Category: News

A FORMER GAA coach who indecently assaulted two young boys in areas of Clare over a three-year period in the early 1980s will be sentenced next January.

James ‘Tony Lowry’ Maher (69), of Clonroadmore Beg, Ennis would drive the victims around Clare, buying chips, cigarettes and alcohol before performing sexual acts on them.

Ennis Circuit Criminal Court heard yesterday that the abuse of one young boy began in 1982 when the accused was the manager of a hurling team. Mr Maher previously pleaded guilty to 14 counts of indecent assault in respect of this victim, committed in areas of Clare between January 1982 and July 1984.

Mr Maher, a founder member of the Banner GAA Club, would call to the boy’s house after going for drinks with his father. The boy was staying with another relative at the time.

Detective Garda Beatrice Ryan of Ennis Garda Station told the court that the former Clare County Council employee would drive the boy home from training and matches.

“He would’ve been classed as quite a close friend of the family,” she said.

The court heard that the abuse progressed from Mr Maher masturbating the victim to performing oral sex on him. On one occasion, Mr Maher assaulted the boy when they were parked at Drumcliff graveyard.

Detective Ryan said the abuse carried on for five to 10 times a month from 1982 onwards. She said the abuse stopped when the boy got old- er and decided to move away from Ennis. Mr Maher was arrested on January 6, 2010 and made admissions to gardaí, including to offences that the complainant had not told gardaí about.

Mr Maher told gardaí that he developed a liking for young boys after starting coaching with the GAA club.

Mr Maher also pleaded guilty to four counts of indecent assault against another young boy committed in areas of Clare between July 1984 and April 1985.

The court was told that Mr Maher first met the boy when he picked him up hitchhiking. The court heard that the boy had endured “quite a difficult upbringing”. Mr Maher would call to the house with clothes and food for the family.

Detective Ryan said, “He saw himself as somewhat of a helping hand.”

She told the court that Mr Maher told the boy to ring him at work. On one occasion, he assaulted the boy in the toilets of offices of Clare County Council.

Assaults also took place in the victim’s home while members of his family were in another room. The court heard that Mr Maher also brought the boy to a bed and breakfast in Dublin, checking in as father and son.

Mr Maher was interviewed in January 2010 and made admissions to gardaí.Mr Maher previously worked with Dublin Corporation and Limerick County Council before moving home to work as a draughtsman with Clare County Council. The court heard he played with the Banner GAA Club, as well as serving as President and PRO.

Counsel for Mr Maher, Andrew Sexton SC, told the court that he had been instructed at an early stage to apologise unreservedly to the victims.

He said Mr Maher suffers from depression and diabetes. He said Mr Maher had cooperated fully with gardaí but had lived his life in a “very bizarre way.”

Mr Sexton said prior to engaging in this “outrageous criminal conduct” Mr Maher had contributed a lot to his local community.

He said Mr Maher is very well known in the community and would suffer “utter shame”. Judge Caroll Moran adjourned sentencing until January 14, 2013.

He said reporting restrictions applied to the identity of the complainants but not the accused.

THE organiser of a vigil for Savita Halappanavar in Ennis on Saturday said there will be further demonstrations and other actions if the government does not legislate for the X case.

According to organiser Ann Cronin, who ran as an Independent candidate in the last general election, action must be taken in the coming weeks to resolve the legal uncertainty highlighted by the death of Savita Halappanavar at University College Hospital in Galway last month.

The vigil attracted a crowd of almost 150 people, with a large number of passers-by joining in to show their support.

“It was a really good turnout. We had a nice turnout and a lot of people joined the vigil from the street. It was very encouraging that so many people showed up. It just shows you that this is such a personal matter and it affects a lot of people,” said Ann.

“No representative from any of the political parties showed up but then we didn’t go out of our way to invite anyone. I don’t think anyone in politics wants to touch this – it is too much of a hot potato. I think it is notable that all four of our elected candidates voted against legislation for this when it was proposed last year.

“I think it shows you exactly that they think of women’s health and how important it is for them.”

According to Ann Cronin, more events will be staged in Ennis in the weeks ahead if the government does not move quickly to resolve the situation.

“We will hold another event if there is no action. This isn’t going to go away, this is an issue that really upsets me and a lot of other people and I think that people realise that they have to do something about it – because if you wait for other people to do something then it will never happen,” continued Ann.

“This wasn’t just me and a bunch of my friends. This vigil was made up of strangers – men, women and families with children. People feel really strongly about this and the issue is not going to go away. People are not happy to wait for this to be resolved.”

