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A MAN caught with € 3000 worth of heroin for sale or supply in Ennis and who gardaí believe to be of a “high risk” of re-offending walked free from court last week after his case was adjourned to 2015.

Father of four David Joyce (24) was seen in possession of a glass jar of heroin after walking unawares into a garda search of a derelict property in the Dun na hInse housing estate in Ennis on May 30, 2012.

At Ennis Circuit Criminal Court on Friday, Judge Gerald Keys agreed to adjourn finalisation of the case to January 2015 to allow the accused continue treatment for depression.

This was after being told by Defence Counsel Pat Whyms, that the death of Mr Joyce’s father last summer in distressing circumstances was “extremely disturbing” for the accused.

Counsel said his client was hospitalised last year after an attempt to take his own life.

He said Mr Joyce is on medication for depression and is seeing a counsellor.

Mr Whyms said his client would benefit from an involvement with the Probation Services.

Judge Keys asked Detective Garda Dominic Regan about the risk of Mr Joyce re-offending.

“There is a very high risk of re-offending” replied Det Regan.

The court heard Mr Joyce has 11 previous convictions, including for public order and road traffic offences and one for assault causing harm. Judge Keys said he would adjourn the case to January 2015.

He said, “If there is an opportunity to rehabilitate anybody, irrespective of the crime committed, I will give them that opportunity”.

“This is an opportunity for the accused to avail of a programme which I would hope would finally keep him out of trouble”.

Judge Keys said his approach to the case might “surprise” some people but he reiterated his view that opportunities for rehabilitation would be granted to criminals if such opportunities existed.

However the Judge warned Mr Joyce, who is unemployed, he would go to jail for at least a year if he offended in the intervening period.

“If the wool is being pulled over my eyes by this accused, he will go to jail”, he said.

Mr Joyce, with an address at 85 Dun ha hInse, pleaded guilty to having diamorphine, more commonly known as heroin, for sale or supply at 90 Dun Na hInse on May 30, 2012. He also pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis valued at € 63.

ENNIS Town Council is to recommend the introduction of a new oneway system to alleviate traffic congestion outside a school in the town.

In January, the council put forward the proposal to solve traffic and “poor parking behaviour at certain times of the day” at CBS Primary School and Rice College.

The council recently introduced railings to prevent motorists parking on footpaths and to provide some protection for young pedestrians outside the schools.

Under proposed amendments to the town’s parking byelaws, the council proposed a new layout for Dr Daly Road between CBS Primary School and St Joseph’s Hospital.

A report on new system is due to be discussed at today’s meeting of Ennis Town Council.

It is understood the council has recommended the introduction of a oneway system running north from New Road to Lifford Road.

It is part of what the council sees as a longer term plan to address traffic issues in the area.

It is understood a number of residents have objected to the proposal.

In a report to the council’s January meeting, Town Clerk Leonard Cleary stated, “this will involve consideration of a one way system of traffic flow along this road and parking at the Fair Green side of the road, rather than outside resident’s gateways/boundary walls.”

He continued, “Local residents on the road would benefit from improved management of parking outside their gateways and receive a resident’s permit, if needed. However, the proposed one way system will require that amendments be made to the traffic management plan.”

Councillor Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) yesterday urged the council to listen to the concerns of residents. “They are the people who will be most affected by it. I think we should be listening to them. I think these issues could be solved by the use of double yellow lines,” he said.

THREE of the county’s four town councils will hold their last ever monthly meeting today (Tuesday), with Kilrush bringing down the curtain on this soon to be extinct form of Government on Thursday.

The first authority to call time on its existence will be Ennis Town Council with its afternoon meeting today. Over 172 years of local government history will come to an end when the nine members of the council meet for the final time to discuss town business.

A number of items are up for discussion on the agenda including a planning report on a long awaited roundabout on the Tulla Road neat the Oakeligh Wood housing estate.

Councillors will discuss a right of way issue at the St Michael’s estate. Debate will also focus on a proposed one-way system in the Lifford Road area of town. A report on commercial rates is also due to be presented to councillors. Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Mary Coote Ryan (FG) will preside over the meeting. Later that evening both Shannon and Kilkee Town Council will also meet for the last time.

In Shannon the nine councillors will meet for the last time in the authorities 32-year history at 6.30pm.

While it is business as usual with the agenda, the councillors will also move to ensure the € 111,000 in the council budget is ringfensed for local projects. In Kilkee from 7pm the councillors will meet to hear an address from the mayor Paddy Collins and to view one last time on the finances of the council.

