Category: News

A CARPENTER caught with drugs valued at € 356,000 near Barefield last year turned to crime to pay off debts to financial institutions and drug dealers, a court has heard.

Trevor Gargan (31) with an address at 179 Cregayn Street, Belfast, Antrim, is beginning a jail term after being convicted at Ennis Circuit Criminal Court yesterday.

He had pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis which had a market value that exceeded € 13,000 at Ballymaconna, Barefield on February 22 (2012). He also pleaded guilty to having cannabis resin for purposes of sale or supply on the same date and at the same location.

The court heard that the cannabis found in Mr Gargan’s car was valued at € 325, 522. Cannabis resin valued at € 29,000 was also discovered in the car, the court heard.

The court heard that Mr Gargan told gardaí that he was transporting the drugs to pay off debts of between € 1.2 million and € 1.3 million owed to a financial institution.

A family friend told the court that Mr Gargan borrowed money to invest in property development in South Kildare in 2005. The court heard Mr Gargan moved to Northern Ireland to declare himself bankrupt.

A native of Maynooth, Mr Gargan also told gardaí that he owed € 18,000 to drug dealers and that he would have received € 500 for transporting the drugs.

Detective Garda Seamus McMahon told the court Mr Gargan told gardaí that he feared his family’s life were in danger.

“He told us, ‘I owe dangerous people € 18,000. I can’t say more than that.” Mr Gargan has no previous convictions. Counsel for Mr Gargan, David Sutton SC, told the court, that the accused became involved in drug dealing when his life came under threat.

He added, “This is a desperate man engaged in a desperate offence”

Mr Sutton described his client’s predicament as one of the “sad flotsam of the Celtic Tiger. This is a desperate man.”

Judge Carroll Moran noted Mr Gargan’s previous good character. He said that while the extent of the accused’s involvement was unclear, he was dealing in illicit contraband.

He described the value of the drugs as “colossal”. He imposed a four-year sentence, concurrent on both counts.

THE world’s most powerful figures in the field of climate change, including special advisor to Barack Obama Professor Daniel Schrag, will gather in Ballyvaughan later this month for a top-level meeting on the future of the worlds climate.

The Climate Gathering is a closed meeting of experts and government advisors and also includes Head of the European Climate Commissioner, Peter Vis, advisor to the French President Francois Hollande, Marie- Hélène Aubert as well as former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson.

The meeting will take place at the Burren College of Art between February 14 and 17 and is part of a new approach being taken to the development of the college, entitled ‘A Burren Call’. The Burren Calls is a new project which hopes to establish Ballyvaughan as a centre for new ideas and creative thinking on complex local and international issues.

The project started last year with the formation of a community thinktank to tackle local issues in North Clare and the Climate Gathering is its most ambitious event to date. The hope is that the unique atmosphere of the Burren coupled with the creative atmosphere of the college itself will help create at atmosphere for creative thinking and invention.

The Climate Gathering is being convened by Green Part leader Eamon Ryan.

“We were told we would never get the right people to furthest West Clare, in the middle of deep midwinter, but they are now coming. They are doing so because they share our conviction that Ireland could be at the cutting edge of thinking on cli- mate change and because it is just the place to advance creative thinking on the issue,” he said.

“They are coming because what we have to offer is different. Rather than seven-star hype and over-thetop security they will receive the sort of genuine Irish hospitality that sets up a safe space for dialogue. The fact that such talks will take place in a beautiful landscape may help us address the key question as to how we can inspire people with the belief that a transformational leap to a cleaner economy is both possible and preferable.”

PARTNERSHIPS between local authorities, the business sector and the emergency services has been highlighted as the key factor in Ennis’ successful Purple Flag application, details of which were announced yesterday.

Ennis has become the first town in Ireland to earn the international award, which aims to broaden the appeal of night time destinations.

Ennis and Dublin’s Business Improvement District were yesterday named recipients of the Purple Flag, an award handed out by the Association of Town Centre Management (ATCM) in England. It is hoped the award will help enhance Ennis’ appeal as a tourism destination.

According to the judging panel, a key part of the success of both the Dublin and Ennis applications for this award was the partnership approach taken by Ennis Town Council, Promote Ennis, Shannon Development, Ennis Gardaí and the business community represented by Ennis Chamber and Ennis taxis.

The Purple Flag accreditation required excellence in the area of five criteria. The town centre that receives the award must score highly in wellbeing (safety and cleanliness), movement (traffic flow and public transport), broad appeal (appeal for people of all ages and interests), place (vitality and cultural stimulation), and policy envelope (clear aim).

