Category: News

A CROWDED field is developing within Fianna Fáil as competition between would be candidates intensifies ahead of next year’s local elections in the Ennis electoral area. The Cla re People has learned that as many as 11 people are keen to put their name forward for the candidate selection process at the party’s convention later this year.

Three current Fianna Fáíl councillors – Mayor of Clare Pat Daly, Tom McNamara and the former Green Party councillor Brian Meaney – are expected to seek the party nomination.

It is not known yet whether or not current Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Peter Considine (FF) will seek to stand for election in 2014.

Thereafter a number of other potential candidates with strong Fianna Fáil connections are also understood to be keen on having their name on the ballot paper next year.

Former Mayor of Ennis and member of Ennis Town Council, Joe Reidy, former member of Clare County Council, Bernard Hanrahan and Garrett Greene, a former local election candidate are among the established Fianna Fáíl names seeking the backing of party at the convention.

Eoin Neylon, a member of the Fianna Fáil national executive and former garda seargent and All-Ireland winning Clare Intermediate hurling manager Kevin Kennedy are also strongly rumoured to be interested in putting themselves forward for the party selection process.

A senior party source says Fianna Fáíl is actively headhunting a high profile female candidate ahead of the introduction of a quota system in the next general election.

Fianna Fáíl has not yet decided whether to field four or five candidates in Ennis.

The party is considering the implications of the revised local election boundaries which were published earlier this month and a decision on the number of candidates is not expected to be taken until the party convention which is expected to take place later this summer.

The source said that competition within the party is expected to be fierce. He explained, “Its crazy at the moment. There are a lot of names out there.

“There are only going to four or five positions available so it’s going to be a right bottleneck with so many outgoing councillors as well. There seems to be the most competition for places in Ennis”.

The eventual candidates will battle for eight seats in the Ennis area.

A SUNNY June has already seen a much need boost to the Kilkee tourism trade, and the party mood will continue this weekend as The Kilkee Bay hotel is officially reopened under new ownership by Clare football manager and Kerry great Mick O’Shea.

Owner JJ McCabe said he is looking forward to the opening and the new venture in the hotel business.

The hotel has already been open to the public for two weeks, with a good trade reported.

A champagne reception, food, music and dance planned for Saturday night will be the icing on the cake for the millionaire owner Mr McCabe.

The Clarecastle farmer, hotelier and businessman purchased the 41bed hotel on the entrance road to the seaside town in March, creating more than a dozen local jobs.

The 74-year-old purchased the west Clare hotel for € 320,000 – € 5,000 over the initial reserve and has since invested a quarter of a million euro in upgrading the property.

As well as providing accommodation to visitors and tourists, Mr Mc – Cabe said there will be entertainment at the hotel every weekend, including live bands and discos.

Mr McCabe, who’s land sold for € 18.8 million in the biggest deal in Clare during the property boom, also has property in France.

He has also run as an independent candidate in local and general elections in Clare, but has ruled out returning to politics.

CLARECASTLE based Acquired Brain Injury Ireland (ABI) has been named the overall national winner of the Ulster Bank Achievers Awards’ Social Enterprise category.

Judges described ABI as an organisation that positively impacts the community, generating an outcome with a long-term benefit.

Driven by social innovation and structured as a business model, Acquired Brain Injury Ireland provides community based neuro-rehabilitation services to those who have acquired a brain injury.

ABI Irelands residential assisted living service, and community ABI service, is based in Clarecastle, providing personalised quality rehabilitation and support following a brain injury.

Founded in 2000, in direct response to a personal need for an acquired brain injury service for her brother Peter Bradley, CEO Barbara O’ Connell, her husband Maurice and members of the Bradley family set up Ac- quired Brain Injury Ireland; ensuring people with a brain injury could live a meaningful life at home in their community.

Ms O’Connell who received the award on behalf of the organisation said;

“This award is a huge honour for Acquired Brain Injury Ireland.

“I accepted it humbly as recognition for the inspiring personal achievements of the people who access our services, and also in acknowledgement of the dedication and commitment of all ABI Ireland staff who work continually to advocate on behalf of our service users every day.”

“People with ABI often look normal, but can have hidden problems which mean they cannot resume their previous lives.

“We tailor our services around the individual and their family to support them through the journey of rebuilding a meaningful life for themselves.

“Believing there is a better way, is the passion behind any successful social enterprise.

“At ABI Ireland we have seen the remarkable impact and long term benefits that can be achieved through neuro-rehabilitation; for us that’s our return on investment,” said Ms O’ Connell.

Approximately 13,000 people acquire a head injury in Ireland each year.

The severity of brain damage can vary with the type of brain injury.

With the support of the HSE, ABI Ireland has grown to provide a wide range of supports and services to people with ABI nationwide.