VICTIMS have told how they battled addictions and attempted suicide after the abuse they suffered at the hands of Ennis man James ‘Tony’ Maher.

One of the men stated that he was afraid to speak up after he was first assaulted by Mr Maher (69).

Detective Garda Beatrice Ryan read out the man’s victim impact statement in Ennis Circuit Criminal Court. The man stated, “It’s sad that I was always blaming myself and family for what this paedophile was doing to me.”

The man first met Mr Maher through his involvement with the Banner GAA Club. He recalled how he started to drink alcohol heavily at an early age.

He stated, “At 15, I was hospitalised for drink and I tried to commit suicide.”

The court heard that the man again tried to kill himself aged 18 and almost ended up taking the life of another person.

The man stated that he had battled addictions to alcohol and gambling.

He described Mr Maher, of Clonroadmorebeg, Ennis as a “monster” and said the abuse had a “dramatic effect” on his life.

He said he had never told his wife and children about the ordeal he had suffered. The man said his life had been robbed. “I hope that if there is a God, he (Mr Maher) will burn in hell.”

Another victim of Mr Maher read his victim impact statement in court yesterday.

He told the court that he was 11 when Mr Maher first assaulted him. He said the incidents had a “horrific impact” on his life.

He said he sank into a deep depression after Mr Maher “robbed” him of an ability to trust anyone. The man, whom the court heard grew up in poor circumstances in a rural part of the county, said he had attempted suicide.

He added, “I suffered enormous pain and I will always remain scarred by the actions of this man.” Mr Maher will be sentenced on January 14, 2013.

THE exploits of the “fighting priest”, Ballyvaughan’s Father Cornelius Sexton, have been revealed for the first time in a new book soon to be released.

Father Cornelius, or “Con”, joined the Australian army in 1940 and spent five years in combat areas in Malaya and Singapore.

During that time he suffered many injuries, was wounded in a Japanese shelling and was also captured and served time as a prisoner of war.

His story is now told for the first time in a new book, Hard Times, Decent Men by Neil Richards, which has just been published.

According to Richards, one of Father Sexton’s most dangerous nights came on February 8, 1942, when he was witness to a major Japanese offensive which forced a general retreat by Australian forces on Malaya.

During the ill-fated retreat, the truck that Fr Sexton was travelling in was hit with a Japanese shell.

“We had several wounded brought in during the night from the shelling and the colonel of our battalion sent up men to try and stop the enemy landing.

“It should never have been ordered, it was a massacre” he said in interview after the war.

“They didn’t stand a chance. The first two who were brought in were Chinese who were fighting with our forces.

“The doctor said to bring them down to the hospital so we loaded them on the back of the truck.

“The truck was struck with a mortar and myself and Jack [Australian soldier Jack Bowman] were blown out of the truck.

“I remember Jack said to me ‘are you alive, Father?’. And I said. ‘I am, are you?’”

Later that year, Fr Sexton was on a Red Cross truck bringing wounded men to the Selarang Barracks in Singapore which was fired on by Japanese soldiers.

Fr Sexton managed to make it through to the barracks only to become a prisoner of war when Aus- tralia surrendered the island on February 5, 1942.

During his three years as a prisoner of war, Fr Sexton continued in his ministries and delivered sacrament to both allied and Japanese soldiers.

He was eventually released in August of 1945 and was diagnosed with neurotic beriberi, a condition of the nervous system brought about by a lack of vitamins.

After the war, Father Sexton returned to Australia where he served as a parish priest until he retired in January of 1978.

FURTHER discussions are expected in the coming weeks over plans to erect a memorial in Ennis to Irish people who fought in wars in South East Asia.

Councillors and officials from Ennis Town Council held preliminary discussions with representatives from business groups and American war veterans in recent weeks.

It follows a contentious proposal tabled at the July meeting of Ennis Town Council calling on the authority to commemorate Irish men who fought in the Vietnam War.

The motion, tabled by Fine Gael councillor Johnny Flynn, provoked strong opposition.

Cllr Flynn said the council should consider marking the contribution of soldiers of Irish descent who served in the United States armed forces during the Vietnam War.

Cllr Flynn said, at the time, that such a memorial would send out a positive signal to ex-soldiers about Clare as a tourism destination.

According to Cllr Flynn, the Vietnam veteran tourism market num- bers close to 1.9 million people.

It is estimated that 2,500 Irish people served with the US armed forces in Vietnam.

However, some councillors were wary of the proposal.

Cllr Paul O’Shea (Ind) said that Vietnam is a “sensitive issue”, while Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) has expressed concern about the actions of some American soldiers during the war.

