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SEANIE McMahon take a bow.

Your influence stretches long beyond your status as one of the greatest hurling men to ever have the number six on your back.

“Has there ever been a better centre-back in the world” thundered Michéal Ó Muircheartaigh in one of his commentaries on Clare back in the day.

It was rhetorical, of course. And it was preaching to the Clare converted, even all the way out Miltown Malbay way, deep in football country.

Yes, there was always a bit of a hurling enclave here thanks to Tom Malone’s Clonbony, while there was a county hurling final played there in ’99. And, it’s there that Conor Cleary would have seen Seanie McMahon in hurling flesh.

“It was Seanie, Seanie McMahon,” he says minutes after becoming a Munster championship winning centre-back like his hero. “I took to him as a young lad and it was the team he was a part of and the success that they had that got me interested in hurling.

“To be part of a Munster championship winning team! Growing up seeing the likes of Seanie McMahon and the lads doing it in the late 1990s, it’s just a dream come through. Little did I think when I started hurling that I’d end up here. To win a Munster title on the field of play – it’s incredible, it means so much,” he adds.

The first Miltown man to win a Munster hurling medal on the field; Martin Flynn and Karl Walsh were part of the football win in 1992; Clare is the latest in a long line of Munster champions from Miltown that includes famous names like Eddie Carroll and PJ Killeen, who were on the 1917 football team and Georgie Comerford was the hero of the 1929 minor football team.

“It’s all the people who have helped me down through the years,” says Cleary. “It was my father, the people in Kilmaley and there’s great thanks to Davy (Fitzgerald) for bringing me into the seniors this year. For a while I didn’t know where I was going with my hurling and being in the senior panel really brought me on a lot.

“Paul Kinnerk always says to us, ‘at the start of every game, get your hands on the ball as early as you can’. That happened for me and we tried to set down a marker, not to let any ball pass the half-back line. Nine times out of ten it worked. It’s incredible to be part of this.”

Incredible too that Clare’s hurling revolution is now touching the west Clare coast.

Thanks to Conor Cleary, who can take a bow with Seanie McMahon.

PLANS have announced for a major face-lift of Clare’s largest business and industrial park.

Shannon Development is proposing upgrades to both buildings and public lighting at the Shannon Free Zone – a multi-sectoral business park that is home to over 100 manufacturing and international service companies, employing 6500 people.

The planned series of upgrades include work on Airport House – “a signature building” in the Shannon Free Zone.

Shannon Development is inviting tenders for work on Airport House – a large four-storey multi let office building.

The tender notice states, “The building was originally constructed in the 1960s and is a signature building within Shannon Free Zone and is adjacent to Shannon Airport.

“The Company now wishes to commence major upgrade works to certain elements of the building namely upgrade of the front entrance lobby/ reception area and upgrade to the fit out on the first floor. Works will be completed in Q3 2014”.

Shannon Development is currently in transition to become part of Shannon Group plc – an umbrella group comprising Shannon Airport, Shan- non Development, Shannon Heritage and the International Aviation Services Centre (IASC).

The plans to revamp the Free Zone form part of the Shannon Group’s aim to “to emphasise a more commercially focused property remit” for Shannon Development, which will be renamed Shannon Commercial Enterprises Ltd, trading as Shannon Enterprises.

The company is also inviting tenders for upgrades to the public lighting system in the Shannon Free Zone,

“Shannon Development has decided to commence major upgrade works to the existing public lighting infrastructure for the entire Shannon Free Zone area.

“The initial phase of upgrade works will including new ducting, power distribution and cables, lighting columns and light fittings to replace existing light fittings in Shannon Free Zone West”, the tender notice states.

Shannon Development is also inviting expressions of interest for a “complete overhaul” of the company’s largest building, Block B in the Shannon Free Zone.

The Block B building is located in Shannon Free Zone West and was constructed in the 1960’s and modified/upgraded in the intervening years since then.

The tender notice states, “The building is presently designed as large scale high bay warehousing and distribution.

“Block B is the largest Company owned building in the SFZ (both in terms of floor plate and internal height) with over 100,000 sq ft of floor area. In 2012 part of the building (44,755 sq ft) was refurbished and leased.

