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THE new committee structure put in place by the Government that has responsibility for implementing Shannon’s independence and the break-up of Shannon Development’s old responsibilities will produce results by the end of the year.

That’s according to Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar, who has rejected that the appointment of 28 different people to three separate government committees was too unwieldy to put concrete plans for the airport in place.

“It’s the nature of everything really that you want to include people and bring them along with you with as much as possible and at the same time you need to keep things tight. You need to strike that balance,” said Minister Varadkar.

“The steering committee is very tight. There are only five or six people. The task forces are all made up of people with particular expertise, or the particular agencies involved,” he added.

The committee structure for the airport was blasted on the first day of the aviation conference on Wednesday when aviation entrepreneur Domhnal Slattery said “committees are a useful forum, but don’t start businesses and are very rarely effective”.

In continuing his broadside against the blueprint for Shannon, chief executive of Avolon aircraft leasing company said the Government “has pretended to do something by putting Shannon into an interregnum, but has only kicked the can down the road, made it someone else’s problem and put off the ultimate decision”.

However, in defending government policy on Shannon, Minister Varadkar has told The Clare People that the roll out of Shannon’s new independent structure will take place in the coming months, ahead of the final deliberations of the two task forces and steering committees that have been given the job of formulating the new airport blueprint.

“The airport is still in decline and this year things haven’t really picked up and what’s important for everyone is to have certainty and to have decisions made and concluded this year,” he said.

“What I’m trying to do is add a sense of urgency to things. We are in a very difficult environment for aviation at the moment, but the job of government is to put in place the environment and the tools to be suc- cessful.

“The timeframe that has been given to the task force is to report to the government with detailed plans by November, but I don’t necessarily think we should wait that long. I would like to see things happen as they can be done and have everything concluded by the end of the year because uncertainty not helpful,” he added.

Minister Vardarkar said he couldn’t “say for certain” when the new Shannon structure will be up and running. “That involves other people and other bodies and potentially primary legislation, but we need a clear roadmap, clear decisions and a clear picture this year and implementation after that.”

CLARE’S oldest man passed away peacefully in his home at Illawnbawn in Inagh last week at the ripe old age of 104. John Joe Marrinan passed away in the early hours of last Wednesday morning, June 27, and was laid to rest at Moughna Cemetery on Friday afternoon.

John Joe was born on May 24, 1908, and would have witnessed first-hand the Irish Revolutionary War and the Civil War as a child.

He is survived by five daughters and seven grandchildren, as well as a wide circle of friends and relatives. John Joe’s wife, Treasa Marrinan, passed away eight years ago.

While John Joe was a keen fan of music and dance, his favourite pastime was playing cards and, until very recently, he would make his way to Ennistymon for a regular game of 45.

He was also a very religious man and made a pilgrimage to Knock each year, as well as attending Mass locally on a regular basis.

“He was very active until quite recently. He was up and about every single day until a month or two ago. He was a farmer and his home was his castle, and there was always a great welcome for anyone who went to visit him,” said local priest, Canon Richard Tarpey.

“He was a great family man and each of his five daughters were all very good to him in recent years. He was able to to remain in his own home right up to the very end of his life, which was a great thing for him.

“He was also a very religious man and he attended Mass every week. He also visited Knock once a year and had a lot of time for the Rosary.”

John Joe’s death comes just days after the passing of one of Clare’s other most senior citizens, following the death of West Clare man Timmy Ryan (102), last week.

A Kilmihil native, Timmy stayed fit throughout his entire life and could often be seen walking on the roads around his homeplace or working on the bog in Corgrigg.

Timmy was also a life-long Fine Gael supporter and was one of the local people visited by Taoiseach Enda Kenny (FG) earlier this year.

Timmy was a member of the Kilrush Athletic Club who won the All Ireland Cross Country Championship in 1938.

THE teenage community of Clare, as well as their family and friends, are already busy fundraising for the William Winder Rainbow Foundation.

Among the biggest fundraisers will be the ‘Climb 4 William’. On August 5, friends, family and supporters of the charity will climb Croagh Patrick for the charity.

Sponsorship cards are available from caroline@williamwinderrainb owfoundation.ie.

William’s uncles plan to follow in their nephew’s footsteps up Kilimanjaro to also raise funds for the charity.

Following on from William’s love of music, a teenage disco will be held on Wednesday, July 11, in O’Looney’s Surf Bar, Lahinch. Tickets cost € 10 and are available from Green’s Coffee Shop, Lahinch; Tara at Seaworld; and Catriona at the Ennistymon Fruit Stall.

