Category: News

FIFTEEN new high end jobs are coming to the Burren with the announcement that American maritime consultancy and recruitment firm, Flagship Management, will locate its European, Middle East and African Headquarters in Kinvara.

The new Kinvara operation provide consultancy and recruitment services to maritime companies operating in the North Sea and Gulf regions. The positions created will include a local head of operations, maritime consultants, recruitment consultants as well as finance and administrative staff are are expected to come on line over the next three years.

The Florida-based company is one of the maritime industry’s leading consulting firm for executive recruiting.

The company has enjoyed rapid growth in the European market over the last 18 to 24 months and the Kinvara operation is expected to drive that growth over the next decade.

Flagship Management’s spokesperson, John Mylott, said that Kinvara is perfect for the company’s expansion.

“We are delighted with the location in Kinvara and we have had a very warm reception from the community to date. We look forward to growing our European, Middle East and African business from Kinvara into the future,” he said.

Welcoming the announcement, Minister of State, Ciaran Cannon (FG), said it is very welcome boost for the Burren region.

“This is a company which would not otherwise have come on to the radar of the IDA, now choosing to locate operations in a location which doesn’t traditionally benefit from multinational investment and jobs. This is great news for Kinvara, I commend all involved and wish them every success for their future in Ireland,” he said.

“The fact that this company can serve markets across all of Europe, the Middle East and Africa from Kinvara is proof positive that with the right broadband connection any of our small rural communities can serve as a base for further job creation. All it takes is a little innovation and creativity on all our parts.”

KILNABOY man Joseph Kelly has won gold at the Worldskills competition held in Leipzig.

The aircraft mechanic at Transaero Engineering Ireland competed in the aircraft maintenance category at Worldskills Leipzig 2013 against aircraft maintenance engineers from around the world including Canada, Singapore, U.K, Sweden, Finland, New Zealand, China, Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and France to claim the top prize.

The competition took place over a four day period, 22 hours in total, with six modules to be completed.

The modules varied from sheet metal, daily inspection on a helicopter, gas turbine engine hot section inspections, flight control rigging, component removal, inspection and re-installation and electrical circuit troubleshooting and fault finding.

Mr Kelly was selected for Team Ireland having won the Irish national skills on two occasions in 2012 and 2013. He also took part in a series of interviews.

The training for the Worldskills competition was carried out mainly in FAS Shannon with expert in Aircraft Maintenance Michael Hayes.

The Kilnaboy man also received the ‘Best of Nation’ award.

NUI Galway has issued a final call for applications from Clare to its Sports Scholarships Scheme for 2013/14.

Clare has a long tradition of provided students to the university who have secured scholarships, among them a slew of hurlers such as Donal Tuohy, John Conlon, Patrick Kelly Domhall O’Donovan, Caimin Morey, Cormac O’Donovan and Gerry O’Grady as well as current Clare and Sixmilebridge camogie player Chloe Morey.

The Scholarship Programme is aimed at student-athletes of outstanding calibre who register as students of the University. The scheme is open to students who are only attending the college this September for the first time.

The scheme is also open to students already studying at NUI Galway.

The deadline for application for current and prospective students is Wednesday the 31st July at 5pm.

In the current academic year, student athletes at NUI Galway received significant financial and professional support services.

The scholarships aim to help aspiring young sportspeople to continue to develop their sporting prowess while attending the university.

Currently 60 students receive support under the scheme in a broad range of sports.

The scheme has assisted dozens of athletes’ progress to the highest levels of their sport in recent years and is aimed at providing them with the tools for success in their careers in the long term.

“The strongest selling point of our Sports Scholarship program is the results that it is producing,” said Gary Ryan is Elite Sports Develop- ment Officer at the university.

“We have supported the development of numerous Irish Internationals including some World Champions and medallists over the last number of years as well as the enormous success that so many of our GAA players have enjoyed at Senior and U21 level in recent years.

“Our focus is on the support of our student athletes in their dual careers. We strive to offer world class supports in one of the Ireland’s leading universities.

“Our scholarship students develop skills that will sustain them in their future sporting and professional careers and the long list of successful sporting alumni is testament to that,” he added.

The deadline for application for current and prospective students who may be thinking of attending NUI Galway is Wednesday the 31st July at 5pm.

THE people of Clare were not to blame for the current financial crisis – including the creation of a property bubble in the county. That is according to a new book about to be published by Clare resident, André Hakizimana.