“The remainder of the building (56,300 sq ft) also requires refurbishment and it is proposed to undertake this refurbishment work in 2014 with a view to leasing the building on a phased basis.

“Block B Unit 2 has a covered floor area of 56,300 sq ft, is currently unoccupied and now requires a complete upgrade to return the building to good lettable condition.

“The roof covering of the entire 100,000 sq ft Block B building is at the end of its serviceable life and needs to be recovered. Internally, the fabric of the building needs a complete overhaul while elements of the external of the building also need to be upgraded”.

Construction of the Shannon Free Zone commenced in 1959. It currently encompasses 600 acres of land and four million square foot of buildings adjacent to Shannon International Airport.

THIS was the night that the Munster cup was handed over to Clare for the third successive year. As such it was a coronation, with a party atmosphere wrapping around Cusack Park when provincial chairman Robert Frost handed the silverware over to Tony Kelly.

But in real time out on the field and amid all the hoopla that’s building up all around him, joint-manager Dónal Moloney seems able to take a few steps back. Steps back two weeks to the day in fact.

He defaults to the Tipperary game.

“Tipperary nearly put paid to this,” he says, “and when we reflect back on that night, that was the night the Munster Championship was won. We displayed enormous courage when we were flat. When we weren’t playing well we displayed enormous courage and that was the night the championship was won.”

But what about this night? The shock and awe of that first 30 minutes!

“These guys have created certain standards over the last few years,” begins Moloney. “In the first half they surpassed all of that. We knew there was a huge performance in them, but they really expressed themselves in the first half and it was a joy to watch them. We are so fortunate to have such talented guys available to us, players with the capability and the capacity to do that. “It’s not easy to come out when you’re red hot favourites. There’s a lot of talk about three-in-a-row, you’re playing Cork who have just dumped Waterford out and for those guys to get their focus exactly right to turn in a performance like that – there’s some credit due to them. “Right from the full-back line, the way they were creating space and moving the ball. Cork were struggling and gaps just opened up. We hit a purple patch for seven or eight minutes and the game finished as a con- test at that point in time,” he adds.

With that it was just about holding firm – a case of enjoying the journey, without doubt the easiest of Clare’s five provincial titles over the past five years at both minor and under 21 level.

Mention of those five provincial titles, not to mind the two All-Irelands, and it’s no wonder that Moloney et al are nearly at a loss for words to explain it all – but not quite.

“It’s been an incredible journey and to be quite honest with you, it’s been a fairytale,” he says. “We never thought any of this would happen to us. The reality is that we’ve been very fortunate to come across not just some of the most talented players that the county has ever seen, but also guys who had a massive desire.

“It isn’t always that you find the two in the one package, but we have a whole bunch of guys who have both. We should really cherish that because it won’t last. It won’t last, we won’t have underage teams turning out that kind of performance. They’ll be very competitive, but we won’t have them turning out that kind of performance every year,” he adds.

Two more will do for this year as Clare now home in on more glory.

The Munster three-in-a-row bagged; now to repeat the dose at All-Ireland level.

GARTH BROOKS for Ennis? That just might be a possibility as Clare County Council has been urged to investigate the potential of holding music festivals at the home of Clare GAA, Cusack Park. The Clare GAA owned grounds in the centre of Ennis emerged as one potential venue for large-scale music or community events in a submission on recreations and sports to the Ennis and Environs Development draft local area Plan. Clare County Council is currently drawing up the plan, which will guide the development of Ennis from 2015 to 2021. In his submission, Chair of the Ennis Municipal District Committee (MDC), Johnny Flynn, proposes the “development potential of Cusack Park music festivals” be examined under the plan. The submission states that Cusack Park could be the venue for a revived version of the “Lisdoonvarna Festival” – the iconic music event previously staged in North Clare. The development of ‘Spoiti Ceol’ (music public performance locations) and the drafting of a busking code are also contained in the submission. Cllr Flynn proposes that the Fair Green or Tim Smythe Park, be designated as a public events centre. The submission proposes the development of an international artist workshop at the old Garda barracks buildings and the “development of large arts spaces for Macnas type works over winter preparing for St Patrick’s Day and other parades”. The submission also contains proposed changes and improvements along the River Fergus, Ballyalla Lake and the Lees Road sports and recreation facility. Cllr Flynn has suggested the “creation of recreational boating in Ennis from Post Office field to Knox’s Bridge to maintain minimum boating depth of water during Summer and to deal with flow issues”. For Ballyalla Lake, the submission proposes the designation of a physical connection from Lees Road to Ballyalla; the potential development of a European standard campervan site near Ballyalla Lake; playground and public toilet facilities; the repair of the old Pier and the installation of a zip wire and a general physical activity centre at Ballyalla. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has previously warned that there is limited scope for development at Ballyalla due it’s designation as a wildlife sanctuary, special area of conservation and special protection area. Cllr Flynn suggests that buoys be provided across the middle of the lake to protect the designation of the Western side as an overwintering bird and wildlife sanctuary. He has also proposed the banning of outboard engines other than for approved public safety boats at particular events.

