Category: News

GARDA stations in the county will close in the coming year, it is just a matter of where and how many.

Chief Superintendent John Kerin said the Garda Commissioner is expected to make a detailed announcement in the coming weeks that will see more rural Garda Stations locked up.

Only one station closed in Clare last year, Carrigaholt Garda Station, but more are expected to follow suit.

“As part of the plans more stations will be closed. I assure you more will close that escaped last time,” said the Clare Garda chief.

“Some will close this year and I can see more closing in the year ahead,” he added.

“It will present us with difficulties in the years ahead. It doesn’t help us when stations close. You lose the personal touch.”

It is not known what stations will close when the commissioner makes his announcement, but many rural communities fear the loss of their station and their local garda.

Among those communities is Doonbeg.

Murt McInerney, Doonbeg Development, said there is fear locally that the station will be closed.

“The garda was always a welcome presence in the village. However given the number of gardaí available closure of Garda stations seem immanent,” he said.

Chief Supt Kerin said, “I have lost 45 gardaí in the last two years through retirement,” adding that he expects to lose more in the coming years.

This will impact on the way the Gardaí carry out their day to day policing and will mean more co-operation and assistance from the public will be required.

“More and more we will be relying on people. The community has to protect its own property,” he said, encouraging people to keep property locked and secured and report any suspicious behaviour.

He encouraged people to “get a lot more nosey”.

The chief superintendent explained that if the Gardaí get information on a crime quickly it greatly enhances the chance of a quick arrest, and called for the establishment and reestablishment of more Community Alerts.”

“A lot of Community Alert schemes and Neighbourhood Watch programmes have become stale,” he said.

The chief superintendent is also taking time to consider a text alert system which is to be piloted in a number of areas in the district.

He said he has seen incidents where the text alerts have not been used properly opening up the sender to civil action.

He said he therefore wants to consider the best way to use this service so that it has maximum impact espe cially in rural areas, without leading to anyone being put in danger of legal action.

FROM 8pm this morning (Tuesday) the Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick will begin providing 24/7 angiography services.

Up until now the “Centre of Excellence” for the mid-west could not provide proper diagnosis or treatment for a ST elevation MI (a specific type of heart attack) after 5pm or at weekends, forcing patients to travel to Galway for the life-saving treatment.

On average more than one very ill patient a week was forced to take this 100-kilometer journey to the University College Hospital Galway.

Following meetings with Professor Kieran Daly, national clinical lead of the ACS Programme, it was agreed that the Mid Western Regional Hos- pital Limerick could assume a 24/7 PPCI role as part of HSE West’s ACS programme on Tuesday, October 30, the HSE has confirmed.

A PPCI (Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention) can only be carried out in a hospital equipped with an emergency catheter laboratory.

It diagnoses STEMI heart attacks by using 12 lead ECG machines and treated by clot busting drugs (thrombolysis) or by the insertion of wire into the artery to open it by using a balloon to allow the blood to flow to the heart muscle again.

A STEMI is a heart attack caused by a blockage in the arteries.

The ACS (Acute Coronary Syndrome) is a national clinical programme aimed at improving cardiac care throughout the country by providing patients with prompt access to higher level investigations and treatment such as cardiac catherisation (angiography), advanced radiology and critical care.

“International evidence has shown that PPCI is the most effective treatment for major heart attacks and most countries in the developed world have moved to this model of treatment. It is for this reason that we are striving to expand this service to the people of the mid-west,” said a spokesperson for the HSE.

He added, “Cardiology services in Limerick have expanded greatly in recent years with a fifth cardiologist recently appointed. The hospital has a 24/7 coronary care unit and a cardiologist on call round the clock. The coronary care unit and day cardiology services will shortly be moving to a new state of the art critical care block.”

CONCRETE steps must be taken towards the separation of Shannon Airport and the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), before Christmas, or the airport could face another 12 months in the doldrums.

That is the opinion of Helen Downes, the chief executive officer of the Shannon Chamber of Commerce, who believes that Shannon can be re-born in 2013 – if progress is made quickly.

