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TDs pledge support for Ennis iniatives

THE Queen of England, Michael Flatley and Barack Obama can play their part in Clare becoming the first county in Ireland to drag its way out of recession.

That was the message delivered by the Ennis Development Forum this Monday as it kickstarted its campaign for the county’s economic recovery by holding face-to-face talks with Clare’s newly elected TDs.

Retaining existing jobs, moulding Clare as a low-carbon county, revitalising the construction industry and cashing in on the county tourism potential emerged as the key tenets the forum’s policy going forward, with the county’s TDs pledging to play their part in the process.

“This is the start,” Aoife Madden of the Ennis Development Forum told The Clare People. “We believe that Ennis and Clare can come out of recession.

“Businesses can play their part in that, so can politicians and we are determined to make it happen.

“We have to look at a lot of things. There was general recognition of the need to support local businesses in order to support local jobs.

“Minister of State for Small Business John Perry has been briefed on our concerns and we want him down in Ennis for formal discussions on the financial and red-tape challenges being faced by small and medium enterprises.

“It was also recognised that Clare must exploit it’s tourism potential through expanding the demand for what we currently have to offer by fully utilising Shannon Airport as a facility and the development of Ennis as a National Centre of Welcome and the creation of a Triangle of Clare Tours.

“Clare could generate significant marketing spin-off from events like the Lord of the Dance at the Cliffs of Moher, the Royal Visit, the London 2012 Olympics and the visit of President Obama,” added Ms Madden.

Clare’s four TDs, Fine Gael’s Pat Breen and Joe Carey, Labour’s Michael McNamara and Fianna Fáil’s Timmy Dooley have pledged to meeting with business representatives on a quarterly basis to discuss progress on these actions, with the next meeting scheduled for Monday, June 13.

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Davis family urge you to carry donor card

MARY Davis is seven years on dialysis. Three nights a week the mother of four travels from her home in Ennistymon to Limerick for the life saving procedure, which cleans her blood and allows her some form of normality.

She also has to strictly monitor her lifestyle, diet and liquid intake, making her beloved cup of tea a rare treat rather than the norm.

But living with renal failure isn’t the biggest heartache for this north Clare woman, as she must also watch and care for three of her four children who face a similar fate.

Mary’s two younger sons, Garry and Stefan, as well as her daughter, Victoria, all share their mother’s condition – Alporte Syndrome.

This rare condition leads to renal failure, leaving the patient relying on dialysis and eventually the hope of a transplant.

For Garry the gift of a transplant has already become a reality.

His mother Mary is through most of her “work up tests” and will hopefully be put on a transplant list soon. It could take another year or two before she will receive a precious kidney, but the process gives her hope.

Her youngest son Stefan is now in the later stages of pre-dialysis, and is expected to begin dialysis as early as July.

For Victoria the wait will hopefully be longer as, although she has the condition that will eventually see her life also become reliant on dialysis and a transplant, it is hoped that is a few years away yet.

Despite the health difficulties facing her family Mary Davis is a very optimistic woman, looking to hope rather than despair.

Above all she remains grateful to a family that in a time of grief gave her son the gift of a kidney.

Garry was 18 years old when he received his transplant – six years after he was first diagnosed with the condition.

Now aged 25 he hasn’t looked back since, as his quality of life has improved and he acts as a catalyst of hope for his family.

Describing the donor family as “fantastic people” his mother said, “The morning Garry was called the first thing I thought was, while it was great joy for us, you think of the other family in their time of distress.

“You are very aware of the people who are grieving and think of them often and have a Mass said,” she added.

Making her way towards the transplant list seven years after dialysis and almost 20 years after she first became sick, Mary said she has hope.

”It gives you a new lease of life,” she said.

“The initial shock is awful when you are first diagnosed, but you get on with it. Your health improves with dialysis and if you do what you are told you can lead a reasonably good life.”

Mary first began to feel unwell after the birth of her last child 20 years ago. However shortly afterwards her second youngest child also began to complain of ear and kidney infections, and her priority became his well-being.

