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FOURTEEN people will be employed after car firm Renault announced details of a new dealership in Ennis.

The Gort Road based Hogan Motors in Ennis will run the new Renault dealership.

The well-known car dealer has been in the business for over 37 years. Dealer principal Paul Hogan and his wife Mary will run the dealership which will employ 14 people. Renault Ireland’s latest dealership will retail Renault passenger and commercial vehicles and facilitate Renault after sales and servicing, and will service Clare and neighbouring counties.

Hogan Motors Renault is open for business and Renault Open Week until March 9. Duncan Minto, Managing Director, Renault Ireland said, “We are delighted to announce that Hogan Motors is on board as our new dealer in County Clare and look forward to working closely with Paul and Mary Hogan. The Hogan family have worked in the motor industry for over three decades so are well served to offer great customer service and assistance.”

Paul Hogan said, “We are delighted to be given the opportunity to represent Renault in County Clare. The Renault range delivers ‘desirability with affordability’ and this, we feel, is exactly what the motoring public are looking for right now. We look forward to welcoming all our customers new and old to our premises on the Gort Road, Ennis, for the Renault open week from March 4 to 9.”

A KILRUSH man in “dire need of help” to fight a heroin addiction has had his case adjourned until April.

Grave concern was expressed for the health of Anthony Sweeney (20) at Ennis Circuit Criminal Court on Friday.

Mr Sweeney was in court having pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary at Dysart, Kilrush on June 26 (2012).

The court heard that the accused and another man were seen searching a car outside a house in a rural are of West Clare.

The court heard a set of keys had been taken from the house.

The offenders fled on bikes to a wooded area after being disturbed and the gardaí were called.

Mr Sweeney, with an address at 13 Wood Road, Kilrush, was subsequently arrested and made admissions to gardaí.

Detective Garda Donal Corkery of Kilrush Garda Station gave evidence in the case.

The court heard Det Corkery has taken an active interest in the welfare of Mr Sweeney by regularly liaising with the Sweeney family.

He said the accused suffers from a chronic addiction to heroin. Det Corkery told the court he had “grave concerns” for the health and wellbeing of Mr Sweeney due to his drug addiction.

He said he would consent to an adjournment of the case on the basis that Mr Sweeney was remanded in custody.

Det Corkery said, “I believe he is in dire need of help in terms of his drug addiction and he won’t get it himself.”

The court heard Mr Sweeney’s family have been left “very, very drained” by the impact of drug abuse.

Counsel for Mr Sweeney, Mark Nicholas BL, told the court that heroin abuse is an “awful course to be afflicted with.”

Judge Gerard Keyes remarked that this was the third case that day he had dealt with where a lack of residential treatment places for drug users had emerged as an issue in sentencing.

Mr Nicholas said, “They (addicts) are a voiceless people who cannot march on the Dáil Éireann (to be heard).”

Judge Keyes said greater availability of drug treatment and rehabilitation facilities would save money for the State in the long term.

Judge Keyes said that if Mr Sweeney went back on the streets without access to appropriate services, “the chances of re-offending because of drug use would be high.”

Judge Keyes said that irrespective of there being no violence involved, he regarded Mr Sweeney’s offence as a serious one.

“People are entitled to reside safe in bed at night,” he added.

Sentencing was adjourned until April 16, pending involvement from the Probation Services. Mr Sweeney was remanded in custody.

FOUR people have been returned for trial for their alleged involvement in a public order disturbance at a roundabout in Ennis last year.

At Ennis District court on Wednesday, Books of Evidence were served on Bernard McDonagh Snr (45) Christopher McDonagh (38), Bernard McDonagh Jnr (22) and a 16year-old boy.

The four are facing charges arising out of an incident at the Maid of Erin Roundabout, Ennis on October 14 (2012).