In a statement, the Purple Flag judging panel stated, “The final criterion is the most important – policy and planning. A Purple Flag designated centre must have a clear sense of purpose and a plan for continued success. Dublin’s Creative Quarter and Dame District and Ennis fitted all five criteria perfectly and exemplify what it means to be a Purple Flag honouree.”

Brian O’Neill, Chairman of Promote Ennis, said, “We are delighted to be the first town in Ireland accredited with the prestigious international Purple Flag award proving Ennis’ claim to be the Friendliest Town in Ireland. It is a huge honour and credit to the town, the people of Ennis and Clare and our dynamic working group – a collaboration incorporating the Ennis’ business community, Ennis Town Council, Shannon Development and Ennis Gardaí. Visitors to the town can enjoy a vibrant, appealing, well-managed and safe evening and nighttime economy. This distinguished accreditation brings with it increased tourism potential for Ennis and ranks the county town among over 35 towns and cities in UK who are proudly flying Purple Flag, many of which have direct connections into Shannon Airport.”

Martin Blackwell, CEO, The Association of Town Centre Management UK, commented, “Analysis of visitor numbers in towns and cities that hold the Purple Flag status on average see a 10 per cent increase in footfall numbers and as a result this can lead to increased revenue for the area. With 35 cities in the UK holding the coveted status, Dublin and Ennis are the first locations outside of the UK to win the award. It’s a great achievement and we hope to see more towns and cities in Ireland following in their footsteps in the future.”

JUST three of Clare’s 32 county council members admitted this week that they are still considering whether or not they will contest the local election next year.

With just 15 months to go until what is likely to be one of the most hotly contested local elections, councillors are nervously awaiting the announcement of the Boundary Commission before they show their cards.

The majority of those who said they intend to run added an appendage to say that they could reconsider their decision after the new electoral areas in a significantly smaller council are announced this summer.

For the first time in the history of the State, there will be no town council elections, adding potentially 30 more experienced councillors to the race.

The county council is also expected to be reduced by four members to 28, adding to the pressure.

Among those admitting to not having their mind made up are Cllr Sonny Scanlon (FG), Michael Kelly (FF) and Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind).

The experienced politicians gave a mix of reasons – from the boundary, support from their respective parties and their health and interest come June 2014 – for their indecisiveness.

Among those adding a health warning to their own intentions to run was Cllr Tom McNamara (FF) who said, “I will leave it entirely up to the people of the party if they want me to stand again.”

Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) was also allowing for some divine intervention adding “the Lord willing” to his responses.

Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) warned that the new structure of electing local Government favoured political parties, and the delay in announcing the new boundary discouraged new blood from entering the race.

Not often in agreement on issues, Cllr Gerry Flynn (Ind) agreed with his Shannon colleague that the structure favoured the parties but, despite that, “his health allowing” he is going back on the hustings.

“I have been preparing for this election since the last election. I am a full-time representative,” he said.

And while the county councillors can afford to remain coy about their final decisions, it is the outgoing town councillors who will eventually become king-makers, as their potential entry to the county council race could see a lot of familiar face leaving the chamber whether they opt to or not.

At the time of press, The Clare People was unable to contact Cllr John Crowe and Cllr Oliver Garry for their responses.

A SUMMIT-LIKE meeting involving elected representatives, the gardaí and the HSE is to take place in Ennis in the wake of a demand from Ennis Town Council that benefit payments being given to perpetrators of antisocial behaviour be cut off as a matter of urgency.

The Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Peter Considine (FF), has been mandated by the nine-member Ennis Town Council authority to convene the meeting as a matter of urgency amid claims that anti-social behaviour in a number of housing estates in Ennis has got out of hand.

The matter was raised at the February monthly meeting of the town authority on Monday during a debate on the publication of the Estate Management Annual Report 2012.

This report revealed that the number of complaints made about anti-social behaviour dropped from 75 in 2011 to 44 in 2012. However, amid claims that people are afraid to report incidents of anti-social behaviour for fear of reprisals, the council are backing a proposal that the HSE be taken to task for “rewarding” anti-social behaviour.

“We have a very irresponsible HSE, where money is being given to tenants who are causing difficulty,” claimed former Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind).

“The HSE have to take something from this report. They can no longer be giving money out to anyone – they are giving money to people who are causing major difficulties inside in private estates. Someone has to take this on board.

“People are in major difficulties in trying to pay their mortgages and there is somebody living next door who is being subsidised by the health board making their lives very difficult. We are all aware of them.

“The health board have to be taken to task – it can’t continue to be supporting people who are anti-social, in rewarding people who are anti-social,” added Cllr Guilfoyle.

These words were echoed by Cllr Paul O’Shea (Ind), who said that “some of what’s going on in estates in Ennis is of national concern.

“The days are gone for discussing this anymore. We need some action on this. You, as mayor of this town, need to be calling a meeting with the HSE and the chief superintendent of the gardaí and with elected members to see how we can go forward.”

