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THE community spirit of the Clare Tidy Towns effort was celebrated on Thursday night by the county’s flagship centre in the national competition over the last number of years.

Ennis was presented with seven different awards on the night, with the chairperson of the Ennis Tidy Towns Committee, Áine Purcell hailing what she called “a back to basics” approach as being the major contributory factor for the county capital’s achievements.

“In Ennis this year what we decided to do was go back to basics,” Ms Purcell revealed when accepting the award for Ennis as Ireland’s Tidiest Large Urban Centre. “We led by example. I know Tuamgraney do it, I know Mountshannon do it, I know Kilrush do it – I know all of you do it.

We asked people. People like to be asked. Everyone likes to be part of a community so we asked people.

“We didn’t make any emails, we didn’t make any phone calls, we didn’t write any letters – all 22 of us just went around and asked people. It paid off very well in that there’s a tradition that we’re very proud of, but it paid off more importantly in that it brought everyone together as a community,” he added.

Ennis’ other honours were as in the Gum Litter Taskfore competition, where the town was named both the large urban centre and national winner, the Tourism Town Award, the County Award, as well as a Gold Medal and the Shannon Region award winner.

“One of the highlights for me personally,” continued Ms Purcell, “was after we won the award as Ireland’s largest urban centre, someone said to me in the street ‘didn’t we do well in Dublin’.

“That was powerful because there was a sense of ownership in that because it was the community coming together.

“We are very, very fortunate in Ennis in that we have a very positive and great working relationship with our town council. Any positive relationship that you can foster is brilliant. SuperValu are to complimented for promoting Tidy Towns and promoting bringing communities together,” she added.

ONE out of every six houses located in a Clare ‘ghost estate’ is vacant. According to new figures released by the Department of the Environment, Clare has one of the highest rates of vacant properties in unfinished, or so-called ghost, estates of anywhere in the county.

In total, there are 346 vacant houses and 194 vacant apartments located in estates which have been classified as unfinished or ghost estates. These 540 vacant houses in unfinished estates equate to one out of every 80 houses in the county.

According to property website MyHome.ie, there are currently 1,280 properties for sale in the Clare. With a total of 540 vacant houses and apartments located in areas classified by the Department of the Environment as unfinished, it is likely that a sizeable proportion of the properties for sale in Clare are located in these areas.

The results of the National Housing Development Survey also revealed that a large number of unfinished developments still exist in the county.

The Department of the Environment officially classifies 72 locations in Clare as unfinished estates. Many of these estates are fully serviced and largely complete and have high numbers of occupancy.

Indeed, only 23 of these 72 estates were exempted from paying the household charge this year because of being classified as unfinished.

A number of buildings in the 72 estates are virtually complete but, for one reason or another, the developer or receiver has been unable to bring the properties to completion.

According to the survey, 22 houses in the Aisling Estate in Ennis and 20 in Acha Bhille have been classified as “near completed” but have no construction work currently ongoing.

Road infrastructure was a particular problem on developments in the county, with more than 600 properties deemed to have a basic road base, with no completed surfacing work.

A total of 132 properties in the Moyard estate in Shanballa, Ennis, were deemed to have road access, while 97 on the Tulla Road, Roslevan and 72 properties in Cregaun Na Hilla in Clarecastle were classified as having unfinished roads.

Of the 72 estates identified in the National Housing Development Survey, construction work was ongoing on only four projects – the Cluainin and Tullyglass Lowlands developments in Shannon, as well as the Cois Tra and Cregg Beach development in Lahinch. The survey also identified a number of Clare estates where lighting and completed footpaths were a major issue. The names used to describe these estates are presented as identified by the Department of the Environment in the National Housing Development Survey and may be known differently locally.

A FORMER mayor of Shannon has called on Shannon Town Council authorities to outline to members of the local authority where over € 10,000 that has been put into a fund for the 2014 local elections has been diverted to.

