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THE tragic victim of last week’s house fire was still in mourning for his father, whom he had buried just over a month before he died.

Mike Kennedy, who was born and grew up in Killaloe, lost his life in a housefire in neighbouring Ballina on July 3.

Last Wednesday and Thursday, huge crowds turned out to pay their final respects to the family man and musician.

Mike had buried his father, Timmy, who owned an electrical shop in Killaloe just over a month before his own death.

Mike – known as ‘Caddie’ – was well known for his interest in mu- sic and regularly played the banjo at sessions in Killaloe and Ballina. He also loved fishing and handball and, in his younger days, played under-age hurling for the local SmithO’Brien club.

Friends of the 53-year old said that the community is deeply shocked at his loss. “He was a very happy go lucky kind of person; a lovely man and very interested in music. He played music and he collected CDs and DVDs of well known musicians,” a friend told The Clare People .

Mike is survived by his wife Margaret, sons Kevin, Anthony and Declan, their partners Lisa Grace and Elaine, his mother Eileen, sister Geraldine, mother in law, relatives and friends.

MEMBERS of an interfaith group from Clare were honoured to be included on the President of Ireland’s diary in recent weeks.

President Mary McAleese hosted a garden party for various groups from around the country and the interfaith group from the mid-west was included on her schedule.

Members of the Mid-West Interfaith Network hail from Ennis, Shannon, Sixmilebridge, Broadford and Limerick.

The group was set up a year ago and consists of all religions including Catholic, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Baha’i and Zoroasterian. The members meet regularly and take part in meditation, prayer vigils and organise general meetings.

One of the members, Trish FallonBarry from Shannon, said the interest in the group has been significant and the meetings focus on positivity.

“It was set up by Alan Hillard, a Catholic priest from Ennis and Abed Aldaka, the integration officer with Doras Luimní. They were talking about the desirability of setting up an interfaith group. It would be very close to my heart. I believe all the religions are one,” said Ms FallonBarry, who is a member of the Baha’i group in Shannon.

“We have a core group. We meet up and broaden it out when we can, with meditation evenings, and we will go on a walk soon,” she said.

“It is faith based. It is very positive and peaceful. We share what we have in common and foster an understanding,” she said.

“We have more to celebrate together than we do separately. There is such a positive atmosphere at our gatherings,” she added.

Among those who visited Áras an Uachtaráin were Bart Gruzalski from Sixmilebridge, Alan Hillard from Ennis, Gurmukh from Sixmilebridge and Trish, who lives in Shannon. “We wrote to the President and she included us. She is so positive and supportive of us,” said Trish.

YOUTH depression and suicide are reaching epidemic proportions in parts of County Clare, where the effects of the recession are forcing many young people deeper and deeper into isolation.

These effects are being made worse in rural parts of the county where the breakdown of old community structures and a change in traditional attitudes during the Celtic Tiger years has created a situation where young people may not have anywhere to turn.

One west Clare councillor and therapist has described the rise of youth isolation as “alarming” and warned that rural communities may no longer be strong enoughto help young people, even if those young people ask for it. According to Kilrush-based therapist Michelle Bradley, the local community structures which existed during previous recessions are no longer in place.

“In the older days, people used to go out even when they didn’t have any money. That has changed now – money seems to be the main focus and people seem to have lost the ability to connect to people without spending money,” she told The Clare People .

“The whole focus for younger people now is the money that is no longer there. It can make people very uncomfortable when they go to meet their peers. They don’t want to say that they have no work or no money. There was a much better sense of community back then.

“At this stage, I’m not even sure how supportive the community might be. Everyone has pulled back and is minding themselves. We could be sending them [isolated people] out to a community that is just not there anymore.”

Ms Bradley, who has personally known three local people who have taken their own lives in recent year, says that much of the problem is as a result of people not being able to express themselves.

“It is a huge problem here. It is to do with the isolation and not being able to express for themselves what is going on or not being involved in any group which could offer support,” she continued.

“People are trying not to spend money and not going out but in reality they are actually doing themselves harm. It is quite alarming really and is something that is just not being spoken about. I would say everyone would know at least one person who is in this situation. I can see it myself and I can see the effects it is having on people.”

A NORTH Clare publican will this week install a lotto style “big wheel” into his pub which will allow his patrons to decide how much they have to pay for their booze.

The big wheel will be the latest in a series of recent new arrivals at The Roadside Tavern in Lisdoonvarna, who are also preparing to officially launch a series of home-brewed Burren drinks and Ireland first pub loyalty card later this month.

According to the pubs owner Peter Curtin, the three new Burren brews, the big wheel and the loyalty card is being introduced as a way of keeping his family pub alive.