Bernard McDonagh Jnr (22), with an address at 1 Ashline, Kilrush Road, Ennis is charged with possession of an article with intent to cause injury and the production of an article in the course of a dispute.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is charged with possession of a hatchet with intent to cause injuries to John Doherty, Martin Doherty and Jimmy Doherty. He is also charged with the production of a hatchet.

Christopher McDonagh, with an address at 1 Davitt Terrace, Cloughleigh, Ennis and Childers Road, Ennis, is charged with production of an iron bar and possession of an iron bar with intent to cause injury to John Doherty, Martin Doherty and Jimmy Doherty.

All three accused are also facing a charge of violent disorder arising out of the same incident.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court that the State were seeking an amendment to the wording of the charge of violent disorder against all three accused.

Insp Kennedy said the State wanted to replace the names of individuals contained in the charges with the phrase, “two or more persons.”

Solicitor for Bernie McDonagh Jnr and the teenager, Daragh Hassett, consented to the change.

Solicitor for Christopher McDonagh, Tara Godfrey, said she had been instructed to object to the amendment. She said the amended charge represented a “fundamental change in the allegation” against her client.

Insp Kennedy disagreed, saying it did not alter the substantive matter of the violent disorder charge.

Judge Patrick Durcan said he agreed with Insp Kennedy. He approved the amendment.

Garda Irene O’Flynn gave evidence of having served the Books of Evidence on all three accused.

Curfew for Bernie McDonagh Jnr was extended to 11pm. Legal aid was approved for solicitor Shiofra Hassett and one junior counsel.

In respect of the teenager, legal aid was approved for solicitor Joseph Considine and one junior counsel.

Legal aid was approved for Ms Godfrey and one junior counsel in respect of Christopher McDonagh.

The Book of Evidence was also served on Bernie McDonagh Snr.

Mr McDonagh, with an address at 1 Ashline, Kilrush Road, Ennis is charged with the assault of John Doherty.

He also faces three charges of criminal damage and one charge of dangerous driving.

It is further alleged that Bernard McDonagh Snr drove a vehicle in a dangerous and reckless manner, which created substantial risk of death or serious harm to another.

Bail was approved for Mr McDonagh on condition that he reside at Nashes Boreen, Cork City and report daily to a garda station.

Legal aid was approved for Daragh Hassett and one junior counsel.

All four accused were returned for trial to the current sittings of Ennis Circuit Criminal Court.

A NORTH Clare cheese producer claims that they have been placed “under the microscope” by the authorities because they continue to use non-pasteurised milk in their cheese.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) issued a warning last Friday that E.coli had been found in a block of Kilshanny Cheese. Traces of E.coli O157 were found to be present in a block of Gouda Herb Cheese produced by the company.

A spokesperson from the North Clare company told The Clare People yesterday that Kilshanny Cheese has been targeted because they refuse to use pasteurised cheese.

“We are under the microscope all the time.

“They want us to use pasteurised milk and they are making it as difficult as possible for us to continue to operate. I am still eating the cheese, I know many of our customers are still eating the cheese and they are fine.

“Cheese was made without being pasteurised for hundreds and hundreds of years. I have been operating here for 30 years and I have never once had an issue,” said a spokesperson for Kilshanny Cheese.

“The milk is all sourced from my neighbour who runs a fantastic operation.

“I can literally push the tank over to collect the milk so there are no food miles or anything like that.

“I was producing cheese here for 10 years before I saw anybody [inspectors]. Now they are here every month.”

According to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, the bacteria was found in a batch of cheese which was produced in September of last year and which has been sold by retailers in Clare and in Limerick Milk Market. Kilshanny Farmhouse Cheese has been ordered by the Department of Agriculture to withhold placing any further batches on the market and the FSAI has warned consumers not to eat the implicated cheese due to the possible presence of E.coli

Tests continue to be carried out on the entire stock of Kilshanny Cheese and a company spokesperson hopes that the cheese will be back on the market again soon.

IF A large lump of whale vomit found on the beach at Lahinch is authenticated by whale experts, the seaside town could end up attracting a whole new type of tourist.

