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PRESIDENT of Ireland Michael D Higgins did not call himself a Clare man during his first offical presidental visit to the county, but his brother and sister both agreed it was safe to consider him “one of our own”.

Ireland’s first citizen, who spent his formative years, from the age of five to 19, living in his parental home of Ballycar, Newmarket on Fergus, would not describe himself as a Clare man but a man with many associations with different counties.

“Yes indeed I associate myself with Clare.

“There are many origins I have that are very simply understood,” he said.

“My father and my grandfather and my greatgrandfather have been associated with County Clare since time immemorial. I am glad to say in the 1901 census in the townland of Ballycar there are four families of Higgins. And once again as a result of my brother’s [John] activites and his sons, there are four families in Ballycar again.”

The President explained that his mother came from an area near Charleville in Cork and her family continue to live there.

A former TD for Galway West, he described how the city accepted him as a migrant and its mayor twice.

“Galway is where my own fam- ily have been born and rared,” he added.

While the president maintained his life experiences have been made up of many counties, including the city of Limerick where he was born, all have a common thread of both rural and urban life.

It is these experiences that have formed the ninth President of Ireland, who admited that coming back to Clare as the country’s first citizen was like coming home.

THERE are now more than 3,000 uninsured drivers in Clare, new figures released by an insurers watchdog have revealed, with these offenders being held up as responsible for hiking up the premiums of lawabiding drivers.

The figures have been released by the Irish Brokers Association which has called for Clare Gardaí to be given the power to confiscate the cars of uninsured drivers.

“There are 51,725 licensed private cars in Clare and it is estimated that 3,100 of these could be uninsured,” Brian McNelis, Director of General Services at the Irish Brokers Association told The Clare People .

He continued, “What the general public in Clare may not know is that these uninsured drivers could be indirectly costing them an additional € 30 on their annual car insurance premiums.

“The UK have now made it illegal to own an uninsured vehicle, even if it is kept off the roads, in an attempt to stamp out uninsured driving.

“However, we believe that such measures may be a little harsh on those who have fallen on hard times and have had to take their car off the road for a period of time.

Mr McNelis went on to say, “We do, however, feel that the current penalties are not acting as a sufficient deterrent and would urge compliant drivers to report those that don’t have insurance as they are ultimately paying their insurance for them.”

Motor insurance offences are pun- ishable by a fine of up to € 2, 500, disqualification of one year or more for a first offence, and two years or more for a second offence, and, at the discretion of the court, a term of imprisonment not exceeding six months, though these maximum penalties are rarely imposed.

Where the court decides not to impose a disqualification, drivers convicted of a first offence of driving without insurance will incur five penalty points on their licence record in addition to any other penalty imposed by the court.

THREE Junior Certificate students from Ennis have been hailed as heroines by Clare Civil Defence chief Liam Griffin this week after their quick thinking helped save the life of a woman who got into difficulty after going into the River Fergus to retrieve her dog.

Rice College students Ellen McMahon (15), Aisling O’Sullivan (15) and Eve Copley (15) came to the rescue of a woman, who hasn’t been identified, who was out walking her dog on Tuesday evening last near Steele’s Rock in the Lifford area the town.

“The three of us were walking past at about 7.15pm, having been up town for something to eat after our Business Studies exam,” revealed Ms McMahon. “When we were passing, the woman was standing behind the wall and the dog was on the steps at Steele’s Rock. We walked on a bit and, when we looked back, the dog was being dragged downstream and the woman had moved to the steps and was calling him.

“Then she went in after the dog and was taken away by the flow of the water down towards the FBD offices. She was very tired because she had swum out to get the dog and the current was so strong there was no way she would have been able to swim back to the steps,” she added.

The three students quickly raced back to get the lifebuoy that’s located near Steele’s Rock and came to the aid of the woman, who was getting into difficulty.

“She had a hold of the dog and we raced up got the lifebuoy and threw it in to her and slowly dragged her in. We didn’t get her name because, after being soaked to the skin, she got a drive home from a passing motorist,” revealed Ms McMahon.