However, it is understood that following recent meetings, councillors are close to agreeing on a memorial for Ennis.

It is thought that any memorial would honour Irish people who fought for the Allied Forces in conflicts in South East Asia from the 1950s to ‘70s.

Meetings have also taken place with representatives of a group of Vietnam veterans who have been travelling to Clare in recent years to attend the Ennis Trad Festival.

The talks are still at a preliminary stage and no decision has yet been taken.

Friars Walk in Ennis has been mooted as one possible location for any memorial.

A PROMINENT North Clare hotelier believes that local surfers will have to be “held to account” if funding for a new pier in Doolin is lost.

John Burke, of the Burke Group of hotels, said yesterday that the majority of local surfers are in favour of the pier in principle but have been “misinformed” about the impact that the current design will have on the Crab Island wave.

The Burke Group currently employs 125 people in the area between the Armada Hotel, Hotel Doolin and Tír Gan Éan and believe that the development will be good for everyone in the area, including surfers. In a statement to The Clare People yesterday, he said that surfers will be “held to account” for their opposition, if plans for the pier are rejected by An Bord Pleanála and the funding is lost. “The surfing community is being misrepresented and perhaps misinformed by a number of people, as most surfers I’ve encountered claim that they do not in principle object to the development,” he said. “Some are misguided in believing that this pier will have a significant negative impact on the Crab Island wave, when in fact there will be no impact in most [weather and tidal] conditions on the most surfed portion on the wave. “The surfing community needs to be made aware of the facts of the situation and they need to assess their position based on those facts.

“If, after that, they still wish to object to the proposed pier development, that is their prerogative, but the current position taken by their representatives – that they don’t object to the pier but rather the level of research undertaken – does not represent a fair and honest approach.

“It’s now time to either object on clearly stated grounds, while accepting this may be to the detriment of the piers development, or apply pressure to their representatives to move forward with this.

“This pier will not have another opportunity for development, its funding will be taken, and there will not be energy or drive by any promoters to develop the pier. In this case, the surfing community will have to be held accountable for their position, it is imperative that they are comfortable with where they stand, they are obliged to the broader community and interests in the pier to satisfy themselves with their position.

“If they can’t do this, and can see the work and investigation, and that this can satisfy them, then now is the time to stand side by side and voice their opinion of support.

“The weight of history will rest on their shoulders.” The Clare People contacted the Lahinch-based West Coast Surf Club in relation to this story but no response was forthcoming at the time of going to print. We t fo r t h e e a rly p a rt o f t h e we e k b u t c le a rin g t o d ry a n d c o ld w it h t e m p s st a yin g we ll a b o ve fre e zin g

PARENTS of children with diabetes are not just fighting to control their child’s condition, but the majority of Clare parents are fighting to get on a waiting list for an insulin pump, for better on-going testing and for a dietician and specialised nurse promised two years ago to be finally appointed.

Adding to their worries is the claim by Diabetes Ireland this week that the HSE is presiding over a health disaster as diabetes amputations have climbed by 20 per cent.

Newly available HSE statistics show there were 781 diabetes related lower limb amputations in Ireland during 2010 and 2011, a 20 per cent increase on the previous two year period.

Diabetes Action says the HSE is amplifying this public health disas- ter by failing to fill critical posts and make retinal screening available, despite funding being available since 2010.

The diabetes clinic in Limerick, which serves the majority of Clare people, is still without a designated dietician promised two years ago.

Gráinne Flynn, Secretary for Diabetes Ireland Clare branch, said, “Management of diabetes revolves around matching doses of insulin to the food we eat. A dietician is responsible for teaching people with diabetes and parents of children with diabetes how to measure the food eaten and learning how to match insulin. Limerick does not have a dedicated dietetic service for either adults or children with diabetes, despite the fact that the funding has been provided since 2010.”

NO FURTHER warning letter concerning payment of the Household Charge will be issued by Clare County Council until a complete and accurate list of those who have not paid is made available to the local authority.

That is following a motion put forward by Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) at last night’s meeting of Clare County Council. Standing orders were suspended last night to allow councillors to fully debate the recent issuing of 33,000 letter to people in Clare.

It has also emerged that County Manager Tom Coughlan contacted the Department of the Environment and asked that letters be issued by the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) and not by Clare County Council. According to Mr Coughlan, the Department of the Environment said that Clare County Council was required to issue the letters because it was the agency who the fee was payable to – despite the fact the the LGMA was tasked with collecting the payment.

Mr Coughlan also said that it would be the responsibilty of Clare Country Council and not the LGMA to take any legal action against home owners who do not pay the housing charge.

