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AN alleged attack by two teenagers on a family vehicle on a main street last month formed part of a “wider dispute” between two Ennis based families, a court has heard.

Three people were in the car when it was allegedly attacked by two males allegedly carrying hurleys on O’Connell Street on April 10.

Two teenagers have been charged in connection with the incident.

They appeared before Ennis District Court and Ennis Children’s Court on Wednesday. They are charged with public order and weapon’s offences.

James Keenan (18), with an address at Childer’s Road Cloughleigh is charged with having a hockey stick intended to unlawfully intimidate or incapacitate a person or otherwise cause criminal damage to a vehicle.

He is also charged with criminal damage of the car owned by a woman and engaging in behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace.

A 15-year-old boy is also charged with criminal damage and engaging in behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace arising from the alleged incident at O’Connell Street.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is further charged with having a hurley intended to cause injury, incapacitate, intimidate a person or otherwise cause criminal damage to the windscreen, bonnet and side of a car while three occupants were on board.

On Wednesday, Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed summary disposal of the cases in the district court.

He outlined the alleged facts of the case to allow Judge Patrick Durcan consider whether to accept jurisdiction of the matter in the district or transfer it to the circuit court.

Insp Kennedy said it is alleged both accused were carrying hurleys when they set upon the vehicle owned by Kathleen Doherty.

He said damage costing 4000 euros was caused during the alleged attack. Insp Kennedy said it is alleged the incident is part of a wider dispute between the families.

Judge Patrick Durcan refused jurisdiction, meaning it will now proceed in the circuit court.

Defence solicitor said he consented to the cases being adjourned to September 10 for service of the books of evidence. Both accused were remanded on continuing bail.

PRESIDENT Michael D. Higgins and Nobel Prize winner Svante Pääbo will participate in a three day event organised by the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark.

The three-day symposium, which taking place in NUI Galway and the Burren this week, will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the naming of Neanderthal by Irish scientist William King.

Delegates attending the symposium, which is entitled ‘From Fossils to the Genome’, will attend a field trip to the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher Geopark.

William King’s proposal was to formally designate Neanderthal people as a separate species from ourselves. His suggestion was both extraordinary and revolutionary for its time – Charles Darwin’s masterpiece ‘Origin of Species’ had been published just five years beforehand. William King remains the first to name a new fossil human species, a privilege afforded to very few scien- tists.

The symposium will also feature a presentation from a Nobel Prize winner and one of TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people, Svante Pääbo.

Professor Pääbo, Director of the Department of Evolutionary Genetics at the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig and the first person to sequence the DNA of Neanderthal people, will deliver the main keynote address of the symposium.

Next Monday, participants will take part in a post conference field trip through the Burren led by Christine Grant of the National Monuments Service, Michael Lynch and Michelle Comber, the Field Director for the Caherconnell Archaeology Field School.

NUI Galway’s Dr John Murray and Geopark Geologist Dr Eamon Doyle will be discussing the geology of the Burren.

“Professor King’s work represents a scientific milestone in the history of our understanding of human origins,” said Dr Murray.

WATER safety officer Liam Griffin has retired from Clare County Council after more than four decades service.

Last summer the Ennis man led the campaign for people to stay safe in Clare waters during one of the warm- est spell in almost a decade.

As well as over seeing water safety in the county’s public bathing areas, Mr Griffin was also charged with responsibility for the Civil Defence.

The proud Eire Óg man joined Clare County Council on July 16, 1973, as an assistant civil defence officer.

He served in this role until 1996, when he was appointed Civil Defence Officer and Water Safety Development Officer.

Retiring “a few years early” to make the most of his retirement years, Mr Griffin said he was looking forward to the freedom of not being governed by the clock and the freedom to travel more, even at short notice.

First on his itinerary is a trip to America with his wife Marie at the end of the year.

“I have been most places in the world except America, so the trip is planned,” he said.

He is also looking forward to spending time with his family – daughters Sinead and Eimear, son John and his fiancé Jenny, and son-in-law Aidan – as well as his grandchildren, the fourth of which is due to make their way into the world any day.

Asked if he will miss the job, the father of three said, “I have made a huge amount of friends and friendships through the years, but those will be friends for life.”

