Category: News

DI RECTOR of Ser vices Ger Dollard is rounding up the t roops as the battle for tour ism prominence for the upcoming Brian Bor u Millennial Celebrations begins.

With Clontarf also closely linked to the historical Ir ish figure, it is his homeland of County Clare and Killaloe that plan to be central to the 2014 celebrations and al ready tourism groups from all over t he county have met to discuss a count ywide plan.

“The council has also commenced engagement with other bodies including Waterways Ireland and does see potential for the promotion of this celebration utilising the nor t h-sout h st r uct ure that exist,” said Mr Dol lard agreeing that the event has real tourism potential.

“Effor ts are also being made to have the event recognised at na- tional level in terms of var ious funding at other suppor t schemes,” he said.

The council official was responding to Cll r Pat Burke (FG) at last evening’s meeting of the council, who asked that the council set up a similar st r ucture as is being used for the Gat heri ng to build a county celebration.

He also asked t hat the programme of events be considered in the preparation of t he council budget of 2014.

The membership of the group al ready involved in drawing up the plans for Clare are Shannon Development, East Clare Heritage Centre, Killaloe Ballina 2014, Ennis Town Counci l, Scat ter y Island Group, Shannon Heritage, Clare Librar y Service, Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience, Clare Local Development Company, Nor th Tipperar y Leader Par tnership and Clare County Council.

DISABLED people in Clare believe that they are being lined up for major funding cuts in this year’s budget – and that a survey commissioned by the Department of Health will be used to justify these cuts.

The survey, which was commissioned by the Department of Health as part of the public consultation into the future Mobility Allowance and Motorised Transport Grant, has been completed by scores of disabled people in Clare over the past two weeks.

According to disabled campaigner Dermot Hayes, the survey has been designed in such a way as will help the Department of Health justify future cuts to disabled people.

“The question which concerned us most was in relation to the mobility allowance. It seemed like the survey was guiding people to a particular answer, and it seems to me that that answer could be used to justify taking the allowance off us down the line,” he said.

“We were asked a lot of questions about public transport but many of the disabled [Clare] people taking this survey are living in an area where they would never see a bus. That’s the reality for a lot of these people.

“I thought that the whole way that the survey was concocted was outlandish – it is like they were trying to trick people into answering questions in a way that suits themselves. We are really worried about how this survey will be used down the line and how the responses will be analyses and presented.

“At the moment I think [disabled] people are scared. They don’t want to complain for fear of what might happen to them if they do. People are just about surviving and it seems that more cuts are being lined up.”

The survey also asks people to rate what level of disability is most de- serving of the transportation grants. This could be used by the department to divide the disabled community in Clare – and justify the removal of the transportation grants from people with less profound disabilities.

A public meeting for disabled people and their family will take place at the West County in Clare this Friday, May 24 from 10.30am to 1pm.

Guest speaker for the event will be Martin Naughton, activist and member of the Motorised Grant Department Review Group, disabled campaigner Leigh Gath and local disabled campaigners Thomas Connole and Ann Marie Flanagan.

THE homeless Czech national who has been described as “a real legend of a man” who died on the streets of Ennis after living in a public toilet in the town is finally being laid to rest this week. Fifty-two-year-old Josef Pavelka is to be buried in Drumcliffe Cemetery this Tuesday, following the removal of his remains to Ennis Cathedral on Monday evening where he was received by Fr Ger Fitzgerald. This final resting place for Mr Pavelka comes over two weeks after he died after efforts to repatriate the man’s body to his native country failed. With the help of the Czech Embassy in Dublin and Interpol, contact was made with a daughter and sister of Mr Pavelka concerning the repa- triation of the body.

However, his family members confirmed that they did not want his remains returned.

The remains of Mr Pavelka have remained at the morgue at the Midwest Regional Hospital in Limerick since his death on May 4 in a laneway just off O’Connell Street in Ennis.

“The people of Ennis will be delighted to hear they will be able to pay their respects to Josef as we have had numerous requests from people over the last 10 days asking will he be laid to rest here,” said Administrator of Ennis Parish.

“Josef was a believer and a churchgoer and he probably knew more people in Ennis than he did in his na- tive place,” he added.

Along with his friend, 35-year-old Polish national Piotr Baram, Mr Pavelka’s plight received national attention when district court judge, Patrick Durkan, said it was a scandal that he was living in a public toilet in the Market area of Ennis.

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THE upgrade and facelift of Francis Street in Kilrush in time for the National Famine Commemoration cost the local town council € 109,000.

