Western Health Board were appointed to the new Regional Health Forum, West yesterday, less than two years after the board was disbanded to make way for the Health Service Executive.

Fianna Fail Councillors Pat Daly and Bill Chambers, who have five and 20 years respectively on the former board, were nominated to the new forum by their party peers, while Green Party member Brian Meaney was also appointed with the support of the Independent candidates and Labour’s Pascal Fitzgerald.

Fine Gael proposed the fourth and final Clare member Cllr Joe Coney to the new health forum, which will be one of just four in the country.

Clare County Council will make up 10 per cent of the Western health forum, which spans counties from Donegal to North Tipperary and Limerick.

Each city and county council will be allocated a number of representatives based on its population. The aim of the forum is to allow councillors make representations to the Health Service Executive on the range and operation of health and personal social services in their area.

The first annual meeting of the forum must take place no later than four weeks after the appointment of the final member to that forum.

The Health Service is required to arrange the first meeting of the forum and provide ongoing administrative support.

HOUSE-buyers are to be hit with a price hike after Clare County Council yesterday imposed additional levies on new homes. From January 1, builders have to pay an additional 3.3 per cent in planning contributions on new homes.

The move by the council to increase levies will have resulted in a rush by developers to beat the end-of-year deadline for lower levies. The impact on the market in Clare is not expected to be immediate.

In the face of much opposition from councillors and the building industry, the local authority adopted a new scale of planning contributions in 2003 which almost doubled the cost of water and sewerage connections to new homes in the space of 18 months.

Those hardest hit in the new scheme are householders living in areas serviced by the Government-sponsored Serviced Land Initiatives (SLI) where, during the first phase of the charges, householders were asked to pay €5,000 for water and sewerage connections. The SLIs are located on the eastern and western outskirts of Ennis, Clarecastle and Clonlara.

The council’s 2004 annual report shows that it spent less than half the €10 million generated through a controversial scheme targeting developers to fund public infrastructure. €10.4 million was raised through the contentious Development Contribution Scheme but only €4.69 million of this was spent during the first full year of operation.

A detailed breakdown shows that last year the council collected €1.45 million for amenity and recreation projects, but spent only €0.235 million on such projects. €1.48 million was collected for roads projects, but only €0.10 million was spent.

“The projects identified in the Development Contribution Scheme will be funded in whole or in part from development contributions collected during the lifetime of the scheme, e.g. major water supply and sewerage schemes,” the report stated. “A number of public infrastructure projects are at planning or design stage and monies collected from development contributions shall be applied to fund these projects.”

Explaining the high amount received through the scheme, the council report states, “This figure is due in part to a very high level of collection in the months leading up to the adoption of the scheme in March 2004, as developers took the opportunity to ensure that all payments in respect of previously decided applications were made.

“The level again increased in December 2004 as applicants ensured that their payment was made prior to the increase to be applied in January 2005, under the index linking of the amounts chargeable under the scheme.”

JUST one year after the introduction of the smoke-free workplaces legislation, Ireland has experienced a dramatic reduction in smoking rates. Today 23.6 per cent of the population smoke, a fall of 3.4 per cent in just over one year.

But Munster had a higher smoking rate than some parts of the country to begin with. In 2002 the smoking rate was higher in Munster at 28 per cent than the national rate of 27 per cent.

The North Eastern health Board had one of the lowest smoking rates at 23 per cent but Leinster had the highest smoking rate of 30 per cent.

And studies show that 70 per cent of smokers who want to quit cannot, because of their dependency on nicotine.

Meanwhile, a Clare anti-smoking group has urged members of the public to report premises which flout the antismoking laws.

The HSE and the Clare Smoking Action Group has said that the public needs to be reminded of the right to a smokefree environment.

Ms. Pauline Duke, Senior Environmental Health Officer, has called on the public to play their part in supporting the smoke-free legislation. She has appealed to anyone who has a concern or complaint to contact the National Compliance Line on 1890 333100.

“It’s not that there are any problems in the observance of the new legislation in Clare. The compliance rate at 90 per cent is in fact remarkably high and public awareness has played a crucial part in sustaining this.

“However, there is always the temptation for smokers to overlook the rights of non-smokers”, said Ms Duke.

“Usually all it takes is a polite reminder of the law but if this does not work it is important that people know what to do in order to secure their right to a smoke free environment”, she added.

Ms Geri Quinn, Senior Health Promotion Officer said she is “asking all smokers to seriously think about quitting as their New Year Resolution – three out of every four smokers want to quit.

“Quitting is the single most important thing smokers can do to improve their health and the health of their families.”

THERE’S no doubt that the news team at The Clare People are a dedicated bunch. But we’re currently minting a medal for Dedication Far Beyond the Call of Duty for sub-editor Michael Mulqueen, whose second child arrived on New Year’s Day.

