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OFFICIAL funding for the arts in Clare has been slashed this year by almost 25 per cent leaving many small festivals and large institutions fighting for their survival.

Figures obtained from the Irish Arts Council reveal that the total amount of funding for projects in Clare fell from € 481,000 in 2011 to just € 362,000 this year – a drop of 24.7 per cent.

This latest drop comes after a series of funding cuts in recent years and is having a serious financial impact on the arts in the county.

Some of the worst hit areas include Glór, the Willie Clancy Summer School and the Clare County Council Arts Office – each of which saw major funding cuts this year.

Funding for Glór fell from € 112, 500 last year to just € 90,000 this year while the Clare County Council saw a total, year-on-year cut of almost 27 per cent with Arts Council funding dropping from € 102, 500 to € 75,000. The Willie Clancy Summer School, which last week generated millions for the local tourist industry in West Clare, saw its annual Arts Council funding cut from € 100,000 in 2011 to just € 80,000 for 2012.

Smaller local festivals have also been hit hard with the total allocated through the Small Arts Festivals Scheme dropping from € 69,000 last year to € 45,000 this year while the annual allocation to Liscannor publishing house, Salmon Poetry, fell from € 50,000 to € 42,000 this year.

Reacting to the funding announcements, Clare arts officer Siobhan Mulcahy said that Clare artists and festival organisers are resilient and would survive the funding cuts.

“These cuts represent the difficult situation artists and arts organisations find themselves in. Many of these organisations and festivals rely on Arts Council of Ireland support to keep going, but their successes over the years show that they are resilient and creative in the face of such adversity,” she told The Clare People .

“Clare County Council contin- ues to support the arts in Clare and views the arts as a key component of cultural life in the county and as a resource to be supported for the benefit of all.”

Besides the overall cuts to certain funding streams, a number of Arts Council schemes have been discontinued. Clare projects received no funding through the Deis Scheme or the Project Award scheme in 2012 but the was a one gain – with € 8,000 more coming to the county through the Bursary Scheme in 2012.

A spokesperson for the Arts Council declined to comment on the cuts but government funding for every section of the arts has been hit badly since the beginning of the recession in 2007.

A MAN who has pleaded guilty to harassing his former partner sent her a text message stating her new boyfriend would be “breathing through a tube” when he finished with him, a court has heard.

Ray Clune (37), with an address at Breafa West, Lissycasey, pleaded guilty to harassment and to contravening a safety order at a named Ennis address on dates between January 20 (2012) and February 4 (2012).

Details of the offences were heard at Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

Inspector Tom Kennedy said that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed summary disposal of the matters.

After hearing an outline of the facts of the case, Judge Patrick Durcan accepted jurisdiction.

Solicitor John Casey told the court that his client would be entering a plea of guilty.

Inspector Kennedy told the court that a woman made a complaint to gardaí after receiving a number of phone calls and text messages of a threatening nature.

He said the woman’s phone received 30 missed calls on January 21 and a further eight missed calls on February 4.

He said the woman had not answered the phone calls.

Insp Kennedy said the calls were followed by text messages containing remarks about her new partner.

Insp Kennedy told the court that the messages included threats that the man “would be breathing out of a tube” and “would end up in a body bag.”

Approximately 20 text messages were sent in total to the woman’s phone, the court heard.

Insp Kennedy said that Mr Clune was completely “cooperative and apologetic” when met by gardaí.

“No new complaints about the accused have been made,” he added.

Mr Casey handed in a doctor’s report explaining that his client suffers from depression.

He said at the time the offences were committed, Mr Clune “was drinking very heavily, 24/7, and this sparked something in him.”

Mr Casey added, “He knows that she has moved on and he has moved on and he accepts it.”

“He apologises unreservedly. She did not deserve this. She did nothing”, he said.

Mr Casey said his client had lost his job and had recently found it difficult to get meaningful employment. Mr Clune has no previous convictions.

Judge Durcan acknowledged that Mr Clune had experienced a number of difficulties in his personal life. However, he said that the accused had breached a court order and had harassed his former partner.

