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have helped in a situation like that,” she said.

“I saw a young woman running from a rough area, which really isn’t safe for women to be walking in alone. She more or less ran into me and she was being followed by a masked man on a bicycle with an iron bar.”

The presence of Maura, who is a Sister of Charity of Our Lady of Evron, was enough to scare off the attacker and the North Clare nun was quickly able to comfort the teenager and reunite her with her family.

The attack took place just before 7pm last Saturday week, September 6, and the Soanes family yesterday released a description of the attacker. The attacker is thought to be around 5ft 10ins and of skinny build, he also spoke with a non-local accent which was possibly Irish.

Rebecca’s father Jeff Soanes yesterday hailed the Sister Considine as a ‘true saviour’.

“It was a horrible attack but it could have been a lot worse. Honest to God, she is a true saviour,” he said.

“This kid is dangerous. If somebody knows him, do yourself a favour and look at the morals you’ve been brought up with and drop us a name.”

atives aimed at preventing crime, reducing the fear of crime and pro moting community and road safety,” Crime Prevention Off cer, Sgt Joe Downey explained.

“We hope to achieve this objective, by visible, accessible, and proactive involvement with the various com munity partnerships and crime pre vention initiatives operating in their local areas.”

Sgt Downey said these measures will include: proactive foot patrols, mountain bike patrols and increased high visibility marked Garda car patrolling; erection of information stands at strategic locations such as supermarkets and festivals.

Gardaí will also meet with elderly residents of the area and multi agen cy community partners to promote interaction and joint approaches to common problems.

Sgt Downey explained that burgla ries tend to increase over the winter months.

He said security measures such as a properly working alarm and keep ing an unrestricted view of their property especially from the front in order to deprive would be criminals of cover, are essential to preventing burglaries.

He continued, “Report all attempt ed burglaries and burglaries immedi ately on discovery. Over half of all burglaries are through the rear of the property so extra security measures are required. In one f fth of burgla ries entry is gained through an un secured door or window. Keep them securely locked when the property is vacant. “The most common property stolen is jewellery, cash, laptops, tools and hi f equipment like cameras games consoles etc. Keep your most expen sive items hidden from obvious plac es and keep a record of them (photo) and mark large items in case they are recovered after being stolen. Be aware that keys left on a table close to the door can be ‘f shed’ out through the letter box,” Sgt Downey said.

A TEENAGER has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for making hoax phone calls to the emergency ser vices in Clare. In calls made on November 13, 2013 and June 16, 2014, Nathan Coughlan ( 18) claimed a male had jumped into the River Fergus, Ennis District Cour t heard on Wednesday. Both claims turned out to be false and the calls were subject to a garda investigation. Mr Coughlan, with an address at Mallow Road, Doneraile Cork but who is from Ennis, pleaded guilty to two offences contrar y to

SHANNON Airport’s strong revival continues according to figures released by the Irish Aviation Authority, which show a 27 per cent increase in flights from this time last year.

With an average of 71 flights dai- ly during the month of August the number is significantly up on the same month last year.

According to the figures, August saw 1,835 flights in Irish airspace, including approximately 700 flights at the three main airports – Shannon, Cork and Dublin.

Dublin is also continuing its steady climb with 528 daily movements up 2.6 per cent in August.

Cork figures were down however with a total of 63 flights using Cork each day in August and to date the airport traffic is down 3.7 per cent on August 2013.

The overall figure for Irish airports increased by 5.2 per cent in August over the same month last year, with Shannon’s success impacting significantly on that number.

The summer season saw strong growth in flights using Irish airspace, with air traffic up 6.5 per cent in August on 2013. North Atlantic traffic mirrored this trend with a 7.3 per cent increase on 2013.

THE community of Ballyea was plunged into mourning last week following the death of father of five Gerard O’Connell.

Mr O’Connell died following a farm accident in Ballyea last week.

Just before 10pm on Wednesday night, Gardaí and emergency services were called to a farm in Ballyea where the 57 year old was fatally injured in an incident, believed to have involved a tractor and trailer.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, which was sealed off.

The Health and Safety Authority were informed of the incident and an investigation commenced when a HSA inspector visited the site on Thursday.

It is understood the deceased was loading cattle into the trailer at around 7pm when the accident occurred.

His body was later discovered at the scene by a family member.

One local described Mr O’Connell as an “absolute gentleman”.

“It’s an awful thing to happen. He was a lovely man, a hard worker and an absolute gentleman.”

Mr O’Connell’s son Gearóid is a member of the Clare U21 hurling side that will play in the All-Ireland final against Wexford on Saturday. Another son, Paddy, is also well known club hurler and footballer.

The tragedy is the second to take place on a farm in Clare in a fortnight.

On August 20, a 38-year-old single man died while he was fitting a wheel to a vehicle near his home in Liscannor.

The chairman of the Clare IFA, Andrew Dundas, expressed his condolences to the O’Connell family on their tragic loss.