Because if there is whale vomit on “them thar beaches”, it could be worth more than gold dust to those who find it, as Alan Davey from Ennis is hoping.

The 38-year-old found what he believes is the rare whale ambergris on the beach while getting a surfing lesson from his friend, Brian Miller from Cratloe.

The Ennis man became aware of the value of the waste product of the sperm whale’s digestive system when one found in the UK recently made headlines after it was sold for £100,000 sterling. It is estimated that the 20cm-diameter ambergris found by Alan could make between € 10,000 and € 50,000.

Ambergris is used mostly in highend perfumes, and its rarity adds to its value. Since discovering the “floating gold”, so-called because it can float for years in the sea before being discovered, Alan and Brian have been making national headlines and taking to the national airwaves.

In order to protect their potential loot, they have now left it with a mutual friend for safekeeping until an expert can confirm whether or not it is the coveted whale bile.

The potentially precious substance is securely wrapped in a cotton bag as directed by Alan’s online research.

The Jersey native has said that while he is trying not to get too excited about the possible value of his find, the money will come in handy.

He has also promised to split any profits with his friend and surf teacher Brian.

A CLARECASTLE man made international business headlines in America over the past week as his company was head hunted by billion dollar US corporations to supply logistics for them across Europe.

Gerry Kierce, who hails from Clarecastle, is a former student of St Flannan’s College and was part of the Clare minor hurling panel that captured the historic Munster minor title back in 1981.

His company, Euro Route Logistics, which he founded in Dublin in 2003 was just named as a partner to a number of high profile US companies on the back of their innovative research and methods which are delivering 23 per cent savings for their customers.

The news that Euro Route was being selected as logistics partners for a number of US companies was headline news with NBC, CBS and the Wall Street Journal in North America.

Gerry, who started working the freight business in Shannon back in 1981, now oversees a huge operation from his logistics centre in Blanchardstown which employs 18 staff and has an office space of some 75,000 sq ft.

This announcement from the US assures Euro Route Logistics place as a leading player in the competitive business of logistics and, according to Gerry Kierce, is the latest positive development for a company that prides itself on innovation at the cutting edge of the industry.

“We’ve never lost a customer through service and are dedicated to stay years ahead of our time. In fact, the more complex the company’s requirement the better.

“We’re proud to keep our staff long term and assist them to grow as the industry continues to develop and adapt.

“The pride I have for my native county reminds me of when we ran team logistics for a national team. You can’t beat the rush of being part of a well oiled machine that keeps a major organization on its feet,” Gerry told The Clare People this week.

THE establishment of a new neighbourhood watch scheme for the Hermitage area of Ennis will be discussed at a meeting in the town next Monday.

The meeting, which will be attended by crime prevention officer Sgt Joe Downey, will take place at the Junction, Cloughleigh Road, at 7pm.

All residents in the Hermitage area are invited to attend.

Local councillor Tony Mulqueen (FG) said the meeting is aimed at tapping into the strong sense of community spirit that exists in Hermitage. He said residents are taking a proactive approach to any issues around crime that might arise in the area.

He said, “There have been a couple of break ins in the area. Hermitage is not unique in that respect; there have been break ins at houses in other parts of the town as well. The one thing that does exist in the area is a strong community of friends and neighbours. Some of the families in Hermitage have been living in the area for 40 or 50 years so it makes it easier to set up a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme than say in an area where you have a lot of rented houses.”

He added, “It also gives the Guards a means of liaising with the community on issues that arise. There hasn’t been any serious escalation of crime. Instead of reacting its about taking steps before it gets out of control.” Cllr Mulqueen said all resident are welcome to attend.

Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) welcomed the scheme, saying it had been a success in the Turnpike.