“This is the critical first step in the reestablishment of Shannon Airport as the economic driver in the region and there is no reason why this shouldn’t happen,” she said.

“We don’t feel that anything should impede or slow down the separation of Shannon from the Dublin Airport Authority. The separation can only be of benefit to this region.

“The whole issue around Shannon Airport and the Shannon Free Zone is complex. We appreciate that the level of complexity involved does slow down the process but we feel that once the airport it split [from the DAA], it will revive the whole region.

“We realise that things take time but we are anxious that something takes place before the end of the year. If one interim board could be put in place before the end of the year to oversee the split.”

According to the Shannon Chamber of Commerce, new legislation which will allow the IDA to operate in the Shannon Free Zone could provide a massive boost for the whole region.

“We have been promised legislation to permit IDA and Enterprise Ireland to operate in the Shannon Free Zone. This legislation is sup- posed to be published before the end of the year,” continued Helen.

“We feel that 2013 could be a very big year for Shannon Airport. The chamber really feels that there are opportunities for Shannon as a standalone entity – and that includes passenger growth and route development as well as things like the international freight hub. These are the opportunities that must be grasped now.

“The ongoing uncertainty with the decline in traffic will have a very negative effect not just on the airport and the employees here, but on the whole region. This is about industry as well as tourism and a newlyformed Shannon Airport has the capacity to turn that around.

“I think we will see a new appetite to get Shannon back on its feet and to promote the whole region once this split has been formalised.”

THE fortunes of Shannon Airport are set to dip even further this year with new figures predicting that 2012 will be the worst year for commercial traffic at the airport since before 1997.

According to figures obtained from the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), Shannon Airport is already 646 commercial flights behind where it was for this time last year. This represents a 4.35 per cent year-on-year drop when compared to the nine months from January to the end of September 2011.

Should this trend continue through October, November and the end of this year, Shannon Airport’s total number of commercial movement in 2012 will come to just 18,435.

This means that the number of commercial flights using Shannon Airport has halved in just five years. In 2007, the total number of commercial movements at the airport reached an all time high of 35,630. These numbers fell consistently until 2010, when the appeared to bottom out at 18,771 movements and rallied back to 19,275 last year.

These losses at Shannon Airport are in contrast to Dublin Airport, which has shown steady growth in 2012, and Cork where commercial movement have been largely flat or showing a slight year-on-year drop.

The long-awaited separation of Shannon Airport from the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) could move a step closer when Taoiseach Enda Kenny (FG) will be briefed jointly by the chairpeople of the two taskforces set up in June to plot a new direction for Shannon.

John Fitzgerald and Rose Hynes will present to the sub-committee on economic infrastructure on Thursday. This committee, which is chaired by the Taoiseach, also includes the Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan (FG); the Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar (FG); and Richard Bruton (FG), Minister for Jobs and Innovation. 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000

A MAN who drove the wrong way down a busy street in Gort after stealing from a shop in the town has been sentenced to nine months in prison.

Timmy Casey (36), with an address at Bay 10 Clonlong, Southhill, pleaded guilty at Ennis District Court on Wednesday to dangerous driving, having no insurance, no driver’s license and theft at Gort on September 9.

The court heard that Mr Casey entered a clothes shop and removed money from the cash register while the owner was at the rear of the premises.

Inspector Michael Gallagher said that after leaving the shop, the accused drove on the wrong side of Crowe Street to evade gardaí. He said that at one stage, cars had to move onto the footpath to avoid Mr Casey’s car.

The court heard that Mr Casey also crashed into a garda patrol car. Insp Gallagher said the accused was at- tempting to evade gardaí.

Mr Casey, who has 89 previous convictions, also pleaded guilty to stealing a collection box from Teach Bia, Ennistymon on September 15.

The court heard that Mr Casey forced open the front door and stole the charity box containing € 40.

Defence solicitor Ted McCarthy told the court that his client had suffered from a serious addiction to alcohol. He said Mr Casey had committed the offences in “desperation” to get money for alcohol and drugs. “He was never going to get away with it”, Mr McCarthy added. He said Mr Casey is committed to dealing with his addiction issues.

