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he felt it necessary to have his feelings known when he took part in the teachers and parent’s protest against budget cuts in education.

‘For me it is very clear cut. I am a teacher and at the cold face of it, and long after this has died down as a political issue, for me and other teachers and more importantly the children will be paying the price for months and maybe even years to come,’ said Cllr Crowe.

He said as far as he was concerned there was no conflict of interest in his stance.

“T think it is healthy that I should go out. [ am a Fianna Fail man and wish to stay a Fianna Fail man, but I was elected by the people of this area and this does not sit well with them and it does not sit well with me,’ he

added.

While his own school won’t be af- fected directly by the cuts this year the east Clare councillor has not ruled out crippling affects in the fu- neh ker

‘Down the road new appointments could be affected and class sizes,’ he Cr AKOR

“I think the Government and Fian- na Fail need to rethink this. In mak- ing the necessary cuts you should not touch the young or the elderly.

“We have a very low betting tax and by increasing it by a few more per cent it could net another €100 million.”

Like many more in the profession the young teacher said he has spent his Own money on providing essen- tial materials for the classroom.

‘“T have spent close to €2,500 of my own money to put things in my class room.

“IT bought my own projector and I am out of pocket and I took out a broadband contract that I use for the classroom. This is something that should be in every classroom,” he said. “I am not alone in this. We (teachers) put up with a lot and say very little, but at a time like this we cannot stay quiet anymore,’ said the outspoken councillor.

ALMOST 70 per cent of créches in Clare failed to comply with HSE regulations. That is according to a survey of inspection reports from the county’s créches and schools car- ried out between October 2006 to October 2007 and released under the Freedom of Information Act.

According to the pre-school inspec- tion reports into facilities that ca- tered for 10 or more children, 69 out of the 101 inspected in Clare were in breach of the HSE’s criteria.

Of those, which did not comply with the inspector’s criteria, as many as 33, or almost a third, were record- ed as having minor or very minor

breaches of the regulations. Another 32 had no breaches at all.

Among the most common breaches outlined was the child-adult ratio exceeding the 10:1 limit, bound- ary fencing or doors broken, lack of space for children to move about in and un-nutritious food.

At the Knocklisheen Accommo- dation Centre the inspector found a long list of issues including the need for more space and staff, and a lim- ited range of toys available

The report also recorded that there was no nappy bags or disposable gloves for the staff, no snacks pro- vided to the children in the morn- ing session and sleeping babies were at risk of being hit by falling toys.

There were no toys or equipment in the outdoor area.

The Department of Justice said however that the number of children in this pre-school in the reception centre for asylum seekers had been adjusted to meet the HSE guidelines.

Additional toys and equipment are now in place and a stock of depos- able gloves and nappy bags are avail- able to staff. It said healthy snacks it said were available, and the outdoor play area, which was under construc- tion at the time of the inspection is now complete.

The inspector also out lined con- cerns relating to the prefabricated building in which the Little Rascals Playgroup in St Conaire’s National

School in Shannon was situated. That prefab has since been replaced however and the HSE are said to be happy with the new facility.

In Maghera Gardens Créche the in- spector found that nappies were be- ing changed in both toilets including staff toilets. The creche said that one of the toilets is now designated for staff only, and the other is the chil- dren and changing nappies only.

The Inspector found that the stage area in the Community Centre in Kil- rush was not suitable for the Stepping Stones Playgroup. The playgroup has applied however for funding to fix the concertina doors leading to the stage which they claim provide plenty of room for the children.

, will this week

(Wednesday night, 9pm) focus on the

Brendan O’Donnell tragedy, while

it will also look back at the Patrick O’ Dwyer case.

The final part of the series, next

week, will look at the unsolved mur- der of Ennistymon woman Emer O’Loughlin, on the Galway/Clare border in 2005.

In a case that shocked the na- tion, Brendan O’Donnell murdered Imelda Riney, her three-year-old son Liam and Galway priest Fr Joe Walsh. Their bodies were found in Cregg Wood in east Clare in 1994.