He remanded Mr Clune on continuing bail to appear again on November 7 for finalisation of sentence. He granted the State liberty to re-enter the matter at 24-hour notice. He said if Mr Clune’s good behavior continues, then the matter will be disposed

A MAN with an address in Crusheen has been charged with having what gardaí have described as ‘large quantities’ of heroin and cannabis for sale or supply at two different locations is due back again in court later this month.

Simon Bracken (45), with an address at Cappamore, Crusheen, appeared at Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

It is alleged that Mr Bracken had diamorphine for purposes of sale or supply at Cappamore, Crusheen on June 1 (2012).

Mr Bracken faces another charge of having cannabis for sale or supply at Ardrahan, Galway on June 13.

The court previously heard that the cannabis seized by gardaí was estimated to be worth € 20,000.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court that the State are awaiting directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

He said quite a “sizeable” amount of drugs had been seized and that the case “might attract another charge.”

Solicitor Tara Godfrey said she intended to make a bail application on behalf of her client.

The court heard that Mr Bracken had previously been remanded in custody with consent to bail in relation to the cannabis charges.

Inspector Kennedy said the State would consent to bail on the heroin charges.

He sought a further adjournment in the case for DPP’s directions.

Ms Godfrey said that her client could not achieve bail at this time on the current terms.

She added, “I am concerned that DPP’s directions have taken some time.”

Judge Patrick Durcan remanded the accused in custody with consent to bail to appear again on July 25. Judge Durcan added that given Mr Bracken’s continued “incarceration”, he was concerned that DPP’s directions had not yet issued.

In response, Insp Kennedy said, “Mr Bracken is in custody having been caught in possession of a large quantity of drugs on two separate oc casions within a week.”

A JUDGE has said he will refuse installment orders sought by Ulster Bank until it gets its “house in order.”

Judge Patrick Durcan has been refusing to grant the applications in light of recent problems at the bank, which have caused massive disruptions to customers.

Banks can seek an installment order from the court to compel debtors to pay a fixed amount each month.

Ulster Bank sought two such orders at Ennis District Court on Friday. However, Judge Durcan informed the solicitor acting on behalf of the Bank that he would “not be granting any installment orders until they get their house in order.”

He said the recent problems experienced by the bank had caused “huge inconvenience to the people of Ireland”.

Judge Durcan adjourned both cases to December 14. IT problems have affected hundreds of thousands of Ulster Bank’s customers for almost one month. A technical problem dur- ing a software upgrade at its parent company RBS disrupted electronic transactions and created a massive backlog processing payments.

In a statement yesterday, the Bank said, “All of our systems are running as normal this morning in the timeframes we would expect and normal service has now been restored for the majority of our customers.”

The statement continues, “Given the scale of the incident, the clean up continues and a small percentage of outstanding transactions are being processed over the next couple of days.

“There is no doubt that there will be reconciliations to some customer accounts that also need to take place over the coming days and weeks. However, for the majority of customers it is now business as usual”.

Judge Durcan was also critical of the level of information provided by Banks on debtors when seeking installment orders.

Referring to an order sought by the Bank of Ireland, Judge Durcan said, “The behaviour of the banks is nothing short of scandalous.”

CLARE County Council has been urged to consult with landowners requesting their cooperation for a walking path around Ballyalla Lake.

The proposal was put forward at yesterday’s meeting of councillors in the Ennis West Electoral Area.

Cllr Brian Meaney (GP), who put forward the motion, told the meeting that he was not expecting the matter to progress quickly.

Cllr Meaney said, “However, this would be a first step to write to landowners to see if they would be willing to make land available.”

According to Eamon O’Dea, Senior Executive Engineer, a number of issues have to be considered in the context of any development at Ballyalla.

These include funding to compensate private landowners in the area and to construct the walking path. He stated that the majority of land around the lake is in private ownership.

Mr O’Dea added, “Different levels to which the lakes rise at different times of the year would cause difficulties at the exact location of the pathway.”