Judge Patrick Durcan noted Mr Casey’s early guilty plea and severe addictions problems. He imposed sentences totalling nine months and fines totalling € 400.

Judge Durcan said the sentences are to run consecutive to the sentence Mr Casey is currently serving. Mr Casey was disqualified from holding a driver’s license for five years.

TWO people who damaged a fire alarm system in an apartment block in Shannon have been told their actions could have had “catastrophic consequences”.

In the event of a fire, the alarm would not have gone off at Kincora Apartments after damage was caused to fire control panel and CCTV system on July 7 (2012), a court heard last week.

Amanda Hayes (22) and Shane Collins (22) pleaded guilty at Ennis District Court on Wednesday to criminal damage at Kincora Apartments.

Judge Patrick Durcan described the incident as a “dastardly and appalling offence.”

Ms Hayes, with an address 48 Inis Eagla Shannon and 10 Kincora Apartments, also pleaded guilty to the theft of alcohol at Skycourt Shopping Centre, Shannon on July 19.

Mr Collins, with an address at Woodpark, Newmarket on Fergus, pleaded guilty to handling stolen property at Skycourt Shopping Centre on July 19.

Inspector Michael Gallagher told the court that CCTV had captured both accused damaging the Kincora apartment block.

He said, “This was a very serious incident. If a fire went off, no alarm would have gone off.”

Ms Hayes, who is currently serving a sentence, has 27 previous convictions. Mr Collins has two previous convictions.

Defence solicitor Jenny Fitzgibbon said that Ms Hayes had suffered problems with drug addiction but is doing well in prison.

She added, “She is hoping to stay of drugs but it is a battle.”

Ms Fitzgibbon said the latest offences were a “huge step up” for Mr Collins.

She said there was no justification for the damage caused to the apart- ment block.

Ms Fitzgibbon told the court that both her clients had consumed Xanex and alcohol and had no memory of the incident at the Skycourt shopping centre.

Judge Patrick Durcan said the damage to the apartment block was extremely serious. “It could have had the most catastrophic of consequences,” he added.

Mr Collins was fined € 250 for handling stolen property. Recognances were fixed in the event of an appeal. In respect of the criminal damage matter, Mr Collins was ordered to complete 120 hours of community service.

Amanda Hayes received a three month sentence, consecutive to the sentence she is currently serving. Recogances were fixed in the event of an appeal. Ms Hayes received a one month sentence for the theft from Skycourt. A WOMAN alleged to have stolen € 400 from a primary school in Ennis is due to appear again in court this week.

Eva Makulova (32) with an address at 3 Ardlea Close, Ennis is charged with entering Carrig Donn, Ennis on October 7 (2012) and taking € 2810. Ms Makulova has also been charged with the theft of € 400 from the Holy Family Primary School on September 7 (2012). She is also charged the theft of perfume from Cassidy’s Pharmacy, O’Connell Street, Ennis on September 2 and 3.

Ms Makulova appeared at Ennis District Court on Wednesday. Inspector Michael Gallagher told the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed summary disposal of the case.

Solicitor Tara Godfrey said that she was still awaiting full disclosure from the State.

The case was adjourned for a week. Ms Makulova was remanded in custody to appear again at Ennis District Court on October 31.

FOUR people charged in connection with a public order disturbance at a roundabout in Ennis are due to appear in court again next week.

Ennis District Court heard on Wednesday that the men intend to apply to the High Court for bail.

Bernard McDonagh (45) and Christopher McDonagh (38), Bernard McDonagh Jnr (22) and a 16-year-old boy are alleged to have committed a number of offences arising out of the incident at the Maid of Erin on October 14.

Bernard McDonagh (45), with an address at 1 Ashline, Kilrush Road, Ennis is charged with the assault of John Doherty. He also faces three charges of criminal damage and one charge of dangerous driving.

It is further alleged that Bernard McDonagh (45) drove a vehicle in a dangerous and reckless manner which created substantial risk of death or serious harm to another.

