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NEW byelaws which allow for the introduction of a new € 40 charge to be levied on clubs for the use of facilities at the Lees Road Sports and Amenity Complex were voted through at yesterday’s meeting of Ennis Town Council.

A majority of councillors present voted 5-3 in favour of adopting the council’s new parks and open spaces byelaws on the condition, proposed by Cllr Brian Meaney (GP), that the laws be reviewed within one year.

A counter motion, proposed by Councillor Johnny Flynn (FG) that the byelaws be introduced without the introduction of new charges, was defeated in a separate vote.

In a report, town clerk Eddie Power insisted that the proposed charges will “apply only to organised use by clubs for this area specifically”.

Mr Power along with town manager Ger Dollard and several coun- cillors insisted that the charges will not apply to individual walkers and runners.

The area to be charged for relates to a section of re-developed track that borders woodland at the rear of the facility’s synthetic running track and all weather soccer pitch.

Mr Dollard said that it costs the council almost € 100,000 to maintain Lees Road.

Mr Power defended the charges, describing them as “competitive and not excessive”.

He said they were being introduced in the interests of fairness and consistency as charges were currently in place for other facilities at Lees Road.

However, some councillors expressed opposition to the new charges. Cllr Mary Howard (FG) described them as “retrograde”, saying that groups such as the ladies Meet and Train and the Clare Crusaders who are not organised sports clubs, may be charged under the byelaws.

She said, “It’s as clear as mud to a lot of people. It’s growing legs because its not clear who is being targeted.”

Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) said that a number of athletic clubs were interested in contributing to the cost of new facilities at Lees Road.

He said it was unfair that some clubs could avail of lighting for free at Lees Road while other clubs paid for it.

A LOCAL music education partnership has been established by Clare Vocational Education Committee to harness U2-aided funding.

This follows the announcement that a national body, Music Education Network, under the aegis of the Department of Education & Skills, will be administering funding for music education provided by U2. The programme, enabled by a € 5 million donation from U2, with a further € 2 million being raised by the Ireland Funds, gives children and young people across the country access to music education in their own communities.

The chief executive officer, George O’Callaghan, explains that the Clare committee set up the local network to involve a number of agencies including the committee itself which is already involved in supporting Maoin Cheoil an Chláir in Ennis through provision of co-operation hours.

The national music education net work is expected to shortly begin seeking applications to the new fund. They have to be made through the vocational education committee as lead agency and Maoin Cheoil an Chláir as the administrative and employment body for the purposes of the fund, he explained to committee members at their monthly meeting.

On the proposal of the chairman, Cllr Tommy Brennan, seconded by Cllr Pat McMahon, committee member Kathleen Tuohy, music teacher in Ennis Community College and Gaelcholáiste an Chláir, was elected a member of the local partnership.

Funding for up to 12 Music Education Partnerships will be awarded on a phased basis from 2011-2015, most likely in three locations at a time. Music Education Partnerships are eligible to apply for 50 per cent funding, up to a maximum of € 200,000 per annum over three years. The closing date for Round 1 applications is Thursday, March 31.

Music Generation will provide three-year seed funding to establish local services, which will be sustained by Music Education Partnerships on a long-term basis. The music education partnership model, developed by Music Network, has been successfully piloted in Donegal and Dublin.

THE pioneering work of renowned Clare musician Peadar O’Loughlin dating over 50 years has been brought to a new generation of traditional music lovers thanks to a decision by Na Piobairí Uilleann to re-release of the storied Seancheol ar an Seannós album.

The famous album, originally recorded in 1960 on the short-lived SPOL label set up by Breandán Breathnach, featured the legendary Kilmaleyman on flute and east Galway fiddler Aggie White.

“It is a measure of the musicianship of both Peadar and Aggie and indeed the depth of appreciation of Breandán Breathnach that this beautiful recording resonates today,” a spokesperson for Na Piobairí Uilleann told The Clare People .

In describing the recording as “an archival gem”, the Piobairí Uilleann has called the historic recording as “a perfect blending of fiddle and flute these two musicians illustrate in well chosen melodies the richness of Irish folk-music”.

“In his original sleeve notes, Breathnach extols the virtues of this wonderful duet and details Peadar and Aggie’s contemporary achievements as prominent traditional musicians during the 1950s.

