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CABIN crew aboard a United Airlines flight to Shannon on Saturday were forced to handcuff a drunk American passenger who engaged in “obnoxious” and “threatening” behaviour, a court has heard.

Stephen Herring (40) consumed alcohol and ambien, a form of sleeping, prior to boarding the flight from Newark to Shannon on August 18. He was arrested in Shannon after failing to obey the directions of crew.

Mr Herring, with an address at 1216 Hawthorn, Heuston, Texas, appeared at Ennis District Court on Monday, charged with three offences under the Air Transport and Navigation Act. He pleaded guilty to engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour with intent to cause a breach of the peace; being intoxicated to such an extent that he might endanger himself or others, and, without justification, causing serious annoyance having been requested by the crew to cease such behaviour.

Insp Kennedy explained that Mr Herring had become difficult and refused to comply with crew during the flight. The court heard that Mr Herring was restrained in handcuffs. “He was arrested in Shannon. He was clearly intoxicated,” Insp Kennedy said.

The court heard that Mr Herring co-operated with gardaí and expressed remorse for his actions.

Mr Herring has no previous convictions in the United States or in Ireland. Insp Kennedy said he had dealt with a number of cases where passengers had engaged in difficult behaviour on flights.

He said that in most cases, a passenger’s behaviour forced a flight to divert to Shannon, causing huge cost and disturbance to all involved.

Insp Kennedy said this case was different as the United Airlines flight was scheduled to land in Shannon.

He said “obnoxious and disagreeable” of the type Mr Herring had engaged in, can cause “huge anxiety” to passengers.

Insp Kennedy added, “This would not be on the more serious end of the scale of incidents like this.”

Solicitor Aoife Corrigan said her client had come to Ireland for a weeklong holiday. She said Mr Herring had obtained Ambien from his doctor, due to a fear of flying. Mr Herring consumed some alcohol on his flight from Texas to Newark prior to taking the sleeping tablets.

Ms Corrigan said, “He completely blacked out. He doesn’t remember anything until waking up on the plane with handcuffs on.”

Ms Corrigan said family and friend were shocked to learn of Mr Herring’s behaviour. She said she had received 15 character references on behalf of her Mr Herring.

She added, “This is totally out of character. He is very ashamed and very sorry for his behaviour.”

The court heard that Mr Herring could possibly be banned from traveling with United Airlines again. Judge John O’Neill said he could understand “the anxiety of passengers, never mind nervous passengers”. He described Mr Herring’s behaviour as “obnoxious”.

Judge O’Neill added, “I would not have enjoyed being a passenger on that plane observing his behaviour.”

He said that if Mr Herring paid € 500 to the children’s charity, the Clare Crusaders, then he would strike out all charges.

THE body tasked with dealing with disputes between third parties and landlords arising from allegations of anti-social behaviour says it has not received any complaints regarding rented properties in Clare in the last 18 months.

The Private Rental Tenancies Board (PRTB) received 2,060 applications in 2011, of which only four per cent related to anti-social behaviour.

In a statement yesterday, a spokeswoman said, “It would appear that none of these cases were from rented dwellings in County Clare.”

A spokeswoman explained that the PRTB can investigate allegations of anti-social behaviour within the limits of the act.”

She added, “The PRTB can, as a civil body, award damages against landlords, where such allegations are upheld. In order to take a case, a third party must provide evidence that they have already attempted to resolve the matter directly with the landlord. Allegations of a criminal nature, for instance drug taking, assault etc, should be reported to the Gardaí for investigation and prosecution through the courts.”

She stated, “Should a third party take a case to the PRTB in respect of these allegations, it should be noted that the tenancy can only be terminated by a landlord serving a valid notice of termination (NoT) on the tenant. The PRTB does not have the power under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 to order a landlord to serve a NoT or indeed to terminate a tenancy, without the landlord serving a valid NoT.

She continued, “As a quasi-judicial body, the PRTB must operate in a totally impartial manner between disputing parties so cannot offer advice to either party in relation to their dis- pute. However, the board has authorised PRTB management to prioritise cases where there are allegations of serious anti-social behaviour, for instances where there is threat to life or the fabrication of the dwelling.”

A spokesperson for the PRTB said it was “important” for people to take cases against landlords whose tennants consistently engage in anti-social behaviour.

Landlords are required to register properties with the PRTB within one month of tenancy. Failure to do so can result in a court appearance, a € 4,000 fine and/or six months in prison.

CHANGES in the school transport policy system allied to the increase in charges could have the most impact on families in South East Clare.

The Department of Education and Skills provides subsidised school transport for post-primary pupils who live more than 4.8 kilometres away from the appropriate school.

Responsibility for post-primary school transport was transferred from VECs to Bus Éireann in January.

