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THE dangers associated with swim- ming at unguarded beaches have been highlighted, in the wake of two dramatic rescues at Spanish Point over the past week.

Warnings have been issued this week after two young girls were res- cued from the waters last Thursday evening, while a 15-year-old boy was rescued after he got into difficulty while swimming, at the same spot on SLUeE NE

A passer-by grabbed a lifebelt and swam out to the boy who was strug- gling in the water. He was taken to the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick. His condition was ini- tially described as serious, but later SPO) DBI oreR

Clare’s Water Safety Officer Liam Griffin said this week that people need to be mindful that the seas are OPT To ROLE

‘When people go to the beach they have to be conscious of where they are. Spanish Point is a surf beach and there are dangerous currents and it

can be difficult to get out of them,” he said.

“If you are not sure of where you are, the advice is not to enter the water. Spanish Point is a dangerous beach. You have to be careful,’ he EHR

He also said that particular notice

should be taken by beach goers, as the beaches are not frequented by lifeguards during the winter. Lifeguards were on duty throughout the summer, but their season came to an end at the end of August. The busier beaches of Lahinch, Spanish Point, Fanore and Kilkee had a life-

guard facility available during the first weekend of September, but the service has now come to a halt for the rest of the year.

“The availability of suitable life- guards is an issue. We apply the high- est standards here in Clare in relation to lifeguards. Nobody has drowned at a guarded beach in Clare in living memory. Lifeguards are for the most part students and are gone back to college in September. At the moment we are planning for the 2009 season. When you are planning, you assume the busy times will be July and Au- gust,” said Mr Griffin.

He said that lifesaving equipment was essential in Sunday’s rescue and appealed to people to respect these. “I would appeal to people to respect that equipment and not vandalise it. There has been vandalism in the En- nis area quite a bit. A ring buoy and rope was used to good effect on Sun- day. Had it not been available, God knows what would have happened,’ added Mr Griffin.

HURLING 1s alive and well and be- ing played in the sprawling parish that takes in Barefield, Roslevan and Doora.

That was the defiant message deliv- ered by St Joseph’s manager Kevin Kennedy after his side rolled back the years to when they were the most feared club in Ireland and brought an abrupt halt to Inagh/Kilnamona’s fairytale debut season.

St Joseph’s, who won the last of their five county titles in 2001, served notice to all remaining contenders to Tulla’s throne that they really mean business in 2008.

“Lately the club has done well in another code,” said Kennedy in a nod to the historic success of the footballers in bringing a first ever Under 21 ‘A’ title to the club. “We’ll support the other code. People were saying that hurling was finished in the parish. Hurling will never die in Barefield.”

Not on this display as they gave Inagh/Kilnamona a five-point start before dismantling them with their best knockout display since beating Sixmulebridge in the 2001 final.

“They were favourites coming in and are a good side. We’ve made fair progress over the past two years – it’s been a two year job. We won the Clare Cup last year and are in the semi-final of the champion- ship so that’s progress again,” said Kennedy.

Progress seems too soft a word to explain away Clonlara progress in

2008 – fresh from the intermediate ranks they are now on the cusp of a first county final appearance since 1919 thanks to their 1-13 to 2-9 win over a Colin Lynch-less Kilmaley.

“It’s huge for us,” said manager Jim Gully. “There’ll be only four teams in the semi-final and we’re one of them. We don’t have a wish or pref- erence for any team. We only wish the match was next week. We have a good team and winning the Under 21 A title after the intermediate last year has been a huge impetus for us. It’s great to be where we are.”

Newmarket-on-Fergus are also there after their nail-biting late late show against Cratloe. They came from four points adrift early in the second half to win by the minimum margin.

‘“Workrate and a good panel of players – that’s what did it for us in the end,’ said manager Diarmuid O’Leary. “The goal in the first half gave us areal lift. Cratloe are a good team and nobody gives them the credit that they deserve. They a good side and it took us everything to get over them.”