O’Donnell was subsequently con- victed of the triple murder, but died in 1996 while serving his sentence at the Central Mental Hospital in Dub-

lin.

Patrick O’Dwyer, from Shrohill, Ennistymon, killed his 17-year-old sister Marguerite in a frenzied at- tack at their home on November 29, pAuers

O’Dwyer hit his sister six times on the head with a claw hammer and in- flicted more than 90 stab wounds to her body. He told gardai he had con- templated suicide and attacked his sister while she watched television, as he feared she would get in the way of his suicide attempt. He later came

clean to gardai. “It’s like being inside a room with a video and I can’t turn it off,” he told gardai.

At the Central Criminal Court in June 2007, O’Dwyer claimed a de- fence of diminished responsibility, in that he suffered from a mental disor- der when he killed his sister.

The jury in the trial agreed and found him guilty of manslaughter, by reason of diminished responsibil- ity. He was sentenced to six years in jail.

This week’s hour-long programme will address the issue of balance of mind and the prevalence of mental health issues among a high percent- age of those who commit crime in Ireland.

The third Clare tragedy to be in- cluded in the series is that of Emer O’Loughlin. The 23-year-old’s body was discovered in a burnt out cara- van near Tubber in April 2005. No- one has ever been held accountable for her killing. The story of Emer’s killing is one of three unsolved cases being highlighted in the documen- Fe AY

The series is produced by Sideline Productions. It examines the rise in Irish murder rates and assesses the impact of the various killings on the families left behind. It is presented by former T’V3 crime correspondent Maura Derrane.

A POLICY is needed for the future maintenance of the Ennis public lighting system, Town Councillor Johnny Flynn has said.

At a meeting of the town council last night, Cllr Flynn proposed that a professional consultant be employed to draw up such a policy as the con- tract between the council and the ESB is drawing to a close.

In a motion before the meeting he asked that “in the context of deregu- lation and possible departure of ESB contracts that Ennis Town Council

develop an appropriate policy to manage their street lighting asset having regard to public safety, en- ergy efficiency, value for money for maintenance, liability indemnifica- tion, design commissioning and cer- tification”.

The councillor said that the service which the town council is getting has reduced in recent years “probably because of the break up of the com- pany into constituent parts”’.

He said that street lighting is “a valuable asset” on which the coun- cil spent a third of a million Euros last year. “We have something in the

order of 3,000 street lights in En- nis and it’s important that we have a policy for managing and maintaining them,” he said.

Cllr Flynn said that in February 2007, 7 per cent of the town’s pub- lic lights were not working. “That went back to two per cent following a discussion of the matter,’ he told the meeting.

Cllr Tommy Brennan said that it would be important when the council takes over maintenance of the light- ing system that they “ensure that we are taking over lights that are in good working condition, in the same way

that we would if we were taking any- thing else in charge’.

In reply to the councillor’s motion the town engineer said that the coun- cil has engaged a company to carry out an inventory of public lighting and an asset management system. “The softwear is a specialised light- ing management package which is used by eight other local authori- one

He said the lighting inventory would be used by the local authority to tender their public lighting main- tenance when their existing ESB contact expires.

A WEST Clare student was honoured along with five more from the county at the National University of Ireland Galway last week for outstanding re- sult in this year’s leaving cert.

St Joseph’s Secondary School Spanish Point paid tribute this week to past pupil Sorcha Curtin who not only secured the maximum 600 points in the state exam but was also awarded a bursary from the Galway University at the Entrance Scholars Socsaleyne

The intelligent teenager is now studying medicine at the college.

School principal Mary Crawford paid tribute to the 17 and a half-year- old and told the Clare people the school was very proud of Sorcha’s achievement.

While attending the Spanishpoint school she opted to study English, Irish, Maths, French, Music and Chemistry.

“As well as a great academic achievement she was a trusted friend and also got on very well with all members of staff in the school,” said

a school’s spokesperson.

“Tt 1s an honour for her and the school that she was one of eighteen to get such a high grade, and we would like to congratulate her,” he said.

