Category: News

IRISH Rail has been urged to improve accessibility at Ennis Rail Station after claims that passengers are sometimes forced to cross platforms through the doors of two stopped trains.

Irish Rail yesterday denied the claim that was made at yesterday’s meeting of councillors in the Ennis West Electoral Area.

In a motion tabled at the meeting, Councillor Brian Meaney (GP) called on the committee to request Irish Rail provide seating and shelter on the Galway platform at Ennis Station. He said the absence of seating and shelter on the Galway platform is causing difficulty to elderly and disabled passengers. He said the new footbridge is still not accessible to disabled people.

Cllr Meaney added, “It is still quite frustrating to see elderly people moving across the footbridge and having nowhere to sit apart from the plinth of the Old Victorian footbridge.”

He called on the committee to write to Irish Rail to highlight these concerns.

Cllr James Breen (Ind) asked if Irish Rail is in compliance with Irish and European law on disability.

Cllr Breen said that as someone who has to use a crutch, he would have great difficulty catching a train on the Galway platform.

Cllr Meaney told the meeting that he had heard instances where passengers who are unable to use the footbridge are brought through the trains that are stopped side by side on the tracks.

He said in other circumstances, trains are switch tracks in order to collect passengers.

Councillors said this was not a satisfactory situation for passengers. They agreed to write to Irish Rail.

Cllr Meaney added that much of the recent criticism of the number of passengers using the Galway line was “unwarranted”.

Speaking yesterday, a spokesperson for Irish Rail denied that passengers are transferred across platforms through stopped trains.

She said, “We would never have a situation where passengers are brought through from train to train. As far as we are aware that has never happened in Ennis. There are situations where we bring trains into the other platform.”

The spokeswoman acknowledged there are issues around access for disabled people at the station.

DO NOT resort to moneylenders. That’s the stark message to people facing financial pressures this January. As Clare families face into the toughest financial weeks of the year, financial advice groups have warned that illegal money-lenders should be avoided at all costs.

Twenty years after it was set up to counteract illegal money lending in West Clare, MABS (Money Advice and Budgeting Service) has asked families under severe financial pressure not to opt for this form of shortterm loan.

By the end of 2012, numerous financially-stressed families in Clare had turned to unscrupulous money-lenders, who would charge huge interest rates and threaten them if they did not pay up. As these lenders are not legal, organisations such as MABs cannot negotiate with them on behalf of the person taking the loan.

People are particularly vulnerable to this type of lending at this time of year and Paul Woulfe from Clare Citizens Information said this is leading to worry and depression.

“Many people parked their problems and money concerns coming up to Christmas so the next few months are going to be difficult.

“People also borrow on the run up to Christmas and add to credit card and store cards debt which adds to the problem now,” he said. “There is help out there as long as people do not panic,” he said.

THE Cliffs of Moher recorded it third highest year for visitors ever in 2012 – and its highest since the recession started in 2007.

According to new figures released by the Cliffs of Moher Visitors Experience, 873,988 people visited the North Clare tourist attraction last year.

Significantly, the number of fully independent travellers (FIT), or people who did not come to the Cliffs as part of a package or bus holiday, was slightly up on the 2011 figures.

It had been anticipated that FIT figures would dip at the cliffs last year following disappointing numbers as a result of the London Olympics and the Euro 2012.

However, a strong rally in individual visitors in September and October helped boost FIT figures, along with a dramatic 30 per cent increase in the number of Chinese visitors coming to the site.

FIT numbers are especially important for the Clare tourism industry as they are much more likely to stay in Clare as part for their holiday, while other visitors usually travel to the Cliffs from Dublin, Galway or Kerry.

There was further good news in the coach visitors sector, with an increase of 17.7 per cent in the number of people visiting the Cliffs of Moher by bus as part of a package holiday.

According to Katherine Webster, Director of the Cliffs of Moher Experience, 2012 was the Cliffs’ third highest years for visitors ever, behind 2007 with 939,772 and 2006 and estimated 911,876 visitors.

“We are delighted with the 2012 visitor number performance at a time when the wider tourism sector across Ireland and the world has experienced considerable difficulties.

“This achievement is a tribute to the staff of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience and the agencies that have made considerable investments in developing the attraction during recent years,” she said.

“The challenge for us now is to explore new and innovative ways of attracting visitors to the Cliffs of Moher.

“Despite experiencing a second successive increase in visitors last year, we remain almost 7 per cent below the attraction’s peak year of 2007.”

Overall, the 2012 figure of 873,988 last year was almost 65,000 visitors over the 2011 numbers.

COUNCILLORS in Ennis will next month attempt for a third time to settle on a name for the town’s new € 2.5 million inner relief road.

No decision was reached at yesterday’s monthly meeting of Ennis Town Council on the naming of the road after three votes were taken on the matter.

The matter initially came before the December (2012) meeting but was adjourned to January.