Doctors were mystified as to what was wrong with the little boy, and it was only when Stefan, her youngest, began to have similar problems at the age of seven, that both boys were diagnosed with Alporte Syndrome.

Mary was soon diagnosed with the condition as well, and after all of the family were tested, Victoria also got the news that she too had the rare condition.

This family would have to learn to live with renal failure and the harrowing fall out.

Garry who was 12 at the time of this news was the first and so far only member of the family to receive a transplant six and a half years later.

“A transplant is a wonderful gift of life, especially for younger people,” said Mary.

This is the very generous gift that Clare branch of the Irish Kidney Association is hoping more people will sign up to give during Organ Donation Week – beginning this Saturday.

Organ donor cards are available free by texting the word DONOR to 50050. Cards can also be acquired at doctor surgeries and pharmacies.

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Era passes, another begins

ONE of east Clare’s legendary pubs saw the dawn of another era when the new publican became the first in five generations to have a name other than Vaughan.

But while Brid Kelleher might be the new kid on the block in the Broadford pub, she’s not new to the job.

Breda has been pulling pints behind the bar in Vaughan’s for 35 years – “my whole life,” she told The Clare People .

When the opportunity to take over the licence came up, barmaid Brid decided it was time for her to take the plunge.

“I’ve worked here all my life so I said ‘here goes’ we’ll give it a try. I’m looking forward to it. At least I know the job,” she said.

Brid will have plenty of support and practical help in the challenge ahead from hubby, Christy Kelleher, who jokes that he “knows the job very well from the other side of the bar. It will be a change”.

Vaughan’s has been in the family for four generations and was in its heyday one of the biggest attractions for miles around because of its ballroom of romance.

The pub and the dance hall can claim credit for scores of marriages in Clare and further afield.

“They came from all over to dance here and to hear the big bands. Sean Bolan, The Firesiders, Michael O’Mahony, The Vantones, The Boys in Blue – they all played here,” said Christy.

But the big band era drew to a close and Vaughan’s went back to being a quiet country ‘local’.

“But there’ll be music here again – there’s going to be a big monthly trad session and we’ll have lots of local musicians playing,” said Brid.

James Vaughan officially handed over the reins to Brid at the weekend at a celebration night of music and dancing at the pub.

But the Vaughan’s legacy won’t be forgotten with the Vaughan name remaining still over the door.

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Clare schools under threat will strike

CLARE primary schools that could be threatened with closure over the next year will be prepared to take to the streets in their fight for their survival, The Clare People can reveal this week.

Taking the ultimate sanction of strike action will loom large on the teachers’ agenda, as early as this Easter as delegates from the county look set to attend the annual INTO Congress in Sligo in large numbers.

At that annual gathering, delegates representing the county’s 122 national schools will voice their concerns and anger over the controversial McCarthy Report recommendation calling for all primary schools with numbers of under 50 be closed.

Last week The Clare People revealed that the Department of Education are studying Colm McCarthy’s recommendations.

This week we publish the list of 44 across the county earmarked for closure under the contentious cutbacks – that second largest number of schools in the country under threat.

“We are talking about a preliminary being done by the department, but at local level, this is as if the Titanic was about to sink,” Clare INTO leader Sean McMahon told The Clare People. “People are standing up on their feet and they are seriously demanding that the INTO support them. The INTO will support these schools and are seriously demanding that their politicians support them.

“I organised the meeting in Spanish Point two weeks ago and out of those 44 schools, 37 attended. I organised another meeting in Nenagh and we had an enormous attendance, including schools from east Clare.

“I have been involved in the INTO for a good while and I’ll tell you, I’ve never seen the same level of participational involvement as there has been in relation to this issue.

“Yes it will be a huge issue. There will be a number of motions at Congress this year in Sligo. Of all the is- sues that have ever reached the stage, the issue of small schools will be absolutely dynamic,” added Mr McMahon, the INTO Central Executive Member for Clare.