A keen musican Sorcha plays the concertina in Michael Mahony’s tra- ditional music group.

She is the daughter of Anne (nee Barry) and Christy Curtin from Clondony Miltown Malbay.

Other Clare students to be hon- oured by NUIG were Ian Broderick from Ennis, who was a past pupil of Rice College and is now studying

Engineering. Finn Krewer, from Tu- ber is also studying engineering and is a past pupil of Gort Community College.

Caoimhe Marie Hanrahan from Corofin is a past pupil of Ard Scoil Naoimhe Mhuire Ennistymon and is now studying Occupational Therapy.

Christine Kelly is also from Tu- ber and is a past pupil of Kinvara Secondary School. Paula Christina Kelly is a past pupil of Rice College Ennis and she was also honoured by NUIG.

TRIBUTES have been paid from across the world to a west Clare woman who raised millions of euros for the poor and sick, and was co- founder of two new missionary rell- gious congregations in Burma.

Mary Doohan, founder of the Lit- tle Way Association was born at The Hand, Coore in 1917 and 1s still re- membered fondly by neighbours.

Mary Burke recalls how Ms Doohan’s mother Hannah was a very religious woman, and it was no sur- prise that three of her children en- tered the religious life.

Mary Doohan far surpassed many in her religious devotion and service of the poor, and was recognised for her work by the Holy See when she was decorated with the “Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice” medal in 1978 and was made a Dame of St Gregory in 1996.

Despite her worldwide recognition Mary never forgot her home and last month was laid to rest in Coore Cem- etery.

Having given so much in life, Mary died without any home, in the care of the Little Sisters of the Poor, Meadow Road, Vauxhall, aged 91 years old.

The late Ms Doohan was the sec- ond child of Timothy and Hannah Doohan. Her brothers John and Michael joined the priesthood and continue to dedicate their lives to the Columbian Missionary in the Philip- pines. Her late sister Philomena be- came a nun.

Mary was also predeceased by her sisters Bernie and Teresa, and her brothers Patrick and Joseph.

She is survived by her sister Cath- erine (Baby) and Fr Michael and Fr John.

Having been educated in Spanish- point she left for London in 1937

where she worked as a clerk. She was a daily mass goer and spent much of her time working with the Legion of Mary. She also promoted devotion to St Therese of Lisieux and

While he was working in the Phil- ippines her brother Fr John wrote to say that the roof of his church had been blown off by a typhoon. Miss Doohan started holding jumble sales and other fundraising events to help her brother’s mission. Soon priests and lay Catholics became involved.

Ms Doohan set up her charitable association, The Little Way Asso- ciation, with missionary Bishop of Anthony Galvin of Miri in Malaysia, who helped her get approval from Cardinal William Godfrey in 1960.

The Little Way Association takes its name from St Thérése’s “little way – which emphasised carrying out the smallest of deeds in a spirit of charity.

The association was the first run from a basement in London’s Victo- ria Street before it moved to a larger office in Red Lion Square, before fi- nally moving to its present headquar- ters in Clapham in 1962.

Ms Doohan, was the lifetime presi- dent of the Little Way when she died in London on August 29, following a stroke.

During Miss Doohan’s lifetime the Little Way Association grew from an informal group of lay people raising money for the Catholic missions to an organised missionary charity with six centres.

Two of these centres are based in India and the other four are in places of pilgrimage in Lourdes, Knock, Fatima and Walsingham.

A WOMAN whose running career began in Shannon is returning to the town to encourage others to take to the track.

Deirdre Daly-Cahill, has, over the past three years, encouraged doz- ens of women to take up running, through her Meet and Train sessions in Ennis.

She selflessly gave of her time and organised weekly meetings on a vol- untary basis, since 2006. Now, under the auspices of the Clare Sports Part- nership, Deirdre takes a Meet and Train running group in Ennis every Monday night. The Ennis group started five weeks ago and there has been a phenomenal response, with more than 60 women attending every week. Given the resounding success of the Ennis initiative, Clare Sports Partnership co-ordinator John Sweeney decided to organise a pilot project in Shannon, starting tomor- row, Wednesday, at 8pm.

