Author: admin

THE recent re-emergence of blue- tongue in the UK poses a serious threat to the livestock and sheep in- dustry in this country according to Macra na Feirme.

Chairman of Macra’s Agricultural Affairs committee, Eddie O’ Donnell, also last week called on all imports of animals for breeding or slaughter from the UK to be suspended on a voluntary basis.

“The Department of Agriculture must also be particular vigilant in terms of implementing the necessary

bio security measures to preserve our Bluetongue free status including extra bio security measures for cargo at ports,” he said.

“Protecting our all-Ireland blue- tongue free status is critical, we must take a very stringent approach when it comes to implementing control measures in relation to Bluetongue, otherwise Irish herds would be prone to sickness, infertility, distress and even animal deaths in some cases from the Bluetongue disease as well as the massive economic loss and implications for Irelands export sta- nthe

O’Donnell said results of a recent survey carried out by Macra indi- cated that young farmers believe there’s a lot to be done in reassuring the Agri sector that the government is doing enough to keep Bluetongue out of Ireland.

“In the unfortunate event of an outbreak, vaccination would be re- quired,” continued O’Donnell. “A farmer administered vaccination scheme would be the most effective means of quickly and effectively protecting Ireland’s sheep and live- stock from the disease.

‘“Farmer’s professionally adminis-

ter vaccines to their animals routinely to prevent illness and Mr. O’ Donnell believes that farmers must be given the choice to administer the vaccine themselves or through their veteri- nary surgeon.

“Many EU countries have a vet- erinary administered vaccination scheme; however, their Governments are co-funding the administration of the vaccine.

“In the absence of Irish Govern- ment funding, farmers who are the professionals in animal husbandry must be in a position to administer the vaccine.”

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

THE Clare ladies football panel won’t be resting on their laurels for two long if they win Sunday’s AIll- Ireland intermediate final against Tipperary in Croke Park.

Instead, they be looking to the fol- lowing weekend as a number of them have pledged to take part in the Run to Africa, which a “Playing for Life’ abu NCebe-DKSDONoMNDODIOT-IN Ros

Playing for Life was founded by well-known sportswoman and broadcaster Tracy Piggott following a visit to Ethiopia in 2004. Tracy

was determined to do set up a project that would use sport as a tool to help young people in some of the worlds’ poorest places, since sport has al- ways played such a huge part in her own life.

In order to continue providing sup- port to some of the world’s poorest countries and communities, Play- ing for Life is undertaking a major fundraising initiative throughout the island of Ireland with the support of Tesco Ireland, the Ladies Gaelic Football Association, Sport News Ireland and well-known sports per- sonalities like Sonia O’Sullivan and

Eamon Coghlan.

The Run to Africa will take place over the first weekend in October. Volunteers, who will be asked to raise €100/£100 per kilometer, will be able to see the collective progress of the 9500 km run from Dublin to Addis Ababa on a video screen (similar to the flight path display on a plane).

The Clare contribution to the project is being spearheaded by the ladies intermediate team, with Emma O’Driscoll coordinating their efforts. ‘There are six of us on the team who form the committee Louise Henchy

our captain, Majela Griffin, Niamh Keane, Aine Kelly, Marie Considine and myself. Many of the other girls on the team are also helping out,” O’Driscoll reavealed.

“To raise money we have asked schools around the county to hold a colours day where by they wear the jersey of their favourite team into school and bring in two euros so far 18 generous schools have agreed from the 24 pupil school of Rineen outside Lahinch to the Holy Family here in Ennis.

‘Teachers from these schools then can either run the kilometres them-

selves on the treadmills or nominate one of the clare ladies or one of the other sportspeople who will be run- ning. Many of us are past pupils of these schools so they have kindly nominated us! The colours day will take place the week of the 29th to the 3rd.

“Diarmuid McMahon, Niall Gil- ligan, The Clare Camogie team, and Seamus Power are some of the well known sports people who will run. Clubs all over the county will be asked to run as we have to cover 300km,’ she added.

THE government should use the budget to intervene in the ailing housing market, according to a Clare property expert.

