Author: admin

THE former Two Mile Inn in Meelick, which closed in September of last year, has been bought with a view to re-opening it as a nursing home, The Clare People has learned.

The move would bring a substantial number of new jobs to the area.

Those directly involved with the sale were remaining tight-lipped about the detail, but sources in Meelick have confirmed that the plans are to have a state-of-the-art nursing home development on the site.

Tom Crosse of GVM autioneers in Limerick, who handled the sale, would say only that the property had been bought in trust by a firm of so- licitors, and that he understands there possibly may be plans to look at reopening as a nursing home.

The auctioneer would not comment on the purchase price but other sources have put the sale price in the region of € 1.25 million.

It’s not known when work might start on the new home. However, the property would be an ideal location for such a venture, with ample accomodation possibilities and car parking facilities.

The price tag on the value of the once popular hotel plummeted by € 6 million, from more than € 7 million, in the 12 months before it closed. There had ben interest previously but no deal emerged.

When the Two Mile Inn finally shut its doors, 15 full-time staff lost their jobs but many more than that would have been employed when the hotel was at its peak.

A series of efforts were made to find a buyer before Price Waterhouse Coopers put it on the market through GVM at a reduced price tag last November and invited tenders.

It is understood that the sale attracted considerable interest when the lower price tag was revealed.

One of Limerick’s longest-established hotels, the Two Mile Inn was built by Tom Ryan and later taken over by local hotelier Brendan Dunne in the mid-1970s.

In October 2008, Billy O’Riordan of PriceWaterhouseCoopers was appointed as receiver and he placed the hotel on the market as a going concern.

At the time, the price being sought was in the region of € 7 million. However, two years later, when a buyer could not be found, the asking price was slashed to € 1.2 million.

At the time, Mr Crosse described this as a “giveaway price” for such a substantial, high-profile property.

The property features 123 bedrooms, a bar/restaurant area and conferencing facilities as well as extensive car parking space. It occupies an 11-acre site on the Ennis dual carriageway, with easy access to Ennis, Shannon and Limerick city.

THE family behind one of Ennis’ landmark pubs, the Diamond Bar, will celebrate 30 years in business next month. The Kelly family have been pulling pints at the O’Connell street premises since it opened in 1981.

Dad Gerry had been involved in the bar trade nearly all his life, working in pubs in O’Callaghan’s Mills, Clonmel and Portlaoise prior to working in Ennis. He said, “I worked in the Cloister in 1977. I took over the Diamond Bar in 1981. There have been a lot of changes up and down the years.”

Those changes have included renovations to the building, which were first carried out in 1987 and again in 2003. The Diamond may have changed since those early days but the one constant has been the presence behind the counter of the Kelly family – Gerry, wife Theresa, and children Claire, Ursula and Mark.

The family has many fond memories from over the years but for Gerry, Clare’s unforgettable All-Ireland hurling triumphs in 1995 and 1997 really stand out.

“1995 was the highlight. ‘95 and ‘97. The night Clare came back from Dublin with the Liam McCarthy cup, on the Monday night, the like of it will never be seen in the town again. The biggest problem that night was trying to keep people out of the place,” he recalled.

Indeed, the Diamond was the place to be on Monday nights after a big championship game when musician Kieran McDermott could often be heard belting out ‘The Banner Roar’.

Gerry himself was no stranger to sporting success due to his involvement in a number of horse racing syndicates. He said, “We did a lot of syndicates down the years – Gold Anchor was our first success, trained by Liam Brown. Then we had Wimbledon with Dermot Weld. Then we had the ‘God of Love’ with Ger Lyons. Now we have Steele’s Rock with Kieran Purcell. It has been a lucky pub for syndicates and long may it continue.”

Of the changes he has observed in the pub trade over the years, Gerry said that the combined effect of the smoking ban, tighter drink driving laws and the low-cost selling of alcohol in supermarkets have made it a difficult time for publicans.

Mark worked alongside his father in the bar after returning from college in 2003. He now runs two bars in Ennis, Faffa’s and Johnnos.

Like his father, Mark says it is a difficult time for the pub industry. But like all the family he is looking forward to next Friday when the Diamond’s 30-year anniversary will be marked with a series of celebrations at the pub from June 3-6.