Councillors were asked to choose from a list of 10 possible names – Bóthar an Sean Ghéibhinn (Old Bridewell Road), Phoenix Road, Gaol Road, Old Gaol Road, Braids Road, Muhammad Ali Road and Bóthar na Rince.

Three other suggestions – Slí an Fhionnuisce (Phoenix Way), Bóthar an Fhionnuisce (Phoenix Road) and Ard Fhionnuisce (Phoenix Height) were submitted by TJ Waters of the Ennis / Phoenix Twinning Board.

Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Peter Considine (FF) and councillors Mary Howard (FG) and Johnny Flynn (FG) proposed that the road be named in memory of Ennis’ twinning with Phoenix. Councillor Tommy Brennan (Ind) and Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) proposed ‘Old Gaol Road’.

Cllr Brennan told the meeting that the inner relief road passed through the former house of the last jailer in Ennis. Cllr Mary Coote Ryan (FG) supported this proposal, saying, “It is no harm for us to go back in history and explain reason why the jail was there. I think it sounds good.”

Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) said the road should be named after Muhammad Ali. He said the former world heavyweight boxing champion had brought thousands onto the street when he visited the town in 2009.

Cllr Neylon also suggested that the road be called ‘Bothar na Rince’ to mark its proximity to the site of the former Paddy Con’s dance hall. Cllr Paul O’Shea (Lab) also proposed Muhammad Ali Road. Cllr Brian Meaney said he would like to see the route named Paddy Con’s Road.

After Cllr Neylon agreed to withdraw his proposal for Muhammad Ali Road on the basis that the legendary sportsman had already been hounoured with a plaque in the Turnpike area of Ennis, votes were taken on three suggested names.

Cllrs Brennan, Coote Ryan, Guilfoyle and Neylon voted in favour of Old Gaol Road. Cllrs Considine, Howard, Flynn and O’Shea voted for Slí Na Fhionnuisce. Cllrs Flynn, Neylon and O’Shea voted for Bothar na Rince.

Councillors agreed to defer the decision for another month.

A CLARE man home on holidays for Christmas hid in a ditch after crashing his sister’s car into a bridge near Mullagh and was banned from driving for six months at Ennis District Court last Wednesday, January 2.

Brian Keane (26), with an address at Kilcolumb in Kilmaley pleaded guilty to obstruction and failing to give information when asked by a member of the gardaí but a further charge, under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, was withdrawn.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court that on December 20, 2012, at around 1am Mr Keane drove his car into a bridge near Mullagh – about five miles away from his house in Kilmaley.

The court heard that Mr Keane left the scene of the crash on foot and was discovered by a member of the gardaí “hiding in a ditch”.

Counsel for Mr Keane told the court that the defendant was driving a friend home when the incident took place.

He said that Mr Keane had become distracted and hit bridge.

He also said that Mr Keane was discovered in a nearby field and not in a ditch.

According to the defense solicitor the car involved in the incident – which was owned by Mr Keane’s sister – was written off in the incident but no major damage was done to the bridge.

Mr Keane has had to pay for a new car for his sister.

Counsel for Mr Keane told the court that Mr Keane was a block-layer by trade and had emigrated to Australia four years ago and had been “getting on well” in his employment abroad.

He was home for Christmas when the incident took place.

The court heard that he planned to return to Australia on the following day, Thursday January 3, unless he was prevented by the court from doing so.

The court heard that Mr Keane had a number of different conviction from various dates in 2008, 2006 and 2005.

The most significant of these was a charge of dangerous driving which was reduced to “careless driving” in March of 2008.

Judge Patrick Durcan noted that Mr Keane had a “bad record for a 26year-old” and said that considering that, he had no option but to disqualify him from driving for six months and fine him € 500.

A 48-YEAR-OLD man who choose to give up drink as his New Year’s resolution, was given a month to stay dry by Judge Patrick Durcan at Ennis District Court on January 2.

Kieran Lynch (48), whose address was listed as Quin, County Clare was found drunk and unconscious in Ennis on June 30, 2012. Mr Lynch, who was described Judge Durcan as “footless on College Road”, was discovered by a member of the gardaí at around 4pm in the afternoon of June 30. He was brought to a station in Ennis and released later that night.

Mr Lynch, who has 20 previous convictions all relating to alcohol, said he had attended a number of treatment centres in the past which, he said, had not helped him.

He told the court that he planned to “quit the drinking” in 2013. He also said that all of his previous convictions had been drink related and that he had been “ruined” by booze.

Mr Lynch was asked to take the stand and swore, under oath, that he would “not be in any situations where drinking was involved”.

Judge Durcan adjourned the case until February 6, 2012, at which time Mr Lynch will be asked to account for his sobriety over the pervious month. “I have noted your undertaking and I don’t want to hear from the inspector that you have broken it,” said Judge Durcan.

CHARGES against Clare hurler Fergal Lynch were struck out at Ennis District Court last Wednesday, January 2, because of the length of time taken to bring the matter to trial.