The group will meet at the Shan- non Development office at SkyCourt and will walk/run a one-mile loop, passing St Patrick’s Comprehensive School, the garda station and back to the starting point. The route is fully lit.

Deirdre emphasised that women of all ages and fitness levels are wel- come to attend.

‘The Meet and Train caters for all levels of fitness, from the walker that wishes to progress to jogging and to the jogger who wishes to run a 10k without stopping,” she said.

While she lives at Roslevan, Ennis, Deirdre is no stranger to Shannon. Her mother Christina hailed from Coolmen and her father Michael originally came from Ballyea, just outside Ennis. The family lived in Shannon for a period, when Deirdre was in school.

“History has come full circle. My mother was involved in the running craze in the 1970s and jogged that very same route when a group got to-

gether to keep fit,” she recalled.

While living in Shannon, Deir- dre attended St Conaire’s National School and was taken running by one Ger Loughnane, who taught at that school then. That was when her love of running was born.

“I do remember Ger Loughnane taking us out running. [ also ran with Shannon Athletics Club,” she said.

Although Deirdre gave up running for a number of years while living in London, her passion for the sport re-ignited when she moved to Dublin more than 10 years ago.

“One evening I saw a group of peo- ple out running in Chapelizod. It was the Donore Harriers Meet and Train Group, run by the famous Jim McNa- mara (former Olympian),” she said. Deirdre quickly joined that group and never looked back. Indeed, Jim was her inspiration when she began coaching three years ago. Along with her coaching, Deirdre also runs competitively with Ennis Track Club and ran the Dublin City Marathon

with Clare Crusaders two years ago. Deirdre is also a personal trainer, where she provides one-to-one train- ing from the proverbial couch potato to the fitness fanatic and is available for appointments.

She is optimistic that Meet and Train will take off in Shannon, given the huge interest in fitness among people of all ages.

“Shannon is a progressive town. I believe there would be sufficient in- terest,’ she said.

Anyone interested in joining Deir- dres Meet and Train group should contact Catherine Ryan at Clare Sports Partnership by calling 065 6865434.

THE founder of one of the leading Lovie alee mmr TIC MOM BDO ab NsounIty companies in the western region has reiterated his commitment to build- ing a hotel in Kilrush and developing the marina.

Louis Keating of Kilmihil based L and M Keating Ltd, was speaking at the launch of the company’s biggest ever development in Kilrush — The Merchants Quay Business Quarter.

‘This is our first job in the town as developers. Generally we see our- selves as contractors, we generally tender for work, sign contract and carry out work on time,” he told the packed room at the development’s launch.

“These offices are part of a larger development which consisted of apartments, offices, hotel and a multi storey car park. The apartments at this stage are built. We acquired the

project in the past few months and we have now completed the offices and we do intend if possible at all, to proceed with the hotel and with the car park.

‘I suppose in the current economic climate, its unlikely in the next few months that we will be commencing work on the hotel but we are very aware that Kilrush really needs a hotel, and I know all of the bodies in the town are very supportive of a hotel,” he told the mix of business people and politicians.

“In fact everywhere I go I am al- ways asked, any move on the hotel?” he added.

‘As people may be aware we also have involvement with the marina in Kilrush. Our company together with another company are the preferred bidders to develop the marina.

“Now we have quite ambitious plans, again they are on the back burner to some degree at the mo-

ment but we are still actually talking to Shannon Development and I am quiet confident that we will carry out our development dreams in the ma- rina, and I think this would be a great boost for the town,” he said.

Merchants Quay has been hailed as Kilrush’s landmark building with office and commercial unit available for sale or lease.

Mr Keating also pointed out that the units are one of the few tax-des- ignated properties in the country.

Dentist Dr Niall McCarthy has al- ready decided to take up residence in the building.

Ten years ago Louis Keating went through the old mills – then boarded up and closed – that make up the new state of the art development.

“Today is part of a new life for these building and I hope they are just as noisy as ever they were with just as many people working here, and that they are as important a part of Kil-

rush as they always were,” he said.

