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THE Doolin Craft Fair has put out a call to food producers and vegetable growers whose produce is just com- ing into season at this time of the year. The fair has a number of ven- dors who would like to sell fresh pro- duce on behalf of local producers.

“It’s a win-win situation. The pro- ducers get a fair price for their pro- duce and no longer have to think of desperate ways to use up their spare vegetables and the people who come to the fair get lovely fresh vegeta- bles,” said organiser Toby Sachsen- maier.

“It has really taken off over the last

few weeks – better than any of us could have hoped for really. From the very first day that we opened we have gotten a great response from locals and visitors who have come.

“I think one of the things that makes this market really different is that we have new stalls coming in each week so people can come back week after week and have a different experience.”

The Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair takes place each Satur- day from 10am to 4pm at the Russell Community Centre in Doolin.

“It’s not just about having these products for sale. A few of the ven- dors are always doing something

which the people who come to the market will find interesting. For ex- ample we have Mairead who sells woolen garments. She shows people how to spin wool each week,’ con- WbOlE(ore me Re) ey\A

“It’s about creating an atmosphere for the people and I have heard from a number of people that the atmos- phere created by the vendors at the Doolin Market is something special.

“We have a core group who are there every week and then we have different people who come once and awhile when we have space. This week, for example, we have people who are making fused glass jewelry which is something that we haven’t

had before. We have a certain turno- ver each week and that keeps it fresh for the locals who come up all the Wb elen

“We are always looking for new people. We have no room at the mo- ment for permanent tables but we have space for people who only want to come in once and awhile.

“We are also looking at the possi- bility of doing a Christmas fair and it would be great to have a few people around who would be interested in that also.”

For more information on_ the Doolin Craft Fair contact Toby at doolinmarket@gmail.com or phone Paul at 065 7074229.

ENNISTYMON will open up for some good clean fun this week as the town’s Family Festival prepares to take over.

Beginning on Thursday, this year’s festival has been designed to offer something for all tastes, young as well as old.

With dozens of events taking place each day, the festival mixes light- hearted games for young people and adults with some of the very best of local music.

Some of the festival highlight in- clude the bar persons’ race and pub stretcher race on Thursday, the tug of war and teen disco on Friday, Joe Burke Memorial Cup soccer tourna- ment and 5k fun run on Saturday and

the baby rave and donkey derby on SLUICE NE

“We have tried to get something for every element of the community. We tried really hard to get something that would interest ever age group. From all the silly events for adults, to the music that everyone will enjoy and all the events designed for younger people,” said organiser Marian Cliff.

“What is important is to thank ab- solutely everyone who has helped out this year. So many people are offer- ing their time for nothing – like the DJ, the people who are running the workshops and all the stewards.

“Pretty much all of the local busi- nesses have sponsored something di- rectly or they have just handed me a cheque for the festival,” she added.

“That’s what it’s all about – we

are trying to make an event that has something for all the community and the community has really gotten be- hind it.

“We have small collection boxes in all the bars and in the evening the girls behind the bar have been going around and rattling them trying to raise some money. We need all this money to pay for the insurance.”

One of the highlights of the En- nistymon Family Festival is always the live music. This year is no excep- tion with a typically eclectic mix. The likes of the Robot Pilots, the Andy Wilson Band, Kohima, Bush- plant and the Van Diemens will all be taking to the stage.

The youngsters will also get a chance to shine with a youth bands competition on Saturday.

“Thanks to Matthew Griffin we have the gig rig back in the square for this year’s music and Paddy Mulcahy has but together a great line-up of live music,’ continued Marian.

“There are so many people who have gotten involved in the festival or have given sponsored that I would love to thank, but so many people have been generous that it’s just 1m- possible to mention them all.”

For the full line up and times for the weekend’s festivities check locally.

THE second annual Outdoor Land- scape Painting Competition takes place this weekend in Lisdoonvar- na. After hosting Ireland’s first ever competition of its kind last year, the organisers have decided to expand this year’s event into a full weekend of activity.

The weekend artsfest, which 1s be- ing organised by the Burren Painting Centre, will attract 30 aspiring paint- ers for the competition and countless other for the weekend’s festivities.

“Last year was the first year and we ran a very successful competti-

tion on the Saturday. But this year we have tried to make it more into a weekend so we have more events organised which are taking place all over the weekend. So it’s going to be more of an artsfest this year,’ said Chris O’ Neill of the Burren Painting Centre.