It has 235 staff and over 40 services throughout Ireland.

A MILTOWN Malbay supermarket is to open this week creating up to 90 local jobs. Jones’s SuperValu on the Ennis Road will become one of the biggest employers locally when it opens its doors tomorrow (Wednesday). John and Claire Jones have already employed 50 full time staff to work at the € 4 million supermarket. Plans are also in place to employ a further 20 part time staff at the 10,000 square metre shop in the coming months and 20 more full time staff within the year. Employing staff for the West Clare business was a long process with Mr Jones receiving 500 job applications. Leading the team will be Nathan Mhar (sic) who has seven-year experience working as an assistant manager for other Super Valu, before securing the top job in Miltown Malbay. “We are delighted we have come to this stage,” said Mr Jones who also owns the Centre shop in the town. He told The Clare People that 95 per cent of the staff were local with the remaining staff coming from elsewhere in the county. “Obviously we would like to take on more but for now all of the jobs are full time,” he added. The town’s first ever playground will open adjacent to the supermarket next week, with an Astro turf pitch also part of the project. This community part of the development was built as part of the supermarket with LEADER support funding. “I would like to thank all the local community for their patience in waiting for the shop,” said Mr Jones. “There seems to be a lot of local excitement about the opening and I am sure there will be a spin off benefit for the local community.” Jones’s Centra on Church Street, Miltown Malbay will also remain open.

MAYOR of Clare Cllr Pat Daly (FF) appealed to the business community and fellow Local Authority mayors in the West of Ireland to support Shannon Airport’s position as the Region’s ‘transatlantic airport’.

The appeal was part of the swan song by Ennisman Pat Daly as he prepares to step down as mayor of the county next week.

Under a cross party agreement within the council, Fine Gael Councillor Joe Arkins is expected to take the chair next week and the council winds down to a local election next year.

During his final speech in the chair last evening Cllr Daly said, “the onus is on the people of Clare and beyond to support the airport and ensure its growth into the future.”

Mayor Daly confirmed he would be writing to the Mayors of the Local Authorities in the West of Ireland urging them to actively support and promote Shannon Airport as the Region’s transatlantic airport.

He also issued an appeal to businesses in County Clare and surrounding areas, particularly those which engage in business outside Ireland and those in the tourism sector, to include a direct link or reference to the Shannon Airport website from their websites, email accounts and letterheads.

“The separation of Shannon Airport from the DAA has provided added impetus in relation to efforts to source new business. While attending the launch of United Airline’s summer service between Shannon and Chicago last Friday, I noticed a distinct change in atmosphere at the airport which can only be attributed to an operation that has a restored sense of confidence and purpose.”

THREE Shannon dolphins, who captured the publics imagination earlier this year when they took up residence in shallow waters close to Bunratty, were discovered safe and well over the weekend.

The Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation (SDWF) have been attempting to locate the dolphins since they were last sighted in Bunratty in April.

The “Bunratty Three” were spotted by a monitored dolphin tour boat in the deep water of the Shannon Estuary on Friday.

The dolphins were last spotted in Bunratty on April 13 and the SDWF and other dolphin group were keen to confirm that they had managed to reconnect with their main Dolphin population.

“The SDWF carry out annual monitoring of the dolphins from dolphin tour boats operating from Kilrush and Carrigaholt, and during dedicat- ed boat transects,” said a spokesperson from SDWF.

“During the first monitoring trip from Kilrush this week, three dolphins were recorded by the SDWF. Each dolphin in this small, discrete population is important and it is reassuring to know that the ‘Bunratty Three’ are healthy and have rejoined the Shannon population.”

Thousands of people traveled to see the dolphins during their two week long stay in Bunratty earlier this year.

It was originally thought that the dolphins were trapped in the shallow water in Bunratty and were unable to swim underneath a nearby bridge because of the sound of heavy traffic.

A rescue attempt was planned but an expert assessment of the dolphins condition revealed that the animals were in good condition and in no immediate danger.

The dolphins eventually left the shallow estuary but were unaccounted for for the three months leading up to last weeks confirmed sighting.

THE HSE reported it repaired an open gully adjacent to a disabled parking space at a health clinic after a man fell and hurt his ankle two weeks ago.

Tom Clifford from Killaloe was attending the clinic on Bindon Street, Ennis with his wife who is a wheelchair user when the incident happened. Mr Clifford, who is also co chair of the Mid West regional Hospital Limerick Hospital Patient Forum described how he parked in the disabled space and went around to the back of the car to retrieve his wife’s wheelchair from the boot.

“There was a part of the ground which I thought was just covered in leaves, but when I stood on it I discovered it was covering a hole as I fell,” explained Mr Clifford who hurt his ankle in the incident.

He said he then went into the HSE clinic with his wife and reported the incident.