“Vd like to acknowledge the vi- sion of Mark and Dermot Reidy who started off this project,’ he added be- fore thanking all those that worked on the development.

He added a special word of ap- preciation to the new development’s neighbours Charles and Edel Glynn for their patience during the two and a half years work.

Mayor of Clare Cllr Madeleine Taylor Quinn (FG) congratulated Mr Keating and thanked him for the amount of employment his company brought to west Clare.

‘He is a very humble man who does a very good job and we really are proud of him,” she said.

IT WOULD seem that the bees haven’t been so busy in west Clare last summer as honey is as scarce and precious as gold in the county.

As a result of the honey decline EIRI Corca Baiscinn has found yet another niche in the market to help supplement farmers income in west Clare. The organisation is hosting a nine-week Bee Keeping Course starting on Monday, November 3 at the Brothers of Charity in Kilrush.

The course 1s aimed at anyone who may have considered keeping their own honeybees and harvesting their own wild flower honey.

“There are many reasons to keep bees as well as being able to get your own local, nutritious honey to sweet- en drinks and food,’ said Hilary Gleeson, Rural Development Officer with EIRI.

“Bees, as every keen gardener knows, help with pollination in your own garden or orchard and surround- ing area. Beeswax can be used to make candles, soap and cosmetics,” she added

The wet summer resulted in a low honey yield this year and the ru- ral development officer hopes that if more people get involved in the home industry next year there will be sufficient honey available to act as

a sweetener to the health conscious and ward of colds and flus in the county.

Ms Gleeson said that honey was not very plentiful in the seen farmers markets in the county this year, and hoped that with more suppliers the natural produce would be available well into the winter.

“Tt is very hard to buy at the mo- ment. It would be a big seller if we could get more of it at the markets,” she said.

The bee-keeping course will cover the history of beekeeping and how to get started including beekeep- ing terminology, and the equipment needed.

Information on the types of hives, apiary selection and management, handling the bees, a month by month beekeeping diary, queen rearing, pests and diseases, flowers for nectar and pollen, dealing with the honey crop and preparing for winter will also be among some of the areas Ono Keren

The course will also include a visit to lecturer, Fintan Ryan’s apiary in Rahona, Carrigaholt.

Bookings and information for the course 1s available at EIRI Corca Baiscinn, Kilkee on 9056611 or by contacting Hilary Gleeson, Rural De- velopment Officer on 086 8235598. The course cost €20.

CLARE county councillor Oliver Garry (FG) said a higher Garda vis- ibility in Kildysart is giving an ele- ment of confidence and security back to the local people.

In the last number of weeks a patrol car has been visible in an area that has been victim to daylight burgla- ries and boat engine thefts.

The Kildysart councillor said that the visibility of the gardai and the formation of the local community alert under the chairmanship of local

businessman Michael Michaels are adding to community confidence.

A spate of burglaries within a ten- mile radius of the village had been a cause of concern for the quiet west Clare area.

Homes in rural areas around Bal- lynacally and Cranny had witnessed a series of day light burglaries

The thieves targeted the unoccupied homes during the day and among the items stolen include jewellery, cash and computer games.

Five boat engines, valued at up to €6,000 each, had also been stolen

from Crovraghan Quay, Kildysart on two separate occasions.

These boats were used by local farmers to access the island.

“The reports I had been getting back from people was the lack of Garda presence and the Garda vis- ibility has given the people more as- surance that there is a watchful eye on the area,” he said.

“*T felt concerned for the people who lived on the island, and have now moved to the mainland, that they felt their boats and engines were not safe on the quay side. People go to the 1s-

land on a daily basis to work on their farms. It is all very upsetting.

“The community is now more to- gether on this. They are reporting strangers in the area and are more alert to different people. People are also keeping an eye on elderly people living alone through the community alert,” he said.

Gardai are covering areas such as Ballynacally, Ballycorrick, Cranny, Coolmean and Kilmurry McMahon in the patrol car and giving support to Labasheeda, according to Cllr Garry.