In doing so, baby Mulqueen ensured that his dad’s colleagues had no trouble filling the space reserved for the first baby born in Clare in 2006.

And while modest Michael protests that it was all a coincidence, the fact that the bouncing baby boy arrived two days early just heightens the suspicion that Michael was doing a super job.

But the jury is out on whether the newly-minted medal should go to Michael or his wife, Fidelma, for her amazing co-operation.

The 6lb 15oz beauty checked in at 12.26am at the Regional Maternity Hospital in Limerick on January 1. He is a brother for three-year old Alexandra and has been named Harry.

Mum and baby are both doing well and were discharged to come home to Ennis yesterday.

The first baby born in the Midwest was baby Calvin who was born to Edwina Walsh at the Limerick hospital at 12.03am.

He arrived just 60 seconds behind Ireland’s first new-year baby.

Baby Molly Hogan took her first look at the world at 12.02 in Kilkenny.

CLARE’S Fine Gael TD, Pat Breen, has been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat after suffering a health scare over the Christmas period.

Scotching local rumours that he suffered a heart attack, Deputy Breen said, “I’m fine. There was no heart attack and I am going to take it easy for a couple of weeks.”

He spent two nights at Ennis General Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as he underwent tests after being admitted with the heart complaint.

“I was at the gym on the Monday prior to Christmas and the gym instructor said to me that I may have an irregular heartbeat,” Deputy Breen said. “I then went to my GP who confirmed this, and he recommended that a full investigation take place and I was admitted to hospital.”

The father of two underwent several tests, including an angiogram.

“I got the all-clear in all the tests except for being diagnosed with the irregular heartbeat,” he said. “The tests confirmed that I didn’t suffer a heart attack and that my blood and valves were fine. What has happened should serve as a wake-up call that everyone should go for a routine check-up, because I had no symptoms. I am on medication to rectify the problem and often it rectifies itself without medication.”

Deputy Breen said that he believes that his irregular heartbeat was brought upon by the stress caused by the death of his mother at the end of November and “burning the candle at both ends when it comes to work.

“I was very close to my mother and she was three weeks to a month dying, and that involved staying up all night some nights with her.

“I didn’t take any time off after she died so things caught up with me. It has taken its toll.”

Deputy Breen added, “It is a warning to me to slow down. I was doing 16hour working days, six and a half days a week and not spending enough quality time on myself or with my family.”

The Ballynacally man said that the diagnosis has made him re-evaluate his lifestyle.

“I am going to make more use of my time and not drive to Dublin to the Dail anymore but get the train instead, which is something I haven’t been doing.”

Deputy Breen said that he hopes to make a full return to work before the end of the month. The Dail doesn’t commence its sittings until the last week of January.

A MAJOR new survey of the attitudes and future intentions of farmers in County Clare has been launched this week by the Rural Resource Development (RRD). The survey, which will be conducted by Ennis-based company Broadmore Research, will see some 200 farming families in the county being interviewed over the next two months.

Last year heralded a host of dramatic changes to the way that farming is organised in Clare, and indeed in Ireland.

The arrival of the single farm payment, coupled with the fallout from last month’s World Trade Organisation talks, has altered the landscape of Irish farming and left many Clare farmers unsure of their future.

“We welcome the survey, we would welcome anything that might help farmers in Clare,” said the IFA County Chairperson, Seamus Murphy. “The first thing must be to assess where farmers are at after the single payment and WTO as well as all the nitrate regulations that are coming in this year.”

The results of the survey will be used to shape the types of support which will be offered to farmers in Clare over the next five years. While it is anticipated that large amounts of Clare farmers will be forced from the land in the coming year, Mr Murphy has called for farmers to be supported first and retrained for a career off the land second.

“While things may look very negative, it might not be as bad as it looks,” said Mr Murphy. “There will be some need for training but the most important thing is to reinforce the livelihood of farmers in its current position.”

Councillor Pat Hayes, Chairman of Clare County Development Board, has encouraged any farm families contacted to participate in the survey.

“This is an opportunity for farming families in County Clare to state their plans for the future and inform policy-makers of the services they require in the county,” said Councillor Hayes. “Make use of this chance and let us know your views.”

Interviewers will be contacting farming families over the next number of weeks and asking them to complete a questionnaire. The information will be held in strict confidence with no record of names being taken.

A 19-YEAR-old man questioned in connection with a serious assault in Shannon town centre has been released without charge.

A 21-year-old man from the Newmarket-on-Fergus area sustained head injuries in an incident at around 4pm last Tuesday. He was detained at the high dependency unit at the Mid Western Regional Hospital, Limerick and is still in hospital.