The Mayor Joe Arkins (FG) and county manager Tom Coughlan led tributes to Liam for his outstanding work in the area of civil defence and water safety over 41 years.

A HOME-MADE knife was discovered in the entrance at Ennis Courthouse following a number of scuffles that broke out on Wednesday.

Gardaí are investigating altercations which flared up between members of two families who were present in the courthouse on the day.

A fight between younger members of both families developed at the entrance at around 11am.

The courthouse was busy with sittings of Ennis District Court and the High Court underway.

People standing in the lobby area initially thought the parties were “messing about” but the incident turned serious when a male teenager was knocked to the floor and struck a number of times.

There was a large number of gardaí present inside the district court positioned between the families who were sat at opposite sides of the courtroom.

Men from either side traded verbal insults. At one point, Judge Patrick Durcan said he would adjourn court business if peace was not kept in the courtroom.

Judge Durcan said law and order was not being maintained in the courtroom and said decent citizens who had business in court were being subjected to “vile behaviour”.

Order was restored both inside and outside the courtroom. A number of people were arrested.

The knife was discovered on the floor just inside the front door at around 11.30am.

It is described as home-made, with two short blades sitting on a handle wrapped in red tape.

Gardaí are investigating the incident and are studying CCTV footage taken from cameras in the Courthouse.

The two Ennis families suspected of being involved in the fracas have been engaged in a dispute for much of the past 12 months.

This is the first violent incident to occur in Ennis Courthouse in recent months.

The building was the scene of a spate of similar fights and altercations throughout 2012 and 2013.

Last October Ennis-based solicitor Daragh Hassett told the court there were times during the year when legal practitioners feared for their safety such was the frequency of fights at the time.

TRUMP International Golf Links and Hotel Ireland are to lay off staff during the winter months, but this, according to the resort’s manager Joe Russell, has been the practice for the last number of years.

“In fact we will have more people employed on the course this year that we have since we opened in 2002,” he said.

Last week Donald Trump visited his Doonbeg resort where he selected the site for the new banqueting and event centre and asked Mr Russell to proceed with plans for the review.

“Mr Trump’s visit went well. We spent a lot of time on the golf course and around the facility.

“He was very impressed with the facility, its location and the service and hospitality he received.

“Besides the radio and TV interviews he had, he spent a long time in our public areas meeting and taking photographs with people throughout the day,” said the Doonbeg boss.

During these press interviews Mr Trump promised hundreds more “good jobs”.

However after his departure during the week news broke that staff would be let go during the winter months.

“As discussed with all our employees last Wednesday and has occurred in the past number of years, we are scaling back our operations in the winter to weekends only in November and December, and in January and February we will close hotel operations only.

“The Christmas market and Christmas period will be open because they are well attended and when people use their vacation time to visit our facility,” explained Mr Russell.

“This is not something new for us or hotels on the west coast of Ireland given the level of business at this time of the year.

“Check out what my five star star competitors are doing in Kerry,” he said. “As you will have heard, we are doing a lot of work on our golf course due to the winter storm damage and we will continue our work for the season ahead and into the winter. His objective is to make our course the best golf course in Ireland.”

TAOISEACH and Fine Gael Party leader Enda Kenny said this week that Fine Gael would not increase the Local Property Tax if elected to local government.

In a whistle-stop visit to the Banner County just a week after polls indicate a swing towards independent candidates and people’s dissatis- faction with the introduction of the LPT, Mr Kenny admitted that being in Government was not an easy position.

But as the Mayo man kissed babies, high fived teenagers and shook hands with pensioners it quickly became apparent that he was not about to run into the hostility he was met with an hour earlier in Limerick.

Instead, supported by the party faithful, a two person anti-abortion protest outside the Temple Gate all but went unnoticed, while the mother of a disabled child who lost her medical card had her say in a peaceful manner.

Among those waiting to meet the leader of the country was Noel O’Driscoll, originally from O’Callaghans Mills, whose late father became secretary of the local Fine Gael branch in 1922 and was there until he died 56 years later.

Mr O’Driscoll showed the Taoiseach an original Land League membership card owned by his great grandfather.