The final quarter-final will be played this coming weekend between Clarecastle and Crusheen. The Mag- pies ended Clooney-Quin’s hopes for 2008 when winning their play-off game in Shannon on Sunday evening by 1-17 to 1-14.

PART time council workers – all women – who have been told they can no longer have the advantage of working flexi-time have taken a case against the local authority.

The 21 members of IMPACT work- ing for Clare County Council have initiated legal proceedings, through the Rights Commissioner service, on the grounds of discrimination against part-time staff as full-time staff are still allowed to avail of flexi-time.

IMPACT has initiated proceedings on behalf of the affected workers, under legislation introduced to en- sure that part-time and full-time em- ployees are treated equally.

The county council maintains that managers are finding it impossible

to roster to ensure coverage with the large numbers of part-time staff em- ployed.

IMPACT assistant general secre- tary Andy Pike said that, “all our affected members are women who need the ability to work flexibly in order to take their children to school, care for elderly relatives, or meet other family commitments”.

He added that by removing flex1- time entitlements for part-time workers, “the council could prevent the public from accessing services during key periods of the day. Many services, accessible to the public from 9am and later in the day, had been provided by part-time employ- ees who were able to come to work early and stay later under the terms of the scheme.”

A THIEF with a fondness for flowers is being hunted in Shannon, after a church altar was robbed of its flow- ers last week.

The mystery thief walked into St John and Paul’s Church in Shannon last Thursday morning and walked away with two bunches of chrysan- themums.

The absence of the flowers was not- ed as the St Aidan’s National School Mass was about to get underway at llam. The flowers were put in place by the sacristan Sharon Murray the previous night and the church did not open until 9am on Thursday.

SW ie ICe AJ ikem NICK TON ae santhemums were taken, complete with their plastic containers, but the pedestals on which they stood re- mained in place.

It was initially thought that they were moved as no-one could imagine that a thief could lay hands on some- thing so seemingly insignificant.

Given that their value amounted to no more than €30, the sacristan was amazed at what happened.

“It is baffling. I have never heard of it in my life. To go up to the altar and take them was horrible. If it hap- pened during the school year, you would say it was a dare, but the chil- dren are back at school now,” said Ms Murray.

“My parents were sacristans before me and in 28 years, no-one has eve- ry swiped flowers. Money has been taken before, but not flowers,’ she added.

The matter was not reported to gardai and given that the flowers are probably well withered at this stage, there is little hope of their recovery!

A CRATLOE businessman has launched a new online networking site which uses innovative technol- ogy to help businesses find new cus- tomers and suppliers.

The online service, known as TransActions.1ie, continuously matches companies that need each other, explains Managing Director, Des Crosbie.

‘In practice, this means that each company is notified by email of new potential customers who require their product or service. They are also no- tified about suppliers who can fulfil their specific business needs.”

Stating that the service is “purely for business networking’, as op- posed to social networking, he says that business networking, whether in

person or online, can take time and can sometimes yield poor results. TransActions.ie solves this problem using unique matching functional- ity. Unlike other online networks, users won’t have to spend time con- necting to people they already know, but are almost instantly connected to companies that they need and can do LUKE Nee LNOE

The site, which has only been live a little over a month, is steadily in- creasing in popularity. It has member companies throughout Ireland in sec- tors as diverse as printing, construc- tion, financial services and transpor- tation which range from sole traders to multinational corporations.

A one year subscription 1s currently free of charge, but this will only be available for a limited time on www. TransActions.1e.

EXCITEMENT is reaching fever point as thousands of Clare farm- ers make their way to the National Ploughing Championships which open in Kilkenny today. Millions of euro 1s expected to be spent in Kil- kenny over the next few days as the largest farming event in Ireland this years takes place.

An estimated 200,000 people are expected to converge the champion- ships which will this year play host to 19 All Ireland ploughing finals over the course of the three days.

Besides the competitions on the field, the championships will also

feature hundreds of stalls drawn from every corner of country life.

Indeed, Specsavers in Ennis will join forces with the Road Safety Au- thority for the Specsavers Focus on Driving Campaign which will take place at the championships.