“The pub trade in Ireland is in a tailspin. I am interested in learning new things and trying things. I’ll be 58 at my next birthday and I don’t want to have to close the door of this pub. This is a family pub and I’m happy to do what need to be done to keep it going,” said Peter.

“The loyalty card system is the first of its kind in Ireland. People can come along a Burren Brewery Club member, once they are over 18 and drinks responsibly. When someone buys something in the pub they get points on their card and after awhile they can claim back produce for their points.”

On Sunday, July 21, the three new Burren Brews will be launched with a day-long celebration at the Roadside Tavern. The day will also see the official launch of Burren Brew- ery’s Loyalty Card and the world’s first pub spin-the-wheel machine.

“This will be the first pub in the world to have a big wheel. All the Burren Brewery Club members can come in and choose to pay the display price of the produce or they can spin the wheel,” continued Peter.

“The wheel will have a € 4 slot, a € 3.50 slot, a € 3 slot and so on down and whatever the ball falls on – that’s what they pay. There will also be a euro symbol on the wheel and if it falls on that they will pay the regular price and also pay € 1 towards a local charity.”

Peter has developed three Burren Brews with the Brendan Dobbyns who was involved in setting up of the Biddy Early Brewery in Inagh. From July 21, the Roadside Tavern will unveil the Burren Black, a smooth stout, the Burren Red which is slightly sweet ale and the Burren Gold which is a characterful lager.

A € 12.8M FLOOD defence scheme along the River Fergus from Ennis town centre to Doora Bridge has received the green light from the Government.

The Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan TD, last week signed off on funding for Phase 2 of the Ennis Drainage Scheme.

Welcoming the news, Chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Clare TD Pat Breen said that “Phase 1 has already being completed very successfully and the works in Phase 2, which will be carried out under the auspices of the OPW, will alleviate the problems which were caused by flooding in Ennis in December 2009. The area covered will be from Bank Place in the town right down to Doora Bridge.

“It is very good news for the town of Ennis. When this work is completed it should prevent further flooding which has caused a lot of hardship in December 2009,” he added.

The scheme is expected to be officially launched by Minister for State Brian Hayes in Ennis on Friday.

Part of the scheme, which involves the construction of a walkway and handrail along the left riverbank in Fergus Park to Knox’s bridge, has been opposed by local residents.

Members of the Fergus Park Residents Association are concerned that the proposed handrail will encourage anti-social behaviour and the ease of access to the back of 20 houses in the area.

In a report to Ennis Town Council on the Ennis Flood Relief Scheme, Town Engineer Eamon O’Dea said the OPW anticipates work will begin on phase two in September.

He explained that the tender assessment procedure for the Lough Girroga Flood Relief Scheme (Gort Road Industrial Estate) has been completed and work should start in August.

He stated that final design details for flood relief works at Fioruisce have to be confirmed with the OPW. The Council is also proceeding with the part 8 planning procedure at Watery Road / Elm Park Flood Relief Scheme. Mr O’Dea said the matter should be before the Council at the September meeting. He added that detailed design has commenced at St Flannan’s Tobertascáin – Ballybeg flood relief works.

COMMERCIAL traffic through Shannon Airport rose by 22.5 per cent last month, according to figures released by the Irish Aviation Authority.

It compares with a 3.5 per cent increase in Cork and numbers remaining static in Dublin Airport during the month of June.

There were 1,905 overflights and airport commercial movements at Shannon in June, compared with 1, 555 in June of last year.

The figures are a significant improvement on poor figures at the mid-west airport in recent months. Figures for 2010 showed that commercial traffic fell by 32.2 per cent and overall traffic at Shannon fell by 21.7 per cent.

En-route flights, which are flights transiting between Europe and North America – the majority of which do not land in Ireland – increased by 2.1 per cent, when compared to June 2010.

Spokesperson for the IAA, Lilian Cassin, said the figures are positive. “We are delighted with it. What’s more significant is the overhead flights between Europe and North America are up. That tends to be a barometer of international traffic, a barometer of how the global economy is,” she said.

She said she is hopeful that terminal traffic will increase as a followon from this.

“When the recession hit the first impact was on the en-route traffic and the terminal was after that. Hopefully this will be followed by an increase in terminal traffic,” said Ms Cassin.

According to the IAA, traffic figures for the first six months of the year are subject to distortion when compared to the first half of last year, due to the impact of the Icelandic volcanic ash crisis in April and May 2010. However, when adjustments are made to compensate for this, the en-route traffic movements for the first six months of this year show an increase of around five per cent over the same period in 2010.