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KILKEE is now home to west Clare best cultural and library facility – a new dawn that was heralded this Monday evening when the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan formally opened the Culturlann Sweeney.

The € 1.6m redevelopment of the 1950s public library building on O’Connell Street in the west Clare town has been hailed as a major development for the arts by both Minsiter Jimmy Deenihan and Mayor of Clare, Pat Hayes.

The 8,299 sq-ft development, which is almost double the size of the original Sweeney Memorial Public Library, comprises additional library space, theatre and exhibition space, and multifunction spaces.

The new theatre and foyer/gallery facilities have been designed to accommodate approximately 110 people, while the number of book titles in the library stock exceeds 12, 500.

The project was funded by Clare County Council, in association with the Charitable Commissioners of Ireland, as well as the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government.

“The official opening of Cultúrlann Sweeney represents the completion of one of the biggest infrastructure projects to be undertaken in the West Clare area in recent years,” said Mayor Hayes. “The facility will greatly enhance the social infrastructure of the area and will help the future development of Kilkee and its environs,” he added

“The project has led to an improvement in the standard and range of independent functions within the building, allowing for different activities to occur independently. This new facility will play an important public and social role within the town”, said County Librarian, Helen Walsh.

The first County Council Library opened in Kilkee in 1945 in O’Connell Street and from 1951, when the Sweeney Memorial Library opened, there were two libraries operating in Kilkee. This Sweeney Memorial Library was founded with money bequeathed from Dr. William J. Sweeney, Union City, New Jersey, whose grandfather was born in Kilkee in 1833.

The Kilkee Public Library branch was closed in 1962, with Clare County Council taking over the running of the library from Sweeney Memorial Trust Fund following High Court Agreement was signed in 1985.

“The main reason behind the redevelopment of the previous building was that it did not sufficiently ad- dress modern accessibility requirements, nor did it possess efficient heating, advanced stage technology and the expanding functions of a modern community library,” said Clare County Council Director of Services, Bernadette Kinsella.

“The primary changes to the internal layout are the demolition of the existing toilet block to the front of the building, and the separation of library and theatre functions within the existing building.

“The new side extension contains the new floor space and gallery, the provision of lift access to the upper level, the new entrance foyer, and the upgrade of existing electrical and heating systems,” she added.

It’s expected that the Kilkee Tourist Office will be located at Culturlann Sweeney.

PLANS have been put in motion which could see Lisdoonvarna transformed into Ireland’s first ever wellness town. Despite the closure of the famous Spa Wells facility in the town, more than 8,000 German visitors came to the North Clare town last year, to walk in the grounds of the famous magnesia, iodine and iron spa.

While details for the Wellness Town Project have yet to be announced, Lisdoonvarna Fáilte last Friday issued a tender, looking for applications for someone to steer the project.

Lisdoonvarna Fáilte is a communityowned trust which owns the Spa Wells Facility as well as a number of local community facilities including the North Clare Sports and Amenity Centre and the Pavillion Theatre.

While a spokesperson from Lisdoonvarna Fáilte declined to comment on any part of the new project, The Clare People understands that an application for funding for the new position of Wellness Town Animator has been lodged with a government funding authority and a decision in likely to be made in the next 10 days.

Should this funding be granted, a person will then be appointed to assess what needs to take place in Lisdoonvarna before it can be transformed into Ireland’s first wellness town.

The Spa Wells Centre itself has been closed for more than five years and it has been an aspiration of the local business community, and Lisdoonvarna Fáilte, to reopen that facility since then.

Hundreds of thousands of people have came to Lisdoonvarna to bathe and drink at the Spa Well since it became Ireland’s first Spa Well Centre in the middle of the nineteenth century.

According to documents lodged by Lisdoonvarna Fáilte, the Wellness Town Animator would be tasked to de- velop “a model and framework aimed towards launching and managing a wellness town concept focussed on, but not exclusive to, the town of Lisdoonvarna and the assets, facilities and lands under the control of Lisdoonvarna Fáilte”.

Over the last decade, Lisdoonvarna Fáilte have helped develop the North Clare Sports and Amenity Park into one of Clare’s foremost community venues.

Complete with a community childcare facility, a playground, all-weather pitches and a GAA field, the project has also seen the restoration of the Pavillion ‘Town Hall’ Theatre.

A DISABLED north Clare mother says she was “humiliated” and “degraded” by the manager of a Clare hotel – who refused to allow her to bring her personal assistant swimming with her and her seven month old baby.

Ann Marie Flanagan, who was the Green Party’s candidate for north Clare in the 2009 local election, says she was made to feel like a cheat and a crook by the hotel manager, who refused to allow her personal assistant free access to the facility, even though she cannot use the facilities without the aid of a trained assistant.