Last year, Specsavers screened more than 1000 people’s vision at the National Ploughing Champion- ships, in one of Ireland’s largest-ever eyecare studies and they hope to do even better this year.

‘‘As autumn looms and the evenings become darker, it is more important than ever to ensure that your eye- sight isn’t putting you or other road users 1n jeopardy,’ said the director

of Specsavers in Ennis, Mayleen van der Merwe.

“By joining forces with the RSA, we aim to educate drivers on the im- portance of eyesight.”

Meanwhile, Macra na Feirme has announced a packed programme of activity for this year event. Apart from showcasing all the best the or- ganisation has to offer, with details of upcoming Macra projects, events and travel opportunities for mem- bers, Macra will host a number of key activities which will undoubt- edly prove popular with the crowds attending this year.

These include competitions with the Gleneagle Hotel, programmes

to promote farm safety and an inter- county and company bucking bronco eee

The FBD young farmer of the year will also be on site along with Kil- kenny Macra members who will be present on the stand to recruit new members to local Macra clubs in the area.

Galway Macra will be on hand to provide details of the upcoming Na- tional Conference (Rally) in Salthill in October.

Macra na Feirme’s national presi- dent, Catherine Buckley, will also be on site over the three days to meet and speak with visitors to the Macra display area.

AN ENNIS worker who, it was claimed, tried to under cut the com- pany which employed him has been awarded a total of €4,600 for unfair dismissal by the Employment Ap- peals Tribunal.

Thomas Moroney, of 75 Inis Ealga, Shannon took a case against I-Homes Limited, Quin Road, Business Park, Ennis after they fired him, claiming he was dong nixers for their custom- ers, undercutting them to get the business in the process

Moroney denied the claims and

said that he had never been given a chance to properly defend himself against the allegations before being dismissed on October 9 2007.

The tribunal heard evidence from the company, which carries out in- Stallation of home automation, that they had trained Moroney.

The company became aware that Moroney was carrying out private work in what they said was direct competition.

He was given two verbal warnings and in October 2007 as a result of a tracking system which was installed on all company vehicles, Moroney’s

jeep was tracked to a number of lo- cations which placed him in areas where he should not have been dur- ing the course of his work. He was dismissed for gross misconduct on October 9, 2007.

Moroney said in evidence that he had never been made aware of the seriousness of the accusations and had variously been told he should not have the company vehicle in sight if he was doing work outside his com- pany business and that is was not ac- ceptable to use the jeep while work- ing on Sundays.

He denied ever working in competi-

tion with his employers and said that he was not informed of his right to have representation at the final meet- ing at which he was dismissed.

The tribunal found that Moroney had not been made aware of the grav- ity of the accusations and given a fair chance to explain himself and that a witness who claimed he had heard him underprice jobs had never raised this with the company until two days before the hearing.

The tribunal made an award of €3,000 for unfair dismissal and €1,600, two weeks wages under minimum notice regulations.

SHARON Shannon is only one of the many musicians who credit retired Toonagh schoolteacher Frank Custy for inspiring her passion for music.

“It’s thanks to Frank Custy that we got a great love of music. We used to be just mad for music” she comments in the first of a six part TG4 series featuring some of Ireland’s finest tra- Cia CeyereUmeNlUKT(ervIhe

The September 28 ‘Sé mo Laoch programme celebrates Frank Custy’s many musical achievements, and his invaluable contribution to the future of Clare’s traditional music.

Featuring contributions from musi- cians Sharon Shannon, Ian O Cathain, Siobhan Peoples, members of the Di- seart Ceili Band, as well as Frank’s son, Tola Custy and his daughter,

Mary Custy, the programme looks at the huge influence banjo player and teacher Frank has had on genera- tions of young Clare musicians and how, through his work as a teacher, he generated and passed on a love of music to hundreds of young players.

Fiddle player Siobhan Peoples re- calls: “He taught us how to be con- fident individuals, to be able to go places, and take our music or singing or sport with us and to have no fear of being good at something.”