“On the Friday evening we have a demonstration by the oil painter Fergal Flanagan from Wicklow. We are going to use the newly renovat- ed Town Hall for this. We will go straight from the demonstration into an exhibition of local artists curated by Doreen Drennan.

‘We have several professional art-

ists from this area who all paint in the Burren. So most of the art will be very relevant to north Clare and the Burren area. This exhibition will be on for 10 days and will be the first art exhibition in the new art space in the Town Hall pavilion.”

The competition will kick off on Saturday morning with painters be- ing whisked off to three secret lo- cations in the Burren to begin their ernonlmuetce

“We have 30 people at this stage and many of those will be doing nu- merous works. After registration we will give them the coice of the three locations, which are secret up until

that point,’ continued Chris.

“We give them a bit of advice and a map and off they go. That whole process is quite exciting – it’s like we have a bit of orienteering before we start painting. All paintings must then be in by 6pm for the judges to start their process.”

Judging will take place on Sunday morning while a drawing workshop will be conducted by Frank Sandford in the Burren Painting Centre.

The winning paintings will be dis- played at the King Thomand Hotel for a prize giving lunch where 12 prizes will be handed out. For more www.butrenpaintingcentre.com

WHEN, in the late °90s, Kilmurry Ibrickane finally found a field to call their own they set about filling the place with footballers.

The pitch established Kilmurry as a fixed presence in the community. Then they needed to recruit. Coach- es were dispatched to the five schools that serviced the parish — Quilty, Mullagh, Coore, Annagh and Scro- ude

Emphasis was placed on nurtur- ing talent and developing individual skills. Drills were devised to enhance peripheral vision and teach the value of touch and control.

The initiative was driven by men like Michael Talty, and then minor club chairman Pat Murrihy.

In the schools Murrihy and Talty found principals like Michael Brack- en (Quilty), Sean McMahon (Mul- lagh), David Dillon (Coore) who shared their enthusiasm for football. The road to success, like so many in the GAA, would start in school.

“When? – there was never a ques- tion of what time’, says Pat Murrihy who for almost 20 years now has coached underage teams in Kilmur- ry Ibrickane. “You could go in there at nine in the morning and take two classes out. That was a big, big help to the club and one complimented the other.”

A population explosion meant the schools were full of kids who wanted to play ball in the big new field. The schools won tournaments and the kids drifted, like a conveyor belt, into the club. The skills learned were implemented on the pitch and suc- cess inevitably followed.

In 1992, Kilmurry won their first under 12 title in 27 years. The club knew they were on to a good thing. There were other milestones, other signs the future would be bright.

‘Every year after that our underage structure got stronger. We started to win A titles,” says Murrihy. “We ac- tually won the under 14 Féile in Clare in 1999 and we won the under 14 championship for the first time in 27 years. That was a very good side now. The All-Ireland division one winners at the time were Salthill, they beat us by three points. They went on and won the division one title. The fol- lowing year we actually won Féile in Croke Park against Baltinglass with Shane Hickey, Noel Downes, Keith King, Martin McMahon’.

Minor A titles followed in 2002,

2003 and 2004 but it is the club’s phenomenal record at under 21 level (nine titles between 1995-2007) that is the real legacy of the work done in the early 90s.

“When won our minor champion- ships and 21s, we could always call on at least 8 of the age. Once you have seven or eight guys on the age, that’s a big thing, its easy fill the spaces after that.”

Parallel to Kilmurry’s rise at minor and under 21, was the club’s ascent at senior level. The two streams con- verged gloriously in ‘O04 when they won county and Munster titles.

Kilmurry maintained their stran- glehold on the under 21 champion- ship after 2004 even as the senior side struggled. Kilmurry were beaten in the 2005 senior decider by Kilkee, but in the last two years have failed to qualify for the knock out stages.

“What happened after 2004 is we lost probably the spine of our team. Aidan Moloney, Martin Cahill, Martin Keavey, all these guys,” says Murrihy, “I don’t care what team you are, but you don’t replace them over

night. I like the look the Kilmurry now. I like the attitude, there 1s a de- sire and a hunger there now”.

Less people live, or have reason to live in West Clare, than was the case in the early 90s and Kilmurry and the schools are feeling the effects. The number of children attending Quilty National School, for example, hovers around the 50 mark. 10 years ago that number stood closer to 140.

But Murrihy and Kilmurry Ibrick- ane persevere. The club won the under 12 B title this year and could have gone further.