CALLS for the people of Clare to boycott Israeli products were made at a protest rally, which took place in Ennis on Saturday afternoon last.

Those attending the Ennis Vigil for Gaza in O’Connell Square, which was organized by the Clare branch of the http://www.ipsc.ie/ Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign heard calls the boycott of Israeli goods that was kickstarted in Kinvara to be rolled out around County Clare.

Last week retailers, cafés, restaurants and a pharmacy in Kinvara agreed to operate a boycott of Israeli goods in protest against the “ongoing bombardment” of Gaza.

According to the Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), Kinvara is the first and only town in Ireland, to take this collective action in protest at Israeli action in Gaza.

Saturday’s Ennis rally was attended by about 50 people, with the lead address given by the chairman of the Clare branch of the http://www.ipsc. ie/ Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Tomás Mac Conamara,

“The numbers that are here today are testimony to the people of county Clare against injustice,” he said. “It is very important for us to remind ourselves that as we gather here today in Ennis, as people gather in Limerick and gather in Dublin and around the world in solidarity with Palestine, that the people in Gaza are being bombed as we speak.

“Children are being murdered as we speak. This did not start three weeks ago. This started with the occupation of Palestine and it will only end when the occupation of Palestine is lifted. It will end when the siege of Gaza is ended. If Israel wants safety for its citizens and if Benjamin Netanyahu wants safety for his citizens, get out of Palestine. It is not your country,” he added.

According to Kevin Squires, co-ordinator of the IPSC, the boycotting Israeli products is “an effective and peaceful way to bring pressure to bear on the Israeli state to end its occupation of Palestine, and persistent violations of International law”.

THE company behind some of the Mid West’s biggest tourism attractions is to undergo a “strategic review”, it has been announced.

Consultants are being sought to carry out a review of Shannon Heritage, the company that operates attractions such as the Bunratty Castle Folk Park and King John’s Castle in Limerick.

According to a tender notice posted by Shannon Development, “This review will analyse all aspects of the current portfolio and inform the future strategic direction of the business”.

Shannon Heritage employs close to 300 people during the height of the tourist season.

Shannon Development is currently in transition to become part of Shannon Group plc – an umbrella group comprising Shannon Airport, Shannon Development, Shannon Heritage and the International Aviation Services Centre (IASC).

“To emphasise a more commercially focused property remit, Shannon Development will soon be renamed Shannon Commercial Enterprises Ltd, trading as Shannon Enterprises.

“Shannon Development is focused on delivering competitive property solutions to our customers”, states the company profile.

The company operates from Shannon Airport.

Shannon Heritage is one of the largest operators of heritage products in Europe. It manages a portfolio of seven day visitor experiences and four evening entertainments in Clare, Limerick, Galway and Dublin.

Figures released last year to mark the 50th anniversary of the medieval banquet at Bunratty Castle, stated that Shannon Heritage’s mediaeval banqueting operation contributes to an estimated € 20 million in spin-off revenue annually to the local economy.

It was estimated that over the past 50 years, Shannon Heritage day visitor attractions and evening entertainments have attracted almost 20 million visitors from all over the world.

Shannon Heritage is one of the largest and longest operating tourism companies of its type in Ireland employing almost 300 people at the height of the season.

The company also oversaw the € 4.7 million revamp of tourism facilities at King John’s Castle in Limerick city.

According to figures released last year by Shannon Heritage, over 40,000 people visited the re-vamped King John’s Castle during the first four months of opening in 2013.

