Category: News

OFFICIAL funding for the arts in Clare has been slashed this year by almost 25 per cent leaving many small festivals and large institutions fighting for their survival.

Figures obtained from the Irish Arts Council reveal that the total amount of funding for projects in Clare fell from € 481,000 in 2011 to just € 362,000 this year – a drop of 24.7 per cent.

This latest drop comes after a series of funding cuts in recent years and is having a serious financial impact on the arts in the county.

Some of the worst hit areas include Glór, the Willie Clancy Summer School and the Clare County Council Arts Office – each of which saw major funding cuts this year.

Funding for Glór fell from € 112, 500 last year to just € 90,000 this year while the Clare County Council saw a total, year-on-year cut of almost 27 per cent with Arts Council funding dropping from € 102, 500 to € 75,000. The Willie Clancy Summer School, which last week generated millions for the local tourist industry in West Clare, saw its annual Arts Council funding cut from € 100,000 in 2011 to just € 80,000 for 2012.

Smaller local festivals have also been hit hard with the total allocated through the Small Arts Festivals Scheme dropping from € 69,000 last year to € 45,000 this year while the annual allocation to Liscannor publishing house, Salmon Poetry, fell from € 50,000 to € 42,000 this year.

Reacting to the funding announcements, Clare arts officer Siobhan Mulcahy said that Clare artists and festival organisers are resilient and would survive the funding cuts.

“These cuts represent the difficult situation artists and arts organisations find themselves in. Many of these organisations and festivals rely on Arts Council of Ireland support to keep going, but their successes over the years show that they are resilient and creative in the face of such adversity,” she told The Clare People .

“Clare County Council contin- ues to support the arts in Clare and views the arts as a key component of cultural life in the county and as a resource to be supported for the benefit of all.”

Besides the overall cuts to certain funding streams, a number of Arts Council schemes have been discontinued. Clare projects received no funding through the Deis Scheme or the Project Award scheme in 2012 but the was a one gain – with € 8,000 more coming to the county through the Bursary Scheme in 2012.

A spokesperson for the Arts Council declined to comment on the cuts but government funding for every section of the arts has been hit badly since the beginning of the recession in 2007.

FOUR architects from the University of Limerick have been living and working in the village of Crusheen for the past week as part of one of the most unique architectural projects ever undertaken in the county.

The four architects will remain in the community until this Sunday, July 22, meeting the local community and immersing themselves in the life of the village. At the end of their stay in the village, the four will complete a design for the Crusheen Community Centre, which is currently being redeveloped by the local community.

The four architects set up outside of mass in the village on Sunday and will host an open evening in the village later this evening – where local people can see how the design is progressing and suggests possible changes and additions. The four are also working in an open office where any member of the local community is invited to call around at ant time and make suggestions for the makeup of the new centre.

This is the first time that this sort of “live-in” approach has been taken to a community project in Ireland. It is hoped that this will produce a unique building, tailored exactly to the needs of the local community.

“A group was set up in Crusheen last March to tackle the situation with the community centre in Crusheen – which is no longer fit for purpose. The community has grown massively in the last 10 to 15 years and the current centre is an old school building, which was first built in 1884. The centre is still being used by the local community but really a new building is needed,” said Keith Walsh of the Crusheen Community Centre group.

“We wanted to come up with a really good design for the centre, something that would produce the best building for the local community, so we approached UL who formed a partnership called ‘Start-Design Crusheen’, which is four, fourth-year architects who have agreed to live and immerse themselves in the local community out there and then design us a community centre that exactly fits our needs.”

The architects of the Start-Design Crusheen group have been living with members of the local community in Crusheen since last Friday, July 13. Part of the inspiration behind the design team is to find a way that they can use their skills in Ireland in the current economic climate and not be forced to emigrate.