Christopher McDonagh, with an address at 1 Davitt Terrace, Cloughleigh, Ennis, is charged with produc- ing an iron while about to commit an assault. He also charged with possession of an iron bar with intent to cause injury to John Doherty, Martin Doherty and Jimmy Doherty.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons is charged with possession of a hatchet with intent to cause injuries to John Doherty, Martin Doherty and Jimmy Doherty.

He is also charged with the production of a hatchet while about to commit an assault.

Bernard McDonagh Jnr (22) is charged with possession of an article with intent to cause injury and the production of an article in the course of a dispute.

He is also charged with assault causing harm. Defence solicitor Daragh Hassett said his clients intend to apply for bail.

All three men were remanded in custody to appear at Ennis District Court on November 7. The teenager was remanded in detention to appear in court on November 7. Directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) are expected to be known by that date.

A Tipperary man who verbally abused gardaí in Shannon after a vodka drinking spree has been sentenced to two months in prison.

Luke Gray (24), with an address at 128 Ciamaltha Meadows, Nenagh, pleaded guilty at Ennis District Court on Tuesday to charges of intoxication and provoking a breach of the peace.

The charges arose out of a public order incident in Shannon town centre on October 13. Another man, Daniel Harty (32), of 73 Rossbracken, Shannon, also pleaded guilty to two charges of intoxication and provoking a breach of the peace. The court heard both men had been drinking to celebrate a christening.

Gardaí encountered Mr Gray at 1.25am in Shannon Town Centre, where he was roaring and shouting. Inspector John O’Sulivan said when asked to leave the area, Mr Gray told gardaí to “f*** off” “I’ll kill ye all”. Insp O’Sullivan said the father of five was “highly intoxicated.” Mr Gray has nine previous convictions.

The court heard that Mr Harty was also highly intoxicated but didn’t direct offensive language at the gardaí. Defence solicitor Jenny Fitzgibbon said Mr Gray had been drinking vodka prior to the incident. She said her client had a poor memory of what happened and that he was very repentant. Judge Patrick Durcan noted that Mr Gray had committed the offence three months after he had received a community service order. He said Mr Gray should be “ashamed of himself ”.

He added, “He decided to go a on a spree of alcohol consumption, consuming vodka which clearly doesn’t agree with him.” Judge Durcan said he had no time for people who interfere with the work of State agencies.

He imposed a two month prison sentence and fined Mr Gray € 250. Recognances were fixed in the event of an appeal. Judge Durcan said he considered a community service order but that would have a made a “mockery” of the community service regime.

Mr Harty, a father of four, said he was ashamed of his actions on the night. He apologised to gardaí and to the court. He received a 100-hour community service order. A VICTIMof domestic abuse last week questioned why her husband received a suspended sentence at Ennis District Court. Eddie Sherlock (32), with an address at 70 Dun na hInse, Ennis pleaded guilty onWednesday to a breach of a court imposed safety order. The court heard that Mr Sherlock struck his wife with a walking stick and told her that he would cut her face with a Stanley knife during the incident on October 19. The court heard that Ms Sherlock ran to a garda checkpoint that was near the couple’ s house to get help. Defence solicitor John Casey told the court that his client would say that the event wasn’ t as dramatic as the version outlined in court. He said Mr Sherlock “aplogised unreservedly” for what happened to his wife. “The relationship would appear to be pretty toxic,” he added. Mr Casey said alcohol was not a factor in the incident and that Mr Sherlock would be better of staying away formhis wife. Judge Patrick Durcan said the facts of the case are appalling.Addressing Mr Sherlock he said,“You should be ashamed of yourself, terribly ashamed.” He noted Mr Sherlock’ s early guilty plea and decided not to activate three month suspended sentence previously imposed a court. For the breach of the safety order, Judge Durcan imposed a three month suspended sentence. He also ordered Mr Sherlock to stay away fromhis wife. “If I meet you again, you’ ll br incarcerated for the longest period possible,” he added. At the end of the case, Ms Sherlock asked why her husband received another suspended sentence. “What does that mean?”, she added. Judge Durcan said Ms Sherlock could raise the matter with gardaí.