A DOG was reunited safe and well with his owners after surviving a 300 metre fall from cliffs in Kilkee on Sunday.

The family pet whose name is Vimes fell after losing it’s footing at Lookout Point near Dunlicky, Kilkee. The alarm was raised at around 3.30pm when a member of the public rang the emergency services to report that a dog over the edge at Look Out Point.

It is thought the small terrier slipped of the cliff edge after getting away from his owners.

The dog fell 90 metres and collided with part of the cliff face on the way down. He was spotted in the water below by a member of the public.

The Irish Coast Guard marine rescue sub centre at Valentia Island in Co Kerry was alerted an in turn requested the Kilkee unit of the service to mobilise. Rescuers quickly arrived at the scene and devised a plan for bringing Vimes safely back to dry land. But when the rescue boat went back out to the water, they found that the dog had already made his way to shore.

Vimes was then reunited with his grateful owners, who are believed to be from Limerick. A Coast Guard spokesman said that Vimes miraculously avoided injury despite enduring such a dangerous fall. “He was fine. He’s a tough dog,” explained the spokesman. Vimes himself later tweeted his thanks to the rescue services.

A VERDICT of accidental death has been returned at the inquest into the death of a Polish man in Ennis last year. The body of 38-year-old Thomas Nowakowski was found near a speed bump in Tobertascáin on May 15, 2013. The fast food worker had lived in Ireland with his wife for six years. The inquest into his death was opened at Clare County Coroner’s Court in Ennis in May.

A report from State Pathologist, Marie Cassidy found the cause of death was crush injuries to chest and pelvis consistent with a crush under the weight of a car. Acute alcohol intoxication was given as a contributory factor. The inquest resumed yesterday and heard from Henryk Orzeih, a friend of Mr Nowakowski and his wife, Patrycja.

Mr Orzeih said he knew the couple from when they worked in the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis. In his deposition, he said he drove Patrycja to Dublin Airport on the day of the accident as she was flying home to Poland for a holiday.

He said Mr Nowakowski called to his house later that night in a drunken state. The inquest heard the friends sat for three hours drinking coffee before Mr Orzeih drove his friend back to his house at Tober Beag, Toberteascáin, Ennis. He said the last time he saw Mr Nowakowski alive was when he exited from the rear of the car in an agitated state. The inquest heard that Ennis man Kevin Brennan was driving from Toberteascáin towards St Michael’s when he saw Mr Nowakowski lying just off the side of a speed bump.

Mr Brennan said he stopped the car and performed chest compressions on the man who was unresponsive. He said he flagged down a passing car for assistance. The emergency services were called and were soon on the scene.

Sgt Sandra Heelan told the inquest she attended the scene and carried out an investigation into the incident.

A mother of 10, Shirley Doherty, with an address at Tara Lawns, Belcamp, Coolock, Dublin, subsequently came forward admitted she was the driver of a grey Vauxhall Zafira that struck Mr Nowakowski on the night.

The 37 year old was prosecuted in the District Court where she pleaded guilty to being the driver a vehicle that was involved in the occurrence of an injury to one Tomas Nowakowski and failing to give on demand the appropriate information as required. She further admitted failing to stop her car on the night in questions. She received fines totalling € 1,000.

Sgt Heelan was cross examined on her evidence by counsel for the deceased’s wife, Lorcan Connolly BL.

Counsel questioned Sgt Heelan on the position of the body relative to the location of his nearby home. He said Mr Nowakowski was found lying on the side of the opposite to where he lived.

Mr Connolly said there is “internal conflict” in the movements of the deceased between the time he was dropped off by Mr Orzeih and Mr Brennan’s arrival on the scene.

Brendan Condon, Garda PSV Inspector, carried out an inspection of the car. He said the brakes, lights and tyres were not in good overall condition. There was also a defect with the front wipers while signs of other collisions were also visible.

However he said the condition of the brakes was not a significant factor in this incident.

Clare County Coroner Isobel O’Dea suggested to the jury that they return a verdict of accidental death or death by misadventure. After deliberating for three minutes, the jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

Ms O’Dea, the forewoman of the jury and Inspector John O’Sullivan all extended their sympathies to the deceased’s wife, Patrycja, who was present in court.