The Mullagh NS principal pointed out that its not just teachers and their pupils that would be affected by any school closure, but the communities that they serve across the county.

“I have been getting feedback in the last week and I’m not just getting it from teachers. I’m getting if from a whole variety of rural organisations,” he said.

“The objections will be massive from teachers, but it will be just as massive from parents, from local shops and local community groups. Take the GAA for example.

“The GAA is organised on a parish basis and if you go down the road of closing schools, you may not have a school in a parish.

“Every school would see itself as the cement that holds the community together. The schools and the community they serve would certainly be very strong in demanding that their schools continue.

“If this doesn’t get buried you will have the same type of campaigns that you had in relation to Garda stations and post offices. If you go back west of Kilkee, if these proposals were implemented you’d have an entire peninsula where where there mightn’t be any school.

“Rural schools, large or small, or indeed rural Ireland did not drive the financial madness that became the Celtic tiger. This was instead driven by the greed of banks and the self interest of large developers allied to the inaction of central government to regulate.

“We must not now allow our small, often isolated, rural communities to pay the price in terms of the educational opportunity of our children,” added McMahon.

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Newmarket public to meet on tourism

THE future of tourism in Newmarket -on-Fergus will be outline at a public meeting which will take place in the town this Thursday.

A feasibility study is currently being undertaken by Obair to determine what steps need to be taken to boost the tourism figures in the locality.

Members of the public have been invited to take part in this process, which could see a heritage centre, tourist office and budget accommo- dation being constructed in the area.

“We have nothing in Newmarket at the moment which promotes our heritage and our tourism product. We need a centre or an information point where people who come to the area can get the information they need about the locality and then get out for the day,” said organiser Tracey Mc Nulty.

“We will be looking for a suitable location for this centre and talking to all the community to find out what they want. One of the main points of this is to come up with a tourism plan for the area so that we can promote the area in an organised way.”

The project wants to publicise some of the lesser known tourist and herit age sites in the locality such as the great Newmarket gold find, the Hillfort at Mooghaun and a local tourist heritage trail.

“We want to find out exactly what the village needs and it is critical that the local people contribute to this process. We are talking about very simple things here, like the fact that Newmarket doesn’t have any budget accommodation,” continued Tracey.

“The town is missing a lot of little things which are needed to make it an attractive place for tourists to stop and visit. We need to identify what we need first of all and then come up with the ways of getting funding for these things.

“At this point it’s all about consulting as widely as possible and letting people have their say now, before anything is decided.”

The public meeting will take place at the Obair offices in Newmarket on Fergus, this Thursday, March 31, from 8pm.

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Ennis U11s on tour

MEETING at 6.30 in the morning is typically a burden for most. This however was not the case last Saturday morning for the Ennis RFC under 11’s. All 47 travelling players were at the meeting point well in advance of the coach leaving. Indeed this set the tone for the day.

For most this was their inaugural Rugby Tour. The excitement was palpable. We were bringing 3 teams to play in one of the country’s premier Mini Rugby Festivals in Willow Park with some 55 teams battling it out, on 14 pitches. This includes top school sides from Dublin, and representatives from the four provinces.

We duly arrived for registration at 9.30 and were ready to go at 10.30 for our first games. In the morning our teams were pitched against Wexford and Boyne in the A section (each played twice), and two further teams against De la Salle, Willow Park, St Michaels and Castlepark, Willow Park and Aravon in the B section of the competition.

This indeed was a very competitive and tough tournament with outstanding displays from all teams. The Festival itself does not determine overall winners yet encourages participation in a competitive environment.

The afternoon series of matches saw Ennis against St Marys, Tullamore and Colraine in the A section, Corinthians, Ul Bohs, Willow Pk and Barnhall, St Mary’s and Rahaelty in the B section.