“Their quick thinking helped save that woman’s life,” Clare Civil Defence chief Liam Griffin told The Clare People . “It just shows the importance of lifebuoys,” he added, “because sometimes they get vandalised and the people who do that can cost a life. Luckily in this case, it was there and the girls were able to use it and come to the rescue of the woman.”

MORE and more distressed Clare families are seeking legal assistance new figures have shown.

One in every three queries to Clare’s Legal Advice Centres last year was on matters of family law according to the Free Legal Advice Centre Report.

The centre in Ennis also proves to be the busiest centre in Munster attracting 449 people last year alone.

As many as 497 people received legal advice from the three centres in County Clare last year.

And while one third of the callers were concerned about family issues, 14 per cent had enquiries about employment law and their rights.

Money matters in the form of debt problem made up 11 per cent of the calls in Clare, nine per cent were concerned about housing and property and eight per cent about consumer law. Just four per cent of the calls related to crime.

FLAC noted a particular development around increasing debt prob- lems intersecting with issues such as family, employment and housing.

“FLAC has focused on reforming laws around personal debt because we have seen the terrible impact of over-indebtedness on people contacting us, having dealt some 83,000 legal queries since the start of 2008,” said Noeline Blackwell, FLAC Director General. “We have kept it simple: we need an independent, out-of-court debt settlement structure that will examine people’s personal debt in a holistic way and where possible aim to keep people in their homes.” Clare has three of these NSO centres in conjunction with the Citizens Information Centres in County Clare. The busy Ennis centre is open every Monday afternoon, Thursday evening and Friday evening at the Ennis CIC on Bindon Lane, while there are also evening clinics in Kilrush on the first and third Tuesdays of the month and an evening clinic in Shannon on the last Monday of the month. FLAC is an NGO that relies on a combination of statutory funding, contributions from the legal professions and donations from individu als and grant-making foundations to support its work. FLAC offers basic legal information through its telephone information line and free legal advice through its network of 80 volunteer evening advice centres. It also campaigns on a range of issues including personal debt, fairness in social welfare law, public interest law and civil legal aid.

MEMBERS of the public have been invited to a meeting on Monday night aimed at drawing up a communityled development plan for Clarecastle. Organised by Clarecastle Community Development Ltd, the meeting will take place in the Abbey Hall on Monday, June 25 at 8pm.

Clarecastle Community Development Ltd (CCD) is a non-profit-making company that was established six months ago. Its main objective is to promote the educational, cultural, social and economic wellbeing of all the members of the community of Clarecastle and its environs

The first phase of mapping out a new blueprint for community-led development in Clarecastle was launched in January. At the time, the company sought feedback from local people.

A CCD spokeswoman explained, “Clarecastle Community Development Ltd has finally concluded a lengthy consultation process with the people and organisations of Clarecastle through which it aimed to establish the community’s future vision for the village. It has received input from individuals, the business community, schoolchildren, youth and individuals. It has met with over 40 organisations within the community and has received useful feedback from them.”

She continued, “From this feedback, Clarecastle Community Development Ltd will put together a development plan for the next few years but, in the meantime, certain projects have been identified as being of significant importance to the community. CCD Ltd is now considering how best to develop these.” She added, “The interim Board of Clarecastle Community Development Ltd would like to share some of the feedback and ideas for potential development with the community of Clarecastle, identify some priority projects and look at our next steps.”

In May 2011, a public meeting was held which identified positives and negatives about Clarecastle and produced ideas for developing the village and its environs. The then Acting Development Group made a recommendation in September 2011 that a Selection Committee would nominate a new Development Committee. An interim Board of Directors of the new development company was nominated and met for the first time in October 2011.

WHATEVER Steele’s Terrace can do, so too can St Flannan’s Terrace on the other side of the ‘Rhine’.

That’s message that will be delivered a public meeting that takes place this Tuesday night in the Temple Gate Hotel in Ennis as residents past and present prepare to mark the centenary of St Flannan’s Terrace.

Earlier this year current and former residents of Steele’s Terrace marked the centenary of the row of 30 houses that were built in 1912 with the publi- cation of a commemorative booklet.

Now, St Flannan’s residents are doing the same, with former St Flannan’s Terrace resident, Brian Dinan spearheading the drive to mark the centenary celebrations this autumn.