Meanwhile the last ever-monthly town council meeting in the county will be held in Kilrush on Thursday evening in the courthouse.

The nine councillors will show an element of defiance when they table just one joint motion calling “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.

The councillors previously voted to move the historic meeting from the Town Hall as the first ever Kilrush Town Council meeting was held in the courthouse.

For more than 170 years town councils have worked as the local authority of their town, but as of June 1 that responsibility will fall to Clare County Council and its 28 new councillors.

THE nephew of President Michael D Higgins, Donal Higgins, will contest the Clare County Council election for the Labour Party.

The Government party added the Ballycar man to the ticket at the 11th hour, registering him at 11am on Saturday morning, just 60 minutes before the deadline.

“It was as late as Wednesday that I decided, but it was something a I had been thinking about for a long time,” Mr Higgins told The Clare People .

He said he had been approached to run in the Shannon region a number of months ago but did not want to go up against his friend and party colleague Tony McMahon.

“Pascal [Fitzgerald] was also coming into that area so it was well covered. Then Michael McNamara [Clare TD] approached me to run in the Killaloe area. I had a good think about it with my wife and I decided to go for it,” he said.

Mr Higgins, a father of two young children, admits it will be a balanc- ing act to include the council in his life, but he knows from experience this is something he is good at.

During the last six years he has studied for his Science Technology degree in the University of Limerick, while also holding down a full time job at Zimmer, Shannon and caring for his family.

Mr Higgins was one of the workers who lost their jobs when Dell in Limerick closed, but after a year of unemployment and internship in Zimmer saw him eventually secure a full time job at night.

His degree course finishes this month, just in time for the council elections and a possible career on the local government body.

The 35 year-old grew up in the family farm in Ballycar, Newmarket on Fergus, and attended the local school followed by St Caimin’s College in Shannon.

He is married to Michelle and they have two little boys under the age of four.

He is the son of Maureen and John Higgins, the brother of the President of Ireland.

CLARE is bracing itself for a marathon count following the local election on May 23, as the largest number of candidates in the country have reg- istered to contest the Ennis electoral area, with 27 people putting their names forward to contest eight seats. A total of 69 candidates declared as the deadline for local election nominations closed. Independent candidates are in the majority in Clare with a total of 19 non-party candidates registered. Fianna Fáil is running the largest number of party political candidates with 18, while Fine Gael will run 16. The Labour Party has nominated five candidates, Sinn Fein just three and new party Fís Nua is to run four candidates. The Anti Austerity Alliance will run two candidates in Shannon. The count will once again take place in Treacy’s West County Hotel.

AMERICAN billionaire Donald Trump will arrive in Clare on Monday for a whistle stop tour of Doonbeg Trump International Golf Links.

The real estate tycoon purchased the Greg Norman designed golf links and five star hotel last February for an undisclosed sum.

While his sons and vice presidents of Trump International Donald Jnr and Eric Trump visited the west Clare resort to sign the purchase contracts, this will be Mr Trumps first visit to the course since he reportedly paid € 15 million for the 18-hole golf links, hotel and spa.

He is expected to arrive into Shannon Airport early on Monday morning and travel to Doonbeg where he will meet staff and examine the grounds.

He is then scheduled to leave Doonbeg on Tuesday, and travel on to visit his latest acquisition – Turnberry Re sort in Scotland.

Mr Trump is quoted as saying he has plans to develop the West Clare golf course to make it one of the best in the world.

“I have a lot of time and I have a lot of money and the best thing for Ireland is that you allow that great site to have one of the great courses of the world.

“And I have hired for that purpose, Martin Hawtree, to study it,” he said.

“Depending on the study, we may leave it and enhance it or go for an entirely new course.”

However a complete rebuild of the links course at Doonbeg could bring him into conflict with environmentalists over protected dunes and the microscopic snail- Vertigo angustior – that limited the original Greg Norman project. While an exact itinerary of Donald Trump’s visit to the Doonbeg Resort that now bears his name has not been revealed, it is thought he will walk most of the course during his brief time at the venue. It is not clear whether Mr Trump, a reputed scratch golfer, will play any of his Doonbeg course. Tue06May14

CLARE’S 11 bathing areas have got the all clear for the summer season.

This is the first time in a number of years that all of Clare’s bathing areas have got top marks from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

According to the report on Bathing Water Quality each of the areas were deemed to be compliant with manda- tory water quality levels.