“Part of this is about creating a path for us to be employed in Ireland in the future. This project is partly a means for us to overcome our urge to emigrate,” said architect Colin Dorgan. “We all have different approaches to how we work and we jumped at the chance to do this once the Crusheen group got in contact. We are here to get a feel for the place and the people and that will help the design of the centre in the long term. We want to meet with everyone who is using the building now and anyone who might want to use it in the future.

“We met with people after mass yesterday (Sunday) and spoke to anyone who would talk to us about the centre,” he added.

The group are working in an open studio at the site of the old dispensary in Crusheen and would be happy to speak with anyone who would like to have an input into the project. Local people living abroad are also asked to visit their website startdesigncrusheen.tk and give their opinion on the centre.

“It is an open studio and we want people to come in and take part in the design for the centre. We want to show the difference between architects really getting involved in a community project and people maybe paying a visit to the site and doing all the work somewhere else,” said architect Ray McGreal.

“Two of us are staying with the parish priest in Crusheen and two of us are being put up by the Fogarty’s – just next to the studio. So you couldn’t be more in the local community. This is a community centre for the local community and everything we do will have that in mind.”

Ray and Colin are being aided in the project by fellow architects Diarmaid Upton and Ronan O’Dea. The group are also being mentored by Peter Carr, architecture professor at the University of Limerick.

The group will finish their work by completing a full design for the Crusheen Community Centre and to apply for initial planning permission with Clare County Council.

The open evening will take place tonight (Tuesday, July 17) at the Crusheen Community Centre.

A CLARE businessman is hoping to bring jobs back to his home county through a new internet business. South Clare businessman, Paul Hall, is looking to recruit three Clare reps straight away and plan to employ more than 20 others in coming months by creating a call centre in the county.

Paul has won the exclusive contract to roll out the award-winning kid’s website www.whatson4littleones.ie, in Ireland. The website, which has four companion sites aimed at different age groups, has been a great success in America, Austrailia and the UK since it was set up in 2006.

Paul decided to take on this new business, after the recession hit his old business Unitech Ireland, which supplied equipment to the hotel sector.

“The sites have become really very popular in other countries and there is no reason why they won’t catch on here in just the same way. The sites are up and running at the moment but the next step is to get reps on the ground all over Ireland to begin to build up a client base for the service,” Paul told The Clare People .

“We set up the site so the client can just log in and update the site whenever they like with the different events that they have going on. So the site becomes a one-stop-shop for locals and tourists who want to know the different things that they can do in their locality. We are looking to hire two or three people in the Clare area as soon as possible but the hope is to set up a call centre locally in the months ahead.”

The website were first launched in the UK in 2006 but have spread to America and Australia in recent years. The Irish business has four different websites – aimed at “little ones”, school kids, kids parties and the adult site – whatson4me.ie.

The sites are inter-connected to allow people to find exactly what local event would suit their children or themselves. The Irish site is also connected ot the foreign versions meaning that tourists coming from the UK, America and Australia can plan their activities in Ireland before they arrive here.

To apply for the Clare positions email a CV to Paul on info@whatson4.ie.

James (Jamie) WALL
of Ballynote, Kilrush, Clare. Peacefully. Laid to rest in Old Shanakyle Cemetery. May he rest in peace.

Delia (Brigid) MANGAN, (née
McNamara)

THE MUNSTERGROUP Clare Community Games competed in the Munster Community Games finals in U.L. on Sat last. They participated in Basketball, Camogie, Futsal, Gaelic Football, Hardcourt Tennis, Rugby, Judo, Rounders, Skittles, Soccer & Volleyball. For the outdoor games the conditions were difficult while the weather was dry the playing pitches were extremely wet. All teams put in a great effort. Some of the matches were extremely close.

Clare brought home 1 Individual and 5 team gold. While 4 teamsa brought home silver. The gold medal winners now have the opportunity to represent Clare in the National Finals in Athlone in August.