FR MARTIN Keane from Cranny takes a close interest in everything that goes on in his Kenyan parish but the organisers of a special fundraiser for the Building of Hope are a tad relieved that the latest project there does not directly involve him. “I’m not sure how appropriate it would be to hold a Vicars and Tarts night for a project Fr Martin is closely involved with,” said Cree volunteer, Marion O’Malley.

When Gerry O’Malley came back from the last Building of Hope project in Kenya, his wife Marion and their friends didn’t expect that he would be so moved by the plight of children he saw at another school there.

“People would ask him how he got on, probably expecting him to say ‘grand’ but instead it would become an hour-long conversation. I’ve never seen him so affected by anything.” said Marion.

After returning from Kenya and seeing conditions in the nearby School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Migombani, Gerry from Cree and two other volunteers, Michael Lillis, also from Cree, and Michael Haugh from Doonbeg had all become firm friends. The three were determined to go back and make life better for the blind children. They teamed up with Gerry’s friend, Paul Rees from Kilnaboy and pal Tina Fitzgerald from Ennis involved and the gang of six decided they would club together in their efforts at fundraising to reach the ambitious target of € 18,000 between them and so began a series of Thursday night planning meetings.

Their first fundraiser was a golf clasic held in Ennis Golf Course on May 14, and a night of fantastic music and dance was held with the Kilfenora Ceili Band and friends at the weekend in the Auburn Lodge. Both events were a great success.

“We’de really like to thank everyone who helped or supported us. It was a great night and people were so generous,” Marion said.

But the push dosn’t stop there and now the six amigos are planning two golf Four-Ball outings, one in Spanish Point and one in Kilrush, on June 18 and July 16 respectively. And going from sport to having great sport, they are also planning a Vicars and Tarts night in the Claremont Disco in Lahinch on July 29.

“Tina’s husband, Ger Fitzgerald, is giving us the disco and there will be music in the front bar as well on the night. We asked all the younger crew what sort of theme we could have for the night to make it a bit of fun. We got a lot of suggestions like a beach party, then one of the young ones suggested Vicars and Tarts and everyone thought it would be great fun.”

Willow in Ennis have kindly sponsored a Guess designer handbag for the tartiest tart and Ennis Fuji Center are sponsoring a digital camera for the vicar with the shiniest halo.

Tickets for the disco and registration for the Four Ball are available from McCarthy’s Garage, Miltown, from Marion at 086 2600844, Tina at 085 7645910, or by contacting any of the volunteers. Fu n d r a is in g e v e n t s gu id e

THE first step towards the establishment of the first all-Irish secondary school in the county is being taken by the Clare Vocational Educational Committee, on foot of a mounting campaign by Irish language enthusiasts.

As part of this process, Clare VEC has embarked on a wide-ranging consultation process with members of the public on the future status of Ghaelcholáiste an Chláir in Ennis, an arm of Ennis Community College that has catered for the needs of those wishing to receive secondary education through Irish for nearly two decades.

The move by Clare VEC is in direct response to a decision taken last year to accept in principal a proposal to create a new standalone secondary school in Ennis where every subject would be taught through the medium of Irish.

“The Gaelcholáiste currently shares resources with Ennis Community College such as the science lab and music rooms. But it is short of space and, because of its reliance on the facilities of the community college, it is challenging to provide an Irish-speaking environment and the provision of all subjects to Leaving Certificate through Irish,” a VEC spokesperson

“Clare Vocational Education Committee is exploring several options to further develop and expand Gaelcholáiste an Chláir if there is sufficient demand,” the spokesperson added.

As part of the VEC survey to take place between now and deadline date of June 17, respondents are being asked their views on whether the Gaelcholáiste “should establish independent status and move to its own campus”, or whether the school “should remain as it is, operating within Ennis Community College”.

This project to establish all-Irish secondary education was born in 1993 when Ghaelcholáiste an Cháir opened. Since then the school has built up to a full 6 year secondary cycle with an annual intake of approximately 30 pupils.

The project was initiated by parents and involved polling parents of potential pupils as well as supporting the Vocational Education Committee and Department of Education to find the way to fund the project.

GARDAÍ are investigating an incident in which an elderly woman was robbed in her home in Feakle on Friday. A man selling clothes called to the woman’s house at around 1.30pm. While in the house, he stole money from the elderly lady’s handbag, before leaving in a red car.

The man is described as tall with dark hair, of slim build. He is believed to be in his 50s and clean shaven. He was wearing a black suit and spoke with a foreign accent. The man, believed to be from India or Pakistan, was driving a red car with a yellow number plate on the back. Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have seen the car to contact them.