“Help us compile an illustrated booklet to mark the centenary year – the history of your house and where your family lived or where you live today,” Mr Dinan told The Clare People this week.

“Perhaps some former occupants and current occupants would get together to produce a commemorative booklet. We would like people who wish to help in this worthwhile project to come to the Temple Gate for the inaugural meeting that will launch the project,” he added.

The purpose of the meeting is to generate an interest in those with a St Flannan’s Terrace connection, urging them to come forward and contribute in whatever way they can.

“It is hoped to form a working committee to find ways of marking the 100 years. Celebrations will take the form of a social evening in October when an illustrated souvenir booklet containing memories and histories of past and present residents will be launched,” said Mr Dinan.

The foundation stone for St Flannan’s Terrace that comprises of 46 houses was laid at number 11 by the then sitting MP for East Clare, Willie Redmond, and the Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Michael Fogarty.

“As many as 300 families may have lived on St Flannan’s Terrace,” revealed Mr Dinan.

“There are many memories locked away or scattered to the four winds, which deserve to be recorded and celebrated in recognition and respect of these past generations of wonderful people,” he added.

THE successful Clare rally navigator Gráinne McEnery remains in a critical but stable condition in a Dublin hospital more than a week after a rallying accident in Portlaoise.

The Ennis woman sustained serious head injuries when the car she was co-driving lost control on a turn during the sixth stage of the Heartlands Mini-Stages Rally on Sunday week last.

Her family and driving partner Mike Quinn have been keeping a bedside vigil since.

Clare Motor Club held a prayer service for Gráinne on Tuesday last, led by Fr Harry Bohan in the Auburn Lodge Hotel, Ennis.

Grainne, who is one of the most successful rally navigators in the country, secured the 2011 Top Part West Coast Rally Championship the first Clare person and woman to do so.

She has also won the Michael Farrell Memorial Trophy.

Gráinne, who works as service manager with O’Sullivan & Hansbury Motors in Ennis developed an interest in rallying from a young age as her dad Joe, a keen rally spectator and her brother Charlie, a championship-winning navigator brought her to various events around the country.

Gráinne has been competition with Kerry driver Mike Quinn since 2009 and immediately they were a successful team coming second overall in the West Coast Rally Championship and winning the Rally.ie National 2wd Drive Championship. They won numerous other rallies that year and in 2010 finished third overall in the West Coast Rally Championship.

IRELAND’S first ever mainland ferry commuter service will begin in Ballyvaughan this Monday, June 25, with the first official sailing of the Ballyvaughan Bay Hop.

The service will run a week-long trial service to coincide with the final of the Volvo Ocean Race in Galway, with plans to extend the service to a full-time commuter sailing if the demand exists.

Early indications are encouraging for the organisers, with a number of sailings already booked out. The service is designed to a business model which would see Clare commuters using the ferry to get to work in Galway City, with tourists making the return leg of the sailing.

“It is very exciting. We have been waiting a long time for this to happen so it is very exciting now,” said founder of the Ballyvaughan Bay Hop, Gwen Ryan.

“It will be running for a week but already we can see that the demand and the interest is there. People have been booking tickets already, especially coming from the Clare side. To date, we only have a few tickets booked from Galway across but the main target audience for this is tourists who may not even have arrived in Galway yet to book their tickets.

“We have heavy booking on the service from Clare over to Galway and a couple of sailings are already booked out.

“For instance, the Saturday sailing, over in the morning to the Volvo Ocean Race, and back again in the evening is already fully booked out.”

A number of tourist operators in Ballyvaughan are offering discounts to people who use the Ballyvaughan Bay Hop during the trial week in operation.

The “fast ferry” service will be operated by Rib West who are a fully licensed enclosed passenger rib provider.

The vessel can hold just 10 people during each crossing, which makes early booking a priority.

The Ballyvaughan Bay Hop will run three return services each day between Monday and Friday, June 25 to 29. These services will depart the New Pier in Ballyvaughan at 7.45am, 12.30pm and 5.30pm, with the return sailings coming from Galway Harbour at 8.45am, 1.30pm and 6pm.

Three sailing will also take place on June 30, to coincide with the Volvo Ocean Race.