A WEST Clare farmer has won rave reviews for developing a tractor that can be operated by remote control, allowing him to farm the land from the comfort of his own home.

Miltown Malbay man Michael Shannon has combined his passion for farming and machinery to develop his remote controlled tractor in what has been a labour of love over many years.

In what has been hailed as an unbelievable feat of engineering, Mr Shannon has taken a tractor that’s over 30 years old, remodelled and modified it so it can operate at the flick of a switch.

Now the 1983 registered Massey Ferguson MF250 is fully operational using a remote control device and can be let loose to work away on his family farm in Miltown Malbay.

It was Michael’s ambition when he gave up being a tractor dealer ten years ago to develop a fully working, reliable remotely operated tractor.

The farmer, along with son Tony, totally overhauled the engine and hydraulic systems as well as painstakingly redoing the wiring to make his dream possible. Not only can it be used remotely and with a human physically sitting on it, it can also run with the use of a Garmin GPS unit.

If a field is digitally mapped, you can let this tractor off by itself and it’ll spread fertilizer using GPS coordinates. “Once it’s set up to go the machine will spread to the required width and then return to the gate and stop in order to be driven home by a human on the road,” Mr Shannon revealed.

AN unemployed electrician whom a court heard spent € 700 a week on drugs has been sentenced to 11 months in prison.

Shane Kerin (26) became involved in drug dealing in order to fund his own habits, Ennis District Court heard on Tuesday.

Mr Kerin, with addresses at Connolly Villas, Ennis, and Stonecourt, Ennis, pleaded guilty to multiple drugs offences committed between April and October, 2013.

He pleaded guilty to being in possession of cocaine at Ennis Garda Station on April 9; possession of cannabis for sale or supply at Connolly Villas on April 25 and possession of cannabis and possession of cocaine also at Connolly Villas on April 25;

He further admitted charges of possession of cannabis and possession of cannabis for sale or supply at Gort Road, Ennis on October 13.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of driving without due care or attention

Detective Garda Dominic Regan of Ennis Garda Station explained Mr Kerin drove away from gardaí at speed when they attempted to stop him on the night in question.

The court heard he was eventually halted near the Aughanteeroe hous- ing estate. Mr Kerin pleaded guilty to using a forged prescription at Flynn’s Pharmacy, Gort Road, Ennis, on October 15. The court heard he altered the prescription to include the addition of 90 xanax tablets.

He further admitted a charge of having cocaine for sale or supply at Sandfield Hall, Ennis on October 24.

Defence solicitor John Casey said his client’s father died in tragic circumstances when he was young. He said Mr Kerin left school at 16 but qualified as an electrician. He said Mr Kerin, normally a nice, quite young man, started smoking cannabis before moving onto prescription drugs, cocaine and then heroin.

Mr Casey said his client’s condition deteriorated in recent months.

“He has gone down. And the only way I can describe it is like speaking to someone under water,” Mr Casey explained.

He said a report furnished to the court disclosed that Mr Kerin was spending € 100 a day on drugs.

Judge Patrick Durcan said there was no evidence Mr Kerin had won the Lotto. He said the € 700 had to come from somewhere. Mr Casey said Mr Kerin sold drugs in order to support his habit.

He urged the court to follow the recommendation of the Probation Services and adjourn the matter for three months to allow his client to re-engage with addiction treatment services.

Judge Durcan said he was not impressed that the accused had not engaged fully with the services to take the steps required to deal with his addiction.

Asked for his view on the accused’s situation, Det Gda Regan said Mr Kerin has a “serious heroin addiction”. He said he could not see Mr Kerin’s life improving until he beats the addiction.

Judge Durcan said this was a young man who committed “very serious offences”.

The Judge said that he was not satisfied on the basis of the evidence that Mr Kerin has engaged in any meaningful way with the services.

He said he was not prepared to accept the recommendations of the Probation Services, neither was he compelled by the arguments of the defence.

In sentencing, Jude Durcan also noted the accused was spending € 700 a week on drugs.

He said he was drawn to the conclusion that that burden was in some way borne by society.

He imposed sentences totalling 11 months and fixed recognizance’s in the event Mr Kerin decides to appeal.