Ms Flanagan, who must use a wheelchair or crutches to get around, says that swimming offers her relief from her debilitating condition.

She is also a spokesperson for the National Advisory Group on Independent Living.

“I was told in no uncertain terms by the general manager of the hotel that my PA would have to pay – he acted as if I was trying to rip the hotel off.

“I explained in great detail but he didn’t seem to understand that I cannot use the facility without the help of my personal assistant,” she said.

“I felt humiliated and really very upset. I thought they would have some understanding of the situation but they made me feel like I was trying to get two for one.

“I need an assistant to get in and get out of the pool, but once I start I am usually okay. I would not be able to hold my son, Robert, in the pool all the time so my assistant helps with that as well. If a person needs a per- sonal assistant they should not have to be degraded by going into the specifics of their own personal condition.” Ms Flanagan has also paid tribute to the Woodstock Leisure Centre in Ennis who have accommodated her, her son and her personal assistant.

“Without even knowing me or anything about me, they were so helpful. I told them that I used a wheelchair and that I had a personal assistant and they were just brilliant. I have been a few times now and they have been very good and very kind,” said Ann Marie.

ALLOWING artists occupy vacant buildings in Ennis to create and exhibit their work would add greatly to the vibrancy and image of the county capital, while at the same time guarding against vandalism and ensuring that many prime units don’t become derelict eyesores.

That’s the view of Clare County Council enterprise officer, Majella McNamara, who in throwing the weight of Clare local government behind Ennis Access to Space Initiative (EASI) has appealed to landlords to embrace the concept for enhancing the visual landscape of Ennis.

“From the point of view of landlords, we would encourage you to become involved because there isn’t really anything to lose in it for yourselves,” said Ms McNamara.

“You get to have something vital going on in your building and potential tenants can also see your building has many uses for it that might not have been considered before.

“We would encourage you all to get involved for the various different reasons, but really to revitalise the town and show that different uses can be made of the buildings,” she added.

In outlining the Clare County Council vision for EASI, Ms McNamara revealed that the local authority had “looked at a number of different schemes that might be suitable for addressing the problem in Ennis with regard to vacant properties and also to meet the demand for artists for space in the town.

“From a public perspective, this would take away some of the eyesores from the streets of Ennis and bring some vibrancy to the town. This initiative is very much about facilitating the needs of artists and helping the landlords who currently have vacant properties to add a sense of vibrancy and occupancy to their buildings.

“For the point of view of artists, craft workers and other creative people – you get to use the building to have a space in which to work and to exhibit your creative work. You also get an opportunity to contribute to the vibrancy of the town – for the people who live here, for the people who come to shop and visit, for tour- ists.

“It doesn’t look very good if buildings are vacant. One of the other aspects of the properties is that there is an increase in value to the buildings if they’re occupied. They aren’t as well maintained if they are vacant because there’s nobody in them and there’s no income.

“There’s more of an encouragement to maintain the building if they are occupied. Having the building occupied helps protect it against vandalism,” Ms McNamara added.

THE Ennis Access to Space Initiative (EASI) should be about paving the way for new businesses to come into Ennis, rather than using vacant building in the county capital as a vehicle for promoting and cultivating artistic endeavour.

Calls for this business-led approach to the EASI project that was launched at a public meeting in Ennis was championed by a spokesperson for Limerick City Council that has pioneered the ‘Occupy Limerick Space’ initiative for artists.

“We are looking at evolving our scheme more into pop-up-shop type scenarios where people would sell arts and crafts,” Mary Grace revealed.

“It would allow people to go in and test the market with low overheads and they may potentially become a rent paying tenant of that landlord down the road.

“That’s where this scheme needs to go if we want to keep our towns and cities vibrant. The requirement is for a business-led focus. We have to be looking at creating sustainable business models.

“It’s fine having a place that’s tem- porarily active in the current climate, but we need to get business models in there that can sustain themselves in the future.

“We need someone with a business mind who’s saying ‘can I set up a business out of this in a couple of months time’. ‘Can I be a future tenant for this landlord’. ‘Am I in a position to pay him a rent if I can make a go out of this’,” added Ms Grace in outlining her vision of what the longterm goals of the Ennis initiative should be.

In backing EASI, Ms Grace said it was up to landlords to see “potential in their vacant properties” rather than looking on them as a problem. “We had to decide to be innovative and come up with a solution,” she said, “and we were very lucky to get one landlord, who was a huge fan of the scheme.

“He promoted it to everybody else. He went to talk to his fellow landlords to get them on board. If you can get someone like that, that’s an asset.