AN IRAQ war veteran from Clarecastle who admitted forging a doctor’s prescription has escaped a prison sentence.

Ross Culligan (25) was told by Judge Patrick Durcan that he was getting ‘the chance he deserves’ at Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

Mr Culligan, with an address at 41 Church Drive, Clarecastle, pleaded guilty to forging a prescription contrary to the misuse of drugs act on dates unknown between February 14 and February 22 (2012) at 41 Church Drive, Clarecastle.

He pleaded guilty to using the forged prescription at Mary Jo Duffy’s Pharmacy, Tesco, Ennis on February 22.

Mr Culligan also pleaded guilty to an offence under the firearms act at Ennis Garda Station on February 23.

The court previously heard that after being brought to Ennis Garda Station, Mr Culligan was found in possession of a .22 calibre bullet. The State accepted that Mr Culligan did not have the bullet for any sinister reason.

The case had been adjourned for the preparation of a report from the Probation and Welfare Services af- ter Judge Patrick Durcan said that he was considering a five-month prison sentence.

Mr Culligan served in the Irish Guards regiment of the British Army.

The court heard he was discharged for medical reasons. Judge Durcan noted that Mr Culligan had previously committed a similar offence and was on probation when he committed the current offence.

He said that Mr Culligan had experienced a lot of difficulties in the past.

Judge Durcan said as a result of his military service overseas, “he (Mr Culligan) saw and was probably involved in terrible things that will be with him for the rest of his life.”

He told the court that he was very impressed by what defence solicitor Shiofra Hassett had said on her client’s behalf.

Judge Durcan remanded Mr Culligan on continuing bail to July 17 (2013), with liberty to the State to reenter at 24 hours notice.

He also requested an up to date report from the Probation services. He added, “I will give you the chance you deserve.”

Judge Durcan said, “Best of luck to you Mr Culligan, you’ll have good days and bad days.”

ELEVEN people, including three children, were injured in four separate single-vehicle accidents in Clare over the past seven days – in what has been the worst week on the county’s roads so far in 2012.

A mother and her young child were trapped in their car for almost half an hour on Thursday last, when the car they were travelling in left the road and overturned on the N85, close to Kilnamona.

The incident was reported to emergency services just after 12.30pm on Thursday afternoon but, due to some confusion regarding the exact location of the accident, emergency crews were dispatched to three different locations. Emergency crews from Ennistymon responded to a report of a crash on the R460 between Inagh and Miltown Malbay, while gardaí from Ennistymon responded to an incident, reported to have taken place closer to Ennistymon.

A fire crew from Ennis located the crash on the N85, in the townland of Shallee in Kilnamona. It later emerged that all the 999 calls were in relation to the same incident, but there had been some confusion as to the exact location of the accident.

The mother and child were treated at the scene and were described as being very distressed.

Gardaí in Shannon are investigating a single-vehicle road traffic accident at Ballycasey in Shannon on Saturday night, from which the driver of an overturned truck absconded.

A spokesperson form the Garda Press Office confirmed to The Clare People yesterday that they are still attempting to track down the driver of the vehicle, which was discovered overturned around the Shannon slip road on the M18 at 11.15pm on Saturday night last, October 17.

Gardaí and fire crews searched the area but were unable to find anyone who might have been involved in the incident. Gardaí are understood to be examining the possibility that the driver checked into a local hotel fol- lowing the accident.

A mother and her two young sons had a lucky escape last Monday, October 22, when their car left the road and hit a tree before turning over onto its roof, at Ballyline, on the old Ennis to Galway road.

The woman was driving her two sons, aged three and four, in the direction of Crusheen village, when the incident took place. The vehicle collided with a tree before overturning onto its roof.

Meanwhile, five men were also injured in Ennis on Sunday, October 28, when the car they were driving crashed into a stone wall close to Drumcliffe Cemetery on the outskirts of Ennis. Th e e a rly p a rt o f t h e we e k will b e t yp ic a l No ve m b e r fa re , we t a n d w in d y, b u t c le a rin g b y t h e we e ke n d .