According to Bus Éireann, from the commencement of the 2012/13 school year, the use of the Catchment Boundary Area (CB) System, as a means of determining eligibility, will cease for all pupils newly entering post-primary school.

From the 2012/13 school year, school transport eligibility for all pupils newly entering a post-primary school will be determined by the distance students reside from their nearest post-primary education centre, having regard to ethos and language.

According to one primary school teacher, the changes will start to effect families in the coming weeks.

Fianna Fáíl councillor Cathal Crowe, who teaches in Parteen National School, said he has already been approached by parents concerned over the potential cost implications of the new school transport policy.

He said, “I think in the next couple of weeks its going to be a big issue for parents when they start getting the paperwork. I’ve had one or two enquires so far but I think there’s going to be more.

“It’s probably going to affect students in the South East of the county more than other others. I know from talking to people in parts of East Clare, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to affect them too much. In South East Clare, you have a lot of students going to Limerick City and the spread of schools is massive. The enrollment system is also different in the sense that is more like the CAO, you have to give a list of preferences.”

He added, “Areas like Parteen, Meelick, Clonlara and even Sixmilebridge could be caught up by this. Some families could end up paying double what they normally pay.”

To be considered eligible for school transport, pupils must reside 4.8 kilometres or more from and be attend- ing their nearest post-primary education centre, as determined by the department and Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Bus Éireann state that pupils who are not eligible for school transport, under the above criteria, may apply for concessionary transport subject to a number of terms and conditions. These concessionary pupils will not be exempt from paying the annual charge nor will they count for the establishment or retention of a service, the company says.

Speaking last month, George O’Callaghan, CEO of Clare VEC, told a meeting that a significant number of school goers could be affected by the changes to school transport policy.

Remote area grants are payable by the department as a contribution towards private transport arrangements for eligible pupils for whom no transport service is available. These grants may also be paid for eligible pupils who live 3.2 kilometres or more from the nearest pick-up point for school transport.

The single annual charge has also been raised to € 350 per pupil. The maximum amount for a family is € 650 per year.

COMMUNITY groups in Ennis, Sixmilebridge and Gort have put together a list of proposals which they feel could increase the traffic on the Western Rail Corridor. The West on Track organisation have compiled the suggestions of community representatives at every stop along the Western Rail Corridor and are currently in negotiations with Iarnród Éireann about implementing some of the new ideas.

West On Track spokesperson Colmán Ó Raghallaigh confirmed yesterday that a working document had been completed but would not reveal details of any of the suggestions at this time. The Clare People understands that a number of initiatives, includ- ing five-day student commuter tickets from Ennis to Galway and Limerick, are currently being examined.

Other possible ideas on the table include the creation of commuter zones between Ennis and Limerick and Gort and Galway where reduced commuter fairs could be introduced.

This news comes following figures released last week which show a continued poor performance of the route between Ennis and Athenry. The significance of these figures has been questioned by West on Track, who say that figures have been presented selectively to undermine the project.

“We refute the notion that the Western Rail Corridor consists of a piece of track between Ennis and Athenry. Some elements of the corridor have been hugely successful and there are parts which do have room for improvement,” said Colmán Ó Raghallaigh from West on Track.

“We set up a working group this spring involving people from all communities along the route and they have put together a report and, using that report, we are working with Iarnród Éireann to see where improvements can be made.

“We have representatives from Ennis, Gort, Sixmilebridge and Athenry involved in putting this report together. We have met Iarnród Éireann to discuss it and we will be meeting them again very soon.

“We believe that Iarnród Éireann is now intent in getting the very best out of the railway. It is a matter of great regret that this wasn’t there from day one but it is better late than never.

“An example of this was seen recently when Iarnród Éireann ran extra rail services on the line for the Galway Races and the Volvo Ocean Race and they also operated services late at night – this was very successful. This was one of the proposals which was put to Iarnród Éireann, they did it, and it was a great success.”

THE lack of a dedicated helicopter landing pad in Kilkee is putting lives at risk by delaying how quickly injured people can be airlifted to hospital. At present, the most suitable place for the Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter to land is at the first tee of Kilkee Golf Course, which must be cleared in full before a rescue operation can take place. A site for a dedicated helicopter landing pad was identified by locals more than 10 years ago but nothing has been done in the meantime to make the site a workable option. Following a number of high-profile accidents in the locality in recent weeks, Manuel di Lucia of the Kilkee Marine Rescue Service, believes that the site, which is in public ownership, could be made ready to receive emergency helicopter traffic for as little as € 30,000. “I don’t think that it’s good enough that here in the Kilkee area, where we have had some very serious incidents over the last couple of weeks, yet we don’t have a designated landing pad,” he said. “This wouldn’t cost a lot of money at all. For as little as € 30,000, they could put together a very workable landing pad which would not interfere with overhead wires and houses. “I think we need to invite the chief pilot from the Shannon-based coast guard helicopter, someone from the coast guard and someone from the Department of Transport down to meet with someone from Clare County Council to assess the site and see if it still fits the needs of the modern rescue helicopters. “This site would be closer to the rescue centre in Kilkee and it would be much easier to get there, so it would speed up the time it takes to get an injured person to hospital.”