The Judo, Soccer & Volleyball are on 17th-19th August. Tag Rgby & Rounders are on 24th-26th August. R esult s 1st place Judo – Open Roisín Cahill – Doora/Barefield Rounders Boys U-15 – Sixmilebridge/Kilmurry – Jason Loughnane, Brian O’Sullivan, Charlie Carmody, Cathal Lynch, Jamie Lyons, Ronan Tuohy, Cian McInerney, Gavin Fawl, Eanna Chaplin, Tadhg Donnellan, Shane Flynn, Patrick Mulready Soccer Girls U-15 – Ennis St Johns Niamh O Brien, Aoife Glavin, Laura Brown, Orla Waters, Fridaous Karimu, Aoife Mcnamara, Rebecca Windall, Marese Hayes, Nina Jobonska, Natalia Fankucenska, Katie Kenneally, Sinead Mulcahy, Lauren Keane, Alma Conway, Katie Shannon Tag Rugby U-14 – Quin/Clooney – Kate Taylor, Ellie Rochford, Jennifer O’Neill, Darragh Ryan, David Rochford, Conor O’Brien, Barry Loughnane, Daniel Griffin, Mary Connelly, Eoghan O’Brien, Conor Mahon, Rachel Begg Volleyball Boys – Quin/Clooney – Fergal Coughlan, Connor Mahon, Douglas Reddan, Paul Reynolds, Colm Harrison, Eimhin Dunne, Sean Hehir, Eanna Barry, Brendan Dolan Volleyball Girls – Doora/Barefield – Gabrielade Silvo, Niamh Courtney, Claire Purcell, Sarah Jane O’Connell, Anna Courtney, Ali McCarthy, Mia Norton, Caitriona Ni Riordain, Orla Purcell, Emma Purcell, Enya Feerick 2nd place Basketball mixed U-11 – Quin/ Clooney – Cliodhna Ryan, Kirsty Begg, Alice Larkin, Juliette Cantwell, Sara Hassett, David Barbotin, Adam Deegan, Martin Fiain, Colm Cassidy Futsol Girls U-13 – Miltown Malbay – Aine Keane, Eimear Keane, Aoife Hehir, Grainne Meade, Aisling Clancy, Grainne Lynch,, Aine Talty, Niamh Blake Gaelic Football U-12 Girls – Doora/Barefield – Niamh O’Keeffe,Muireann Collins, Irene Neylon, Aoibhinn O’Loughlin, Trease McAuliffe, Laura McDonnell, Saidbh Kelleher, Aisling, Reidy, Chloe Towey, Amy Lenihan, Anna Lynch, Aisling Hannon, Shauna Murphy, Roisin Dixon, Maebh O’Connor, Gail Norton, Mia Norton, Saoirse O’Donoghue, Sally Brogan, Emily Fanning Hardcourt Tennis U-13 – Ennis St Johns – Shauna Kearney, Edith Kearney, Emilia Kovale, Tomiwa Mattheu, Conall Moore, Emmunale

THE funeral will take place in Ennis today of a well-known father of four who died following a tragic accident last week. Ennis man Sean O’Sullivan got into difficulty while swimming at Whitestrand near Spanish Point.

The incident occurred at around 5.30pm on Friday. A lifeguard on duty was asked to check on Mr O’Sullivan’s position in the water. A boat alerted the lifeguard to the presence of a body in the water.

Mr O’Sullivan was brought ashore where attempts were made to resuscitate him.

Mr O’Sullivan was brought by heli- copter to University Hospital Galway where he was later pronounced dead.

He was an experienced swimmer, lifeguard and sub-aqua diver from a well-known and popular sporting Ennis family. He was a long-serving member of the Ennis Sub Aqua Club and worked for many years as a lifeguard. Two of Mr O’Sullivan’s sons, as well as two nephews, currently work as lifeguards in Clare.

Mr O’Sullivan’s family are also well known from their long-time involvement in the Community Games.

Tributes have been paid to a man described as a “fantastic” person and athlete.

