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ON TUESDAY, October 9 and Wednesday, October 10 in The West County Hotel, Ennis, secondary schools from all over the county competed in the Clare heats of the All-Ireland Schools Talent Search Competition.

This year, the competition’s benefiting charities are the NSPCC/ISPCC/Childline.

The ISPCC/NSPCC rely on the generosity of the public and donations from schools and companies for 90 per cent of its funding. Proceeds from The All-Ireland Schools Talent Search will go directly towards maintaining the charities’ support services for children and teenagers all over Ireland.

Tuesday and Wednesday nights were huge successes, as schools from all over Clare performed for both the audience and the judges.

The All-Ireland Schools Talent Search is not based solely on the judge’s decisions; the audience were allowed to vote for their favourite act.

There was a lot of support over both nights for the various performers, which included singers, comedy acts, bands and even a gospel choir.

As this competition is only for secondary school students, the ages on the nights varied from 12 to 17 and there was something to suit everyone in the audience.

Twenty acts got through from the Clare Heats. There will be a provincial heat coming up on Friday, No- vember 9, and following that there will be a semi-final and next March the All-Ireland Schools Talent Search Final will be televised in The Helix in Dublin.

Full support will be needed by all acts on the night so come along to support them on November 9. The proposed venue for this will be The West County Hotel, Ennis, but see Facebook to confirm details coming up to the event.

For more information, visit The All-Ireland Schools Talent Search’s Facebook page or go to www.schoolstalentsearch.org.

THE community centre at the centre of John Paul Estate in Kilrush has remained closed since its caretaker Stephen O’Gorman retired.

Former Mayor of Kilrush Cllr Ian Lynch (FG) believes that the centre is the lifeblood of the community and must reopen as soon as possible.

He said the town council should “convene a community meeting with the residents of John Paul Estate to obtain residents’ input on how this council may assist in enhancing the existing community centre with the view to encouraging community growth and spirit” within the newly regenerated estate.

Speaking at the October monthly meeting of the council on Thursday night last, he said the local authority housing estate “looks great” and there is a change in attitude in the area.

“There is a great community spirit and people are working together,” he said. “If we could get a community project over there, I think it would enhance the community.”

Cllr Tom Clyne (Ind) said that a new caretaker must also be employed because no one was going to do it on a voluntary basis.

Kilrush town clerk John Corry said he was aware that there were a number of groups interested in opening and using the centre, and he was in discussions with many of them.

Among those hoping to make use of the facility is the community garda in his work with the community.

Mr Corry said there were some concerns about the insurance.

He said the insurance company had some concerns that there was not a caretaker in place.

The town clerk added that any group that used the facility would probably have to pay a nominal fee so as to help cover the insurance costs.

A NEW initiative designed to help teenagers who have been affected by addiction has been established in Ennis. A new Youth Support Programme has been established by the Bushypark Treatment Centre which aims to break the cycle of addiction in some Clare families.

The programme is aimed at teenager between the ages of 14 and 18 years who have been effected by the addictions of others in their families – whether it be parents, siblings or grandparents.

“We are hoping to break the cycle of addiction which runs in some families. Kids do imitate parents behavior – they learn secrecy, they learn to be embarrassed and ashamed at a very young age and they don’t ever get a space to share their own feelings,” said Margaret Nash of Bushypark.

“What we want to do is to help them create coping mechanisms for when they are presented with diffi- cult times in their own life so they don’t just turn to alcohol and drugs themselves when they are faced with a problem.”

The development of self esteem is seen as a key part of new programme offered by Bushypark. “Everyone is faced with a difficult time at one time or another in their life and we would hope that this programme could give people the coping skills and the self esteem needed to get through these situations,” continued Margaret.

“Personal development is really key. We need to give young people the tools to get through difficult situations without turning to drugs or alcohol.”

The service is offered by Bushypark with the help of Clare Youth Services, Clare Alcohol and Drugs Services (SLÁINTE) and the Community Substances and Misuse Team. Bushypark is a service of Clarecare.

Anyone interested in learning more about this or any programme at Bushypark should contact 065 6840944 or visit www.bushypark.ie.