Bathing waters were classified into three categories, namely ‘Good’, ‘Sufficient’ and ‘Poor’. The classification system is based on the levels of E. Coli and intestinal enterococci detected in the bathing water during the 2013 bathing season.

All 11 bathing areas around Clare were adjudged to have ‘Good Water Quality’ having complied with EU Guide and Mandatory levels, includ- ing Ballyalla Lake (Ennis) which was deemed to only have ‘Sufficient Water Quality’ in 2012.

The other bathing water areas are White Strand (Milltown Malbay), Ballycuggeran (Lough Derg), Cappa Pier (Kilrush), Bishopsquarter, White Strand (Doonbeg), Kilkee, Spanish Point, Lahinch, Fanore and Mountshannon (Lough Derg).

According to Paul Moroney Senior Engineer, Clare County Council, “In particular, the Council is pleased that Ballyalla Lake had good results in 2013 and it is working to ensure that improved status is maintained this year and for the future.”

Of the 18 Local Authorities who have designated bathing areas, just six, including Clare, achieved ‘good’ water quality status for all of their identified bathing waters.

Dr Matthew Crowe, Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Assessment, said, “Irish bathing waters continue to be among the best in northern Europe. By contrast to the 2012 bathing season, the warm dry conditions last year meant that many waters returned to their normal good quality. Our projections show that almost 90 per cent of Ireland’s designated bathing waters should meet the new ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ water quality standards which will come into force from this year.”

THOSE wishing to have a say in the make up of the new look Clare County Council and the European Elections have until this evening (Tuesday) to register.

The local elections are open to everyone over the age of 18 years old.

A total of 69 people from Clare have already registered to be candidates in the Clare local elections.

The closing date for candidate nominations was last Saturday.

During the last local and European elections in 2009, 63.86 per cent or 56,687 of County Clare’s 88,769 voters turned out to vote.

Clare County Council is reminding voters that the closing date and time for inclusion on the Supplementary Register for the Local and European Elections is 5pm today, May 6.

While you do not have to be an Irish citizen to vote in the local elec- tions; you must be over 18 years of age and you must live in the local electoral area.

Application forms for the supplementary register can be downloaded from www.checktheregister.ie or can be obtained from Áras Contae and Chláir and at Clare County Council Local Area Offices.

The Local Authority has also set up a Freephone Number 1800 245426 to assist people with their queries.

“The Local and European Elections will take place on Friday, May 23 and people who are eligible to vote, but who have not yet registered, have an opportunity between now and May 6 to apply to be included on the Supplementary Register which allows them to vote at the forthcoming elections,” said a council spokesperson.

Meanwhile, Clare County Council confirmed that the Count Centre for both elections will be Treacy’s West County Hotel on the Limerick Road in Ennis.

Ben O’DONNELL,
Gowerhass, Cooraclare, Late of Clonmel, Glasnevin and Met Eireann. Funeral Mass in Corpus Christi Church, Griffith Avenue, Dublin 9, onTuesday (May 6th) at 1pm. Cremation afterwards in Glasnevin Crematorium at 3pm. Family flowers only please. Donations if desired to ABI Kilrush or The IWA Ennis.

Mary GUINAN (née King),
Kildysart, Reposing in Stafford’s Funeral Home, North Strand fromTuesday with removal to St. Francis Xavier Church, Gardiner Street, Dublin arriving for 5pm. Funeral mass onWednesday at 9.45amwith burial thereafter in Fingal Cemetery.

John FEENEY
, Stockport, Manchester and St MichaelsVillas, Ennis, Ashes laid to rest in Drumcliffe Cemetery.

FOUR men involved in a violent confrontation at family home in Shannon two years ago “behaved like a lynch mob from the days of Wild West”, a Judge has said.

Judge Gerald Keys told Daniel Larkin, Jake Egan, Shane O’Connor and Gearoid Condron that it was patently clear they were “fueled by alcohol” and out of control when they arrived for a planned confrontation at the Murphy household in the early hours of January 1, 2012.

All four received two year suspended sentences and were ordered to pay compensation to the victims. The judge also told the men that they should apologise to their parents immediately after the hearing for the grief they had caused them.

Grandfather Michael Murphy (45) suffered cuts to his face, lip and knee during the incident at the Cluain Alainn estate in Shannon at around 4.30am

Mr Murphy and his then 19-yearold son Kieran had to run a “gauntlet” of kicks and punches during the ordeal, the court heard.