Next week’s programme features Dubliner Mick O’Connor. Other mu- sicians featured in the new series of ‘Se mo Laoch include Connemara box-player Johnny Connolly, Brian ETCMe OS LUCT IC UUW meme ceeemmauaentcrsate Cork singer Sean O Sé, and Tommy Peoples, who spent much of his life in Clare before moving to Donegal.

HARVEST traditions from over 100 years ago will be brought to life by farm workers at Bunratty Folk Park which hosts a 19th century Harvest Day next Sunday afternoon, Septem- er aPzLe

According to Shannon Heritage chief executive John Ruddle, the event will recreate a cameo from the past and give visitors, especially younger visitors, a chance to enjoy Tere KO aA

In olden days, harvest time cre- ated a sense of urgency, especially before the arrival of the harvesting machinery. At other times of the year, everyone had their own work, the men in the fields, the women in the house and the children at school. Only at harvest time were they all to- gether engaged in the same work.

Visitors to the Folk Park on Sunday next will be given a flavour of rural Irish life over 100 years ago. Vin- tage threshing machines will be used to demonstrate the art of threshing. The Bean a Ti’s will demonstrate bread baking and butter making. The village school master will be greet-

ing children who will hand over the customary sod of turf for the tiny school room fire. Visitors will also be able to experience live horse shoe demonstrations at the forge and a sheaf throwing competition.

Younger visitors to the Folk Park will be encouraged to leave their par- ents in school while they enjoy the atmosphere created by the musicians and strawboys who will be perform- ing around the Folk Park during the afternoon.

All are welcome to enjoy tradition- al storytelling by the resident Sean- achai, and the village policeman in his 19th century uniform will be on site to create an ‘arresting experi- ence’ if the harvest celebrations get out of hand.

A special family ticket will be available for © 34.25 covering ad- mission for two adults and up to four children. Adult admission 1s €15 and the rate for children is €9. Admis- sion for senior citizens is ©9 and the student rate is £10.

The Citizens Information Service will host an information seminar on wills, inheritance and tax at the Temple Gate Hotel Ennis on Monday September 29 at 8pm.

The event which is open to every- one and free of charge will explain the steps to drawing up a will and will also discuss the legal situation where a person dies intestate. There will be a detailed consideration of the tax implications on gifts and in- heritances and the various reliefs and exemptions that are available.

The information evening will also address the rights of spouses and children to the estate of a deceased person and the issue of legal compe- tence in making a will.

Research undertaken by Amarach Research for the Irish Banking Fed- eration (IBF) indicates that only 45% of all adults have made a will; and among those who have not, only 21% intend to do so in the next 12 months. and only one in five intend to make a will in the next 12 months

Paul Woulfe Manager of the Citi- zens Information Service believes that for Irish consumers property- based wealth has made the issue of drawing up wills more urgent than ever because legacies can be conten- tious and having a will simplifies matters for those you leave behind. The costs should not be excessive and can be invaluable when offset by the benefit of exercising personal

planned choice and control in your affairs while also likely reducing tax liabilities.”

‘Everyone who has both property and loved ones should have a will. The reality of the human condition cannot be denied. Do you want your property ultimately to be distributed in accordance with your wishes or a forty-year-old statute? Arrange to see a solicitor today. Make a will. It won’t kill you!” added Paul Wolfe

Catriona O Connor BCL LLM Dip Property Tax with Kerin, Hickman & O Donnell Solicitors will discus the legal formalities to be satisfied when drafting a valid will. She will also consider the limitations on a person’s freedom to dispose of their property as they wish in a will and what happens to a person’s property where they die without having made a will. Also discussed will be the various steps involved in adminis- tering an estate and explain what the role of an executor 1s 1n this process. She will explain the tax implications for beneficiaries of inheriting prop- erty and detail the various reliefs and exemptions that could be availed of in order to minimise any potential tax liability.

For further information on your rights and entitlements you can contact your local Citizens Infor- mation Centre who offer a free and confidential service by phone and to personal callers at any of their of- fices throughout the county Tel : 065 6841221