THE so-called “Centre of Excellence” for the mid-west cannot provide treatment for a specific type of heart attack after 5pm or at week- ends. The HSE admitted that as many as 58 people a year, or an average of more than one a week, suffering from a heart attack as a result of blocked arteries must be sent on to Galway to be treated, as the service is not available in the Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick outside of Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm. When reconfiguration of hospitals in the mid-west was announced and the Accident and Emergency Department at Ennis General Hospital downgraded, Limerick was hailed as the centre of excellence for the whole region. It has now emerged that if Clare patients, who can no longer be treated in Ennis, arrive at the Regional Hospital in Limerick with a ST elevation MI (type of heart attack) after hours, they will be turned back and sent to Galway. A spokesperson for the HSE anticipated that Limerick will become a 24-hour Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) centre within the next few weeks, and the treatment will then be available around the clock. “Preparatory work has been in train for several months in accordance with national guidelines. The two centres for STEMI patients in the West of Ireland will be Galway University Hospital (which went live on October 1) and the Mid Western Regional Hospital, Limerick,” he said. “Cardiology services in Limerick have expanded greatly in recent years, with a fifth cardiologist recently appointed. The hospital has a 24/7 coronary care unit and a cardiologist on call round the clock. The coronary care unit and day cardiology services will shortly be moving to a new stateof-the-art critical care block “It is important to note that a STEMI (ST elevation myocardial infarction) is not a case of cardiac arrest. Anyone suffering a cardiac arrest will continue to be treated 24-7-365 in the Mid Western Regional Hospital,” he said.

THE Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government have been accused of hypocrisy as it calls on rural dwellers to register their septic tanks, while overseeing what has been described as “one of the biggest polluters in West Clare”.

Raw sewerage is pumped daily into the Shannon Estuary from the holding tanks at Skagh Point, despite a € 12.5 million Wastewater Secondary Treatment Plant being promised for the towns of Kilrush and Kilkee more than seven years ago.

It is now unlikely that the much needed scheme for the West Clare towns will come to fruition as the towns’ manager, Anne Haugh, said the county council’s hands are tied when it comes to raising the funds.

She explained that the council has been told it must raise € 2.7 million for the project, yet the Department of the Environment will not approve loans for any new projects.

Sean Ward, Senior Engineer with Clare County Council’s Water Serv- ices, said the Department of the Environment has approved a “procurement and construction budget of € 8.042 million for the two waste water plants, one third of which will have to be funded by the local authority.

“However, the council cannot begin this process until the EPA issues a wastewater discharge licence and the scheme is included in the 2014 WSIP (government) list.

“The only thing that would move the scheme from ‘scheme at planning’ status to ‘contracted to start construction’ status ahead of 2014 would be if the EPA issues a discharge licence with a very tight deadline to have the treatment plant completed,” said Mr Ward.

He is not very confident that the licence the council applied for in 2008 will be issued anytime soon.

The father of Kilrush Town Council, Cllr Tom Prendeville (FF) said he believed it was hypocritical of the department to threaten people in rural Ireland who have septic tanks, yet allow the incident at the estuary continue.

“The spin doctors from the department have been at pains to point out the need for septic tank owners to register and carry out regular inspections and servicing operations to ensure that our ground waters are not contaminated with the resultant threat to the environment and to jobs,” he said.

“Yet some might find these utterances hypocritical when one realises that the long promised wastewater treatment programme for Kilrush and Kilkee more than seven years ago is still being considered by the department.

“Some people might be discomforted to hear that raw sewage is being pumped out daily in the Shannon Estuary from the holding tanks at Skagh Point. This anti-environment act gives credence to the sceptics who charge the local authority with being polluters in West Clare,” he warned.

The former mayor of Kilrush called on the Oireachtais members to bring the matter to the Dáil and the MEPs “at EU level where the € 12.5 million funding has been secured”.

THE growing number of women in Clare development addictions to prescription drugs and alcohol has prompted the Bushypark Treatment Centre to launch an after treatment programme, specifically aimed at women.

The number of Clare women with addiction problems is on the increase – with older women abusing prescription medication a particular concern. This has prompted the Mid-West Regional Drugs Task Force and Clarecare to fund Bushypark in a new women in recovery group.

“Women tend to go for alcohol and prescription drugs – and prescription drugs really is a key issue for women. from the trends that we see coming in to us they are much less likely to abuse elicit drugs or gambling,” said Margaret Nash of Bushypark.

