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A KIN VARA teenager has been cho- sen from more than 39 million peo- ple to travel the world at the expense of social networking website Bebo.

Roxanne MHughes-Monteiro was last week picked as one of six young people, plucked from every corner of the globe, who will take part in a 6 month long Big Brother style online competition.

The Gap Year will follow the six Bebo travellers on a globe-trotting journey that will be documented on the site through video diaries, blogs and photos.

“We are trying to get Bebo users to engage with us. When we’re in cer- tain areas we’re hoping people will recommend places to go and things

to do,” said Roxanne.

Roxanne, who has just turned 19, qualified for the competition by tak- ing part in an interactive audition process which involved the creation of a video postcard about her dream gap year.

Hughes-Monteiro is the only Irish participant in the series and she will be joined by Canadian Andre Tar- diff, New Zealander Lewis Whaitir1, American Cara Cioni, Dave Brett from the UK and Amy O’Connor from Australia.

The series is being produced by Endemol, the company responsible for reality shows such as Big Brother and Fear Factor. The Gap Year group begins its journey on May 21 at a lo- cation yet to be announced.

“The Gap Year is the first truly interactive reality series, giving Be- boers a unqiue layer of interactivity — the chance to literally steer the fate of the contestants’ global journeys,” said Bebo president Joanna Shields.

“International events on the travel agenda include Rio Carnival in Bra- zil, the Chinese New Year in China and the Full Moon Party in Thai- land,”

‘Each contestant will face an array of challenges, watched by Bebo us- ers who will also be able to commu- nicate with them and vote in weekly polls which will directly influence how the journeys unravel.”

Roxanne was already on a year out between school and college as she was Saving up to study in New York. Bebo users will keep up with Rox- anne and the rest of the globetrotters by tuning into the series online www. bebo.com/thegapyear

Roxanne’s own page is available on www.bebo.com/RoxanneHugheslIre- land.

AN independent advocacy service for people with intellectual disabili- ties has been launched in Clare.

The Citizens Information Centre in Clare has appointed Greg Duff to the post, which is geared towards reach- ing out to those with intellectual dis- ALOU LW Coe

Mr Duff previously held the post as advocacy resource officer with the Citizens Information Service in Limerick and Tipperary and will slot into this new post.

“This post is geared towards peo- ple with intellectual disabilities who have issues. Like every person in society, they should be allowed to ac hieve their full potential. People want independent living,” he said.

“Previously I was building the ca- pacity of advocacy into companies by supporting the staff and volun- teers. Now I will be doing the advo-

cacy myself,” he added.

In his new post, Mr Duff – who lives in Shannon and is a member of the local town council – will be working one-on-one with those with intellectual disabilities.

“People with intellectual disabili- ties just want the same opportunities as everybody else,’ he added.

“We need to identify if there are gaps where we can compliment what is there,’ said Mr Duff.

He will be based in Ennis, but will build up contacts throughout the county.

The Manger of the Citizens Infor- mation Centre in the county, Paul Woulfe said the new post will ensure everybody has a voice.

“This is a specialist service, mak- ing sure their interests are put first and foremost,’ said Mr Woulfe.

“Initially he will work with clients from the Brothers of Charity,’ added Mr Woulfe.

SPORTING ACTIVITY for those with a physical disability has all the advantages of sport for the able body. There are the numerous health benefits, the improvement in physi- cal well being, the joy of achieving difficult goals, the camaraderie of team sports with people of similar disabilities and the ultimate possibil- ity of representing your country at a Paralympic Games.