“We were only a kick of the ball away from going into the A final. Lissycasey beat us in our division. We had 14 wides against Lissycasey and they beat us by three points”, says Murrihy ruefully.

“But, look it, it just shows we are progressing nicely, and its now the work begins”. And the cycle contin- Wen

TWO directors of a Sixmilebridge- based company have been ordered to reconstruct a house on the village’s main street that they demolished without planning permission.

Clare County Council issued a warning letter under the Planning and Development Act to Patrick and Evonne Costello of Maxfern Ltd., Shannon Road, Sixmilebridge.

The council has told the two that it considers the demolition of a dwell- ing house at Main Street, Sixmiulebri- dge to be unauthorised as it does not have the benefit of planning permis- sion and does not constitute exempt- ed development.

The council is demanding that the two reconstruct the house as per the original design and to the satisfac- tion of the council.

It is understood that the house was demolished adjacent to the bow way entrance to a development of four apartments and two shop units for which Mr Costello secured planning permission for in 2005.

The council has stated that before works commence on reconstructing the house, they are required to sub- mit a set of drawings showing the proposed reconstruction works, a schedule of all materials to be used in the reconstruction works and a works schedule and timeframe for the completion of the works.

The council is also demanding that the two carry out all remedial works to ensure the satisfactory reinstate-

ment of the adjoining property to the west of the site.

The council is also seeking that the Costellos employ a chartered struc- tural engineer to supervise all works to the adjoining property.

‘In the event that the unauthorised development is continued, the coun- cil may issue an enforcement notice. In this regard, officials of the council may at all reasonable times enter on

the land for the purpose of carrying out inspection.

“You may make submissions or observations in writing to the coun- cil regarding the matter within four weeks from the date of this letter.”

In the warning letter, the council warn that a person who is guilty of an offence shall be liable on summa- ry conviction to a fine not exceeding a Oe

A spokesman for the council said yesterday that Mr Costello had made oy nL eKel Ma o1 00MM eComexeLEDe Les 0 mr-TO(CME- Wp Oeletel ing was going to take place between the two sides to identify a way for- FN KOB

WE find Lissycasey poised and primed, ready for battle, prepared to defend their title. They’ve heard the word going around the county, that they’ve had a poor league, that they’re going to struggle to keep Jack Daly in the paish.

The former, they know themselves. They don’t need telling on that front. The latter? Well, they’ve plenty to say about that but they’ll keep their powder dry and allow their football do the talking between the white Thee

We find last year’s captain renewed and refreshed on the eve of the cham- pionship. James Kelly says that plen- ty has changed in Lissycasey over the past eight months. A first champion- ship tends to do such things.

There’s more enthusiasm at the club, he says. More motivation among the players, particularly the younger members of the senior panel.

“On top of that,” he adds, “there’s

a great buzz among the underage teams.” You want knock-on effects from a championship win and there they are. Foundations being built for the future, seeds being sown. For a small parish with a growing popu- lation — particularly among young families — the story of 2007 may have great consequences.

But for now, that tale is put to bed. Last year is done with. It’s time for a new page.

‘This year 1s all that matters now,” says Kelly. “Even though the seniors aren’t playing well, the champion- ship is a different story. That’s what it’s all about. We didn’t go well in the league but got to the final of the O’Gorman Cup and didn’t play well in that game either. Right now we’re preparing to get off the ground in the championship.”

From the very start of the year, Kelly felt the opposition treated Lis- sycasey differently. Carrying the tag of champions, teams were more fo- CLUSTor6 Me-Nee- UOT] MNOS OO PMRAOLoATABE-DESCoLO Mm NO COEN

game. It comes with the territory though, it’s the sideshow that win- ning the league and championship brings.

“This year, instead of playing 100%, we’ll have to play 120% be- cause teams will be trying even harder against us this year. Every team will be out to beat us as we’re up there as county champions and it’s something you’d even notice during the league.”

Speaking of which, things have changed slightly since then. James Murrihy came in as trainer at the be- ginning of the season and has since been replaced. Has that had an effect on championship preparation?

“Not really,” says Kelly, “because it’s still basically the same training. James 1s preparing for the Olympics at the moment [he plays for the Irish soccer team] and he couldn’t stay on with us. But from our point of view, it’s still basically the same train- ing and there’s a good atmosphere there.”

Other changes have come about as well. Martin Daly, man of the match in the final last October, has come on board as part of the management and Michael Slowey, an influential addi- tion to the club for last year’s cam- paign, has departed.