Kilrush Town Clerk John Corry explained that the funding was setaside in this year’s budget and the upgrade was to take place as part of the 2013 road works.

“I had heard figures bandied about that it cost the council € 200,000 to upgrade Francis Street. It cost € 109,000,” he said.

Council workers ensured that the work was completed in time for the Famine Commemoration on May 12.

The total budget for the road’s programme for this year is € 115,000.

Each year a substantial amount of the funding goes to one particular project.

The council decided that the town’s widest street would be upgraded for 2013.

Reservations have been raised however that the council will leave itself short for any remedial or repair works it may have to carry out in the town as a result of another bad winter.

Mr Corry said the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government has already given the local authority permission to use development contributions if such a case arises.

Complaints about the layout of parking on the street have also been made.

New white lines drawn up as part of the upgrade make for very tight parking spaces according to motorists.

Cllr Liam Williams (FG) said that the spaces at the top of Francis Street, from the post office towards the marina, are particularly tight.

Cllr Tom Prendeville (FF) said he witnessed a situation where a woman could not get out of her car when it was parked outside the bank.

She was parked correctly as were the drivers in neighbouring spaces but the markings were too close together to allow people to exit their cars.

A NORTH Clare committee has been set up to organise local opposition to the construction of massive twin fish farms off the Fanore coast. This follows a meeting in Ballyvaughan last Friday night, which attracted more than 100 concerned locals as well as people from as far away as Cork.

Details of the local committee will be formalised in the coming week an organised opposition to the fish farm is likely to intensify this month. Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), the state agency who are behind the development, were invited to send a representative to the meeting but were unable to do so.

Representatives of Clare TD’s Pat Breen (FG) and Michael McNamara (LAB) attended the meeting but the North Clare group expressed its dis- appointment that none of the county Dáil representatives were there in person.

“We are setting up a local committee later this week and we will be following up on everything that was said at the meeting. Pat Breen and Michael McNamara both sent representatives to the meeting. Many of the politicians in Galway, including the mayor, have come out publicly against the farm, so it was a shame that none of our local representative could be there in person. But maybe they can come on board in the future,” said a North Clare committee spokesperson.

“There was more than 100 people there at the meeting and not one them was in favour of the fish farm. There was a lot from North Clare but we had people from all over the west coast. There is now an issue for anyone along the western seaboard.

“This concerns everyone involved in who lives along the coast. It is not just the commercial fishermen, it’s people who are involved in the tourist industry – it’s all of us really.

“We invited the BIM and it was a shame that they could not get a representative there. They contact us at the eleventh hour and said that they would meet us if we cancelled the meeting and held it again on another day.”

CLARE County Manager, Tom Coughlan, has been appointed to the board of the new Shannon Airport Authority. Mr Coughlan is one of two new appointments to the SAA board, the move coming on the back of Clare County Council being a staunch supporter of the airport being given its independence from the Dublin Airport Authority.

Mr Coughlan’s appointment to the board, along with that of Tony Brazil of Limerick Travel, came into effect this Tuesday and completed the new SAA board.

“I welcome these appointments as they bring additional and relevant experience and expertise to the board,” said chairman of the SAA, Rose Hynes.

“Tony Brazil’s knowledge of all aspects of the tourism industry will be extremely valuable as we continue to grow passenger services at Shannon Airport. Tom Coughlan’s dynamism and energy as manager of Clare County Council, and his focus in that role on regional development and promotion, will also be a very positive addition to the board.

“I look forward to working with both of them towards delivering further on Shannon’s potential as a key economic driver for the wider region,” she added.

Mr Coughlan’s appointment honours a commitment given by Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar that there would be local authority involvement in the new Shannon Airport. As county manager, he as been in the vanguard of Clare County Council’s support of Shannon during and after the process that brought about its independence from the DAA.

“We are ready, willing and able to work with NEWCO and work with whoever we have to work with to try and make this a success,” he said when independence was finaly granted last December. “I think it can be the new start for Shannon – I think it has to be the new start because we cannot stay where we are. We have to make a new start, we have to move on from where we are. I very much echo the sentiment that doing nothing was not an option,” he added.

BUSINESSES are to be consulted on plans to increase use of the River Fergus and turn Ennis into Ireland’s Venice.

Proposals for boat tours and horse drawn carriages were discussed at the May meeting of Ennis Town Council.

In a motion, Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said in order to capitalise on the popularity of the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival, Ennis must be promoted as Ireland’s premier romance town.

He called on the council to draft byelaws to permit and regulate horse drawn Jarveys in and around the town centre.

He also called for permits to allow for gandelow journeys on the River Fergus from Knox’s Bridge to Steele’s Rock.

