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, said he regarded the Mid West Business magazine as a rival for advertising revenue to The Cla re People . He said, “There was a fundamental breakdown in the office and he (Mr Collison) was the root cause of it.” Mr Moloney said there had been an “acrimonious relationship” between he, the shareholders and Mr Collison. Mr Moloney said he had never seen the agreement entered into between the company and the NUJ. He told the court that the paper had gone though a difficult period but that circulation is now growing. Judge Patrick Durcan said it was his view that Mr Collison was not in breach of the agreement. Judge Durcan added that he could not see how the reputation of the paper had been damaged when circulation had gone up in the context of Mr Collison leaving. He described Mr O’Rourke as “obviously a talented man” but someone who may have been “naive”. He said that in engaging Mr O’Rourke, Mr Collison’s behaviour was “despicable and manipulative”. He described Mr Moloney’s evidence as “honest, professional and refreshing”. Judge Durcan awarded Mr Collison € 4,700 but said he was making no order for costs “by virtue of his (Mr Collison’s) behaviour”. Judge Durcan dismissed the counter claim, making no order for costs.

ENNIS’ grid-lock problems at peak periods are set to be alleviated from this Wednesday when the long-awaited inner relief road finally opens up for traffic.

Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Peter Considine (FF) will formally declare the road open at a special ceremony at Friar’s Walk Coach Park at 10.30am, bringing to an end a long running saga for the provision of a new road to alleviate traffic problems in the county capital.

The final stage of the project was signalled in July when Ennis Town Council revealed that the final phase of the road was to begin later that month after the local local authority signed a € 360,000 construction contract with Gildoc Limited.

The contract provided for the construction of 180 metres of single carriageway road, footpaths and serv- ices, including new traffic lights at Station Road and Clare Road.

The Ennis Inner Relief Road Section E contract, to be delivered by Ennis-based Liam O’Doherty Building Contractor on behalf of Gildoc Limited, had a completion deadline for late September but was held up until final funding was secured.

At the time, outgoing Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) praised the local authority “for delivering this project which many had feared would not go ahead due to the “current fiscal constraints”.

“However, the necessary funding has been secured to ensure the delivery of what will be a very beneficial infrastructure project for Ennis town centre.

“It will complement similar road projects in recent years, including the section of the Inner Relief Road from Station Road to Francis Street and the Ennis Bypass, in further reducing traffic congestion in the Clare county capital,” he added.

“The new road will link Station Road at Madden’s Furniture to Friar’s Walk, the Causeway, Clare Road at Cathedral Court,” explained Eamon O’Dea, Ennis Town Engineer.

“This section of the Inner Relief Road will improve traffic flow to the town centre for customers and visitors to Ennis, and will reduce traffic congestion in the Station Road and Upper O’Connell Street area of Ennis,” added Cllr Guilfoyle.

PUTTING car park facilities in place at Mullaghmore is a case of the National Parks and Wildlife Service putting the cart before the horse, the Burren Action Group’s 15-page document against the controversial development proposal has claimed.

BAG, which campaigned successfully against the Office of Public Works proposal to build an interpretative centre at Mullaghmore, has blasted the planning application as it comes ahead of a commitment to deliver the Burren Management Plan.

This management plan is now in its third draft, but the feeling on the ground locally in North Clare is that it will never see the light of day, with the NPWS instead pressing ahead with its car park proposal adjacent to the original Mullaghmore Interpretative Centre location.

In its submission, BAG says it shares the NPWS objective of “alleviating the problems associated with random car parking on the Crag Road and at the crossroads between the Crag Road and the Green Road”, but that the application is premature as it comes in advance of an agreed National Park Management Plan.

“Three draft versions of a Plan (Burren Management Plan 2011 – 2018) have been produced but none have been published and none have benefitted from the input of the public, tourism operators or adjoining landowners,” says BAG.

“There is no indication when this Plan will seek the views of the public nor is there any proposed deadline for its completion. The application, therefore, is not in a position to avail of any agreed or finalised management proposals,” the submission adds.

In a further indictment of the NPWS proposal, the BAG submission says that the application, which was lodged with Clare County Council on October 22 is “incoherent”, “uncoordinated” and “missing significant data”.

“The application lacks the coherence that might be provided by a Management Plan and, in the single instance where its impacts in combination with other practices are acknowledged, no data is offered, even in relation to the applicant’s own services and facilties,” the BAG submission says.

“There is considerable potential for successful dialogue that can result in a Management Plan that respects and promotes the needs of the host people, local environment and those wishing to engage in sustainable low impact tourism in and around the National Park.