Four people appeared before Ennis Circuit Criminal Court on Friday to be sentenced having pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

Schoolmates Daniel Larkin (22), from Mount Ivers, Sixmilebridge, Jake Egan (22), from Aidan Park, Shannon, Shane O’Connor (23), from Ballycasey Manor, Shannon and Gearoid Condron (22) from Drumline, Newmarket on Fergus, were among a large gang of people that traveled in cars from Shannon and Ennis to the quiet residential area near Hurler’s Cross.

Mr Murphy, his wife, son, daughter and young granddaughter were in the house at the time.

Details of the incident were first heard at the Circuit Court in March. At the time Garda Colm Moriarty told the court that at one point a person, not one of the four men before the court, threatened to burn down the house.

When Mr Murphy Snr pleaded that there was a young child in the house, the reply from the person was “F*** the kids”.

Garda Moriarty said Daniel Larkin organised people to go to the Murphy home to confront Kieran Murphy.

He said Mr Larkin alleged that he had been “jumped” by Kieran Murphy in Shannon at around 1.30am that night.

Judge Keys adjourned sentencing to allow the men time to pay compensation to he victim.

He ordered each man to pay Mr Murphy € 2000. Counsel for Mr Larkin, Michael Collins said his client had the money in court.

Counsel for Jake Egan, Lorcan Connolly, said his client had € 250 in court but had set up a standing order to pay Mr Murphy € 50 a week.

Defence Counsel Elaine Houlihan said her client Gearoid Condron had brought € 2000 to court.

Counsel for Shane O’Connor, Pat Whyms, said his client would pay a sum of € 50 a week when he begins employment in June.

All four men expressed remorse through their barristers for their actions on the night.

Judge Keys said all four men were equally responsible for their “very, very wrongful acts”.

Addressing the accused, Judge Keys said, “You behaved like a lynch mob from the days of the Wild West”.

He told them they had taken the law into their own hands because of some perceived slight.

Judge Keys said behaviour of this kind would not be tolerated by the court.

He said the court is frequently being forced to deal with violent cases that arise from a “macho type of attitude”.

Judge Keys told the accused that despite the opportunities afforded to them by their backgrounds and education, they had behaved in an “appalling” manner.

He said it was clear alcohol had an effect them and he urged them to moderate or abstain completely from drink.

Noting the men’s good previous records, Judge Keys imposed a twoyear sentence on each accused.

He suspended the sentences on condition each man pay compensation within two years; refrain from contact with the Murphy family and not be found intoxicated in public places or licensed premises.

Addressing the four men as they stood with heads bowed in the dock, Judge Keys said, “When you leave this courthouse, the first thing you should do is apologise to your par ents for the grief you have caused.”

ALCOHOL was a contributory factor in the death of a Polish man run over by a car in Ennis last year, an inquest has heard.

The body of 38-year-old Thomas Nowakowski, was found near a speed bump in Tobertascáin on May 15, 2013. The fast food worker had lived in Ireland with his wife for six years.

The inquest, before a jury, into his death was opened at Clare County Coroner’s Court in Ennis on Tuesday.

Coroner Isobel O’Dea said the inquest would hear from State Pathologist, Professor Marie Cassidy and would be adjourned to May 8 to hear from the remaining witnesses.

Ms O’Dea said the deceased’s family were happy for the inquest to proceed in this manner.

Prof Cassidy said she was requested to attend the scene of the incident on May 16, 2013.

She said she found Mr Nowakowski’s body lying across the road; face up with his head facing towards the centre of the road.

Prof Cassisdy said there was a large pool of blood around the decease’s head. His runners were on the road, the inquest heard.

Mr Nowakowski suffered severe injuries to his trunk, fractures to his pelvis, thighbone, ribs and collarbone. Prof Cassidy said there was also extensive damage to the skull. The most significant trauma occurred internally, she said.

Blood and urine analysis showed a considerably high level of alcohol was present in the deceased’s system.

Prof Cassidy said that Mr Nowakowski’s alcohol levels were 375mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

Prof Cassidy said the pattern of injuries were wholly consistent with crush trauma.

She said there was as strong smell of alcohol from the deceased. She said he was considerably intoxicated and “likely to be unsteady on his feet”.

She said she was also satisfied Mr Nowakowski suffered no injuries to suggest he was upright at the time of impact

She said the cause of death was crush injuries to chest and pelvis consistent with a crush under the weight of a car.

Acute alcohol intoxication was given as a contributory factor.