THE recession is hitting Clare couples hard with the a marked increase in the number or people getting divorced and separated in recent years. The number of divorces granted to couples in Clare grew by 40.8 per cent last year – the largest year-onyear increase since divorce was made legal in Ireland in 1996.

According to new figures for the county released by the Central Statistic Office (CSO) 69 divorces were granted to Clare couples last year with a further 66 application for di- vorce being made.

According to Paul Woulfe of the Ennis branch of the Citizens Information Service, these figures are the tip of the iceberg, with many Clare people seeking judicial separations – because they cannot afford the cost of an official divorce.

“There are many more people going down the route of a negotiated separation rather than going for a divorce. We get a lot of people coming into us because their marriages have broken up and the cannot afford the cost of a solicitor,” he told The Clare People.

“People come to us and they don’t realise that there are other option to having a full divorce, but there are. Of course there are many other couples who have been cohabiting for years and have a family – these people do not need a divorce at all and would not show up on the statistics.

“When a marriage or a relationship breaks up people have a lot of questions. A lot of them either don’t realise that you can get a separation agreement or a judicial separation and they will give you the same protections as a divorce. Really, the main difference for a divorce is that it allows the party’s involved to remarry – but a person can always get a judicial separation and then apply for a full divorce down the line at some stage.”

Meanwhile, just one annulment of marriage has been granted in Clare over the last five years. A total of five application of annulment have been made in the county since 2007, with only one being granted. An annulment is a declaration that a marriage was deemed never to be valid and is declared on rare occasions – such as when one of the people involved is found already to be legally married.

Anyone who wishes to contact the Clare Citizen’s Information Service for can call 0761 075260.

DESPITE the torrential rain, students from North Clare were in high spirits when they collected their Leaving Certificate results last Wednesday.

While each of the local secondary schools reported good results, the cream of the crop for 2012 was at the CBS in Ennistymon, where two students achieved six A1 grades and the maximum 625 points.

Lawrence Egan and James Cotter, who are both from the Ennistymon area received the full six A1s in the exam.

Both students have applied for engineering courses in university.

“Everyone was very happy and very relieved with the results. There were a few people in honours maths who were a bit concerned but they all came through it well,” said Anne Tuohy from CBS in Ennistymon.

“The bonus points are definitely attracting more people [to maths]. I just hope that it doesn’t distort the points too much for people who didn’t do honours maths. I think it will be a few years before we know for sure what it is doing to the points system.

“Overall we are very happy with the results, especially with the two students who achieved six A1s. That was a fantastic result for both – they have their full 600 points and the 25 bonus honours maths points to spare. We had a lot of very solid results along with that so they are all very pleased.”

There was also a great performance from the students at the Ennistymon Vocational School, where Ciaran Roche from Liscannor was the top points earner on 550 points.

“We are very happy with all of our students. Everyone got on really well, especially in higher level math and in Irish,” said Elizabeth Flanaghan from Ennistymon Vocational School.

“The number of people taking higher level math definitely increased this year since the bonus points were introduced. The students were definitely attracted by the extra points on offer.”

There was also a series of very good results at Scoil Mhuire in Ennistymon, where principal Seosaimhin Ui Dhomhnallain congratulated the students for all their hard work.

“It is wonderful to see the girls’ hard work rewarded. They were a wonderful group of co-operative, hard-working girls, who made a very valuable contribution to all areas of school life,” she said.

“The parents, students and teaching staff of Scoil Mhuire are to be congratulated on their splendid re sults, for their support and hard work throughout the girls’ school years and I wish them all the very best in the next stage of their lives,” was the principal’s final words.

HE died 210 years ago, but renowned Ennis poet Thomas Dermody has been brought back from obscurity thanks to the work of University of Limerick academic Dr Michael Griffin, which was celebrated at the Merriman Summer School on Friday.

The Romantic-era poet, who was Clare’s answer to Robert Burns in the destructive lifestyle that he led and his literary genius, had his work republished and launched at the Merriman Summer School.

A critical edition of the Selected Wr itings of Ennis poet Thoma s Der mody (1775-1802), edited and introduced by Dr Michael Griffin of the School of Languages, Literature, Culture and Communication, and published by Field Day, was formally launched at the Royal Spa Hotel, Lisdoonvarna.