The ideal of the Paralympic Games is that of a “Parallel Games’ for those with primarily physical disability. It provides a forum for competition amongst the elite disabled athletes

of the world. Athletes must achieve a qualifying standard before being able to take part in a Paralympic Games. Some team sports have pre- qualifying competitions i.e. football. The summer games have a wide range of sports from football to ar- chery, and include athletics, swim- ming, Boccia (like indoor bowls) ta- ble tennis, equestrian dressage, judo, wheelchair rugby, basketball, ten- nis, volleyball amongst many other sports. The winter Games includes alpine discipline like downhill and super G, The athletes have varying degrees of physical disability (as distinct from those with a primarily intellectual disability) including par-

aplegic, quadriplegic, cerebral palsy visual impairment, upper and lower limb amputees and a variety of other physical disabilities. Within each disability group or sport athletes are ‘classified’ according to the level of their disability and then compete against others of similar classification 1.e. those who can walk compared to those who need to use a wheelchair in athletics for athletes with cerebral palsy. The rules of competition are only modified from those that ap- ply to able bodied athletes where this is necessary, such as in athletics for wheelchair users throwing dis- cus, javelin or shot putt where they throw from special adapted chairs or in Swimming where blind swimmers are ‘tapped’ to inform them that they have arrived at the end wall of the pool. All athletes are subject to dop- ing control by WADA rules in the same way as are able bodied athletes and are tested frequently in and out of competition.

The mid west, and County Clare, has a proud record of involvement in Paralympic Sports. At the last Paral- ympics in Athens in 2004 there were 2 Clare men in the Irish Paralympic team, one of whom, Derek Malone, won a medal, and the other, James Murrihy, who plays with the Cer- ebral Palsy Football team. Both are hoping to make the team again for the upcoming Bejing Games later in the summer. Already the search is on for the Paralympian of the future with the launch of the Paralions Pro- eramme for young disabled sports- people which hopes to identify those young people actively interested in sports who have potential for the fu- ture. All physically disabled young people are invited to take part.

The Clare People 10K is the type of opportunity for disabled people to come and try out as you can race if you want or simply take part for the enjoyment of the preparing for and completing the challenge.

Paralympic Athletes have to do a mixture of general conditioning training (strength, flexibility, core stability) and sport specific technique training. The principles of training for strength and endurance train- ing are the same as for able bodied

people. Only small adaptations are required, in strength training in the gym for instance resistance bands or using handles/straps instead of bars for gripping the weight. Most ath- letes train once a day, some twice a day. Disabled athletes benefit greatly from increased physical activity with improvements in strength, co-ordina- tion, general flexibility, better muscle tone control, improved health & self confidence etc. Paralympic athletes have full sports science (medical, physiotherapy, psychology, strength & conditioning and _ physiology) backup.

For further information visit www. pcireland.ie or contact the Paralym- pic Council of Ireland on 01 6251175, Irish Blindsport 01 2020118, Irish Wheelchair Association (Sport) 01 8186400 or Cerebral Palsy Sport 086 yee

Fintan O’Donnell MISCP, MCSP is physio to Irish Paralympic Team 2008 and can be reached in the Ennis Physiotherapy Clinic 065 6840757.

IN what will be one of his first of- ficial functions since he was con- firmed as the incoming President of the GAA, Christy Cooney will be in O’Callaghan’s Mills next Saturday to officially open the club’s new field, Pairc Naohn Padraig.

The opening will take place at 5.30pm and will be followed by a Clare and Galway hurling challenge game which throws iat 6.30pm.

This should be a competitive and sharp game before both counties face into their All Ireland campaigns and both Mike McNamara and Ger Loughnane have confirmed that they will field strong starting fifteens.

The pitch had been under develop- ment since 2001 and includes a hand-

ball alley and car parking facilities as well as modern dressing rooms. The pitch itself has been up and running for the past two years but Saturday will see the red tape cut officially. At half-time in the senior hurling

challenge, some of the club’s great- est representatives will also be hon- oured. The 1977 intermediate cham- pions of Clare will parade before the crowd and their presence is sure to stir some local passions. This was the same side that then went to the senior final in the same year and failed to take the top prize by a single point.

There are those in the Mills who still say they should have done that unique double 31 years ago, but Sat- urday’s opening, which will draw a large crowd, could herald the begin- ning of a new chapter in the club’s history.