All in all we played 19 matches re- cording 11 victories and two draws. This was a very impressive return during the day, and reflects the high level of expectation set by this bunch of players and coaches, and indeed the progress made this year. Amongst these victories there were numerous outstanding displays with Ronan Lannigan (top try scorer), Liam Wall, Ross O Flaherty, Tom O Brien, Morgan Garry, Turlough Barrett, Oisin Mangan, Frank Roche and Ben O Donnell deserving special mention.

Events continued in the National Aquatic Centre after and those of us that expected a quiet bus on the return to Ennis were deeply mistaken. A true rugby tour with plenty of fun, laughter.

A great day was had by all and the coaching body want to thank the parents for their support in this event with many driving to Dublin to support the event. This is a significant endorsement for all involved.

Ennis teams (pictured below)
LiamWall, Conall Bolger, Ross OFlaherty, Lorchan Clancy, Barry Neylon, JP Neville, Shane Brennan, Roan Lannigan, Ben Ryan, Frank Roche, Cathal Lennon, Sean Andreasson, Mike Reid, Joe Spellisey, Eanna ODonaghue Paul Tuohy, Eldon Nolan, EoghanWallace, Ben ODonnell, Eoin Martin, Ulick OSullivan,TomO Brien, Kevin Reynolds, Marc Barry, StephenTalty, Zak McDonagh,Turlough Barrett, CaimanWhelan, Luke Griffey, Dylan Myhill Eliaz Kunz, James Nugent, Eoin Clancy, Stepehn Dolan, Darragh Slattery, Oisin Mangan, Josseph Connaughton, David McNamara, Gerard Kavanagh, Morgan Garry, PhilipTalty,Aidan Jordan, Shane Vaughan, EvanToomey, HarryTalty

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Malone and Nash progress to final

NIALL MALONE and Diarmaid Nash are into the All-Ireland Intermediate Doubles final after victory in their All-Ireland Intermediate Doubles semi-final on Sunday. The Tuamgraney pair, playing in their home court, eventually won through on a 21-19, 21-19 score after Roscommon duo Chris Doolin and Niall McGrath put up a strong challenge.

The Clare pair will play Kilkenny’s Nicholas Anthony and Brian Manogue in the All-Ireland final on the weekend of April 2/3 while Nash is still also in the hunt for the Intermediate Singles title. He takes on Mayoman Stephen Cooney in Claremorris this Sunday in the All-Ireland semifinal. Cooney is himself an accomplished handballer and Nash will have it all to do to keep his bid for an Intermediate All-Ireland double alive.

John Cawley plays his re-arranged All-Ireland Golden Masters B Singles semi-final against Galway’s Denis Phelan in Shannon on Wednesday night. Shannon is also the venue for an All-Ireland semi-final doubleheader this Saturday.

The Loughnane sisters Paula and Sarah take on Ciara and Clodagh McMenamin in Ladies Junior B Doubles while Cathal Hannon plays the Junior singles semi-final against Roscommon man Denis Creaton.

This weekend also sees the All-Ireland juvenile finals take place. Clare are involved in no less than seven finals and the action takes place in Roscommon Saturday and Sunday and in Crinkle on Saturday. FINALS WEEKEND Saturday 2nd April 2011, in Crinkle, Offaly, at1pm: GU15D: Natasha Coughlan/Michelle Nihill (Clare) v Aisling Maher/Denise Love (Kilkenny) GU17D: Hannah OBrien/Aine Mc Inerny [Clare] v Lauren Barcoe/Mary Buggy (Kilkenny) BU14D: Fergal Coughlan/Jamie Keane (Clare) v Seamus Sinnott/Ben O’Shea (Wexford) BU14S: Brian Fahy (Clare) v Daniel Curry (Wicklow) Sunday,April 3, in St Coman’s, Roscommon, starts 1.30pm: BU15D: Jacob Loughnane/Ciaran Cooney (Clare) v Evan Sheridan/Dylan Sheridan (Meath) BU16D: Niall Bolton/Colin Corbett [Clare] v Patrick McCrory/Pol Clarke (Tyrone) BU16S: Colin Crehan [Clare] v Darren Doherty (Monaghan)

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Cats primed for their final challenge

CLARE will face the Kilkenny youths in this year’s Interleague Youths Cup semi-final in Kilkenny on Sunday and The Cla re People

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Clare won’t lose their marbles

KILKENNY will be favourites to beat Clare in Sunday’s Inter-League Youths semi-final, but Banner boss Mike Moloney says that travelling to the Marble City holds no fears.