Two big names missing from the forwards, but Kelly reckons Lissyca- sey have the talent to push on.

‘“There’s a lot of young lads there this year from 17 and 18 years of age upwards. I’m talking about the likes of Francis Hayes who was coming along last year — he’ll be just one trying to cement a position for them- selves. A lot of the up and coming players are actually forwards. Fair enough, we’re missing the two boys but there’s plenty of competition.

‘In general, there’s good competi- tion for places and that’s positive because it should push fellas on. The young lads coming in will drive on the older lads to try and hold their place and we’ll have to all fight to keep our place on the team. Things seem to be coming together right now so hopefully once the champi- onship comes around, we’ll all be ready for road.

“We’ll be in there with a shout.”

THE number of adults unemployed in Clare has jumped by more than one third in the last year, and by 9.3 per cent in the past month accord- ing to figures released by the Central Statistic Office.

As many as 5,505 people were sign- ing on last month in County Clare, 1,375 people more than during the same month last year.

The number of people on the live register in the Tulla area has in- creased by as much as 52 per cent from June 2007 to last month.

Unemployment in Ennistymon has increased by 40 per cent with 806 people signing on the register.

In the county town of Ennis there are now 32 per cent more people un- employed than this time last year, as 3,293 people are signing on.

In Kilrush the unemployment in- crease is the lowest in the county, but it has still increased by almost 20 per cent.

There are now some 1,067 more men unemployed in the county than i (eyenles tb

Fine Gael TD Pat Breen said this was only the tip of the iceberg with more Clare workers set to join the dole queues over the coming months.

“For the past twelve months jobs have been haemorrhaging from County Clare however in spite of nu- merous warnings this Government have sat idly by while the crisis de-

veloped,” he said.

“Unemployment in Clare has grown by 33.3 per cent in the year from June 2007 to June 2008 and especially worrying is the fact that the number of those unemployed under 25 has increased by 46.6 per cent from 759 in June 2007 to 1,113 in June 2008,” the TD added.

“The truth is that ordinary workers are bearing the brunt of this Govern- ments economic ineptitude and this is especially true here in County Clare. We are also now witnessing how the lack of connectivity from Shannon to

London Heathrow is adding substan- tial costs to local businesses as a re- sult of the Government’s failure to act to secure the service,” he said.

“My call for a regional strategy to address this crisis has fallen on deaf ears. In fact this Government has sleepwalked it’s way through much of this crisis. Next week following months of not recognising that there is a crisis, the Government will out- line to the Dail how they intend to deal with the current crisis.”

ENNIS based politician Paul O’Shea is heading for Baghdad to take up a humanitarian mission with the Unit- ed Nations.

Mr. O’Shea, who is standing as a Labour party candidate for next year’s local elections in Ennis, de- parted for Jordan on Sunday.

He will travel to Iraq this week to work on a humanitarian mission with UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund. Mr O’Shea, who is a member of the Department of For- eigen Affairs, Rapid Response Corps is to be the first Irish aid worker to be deployed with UNICEF. Mr O’Shea will spend six months working in the region.

The Rapid Response Corp is part

of an additional initiative designed to respond to emergencies. There are currently 10 Irish members deployed in Ethiopia, Kenya, Darfur, Demo- cratic Republic of Congo, Nepal, Burma, Sri Lanka and Iraq.

There are an additional 50 people with specific skills on the register who are trained to respond to emer- gencies who are ready to be deployed within 72 hours.

Mr O’Shea will work as part of the child protection unit aimed at reach- ing out of school children, youth, working children, street children and other vulnerable children. Working with Iraq ministries in Baghdad and Erbil as well as non governmental organisations and local partners, the project aims to get children back into to educational programmes.

In co-ordination with a rehabili- tation team, UNICEF will provide necessary school equipment, teach- ing materials, health and hygiene kits. Mr. O’Shea completed a two week security awareness training programme organised by defence forces at the United Nations Training School at the Curragh.

The programme included a naviga- tion and radio communication, 4×4 driving, hostage taking, land mine clearance and first aid.

Despite working in politically un- stable regions, Mr O’Shea admits Baghdad will be a totally new ex- perience. He said, “This will be my first mission to the middle east, hav- ing worked in Africa and South East Asia for a number of years. I expect it will be very different culturally”.