Cllr Sean McLoughlin has made his comments ahead of the 2012 Shannon Town Council Budget meeting because the money put aside for the 2014 election won’t now be used for its intended purpose as the council is set to be abolished as part of the Government’s new blueprint for local government coming into effect in 2014.

“Every year we put away so much money for the local town election,” revealed Cllr McLoughlin.

“I am just wondering where is the money that was put in that pot, for a better word. I am wondering be- cause we won’t need to have a town election next time around, so the money that was put away won’t be used for the purpose it was put away for.

“I think there was roughly about € 3, 500 put aside each year since the 2009 election.

“The fact that it wasn’t taken out of this year’s budget drew my attention to it.

“I want to know where the three years of that money has gone,” added Cllr McLoughlin.

The Fine Gael representative has told The Clare People that money should now be ring-fenced for another project in the town.

“There was money put aside for the past three years.

“That’s over € 10,000, which is a lot of money.

“That money is just sitting there, money that could and should be put to use for something in Shannon,” he added.

SHANNON hasn’t been unfairly treated by the Government in a deal that will see its debts of € 100m cleared in return to saying goodbye to Aer Rianta International (ARI) that was established at the Clare airport and has made profits in excess of € 200m over the past decade.

In defending this trade-off that has been lambasted by both Fianna Fáil and former ARI executives in the mid-west, Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar confirmed that ARI would become the sole property of the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) post the December 31 independence of Shannon.

“It is important to bear in mind that ARI started in Shannon,” admitted Minister Varadkar, “but the contribution that has been made over the years has been much more than Shannon. It has been financed from all over the (DAA) group. The requirement of the new legislation is that both new entities – Shannon as a separated airport and the DAA – have to be vi- able. It wouldn’t be possible to write down the debt at Shannon – it’s not being written down, it’s being carried by Dublin and Cork. It’s passengers using Dublin that will pay off Shannon’s debt. Grant that concession and also ARI would not be possible,” added Minister Varadkar.

Fianna Fáil transport spokesperson Timmy Dooley has blasted this move, saying ARI had to “form part of the new Shannon entity”, which would “secure the airport’s future and provide a marketing budget that can be used to attract more tourists and open new air routes for the benefit of the mid-west region”.

Responding to this criticism, Minister Varadkar said, “ARI has considerable investment costs around the world over the next couple of years – € 60m over the next couple of years – and that money can be borrowing against the DAA’s balance sheet and the DAA’s assets.

“We didn’t want the new Shannon to have to go off and borrow a whole load of money to build perfume shops in the Ukraine and places like that,” he added.

THE new independent Shannon Airport has been warned away from entering into a new deal with Ryanair similar to the one that resulted in record passenger numbers of over 3.6m passing using Clare’s international airport in 2007.

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar told a media briefing in the Dublin Convention Centre that was attended by key figures from the Shannon Airport Authority, Shannon Development, Clare Oireachtas members and the mayors of Clare and Ennis that any dealings with Ryanair in the future should be on “a commercial basis” and instead pointed to the benefits of securing more military traffic through the airport.

Shannon’s passenger numbers rocketed to 3,620,623 in 2007 on the back of an incentive package arrangement between the airport and Ryanair that saw the low-cost carrier operate over 50 routes, but since then have declined year-on-year with figures expected to dip below 1. 5m by the end of 2012.

“I would expect that any deals that the new Shannon Aiport makes would be on a commercial basis that can be sustained, which was not the case in the previous Ryanair deal,” said Minister Varadkar, before revealing that targeted growth of having up to 2.5m passengers over the next decade was not dependent on a new Ryanair deal.

“They did reach a peak of 3.6 passengers largely on the back of that arrangement (with Ryanair),” said Minsiter Varadkar, “but bear in mind that prior to that they were well over 2m passengers on various occasions and up as far as 2.7m passengers at one point”.