Meanwhile, gardaí in Kilmihil are investigating an incident in which the Vodafone compound at Lack West was broken into, after the lock on the gate was cut. 200 litres of diesel and a Wilson generator were stolen.

In Killaloe, a suspicious fire is being investigated by gardaí. The car, which was parked on Radharc na hAglise on Convent Hill, caught fire in what are described as suspicious circumstances at around 3.30 on Sunday morning.

The theft of a car in Ennis is being investigated by gardaí. The grey coloured Fiat Punto hatchback was stolen from Park Avenue in Ennis town between 10pm on Wednesday and 8.30am on Thursday. Also on Wednesday night, two youths were seen running from the Tobarkeel area on the Drumcliffe Road, after a portaloo had been set alight. Both were in their late teens.

In Kilrush, the theft of lead from the roof of the library on O’Gorman Street last weekend is being investigated, while gardaí are investigating an incident in which four car tyres were slashed outside a house on Hector Street last Thursday. And in Sixmilebridge, the theft of two cast iron gates from the gateway of a private house at Castlecrine, Sixmilebridge last Wednesday, is being investigated. Gardaí across the county are investigating a number of burglaries over the past week. Houses in Kilkee, Quin, Kilmihil and Shannon were targeted. A licensed premises in O’Briensbridge was broken into in the early hours of last Tuesday. The cigarette machines containing cigarettes and money were stolen.

THE final decision on whether Tulla will be home to a major nursing home project this year will be delivered by An Bord Pleanála within the next month.

The Clare People has learned that the planning appeals board decision on the application by John and Ted Nugent to build the nursing home in the east Clare town that would cater for up to 30 patients will be handed down on June 16 next.

The application for the 26-bedroom development together with living complex comprising of four semidetached one bedroom units and four two-bedroom units was originally lodged with Clare County Council in December 2009.

A number of objections to the de velopment were lodged, with Noreen Hickey from Cork saying “the proposed development contravenes the new HIQA standards with are underpinned by legislation” and the it “outside the existing town zoned area which contravenes the planning regulations of Tulla”.

Conditional permission for the development was granted by Clare County Council planners was granted last December, with Director of Service Nora Kaye saying that “the proposed development would not seriously injure the amenities of the area or of property in the vicinity, would not be prejudicial to public health and would otherwise accord with proper planning and sustainable development of the area”.

The appeal to this conditional permission was lodged with An Bord Pleanala in January of this year.

IRISH shoppers are clearly gasping for a taste of Clare after water produced and bottled in the Banner County became the best-selling product of its kind at one of Ireland’s largest retail stores.

Clare Spring Water, which directly employs 15 people and a further 11 through sales, was set up in 2009. Managing Director, Paul Connellan told a meeting in Ennis last week that Clare Spring had become a bestseller at Dunnes Stores over the past 12 months.

Mr Connellan recalled the company’s success at a meeting organised by the Clare branch of Network Ireland. Mr Connellan said that LEADER funding of € 200,000, secured through the Clare Local Research Company, had been hugely important in the establishment of Clare Spring Water.

Mr Connellan said the company, which produces water at its € 4.2 million plant in High Street, Lissycasey, has sought to ensure its competitiveness through careful control of costs and efficient waste management.

The company made history last year by becoming the first ever to produce a biodegradable plastic bottle, an innovation that helped it win an annual contract to supply 14 million bottles of natural spring water Schipol Airport in Amsterdam.

He said that research into the area of plant-based plastics had led to the development of the biodegradable bottle. He added that the Schipol contract had given “tremendous confidence” to the company, which also exports bottled water to the UK. He said, “Foreign markets are interested in what’s evolving and changing and innovative”. Mr Connellan said the company had received a “lot of goodwill and local support”.

A “HANDFUL” of sites in the Ennis area have been identified for a potential new town library.

Earlier this year, Clare County Council sought expressions of interest from the public in their efforts to identify a site/existing completed building for the re-development of the main public library and head quarters for Clare library service in Ennis.

The council was looking for a site of 1,600-1,800sq metres or alternatively an existing building with a floor area of up to 4,000 sq metres.

Speaking last week, County Librarian, Helen Walsh said there had been a good response to the appeal. “We wanted to see what was out there. We didn’t want to be overloaded so that’s why we were specific in the notice.”

