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TWO people who damaged a fire alarm system in an apartment block in Shannon have been told their actions could have had “catastrophic consequences”.

In the event of a fire, the alarm would not have gone off at Kincora Apartments after damage was caused to fire control panel and CCTV system on July 7 (2012), a court heard last week.

Amanda Hayes (22) and Shane Collins (22) pleaded guilty at Ennis District Court on Wednesday to criminal damage at Kincora Apartments.

Judge Patrick Durcan described the incident as a “dastardly and appalling offence.”

Ms Hayes, with an address 48 Inis Eagla Shannon and 10 Kincora Apartments, also pleaded guilty to the theft of alcohol at Skycourt Shopping Centre, Shannon on July 19.

Mr Collins, with an address at Woodpark, Newmarket on Fergus, pleaded guilty to handling stolen property at Skycourt Shopping Centre on July 19.

Inspector Michael Gallagher told the court that CCTV had captured both accused damaging the Kincora apartment block.

He said, “This was a very serious incident. If a fire went off, no alarm would have gone off.”

Ms Hayes, who is currently serving a sentence, has 27 previous convictions. Mr Collins has two previous convictions.

Defence solicitor Jenny Fitzgibbon said that Ms Hayes had suffered problems with drug addiction but is doing well in prison.

She added, “She is hoping to stay of drugs but it is a battle.”

Ms Fitzgibbon said the latest offences were a “huge step up” for Mr Collins.

She said there was no justification for the damage caused to the apart- ment block.

Ms Fitzgibbon told the court that both her clients had consumed Xanex and alcohol and had no memory of the incident at the Skycourt shopping centre.

Judge Patrick Durcan said the damage to the apartment block was extremely serious. “It could have had the most catastrophic of consequences,” he added.

Mr Collins was fined € 250 for handling stolen property. Recognances were fixed in the event of an appeal. In respect of the criminal damage matter, Mr Collins was ordered to complete 120 hours of community service.

Amanda Hayes received a three month sentence, consecutive to the sentence she is currently serving. Recogances were fixed in the event of an appeal. Ms Hayes received a one month sentence for the theft from Skycourt. A WOMAN alleged to have stolen € 400 from a primary school in Ennis is due to appear again in court this week.

Eva Makulova (32) with an address at 3 Ardlea Close, Ennis is charged with entering Carrig Donn, Ennis on October 7 (2012) and taking € 2810. Ms Makulova has also been charged with the theft of € 400 from the Holy Family Primary School on September 7 (2012). She is also charged the theft of perfume from Cassidy’s Pharmacy, O’Connell Street, Ennis on September 2 and 3.

Ms Makulova appeared at Ennis District Court on Wednesday. Inspector Michael Gallagher told the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed summary disposal of the case.

Solicitor Tara Godfrey said that she was still awaiting full disclosure from the State.

The case was adjourned for a week. Ms Makulova was remanded in custody to appear again at Ennis District Court on October 31.

ELEVEN people, including three children, were injured in four separate single-vehicle accidents in Clare over the past seven days – in what has been the worst week on the county’s roads so far in 2012.

A mother and her young child were trapped in their car for almost half an hour on Thursday last, when the car they were travelling in left the road and overturned on the N85, close to Kilnamona.

The incident was reported to emergency services just after 12.30pm on Thursday afternoon but, due to some confusion regarding the exact location of the accident, emergency crews were dispatched to three different locations. Emergency crews from Ennistymon responded to a report of a crash on the R460 between Inagh and Miltown Malbay, while gardaí from Ennistymon responded to an incident, reported to have taken place closer to Ennistymon.

A fire crew from Ennis located the crash on the N85, in the townland of Shallee in Kilnamona. It later emerged that all the 999 calls were in relation to the same incident, but there had been some confusion as to the exact location of the accident.

The mother and child were treated at the scene and were described as being very distressed.

Gardaí in Shannon are investigating a single-vehicle road traffic accident at Ballycasey in Shannon on Saturday night, from which the driver of an overturned truck absconded.

A spokesperson form the Garda Press Office confirmed to The Clare People yesterday that they are still attempting to track down the driver of the vehicle, which was discovered overturned around the Shannon slip road on the M18 at 11.15pm on Saturday night last, October 17.