The book, entitled ‘The Irish Economy – Past, Present and Future’, lays the blame for the ongoing recession on the policies used by the past and current government. According to the Ennis resident, the previous governments concentrated too much on exports, and this did not benefit the local domestic economy.

The present Fine Gael/Labour coalition government, he believes, is making the same mistake and should concentrate on investing and improving the domestic economy of many small regions, like County Clare.

“The housing boom and bust in Clare is a cause to the recession, but is not the core – the strategy [employed by the Government] is,” said Mr Hakizimana. “The Government should look to boost the local economy, rather than exports – where there is little or no job creation.

“The Government, the banks, but also the people must take responsibility for peoples current finincial status, but the public should not be blamed exclusively.

“The Government should invest in local enterprise as this would help people go back to work. This is key to improving our economy.”

Mr Hakizimana has been a Clare resident for almost 10 years and has a first hand experience of the effects of the economic boom and bust.

‘The Irish Economy – Past, Present and Future’ outlines the economic strategy of Ireland in recent decades and aims to pinpoint where everything started to go wrong. The book is available from The Ennis Book Shop at a cost of € 15.

THREE Clare artists have had their work showcased in an international festival of photography that’s taking place at various venues around the country.

The artists’ work was part of a group exhibition curated by Enniswoman Shelagh Honan that was organised as part of the PhotoIreland Festival, Ireland’s first ever festival of photography and image culture.

“It celebrates Ireland’s photographic talents, often times only recognised abroad, as well as bringing international practitioners and artists to Ireland,” a spokesperson for PhotoIreland Festival said.

“The festival highlights, promotes and elevates fine art photography in Ireland, conferring on it the importance it duly deserves.”

Clare’s involvement centred around the ‘Call it What You Will’ exhibition that included the work of curator Shelagh Honan, the work of Fiona O’Dwyer and Maria Finucane from Ennistymon and Tulla respectively, as well as Dublin-based artists Mike McLoughlin and Marie Phelan.

“This was an exhibition that involved the work of four lens-based artists,” Ms Honan told The Clare People this week.

“It wasn’t strictly photography based, but involved projection, video and photography.

“There were three separate exhibitions in Limerick as part of the festival, one in Ormston House, another in Occupy Space gallery and the ‘Call It What You Will’ exhibition in Faber Studios.

“This is the second ‘Call It What You Will’ exhibition in a series touring the country. The exhibition, which is not strict photography, involves a series of installations including sound, video and camera obsurca.

“The first took place in a disused house in Ballyferriter in Dingle and now Photography Ireland selected this work to be part of their PhotoIreland Festival exhibition. The second show follows a similar format to the first, but has evolved.” added Ms Honan.

The PhotoIreland Festival was established in 2010 and takes place every July, bringing together a wide range of artists, galleries and cultural institutions in a celebration of photography.

The inclusion of the ‘Call It What You Will’ exhibition in the PhotoIreland Festival programme comes as the Clare artists begin preparations to bring the exhibition to Ennis as part of ‘Culture Night’ that takes place throughout the country on September 20 next.

“Bringing the show to Ennis is important for us,” said Ms Honan, “and ‘Culture Night’ is the perfect opportunity to do that, with the key being to find a suitable building in the town to host the exhibition for a one to two-day period,” she added.

EIGHT PEOPLE from West Clare including a 16-year-old boy who were charged in May with selling or supplying drugs, including heroin and cannabis appeared again in Kilrush District Court on Tuesday.

Three of the defendants pleaded guilty to the charges against them, and had their cases adjourned until September 10 for sentencing.

Judge Patrick Durcan also ordered a pre-sentence probation report in all three cases.

Four of the defendants had their case adjourned until October 15 for a plea or hearing.

A bench warrant was ordered in the case of Clare O’Sullivan (25) of Main Street, Cooraclare, who failed to appear in court.

She was charged with having cannabis for sale or supply at the Kilrush Marina on Christmas Eve last, December 24, 2012.

She was also charged with having cannabis for sale on March 15, 2013 at Main Street Cooraclare, and again in the Tesco car park on February 4, 2013.

LABOUR TD Michael McNamara has admitted it was not an accident and that he agreed with the opposition’s amendment to the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013, when he voted for it during the early hours of Thursday morning.