She explained that any new site would have to meet a specific set of requirements in order to secure government funding. A new site, she said, would have to be in close proximity to local schools; be located in Ennis town centre and have sufficient space for parking. She said that a “handful” of sites have emerged and will now be further examined.

The current De Valera library building has been in use since 1973 but is now considered too small for the population of the town.

Ms Walsh said that the “size and history of Ennis demands that it have a good civic building”.

She added, “Some of the library buildings that have been built up and down the country over the past few years have been fantastic, award standard. That’s the kind of building we would be looking at. It would have to be a building for the future.”

Ms Walsh said that a site would have to be acquired before any approach could be made to the Department of Environment for funding.

She explained, “Any big capital projects like that, they would have to be built within a year. There could be no overrun into the next budget.”

The Post Office field had previously been identified as a potential site for a new library building. However, Ms Walsh said that the field “did not present as a site this time around”.

THE Irish tourism industry is being strangled by the Joint Labour Committee (JLC) system preventing the creation of thousands of jobs in the sector, the Director of the Shannon College of Hotel Management, Mr Philip J. Smyth has said.

In his keynote address at the 60th anniversary of the college last Friday, Mr Smyth said that Sunday trading has become a “write off” for many operators in the industry because of the JLC. Under the JLC, minimum terms and conditions of employment in the catering sector above and beyond the national minimum wage are set, including premium payment for weekend and overtime work.

He said that Shannon College is the only third-level college/institute in Ireland with a 100 per cent graduate employment rate. “The concept of having to protect workers in the tourism sector is outdated and the sooner we abolish the JLC, the sooner we will begin creating jobs and fulfilling the enormous potential of the industry,” he said.

Mr Smyth told the gathering of over 200 guests that the prospects for growth in the industry are being hampered by a lack of national pride in service delivery. “As a population, we do not have a sense of service to match our wonderful sense of hospitality,” he said.

Congratulating the Shannon College of Hotel Management – a subsidiary of the Dublin Airport Authority – on its 60th anniversary, Director of Shannon Airport, Ms Mary Considine said its dedication to excellence has been nothing short of remarkable and that the college “has made an enormous contribution to the hotel industry here in Ireland and, indeed, globally”.

“To think that today, in such a challenging global economy, graduates from the college not only enjoy a 100% employment rate but are essentially headhunted by some of the world’s leading hotel groups speaks volumes for the standards that the college continues to deliver,” she said.

Since the first class of 18 students joined Shannon College in 1951, the college has grown to accept 100 students each year. It now offers two level 8 degree programmes (BBS and BComm) in business studies and international hotel management. It currently has 400 students enrolled, 200 of them Irish and the other half from 25 countries across the globe. Current students are undertaking professional work placements in 100 hotels across 16 countries worldwide.

A FARMER who was verbally abusive to a garda and told her ‘you won’t take my land’ has been handed a one month suspended sentence.

Ger Neylon (50), whom the court heard has an address at Main Street, Tulla, appeared at Shannon District Court (sitting in Ennis) on Thursday.

Mr Neylon was charged with public order offences arising out of an incident at Sixmilebridge on April 22 (2010).

Insp Tom Kennedy said the accused was in an intoxicated state when he was noticed by a garda.

Insp Kennedy said that he became verbally abusive to the garda, to such an extent that he was arrested. He said that the man told the Garda that “you won’t take my land, you c***”.

Insp Kennedy said that Mr Neylon repeated the comments to the garda. The court heard that Mr Neylon is a single man, who has 57 acres of land, but is in receipt of farm assist payments.

Solictor for the man, Jenny Fitzgib- bon, made an application on behalf of her client for free legal aid.

She said that her client had been on the way home from a wedding in Limerick and had received a lift as far as Sixmilebridge. She said that it had been his intention to hitch back to Tulla.

She said it had been a ‘“long wedding’ and that her client could not recall the incident in Sixmilebridge. She said he realised that this is no excuse and that he wished to completely apologise.

Mr Neylon said, “I’m sorry. I apologise.”

Judge Joseph Mangan refused the application for free legal aid, saying that the man owned 57 acres of land.

He said the accused had missed a previous court date and now expected the state to pay his legal bills.

He said he was not impressed by the man’s behaviour, adding the comments, as described by Insp Kennedy, “speak for themselves”.

He handed down a one month suspended sentence and ordered that the accused enter a bond to be of good behaviour.