Shannon gardai reviewed CCTV footage of the incident and interviewed a number of people who were in the area at the time. They then made an arrest early on Thursday. The man arrested was detained at Shannon garda station under Section Four of the Criminal Justice Act on Thursday, before being released without charge that evening.

“A file is being sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions. We are not looking for anybody else in relation to this incident,” said a garda source.

Separately, gardai are following a definite line of enquiry after a 25-year-old man was assaulted in Shannon early on New Year’s day.

The young man, from the Newmarket-on-Fergus area, was assaulted in the face, close to the Shell garage in Ballycasey at 2am. As a result of the blow, he fell to the ground and hit his face off the kerb in the process.

He was taken to the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick and was discharged some time later.

Shannon gardai are also investigating an alleged incident in which a 36-year-old non-national was threatened with a knife on New Year’s Eve.

It is claimed that at around 6pm two men who were travelling on a motorcycle approached the man close to the Oakwood Arms Hotel. He has claimed that one of them threatened him with a knife, before they made way with his laptop and mobile phone.

“We are appealing for anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity in this area at around that time to contact us,” said a garda spokesman.

Shannon gardai can be contacted on (061) 361212.

CHAIRPERSON of the Clare Tourism Council, Paddy Maher, has criticised the work of Tourism Ireland, the agency whose job it is to promote Ireland to foreign markets.

Speaking after the announcement of a 5 per cent increase in the amount of foreign tourists entering Ireland, Mr Maher, who is also the manager of the Burren Centre in Kilfenora, accused Tourism Ireland of neglecting its role in the west of Ireland.

“We are out there trying to present what we have and we are getting very little support from Tourism Ireland,” said Mr Maher. “We find them very weak at filtering out the big tour operators to the rural areas.

“When it come down to the nitty gritty they really have not focused on the product on the west of Ireland at all. The rural areas are just not getting any attention,” he continued. “Everyone wants to get a slice of the cake but we just can’t seem to get our slice.”

Preliminary figures released by Fáilte Ireland indicate that almost 6.7 million people travelled to Ireland from foreign countries in 2005 but that an increasing number were staying in urban centres and the average length of holidays was decreasing.

“We would be of the opinion that the 5 per cent increase has been seen in some parts of the mid west but definitely not in others,” continued Mr Maher. “We have seen a growth of about 3 per cent but most of that has come about as a result of the Ryanair Flights to Shannon Airport.”

Indeed, earlier this year the Burren Centre in Kilfenora joined the cross border promotional group, Heritage Island. This move essentially means that the centre is paying Heritage Island for the promotional work that the government organisation Tourism Ireland should be doing for free.

DRIVERS in urban areas, over the age of 30, accounted for the majority of drink driving arrests in Clare during the Christmas road safety campaign, The Clare People learned.

So far during the campaign, which will conclude on Sunday, 31 people have been arrested for drink driving, 10 of which were during the past week.

While this figure is a reduction on the same five-week period last year, the overall figure for the year shows a 10 per cent increase in the number of people arrested for drink driving in the Clare garda division.

283 drivers were arrested for drink driving during the whole of last year, compared with 257 during 2004.

And while warnings on drink driving does appear to be hitting home in rural parts of the county, the same cannot be said in urban parts.

The head of the Clare garda division traffic bureau Inspector Kevin Moynihan said while the checkpoints were “evenly spread” throughout the division, the majority of the arrests during the Christmas campaign were in Ennis and Shannon.

“The arrests during the campaign so far have mainly been urban. “There have been very few arrests in rural areas. Possibly people are paying attention more in rural areas. has don’t seem to be listening,” he said. “There is more public transing more. Most people arrested were

“Younger people seem to be listenport in urban areas but people just over 30 and all will face court in the new year”.

Meanwhile the number of drivers issued with fixed charge notices for speeding decreased by 21 during the first four weeks of the six-week Christmas campaign, when compared with the corresponding period during 2004.

During the same period, 62 drivers were issued with notices for failing to wear seatbelts, a decrease of 15 on the same month in 2004.

However year-on-year, there was a significant increase in the number of drivers caught speeding or failing to wear their seatbelts.

There was extra enforcement during the year while an additional five personnel are expected to be appointed to the traffic corps in the division this year, as part of government plans to increase the national traffic corps from 563 to 805 nationally.

Inspector Moynihan said that overall, the road safety campaign over Christmas was a success. While there were a number of minor accidents, there were no major crashes.

“It certainly has been a success. Thankfully there were no fatalities and no serious injury accidents. There were a number of minor accidents and these were down to road conditions,” he said.

A total of 12 people were killed in road crashes in the Clare garda division during 2005, compared with 11 during 2004.