Gardaí and fire crews searched the area but were unable to find anyone who might have been involved in the incident. Gardaí are understood to be examining the possibility that the driver checked into a local hotel fol- lowing the accident.

A mother and her two young sons had a lucky escape last Monday, October 22, when their car left the road and hit a tree before turning over onto its roof, at Ballyline, on the old Ennis to Galway road.

The woman was driving her two sons, aged three and four, in the direction of Crusheen village, when the incident took place. The vehicle collided with a tree before overturning onto its roof.

Meanwhile, five men were also injured in Ennis on Sunday, October 28, when the car they were driving crashed into a stone wall close to Drumcliffe Cemetery on the outskirts of Ennis. Th e e a rly p a rt o f t h e we e k will b e t yp ic a l No ve m b e r fa re , we t a n d w in d y, b u t c le a rin g b y t h e we e ke n d .

EVERY cloud has a silver lining and while Hurricane Sandy could mean devastation for parts of the American east coast, it could mean a miniboost for hotels in Shannon and Ennis.

Hundreds of tourists have already been stranded on both sides of the Atlantic as the hurricane has shut down airports all over the American east coast.

Aer Lingus cancelled all their Monday EI-111 and EI-110 services between Shannon and New York and it looks likely that further cancellations will take place this week.

The airline will announce later today if they will be in a position to operate the service this Wednesday and customers are asked to check their flights before coming to Shannon.

The centre of the hurricane is predicted to hit Philadelphia some time later today and is expected to move north to New York over Wednesday. This could bring about a lengthy closure of airports in New York, strand- ing American visitors in the Clare area for an extended period of time.

The airline has also offered to accommodate anyone affected by the cancellations on a subsequent service between Shannon and New York, at no extra cost.

A spokesperson from Aer Lingus said yesterday that they will continue to keep a close eye on the situation in New York and other American airports in the days ahead.

“Customers who wish to cancel their travel plans will receive a full refund,” said a spokesperson.

“Aer Lingus apologises to all customers affected by these cancellations.”

While there are no official figures for the numbers of tourists who have been forced to spend an unplanned, extended vacation in the Clare area, the effects of the hurricane could leave hundreds of Americans stranded in the Banner.

As many as 1,000 Aer Lingus customers are currently weathering the storm in New York, waiting for the city’s public transport and airports to reopen.

A MAN described by senior gardaí as one of the most “prolific burglars” in Clare has been expelled from the country.

Chief Supt John Kerin said that the number of thefts locally have de- creased by 10 per cent since the man was arrested.

He was a non-national living in the county and as such gardaí were able to petition to have him excluded from the country.

“This is something we intend to use more of in the future,” said Supt Kerin.

According to the Central Statistic Office, burglary and related offences had decreased by 3 per cent so far this year when compared to the same time last year.

Likewise robbery, extortion and hijacking were also down by 8 per cent, while theft and related offences stayed the same at 780.

A closer look at the figures reveal that theft from the person has increased by 220 per cent from five incidence in 2011, to 16 cases in 2012.

Superintendent Kerin said the majority of these incidents were in the Ennis area and mostly took place in supermarkets.

People who are doing a large grocery shop often leave their handbags or purses in the trolley and discover when they go to the check out that the purse has been robbed from the bag, the superintendent explained.

The number of car and vehicle thefts also increased during the first nine months of the year from 113 to 130 and theft from shops went up by 25 incidents when compared to the first nine months of last year.

General burglary was down 3 per cent however although aggravated burglary had increased by three incidents to five.

Robbery from premises was up from two cases to five also, while robbery from the person had decreased by one third.

Other thefts had decreased by 10 per cent.

Chief Supt Kerin said that the Gardaí have a detection rate of 65 per cent when it comes to these crimes, a figures that is considered high when compared nationally.

“While one crime is one too many, when compared to other Garda figures around the country we have managed to reduce the number of overall crime,” he said.

AN IRAQ war veteran from Clarecastle who admitted forging a doctor’s prescription has escaped a prison sentence.