“If you can get estate agents who are committed to it, that’s another major asset because we did find that there was one particular firm in Limerick – Rooney Auctioneers who were very good at selling and very good at encouraging landlords to come on board with the scheme.

“The next challenge is finding suitable vacant properties. All properties out there aren’t immediately suitable. Some of them need work to be done to them. Just because properties are vacant doesn’t mean you can take it straight away.

“Creatives need to be reminded of their duties: active occupancy – to keep the place clean and tidy. It’s always important that people remember their responsibilities.

“The responsibility in all cases is to the landlord. We have to ensure that their asset is protected,” she added.

ENNIS Chamber of Commerce are in negotiations with a number of landlords about allowing their vacant properties to be used by artists as exhibition and studio spaces, the business group’s new president has revealed.

Meanwhile, while Ennis Town Council has pledged to negotiate with landlords wishing to be part of Ennis Access to Space Initiative (EASI) when it comes to striking a different rate for use of unoccupied buildings under the new scheme.

This twin-track approach to bringing the ground-breaking project into being on the streets of Ennis emerged after a number of artists present at the launch in the Temple Gate Hotel pressed the promoters for specifics.

“Are there shops willing to take part,” asked Ennis-based artist Carmel Doherty. “Have you talked to owners who have said they are willing to give over their shop window or premises to a venture like this.

“We are in negotiations at the moment,” revealed Ennis Chamber of Commerce president Brian O’Neill (right), “and negotiations are positive and we are hoping to access some (buildings) in the near future.

“It will be about twinning artists and units, not just letting everyone go willy-nilly everywhere. It will be about twinning certain artists with certain units. That would be my feeling on it at the moment. The feed back from the landlords is positive.

“The overall point is that we need some property owners to take the leadership and take that risk and be the first one to lead, so that others will follow. Certainly we would expect an announcement from one or two property owners and something concrete,” he added.

“In relation to the question of rates,” said Town Clerk, Leonard Cleary, “what we’d ask is that individual property owners would come and discuss with the local authority, sit down on a one-to-one basis and discuss concerns in that area. There’s no blanket solution, but obviously there’s practical approach being taken so that individual owners would come and discuss it directly.

“What we’re asking is that artists and craftworkers would liaise through Siobhan Mulcahy as the Arts Office for a co-ordination point and we will ensure then that the business community and the local authority is linking in through one co-ordination point.

“If you are a property owner, if you would contact the local authority (Ennis Town Council) or the Arts Officer and then we would to try and create a situation where we would engage both parties in the process,” he added.

“We live in a big town in Ennis and I think it is very sad for this number of years that we have no studio places,” said artist, Shelagh Honan.

“I am a working artist from Ennis and travel to a studio in Tulla to work as an artist. There are also great studios in Ennistymon and it is a great pity that we don’t have those facilities in Ennis. This is a way to do it,” she added.

FACELESS landlords from national corporations have emerged as a potential stumbling block to ensuring that some of the biggest vacant building in the heart of Ennis are made available to promoters of the Ennis Access to Space Initiative (EASI).

This warning has been sounded out by a leading estate agent in Ennis, who told last week’s public meeting that launched the new project that appealing to the “civic responsibility” of banking institutions that have left town was key to opening some prime locations to EASI.

“One of the biggest problems that we have is that some of the properties are not occupied by the owners,” said Paddy Darmody, of Sherry Fitzgerald McMahon in Ennis.

“We have three properties in the centre of town – the banks. They’re owned by people who don’t have possession of them. The banks are not trading there anymore but are still the tenants. They can’t get out of the lease that they’re in and can’t sub-let it because the rents are much lower than they were paying in the past.

“The problem with the three biggest properties in the centre of town with the biggest floor areas is that you’re dealing with faceless people and trying to get to people who make the decisions and take the responsibility.

“You might have to appeal to the civic responsibility and duties of national corporations who came into town and set up businesses and then up and left and are leaving us with these vacant properties. How we get to those I don’t know,” added Mr Darmody, who represented the longest standing estate agent in the county at the meeting.

However, while outlining these fears, Mr Darmody also pledged “support any initiative that would enhance our town” and pointed out that “everyone would like to work with such an initiative to get it off the ground”.

“The big thing for us is that our job is to let the property, so that whatever would happen, that it’s important from the owner’s perspective that the property is still clearly available to let.

“We would have properties that belong to local landlords and they are probably the easiest people to deal with as they are here and see the properties and would like to see them maintained and kept. For people not in town it’s as easy for them not to engage, because it’s a case of out of sight, out of mind,” added Mr Darmody.

CONSERVATION work on a section of what is believed to be Ireland’s oldest house is nearing completion in Ennis. Scaffolding was taken down from Ms Irene Clune’s house (better known as McParlands) last week to reveal the building’s historic triple diamond stone Jacobean chimney for full viewing for the first time in three years.