“This was certainly a very sad case,” he said.

Mr Dundas said farm safety has been at the top of the IFA’s agenda in recent months.

Mr Dundas said it is important farm families get together and compile a safety audit of their farm and farm practices to identify areas that may be of concern.

Mr Dundas said the association is also concerned by the growing number of farmers who are working longer hours in order to earn a living.

“Certainly that is something that we are hearing again and again. People feel that they have to work longer and longer. Very few people can make a living directly from farming so you find people are working a lot longer,” he explained.

CLARE county councillors cannot vote to reduce the Local Property Tax (LPT) until after a budget report is prepared and brought before them.

Council officials have just two weeks to complete a draft budget that previously took two months.

Delayed direction on its expenditure from central government and a requirement by Revenue to know its decision by the end of the month has put the council under sever pressure.

Council CEO Tom Coughlan said the final decision on increasing or decreasing the property tax will remain with the council members.

Former mayor of Clare, Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) said that people “need to be aware that our property tax will be leaving the county.

“There is a feeling that Clare has a surplus and we can now give money back. The reality is the people of Clare are going to subsidise the people of other cities and counties. If we reduce it by 15 per cent what are the implications?” he asked.

Cllr Richard Nagle (FF) said that the reduction might just be between € 30 to € 40 per household but that is significant in many homes.

“€ 50 to € 100 is a lot to people out there because they just do not have it,” he told last evening’s meeting of the council.

Cllr Cathal Crowe (FF) asked that the county manager instruct the county solicitor to challenge the breakdown of the taxation in the courts.

THE late Jim White has been recalled as a “dynamic and generous man” who made an “immense” contribution to the tourism industry in Clare.

The former Fine Gael TD and businessman passed away aged 76 last Tuesday. Originally from Donegal, he has a long association with the hotel industry in Clare.

He purchased the Hydro Hotel in Lisdoonvarna in the mid-seventies, which laid the foundations for what is now known as White’s Hotel Group, comprising the King Thomond, the Burren Castle Hotel and the Imperial Hotel. The Group also runs hotels in Donegal and Kerry.

Chairman of Lisdoonvarna Fáilte Ltd, Paddy Dunne, said Mr White was an “extremely popular and wellrespected man who will be greatly missed both at home in Donegal and here in North Clare”.

He continued, “Since the 1970s Jim’s contribution to the promotion of tourism in Lisdoonvarna has been immense. The White family’s investment in the town created, and continues to create, much needed employment in the local area. Indeed from the moment Jim arrived in Lisdoonvarna, following the purchase of the Hydro Hotel and the Moher Inn, which is now the Burren Castle Hotel, he employed locals. Initially during the renovation of the hotels he employed local trades people and then subsequently hotel staff.

“There are not many families in Lisdoonvarna who haven’t had at least one member employed at one of the White’s hotels. Jim was a dynamic and generous man who will be remembered fondly, particularly in September when the hotels are full and Lisdoonvarna really comes alive to the sounds of music and dancing,” Mr Dunne said. “Lisdoonvarna Fáilte would like to extend their sympathies to Jim’s family, in particular to his son, Marcus, who is a great supporter of Lisdoonvarna.”

Taoiseach Enda Kenny also paid tribute to Mr White, “a man of enormous positivity and generosity with huge credibility in the area of tourism and business”.

Mr Kenny continued, “In particular, his hard work led to an increase in tourism – spend in the north west of Ireland. He was a man of enormous popularity in Donegal and the North West in general and even managed to head the poll against Neill Blaney in a general election.”

Mr Kenny added, “I would like to extend on my own behalf and on behalf of the Fine Gael party my sincere condolences to all his family, especially his children Caroline, Bettina, Marcus, Sinead, James Jr, Megan and Mitchell. I called to see him only last Sunday in the Mater hospital where I met and spoke with his family as Jim approached his last days.”

WHILE Kilrush Town Council may have invested € 350,000 in the future of the Kilrush Sports Complex during its dying days, Clare County Council must now get permission from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to spend the money.

Weeks before it was disbanded, the town council ring fenced funding for the next development phase of the project.

Phase one, which includes the best astro turf surface in the county and meets FIFA standards, is to be officially opened in the coming weeks and the local community is anxious that the next phase begins soon.

Before Kilrush Town Council was abolished the members adopted a resolution in April, 2014 to ring fence funding of € 200,000 for the development of future phases of Kilrush Sports Complex and in May, 2014, a further € 150,000 was set aside as part of the adoption of the 2013 Annual Financial Statement.

It was also agreed that Clare County Council would co-finance any development of Kilrush Sports Complex.

It is now understood that, in accordance with a Department circular (03/2009), it is necessary to obtain its approval for any capital expenditure.