A spokeswoman for Clare Commu- nity Games said, “Clare Community Games were shocked and saddened at the sudden death of Sean O’Sullivan on Friday last. Sean was vice chairman of Clare Community Games in 1998 and 1999.

“He was very actively involved in all aspects of the games both at Area and County level. Sean won a Silver medal for Judo at the National Finals in Mosney in 1974. Sean is the son of John and Cecilia, President and Vice President of Clare Community Games,” she continued.

“We extend our sympathy and prayers to all the O’Sullivan family and extended family. Ar deis Dé go raibh a anam.”

Friend and Clare Water Safety Development Officer, Liam Griffin, described the incident as a “terrible tragedy”.

He added, “He was a fantastic fella, a real lovely, lovely fella. He was involved in water safety for a long number of years. He would have been a lifeguard on all the big beaches in Clare. Everyone is numb after what happened.”

Mr O’Sullivan is pre-deceased by his sister Rose. He is survived by his wife Helen and sons Cian, Eoin, Cormac and Donnchadh. He will be sadly missed by his family, extended family and wide circle of friends. Funeral Mass takes place at 11am today at Ennis Cathedral. Burial afterwards in Drumcliffe Cemetery.

GARDAÍ in Ennis are awaiting ballistic results from a pipe bomb discovered in a car on the outskirts of the town last week.

Two men in their twenties with Ennis addresses were arrested by Gardai in the Barefield area of Coun- ty Clare after a pipe bomb was found in their car.

Gardaí stopped the car at Cappa Beg on the old N18 Ennis to Galway road at approximately 1am on Tuesday morning last.

The occupants of the car, were taken to Ennis Garda Station where they were held under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.

They were released at 11pm that night.

Ennis Superintendent Peter Duff said a file on the case is being sent to the Director of Public Prosecution.

“I don’t envisage any more arrests in relation top this incident,” he added.

The pipe bomb, which was made safe at the scene by the Defence Forces Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team (EODT) based at Collins Barracks in Cork, is now being examined by a ballistics team.

During a follow up operation gardaí also searched premises in the Ennis area.

Supt Duff confirmed that nothing else was discovered during the searches.

THE number of people signing on the live register in Clare fell to a threeyear low last month, with the lowest figures since October of 2009.

However, according to people in the business community, this low is being driven by emigration rather than job creation in the local economy.

The biggest fall came in the North Clare area, where the Ennistymon office reported a drop of almost eight per cent between March and May of this year.

According to North Clare-based hotelier and head of the Irish Hotel Federation (IHF), Michael Vaughan, emigration has devastated the locality.

“The tourism trade in the county has been very flat. There was a small rebound earlier in the year but nothing that would have any real impact on employment.

“North Clare has been hit very, very badly by emigration and, sadly, it is that and not any great growth in employment that is leading to these figures,” he said.

This flat outlook for employment prospects in the Clare economy was echoed by CEO of the Ennis Chamber of Commerce, Rita McInerney, who said that local tourism and retail businesses were hopeful of a big July and August to kickstart the year.

According to Ms McInerney, a number of Clare businesses are actually having trouble hiring people to cover short-term and seasonal positions – because of difficulties for people accessing social welfare after taking up fixed-term contracts.

“I have come across a number of Clare employers who are having trouble filling short-term positions. The Government needs to give people assurances that if they get off the live register to take up short-term employment, that it won’t take them weeks and weeks to get back on it again,” she said.

“It is a very difficult time for businesses to take on staff. Staff is based on turnover and, given the current situation, employers will be slow to take on extra staff until they are sure that they will need them.”

Sean O’SULLIVAN
of 325 Golflinks Road, Ennis. Suddenly. Funeral arriving for 11amMass to Ennis Cathedral today (Tuesday). Burial afterwards in Drumcliffe Cemetery. Family flowers only please. Donations if desired to Clare Care. May he rest in peace.