“This is a problem across all ages. We are seeing a trend of young girls from 14 or 15 years of age who are binge drinking. But there is a real problem for older women, especially when it comes to prescription drugs. This is a huge concern for us.

“This is older women who are deal- ing with an empty nest, when their children move away, but also women tend to live longer than men – so a lot of widows are finding themselves in difficulty. There are a lot of widows out there. Usually with addiction there is an underlying condition and the stress of different situations can bring that to a head.”

Women can often face greater stigma than men when facing up to their addiction issues. The women in recovery group aims to help women rebuild their lives after an addiction problem and reduce the likelihood of a relapse.

“Women generally have much more guilt and shame than men when they discover they have a drugs, gambling or alcohol problem and that does make them slower to come forward. Women’s drinking is more secretive than men, they tend to drink in the home and that makes it harder to spot and be diagnosed. This makes them slower to access services,” continued Margaret.

“It is also different for women going back into society after treatment. People can be a bit more unforgiving to a woman in this situation as opposed to a man and they can also have responsibility thrust on them earlier. So there tends to be a higher relapse rates for women than there does for men, and this is where the new programme comes in. It is about learning the skill of self care – about minding themselves.”

The group features a mixture of group therapy, personal development, relationship support, art therapy and other supports. It is designed for women who have completed a treatment programme but is open to anyone. For details ring 065 6840944.

A FORMER social care worker from Kildare who fraudently claimed € 7000 from an Ennis based healthcare company has been ordered to make a contribution to charity.

Adrian Sexton (33), with an address at 13 Shrowlands, Athy, Kildare, pleaded guilty at Ennis District Court on Wednesday to 46 charges of deception.

The court heard that “financial desperation” drove the former horse trainer to steal from his employer. Mr Sexton fought back tears as details of the case were heard in court.

Detective Garda William Delaney of Ennis Garda Station said Mr Sexton worked as a social worker for TTM Healthcare, Ballymaley Busi- ness Park.

The court heard that Mr Sexton submitted fraudulent timesheets that exaggerated the amount owed to him for work he said he carried out at children’s care units in New Ross, Newbridge and Drumcondra.

The offences dated from September 19 (2011) to January 2 (2012).

The amounts claimed for ranged in size from € 8 to € 500. The court heard that Mr Sexton repaid all the money owed to the company.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court that the Director of Pubic Prosecutions (DPP) had directed summary disposal of the case on a plea of guilty only. Judge Patrick Durcan accepted jurisdiction.

Detective Delaney told the court that the fraud came to light when TTM Healthcare were informed by the care centres in question that the work had not been carried out. He said Mr Sexton cooperated fully with the garda investigation.

He has no previous convictions.

Solicitor Daragh Hassett told the court that Mr Sexton previously worked as a horse trainer near the Curragh.

He said the father-of-four was under extreme financial pressure at the time.

The court heard he volounteers with a number of organisations including Cuan Mhuire and Chernobyl Ireland. He also works with his local GAA club.

Mr Sexton has since lost his job with TTM Healthcare. Mr Hassett said;

“It is the height of stupidity, not matter what pressure he was under.”

Insp Kennedy said Mr Sexton was “clearly remorseful” for his actions. He described the offences as “completely out of character.”

The court heard that the Sexton family are moving to Australia to seek work.

Judge Patrick Durcan said these were serious offences “that happened systematically over a period of time.”

Noting the accused’s guilty plea, total co-operation and his repayment of the money, Judge Durcan ordered Mr Sexton to pay € 1000 to the court poor box by December 30.

He said the charges would be struck out if the payment is made by that date.

NORTH Clare will be the venue for a gathering of some of Europe’s best known poets and musicians this weekend.

The Western Writers and Clare Three Legged Stool Poets will host poets and musicians from Iceland, Faroe Islands, Norway, The Shetland Islands, Ouessant, Corsica, Sardinia and Ireland.

They will join colleagues from Ireland to explore the ‘Sacred and Profane origins of the island of Europe’ at a conference in Carron.

The event will run from Friday, October 19, to Sunday, October 21.

Estonian poet laureate Yaan Kaplinski will perform at the opening of the conference in Kilfenora Cathedral on Friday, 8pm.

He will also appear to an open mic session hosted by the Clare Three Legged Stool poets on Saturday in Glór, Ennis, at 2pm.

A final concert of all participants will take place in the Cathedral in Ennis on Sunday at 8pm. Entrance to all events is free.