“Aggie Whyte, who hails from the Ballinakill district in Galway, comes from generations of musicians; her father, Tommy Whyte, was a member of the famous Ballinakill Céilí Band. She was awarded the Gold Medal in the competition for traditional fiddle playing at the Oireachtas in 1958 and in the same year with Peadar O’Loughlin won the competition for duets at this musical festival.

“Peadar O’Loughlin, who had four years previously won the competition for flute playing, comes from Kilmaley, County Clare. He is an all-round musician, having many firsts to his credit for flute, fiddle and pipe playing,”

‘Seancheol ar an Seannós’ was officially launched as as part of the Breandán Breathnach Commemoration at Henrietta Street in Dublin. O’Loughlin, a longtime member of the Tulla Céilí Band, was awarded the Hall of Fame Award at the annual TG4 Gradam Ceoil awards in 2005.

A BUNRATTY singer has thrown his hat into the ring, in an attempt to represent Ireland in this year’s Eurovision song contest.

Gari Deegan (27) is involved in one of the acts vying for a place in the competition in May, having received an phone call from a music promoter a few weeks ago. Gari is part of a four-person band which will take to the stage on The Late Late Show on Friday week to participate in the Irish final of the competition. Although Jedward are the hot favourites to secure the right to represent Ireland in the Eurovision, nevertheless Gari believes that he is in with a shout.

His call-up came out of the blue and he grabbed the opportunity to shine on the national stage.

“I got a phone call from Willie Kavanagh of EMI in December. I thought it was a joke. I had recorded with songwriter Ray Fean who is originally from Shannon and who is based in Belgium. EMI got hold of one of the songs I sang, ‘Ode To A Woman’. He said he had put together a group and asked was I interested in getting involved. I was honest and said I was not a fan of Eurovision but I said I would go and see how it goes. He asked me to go to Dublin and we recorded at Windmill Lane Studios,” he explained. Gari and his fellow band members, Shane Creevy (Dublin), Marlyn Bane (Galway) and Tammy Browne (Kildare), have been signed up by EMI records and their grouping has, as of yet, not received an official name – Gari refers to them as a “mystery quartet”!

“We are not going to have a name until nearer the time,” Gari told The Clare People .

Gari did not know any of the others prior to meeting them to record the Eurovision entry, but has enjoyed getting to know them over the past few weeks and says their four voices blend well together. They will sing a motown-type song titled ‘Shine On’, in their efforts to win votes.

Gari has performed musically for several years, while he also models with Assets in Dublin. He features in television advertising, the most recent of which has been his role in the 3 mobile advertising campaign. He is also a DJ with Spin South West and divides his time between the midwest, Dublin and London. Although a big music fan, he has never had any major fondness for the Eurovision – but is slowly coming around and has enjoyed the past few weeks! “I have got rid of all the hesitation of Eurovision now and will go for it,” he said.

In advance of the live performance on The Late Late Show on Friday week, Gari and his fellow Eurovision hopefuls will feature in a documentary to be shown on RTÉ television this Friday evening. Gari is urging the people of Clare to support him on Friday night week, by casting their votes. “The vote will be divided into 50 per cent from a jury of industry professionals and 50 per cent public vote,” he said.

“The focus will be on Jedward. They are favourites to win it but you would never know. We are going to go and enjoy it. The song is good,” he said.

CLARE’S only retiring member of Dáil Éireann, Deputy Tony Killeen, is set to receive over a quarter of a million euro lump sum for his years of service in Leinster House, which also takes into account his time as being both a Minister of State and full member of Cabinet.

The lump sum pay-off to Fianna Fáil’s biggest vote-getter in Clare over the past two decades with 19 years Dáil service to his name is part of overall payments to retiring TDs, which is set to cost the Irish exchequer over € 10m during the next cou- ple of years.

Deputy Killeen will receive a € 276,163 once off payment for the 19 years he represented Clare in the Dáil, while his pension will be worth € 68,984 when it kicks in.

Deputy Killeen first entered political life when he was elected to Clare County Council in 1985. He retained his seat in the 1991 election and he served as both chairman of Clare County Council and the Shannon Status Committee before winning his Dáil seat in 1992 and retaining it in subsequent elections in 1997, 2002 and 2007.

Deputy Killeen’s distinction of holding down junior ministerial and full-ministerial portfolios over the past seven years will ensure that he will benefit from better pension terms than retiring deputies who were backbench TDs.