IT continues to get better and better for the ladies of Ennis. This week- end they travelled home with more silverware in their boot when they retained their Munster title having beaten Douglas in the final at the Monkstown Golf Club.

It was a case of living on the edge as Pamela Murphy sank the win- ning putt for the Clare club on the 19th hole under serious pressure. She showed her mettle when the ball dropped in the hold though and En- nis were celebrating.

The nerves of steel show a team who can not only play fantastic golf, but one that can also dig out a victory in the face of adversity.

That win follows their Senior Cup success of last year when they de- feated Royal Portrush in the year’s

final in Miltown Golf Club and the remainder of this season promises to hold more silverware for Ennis as they strive to dominate ladies golf.

“Ennis have proven themselves to be a fantastic team,’ said Ann Brad- shaw, ILGU President. “They’re go- ing from strength to strength and it goes to show hoe healthy the game 1s in Clare at present.”

NO ILLNESS has ever been con- nected analytically with the public water supply in Ennis.

That was the view expressed by town engineer, Tom Tiernan in a sub- mission to the Environmental Pro- tection Agency (EPA) on their audit

of the council’s temporary treatment plant last January.

Mr Tiernan also stated the council had written to farmers in the catch- ment area of the Drumcliffe tempo- rary water treatment plant to advise them of their responsibilities under guidelines on good farming.

In a letter to the EPA, Mr Tiernan

said regular inspections would be made throughout the vulnerable parts of the catchment area “particularly following significant rainfall events, with a view to ensuring that no ag- ricultural activities are taking place during such sensitive periods which would have the potential to exacer- bate risk to the public water supply”.

He admitted the temporary treat- ment plant was a “reasonable stop gap measure, but didn’t provide the required levels of defence and com- fort against possible contamination which the new plant will do”.

Mr Tiernan admitted in the letter 25 to 30 per cent” of water was not being treated for cryptosporidium.

In the letter to the EPA last Febru- ary and now released to

Underlining the seriousness with which the council viewed the results internally, council official, Maura McNulty emailed County Engineer, Tom Carey; Town Engineer, Tom Tiernan and the HSE’s Acting Direc- tor for Public Health, Tessa Greally to say the results should have been phoned directly by the council’s con- sultants.

The records also show that the fax transmitting the hard-hitting EPA audit report to County Engineer,

Tom Carey was marked “urgent” but was never made public.

During the course of the audit, the council admitted that 17 per cent of the water entering the public water supply was bypassing the membrane toe

The EPA audit concluded that the proportion of inadequately treated water entering the Ennis public water supply was likely to increase when the raw quality was poor.

“The highest proportion of inad- equately treated water enters the dis- tribution network at a time when the risk of contamination of the supply with Cryptosporidium is at its high- ae

“The Drumcliffe water treatment plant is operating under conditions of high risk of contamination of crypt- osporidium.

“The agency is concerned that the practice of bypassing the membrane filtration plant, particularly when raw water conditions are poor, effectively removes the treatment barrier in the Ennis public water supply” the EPA stated.

Responding to the revelations, Dep- uty Joe Carey said it was “one story after another with the water supply in Ennis and the bottom line was that people were not drinking the water.

“The town engineer’s remarks that the council informs the public when they feel it appropriate, is little con- solation to those who fell il] during the most recent outbreak of crypt- osporidium.

‘Had the council been upfront with the EPA findings, and ensured that public safety dominated any other concerns, then that situation may not have arisen.

“Indeed, the fact that the council is nowhere near being in a position to comply with directives, means the public will continue to have Iht- tle confidence in their ability to pro- vide safe, clean drinking water’’,he declared.

IT WAS a historic weekend for Clare underage camogie as the Under-18s claimed their fourth Munster title.

There was plenty to be gained from Sunday’s win as history stood in the favour of Cork but Clare are learning to rewrite history books in the cam- ogie world.