Flanked by MEP Sean Kelly, local election candidates and the county’s two Fine Gael TDs – Pat Breen and Joe Carey – Mr Kenny was remaining coy on how he believes his 16 local election candidates will fare in Clare come May 23.

“Far be for it me to guess what the good people of Clare are going to do when they go to the polls but I will say this for our party we offer a very strong team of candidates.”

“Whoever the people elect for the county council elections they need to understand that these candidates and these councillors are being given responsibility that has never been handed out before to councillors. They are going to have to make decisions about the expenditure for property charges. The Fine Gael candidates will not be voting to increase them, they will be reducing them where possible. They will have to make decisions about rates and about property charges and development plans for their own areas,” he added.

“It is not about electing people to sound off at council meetings. It is a case of electing people to make decisions, the authority being displaced down to the councils.”

CLARE County Council has been allocated € 368,000 under the Government’s Special Resolution Fund (SRF) for Unfinished Housing Developments.

The Department of Environment, Community and Local Government has approved the council’s application for funding to enable works to be undertaken at two local housing developments, namely the Aisling Estate on the Lahinch Road in Ennis and Bruachlan/An Grianan in Westbury.

Clare County Council says it will now commence a period of engagement with the relevant stakeholders at the locations concerned with a view to commencing works.

Mayor of Clare Councillor Joe Arkins welcomed the funding announcement, adding, “Engagement from all key stakeholders is critical to progressing the proposed resolution of these sites. I believe the funding enables Clare County Council to provide a solution to these unfinished estates which have been deteriorating over the past number of years and impacting negatively on the residents and the landscape in the area.”

Commenting on the background to the funding allocation, Bernadette Haugh, Administrative Officer, Planning & Enterprise, stated, “The successful application is part of the council’s ongoing focus on unfinished estates throughout the county. A team from the Planning & Enterprise section of the council has been focusing on this issue and will continue to work towards solutions on the many developments where difficulties are being experienced throughout the county.”

Ms Haugh explained that Clare County Council will now engage with the Bondholders AIB, NAMA and the owner of the land in relation to the Aisling site to agree how the proposed site resolution will be progressed. Similar discussions will be undertaken with Grant Thornton who are the appointed receivers in relation to the Westbury site.

“The drawdown of approved funding will commence immediately in order to advance the early execution of the works. Once the programme of works has been agreed Clare County Council will organise an information session with residents in the area of these development to outline how the proposed resolution process will proceed. The condition of the funding requires that the proposed works are completed by the end of 2014,” added Ms Haugh.

THREE people endured a terrifying ordeal when their car was set upon by an armed gang of teenagers in Ennis earlier this month.

Gardaí are investigating the incident, which occurred on Friday, May 2, in the Showgrounds Road area of Ennis.

Gardaí were called to the scene af- ter receiving a call of a violent disturbance at Showground’s Court on Drumbiggle Court.

The incident is thought to have occurred sometime between 11pm and midnight on the date in question.

It is believed a car parked in the area was set upon by a gang of around seven or eight teenagers.

Bottles of beer were taken from the boot of the car. The driver of the car is also believed to have been struck in the face with a bottle. The keys of the car along with a small sum of cash were also taken. The Clare People understands that one of the young males suspected of being involved in the attack was carrying a kitchen knife.

The three males who were in the car at the time were said to be “terrified” during the ordeal. One Garda source described the attack on the car and it’s occupants as “vicious”.

Gardaí have launched an investigation into the matter. At least one teenager has been arrested and questioned in relation to the incident. He was subsequently released without charge. It is thought that all those suspected of being involved are under the age of 18.

Investigations into the matter are continuing and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Mary CARROLL (née Cronin)
, 72 Rossbracken, Shannon. Laid to rest in St Mary’s Church Grounds, Rathkeale. May she rest in peace.

Bernadette (Etta) JONES (née Mc
Namara)

IN ITS last ever meeting on Thursday night, the nine members of Kilrush Town Council merely tied up loose ends before paying tribute to the 129-year history of the local authority and reiterating their belief that the town council would be reinstated.

Signing off on its financial accounts which will be amalgamated with the Clare County Council budget from June 1, the members also agreed to past one unanimous motion calling on “on the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to establish a commission to bring forward recommendations on meaningful reform of local government at town council level that will eventually lead to the restoration of democratic structures at town council level in the near future”.