Under the pension structures for retiring TDs, former ministers are deemed to be office holders and are therefore paid an office holders’ allowance on top of their TDs salary.

Deputy Killeen was elevated to ministerial rank by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in 2004 when he was made Minister of State for Labour Affairs. After the 2007 election he became the first ever Minister of State for Environment and Energy, while in 2008 he became Minister of State for Fisheries and Forestry. His elevation to full Cabinet status came in 2010 when Brian Cowen became Taoiseach and made him Minister for Defence.

Deputy Killeen is one over 40 current Dáil deputies, who have announced their retirement ahead of the General Election, the most high profile of these being the man who appointed him to Cabinet, Taoiseach Brian Cowen.

IN LAUNCHING his campaign to be elected to the 31st Dáil, Independent candidate Cllr James Breen has told The Clare People that expenses for TDs should be “abolished altogether”, forcing them to live off their salary € 90,000 a year.

Cllr Breen, who became the only Independent to top the poll in a Clare election in 2002 and the first nonparty member to be elected in the county in 54 years, has called for the abolition of expenses as part of “a complete reform of government”, both at national and local level.

“It’s not an election gimmick,” Cllr Breen told The Clare People this week. “There has to be a complete reform of politics, a meaningful reform of government and that includes Dáil and county council level.

“There are 166 TDs in Dáil Éireann. That’s too much. Dáil representation should be reduced.

“The Senate should be meaningfully reformed or abolished. The numbers of county councillors should be reduced.

“We should reduce the numbers of foreign conferences that’s costing the country millions of euros every year. We should reduce Dáil expenses and abolish them altogether and oblige TDs to live on their salary with no expenses,” added Cllr Breen.

The Clare County Council website, which publishes county councillors’ expenses on-line, shows that Cllr Breen claimed € 28,739.89 from June 2009, when he was re-elected to the local authority, to June 2010.

This figure includes his basic salary of € 8,361.96 for the last six months of 2009 and € 9,717.75 for 2010. During the 12 months he also claimed € 4,368.61 for attending conferences, while he availed of the annual allowances in those two six month periods of € 2442.13 in 2009 and € 2,947.44 in 2010.

“We need openness and transparency in government, which we haven’t had over the last number of years,” continued Cllr Breen in championing a overhaul of the expenses regime. “The TD earns nearly three times the average wage of people and they should be able to live on that. The person driving to and from Shannon working on the average industrial wage is getting no travelling time.

“I have no qualms if expenses are abolished in the morning. It’s not a gimmick to get elected. It’s something I believe in,” added Cllr Breen.

During his five years in Dáil Éireann from 2002 to 2007, Cllr Breen was entitled to the Independent TDs allowance. Currently the allowance given to Independent members of the Dáil is over € 40,000 per annum.

ONE young west Clare man is fighting back against the current cynical reaction to politics by preparing to put his own name forward for the General Election.

Brian Markham, a member of the well know Kilmurry McMahon family, is determined to have his name on the ballot sheet on polling day as an Independent candidate.

The 23-year-old told The Clare People he “wants to make a difference” and “go out and do something”.

A qualified PE teacher, he currently works in O’Flaherty’s Electrical Shop in Ennis.

A keen sportsman, he has represented the county and province in athletics at international level.

He has been involved with Shannon Gaels and Coolmeen GAA clubs and is known for organising several Community Games events for local children.

A past pupil of St Flannan’s College in Ennis, he attended university in London.

“During these four years I began to learn how important it is to make your opinions heard and how important it is to have a representative that you can trust in. I was an active member of the Students Union where we were told about the issues troubling the student body. It was then our duty to convey the thoughts of the students to the relevant boards and do our best to get different rules and improvements implemented,” he said.

“I have now been back home in Ireland for five months. During this time I have witnessed possibly one of the worst periods in Irish politics. The country is in an extremely poor state and this is primarily down to mismanagement and big name politics.

“In the time I have been home I have seen several of my friends unwillingly being forced to leave our wonderful country in search of employment and what looks to be a better future than the one that is in store in this country,” he added.

“I would like to make clear that I do believe in co-operating with big business and foreign multinationals because of the jobs and growth they bring to our country. However, pandering to the banks has resulted in a loss of sovereignty, in that we are bound by conditions imposed by the EU and IMF bailout, high unemployment and a generation of our best and brightest leaving by the day. This is where traditional politics has let us down.”