Brian Mooney of Clare Three Legged Stool Poets said part of the conference will be closed to the public.

He explained, “The closed aspect will be two close-up ‘getting to know you’ sessions of all the participants in the Michael Cusack Centre in Carron where poets and musicians will have an opportunity to give a more intimate presentation of their work. These sessions will be held on Saturday morning from 10am to 12.30am, and on Sunday over two periods from 10am to 1pm and from 2pm to 5pm. These sessions are not open to the public as such but are open to any poets who wish to participate.”

Mr Mooney continued, “At these two sessions, the main themes to explored will be the Brendan Voyage theme or spreading of Christianity north to the Western Isles of the Atlantic and the Norse theme and its movement south to the Mediterranean and both of these as an ongoing inspirational motif for modern day poetry.” For further information contact info@claresrock.com or enq uiries@kilfenorahostel.com.

A MAN has received a prison sentence after pleading guilty to a burglary at the Kilmaley Inn earlier this year.

Jamie Brohan (29), with an address at 142 Hermitage, Ennis, received sentences totaling 10 months at Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

Mr Brohan pleaded guilty to entering the Kilmaley Inn as a trespasser and committing an arrestable offence, the theft of a Samsung cash register valued at € 1200. The register contained € 15. The incident oc- curred on February 13.

Mr Brohan also pleaded guilty to stealing protein drinks valued at € 46 from Rochford’s Pharmacy, Kilrush Road, Ennis on February 23.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directed summary disposal of the case. Jurisdiction was accepted in both matters.

The court heard that Mr Brohan entered the Kilmaley Inn through the rear of the premises at around 3am in the morning.

Detective Garda William Delaney told the court that the accused was subsequently found in possession of the register.

The court heard that Mr Brohan co-operated fully with gardaí and the property was recovered in full working order.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court that the accused has 58 previous convictions.

The court heard that Mr Brohan had previously received a five month suspended sentence for possession of a claw hammer and flick knife at Lasting Impressions hairdressers, Chapel Lane, Ennis between July 28 and 29, 2011.

Solicitor Daragh Hassett told the court that his client had developed an unfortunate addiction to heroin at an early age.

Mr Hassett said his client had received treatment for his addiction but had lapsed back in drug use during the time of the offences.

Mr Hassett added, “He’s still a young man.

“He’s not without hope.”

Judge Patrick Durcan described the break in at the Kilmaley Inn as an “extremely serious matter.”

He activated the five month suspended sentence imposed for the offence at Lasting Impressions.

He imposed a four-month sentence for the burglary at the Kilmaley Inn and one month for the theft at Rochfords Pharmacy.

Both sentences are to run consecutively to the previous five-month sentence.

Judge Durcan said assaults on businesses are “assaults on the fabric of the community.”

He said the message must go out that criminals are “going to face the highest level of penalties within the circumstances that we can impose.”

Recognances were fixed in the event of an appeal.

UNMANNED killer drones, such as the one which killed 16 people in Pakistan last week, could be being transported through Shannon Air- port every day, according to Shannonwatch. The anti-war group published a new book on Sunday detailing the number of US military and chartered flights which have travelled through Shannon Airport over the last 10 years. The group claim that, despite promises made in the programme for government, the Irish Government is still allowing international and Irish law to be broken in the airport. The book also highlight the lack of inspections at the airport. “There has been a lack of political will to do this for many years. But we also know that with the new programme for government, a commitment has been given to ensure that international law is respected in Irish Airports,” said John Lannon of Shannonwatch. “By putting this into the programme for government in the first place it was an admission that international law was not being respected in the first place. But it also showed a willingness to change that, but we have seen absolutely nothing from them in this regard to date. This booklet is a timely reminder to the Government about this. “There is a growing amount of disillusionment with them [the Labour Party]. Many of their current TDs would have been out of the front line of the campaign against the torture flights and the military use of Shannon. It is disappointing that they seem to have become suddenly less vocal as soon as they entered government. “I think the next two years will tell a lot about whether Labour in particular meant what they said while in opposition before the last election. “I think it will come as a surprise to a lot of people the number of national and international laws that have been broken in Shannon. At the moment we don’t know what is coming through and nobody is checking. There could be drones coming through Shannon Airport every day and we just have no way of knowing.”