‘“We’ve been working for years for this and over those years we have had some great battles with Cork,” said manager Fintan McNamara. “There is a healthy rivalry brewing there and to win today is great for the girls. This group had never over come the Cork challenge before today so this just shows how hard they are will- ing to work. Progress is being made at all levels in the county, we will be hoping that this group will now be in the challenging stages for the All-Ireland and for the future Clare will be recognised as a force to be reckoned with.”

McNamara also drew attention to the belief that exists within the

squad. “The team spirit is just fantas- tic and the whole panel are working together. But best of all they know they all have to work hard for their place yet each girl is supportive of all the others. That’s so important in to- day’s game where to win campaigns and games all the panel is required.”

Afterwards, Carina Roseingrave said the win represented a new be- ginning for Clare camogie and thanked her teammates for the work and dedication they have put in over the last number of months.

Clare now have a Munster title to their credit and two wins from two in the All-Ireland series. This will put them not only in with a serious chance of qualifying for a semi-fi- nal spot but also in contention to top their group. That’ the focus of the management as the girls will take their short break for exams.

THE Michael Cotter Memorial Cup begins this week. Hosted by Kilmi- hil GAA club, the Under 14 football tournament is in it’s third year and has proved a very popular event on the underage footballing calendar. Only two rules deviate from the of- ficial code with only one hop and one solo allowed and there must to be a winner on the day.

Running over a ten day period, the

Oy OLSeN brome Dee loMs e-MEaRO LUO MAM Lis mele Shannon Gaels/Killimer v Doonbeg this Thursday. On Friday evening, Kilrush play Kilkee in group B, fol- lowed by the group C Clash of Co- oraclare and Lissycasey on Saturday and the hosts Kilmihil against Clon- degad on Sunday.

The semi-finals then take place on the following Tuesday and Wednes- day with the showcase final fixed for Sunday, May 25 at St Michael’s Park, KGiiecntente

CLARE County Council and the Health Service Executive started a process of damage limitation at the weekend ahead of revelations that both agencies failed to inform the public of increased risk of contract- ing cryptosporidium from the Ennis public water supply.

Documents released under the Freedom of Information Act show that the Environmental Protection Agency warned in January of an another possible outbreak of Crypt- Osporidium one month before the most recent outbreak where two chil- Cleon lmnEe

The agencies never informed the public of the increased risk and an RTE Prime Time Investigates pro- gramme quizzed top officials last week on their role in the failure to inform the public.

The programme is not going to be broadcast until September and is focusing on the outbreak of crypt- osporidium in Ennis and Galway.

Both the council and the HSE re- leased statements last Friday and in an apparent move to shift the blame to the council, the HSE told all GPs, pharmacists and dentists in Clare that “the HSE advised that consum- ers should be regularly updated by the council of developments affect- ing the Ennis water supply”’.

The council posted a statement on its own website which for the first time acknowledged problems – ob- liquely – with the temporary Ennis

water treatment plant.

It does not refer to the damning January EPA audit but says only the capacity of the plant has been in- creased by 25 per cent “in response to increased demands on the system and the requirement of the EPA that full filtration be applied to all drink- ing water going out to consumers”.

The statement also admits for the first time that not all water go- ing through the plant is treated for Cryptosporidium.

In a careful understatement of the ongoing situation over the past number of months, the council states that because of technical require- ments associated with the construc- tion of the new Ennis Water Treat- ment Plant and servicing of the interim plant, “it has not been pos-

sible to provide fully filtered water to date.”

The statement once more re-iter- ates the precautionary boil notice in place for vulnerable groups, includ- ing patients who are immunocom- promised, infants, pre-school chil- dren and visitors.

The statement goes on, “These groups are advised to continue to boil tap water before consumption. Institutions serving vulnerable peo- ple should also continue to boil tap water or use alternative supplies. This includes hospitals, nursing homes, créches, pre-schools and day CF eee tne