Cllr Meaney said water level problems could be overcome though the use of elevated walkways.

Cllr Tom McNamara (FF) told the meeting that a great opportunity existed to develop Ballyalla.

He said the project should initially focus on improving footpaths and toilet facilities while a playground should also be considered.

He said that by working alongside a local community group, the council could seek 75 per cent of the project costs through the LEADER programme.

Cllr McNamara added, “Something like this would really lift the area.”

It has previously been proposed that the next Ennis Development Plan contain provision for a land corridor linking Ballyalla with the Lees Road Sports and Amenity Facility.

GARDAÍ in Ennis are awaiting ballistic results from a pipe bomb discovered in a car on the outskirts of the town last week.

Two men in their twenties with Ennis addresses were arrested by Gardai in the Barefield area of Coun- ty Clare after a pipe bomb was found in their car.

Gardaí stopped the car at Cappa Beg on the old N18 Ennis to Galway road at approximately 1am on Tuesday morning last.

The occupants of the car, were taken to Ennis Garda Station where they were held under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.

They were released at 11pm that night.

Ennis Superintendent Peter Duff said a file on the case is being sent to the Director of Public Prosecution.

“I don’t envisage any more arrests in relation top this incident,” he added.

The pipe bomb, which was made safe at the scene by the Defence Forces Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team (EODT) based at Collins Barracks in Cork, is now being examined by a ballistics team.

During a follow up operation gardaí also searched premises in the Ennis area.

Supt Duff confirmed that nothing else was discovered during the searches.

THE process of removing illegally parked caravans and other temporary dwellings has become a “huge drain on staff and resources” for Clare County Council, a meeting has heard. Town clerk Leonard Cleary was speaking yesterday after concern was expressed over a recent rise in illegal encampments in Ennis and Clarecastle.

Mr Cleary said that at a time when the council has seen a 20 per cent reduction in staff numbers, local authorities do not have the capacity to devote resources to dealing with illegal encampments. He added, “It’s a huge source of frustration for staff and management.”

Mayor of Clare, Cllr Pat Daly (FF), said illegal encampments had become “too regular” around Ennis.

Mr Cleary was speaking at a meeting of councillors in the Ennis west electoral area. Cllr Tony Mulqueen (FG) had called for immediate action on illegal encampments and for “those responsible to pay all costs from their social welfare if necessary”.

In her reply, Fiona Mooney, Acting Senior Executive Officer, Housing Section, states, “The process for dealing with illegal encampments of temporary dwellings are invoked immediately by personnel.

“This does not amount to an immediate outcome, because the elements of the process necessarily take a minimal amount of time.

“The processes are as efficient as they can be given the inadequacies in the legislative framework available, the requirements of the legislation that can be invoked in each particular case, the available human resources to the council and other statutory agencies, and given the level of non-compliance with notices served.

“There is no mechanism provided for those responsible paying ‘all costs.’

In any case where a temporary dwelling has been removed, there is legislative provision for the owner to have to pay the removal cost, in order to retrieve it,” she added.

At a meeting of the Ennis East Electoral Committee, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) said that people living in Ennis and Clarecastle have had their “hearts broken” by illegal encampments.

Mr Cleary said new national legislation is required in order to give the local authorities more effective powers.

THE team behind the Ballyvaughan Bay Hop have vowed to restart the commuter ferry service as soon as possible, despite the cancellation of the last three days of sailing during its week-long trial.

The service was halted on the morning of Thursday, June 31, with “unforeseen circumstances” on behalf of the chartered boat operator cited as the reason.

All sailings for Friday and Satur- day, July 1 and 2, were completely booked out, with more than 70 per cent of seats on the June 31 sailing also booked.

According to Gwen Ryan of Ballyvaughan Bay Hop, everyone who booked tickets for these days will receive a full refund.

“It was very disappointing that the service was cancelled but, on the up side, the few days we did run the service have indicated a huge demand and interest in this transport option,” said Gwen.