CLARE Youth Service’s Shannon film project hit the big screen last week with their double entry in the Fresh Film Festival at the Lime Tree theatre in Limerick. Their short film entitled ‘Dairy Milk’, a remake of the peculiar Cadbury’s Dairy Milk advert where two school children show off their amazing eyebrow gymnastics, impressed “Fresh” judges and was put through to the finals which will be held on March 20 in the Odeon Theatre Limerick. Resident filmmaker to the project Emma Sams remarked, “All the young people involved with the project are delighted with the result. Fresh Film Festival is one of the larger film festivals for young film makers in the region so it’s a great feeling to see your film go through to the final stages.” The remake was originally made as an advert to go with the main film, which was also entered into the festival called ‘Drug Love Dealers’. The film followed a young couple through the possible pressures of teenage life and the choices they make in dealing with them. Project participant Nicole McKee said, “While we are a little disappointed that our main film did not get through, we are delighted that the ad did. It took a long time to make and it was very tricky to get some of the camera angles right so we learned quite a bit about film making just from doing it. The group are delighted to be returning to Limerick for the second round in March and also hope to start on their next project soon. Anyone 14 to 17 years of age interested in getting involved with the film project in Shannon can contact the youth worker in Shannon, Thomas O’Hara, on 085 8019666 or email tohara@clareyouthservice.org.

CLARE people commuting by train to and from Galway will be able to purchase tickets online before the end of April.

The lack of an online booking option has been identified as one of the main reasons why the numbers using the service have not met expectations since the Ennis to Athenry section of the Western Rail Corridor was reopened in 2009.

There was more good news for the service as new figures reveal that passenger numbers on the route jumped by almost 5 per cent in 2011. The total number using the rail service between Galway and Limerick rose from 224,166 to 235,555 in 2012.

Figures provided by Irish Rail for the Ennis to Athenry section of the track showed that just 34,235 used the midsection service in 2012.

This figure is a slight reduction on 2011 with the growth in passenger numbers being largely driven by passengers travelling from Ennis to Limerick and from Athenry to Galway.

A spokesperson for Irish Rail acknowledged that the majority of the growth in 2012 was generated in commuter journeys between Ennis and Limerick and Athenry and Galway, but insisted that the midsection of the track will be strengthened by the advent of online booking.

“We have been working ourselves and with stakeholders to grow demand on the route, and undertook a number of initiatives in the final third of last year which have yielded improvements, including free car parking at Gort and Ardrahan and targeted promotion of student commuter tickets and adult taxsaver tickets. We will ensure that there is continued targeted promotion of the service as part of our commercial plan,” said an Irish Rail spokesperson.

“We have committed to extending the online system to this route as soon as possible. Currently, our online system supports bookings only where the train has an electronic reservation system on board.

“We are currently working to modify this to support all trains on all routes, and we expect this to be completed in the next two months,” they added.”

AS MANY as 1,000 jobs could be created in the North Clare/South Galway areas in the coming years, following news that Government funding has been secured to extend the M18 from Gort to Galway City.

A total of € 20 million has been secured for the project, with the National Roads Authority (NRA) now set to re-enter negotiations with the preferred private sector bidders.

There will be no tolls on the new motorway, with the Government instead paying the operators a set amount each year.

The entire project is expected to cost in the region of € 400 million over a period of approximately 30 years.

Besides creating construction jobs in the area, this news has also been welcomed by the Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) who believe that a finished M18 could have major repercussions for the airport.

The Director of Shannon Airport, Mary Considine, said that the confir- mation that Government funding is now committed to the project means that negotiations with a view to commencing the works can get underway with the private investors who successfully tendered for the project initially.

“The confirmation that the Government seed funding is now available is hugely welcome and our hope is, of course, that the private investor commitment will follow and pave the way for this project to commence without delay,” she said.

“Shannon is the only airport on the entire western seaboard with transatlantic services and connectivity into one of the five major European hubs. This is a unique strength on top of the services we have elsewhere into UK and Europe.

“The extension of the motorway would make the airport and these services far more accessible to passengers into the wider west of Ireland region, offering passengers much greater choice to this catchment and amounting to a significant opportunity for Shannon to grow its passenger numbers in the process.”