John Corry, Meetings Administrator, West Clare Municipal District and former Kilrush Town Clerk, explained; “It would therefore be necessary for Clare County Council to seek such approval from the department in order to spend capital resources on any future phases of development at Kilrush Sports Complex. It would also be necessary for Clare County Council to plan for any capital resources which it would be investing in Kilrush Sports Complex and same would need to be discussed in the context of Budget preparations for 2015.”

In the last months a state of the art 75 metre by 38 metre astro turf pitch together with fencing, flood lighting and CCTV has been constructed as part of phase one of the facility on the Cooraclare Road.

The pitch was constructed at a cost of € 309,000. Kilrush Town Council provided € 190,000 towards the cost of this pitch.

Clare County Council is providing € 60,000 with € 59,000 being funded by a Sport Nation grant secured from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and Irish Public Bodies. Kilrush Town Council also funded the cost of the purchase of goals for the facility, the cost of professional fees incurred in designing the complex and the cost of upgrade works to the running track at Gallery Park. It has also recently been agreed by the Management Committee of Kilrush Sports Complex to carry out improvement works to Gallery Park Pitch at a cost of € 20,000 plus VAT.

The next phase of development proposed is the upgrading of the grass pitch on lands leased from the Department of Education.

CLARE County Council have no responsibility for Cregg Beach, in Lahinch. According to senior executive engineer Cyril Feeney, the only ac- cess to the beach is through private lands, making any potential public repair work there difficult for the council. Last month Cllr Bill Slattery (FG) asked that the local authority clean up the beach by pulling back the stones and gravel after the January storm to allow access for the general public onto the beach. He was told that the beach in question is not a beach routinely maintained by Clare County Council and is also situated on private property. Since then Mr Feeney has confirmed two registered landowners adjacent to the beach, with no public right of way recorded. “Where we have registered owners we should not or could not go in to do work,” he said. “So Clare County Council has no responsibility for Cregg beach?” Cllr Slattery asked at the West Clare Municipal District meeting. “Not that I am aware of,” replied the engineer. “I am not saying it is a private beach but that we have no presence there. “We would have to go through private land to access the beach,” he said. The local councillor maintained that; “For hundreds of years locals had gone up and took gravel and sand and seaweed from the beach.” It was suggested by some councillors that perhaps the work could be complete if the landowners would give permission for access.

BLINGING up the chairpersons of two of the county council’s new districts is estimated to cost just under € 20,000.

Both the chair of the Ennis Municipal District, who will be referred to as Mayor of Ennis, and the chair of the Shannon Municipal District, who will be known as Cathaoirleach of the area, will both get a shinny new chain of office.

The councillors of the West Clare Municipal District and the Killaloe Municipal District have opted, in principal, to work without a chain of office, with the West Clare councillors suggesting they borrow the “county mayoral chain” for any official busi- ness that may require it.

The councillors in the west have not completely ruled out a new chain however as they await official confirmation that their colleagues in the east will also remain chainless.

It is understood that the Killaloe area councillors voted to do without a chain, which would ensure just two of the four municipal districts will have a chain.

A spokesperson for Clare County Council said that while the Shannon Area has not to date acquired its new chain, Ennis has footed a € 9,471 bill for the jewellery. This is a once in a generation cost however, he maintained. Ennis Town Council was abolished on June 1.

“The chains of office in use had the words Ennis Town Council inscribed on the medallion together with the Mayors of the Town Council over the years. The chains are an important emblem of office and together with the chains of other town authorities will be displayed here in Áras Contae an Chláir reflecting the history of the times,” said the council spokesperson.

“With the creation of a new municipal district titled Ennis Municipal District and most importantly the area being authorised to retain the title of mayor – the only area of the county now permitted to use that title – it was necessary to obtain a new chain of of fice. A procurement process was undertaken and the project was awarded to a local jeweller. The total cost involved, including VAT, was € 9,471.”

“The acquisition of a chain arises once in a generation or when a change in structures such as that which took place in June last comes into effect. It is important that the first citizen of the Municipal District can represent the area at formal and other ceremonies with the emblems of office that are associated with the mayoral function,” he added.

On Tuesday the councillors of the West Clare area agreed that a separate chain of office would not be required to represent their area, if the Killaloe district was in agreement.

Cllr Richard Nagle (FF) proposed that the chair did not require a chain. “I am sure the county cathaoirleach of the day would deputise someone from the area [for special occasions in West Clare] and that would allow the chain to be present.”

The current chair Cllr PJ Kelly’s (FF) suggestion that the councillors could break the retired Kilrush Town Council chain out of the display in the Town Hall was met with strong opposition from the other members.

Cllr Kelly said that while he personally does not want a chain he suggested, “we will see what East Clare do. We don’t want to be caught off side. I suggest we agree to defer.”

Meetings Administrator, West Clare Municipal District, John Corry said, “My understanding is that East Clare will not have one.”

“We will confirm that and it will make it easy for us,” said the father of the council.

Meanwhile the former town council chains of Ennis, Kilrush, Shannon and Kilkee are to be put on display in their respective towns.