Philip O’Reilly, Managing Direc- tor of Philip O’Reilly Property Plus, says that while any upswing re- mains largely dependent on market conditions, certain areas, including the large amount of vacant hous- ing stock, must be addressed in the forthcoming Budget.

Mr O’Reilly says financial incen- tives should be provided to first time buyers to restore confidence in a housing market where values have fallen. “One area they should be looking at and doing something about is encouraging first time buy- ers to purchase unoccupied housing stock. This could bring a lot of new entrants into the market’, he said.

“If you take any house that costs €300,000, included in that is VAT of €39,000. Why not introduce a

scheme whereby €10,000 of that fig- ure would be made available to first time buyers. It could be limited to a certain time period, say for people who sign up for it before June 1”’.

Any interference on a micro level must also be balanced against mar- ket conditions and other macro-level events, said Mr O’Reilly.

“At one level, with the housing market under pressure, there are cer- tain things that need to take place at a microeconomic level, because if something isn’t done, it could have substantial implications for employ- ment and other areas”.

‘There is a limit to what kind of in- terference could take place that would have a positive impact on the hous- ing market. There are a lot of other forces at work, the credit crunch, the difficulties faced by the building trade. We shouldn’t be talking about €5,000 or lower figures, it has to be €10,000”, said Mr. O’Reilly.

JAMES Hanrahan’s return to his na- tive club this year has had a profound effect on the footballing fortunes of St Joseph’s. Last year, uncertainites over the senior management struc- ture left their footballers with little preparation approaching the champ1- onship but his switch from Eire Og, after a successful stint both on and

off the field, has given St Joseph’s much needed guidance this year.

The emphasis at senior level was on youth and bringing through the un- doubted underage talent that exists in Wome bee

Ten of that senior side were eligi- ble for Saturday’s replay against the current holders Kilmurry Ibrickane and it was that added experience and balance that Hanrahan felt eventual

won the club it’s first Under 21 cham- pionship.

“I thought we played well and de- served it on the day. We played some excellent football.

“We probably knew coming in that fellas were disappointed from the last day and I don’t think it was that we didn’t win the game the last day, I think they were more disappointed that we didn’t play well so we turned

that around today.

“We moved the ball a little bit quicker. A lot of fellas have played Under 21 games when we haven’t played well whereas in the senior, we have been playing at a different pace so I think we brought that pace into the game tonight and I think that was the difference.”

Hunger was a key factor in Satur- day’s victory. An appetite that Han-

rahan explains has accumulated from being on the losing side too many times at underage level

“We have had so much heartbreak in the last few years losing underage finals so maybe if they had won a couple of those they would have been as hungry as they were out there to- day but you could see that they want- ed to win and that was the difference between the teams.”

AS Doonbeg and Ennistymon filed onto the Miltown pitch on Saturday evening, Tommy Curtin had the lib- erty to sit back and take in the quar- ter-final meeting that would throw forward Liscannor’s opponents in Wem OONEIOITADE

Before that game began, though, Curtin said he was impressed with

Liscannor’s performance, particu- larly their application in seeing off the challenge of pre-match favourites Eire Og.

“We had a quick work there and were delighted with the victory,” he said. “Going into the game, to be honest, we had a few injury prob- lems. But to be fair to the lads, they really stuck at it over the hour.”

He also acknowledged the fact that

Liscannor weren’t given a real fight- ing chance beforehand, but said that was understandable.

“In fairness, it was always going to be a tough game. We were playing against a team that was in the county final these past two seasons and a team that won the championship two years ago.

‘So they’re a good side, a very good side, and we knew we’d have to play

some good football if we were going to come through it.

“We train with a very small panel and we have to believe that in every game, there’s always hope. We train that way and we play that way and we literally have to take every game as it comes.

“But as I said, the lads knuckled down. Our centre-forward was in- jured going into this and he’s a bright

prospect for the future and the lads got stuck in for him.

‘Eire Og would have been the firm favourites going into the game but our ball retention was very good to- day and we were hungry as well. But the game of football is so simple and that’s the way you have to play it.”

With that Tommy stood back to watch the second game unfold.