The situation in Iraq has calmed somewhat in recent months though Mr O’Shea and other members of the UNICEF mission will receive armed escort when traveling around the oltielsa’s

Mr O’Shea said the training he re- ceived in the Curragh was first class and but is hoping he won’t have to put all of his new skills into practice.

“It was very good and pretty inten- sive. We were given courses in four wheel drive, communications, sat nav even hostage taking. Obviously I’m hoping not to encounter any situ- ation like that. But definitely, it will be an interesting experience”.

Mr O’Shea also recently worked in Kosovo as the Irish long term elec- tion observer with the council of Eu- rope.

ENNIS student Noel Whelan has won the engineering award at the 3rd annual Wood Marketing Awards held in Enfield.

Noel represented Galway/Mayo IT Letterfrack with the project entitled ‘When Ash Meets Cowhide’. His project addresses the current prob- lems faced by hurley makers in the country and it is aimed at finding solutions to ensure that GAA hur- ley manufacturing industry remains in Ireland, tackling the problem of insufficient native ash supplies and high labour costs.

Noel was presented with his award by RTE presenter Duncan Stewart.

Reaching the final represented a ma- jor achievement for Noel given that over 100 projects were entered in the three categories of engineering, ar- chitecture and design by third level students from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. A sec- ond project presented by a County Clare student made it to this year’s jnbeeeD Ese

Cork IT student Seamus Moroney, from Clogher, O’Callaghan Mills, was short-listed for his project “Mo- ment Connections in Timber con- struction’, in the engineering section. Fifteen Students were drawn for the finals from universities nationwide, including DIT Mountjoy Square Dublin, Bray PLC, Southern Region-

al College Lurgan, Galway Mayo In- stitute of Technology, NUIG, Queens University Belfast, Cork IT, UCD and the University of Ulster Jordan- stown.

Speaking at the awards, Duncan Stewart spoke of the high standard of entries which had been received and thanked the WMF, all the students and their lecturers for their commit- ment to the competition.

“This year’s competition has been incredible. We have seen 15 projects at a very high standard and all the projects here today deserve to be winners,” he said.

The students assembled at the start of the day and set up their presenta- tion stands. Models were created by

all teams and these were backed up by PowerPoint presentations and Al posters and other supporting litera- ture.

The students were interviewed for RTE’s Nationwide during the day with the actual award ceremony tak- ing place at 3.30pm. The WME in- stituted this all-Ireland award to pro- mote the use of wood as a design and building material.

AN Ennis man’s mission to climb some of Ireland’s highest peaks has raised over €7/7,000 for cancer re- search.

Jim McMahon from Ennis along with Chris Whythcombe, living in Tulla but originally from Kerry un- dertook the The reeks challenge in Kerry.

This challenge took place in mAT and consisted of climbing the 10 peaks in the McGillycuddy Reeks in County Kerry.

The purpose of the climb was to raise funds for The Friend’s of St.Luke’s Hospital for cancer cure,

control and care.

The climb raised €7,700 and the cheque for same was presented to a representative of St.Luke’s in Ennis on last Friday.

At the presentation the climbers thanked all those who contributed to the fund and paid special thanks to Jacko McMahon who organised two major fundraising events, a soc- cer match and a motor bike night. Thanks was expressed to Avenue United FC, Wheels within Wheels Motorbike project and Clare Adult Education Centre for assisting with these events.

The two me also helped organised a series of other events in prepartion

for the challenge such as the Wheels Within Wheels motorbike project.

The event included information on bike building, racing, grass track rac- ing and motorcross racing. Speakers at the event included Keith Meere, a local successful motorbike racer, Clinton Tully, chairman of the Shan- nonside Offroad Club, who spoke on motorcross and grasstrack, and Pas- cal Shanahan explained the process of bike building.

The Friends of St Luke’s Hospital was established to raise funds to en- hance the care, comfort and manage- ment of cancer patients at St Luke’s Hospital, Dublin. 27 years later the hospital has a vibrant network of

supports all over Ireland. St Lukes depend entirely on the goodwill of the people of Ireland who work tire- lessly to raise funds for the hospital. To date over €25million has been raised. The goals remain the same and that is to generate the funds to ensure that St Luke’s Hospital con- tinues to be a warm, friendly, com- fortable and well-equipped facility for patients to undergo treatment in achieving a cure for their cancer.

Mr McMahon said he was delight- ed to be able raise money for such a worthy cause. “It was tough alright, but worth it in the end. It was great to be able to help out St Lukes, which does fantastic work for people”.