A talent show and disco will also be held in the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon on August 22 for the foundation, while an indoor beach party will be held in Éire Óg’s clubhouse in Ennis in aid of the William Winder Rainbow Foundation and Cahercalla Youth Green Area Development.

The website, which is a one-stop shop for teen support and counselling, is www.williamwinderrainbowfoundation.ie. The site is currently being completed, but people can also log on to the organisation’s Facebook page for more information.

SECURITY arrangements in place for the recent Clare Connections concert in Ennis appeared “heavy handed”, a meeting has heard.

Despite poor weather, the concert, which featured performances by singer Maura O’Connell and the Kilfenora Ceilí Band, drew a large crowd to the Abbey Street car park.

The free music event was organised as part of Love Live Music – a daylong celebration of all forms of music in Ireland through free live music events in cities, towns and villages all over the country. The success of the event could see Ennis receive financial support for a larger concert next year.

Councillors hailed the success of the concert though some voiced concerns over security arrangements.

Councillor Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) said he had met two elderly men who were re-directed to other entrances despite having hand-stamps for the event.

He said security at times appeared “heavy handed” and that this was an issue that organisers should address for future events.

He said, there had been “fantastic feedback” from people in Ennis to the event.

Town manager Ger Dollard noted that there had been a short lead in time to the event. He said the fact that the event was “heavily policed and well marshalled” should be viewed positively.

He added, “It does give a platform, in terms of The Gathering in 2013, that we have a track record for an event of that kind.”

Cllr Mary Howard (FG) said music lovers would normally pay up to € 200 to see the calibre of line-up on display at the concert. Cllr Howard said the rain failed to dampen the spirits of those who attended on the night. She said that in light of ongoing attempts to stage Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann, the concert showed that Ennis has the capacity to hold family friendly mid-week events.

Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) said the even had attracted national attention.

AN ENNIS man who wanted to bring the stars of European football to Thomond Park says he is considering legal action against the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).

Damien O’Brien claims the FAI blocked his plans to stage a soccer tournament at the well-known Limerick venue at end of July.

Mr O’Brien’s Iconic Company in association with Endemol sports last year staged a tournament involving Inter Milan, Celtic and Manchester City at the Aviva stadium.

The Ennis native says the FAI scuppered his plans to host a similar event this year because they say it clashed with their plans for a tournament in Dublin.

He says, “I don’t know any tournament that’s taking place in Dublin in four weeks time. Madonna is playing alright but I don’t think she’s played for any team.

“I’d been in touch with the likes of Celtic, Chelsea, Lazio, Spurs, clubs like that about coming to Limerick. It was estimated that this would have been worth € 80 million to the local economy. Those aren’t my figures. Those are the figures from Thomond Park. Think of all the hotels and bars and restaurants and how well they could have done from something like this. I think its crazy what has happened.”

Mr O’Brien, who is originally from McNamara Park in the Turnpike area of Ennis, adds, “I’m looking at my options legally. They don’t have the authority to do this.”

The 38-year-old former Turnpike Rovers player says he has also pulled his sponsorship from the FAI’S flagship Emerging Talent Programme.

An FAI spokesman yesterday said the association had “no comment” to make on the matter.

Six years ago Mr O’Brien devised the format for Football’s Next Star a reality TV show that offers young footballers the chance to earn a professional contract with clubs such as Inter Milan and Chelsea. In 2009, Tulla United teenager Sunny Jay qualified for the final 40 of the competition.

The show will be screened on Irish television in September.

CLARE is the only county in Munster without State-sponsored third level education, but it hasn’t stopped more people than ever before in the county embracing the education system.

That’s just one of the findings to emerge from the latest bulletin report of the 2011 National Census of Population released by the Central Statistics Office in the past week.

According to the figures, there are more students in Clare than there are people out of work in a breakdown of the population of the county that are over 15 years of age.

The huge surge in the numbers of students over the age of 15 in the county is reflected in a figure of 10,044, a figure which represents a 27.3 per cent jump numbering over 2,100 since the 2006 census results.

This means that the jump in student numbers in Clare is now running ahead of the provincial and national average that stands at 14 per cent and 17 per cent respectively.

However, the census returns have revealed that the county is behind the national average when it comes to the biggest tools of modern education – technology.

All because the numbers able to access much-needed information online is lower than in other parts of the country. Three in five Clare homes have access to broadband, and even this represents a four-fold jump from 2006, it’s still five percent below the national average.

The unemployment figures for the county stand at 9,805, which is lower than the national average, while the figure for those who are classified as ‘looking after the home/family’ is 8,476.

The figures for those working in Clare in April 2011 are 45,606, with the numbers of retired people standing at 12, 530.