“He was much admired in his own time by leading figures in the political and literary cultures of Dublin and London for his prodigious tal- ents in poetry,” says Dr Griffin. “He published his first volume of verse in 1789 at the age of 14, but Dermody was also infamous for his selfdestructive lifestyle and he died in London at just the age of 27,” adds Dr Griffin.

According to Professor Seamus Deane, Dermody “is now seen in a more chastened spirit as a figure who flits uncertainly between Robert Burns and Thomas Moore, the great exemplars of those in whom a romantic nationalism and a liberal politics were key ingredients in the production of the new poetry”.

Professor Deane also said that the edition of his Selected Writings, edited by Dr Griffin, “defines his achievements and status with an unprecedented authority and precision”.

Dermody’s biographer James Grant Raymond said of him, “There is scarcely a style of composition in which he did not excel. The descriptive, the ludicrous, the didactic, the sublime — each, when occasion required, he treated with skill, with acute remark, imposing humour, profound reflection and lofty magnificence.”

In addition to a volume of verse published when he was 17, Dermody also published a pamphlet on the French Revolution in 1793, ‘The Rights of Justice or Rational Liberty’.

In 1806, James Grant Raymond published the ‘Life of Thomas Dermody, interspersed with pieces of original poetry’. He then went on, in 1807, to publish ‘The Harp of Erin, or the Poetical Works of the late Thomas Dermody’.

A NOTE of hope for the future of Ireland was heralded by Professor Kevin Whelan at the Merriman Summer School in Lisdoonvarna last week. Professor Whelan, who is the Director of the Keough Naughton University of Notre Dame Centre in Dublin, opened this year’s Summer School at the Pavillion in Lisdoonvarna.

According to Whelan, rural communities in Clare and all over Ireland remain beautiful but should be developed with reference to the local environment and the work of previous generations, rather than through other ideas imposed from outside.

“Despite our efforts to exploit it, to ravage it and to neglect it, we still live on a beautiful island. We can re- store Ireland to itself and bequeath it to Irish people not yet born. We can all still open our minds, our eyes and our hearts to it,” he said.

“Seamus Heaney does this as he experiences the Flaggy Shore in the Burren in autumn. He says, ‘When the wind and the light are working off each other’ and ‘big soft buffetings come at the car sideways and catch the heart off guard and blow it open’.”

The theme of the 2012 Summer School was ‘Thriving at the Crossroads: Rural Ireland in a Globalised World’ and this put the focus of many contributors on both the positive and negative changes which impacted on rural Ireland during the Celtic Tiger years.

“The rural countryside is the cumulative creation of countless gen- erations of people living in a specific place, the sedimentation of culture from the stream of time,” continued Professor Whelan. “It nourishes deep social and psychological wellsprings by providing a sense of continuity. It remains too, an enduring source of spiritual and artistic inspiration, stimulating creativity in our best artists. It provides an inexhaustible font of ideas on how we can best use our land, sympathetic with the wider search for ecological sustainability and socio-economic well-being.

“The countryside is the dynamic arena in which the drama of human history, the never-ending dialogue of nature and culture, has been constantly played. Cultural landscapes embody the natural history of humankind, of a long and evolving relationship with landscape.”

A NEW form of decentralisation was on the table for discussion in Lisdoonvarna over the weekend, as Fianna Fáil spokesman on Agriculture, Food and Community Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív, called for a reintroduction of the much maligned policy of his former government.

Deputy Ó Cuiv was speaking at the final major panel discussion of the Merriman Summer School alongside MEP Mairéad Mc Guinness at the Pavillion Theatre on Saturday evening. The theme of the discussion was ‘On the Land’ and Ó Cuiv suggested a new targeted form of decentralising as a means of invigorating rural areas.

The outspoken former Fianna Fáil deputy leader said that decentralisation could be carried out again on a more organised and incremental fashion over a longer period.

“I believe that the current Government should continue with a targeted programme of decentralisation,” he said. “Unfortunately, urban areas tend to be socially segregated and, in my view, that is a great ill in our society. Having grown up in Dublin and come to live in Cornamona, I have come to appreciate the strength of community life,” he said.

Speaking at the same event, MEP McGuinness said there was more to rural Ireland than septic tanks and turf-cutting rows. “In a globalised world, there is no room for a mentality of ‘they are for us or they are against us’,” she said.

The Director of this year’s Summer School, Chairman of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, Bob Collins, said this year’s summer school is about the very future of rural Ireland.

“In current economic conditions, where the easy optimism of a few short years ago has evaporated and where the enduring presence of institutions that have supported rural communities for almost two centuries can no longer be taken for granted, there is much on which to reflect,” he said.