He said however that voting for the amendment on fatal foetal abnormalities was a mistake as it could have resulted in loopholes in the bill resulting in it falling, but not because he disagrees with the opposition’s proposal.

On reflection he maintains that he should not have voted for the amendment and it was a mistake due to its timing.

The Clare TD caused uproar during the late night, early morning sitting of the Dáil, when he voted against his own party whip on the amendment on the controversial bill just before proceedings were adjourned at 5am.

“At that time, I didn’t have time to appreciate the potential legal consequences of the decision if it had resulted in a change to the legislation. While the Bill as passed would, in my opinion, almost certainly be found to be Constitutional if referred to the Supreme Court under Article 26, the Constitutionality of a clause including fatal foetal abnormalities would be slightly less certain and under Article 26 an entire Bill is upheld or struck down. Therefore, to conclude the amendment would have been a mistake. Therefore, I realised my vote was a mistake,” he said.

“The government has said it is prevented by the Constitution from legislating for fatal foetal abnormalities. Yet it told the European Court of Human Rights in 2006, it would be Constitutional,” he said referring to the argument the Government made in the D versus Ireland case at the European Court of Human Rights in September 2005.

Miss D claimed her human rights were violated because of the lack of abortion services here. Her baby had been diagnosed with foetal abnormalities so severe it could not live outside the womb. The case was dismissed after the court ruled that the aggrieved individual had not brought an action before the Irish courts, therefore failing to exhaust all domestic avenues open to her.

“I want to see the issue addressed but accepted that would not be part of this bill and I voted with the Government as further amendments on the controversial abortion legislation were debated on Thursday evening, night and into Friday morning,” said Deputy McNamara.

Bernadette DEEGAN
, Ballymacahill, Barefield, Laid to rest in the Ireland Crematorium. May she rest in peace.

Kevin CARR
, 26 Clonbealy, Newport,Tipperary / Shannon. RequiemMass onTuesday at 11.30amat Newport Church, burial afterwards in Rockvale Cemetery Newport. May he rest in peace.

Teresa CARTER
, 30 McHughVillas, Ennis. Laid to rest in Romford Cemetery, Hollymount, Claremorris, Co Mayo. May she rest in peace.

Vera KELLY (née Hassett)
Ashview Court, Sixmilebridge/Ennis. Formerly of Drumbiggle Road, Ennis. Requiemmass on Tuesday at 11amat Sixmilebridge Church, followed by burial in Killeen Cemetery. Family flowers only please, donations, in lieu, if desired, to Milford Hospice. May she rest in peace.

Sean GARRAHY
, 53 College Green, Ennis. Formerly of Carnane Cross, Doolin. Peacefully at home. Laid to rest in the Holy Rosary Cemetery Doolin. Donations if desired to Doolin rescue or Milford Hospice. May he rest in peace.

John (Jack) MCMAHON
, Killenaugh, Carrigaholt. Peacefully at Regina House, Kilrush Laid to rest in Kilballyowen Cemetery. May he rest in peace.

Helen O’SULLIVAN (née Moloney)
, MeadowCourt, Naas, Kildare / Ennis.After a long illness. Helen will be sadly missed by her loving husband Denis, daughters Muireann and Caoimhe, mother-in-lawMary, sisters Mary, Teresa, Brid, Evelyn and Catherine, brothers Christy, Frankie, Paddy, Joe and Sean, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, extended family and friends. (Sister of the lateWillie, Martin and Michael, Flannan’sTerrace, Ennis.) Funeral Mass onTuesday after 10amMass at the Church of the Irish Martyrs, Naas to St Corban’s Cemetery, Dublin Road, Naas. May she rest in peace.

Patrick (Pat) DOWNES,
SteelesTerrace Ennis and Castle Park, Kilmihil. Laid to rest in Kilmihil. May he rest in peace.

Marion MACKENNA (née McHALE
), Drogheda/ Clare. Peacefully, at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda. Laid to rest in Calvary Cemetery. May she rest in peace.

Darragh CURLEY,
Waterdale, Ballybroughan, Cratloe. Laid to rest in Craughan Cemetery. May he rest in peace.

Christina O’NEILL (née Kelly)
, Ballyline, Crusheen, Peacefully. Laid to rest in Kilawinna Cemetery. Donations, if desired, to Cahercalla Community Hospital. May she rest in peace.