Of the working population the healthy state of the agriculture industry in Clare is reflected in the fact that there are 7,499 farmer in Clare – a figure which is broken down between 5,064 men and 2,435 women.

REGINA House has been embracing all that is positive about aging for 40 years. This weekend staff, residents and their families celebrated the service the Community Nursing Unit, Residential and Day Care Services have provided in Kilrush and West Clare for four decades.

The building on the Cooraclare Road began life as a welfare home in 1973, the first of its kind in the country.

It provided care to people who were mobile but in need of a little care so that they could live independent lives.

As the years passed, so too did the needs of the residents and the community and, subsequently, the role of Regina House also changed.

Today, the unit provides 30 beds for long-stay residents.

It also provides two outreach palliative care beds for Milford Hospice.

The attached day care centre provides a get-together and facilities for older people from Loophead to Lissycasey and from Labasheeda to Quilty.

When the centre is not in use at the weekends, it becomes a treatment room for the out-of-hours GP service Shannon Doc.

The community physiotherapist is also based there, with carers groups using it at night for meetings and training exercises.

On Saturday last, the 40-plus staff, along with residents, service users and their families, celebrated Regina House’s 40th anniversary.

Following an address by Director of Nursing Anne McNamara, a cake was cut to commemorate the day by John Woulfe, the longest resident; Mary O’Dwyer, who has just recently retired from Regina House after 37 years; and Mary Hassett, the longest serving member of staff.

The party organised by the Health Promotion and Standards Group, with the support of the staff and the director of nursing, included a blessing by Fr Sheedy PP followed by refreshments and entertainment by local schools, the community and family members of former residents.

While those present were celebrating 40 years of change at the HSErun Regina House, they were also celebrating a philosophy that has remained constant – “to embrace a positive approach to flourishing in later life”.

“We promote independence, health and well being and we aim to provide a safe therapeutic environment where privacy, dignity and confidentiality are respected,” the HSE said of the home.

THE Office of Public Works (OPW) has been urged to leave the historic 13th-century Ennis Friary visible to the public when it closes for winter.

The Friary, which had been closed to the public for three years to facilitate restoration works, re-opened last week.

Ennis Friary is open daily from 10am to 6pm up to October 31. The last admission is 45 minutes before closing. Public car and coach parking facilities are provided close to the site. A visitor leaflet providing background to the Friary has been translated from English into Irish, French, German, Italian and Spanish and is available on site.

The purpose of the estimated € 100,000 works project is to provide protection for the collection of carved features which survive at Ennis Friary.

A roof has been installed over the 18th-century church in order to pro- vide protection for the collection of carved features, which survive at Ennis Friary.

The OPW also plans to improve visitor access at the site.

Authorities on medieval sculpture have highlighted the importance of the Friary’s unique collection, which contains a complete set of panels representing the 12 apostles and stages of the Passion of Christ.

One Ennis man, whose father kept the keys of the Friary at his nearby business on Abbey Street, welcomed the re-opening but urged the OPW not to repeat the mistakes of previous years.

Cllr Tony Mulqueen (FG) said, “I spoke to the OPW and I asked them not to put up those horrible hoarding boards that were up for the past few years. Everyday, particularly during the summer, you could see tourists standing outside trying to get a look in. It was a disgrace because this is one of the town’s main tourist attractions.”

Cllr Mulqueen added, “It’s a relief to have it open again but I’m not sure about the timber frames they have around the windows. I think it would have looked better if they’d been toned down a bit to blend in with the rest of the building. But I’m delighted it is open.”

Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Peter Considine (FF) said, “I would encourage anyone interested in discovering more about the origins and early days of Clare’s county capital to pay a visit to the Friary during the summer months.”

IN A WEEK when the retail and motor trade were severely hit in the county, there was good news for the hotels industry.

As many as 170 jobs were saved when the Clare Inn hotel was purchased for what is believed to be more than € 1.8 million by Dromoland Castle Hotel.

The value of the Clare purchase was further compounded by the interest in the 188-bedroom hotel from the time it went on sale.

Selling agents Savills Commercial said there was a lot of interest from home and abroad in the 8. 5 hectareor 21-acre site.

“An asking price of under the million mark would have drawn a lot of people to put an interest forward,” said a spokeswoman for the company.

In the end, Dromoland Castle Hotel paid just over twice the asking price of € 900,000.

The three-star hotel, which was owned by the Lynch Group, went into examinership in July 2009.

It first opened for trade in 1968, with 123 guest bedrooms. In the 1990s, it extended to 183 bedrooms and has an extensive range of facilities.