This meeting is set to be organised in the coming weeks.

THE fight against crime in Ennis has seen members of the local town council to give their backing to a proposal that aims to give an amnesty to everyone who hands over “offensive weapons” to the gardaí without fear of prosecution.

The call received the unanimous backing of members of Ennis Town Council on Monday and is now set to be taken to the floor of annual general meeting of the Clare Joint Policing Committee (JPC) that’s set to take place in the coming weeks.

Independent councillor Paul O’Shea, who is also chairman of the Ennis JPC, tabled the motion before the February meeting of the council. He called on the Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, to introduce a knife amnesty by providing secure bins to be placed at the public reception area of Ennis Garda Station where people could hand in their weapons. Continuing, he said the bins should also be placed in churches, supermarkets, schools and youth clubs.

“The amnesty should include offensive weapons such as flick knives, butterfly knives, swords and machetes,” said Cllr O’Shea.

“As late as last October we had an incident outside the Cathedral. Caches of weapons have discovered by gardaí year on year in our town. I think it is quite serious, and this gives people an opportunity to surrender their weapons,” he added

In calling for the amnesty to be introduced, Cllr O’Shea warned that the closure of garda stations in Clare could prompt a surge in people holding weapons to protect their properties and their person.

“With eight garda stations closing in Clare – and I believe there will be further closures – there is huge concern out there about future policing,” he said.

“People are going to be driven to have weapons to protect their properties,” he added.

“There mightn’t be too many weapons brought down to the barracks,” warned Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind). “I’d be inclined to keep a pick-axe to protect my property,” he added.

THE position of Chief Executive Officer of the new entity that will run Shannon Airport has been advertised nationally.

The appointment process will be handled by Merc Partners, a renowned executive search recruitment company based in Dublin.

The job description offered in the national newspapers highlighted the fact that the CEO of Shannon will be just that, having a wider remit beyond the operation of the airport.

The new role of CEO will include managing a broad property portfolio, much of which will be inherited from Shanon Development Company as well as being responsible for the establishment of a global aviation cluster.

This is in reference to the stated aims of the plan for Shannon encompassing the rejuvenation of the aviation industry reputation and base, which was once a mainstay for the airport and the Free Zone.

The position did not specify a salary but the successful candidate can expect annual renumeration in the six figure range.

The advertisement for the job states “remuneration will be within the guidelines set for Irish public enterprises”.

That stipulation can be widely interpreted, with some Irish Public Enterprise CEOs like those in the ESB, DAA, Bord Gais, Bord na Móna and An Post, to name but five, all commanding salaries and perks worth above € 250k per annum. A ceiling of € 250k was put on CEO salaries with State owned commercial entities in 2011.

This new post of Chief Executive could be considered to be at the higher end of the public enterprise scale, the CEO’s responsibilities being publicly seen as wide ranging and vital to the economy of the region. The new person at the helm will also have a fairly visible public profile.

The job spec highlighted the need for experience, stating that the role ‘requires an experienced and inspirational leader of exceptional calibre with aviation experience’.

The new CEO will report to the board charged with running the new Shannon entity, chaired by Clare native Rose Hynes. The position was advertised in The Sunda y Times last week as well as online.

Rose Hynes appeared before an Oireachtas Committee on Trans- port last Wednesday and outlined ambitious plans to increase passenger traffic at the airport as well as creating up to 3, 500 new jobs over the coming years through expansion and development of Shannon as an international centre of excellence in the aviation industry.

The new CEO will be expected to play a leading role in driving that aviation expansion.

While it is to be assumed there will be candidates applying for the position who already have a connection to the airport and Shannon Development Company, potential applicants currently based outside of Ireland are also expected to be in the frame.

“The role of CEO in such a new venture is seen as a very attractive one within the industry and there will definitely be foreign interest in it,” an insider told The Cla r e People .

The appointment process will not be concluded for a number of weeks and it could be as late as April or May before the successful candidate is officially named.

The New Co as Shannon Airport is currently described as, does not officially become fully automonous until July of this year.

CLARE’S most senior garda has said policing will not suffer in the county, provided there are no further cuts to garda numbers. Eight garda stations in Quin, Inagh, Lahinch, Broadford, Mountshannon, Doonbeg, Kilmihil and Labasheeda will close at the end of the month prompting concern in some quarters about the effect on rural areas of the county.

Senior gardaí have met with communities in recent weeks, while last week a majority of members of Clare County Council voted in favour of a motion calling on the Minister for Justice to reverse the closures.

Councillors also agreed on a motion from the Chairman of the Clare Joint Policing Committee, Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) that said in the event of any station closures, all additional resources be allocated to mobile garda patrols.