The meeting heard that gandelows are boats traditional to the Shannon and Fergus estuary. Cllr Flynn told the meeting that the opening of the Wild Atlantic Way would create tourism opportunities for Ennis. However he warned that there was a danger Ennis could also be bypassed if tourists are not given enough reasons to visit the town.

Cllr Flynn said there are three gandelows in Clarecastle and that members of the Fergus Rowers club are interested in getting involved in the initiative.

Cllr Paul O’Shea (Lab) described the proposal as “innovative”.

Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Peter Considine (FF) welcomed the initiative, saying, “Anything we can do to enhance tourism in the town should be accepted.”

In response to Cllr Flynn’s motion, town clerk Leonard Cleary states, “Ennis Town Council will discuss this proposal with Promote Ennis to establish if the business community would be interested in investing in such a project. If the business community would be interested investing in such a project. If the project were feasible, Ennis Town Council could research byelaws based on best established practice in other towns.”

Town manager Ger Dollard said the council would first have to see “workable solutions” before byelaws could be drafted. Mr Dollard added, “It would be premature until we have some discussions as to how it would work.”

A CLARE local development company that has invested € 86.5 million in the county over two decades has described Government plans to dissolve it as little more than a “grab” for its resources. Clare Local Development Company (CLDC) has hit out at plans to give local authorities control of community-led programmes, such as LEADER.

CEO of CLDC Doirin Graham said, “There is no credible justification for this change other than a grab for the resources of LEADER. Minister [Phil] Hogan has failed to back up his contention that a local authority-led model will deliver a better service to the public and will save money.”

According to figures released yesterday (Monday), almost 1,200 local businesses and community projects have benefited from communityled development funding, totalling € 86.5 million since the first LEADER contract was awarded in Clare in 1992. During this time, 1, 550 jobs have been created or sustained and training provided to 3,000 people in County Clare. A further 250 people were assisted into employment.

Further spin off jobs, especially in the building sectors, were created locally as many of the projects required buildings or outdoor areas.

Currently the company in Clare employs 68 people on a wide range of programmes, including LEADER, Local Community Development Programme, Rural Recreation Local Training Initiatives and community work schemes.

This year, the company will also be responsible for the employment of a further 312 people on community work placement schemes including, Community Employment, the Rural Social Scheme and Tús.

CLDC has vowed to “fight tooth and nail” against Minister Phil Hogan’s proposed local government reforms, which would allow new County Council-led bodies replace local development companies as the organisations responsible for LEADER and other local development programmes. It also rejected what it described as “efforts by the Minister to discredit the contribution made by local development companies and their staff across the country”.

“Our organisation has 21 years experience of bottom-up development, a huge voluntary input, strong relationships with communities and people on the ground, and provides better value for money,” said Ms Graham.

“The European Commission and the OECD have praised Ireland’s local development organisations strongly for their ability to deliver EU supports and policies on the ground. CLDC and the 49 other Local Development Companies around the country will fight the Minister’s proposal tooth and nail.”

THE people of Kilrush did themselves, their county and the nation proud on Sunday as they led the National Famine Memorial Day Commemoration.

As many as 3,000 people braved the elements that reflected the mood of the time being commemorated, better than the time of year.

As dark grey clouds gathered overhead the Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht and chairman of the National Famine Commemoration Committee Jimmy Deenihan walked through Francis Street and on to the newly constructed stage, accompanied by military honours.

He told the people it was a “fitting tribute” to host the national commemoration in the town of Kilrush, a town that suffered most during the famine.

Then thousands of cameras and camera phones were sent into over drive as the man described by earlier speakers as a man “coming home”, President of Ireland Michael D Higgins, made his way through the wide street accompanied by his wife Sabina.

Overhead residents of Francis Street looked out of their upstairs windows, and from that premier vantage point saw military honours, the presidential salute and the inspection of Captain’s Guard of Honour, 1 Infantry Battalion, 1 Brigade take place below.

Despite the large crowd spanning in age from three to 93 and the howling winds sending a haunting whistle through the town, respect was shown at all times for the ceremony which took more than three hours.

The local community for its part of the ceremony, provided a poignant and appropriate mix of song, poetry, readings, music and drama.

PJ Murphy’s ‘West Clare Famine Song’ opened the platform for readings by Mayor of Kilrush Mairead O’Brien and Mayor of Clare Pat Daly from the ‘Illustrated London News’.

Dr Ciarán Ó Murchadha then read the poem ‘An Droch Shaol i gCill Ruis’, which was followed by a memorable performance by Crack’d Spoon Theatre Company.