James BROHAN
of Spancillhill, Ennis. Suddenly. Funeral Mass today (Tuesday) at 11am in Clooney Church followed by burial in Clooney Cemetery. May he rest in peace.

Flan CARMODY
of Monvana, Kilrush. Peacefully.Arriving at St. Senan’s Church, Kilrush this morning (Tuesday) for funeral mass at 10amfollowed by private cremation at the Island Crematorium, Ringaskiddy, Cork. No flowers please. Donations, if desired, to Crumlin Children’s Hospital. May he rest in peace.

Tom (John) LONG
of Connaught Road, Scariff. Peacefully, in his 91st year. RequiemMass today (Tuesday) in the Church of the Sacred Heart, Scarriff, at 11.30am followed by burial in the Old CemeteryTuamgraney. Donations, if desired, to Caring for Carers, Co. Clare. May he rest in peace.

Bernadette BARRY (née Hanrahan)
of Caheraphuca, Crusheen. Peacefully. Laid to rest in Kilawinna cemetery. Donations, if desired, to cancer care. May she rest in peace.

Gerry CLOHESSY
of St Columba’s Ballindereen, Co. Galway and late of Miltown Malbay. Laid to rest in Miltown Malbay. May he rest in peace.

Bridget (Birdie) MORAN
(née Callinan) of Kilfenora. Peacefully at St Domnic Savio nursing home, Liscannor. Laid to rest in Holy Cross Cemetary,Athea, Co. Limerick. Donations in lieu if desired to St. Domnic Savio nursing home. May she rest in peace.

Jack MOORE
of Rooeast,Ardnacrusha.Arriving for 12 noon mass today (Tuesday) Tuesday in Clonlara Church, with burial afterwards in Ballycannon Cemetery. May he rest in peace.

Martin McNAMARA
of Luton, Bedfordshire, England and formerly of ShackletonTerrace,Well Road, Kilkee.Ashes laid to rest inThe Family Grave in Lisdeen Cemetery Kilkee. May he rest in peace.

Paddy O’DONOGHUE
of Caherush, Quilty. Laid to rest in Quilty. May he rest in peace.

Margaret (Peg) McKEEN
(née Hegarty) of Ivy Hill, Gort Road, Ennis, Laid to rest in the Holy Rosary Cemetery, Doolin. May she rest in peace.

Alfie CROWE
of Boston Massachusetts and Dysart, Corofin. Ashes laid to rest in Dysart Cemetery. Donations, if desired to Cancer Research. May he rest in peace.

Thomas WHITTAKER
of 9 Brookfield, Lahinch Road, Ennis. Laid to rest in Drumcliffe Cemetery. May he rest in peace.

Mary DOHERTY
of Castlewood Park, Ennis. Laid to rest in Drumcliffe cemetery. May she rest in peace.

THE process of removing illegally parked caravans and other temporary dwellings has become a “huge drain on staff and resources” for Clare County Council, a meeting has heard. Town clerk Leonard Cleary was speaking yesterday after concern was expressed over a recent rise in illegal encampments in Ennis and Clarecastle.

Mr Cleary said that at a time when the council has seen a 20 per cent reduction in staff numbers, local authorities do not have the capacity to devote resources to dealing with illegal encampments. He added, “It’s a huge source of frustration for staff and management.”

Mayor of Clare, Cllr Pat Daly (FF), said illegal encampments had become “too regular” around Ennis.

Mr Cleary was speaking at a meeting of councillors in the Ennis west electoral area. Cllr Tony Mulqueen (FG) had called for immediate action on illegal encampments and for “those responsible to pay all costs from their social welfare if necessary”.

In her reply, Fiona Mooney, Acting Senior Executive Officer, Housing Section, states, “The process for dealing with illegal encampments of temporary dwellings are invoked immediately by personnel.

“This does not amount to an immediate outcome, because the elements of the process necessarily take a minimal amount of time.

“The processes are as efficient as they can be given the inadequacies in the legislative framework available, the requirements of the legislation that can be invoked in each particular case, the available human resources to the council and other statutory agencies, and given the level of non-compliance with notices served.