And why not! Clare go into the game on the back of a hugely impressive 5-1 demolition of Galway in the quarter-final. Galway were defending champions before being shot down in Tulla’s Cragg. Now for more of the same in Kilkenny.

“Maybe some people feel the quarter-final win came out of the blue,” says Moloney, “but it was a game we prepared well for. It was a reflection of the work that the lads have done.

“We had a trial run in Tulla at the end of November against Galway when we came out of it with a draw. That gave us the confidence to compete. We felt we had worked hard in the intervening time. We didn’t see a 5-1 coming, but we knew we’d be good enough if we got the breaks on the day. It’s a matter of seeing if we can do it again and reach the final.”

It won’t be for the want of preparation. Preparation has been a byword for this group of players, not just this year but over a number of years as Moloney deflects praise by pointing to the job of journeywork being undertaken at grassroots and underage level in the county.

“We have 12 or 13 games under our belts between competitive and friendly games. That’s the type of volume of games you need if you’re going to build up something with a group of players that would only have known about playing against each other,” he says.

“There is a certain amount of experience of them being involved in emerging talent development squads from under 11 to under 16. We have been trying to develop that and build a relationship and spirit.

“We can take confidence from the fact that we know we have prepared well. We can also take confidence from the performance against Galway. In that sense we are going down there with confidence, but we’re not under any illusions about what we’re going to face.

“It’s a reflection of the work the clubs are putting in at underage level, thanks to improved facilities. There is great unseen work going on there.

“It’s also a reflection on the work that Denis Hynes is doing with the Emerging Talent Programme. They are now going into a structure whereby they taken from under 11 right up to under 16. You’d expect that there’d be a decent group of players coming through,” Moloney adds.

It’s this infrastructure that will see a confident Clare make the long journey. Quietly confident like they were against Galway the last day out.

“The sense is that when you get to a semi-final of a national competition, that there aren’t any poor sides left. Kilkenny have won the four games they’ve played so far. I had a chance to look at them when they played South Tipp about six weeks ago. I was very impressed – the speed of the game, how quickly they moved it, how they played a lot of ball to feet. We know we’re in for a hell of a game.

“The fact that we have to travel adds a little bit extra. I would see that as something we have a chance to build off. The travelling is an additional thing you factor in as being part of the day – that can be a good thing, for guys to meet early in the day, get on the bus, stop along the way, get all your preparations right and just arrive their in the right frame of mind to put in a good performance.”

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Top of the table clash

CLARE ARE now top of the Division 3 table after six rounds and will play second placed Fermanagh in the final round on Saturday at a Clare venue at 4.45pm.

Clare were disappointed at the news on Sunday morning of a walk over from Longford. Longford are bottom of the table without any points and are scheduled to travel to Limerick for the final round on Sunday.

With the top four teams contesting the finals on April 16/17 Clare’s most likely opponents for their most important game to date this year will be either Down, Wicklow or Leitrim.

The two teams that qualify for the final will be promoted to Division 2 so in reality the importance of the semi-final exceeds that of the final.

Clare and Fermanagh last met in Croke Park in the TG4 All Ireland Intermediate Final in September 2009 while in that same campaign Clare travelled to Fermanagh to play them in the group stages with victory going to Clare on both of these occasion’s.

Much has changed in both campaigns with some players leaving and more players joining both county panels since then.

Regardless of the outcome on Saturday both sides are through to the semi-finals so maybe the respective managements may use the opportunity to try out some fringe players.