“I was told by staff that they were aware of the issue,” he said.

On leaving the clinic Mr Clifford moved the car forward of the parking space before attempting to put the wheelchair back in the boot.

He slipped again, this time on depressions in the parking space and hurt his hip.

“I have a sprained ankle and my hip is very sore and I have lost two nights sleep,” Mr Clifford said.

He told the Clare People that he was not going to sue the HSE over the incident but believed it needed to be rectified as soon as possible.

“If a disabled person with some mobility had driven into that space and fell while attempting to get their wheelchair, they would not have been able to get themselves back up. They would be left there for a long time because they would be hidden from public view behind the car,” added Mr Clifford who also works in the disability sector.

In response to a query from The Clare People a HSE spokesperson said, “Remedial action has been taken to cover the gulley/drainage area and to improve the general surface of the parking space area” following an investigation of the condition of the parking space.

“The above incident was reported by telephone on May 27, 2013 to the HSE offices. We were advised that a man had slipped into a drainage area that was covered with leaves and hurt his ankle when parked in the Disabled Parking Space at Ennis Health Centre while attending an appointment with his wife. He requested attention to the problem to avoid a further incident of this nature,” she said. She added that no previous incident of this nature had been reported.

“Existing Ramp Access into the Health Centre is currently under review and an upgrade design scheme will be developed over the next few months,” she concluded.

A COROFIN actress has won a starring role in a new feature film, set to start shooting later this month. Fresh from her success in the All Ireland Drama Awards last month, Maura Clancy, will feature in a big screen adaptation of the 2013 novel ‘A Nightingale Falling’ by Kilnaboy writer and broadcaster, PJ Curtis.

The film explores the difficulty faced by many southern Irish Protestants during the Irish War of Independence. Though a work of fiction, the novel was inspired by a family who lived close to PJ in North Clare.

“The genesis of the story begins here [in Kilnaboy], where there were two Protestant sister who came under some suspicion and even some ostracisation during the Irish War of Independence,” he said.

“It was a very difficult time for the Protestant Irish living in Ireland. They were perceived as being sympathetic, if not in down right in cahoots with the British Army and later the Black and Tans.

“This was the inspiration for my story and the idea grew from there. One of the sisters in the story wakes up one morning and there is a body of an almost dead soldier on her doorstep. They take him indoors and set about doing the best they can for him. As they nurse him back to health they realise that they are in a bit of a dilemma – if they give him back to the army, they know that the IRA will hear about it, but if they give him to the IRA, then the Black and Tans will see to him. So they are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.”

The film features and impressive cast including Tara Breathnach, Muireann Bird and Gerard McCarthy and will begin shooting next month in Offaly. Tara is currently starring in The Last Days of Anne Boleyn on BBC2, Muireann Bird has just completed a UK and Irish tour of Brian Friel’s Translations and Gerard McCarthy is currently on our screens in the hugely successful BBC series The Fall.

The film is scheduled to be completed in 2014.

ONE Ennis businessman who has adapted to changing consumer trends says retailers must work together to develop a successful “culture of late opening” in Ennis.

David Woodford operated the wellknown Record Rack store in lower market street for 28 years. But with the decline in CD sales, he switched from music to tourist-based arts and crafts.

Mr Woodford told a meeting that the Irish Shop now regularly stays open to accommodate tourists returning to Ennis from day trips.

Speaking at a meeting in Ennis on Thursday night, he said businesses must “adapt” to customer needs.

He continued, “We need to give customers a broader timescale in which to shop. When it comes to choosing what nights to open late. Probably Tuesday is our best late night for shopping possibly with flights coming in and out of Shannon, that might be the case. My own feeling on it is that if we are to try this, and people may groan at this, I would suggest we try it every night.

“From a tourist’s perspective they don’t really come back into town ‘til around 5.30pm because they are out on daytrips. When they arrive back into town, the town is closing.”

Mr Woodford said Ennis could attract more shoppers if it developed a well-known “culture of late opening”.

He explained, “I’ve heard it said that for certain trades its not worth doing. For example, a hardware shop, they might not benefit from tourists. The fact of the matter is that we all need to do it together. If the town develops a culture of late opening and it becomes known that Ennis is open late, I think it’s only natural that the locals would start coming into town. We would all have to work together. People would also come in from the surrounding areas if they knew the town was open late.”

These sentiments were shared by Mike Buckley, a former President of Killarney Chamber of Commerce. Mr Buckley said Killarney worked hard over 20 years to become one of the busiest tourist towns in the country. He said co-operation between various business and volountary sectors and local authorities meant the town could effectively be “customised” to attract large business conferences or tourist groups. He said, “The whole town buys into it. That’s the secret. It creates a feel good factor and people will come back to Ennis.”

team. “They have a policy they work with and we couldn’t meet that target,” he admitted.