For more information on the service or to book tickets, visit www. ballyvaughanbayhop.com, email res erveyourseat@ballyvaughanbayhop. com or ring 086 8102090.

LONG serving Fianna Fáíl councillor Peter Considine was last night elected Mayor of Ennis.

It is the seventh time Cllr Considine has held the office having last been elected mayor in 2008.

He beat off competition from Fine Gael councillor Johnny Flynn at the council’s AGM. He replaces outgoing Mayor, Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind), who held the chain of office for the past 12 months. Cllr Considine was proposed as mayor by Cllr Frankie Neylon and seconded by Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind).

Cllr Flynn was proposed by Cllr Paul O’Shea (Lab) and seconded by Cllr Mary Howard (FG).

Councillors Neylon, Considine Brennan, Brian Meaney (GP) and Guilfoyle voted for Cllr Considine.

Councillors O’Shea, Howard, Flynn and Mary Coote Ryan (FG) voted for Cllr Flynn.

Cllr Considine urged members to be conscious of economic circumstances of the council. He added, “Local authorities don’t escape the austerities that are around.”

He added, “I would urge all councillors to temper their expectations with the resources of the council in mind.”

However he said progress could be expected on certain projects including the completion of the Inner Relief Road and the development of new facilities for Tim Smythe Park.

On the future of local government, Cllr Considine said, “We would expect rather than hope that Ennis Town Council would be left to administer services in Ennis. It would be shocking if Ennis were left as a sub-committee of Clare County Council.” Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) was elected as Deputy Mayor ahead of Cllr Mary Howard (FG), Cllr Brennan was proposed by Cllr Guilfoyle while Cllr Howard was proposed by Cllr O’Shea.

Prior to the election of the deputy mayor, Cllr Meaney said he had not been asked to vote for Cllr Howard. He urged those councillors supporting her to do a little “groundwork” before hand. Cllr Flynn said he had competed for mayor on nine different occasions and never once canvassed councillors for votes. He said he would not be competing next year due to work commitments.

Cllr O’Shea was returned as Chairman of the Ennis Joint Policing Committee (JPC). Tributes were also paid to outgoing mayor, Cllr Guilfoyle.

A COUPLE who said they were discriminated against on the basis that they are Travellers have won their case against an Ennis pub.

John Mongans (33) and his wife Anne Marie Mongans (31) said they felt “humiliated” and “embarrassed” after being refused a drink at All Bar One, Abbey Street, Ennis on November 3, 2011.

The Ennis couple brought a case against Tradewell Pub Company Ltd under the Equal Status Act.

The case was heard at Ennis District Court on Thursday. Tradewell Pub Company Ltd was not represented in court.

Mr Mongans said he and his wife entered the bar at around 9.15pm on the night in question. He said the barman came over and told them that the bar was closed.

Mr Mongans said other customers in the bar were drinking at the time and “nothing looked out of the ordinary”.

The couple left the bar and came back at around 10.15pm. Mr Mon- gans said he asked for two drinks but the barman refused. According to Mr Mongans, the barman said that he was closing the bar in order to control the crowd in the pub. The court that Mr Mongans went outside and rang the Gardaí.

He said, “I felt totally embarrassed that I had to go and get the guards.”

He said “settled people” whom he played soccer with had seen what had happened at the bar.

Asked by solicitor Andrew Darcy why he believed he had been refused service, Mr Mongans said, “I was re- fused on the basis of being a member of the Traveller community.”

He added, “I don’t hide the fact that I am a Traveller.”

Ms Mongans was described in court as a proactive member of the Traveller community. She said she was a member of a committee that worked with Clare County Council on the issue of Traveller accommodation.

Ms Mongans told the court that people she knew from her children’s school were in the pub on the night. “I felt very, very humiliated,” she added.

The court heard that the couple had not been drinking on the night. Judge Timothy Lucey said that he found the case proven. He said there was no good reason why the couple should have been refused.

Judge Lucey added, “To be refused because you are a member of the Travelling community, when you are well behaved, is very upsetting.”

Mr Darcy said the couple were not seeking the closure of the bar.

Judge Lucey ordered that that couple be given € 500 compensation each, plus costs of € 250 and VAT.