More than 33,000 letters were issues by Clare County Council to homeowners in Clare, despite the fact that less than 16,000 people still owe for the property charge. A large number of people in Clare received multiple letters, including many household who received letter for deceased relatives.

“This is totally counter productive. All this has done is convince the 30 per cent of people who have not paid that they should not pay. Because nobody has a clue who has paid and who hasn’t,” said Cllr Richard Nagle (FF).

“I think at this point we should issue a letter of apology to those who received letters for relative who were deceased.”

Mr Coughlan said he was unhappy in the way the issue was handled. “I am unhappy as well. I am unhappy about the reputational damage which has been done to Clare County Council about this. I am unhappy about the time and resources that were spent on this and I am very unhappy that people got letter from this council which caused them upset.”

THE Department of Agriculture will not be returning any services to its Ennis offices – even on a two-day a week basis. The offices were closed to farmers in April of 2010 with all services for Clare farmers transferred to the department’s offices in Limerick.

Saving on costs was given as the reason for closing the offices, but it emerged before services were cut in Ennis that the Department of Agriculture owned the Ennis offices, while they had to pay rent on the offices in Limerick.

A number of local campaigns to reopen the Ennis branch on a twoday a week basis or to set up a satellite farm advice service as Ennis mart have both been rejected by the Department of Agriculture in recent weeks.

In a letter issued by the department last week, it was confirmed that a part-time office would not be taking place.

“A key reason why this arrangement is necessary is because staff number at the Department [of Agriculture] continue to fall, and in order for the Department’s local office network to provide a fully integrated service to our farm customers and the wider agri-food and rural environmental sectors, our resources need to be concentrated on a regional level,” said Kevin Galligan, private secretary to Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney (FG). “This reorganisation has and continues to yield significant annual savings to the exchequer in the order of € 30 million.”

This decision means that Clare will continue to be the only county in Munster with no Department of Agriculture local offices – despite the fact that the department continue to own a building on the Kilrush Road in Ennis.

LESS than a third of Clare’s voters went to the polls to vote on the Children Referendum on Saturday last, the lowest turn out in 11 years.

Despite the turnout being lower than the national average, the number in favour of changing the constitution was slightly higher, with 61.7 per cent voting yes.

As many as 79,905 Clare people were entitled to vote, 197 less than the last referendum. Just 25,808 people from the Banner chose to exercise their democratic right however.

As many as 15,868 people voted for the amendment, with 9,846 voting against. There were 94 invalid votes.

The county has a history of not going to the polls on questions that would affect the constitution in recent decades, but this weekend’s turnout was surpassed only by the weak showing during the first Nice Referendum, the abolition of the death penalty and the criminal courts referendum.

In June 2001 just 30.83 per cent of the people of Clare voted on those three referendums.

When 49.8 per cent of voters in the county turned out for the Stability Referendum at the end of May voter apathy and lack of information was criticised for what was then the lowest turn out in the county in almost a decade.

Six months later it would appear that apathy and lack of engagement has grown to the point where 17.8 per cent more of the county’s population decided not to vote.

The drop in voter turnout is significant when compared to June 1999 when 60.05 per cent of the Clare electorate turned out to vote for “Recognition for Local Government.”

In March 2002 just 39.29 per cent of the Clare electorate turned out to vote on the Protection of Human Life in Pregnancy, with 47.05 per cent voting on Nice 2 that October.

The largest turnout for a referen- dum in recent years in Clare was in June 2004, when 64.6 per cent voted on the Citizenship.

From then until the Stability Referendum the turnout remained over 50 per cent in the Banner county, with 52.48 per cent voting on Lisbon 1 in June 2008, 56.9 per cent voting on the second Lisbon referendum in October 2009, while 56.12 per cent voted on the House of the Oireachtais Inquiries and 57.95 per cent on Judges Remuneration during the Presidential election in October 2011.

While the turnout on Saturday was disappointing for the Government, it still considered it “a historic day for children”.

Speaking at the count centre at the Court House in Ennis after returning officer Pat Wallace declared the Clare result of the Children Referendum, Deputy Pat Breen (FG) said, “Today, it is a truly historic day for our children. This referendum was one of the most important ever put before the people, and while, I am disappointed with the low turnout, the overwhelming number of voters in Clare who did come out and vote, supported the referendum.

“The passage of the referendum is another major step in ensuring our legislative structure supports and protects our children. It ensures a more child-centred approach is taken, so that the best interests of the child are taken into account when decisions are being made about their welfare.”