Now Dromoland Castle plans to develop its new sister hotel even further. Between € 250,000 and € 500,000 is expected to be spent on the refurbishment of the Clare Inn.

Each hotel will continue to trade separately and serve distinct markets, but the informal relationship between the neighbouring hotels, which has existed for years, will likely become more structured.

Dromoland Castle Hotel continues to be one of the most successful in the county, with latest accounts showing that it had accumulated profits of € 11 million at the end of 2010, with net assets totalling € 21.7 million.

THE owners of a missing ferret in Ennis say they have been plagued by pranksters since they launched a poster campaign to find the animal.

Daniel Drzeweecke and his girlfriend have appealed for help from people in Ennis to help find their pet ferret – Ceara – who has been missing in the town for the past two weeks.

Daniel says the couple has received numerous helpful phonecalls from members of the public.

However, pranksters have rung the couple with false sightings. They also received a call from a person who claimed they had found their beloved pet dead.

Daniel explains, “We have got many different phonecalls, some prank calls. Sometimes it’s a joke or a prank.

“Once somebody called and said they had found the ferret dead. But it was actually only an old piece of clothing, a piece from a jacket.”

Ceara, who is microchipped, has been missing for the past two weeks since getting free while being brought for a walk near a fountain in the Mill Road area of Ennis.

The couple are asking anyone who sees Ceara not to be afraid to approach her.

Alternatively, they can contact Daniel on 085 1465752, Julija on 085 1316651, Egle on 085 1315841 or any local vet, pet shop or dog pound. Daniel says that any information is useful.

The couple have had Ceara for three years.

According to Daniel, ferrets are an increasingly popular pet.

Daniel has not given up hope of finding his ferret.

He explains, “I was talking to some other ferret owners and they say that ferrets go missing a lot.

“One person told me that their ferret was missing for a month before they found it again. They enjoy their freedom.

“They are not really a pet. They are able to live outdoors and kill their own food. She can handle the outdoors.” AS the switch to digital television gets closer, SAORVIEW targets half a million affected homes with onscreen message across RTÉ One, RTÉ Two, TG4 and TV3. Latest figures show there are 491,000 households with an estimated 800,000 television sets in Ireland that must switch to digital to avoid blank screens when the old analogue signal is switched off on October 24th, 2012. Starting this week, in a drive to ensure that affected homes know how to respond to the changeover, a brief on-screen message will appear at regular but infrequent intervals on sets receiving the old analogue TV signal. The message does not appear on sets already receiving a digital television signal. Almost a million households already subscribe to a digital service and therefore need take no action unless they choose to switch to the free SAORVIEW service. Commenting on the reason behind the on-screen caption, Mary Curtis, Director of Digital Switchover, SAORVIEW said: “Understandably, lots of people have been asking how they will know if they must get ready for SAORVIEW and digital television. The answer is straightforward. If you have an old analogue television and aerial, you will need to convert to digital otherwise you will lose your free Irish channels next October. By transmitting this message periodically on analogue sets, we hope to prompt viewers to take taking action sooner rather than later. SAORVIEW is available now so we are advising those affected not to wait until the last minute particularly as upgrading to RTÉ Two HD (High Definition) will make sports viewing more pleasurable this summer”, said Curtis.

The on-screen caption gives viewers the basic information they need to get SAORVIEW. As most will already have a UHF aerial, they simply need a SAORVIEW Approved settop box or a SAORVIEW Approved TV (which has the digital tuner built in). The caption also directs analogue viewers to the SAORVIEW website and call centre if they have any questions about getting SAORVIEW. Once sets have been upgraded to receive SAORVIEW, viewers can sit back and continue to enjoy Irish TV for free.

In addition to the caption, a date reminder “bug” will appear on these same TV sets. In welcoming this initiative Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte, said “The ‘bug’ which those still using the analogue TV network see on the top left corner of their TV screens will appear until they switch to a digital TV network will allow us to make it very clear to them that they need to take action and change to a digital TV service if they are to avoid losing their TV signal on Wednesday 24th October. Along with the information booklet which will be delivered to every home in the country at the end of June, the introduction of the ‘bug’ to analogue TV screens is an important part of our communications campaign to encourage people to get informed and take action. These initiatives, along with the decision by RTE, TG3 and TG4 to introduce reminder captions to analogue TV viewers, will serve to remind people that they need to move to a digital TV service of their choosing in advance of Wednesday October 24th and that they can take action now. We hope that analogue TV viewers will understand the reasons for the introduction of these devices and that it will prompt them take action sooner, rather than later”.

The date reminder in the top lefthand corner of the screen will be permanently on screen in the countdown to analogue switchover date, October 24th.