In his final mayoral address, the man who will be recorded as the last ever mayor of Kilrush, Paul Moroney (Ind) led tributes to the council staff for their dedication to Kilrush town through the years.

“It is a sad day for all of us,” he told the past members, staff and families who had gathered in Kilrush Court House, “but as I said at he outset we have chosen to celebrate the achievements of the council rather than wallow in regret and tearful recrimination.”

Cllr Ian Lynch (Ind) likened the proceedings to the “wake of a good friend”, while Cllr Mairead O’Brien (Ind) said she would have fond memories of her term on the council.

Meanwhile Cllr Liam Williams (FG) spoke of the short sightedness of the Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan for his decision to dissolve all town councils,. “I hope people will continue to get involved in other projects now to keep the town thriving,” he said.

Cllr Marian McMahon Jones (FG), Cllr Tom Clyne (FF) and Cllr Tom Prendeville (FF) also regretted the passing of the council while Cllr Christy O’Malley (FF) remained hopeful for the future of the town with the words, “I trust our successors will progress our work further.”

For Cllr Liam O’Looney (FF) the end of the council was also the end of a family tradition.

“It was a tradition that went before me,” he said remembering his father William who served on Kilrush Town Council before him, and lamented that fact his daughter and two sons could not follow in his footsteps.

A 22-YEAR-OLD man has received a suspended sentence for his role in a violent burglary at an apartment in Ennis last summer.

Darren Maughan (22) was one of two people who broke into 15 Sandfield Mews between 12.30 and 12.45am on July 23, 2013. He assaulted Declan O’Dea who was asleep in bed at the time.

Mr O’Dea, in a state of fear, jumped from a first floor window to escape Mr Maughan, breaking his ankle when he hit the ground, Ennis Circuit Criminal Court heard yesterday. In March, Mr Maughan, with an address at Stonecourt, Drumbiggle, Ennis, pleaded guilty to entering the apartment as a trespasser and committing an arrestable offence therein, assault causing harm to Declan O’Dea.

Yesterday the court heard Mr Maughan was on bail at the time for another assault he committed in Drumbiggle Drive, on January 20, 2013, to which he also pleaded guilty.

Judge Carroll Moran yesterday gave Mr Maughan an immediate two-year prison sentence for the assault at Drumbiggle and imposed a two year suspended sentence for the offence at Sandfield Mews.

Giving evidence in respect of the burglary at 15 Sandfield Mews, Detective Inspector John Galvin (Ennis Garda Station) told the court Mr Maughan and a companion broke into the apartment after failing to gain entry.

The court heard Mr Maughan went into Mr O’Dea’s room and started to beat him “viciously” around the head. Det Insp Galvin said the victim was so fearful he jumped from the first floor window. The court heard Mr O’Dea broke his ankle and lay in bushes for a period of between 90 minutes and two hours when gardaí were called to the scene.

The court heard both parties had consumed a number of bottles of vodka earlier in the day. Det Insp Galvin agreed with prosecuting counsel Stephen Coughlan’s view that Mr Maughan had consumed a “vast” amount of alcohol.

“Intoxicated beyond comprehension is the best way I could describe it,” added Det Insp Galvin.

The court heard that between 2009 and 2014 Mr Maughan received 53 convictions for offences including assault, public order and criminal damage.

Det Insp Galvin agreed with defence counsel Lorcan Connolly’s assessment that all of Mr Maughan’s past offences arose from problems with drink.

Counsel said, “He’s not a bad lad, save and except when he’s the drink on board.” Mr Connolly said his client wished to apologise for his offence. Counsel said his client had pleaded guilty at an early stage and is undergoing a number of educational programmes in prison.

In the witness box, Mr Maughan Judge Moran “I’m stopping drinking for life when I get out. I want to change my life around.”

Judge Moran said the accused has “clearly a propensity for violence when he is drunk” and has an “appalling record”.

He imposed the two year sentence for assault at Drumbiggle but agreed to suspend a consecutive two year sentence for the offence at Sandfield on condition Mr Maughan abstain from drink and be of good behaviour for five years.