Judith MCGANN
, Green Island Lodge, Ballyvaughan. Laid to rest in Ballyvaughan. Donations if desired in lieu to Milford Care centre. May she rest in peace.

MORE people have drowned in the county in the last eight days, than have died in the county’s roads so far this year. Last evening (Monday) a third man, believed to be in his 60s and from Shannon, died while swimming in Kilkee.

The tragedy occurred at 4.55pm when another bather noticed him in trouble and brought him ashore.

A team of lifeguards tried to resuscitate the man while the defibrillator was brought from Nolan’s shop just yards away.

The coast guard helicopter was in Ballybunnion at the time of the incident and was on the scene within eight minutes, and had the man airlifted to University Hospital Limerick by 5.15pm.

Kilkee Coast Guard area officer Martony Vaughan said, “everything that could be done was done”, as paramedics, the coast guards, lifeguards and doctors were on the scene within minutes.

“The lifeguards performed exceptionally,” he added referring to the team of lifeguards who also worked during a similar incident on Sunday week last in Kilkee, during which Limerick man John Looby drowned.

A FORMER Clare doctor has said an expensive nine-year legal process against him has had a “catastrophic” effect on his life.

Paschal Carmody (65) walked free from Clare Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday after he was cleared of the outstanding charges against him.

It had been alleged that Mr Carmody obtained € 14,300 through falsely pretending that he could cure the cancer of the late JJ Gallagher of Kingswood, Mullingar, County Westmeath.

Counsel for the State, Stephen Coughlan, told the court that Mr Carmody would be relieved to hear that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had decided to enter a nolleprosequi in the outstanding charges against him.

Defence Counsel Lorcan Connolly BL said that concluded all matters against Mr Carmody.

The decision comes seven months after Judge Raymond Fullam directed that Mr Carmody be found not guilty on all nine charges of obtaining money from families of Wexford schoolboy Conor O’Sullivan (15) and Kilkenny man John Sheridan (57).

The charges related to the period 2001-2002 at the East Clinic in Killaloe.

Speaking to reporters after the brief hearing, Mr Carmody, with an address at Ballycuggeran, Killaloe, said the last nine years had been “stressful and expensive”.

He said, “It has been catastrophic. There’s no point in saying it hasn’t been catastrophic. It has been. Okay, I’m a strong man and I can carry it, but it was continuous. It was going on and on. It went on far too long. I will face a trial. I will face any charge and I can take my beating if I’m wrong. But to be taken through the courts three times on evidence that Judge Fullam said was so weak it would be dangerous to progress. I knew that from beginning but why or who or what motive was behind or who was behind it, I don’t know. There was some force behind it that wasn’t motivated by the right circumstances”

Mr Carmody also revealed that he had spent between two and three million euros legal fees since the process began.

Asked if the end of the prosecutions against him had restored his reputation, Mr Carmody said, “It will have to. I’m totally vindicated. I spent over 100 days in court in total. There was no conviction against me. There were 46 charges originally. Not one charge was proven so therefore I feel I am totally vindicated. My work was not in any way wrong. I feel I can now move forward and get on with my life.”

A FATHER drove a car the wrong way around a roundabout nine times in the centre of Ennis last year, ramming into vehicles including a Garda car, a court has heard.

Bernie McDonagh Snr (46) was the driver of the car that contained a 10-year-old boy strapped into a rear seat of the car. He crashed into three vehicles including a Garda car and attempted to run over three men who fled a Hiace van in terror.

Astonishing details of a violent public order disturbance that occurred at the Maid of Érin, Ennis, on October 14 (2012), were heard at Clare Circuit Criminal Court on Friday. The court was told that a garda was used as a human shield between a man and a 16-year-old boy carrying a hatchet. Martin Doherty grabbed Garda Martin O’Brien (Ennis) to use him as “shield” as the boy brandished the hatchet, the court heard. The teenager dropped the weapon after he was pepper sprayed.

The violence witnessed at the Maid of Érin last October was sparked by an alleged incident at a wedding in Ennis some days earlier. A garda has spoken of how her “life was turned upside down” after the reckless actions of the driver on the Maid of Érin roundabout, an incident she thinks about every day since.

“It was my belief that I was going to be seriously or fatally injured,” she told the court. Garda Marie Burke said in her six years as a garda she had never seen anyone behave in such a reckless manner, adding it was a “miracle” that nobody was killed.