Category: News

A WEST Clare branch of AIB has been targeted and robbed by an armed robber for the second time in 10 months. During the morning of Friday last, a lone gunman entered the bank’s branch on O’Curry Street, Kilkee, and held up staff. The hooded raider went behind the counter and took an undisclosed amount of cash from registers and the general counter area, before escaping towards the beach. No shots were fired during the robbery and no one was hurt in the inci- dent, but the two members of staff and customers were extremely shocked following the terrifying ordeal. Gardaí in Kilrush are investigating the incident and are appealing for the public’s assistance. A spokesperson for the Gardaí said the robbery took place at approximately 10.55am. “He lifted the counter and produced a firearm and, in a threatening manner, demanded money. He then took a sum of money from the tills and counter area. He left on foot down O’Curry Street, down Pantry Lane and on to Strandline and made good his escape,” he said. It is now hoped that someone will be able to come forward with details as to the thief’s mode of transport. “Did anyone notice this man in Kilkee before or after the robbery or what transport he may have used to come and go from Kilkee? Was he on his own or was he accompanied by others?” Gardaí are trying to ascertain. The brazen thief is described as five foot eight inches tall, with a “long, thin-looking face”. He wore a dark jacket and grey hoodie during the robbery. Anyone with information can contact Gardaí in Kilrush on 065 9080550.

CLARE is the only county in Munster without State-sponsored third level education, but it hasn’t stopped more people than ever before in the county embracing the education system.

That’s just one of the findings to emerge from the latest bulletin report of the 2011 National Census of Population released by the Central Statistics Office in the past week.

According to the figures, there are more students in Clare than there are people out of work in a breakdown of the population of the county that are over 15 years of age.

The huge surge in the numbers of students over the age of 15 in the county is reflected in a figure of 10,044, a figure which represents a 27.3 per cent jump numbering over 2,100 since the 2006 census results.

This means that the jump in student numbers in Clare is now running ahead of the provincial and national average that stands at 14 per cent and 17 per cent respectively.

However, the census returns have revealed that the county is behind the national average when it comes to the biggest tools of modern education – technology.

All because the numbers able to access much-needed information online is lower than in other parts of the country. Three in five Clare homes have access to broadband, and even this represents a four-fold jump from 2006, it’s still five percent below the national average.

The unemployment figures for the county stand at 9,805, which is lower than the national average, while the figure for those who are classified as ‘looking after the home/family’ is 8,476.

The figures for those working in Clare in April 2011 are 45,606, with the numbers of retired people standing at 12, 530.

Of the working population the healthy state of the agriculture industry in Clare is reflected in the fact that there are 7,499 farmer in Clare – a figure which is broken down between 5,064 men and 2,435 women.

AT LEAST five people have been injured in a spate of dog attacks in the county during the last 10 days.

Two teenagers were hospitalised following two of the incidents. The first, a 16-year-old girl from Inagh, was taken to hospital in Galway after she was attacked by the family’s pet husky. Meanwhile, a teenage boy from the Tulla area received chest wounds from a Golden Labrador while he was out cycling his bike. He was also taken to hospital for treatment. The county’s dog warden Frankie Coote has since taken charge of both dogs. Mr Coote is disturbed by the number of growing attacks in the county and fears a dog in Clare will eventually kill someone.

“It might sound alarmist but I think we are facing a child or person being killed in this county by a dog,” he said. The dog warden was himself a victim of an attack on Friday last. He explained that while the dogs looked friendly, one animal jumped at his throat. Due to his training Mr Coote escaped the attack with minor bruising to his throat and neck.

A HEROIN addict who admitted handling stolen money totalling € 3,500 has received a three-year prison sentence.

Half of the term handed down to Michael Sweeney (23) at Ennis Circuit Criminal Court yesterday was suspended.

Mr Sweeney, with an address at 13 Wood Road, Kilrush, pleaded guilty to handling stolen money in Kilrush last July.

The court heard that gardaí received a report that € 18,000 was stolen from a car in Kilrush on July 4 (2011). Garda Oliver Downes of Kilrush Garda Station, told the court that the owner of the money had intended to buy a car. He said the money had been kept in three envelopes in his car.

A search was carried out at Mr Sweeney’s home but no money was found, the court heard. Garda Downes said the accused was arrested and later made admissions to gardaí. He said Mr Sweeney told them that he had met two other people in a nearby woods.

The court heard that Mr Sweeney received € 3500, of which he spent € 1250 on a Toyota Corolla and € 500 on drugs. He told gardaí that he gave € 1880 to a third party. The court heard that Mr Sweeney has 23 previous convictions and suffers from a “very severe” heroin addiction.

Counsel for Mr Sweeney, Pat Whyms BL, said no evidence had offered in the case other than his client’s admission of guilt. He said nobody else had been charged in relation to the case.

Mr Whyms added, “He received the money, he did know it was stolen, but he did not steal it.”