The building’s triple diamond stone Jacobean chimney has been an icon of medieval Ennis for centuries. The house has undergone necessary structural repair work in recent months. It has been estimated that the works will cost € 170,000 to complete.

Conservation and repair work at the site has revealed that the building’s timber frame interior dates back to the 1500s.

Conservation officer Dick Cronin explained that work on the building’s exterior is almost complete. He said, “We believe it’s the only half-timber frame house left in Ireland. We have to do dendrochronological analysis of the timber. Once it is tested, we will be able to trace it back to the exact year when the tree was cut down.”

Mr Cronin added, “They are doing work on the shopfront which dates back to the 1800s and that is almost finished.”

It has been suggested that the building could be used as a museum but, according to Town Manager, Ger Dollard, the building will be returned to its former use as a home. He explained, “Our priority is to complete the works under the Dangerous Structures legislation and allow Ms Clune go back to her home as soon as possible. There are no other plans for the use of the building other than returning it to its former use as a dwelling.”

During October 2011, the gable and chimney were carefully taken down and stored. The Conservation Contractor, Tom Howard, claims it was “the most dangerous and precarious job I have ever undertaken as a builder but thankfully everything went to plan”.

A MAN is due to appear in court again today in connection with a seizure of drugs near Ennis last week.

Trevor Gargan (31) with an address at 179 Cregayn Street, Belfast, Antrim, Bt6 8NI, was brought before Ennis District Court on Friday.

Detective Garda Seamus McMahon gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution. He told the court that he arrested Gargan in Ennis on Thursday February 23. He said the accused made no reply after caution.

According to court documents, it is alleged that Gargan was in possession of cannabis for the purposes of selling or otherwise supply to another at Ballymaconna, Barefield on Wednesday, February 22.

Gargan is also charged with the unlawful possession of a controlled drug, to wit, cannabis, at Ballymaconna, Barefield on Wednesday February 22. An estimated value of the drugs was not given in court or outlined in court documents. Solicitor John Casey told the court that he had no questions at the moment. An application for legal aid for Gargan was approved.

Judge Aeneas McCarthy remanded the accused to appear again at Ennis District Court on February 28.

Asked by Judge McCarthy if was going to make a bail application, Mr Casey said he was not. Mr Casey explained, “Hopefully we’ll be in a position to make a bail application” at the next court appearance.

AN Ennis man who stole a handbag containing € 3,000 from a woman as she was shopping has received an 18-month prison sentence. At Ennis District Court last Wednesday, Robbie Nestor (31) was also convicted on other charges of theft and of having heroin for sale or supply.

Nestor, with an address at 142 Hermitage, Ennis, pleaded guilty to eight offences committed between July 2011 and February 2012. Details of the offences were read out in court by Insp Tom Kennedy. He said that Nestor had been seen by gardaí selling a € 25 wrap of heroin to a woman in the Hermitage area of Ennis on Decem ber 1, 2011. The accused admitted selling the drugs, the court heard.

The court heard that Garda Francis Brennan carried out a search of 142 Hermitage on December 2, 2011. Insp Kennedy said 16 wraps of heroin valued at € 480 and € 460 cash were found during the search. He said Nestor admitted to having the drugs for sale or supply. He told gardaí that the money had been obtained from selling drugs.

On July 30, 2011, the court heard, Nestor was seen on CCTV taking a suitcase from a bus parked at En nis bus station. The case, which belonged to a student on her way to Galway, contained a laptop computer valued at € 500 and other items. Insp Kennedy said Nestor, who has 31 previous convictions, admitted the theft and told gardaí that he sold the laptop for € 100.

The court heard that at some time between September 16 and 17, 2011, Nestor took € 50 from an apartment in Barretts Lane, Ennis.

Insp Kennedy told the court that on January 31, 2012, the accused stole a handbag containing a mobile phone and € 100 cash from a woman in Tesco, Ennis. The phone was subsequently recovered. The court heard that the next day Nestor took a handbag containing € 3,830 from a trolley in Dunnes Stores, Ennis. Insp Kennedy described it as “opportunistic crime” and said the money was not recovered.

Solicitor Tara Godfrey said her client has suffered from a “very bad heroin addiction”. Ms Godfrey said her client, a single, unmarried man, had made full admissions regarding all of the offences.

She asked that the court consider adjourning any custodial sentence to allow Nestor receive residential treatment. Judge Aeneas McCarthy said he was not “doing that”. He imposed three separate six-month sentences to be served consecutively. He imposed a further four-month sentence to be served concurrent to the 18-month term. Recognances were fixed in the event of an appeal.