“There is no mechanism provided for those responsible paying ‘all costs.’

In any case where a temporary dwelling has been removed, there is legislative provision for the owner to have to pay the removal cost, in order to retrieve it,” she added.

At a meeting of the Ennis East Electoral Committee, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) said that people living in Ennis and Clarecastle have had their “hearts broken” by illegal encampments.

Mr Cleary said new national legislation is required in order to give the local authorities more effective powers.

A NEW website has been launched to help promote the folklore and oral history of County Clare, with the story tellers taking centre stage.

The site, www.clarememories.ie, is a result of the work of Cuimhneamh an Chláir, the Clare Oral History and Folklore Group, who have been documenting the memories of Clare’s oldest citizens for the last two years.

The voluntary group have already amassed considerable collection of material amounting to more than 330 interviews with people aged between 65 and 106.

The website, which was supported by the Clare Local Development Company, provides information on Cuimhneamh an Chláir’s collection programme as well as their outreach and education initiatives. Viewers can also play samples of the groups recordings as well as learn about aspects of Clare’s folklore, like old Irish words used by older people in Clare as well as Biddy Early, Bríd Uí Choisteala and other folklore figures in the county. An interactive map shows an example of where the group have conducted interviews across Clare and a sample of the summaries conducted for each interview can be read. Of the 300 plus people interviewed by Cuimhneamh an Chláir, more than 40 have passed away, including ten people who were over one hundred years old when they were interviewed.

According to Frances Madigan of the Cuimhneamh an Chláir Executive Committee, the group aims to continue with its intensive collection programme in the coming years andwill also maintain their ambition of taking the material back out the public at every opportunity.

“It’s vital that we make the material as available as we can to the people of Clare in the short term through our listening room concept, ‘Come here till I tell ya’ and through radio programmes as well as public workshops. However in the long term, we aim to make all the material available to the people of Clare and are working towards that on a continuous basis. Features will be added to the website over the coming months based on collected material all across County Clare, exploring themes such as farming in the old days, electrification, beliefs, and calendar customs.”

Former Mayor of Clare and founding member of the group Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) said, “Just three years ago, Cuimhneamh an Chláir was an idea. Now we have built one of the largest and most successful folklore collection groups in the country.”

LAST Wednesday’s temporary loss of water supply to parts of Ennis and its surrounds was a result of a burst mains on a main trunk supply from the Drumcliff reservoir.

Clare County Council identified the problem quickly and worked through Wednesday night to ensure supply was fully restored within 24 hours.

During the disruption Ennis General Hospital was without water for a short time but fire services using water tankers ensured that hospital supplies of water were unaffected by the loss of supply.

According to Senior Engineer with Clare County Council Sean Ward, the discovered leak was a serious one.

“On Wednesday morning we observed high flows through our district meter on Sandfield Road, indicating that there was a major leak or burst in that district.

“We shut the district off at 10am, located the burst and started to repair it,” he told The Clare People , adding that very quickly people were in contact with the council to report water issues.

“CCC staff immediately started inspecting the network to locate any other bursts that might account for this loss of pressure.

“With the assistance of the operating contractor’s staff at Drumcliffe water treatment plant, a major leak was found on one of the two trunk supply mains from Drumcliffe reservoir to the town,” Sean said.

To protect the town’s main water supply, the council took the decision to temporarily cut off the main supply route in question.

The burst section of main was exposed by 6pm and repaired by 9.30pm. Ennis area staff then worked during the night and again early the following morning to ensure that supply was getting back to all areas. Mr Ward praised the co-operation of local landowner Pat Tierney, who facilitated the early repair work.

“Clare County Council would like to record its appreciation to Pat Tierney, the owner of the land on which the trunk main burst occurred, for readily facilitating entry to his land to allow the big main to be repaired this greatly assisted the speed of our response,” he added.