“There are alternative sites that can accommodate parking in the ownership of the applicant. There are also options for more multifaceted management practices available that can contribute to better visitor management in the park.

“A process to explore these options should precede a grant of permission to return to a site that has already failed the test of one of the longest and most comprehensive planning processes in the history of the state,” the submission adds.

A 14-YEAR-old boy has appeared in court charged with offences in connection with an alleged violent incident at a primary school in Ennis.

The teenager was before Ennis District Court on Friday. He is charged with violent disorder at the Holy Family Primary School on March 20, 2012.

He is also charged with the production of a machete contrary to the firearms and offensive weapons act on the same date and location.

The court heard that jurisdiction of the case had previously been refused. Inspector Tom Kennedy requested an extension of time for the service of the book of evidence.

The teenager was remanded on continuing bail to appear again at Ennis District Court on December 19.

THE women of Clare place a far greater emphasis on education than their male counterparts, the latest bulletin report of the 2011 National Census of Population has revealed.

The ninth report published by the Central Statistics Office since the census was taken in April 2011 presents a profile of the education and skills of the county’s population of 117,196, focusing in detail on age leaving education and field of study in which qualifications are held.

The Clare figures show that there are 17,533 people in the county with a third level qualification, but that a much larger proportion of these graduates are women. There are 10,084 women graduates to 7,449 male graduates.

A breakdown of these figures reveals that 58 per cent of graduates in the county are female, as against 42 per cent of males. Meanwhile, the percentage of female graduates in the county runs two per cent higher than the national average, with males graduates are two per cent lower than the national average.

“Twenty nine per cent of people aged 15 and over in the county in 2011 had a third level qualification, with 24 per cent were college graduates. The figure of 29 compares with 31 per cent for the State as a whole,” a CSO spokesperson told The Clare People .

“Twenty one per cent of all men aged 15 and over who had ceased full time education men were third level graduates compared with 28 per cent of women. A total of 398 people aged 15 and over who had completed their education held a Doctorate (Ph.D.) level qualification in April 2011.

“The social sciences, business and law category was by far the most popular field of study among all those with post-secondary school qualifications in the county in 2011, with 6,809 persons holding a qualification in this area,” the spokesperson added.

CLARE’S hopes of gaining bilingual status from the Department of the Gaeltacht have been boosted significantly this week on the back the 2011 National Census of Population report which says that nearly half of the county’s population are able to speak the language – the second highest ranking of any county in Ireland.

The findings, published by the Central Statistics Office as part of the latest bulletin report on last year’s census, called ‘What We Know – A study of education and skills in Ireland’, have revealed that the number of Irish speakers in the county is now running ahead of the average for the rest of Munster.

“A total of 53,853 persons in County Clare, accounting for 48 per cent of the population aged three and over, indicated that they could speak Irish. This compared to 41 per cent for the State as a whole,” a CSO spokesperson has revealed.

The breakdown of these figures has revealed that only Galway, with 51 per cent of its population being able to speak Irish, has a higher ranking than Clare. This means that Clare has a high percentage of its population speaking Irish than Gaeltacht counties such as Kerry and Donegal.

A further breakdown of these Clare figures has revealed that the majority of Irish speakers are females, with 29,145 females proficient in the language as compared to 24,708 males.

Meanwile, the upsurge in knowledge and interest in the language has been reflected in figures which show that there are now Irish speakers in over 60 per cent of households in the county. The figures show that of 42,648 households in Clare, 25,704 of those have Irish speakers in them, a figure which represents 60.3 per cent of households throughout the county.

However, a breakdown of these figures has revealed that only 1,539 people in the county speak the language on a daily basis outside of the education system, a figure that accounts for just 1.4 per cent of the total population aged three and over, compared to the state average of 1.8 per cent.

The largest concentration of Irish speakers is in the county capital of Ennis, with 11,277 of the town area’s population of 25,360 claiming to be speakers of the language. This trans

lates into ?? per cent of the population, a figure that represents a boon to local hopes the ‘Inis Dom’ project will see the town granted bilingual status by 2018. “We have a five-year plan to make Ennis a bilingual town and we think we can do this,” said local language activist, Domhnall Ó Loinsigh when launching the Inis Dom project last year. “As a town, Ennis would very much be to the fore as an urban community that is promoting Irish. We are very confident that through Irish, something can be done to make Ennis a place apart.

“This is about enhancing the visibility and use of Irish in the town and there is no cost involved. It is also about promoting the cultural image of the town, making it a more attractive place for visitors and as a more attractive shopping destination,” he added.