Ross Culligan (25) was told by Judge Patrick Durcan that he was getting ‘the chance he deserves’ at Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

Mr Culligan, with an address at 41 Church Drive, Clarecastle, pleaded guilty to forging a prescription contrary to the misuse of drugs act on dates unknown between February 14 and February 22 (2012) at 41 Church Drive, Clarecastle.

He pleaded guilty to using the forged prescription at Mary Jo Duffy’s Pharmacy, Tesco, Ennis on February 22.

Mr Culligan also pleaded guilty to an offence under the firearms act at Ennis Garda Station on February 23.

The court previously heard that after being brought to Ennis Garda Station, Mr Culligan was found in possession of a .22 calibre bullet. The State accepted that Mr Culligan did not have the bullet for any sinister reason.

The case had been adjourned for the preparation of a report from the Probation and Welfare Services af- ter Judge Patrick Durcan said that he was considering a five-month prison sentence.

Mr Culligan served in the Irish Guards regiment of the British Army.

The court heard he was discharged for medical reasons. Judge Durcan noted that Mr Culligan had previously committed a similar offence and was on probation when he committed the current offence.

He said that Mr Culligan had experienced a lot of difficulties in the past.

Judge Durcan said as a result of his military service overseas, “he (Mr Culligan) saw and was probably involved in terrible things that will be with him for the rest of his life.”

He told the court that he was very impressed by what defence solicitor Shiofra Hassett had said on her client’s behalf.

Judge Durcan remanded Mr Culligan on continuing bail to July 17 (2013), with liberty to the State to reenter at 24 hours notice.

He also requested an up to date report from the Probation services. He added, “I will give you the chance you deserve.”

Judge Durcan said, “Best of luck to you Mr Culligan, you’ll have good days and bad days.”

A MAN who drove the wrong way down a busy street in Gort after stealing from a shop in the town has been sentenced to nine months in prison.

Timmy Casey (36), with an address at Bay 10 Clonlong, Southhill, pleaded guilty at Ennis District Court on Wednesday to dangerous driving, having no insurance, no driver’s license and theft at Gort on September 9.

The court heard that Mr Casey entered a clothes shop and removed money from the cash register while the owner was at the rear of the premises.

Inspector Michael Gallagher said that after leaving the shop, the accused drove on the wrong side of Crowe Street to evade gardaí. He said that at one stage, cars had to move onto the footpath to avoid Mr Casey’s car.

The court heard that Mr Casey also crashed into a garda patrol car. Insp Gallagher said the accused was at- tempting to evade gardaí.

Mr Casey, who has 89 previous convictions, also pleaded guilty to stealing a collection box from Teach Bia, Ennistymon on September 15.

The court heard that Mr Casey forced open the front door and stole the charity box containing € 40.

Defence solicitor Ted McCarthy told the court that his client had suffered from a serious addiction to alcohol. He said Mr Casey had committed the offences in “desperation” to get money for alcohol and drugs. “He was never going to get away with it”, Mr McCarthy added. He said Mr Casey is committed to dealing with his addiction issues.

Judge Patrick Durcan noted Mr Casey’s early guilty plea and severe addictions problems. He imposed sentences totalling nine months and fines totalling € 400.

Judge Durcan said the sentences are to run consecutive to the sentence Mr Casey is currently serving. Mr Casey was disqualified from holding a driver’s license for five years.

AS the fall-out from Saturday’s altercations during the Clare Minor A hurling final in Sixmilebridge continued on Monday, GAA chiefs in the county were remaining tight lipped about the events until they have time to receive and discuss the referees report from the game.

Pictures from the incident, which occurred thirteen minutes into the second half, flooded the internet on Saturday night and were featured in many national newspapers on Monday morning with much of the focus centering on Clare’s 1995 and ’97 winning captain Anthony Daly, who was prominent in some of the pictures.

ENNIS rate defaulters can expect to see their name in Stubbs Gazette .

Ennis Town Council confirmed to The Clare People that, following court rulings, it will publish “outstanding uncollected rates prior to 2012” in the magazine recognised as the reliable and comprehensive source of information on companies and businesses.

The town authority is currently struggling to collect the payment of the rates, with just 57 per cent of the town’s businesses paying last year.

As businesses feel the full impact of the recession, that figure is understood to be even lower this year, putting pressure on the council’s coffers.