Prayers for the victims of the Great Famine were led by leading members of the different churches, with those of all denominations and none answering “Amen” for the call for no more hunger and pain.

As Imam Sheikh Hussein Halawa finished the prayer service with some verses from the Koran, a large and unexpected wind blew up from the Marina causing the flag at half-mast to flap so hard it almost sounded like it was applauding the prayers.

A performance of ‘Lone Shanakyle’ by local woman Assumpta Kennedy was followed by a reflection read by Aideen Henry of the Humanist Association of Ireland, and then the rain came in.

The crowd huddled together under umbrellas, hats and plastic ponchos, and no one complained.

A people renowned for whinging about the weather stayed still and silent, with the evidence surrounding them reminding them that things could and have been worse.

A commemorative dance piece by Banner Productions encouraged the rain to stop for a short while, as the people peeked out again to see local talent represent them on a national stage.

And then the president spoke. For 23 minutes he recalled the horrors West Clare had suffered in the Great Irish Famine, and reminded those present that their ancestors had lived and died in one of the three places worst affected by it.

“Today, we particularly remember the victims of this great tragedy in our history who hailed from Kilrush and its environs, and indeed from the province of Munster as a whole. Along with Connacht, Munster was severely impacted by An Gorta Mór. When the Famine ended, it had lost the greatest number of people of any province through death and emigration. A contributing factor to this outcome was that famine conditions were sustained throughout Munster for five years or more,” he said.

“Within Munster, the county of Clare was the most severely affected during the Famine and Kilrush shares the unhappy distinction of being one of the three areas worst hit by death, disease and evictions. In fact, it is estimated that Kilrush lost 50 per cent of its population between 1846 and 1851. It is very fitting therefore that we should gather today in Kilrush to honour the memory of its Famine victims. I wish to thank the people of Kilrush for so generously hosting us and for all the effort, care and imagination they have invested in this solemn national commemoration.

“Many of our Irish people died believing that their lives were of no value; that they counted for nothing. By our presence here today, we honour their lives, we remember their suffering and we grieve for them all,” he concluded.

The President then planted a tree and unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion.

The state commemoration took over from the community at approximately 4.30pm, and the crowd stood in silence for another half an hour.

During this time the Head Chaplin of the Defence Forces Monsignor Eoin Thynne led prayers followed by the piper’s lament.

The President then laid the rememberance wreath.

Afterwards 36 ambassadors from all over the world lay their own wreaths of remembrance.

A minute’s silence was observed as thousands of people continued to defy the blustering wind and rain.

The National Famine Commemoration in Kilrush then concluded with the national anthem as the national flag was raised to full mast.

PRESIDENT of Ireland Michael D Higgins praised the work of the people in West Clare who worked to prepare for the National Famine Commemoration.

Speaking after the event from Glynn’s Mills, he described the performances by the local people as “a very fine production by the people of Kilrush”.

He paid special tribute to the drama piece, which had brought a tear to his wife’s eye.

“Sabina’s training is in the theatre and she is a founding member of the Focus Theatre with Deirdre O’Connell, and she identifies very clearly with it. That was a very moving piece. The [piece] about the eviction scene and the starvation scene was also very realistic. It is just simply a fact,” he said.

The president had spent almost an hour meeting with local people, hav- ing his photograph taken and signing copies of the Commemoration booklet.

“It was a great pleasure to come down to Clare. Earlier I was over in Carrigoran in the parish of Newmarket where I spent a long time,” he told reporters, referring to his childhood home.

The President who received his primary and secondary school education in Clare was well informed of its famine history.

“Clare had a particularly bad time with the famine because the blight lasted into the sixth year, and that meant you were still losing people. I think the deaths in Kilrush in one 18-month period were about 1,400 or 1,500. I remember seeing it when I looked at the figures over in Ennistymon,” he said.

“At one stage the two work houses in Kilrush and Ennistymon, the number in the workhouse exceeded the number in the population. And then in five years Kilrush itself lost 50 per cent of its population, but obviously for those who survived who are related this is very, very important event in terms of collective memory,” he added refereeing to information supplied to him by the Kilrush and District Historical Society.

“And then there are those who left and some of those would have died on the way to North America. If they were heading for the Canadian ports they were probably at far greater risks.

“Really in a curious way, I made reference in my own speech, that the ‘London Times’ was often unsympathetic during the middle of the famine, but 20 years afterwards said how a great mistake had been made, because now the Irish were in the country that was one of the most powerful in the world, and they would never let people forget the famine and who was responsible for it,” said the president.