Last June, Ryanair made a pitch to treble its passenger numbers through Shannon to one million if it was given a new deal by the Shannon Airport Authority whereby all charges would be waived for all additional passengers over the current level of 375,000.

Meanwhile, as late as last week it was revealed in The Clare People that the budget airline was on the cusp on announcing a new investment at the airport to bring in one million extra passengers providing an extra € 100m passenger spend to the region.

However, instead of looking to Ryanair, Minister Varadkar championed the cause of secured extra military stopover at Shannon as a way of boosting the airport’s figures.

“I have indicated for a very long time that Shannon has been a transit point for military flights and part of the plan would be to grow that,” he revealed.

GARDAÍ are to continue to investigate the circumstances of an alleged nightclub assault in Ennis, a court has heard.

The investigation relates to a North Clare woman who is alleged to have assaulted another person with a glass at the Queens nightclub, Ennis.

Nora McCormack (23), with an address at Glanquin, Kilnaboy, is charged with assault causing harm at the Queens on May 13, 2012.

At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, Inspector Tom Kennedy said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), had directed summary disposal of the case.

Insp Kennedy told the court that the alleged injured party would allege that she was struck by a small glass allegedly thrown by Ms Mc- Cormack.

Insp Kennedy said the person had to receive four stitches for the wound.

Solicitor John Casey said his client was prepared to take a certain course of action based on a version of events.

However he said no CCTV was available of the alleged incident. Mr Casey told the court that CCTV would back up his client’s version of events.

Mr Casey told the court that CCTV was a requirement for all pubs and nightclubs.

He added, “I find constantly when I look for CCTV, unless it is the Garda system, there is never CCTV footage.”He said his client did not agree with the version of events outlined by the alleged injured party.

Mr Casey said his client had never been in court before and had come back from America to deal with the case.

Inspector Tom Kennedy said he would be anxious to look into the matter of CCTV.

Judge Patrick Durcan adjourned the case until Friday to allow for disclosure matters to be resolved and for him to consider the jurisdiction.

He also requested further details of the injuries to the alleged injured party. On Friday, Mr Casey told the court that gardaí are continuing to investigate the case.

He requested that the matter be adjourned until January.

Insp Kennedy said the person had not suffered any permanent scarring.

Judge Durcan said he “reluctantly” accepted jurisdiction. He adjourned the case for mention until January 23, 2013.

A MAN has appeared in court charged with drugs and firearms offences in North Clare two years ago.

Sean McNamara (21), with an address at Doonogan, Mullagh, appeared at Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

It is alleged that on October 16, 2010, Mr McNamara possessed a 12-gauge double barrel shotgun. It is alleged that he did not have the shotgun for a lawful purpose.

Mr McNamara is also charged with possession of cocaine and possession of cocaine for sale or supply at Doonogan, Mullagh on October 16.

Detective Garda Stephen Hession of Ennis Garda Station gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution. He said Mr McNamara gave no reply to charge after caution.

Inspector Tom Kennedy said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed trial on indictment.

The case was adjourned until January 9, 2013 for the service of the Book of Evidence.

A WEST Clare man has been ordered to return home to live with his mother after pleading guilty to a number of theft and trespass offences in Ennis.

Noel Garry (19), with an address at Apartment 173, Parnell Street appeared at Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

The court heard that Mr Garry was one of three people who took a car that had been left running in the market in Ennis on August 10.

The court heard that the car was brought to the Moyross area of Limerick and burnt out.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court that € 1500 worth of damage was caused to the car and no compensation had been paid to the injured party.

Mr Garry also admitted to being one of two people who broke the window of the Tunstar shop at Parnell Street on the hours between August 26-27. A number of mobile phones and phone covers were stolen in the incident.

Mr Garry pleaded guilty to being one of two people who entered the 7 Days Shop, Cabey’s Lane, Ennis between September 5-6.

Insp Kennedy told the court that the premises serves as a Western Union money transfer shop.