The second largest number of Irish speakers is located in Shannon, with 3,759 of the town’s population of 10,058 able to speak the language, while third and fourth in the county’s league table of Irish speakers are Kilrush and Sixmilebridge with 966 and 895 respectively.

A MAN has been ordered to pay compensation after he admitted to jumping on a garda patrol car in Kilrush last month.

David Cuggeran (36), with an address at 6 St Senan’s Terrace, Kilrush, appeared at Kilrush District Court on Tuesday.

He pleaded guilty to engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace at Parknamoney, Ennis Road, Kilrush on October 21.

Superintendent Gerard Wall told the court that Gardai were called to deal with a disturbance near Kilrush golf club on the night in question

The court heard that Mr Cuggeran was an intoxicated state and was asked by gardaí to leave the area.

Supt Wall said the accused then ran in front of a stopped patrol car, jumped on it and cracked the windscreen.

The court heard that Mr Cuggeran also directed bad language at the gardaí. Solicitor Joe Chambers told the court that his client had been at a function with friends.

He said an element of alcohol was involved but Mr Cuggeran was not drunk.

Mr Chambers added, “An incident occurred outside of his making which incensed him greatly.”

He told the court that his client did not say anything abusive to the gardaí and that he respects the force.

“He did a silly thing. He jumped on top of a squad car,” Mr Chambers added. The court heard that € 407 worth of damage was caused to the car. Supt Wall said the garda was grounded for the night because of the cracked windscreen.

He said there had been no garda provocation on the night.

Judge Patrick Durcan adjourned the case until December to allow for payment of compensation.

Mr Cuggeran was remanded on continuing bail to appear again at Kilrush District Court on December 18.

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.”

CLARE tourism will be damaged internationally, while both private and State-run tourism operators will be the big losers if Clare County Council gives the green light for the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to develop car park facilities near Mullaghmore.

This claim is a major plank of the Burren Action Group (BAG) submis- sion to the planning authority, opposing the controversial NPWS application, that has been secured by The Clare People this week.

In a hard-hitting submission, BAG says that the car park proposal “makes no consideration of tourism practice in the area and does not appear to inform itself as to the policies of other statutory agencies or of the objectives of the County Development Plan”.

According to the BAG submission, permission for the car park facility would “endanger the reputation of the Burren” and “poses a risk to investments of other tourism operators” throughout North Clare.

“Substantial inter-agency efforts helped secure Geopark status for the Burren and efforts are ongoing to achieve a UNESCO World Heritage Site listing,” says the BAG submission.

“Smaller operators have undertaken international marketing activities through the Burren Ecotourism Network and have developed an accreditation scheme for green tourism that has been adopted as the Irish standard and has been approved by Fáilte Ireland.

“News of the existence of a statemanaged facility that is operating contrary to the precautionary and sustainability principles will harm the area’s reputation and the international perception that it is a prime ecotourism destination.

“The application runs counter to the objectives and principles of ecotourism, is contrary to the objectives of the County Development Plan and will endanger the tourism investments of both private and statutory tourism providers.

“It is not compatible with the area’s reputation for ecotourism and thus poses a threat to tourism operators in the wider Burren,” the submission to the Clare County Council planners adds.

IARNRÓD Éireann has come in for fresh criticism over the length of time it has taken to create an online booking system for the Western Rail Corridor. At present, it is possible to view timetable information for services between Ennis and Galway but not to price a ticket or make an online purchase.

This was identified as one of the main areas for reform earlier this year and prompted Iarnród Éireann to commit to developing an online system. The delay in developing a system was described as “perplexing” by North-West MEP, Jim Higgins (FF), last week.

“I cannot understand how you can book most buses in the country on line, but not the train. I wonder if this was a train on the east coast, would a solution to the online booking problem have been found by now,” he said.

MEP Higgins was also critical of the time taken to travel on the Western Rail Corridor when compared to a car journey. “I’ve raised this issue before, and I will raise it again. To drive between Galway City and Limerick takes one hour and 25 minutes but on the train, it takes two hours and 15 minutes,” he said.

Iarnród Éireann confirmed last week that journey times between Limerick and Galway on the Western Rail Corridor will be reduced by as much as 15 minutes in the coming months.

Latest passenger numbers for the Western Rail Corridor show an increase of 6 per cent for the first nine months of 2012, the first positive passenger number trends since the service was established.

Meanwhile, the future of the proposed development of a new train station at Crusheen remains unclear. A final planning decision on the station was due in early November but no decision has yet been released.