A total of 48 gardai have left the Clare division since March 2010, including two superintendents and one detective inspector. No superintendent has been appointed to replace Supt Peter Duff who left his post in Ennis to return to Dublin last July. Crime levels have fallen in Clare by 33 per cent since 2008 but, speaking last week, Chief Superintendent John Kerin warned that the force in Clare would struggle to cope with any further reductions in resources.

He said, “We’ll play with the hand we’re dealt. I’m confident (we can continue to provide effective policing to rural areas), providing we don’t lose any more resources. We’re stretched.”

A reduction in the opening hours of district garda stations has also been proposed. Mr Kerin said it is possible that stations in Killaloe and Ennistymon could close between the hours of 9pm and 7am.

He explained, “The reality is that these stations have very few calls after 9pm. There are cases where guards are not being deployed to the full benefit of the communities they serve. It’s far more beneficial to the community to have guards doing checkpoints and other duties than being deskbound.”

Mr Kerin said that as 999 emergency calls are routinely directed to Ennis first, before being diverted to the relevant areas, there would be no delay in service in the event of station hours being scaled back.

The issue of station closures was to be discussed at yesterday’s meeting of the Clare Joint Policing Committee (JPC). That meeting was adjourned as a mark of respect to Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. The meeting will now take place on March 4.

A WOMAN who sent threatening text messages to her ex-boyfriend has been advised by a judge to “grow up”.

Marcella Considine (38), with an address at 2 Delacey Park, Shannon, appeared at Ennis District Court on Wednesday, charged with offences contrary to the Postal and Telecommunications Act.

She pleaded guilty to sending, by means of telecommunications, a message that was grossly offensive, obscene or of menacing character, to a man living at an Ennis address.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court that the accused sent two messages to her former boyfriend on February 12 (2012) and May 23 (2012).

He explained that, in the first message, Ms Considine said she would tell everyone the man was scum.

He told the court that the accused also wrote, “I’ll fucking stab you.”

Insp Kennedy said that in the sec- ond text message, Ms Considine stated, “I’ll kill you with a knife. If you send this message to the guards, I know a lot of people in Ennis.”

He said Ms Considine has no previous convictions. Solicitor for the accused, John Casey, told the court that there was “absolutely no truth to the threats.”

He said the couple’s long-term relationship had ended. He said his client had been “very upset” with the man at the time she sent the texts.

He said Ms Considine had never acted on what she said in the text messages. Mr Casey said his client was “very apologetic”.

“This appearance in court is a lesson to her,” he added.

Judge Patrick Durcan said he was not impressed by Ms Considine’s actions.

He adjourned the case until January 2014, granting the State liberty to re-enter the case.

Addressing Ms Considine, Judge Durcan said, “You’d want to grow up.”

MANY mourners from Kilkee are expected to travel to Dundalk today (Tuesday) and tomorrow to support the popular Deloughrey family during the funeral of murdered Garda Adrian Donohoe.

The brave Garda detective was married to Caroline Deloughrey, a fellow Garda who came from a family that served the State as members of the force, and assisted the local community through volunteer organisations and life-saving bodies.

Gda Donohoe was shot in cold blood on Friday night last as he escorted a cash collection to a raid on a credit union in Lordship in Dundalk, just miles from where he lived with Caroline and their two young children, Amy and Niall.

His horrific death in the line of duty shocked the nation at the weekend, but resonated even more deeply in the seaside town that he and his family visited regularly, staying with Caroline’s parents Stephen (Stevie) and Bridie.

Neighbours of the Deloughrey family remember fondly the man described as “a gentle giant, a very nice person, very confident, honest, reliable and hard-working”, who had married the love of his life in their local church. The devoted dad was often seen on the beach playing with his young family, supporting his bother-in-law Derek when he togged out for St Senan’s or having a quiet drink with his fatherin-law in O’Mara’s or Marrinan’s.

“Stevie and Bridie would be well known by everyone here. We are just devastated for their daughter Caroline,” said one neighbour.

Another neighbour added, “Caroline is a lovely lady. Everyone here is heartbroken for her.”

The family is well known in the area including Caroline’s three brothers, Derek, John and Kieran. Derek is a garda sergeant based in Limerick and Kieran has been credited with saving many lives through his years of work with Kilkee Marine Rescue Service.

The Deloughrey family have spent the weekend comforting Caroline and her two children, and now the people of Kilkee, including members of the Church choir who sing with Bridie and members of the local rescue service, will travel to show their support for the popular family.

Clare people wishing to sympathise with Gda Donohoe’s family, friends and colleagues can do so by signing a book of condolences at Ennis Garda Station, where Caroline’s sister-in-law is serving as a Garda.