He believes that Independent TDs will be very influential in the next Dáil.

Among the issues that he believes the election campaign should be fought on are the demise of Shannon Airport and the Shannon area, the future of Ennis General Hospital and the need for improvement to local infrastructure.

CLARE County Council this week confirmed that it had spent almost all of the money it was allocated to care for the county’s roads – completing all work with the exception of two projects.

Fears were expressed at the end of last year by Deputy Joe Carey (FG) that the roadwork’s budget would not be spent and therefore lost.

In total the local authority spent € 22.687 million on all road works.

The allocation confirmed by the Department of Transport in relation to Regional and Local Roads for 2010 was € 15, 586,498, € 15, 281,462 of which was spent by the council.

The shortfall of approximately € 300,000 was attributed to the fact that a sum of € 500,000, allocated in respect of the Killaloe By-Pass/ Shannon Crossing, could not be spent as planning and design stages documentation were under consideration by the Department of Transport.

According to senior engineer Tom Tiernan, “To all intents and purposes the council completed its Roadworks Programme in 2010. Any minor elements, which were not completed, were as such due to circumstances outside of the council’s control. For example, it became apparent in early summer 2010 that it would not be possible to spend a sum of € 300,000 allocated to Blakes Corner, Ennistymon, due to the complexity and sensitivity of the procedures involved because of the conflict between the proposed junction improvement and the location of adjacent protected structures.

“The Roadworks Programme was implemented systematically while taking account of the specific needs of the various work sites involved, the climatic conditions required in each case, optimisation and allocation of plant resources available etc. Certain difficulties were encountered both at the beginning and the end of 2010 because of the very severe weather conditions, which pertained. Certain improvisations and strategy alterations were required but ultimately the job was completed as effectively as it could be in the prevailing circumstances.”

Among the routes to benefit from road improvement works were the N68 at Edenvale, Caherea, Lissycasey and Kilrush, the N67 at Moyasta and the R352 in Tulla. The main road north of Lisdoonvarna to Corkscrew Hill has also been upgraded while the road between Corkscrew Hill and Ballyvaughan is currently being upgraded. Works are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks at Ballyduff beg, Inagh on the N85.

A CHANGE to the Litter Pollution Act proved a potentially costly lesson to two Clare candidates.

Independent candidates Cllr James Breen and Jim Connolly were told to remove their election signage or face a hefty fine from Clare County Council.

The warning came following a reminder being issued by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government stating that changes to legislation last year meant that election posters could not be erected until after the Taoiseach went to the President and dissolved the Dáil.

Under an amendment to the Litter Pollution act in 2009 the time period from which posters can be put up commences on the date of the order for the holding of the poll or 30 days prior to the date of the poll, whichever is the shorter period.

Both candidates said they were unaware to the changes to this legislation when they began work on their poster campaign.

Mr Connolly was particularly critical of the council’s speed and eagerness to implement this legislation.

He told

ENNIS’ reputation as a haven and hotspot for traditional music was given a shot on the arm on Friday night’s Late Late Show as local Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann activists prepare to crank up their campaign to bring Fleadh na hÉireann back to the county to the county capital.

And, the boost to the county capital’s traditional music came from the unlikely source of Bob Geldof – the former Boomtown Rat and Live Aid promoter, who told Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy of the time he spent in Clare that helped him reconnect with Ireland and realise what he was missing.

“I went on a brief holiday a number of years ago to rediscover,” said Geldof.

“I’d forgotten how beautiful it was. I’d told my friends to lay out a plan – I want to do Ireland – but that I may not know the places to go. I went down to a couple of sessions in Ennis and I said to myself ‘I miss this so much. This is so cool’,” he added.

Geldof’s praise of Clare traditional music in Ennis – a reputation developed on the back on the huge success of the Fleadh Nua event in the 1970s – comes as amid a growing wish among Comhaltas Ceoltóirí activists that Clare be chosen as a Fleadh na hÉireann venue for the first time since 1976.

Geldof’s association with Clare dates back to the late 1980s when he became a key component in the efforts of the late Dr Brendan O’Regan at fostering world peace.

Along with media mogul Ted Turner, President Patrick Hillery and others, Geldof was a keynote speaker at the 1988 International Peace Conference organised by O’Regan’s Shannon-based Centre for International Cooperation.