“It has also demonstrated for a lot of people, just how central the harbour is in Galway City. And we have learnt a valuable lesson from the unexpected aborting of the service. The project group will be meeting soon to reflect on the results of the trial service and to plan the next stage in the project.

“I can’t shed any light on what these next steps might be until we have met and decided them but we will certainly have to look at the funding options available to source a cabined passenger rib and we will have to engage Clare County Coun- cil on the possibility of getting a floating pontoon for passengers so that they can disembark comfortably.

“We have a lot of work to do yet before the service is up and running on a permanent basis but our efforts to date have been buoyed by the fantastic reaction and support the trial service received.”

The fastest crossing time recorded during the trial was 27 minutes more than an hour quicker than the average commute time by car of the same journey.

LAST Wednesday’s temporary loss of water supply to parts of Ennis and its surrounds was a result of a burst mains on a main trunk supply from the Drumcliff reservoir.

Clare County Council identified the problem quickly and worked through Wednesday night to ensure supply was fully restored within 24 hours.

During the disruption Ennis General Hospital was without water for a short time but fire services using water tankers ensured that hospital supplies of water were unaffected by the loss of supply.

According to Senior Engineer with Clare County Council Sean Ward, the discovered leak was a serious one.

“On Wednesday morning we observed high flows through our district meter on Sandfield Road, indicating that there was a major leak or burst in that district.

“We shut the district off at 10am, located the burst and started to repair it,” he told The Clare People , adding that very quickly people were in contact with the council to report water issues.

“CCC staff immediately started inspecting the network to locate any other bursts that might account for this loss of pressure.

“With the assistance of the operating contractor’s staff at Drumcliffe water treatment plant, a major leak was found on one of the two trunk supply mains from Drumcliffe reservoir to the town,” Sean said.

To protect the town’s main water supply, the council took the decision to temporarily cut off the main supply route in question.

The burst section of main was exposed by 6pm and repaired by 9.30pm. Ennis area staff then worked during the night and again early the following morning to ensure that supply was getting back to all areas. Mr Ward praised the co-operation of local landowner Pat Tierney, who facilitated the early repair work.

“Clare County Council would like to record its appreciation to Pat Tierney, the owner of the land on which the trunk main burst occurred, for readily facilitating entry to his land to allow the big main to be repaired this greatly assisted the speed of our response,” he added.

DESPITE predictions of a wash out, Ennis is after having a bumper weekend. The inclement weather of the last week did not dampen the spirits of visitors to the county town for the Street Festival, Senior Inter-county Hurling Championship game and general tourist activities.

It is not yet known the exact net financial worth of the busy July weekend, but local estimates put it at hundreds of thousands of euro, with the more optimistic suggesting up to € 1 million.

The county spirit as well as the local economy got a boost after the two days of activities topped by a Clare win against Dublin.

President of the Ennis Chamber of Commerce Brian O’Neill described it all “as the best weekend of the year”.

All accommodation was booked out on Saturday night as the Dublin hurling team discovered when they searched for a bed for the night shortly after 10pm.

Mr O’Neill, who owns the popular Rowan Tree restaurant and hostel, said that he had a lot of the Dublin hurling fans staying with him, and although there was no room at his inn when the team called, he was sure they were accommodated elsewhere.

As many as 2,000 Dubliners are understood to have stayed in Ennis on Saturday night to enjoy the party atmosphere, despite their disappointment.

The fallout of the Volvo Ocean Race in Galway saw more bed occupied.

Mr O’Neill explained that Ennis accommodated a lot of the overflow from the Ocean Race, as many people opted to stay in Ennis and travel to Galway for the different events.

Many also stayed around the town’s street festival, which brought life to the town on Sunday according to the chamber president.

He also paid tribute to what is proving one of the biggest tourist attractions in the town this year – Ennis Abbey.

“Since Ennis Abbey re-opened it is driving a lot more tourists into the town centre and keeping them there. It is free of charge but benefiting the local economy as people stay around to buy a bottle of water, a sandwich, cup of coffee or another gift,” said the business man.

“The attitude and atmosphere is so much better when people are seen around the town,” he added.