Woodstock Golf Club
Winter League Round 5 Results 1 James Carmody 304pts 2 Nick Germaine 303pts 3 George Smith 302pts 4 John O’Connor 299pts 4 Aidrian Kearney 299pts 4 Noel Mulcahy 299pts Sun Singles 1 Brendan McMahon 16 43pts 2 Pat Keane 11 43pts Next weekends competition is Winter League round 6. Club Singles Stableford

Dromoland Results
Stableford Competition Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th 1 Niall Geraghty 40pts 2 Dermot O’Neill 40pts 3 Jimmy McManus 39pts This weekend sees the start of our Diary Competitions. 18 Hole stableford competition with re-entry, all members welcome.

Kilkee Golf Club
Spring LeagueWeek 4 Results 1 P Harte 13 37pts WinningTeamB

B Harte, L Mullane, GReidy,T Carr, C Clancy MDaly – 127pts

Ennis Golf Club
Mens Scotch Foursomes. Sat. & Sun. March 26th & 27th. 1st Niall Howard & Garry Duggan 62.5Nett. 2ndWalter OBrien & Mat Molyneaux 63.Nett. 3rd Ian Myatt & Sean Myatt. 64 Nett. 4th Pat Murphy & Darragh Murphy. 64.5Nett. Dr. Rodgers Shield. 25th March 1st Michael Kenny, Michael Culliney,Matt Flynn & Sean Ryan 96Pts. 2nd Ger Hanrahan, Bren A Considine, Charlie McEnery & Eamon Kelly. 94Pts. 3rd Pierce Cahill, Ger Bredin, Andy Cregan & JimJ Casey. 94Pts. THE FOLLOWING are asked to attend for U15 Trials on Friday evening in Shannon Camogie Field at 7.15pm; Lisa O’Donoghue (Whitegate) Keli Nugent, Maedbh Kavanagh, Rachel Maloney, Caoimhe O’Gorman, Ellen O’Brien (Scariff), Edel Reidy, Susan

Williams, Celine McCormack, Hay- ley Nolan, Zoe McInerney, Chloe Donoghue (Wolfe Tones) Sinéad Collins, Aoife Forde, Amy O’Brien (Corofin), Shauna Ryan, Hannah O’Brien (Clooney-Quin) Sláine Carey, Deanna Considine, Laura Murray, Eimear Donnellan (Sixmilebridge), Alice Acers, Lisa McGrath, Aine Duggan, Siobhan Tuohy, Stacey Wright (Feakle), Leighanne Mc- Mahon, Amy Kennedy (Kilmaley), Ellen Culloo, Aisling Hunt, Emily Maloney (Tulla), Aine O’Shea (Ballyea), Claire Taffe, Amy McArthur (Killanena), Laura Commane (Inagh), Lauren O’Donoghue (Ruan), Siobhan Fahey (Truagh-Clonlara). Further details from Orla Considine on 087 2417355. St Senans R FC 20 Cobh Pirat es R FC 10 ST Senan’s ensured they will be playing Junior 1 rugby again next year as they were victorious in this bottom of the table clash with Cobh on a score line of 20-10. It was Senan’s who made the first break through with some good power play from their pack that made way for Brian Collins to claim the first try of the game. The conversion by Declan Collins was struck well and opened up a 7-0 lead for the home side. The game continued at a frantic pace from the restart with both sides making errors and neither side being able to take control, Senans lead was short lived when on 20 minutes Cobh crossed the try line and leveled the scores at 7-7.

A penalty after 27 minutes was easily converted and gave the visitors a 10-7 lead at half time.

Senan’s started the second half well and this pressure was rewarded 10 minutes into the half when Ronan O’Callaghan ran in for Senan’s second try. Declan Collins was on target with the kick. Senan’s led 14-10.

Senans kept the pressure on the visitors and when the ball was presented back to Declan Collins in front of Cobh’s goals he extended Senans lead to 17-10 with a well struck drop goal after 30 minutes.

Cobh tried hard to breach Senans defence but they were not able to break through and it was Senans who had the last score of the match deep in extra time when Ger McNamara converted a penalty.