He said that on the night in question € 675 was stolen from an envelope. He said the accused received a small amount of money.

Insp Kennedy told the court that Mr Garry co-operated fully with gardaí.

“He wasn’t the ringleader but he is easily led” he added.

Defence solicitor Fiona Hehir told the court that her client was 18 when he embarked on a “crime spree.”

She said Mr Garry had fallen in with a bad crowd in Ennis and that his mother is “extremely worried” about him.

Ms Hehir said Mr Garry had been involved in drugs and crime and that his behaviour must be “nipped in the bud.”

She told the court she had been instructed to enter an early guilty plea by her client.

Ms Hehir added, “He was in Castlerea prison for a week and he did not like it.”

Judge Patrick Durcan said was considering imposing a 10-month sentence.

He adjourned the case until January 23 for a report from the probation and welfare services. He also ordered Mr Garry to return home to live with his mother in Kilrush.

“Mr Garry, you have to wake up,” he added.

Mr Garry was remanded on continuing bail to appear again at Ennis District Court on January 23.

A WOMAN has apologised after pleading guilty to a breach of the peace at Ennis Courthouse earlier this year.

Nora Maughan (24), with addresses at 20 Stonecourt, Drumbiggle, Ennis and Brayton Park, Kilcock, Kildare, appeared at Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

Inspector Tom Kennedy said the accused was charged following a commotion that developed in the foyer of the courthouse on September 25.

He told the court that gardaí found Ms Maughan with another woman. Insp Kennedy said Ms Maughan was not the only person involved in the incident.

She has no previous convictions. Defence solicitor William Cahir told the court that his client was extremely anxious to deal with the matter.

He added, “She holds her hands up and admitted it was out of order.” Mr Cahir told the court that Ms Maughan’s involvement in the melee was “not of her character or nature.”

Ms Maughan told the court that she was “very, very sorry for what happened.”

She said she had never been in such a situation before.

Judge Patrick Durcan the public had been discommoded by what had occurred in the courthouse on the day. He added, “This court discharged its functions in discomfort.”

He ordered Ms Maughan to pay € 100 to the court poor box. He also struck out the charges against her.

Judge Durcan said, “Whenever you go to courthouses in the future, behave yourself in the future.”

GARDAÍ in Ennis have admitted they were “extremely concerned” when a convicted sex offender who failed to inform them of a change in his address fell of their “radar” last month.

The 40-year-old man pleaded guilty at Ennis District Court on Wednesday to a charge of failing to inform gardaí of a change in his address.

It was alleged that the man, on dates unknown between September 29 (2012) and October 10 (2012), within the jurisdiction of the State being a person to whom part two of the Sex Offenders Act 2001 applied, did fail to notify the gardaí of his home address on the relevant date as required by the provisions of the Sex Offenders Act 2001.

Detective Garda John Casey told the court that as a result of the man’s previous conviction he was required to inform gardaí of any change in his address.

Det. Casey said he learned the man had moved from his previous address in Clarecastle but had failed to inform gardaí of his new place of residence.

Defence solicitor John Casey told the court that his client had lived rough in the Mill Road area of Ennis after his previous accommodation no longer became available to him in Clrecastle.

He said the man did not have the necessary money to get new accommodation but has since secured a new address.

Mr Casey said his client is in very poor health and had no family or friends to turn to.

He added, “This was a breach of very serious and onerous condition.”

Det. Casey said it came as a “great surprise” to him that the man had been living in the Park on the Mill Road.

He said, “When he went of my radar, I was extremely concerned.”

“It goes without saying that people subject to the register are closely monitored,” he added.

Det. Casey told the court that he is now satisfied that the man has a new address

Judge Patrick Durcan said, “This is a very serious case and people are obliged to comply with the directions of a garda.”

Judge Durcan imposed a twomonth prison sentence, suspending it for two years.

He said he was imposing such a sentence “because of the seriousness of the matter.”