Counsel for Mr Lynch (30), Darragh Hassett, applied to the court for the case to be dismissed saying that some of the dates recorded for summonses connected to the case were “factually incorrect”.

Mr Hassett also argued that the incident had taken an extremely long time to come to court, saying that Mr Lynch, who has an address at Dangan in Tulla, is a local school teacher who is well known to the gardaí because of his exploits on the hurling field.

Speaking for the State, Inspector Tom Kennedy, asked Judge Patrick Durcan for 14 days to gather “the correspondence about the case” but this request was turned down.

“This all related to an issue which took place three years ago. I am striking out the case,” said Judge Durcan.

FAMILY and friends gathered in Ennis yesterday to say a final farewell to the late Jack Wall, who passed away last week.

Originally from Ennistymon, John Joseph Wall was well known in Clare from his ownership of the Auburn Lodge Hotel and his long association with the Ennis Musical Society.

Along with his wife Anne, Mr Wall ran the Auburn Lodge from 1969 to 1990. He was also the proprietor of the Beehive Café in Ennis.

He served as a gunner with the British Airforce in World War II and lived in California for 10 years before returning to Clare.

Mr Wall, who lived in Ballymaley, was a long serving member of the Ennis Musical Society whose talent was recalled at his funeral service in Ennis Cathedral yesterday.

Friends recalled being enthralled by Mr Wall’s memorable performances for the Society. The service heard that Mr Wall was a man with a commanding stage presence and someone who wore his talent with great modesty.

He played lead roles in numerous productions including

LOCAL arts groups and festival organisers in Clare face a challenging 2013, despite a slight increase in funding for the county under the Arts Council’s Festival and Events Scheme.

Clare’s funding under the first round of the Festival and Events Scheme (formally the Small Arts Festivals Scheme) rose from € 20,500 in 2012 to € 24,500 in 2013. Despite this increase, the amount of money being awarded to individual festivals under the scheme has decreased, with an extra festival being added to the funding list.

This has resulted in flagship events such as the Iniscealtra Arts Festival (down 22.2 per cent) and the Ennis Book Club Festival (down 5.8 per cent) losing valuable funding. If this trend is continued into the second round of funding it could have a negative impact on another dozen festivals throughout the county.

This funding also represents a decrease of almost 58 per cent from the € 57,100 awarded to Clare festivals under the first round of the Small Arts Festivals Scheme on 2007.

According to County Clare Arts Officer, Siobhan Mulcahy, the local arts community have shown great resilience in the face of recent quotes.

“I think the cuts have been more challenging than damaging. Obviously, they impact on the quantity of programming that takes place but, inevitably, the quality of the artistic product has been maintained throughout the county, thanks in many instances to the tireless work of volunteer festival organisers and the work of individual artists,” she said.

“The increase in the number of festivals funded reflects the diversity of quality arts practice in the county. Festivals, as well as most arts practitioners, are realistic in terms of the current financial state of the country and in what they can aspire to with the limited resources available to them.

“For many, the success of getting funding from the Arts Council is a reflection on the quality of the festival and this augurs well to lever funds from other resources at local and national level.”

There were also cuts to Clare artists under the Touring and Dissemination of Work Scheme. Two Clare groups, trad/folk group Guidewires and Nicola Henley of the Wise Ways Projects, received combined funding of € 37, 500 under this scheme last year. No Clare artists received under the first round of funding this year.

Funding news on Clare’s main Arts Council funded projects, such as Glór and the Willie Clancy Summer School, is expected in the coming weeks.

THE number of patients waiting on trolleys at Ennis General Hospital had fallen back to just one yesterday (Monday) following pressure on staff and facilities over the Christmas period.

Just last Thursday as many as 11 people were waiting on trolleys at the County Clare hospital, according to figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.

However as children returned to school yesterday and most people were back at work, life returned to “normal” at the hospital.

Meanwhile a blanket ban has been imposed on visitors to the area’s biggest hospital – The Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick – as a result of the winter vomiting bug (Noroviro).

Visiting to all wards at the hospital is prohibited with the exception of critically ill patients, but visitors must first contact nursing staff before they visit critically ill patients.

Parents and guardians only are permitted in the Children’s Ark and children should be kept away from all areas of the hospital.

“The hospital regrets this inconvenience but it is necessary at this time to prevent the spread of these illnesses to both patients and staff. Where appropriate, mobile phone contact between families should be considered as an alternative to visiting,” a spokesperson.

The hospital is also asking the public that only genuine emergencies should present at the Emergency Department (ED) and that where possible people should consult their GP before coming to the ED.

The vomiting bug is highly contagious and is in the community in County Clare as well as Limerick.

Norovirus does not usually cause serious illness, but it is very easily spread. People who contract it can be infectious for 48 hours after they recover.

The principal symptoms are nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea and generally begin very suddenly with nausea followed by projectile vomiting.

While there is a ban on visiting in Limerick, people can still visit patients in Ennis General Hospital during visiting hours.