A total of € 34.5 million was collected from Commercial Rates in 2011 by the Clare local authority, with arrears of € 9 million at the end of 2011.

It is expected that € 2m of that arrears is uncollectable as it relates to businesses that have closed down or gone into receivership owing rate payments.

Ennis Town Clerk Leonard Cleary said; “Every effort is being made to ensure collection of arrears in order to continue to fund the delivery of services to the public. Ennis Town Council has expressed concern about collection levels generally in 2012.

“It is the council’s intention to follow through with court proceedings and subsequently to ensure collection of all debts due.

“Ennis Town Council is encouraging businesses in financial difficulty to make contact with its Finance Department in order to discuss a payment plan,” he added.

Meanwhile, Clare County Council and Kilrush Town Council are faring better than the county town when it comes to collecting commercial rates.

At the end of last year, the county authority had collected as much as 80 per cent of its rate, while just over three-quarters of Kilrush’s businesses had paid their commercial rates (76 per cent) as against the figure of 57 per cent for Ennis.

THIS Wednesday is D-Day for the Doolin Pier development as An Bord Pleanála come to Ennistymon for the final oral hearings on the much disputed development.

The planning authority will hear comments concerning the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the € 5 million development, which was completed in May of this year.

The development has been delayed for more than two years following objections raised by the local West Coast Surf Club and the Irish Surfing Association (ISA), who say that the development will damage the waves at Doolin and create a dangerous environment for surfing.

The ISA will be afforded the opportunity to address their board and give their opinion on the EIS.

An Bord Pleanála are likely to base the decision on two sections of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) – one which deals with the impact that the pier will have on the limestone paving at Doolin Pier, and a second which uses hydrodynamic modeling and bathymetric data to determine what impact the pier will have on local currents and wave formations.

Local businesses believe that the planned pier could generate as many as 20,000 extra bed-nights for North Clare each year. This would result in a major boost to the local tourist trade and would likely create a number of new jobs in the area.

If the pier development is given the thumbs-up, construction work will likely not begin until the spring of 2013 with a completion date of early 2014 the most likely.

The West Coast Surf Club have stated on a number of occasions that they are not against the development of a pier in Doolin, but they do feel that the location of the current development will damage local surfing.

Surfing is the fastest growing recreational sports activity in Ireland and thousands of young people take surf lessons in the Clare resorts of Lahinch, Spanish Point, Fanore and Kilkee each year.

A NEW offshore organic fish farm planned for the Burren coast will generate almost € 15 million in wages for the people of North Clare and South Galway each year.

That is according to figures released last week by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), who say that the jobs created by the € 40 million development will be high paying, sustainable employment with pay “well above the average industrial wage”.

The new BIM figures put the figure for annual direct wages at € 14.7 million, should the twin fish farms be developed to capacity. This would equate, roughly, to the entire Single Farm Payment (SFP) paid to all the farmers in North Clare each year.

Speaking to The Clare People yesterday, Donal Maguire, Head of aquaculture development at BIM, said that spin-off incomes for the area could also run into the millions of euro.

“This fish is a perishable project so it has to be handled and dealt with in the local community. So there is a great business argument for processing the fish in the local area. So you get a massive spin-off employment near these big fish farms,” he said.

“We estimate this as about € 14.7 million in wages for the local community.

“That is in direct and indirect employment concerning the farm but then there is the wider circulation of money when we look at the money spent in local shops, and restaurants and petrol stations.

“These are full-time, year round jobs that will pay way more than the minimum wage. They will pay more than the average industrial wage, so these are good jobs. It will also create an extra hundred million more in exports for the country which we don’t already have.”

The BIM also confirmed that all money needed to get this projects off the ground would be payable from the operating company and not the state.

“Basically, we do all the heavy lifting in creating the means for this to happen; in getting the aquaculture license and the foreshore license, but all the major spend in actually getting the project physically off the ground comes from the operator,” continued Donal.

“It’s not money for nothing. IT is a big undertaking and requires a lot of effort from different aspects of the state to achieve it. Also, we have had to do a lot of design work to ensure that a farm of this size would not have a negative environmental impact.

“We’ve looked at this really closely and we are confident that this will not cause a huge impact.”