Mr Whyms told the court that his client had been given the money by one of the men who had committed the theft. He said this man had previously damaged a car belonging to Mr Sweeney and this money was to cover the cost. He said that at all times, Mr Sweeny had been “completely upfront about what happened.”

Judge Carroll Moran noted that there would have been no case against Mr Sweeney “without the admissions he made.”

He added, “If he had stayed quiet there would have been no case against him at all.”

He imposed a three-year sentence and suspended the final 18 months for four years on condition that Mr Sweeney keep the peace.

Jeanne O’GRADY
of 59 Marian Estate, Kilkee. Peacefully at St. Joseph’s Hospital Ennis . Reposing onTuesday morning at Lillis Funeral Kilkee from10.30a.m, with removal at 11.30a.mto Kilkee Parish Church for Requiem Mass at 12 noon followed by burial in Kilferagh Cemetery. May she rest in peace.

Kathleen O’CONNELL
of Aughboy, Clonlara. Funeral mass onTuesday at 12 noon in Clonlara Church, with burial afterwards in Doonass Cemetery. May she rest in peace.

Thomas HANRAHAN
of Clondrinagh, Coolmeen. Suddenly. Laid to rest in Kilmurray Mc Mahon Cemetery. May he rest in peace.

Thomas McMAHON
of 9 Ballycar Road, Newmarket-on-Fergus. Laid to rest in Newland’s Cross Crematorium, Dublin. Donations if desired to Milford Hospice. May he rest in peace.

Joe McNAMARA
of Uggoon,Tulla. Laid to rest in the local cemetery inTulla. May he rest in peace.

Bridget (Bridie) O’DONOGHUE
(née Noone) of Ballycuneen, Drumline, Newmarket-on-Fergus. Laid to rest in Fenloe Cemetery. Donations if desired to Milford Hospice. May she rest in peace.

Bridget (Breda) CLEARY (née Casserly)
of Hazel Grove, Roslevan, Ennis. Laid to rest in Templemaley Cemetery. May she rest in peace.

Martin McNAMARA
of Luton, Bedfordshire, England & formerly of ShackletonTerrace,Well Road, Kilkee. Suddenly in England of Martin McNamara, Luton, England and formerly of ShackletonTerrace,Well Road, Kilkee. Cremation has taken place in England. Funeral Mass on Saturday, July 7 in St. Senan’s Church Kilkee at 11.30amfollowed by interment of Ashes in the family Grave in Lisdeen Cemetery Kilkee. May he rest in peace.

Jimmy O’DEA
of Tullabrack, Cooraclare. Peacefully. Laid to rest in Breaffa Cemetery. May he rest in peace.

Kitty FOUDY (née Glynn)
of Kylea, Inagh. Laid to rest in Inagh. Donations, if desired, to Friends of Ennistymon Hospital. May she rest in peace.

David LYSAGHT
of 7 Ross an Oir, Ballycasey, Shannon. Laid to rest in Illaunumanagh Cemetery. May he rest in peace.

Bridie (TOSF) CULLINAN (née Hickey)
of Clonroad, Ennis. Peacefully, in her 98th year. Laid to rest in Drumcliffe Cemetery. May she rest in peace.

Joe GRIFFIN
of Cragbrien, Darragh, Ennis. Peacefully. Laid to rest in Ballyea Church grounds. Donations, if desired, to Milford Hospice or Irish Cancer Society. May he rest in peace.

Sean MEEHAN
of Ardykyl, Sixmilebridge. Peacefully. Laid to rest at Feenagh Cemetery. May he rest in peace.

Emmet (Hopper) RYAN
of Dough, Kilkee. Reposing onTuesday evening at Lillis’ Funeral Home in Kilkee from5pmuntil 7pm. Remains arriving to St. Senan’s Church, Kilkee, onWednesday morning for RequiemMass at 11.30am, followed by burial in Lisdeen Cemetery. Family flowers only please donations in lieu to Pieta House. May he rest in peace.

Owen NEVILLE
of Fergus Drive, Shannon. Reposing in Milford Hospice Mortuary onTuesday at 5.30pmuntil removal at 7.30pm. RequiemMass at Mary Immaculate Church, Shannon, onWednesday at 12 noon, followed by burial afterwards in the Old Cemetery, Adare. Family flowers only, please. Donations, if desired, to Milford Hospice. May he rest in peace.

Margaret (Peg) BYRNE (née Malone)
of (Shambo) Blackthorn Drive, Caherdavin, Limerick, and Carrigoran Nursing Home, Newmarketon-Fergus. Reposing in Carrigoran Nursing Home, Newmarket-on-Fergus, onTuesday at 4pmuntil 7pm. RequiemMass at Carrigoran Nursing Home onWednesday at 10.30am, followed by burial afterwards in St James Church Cemetery, Glenmore, Co. Kilkenny. May she rest in peace.

RESIDENTS of a housing estate in Ennis have outlined their strong feelings at the anti-social behaviour of just one family in their estate, writing to councillors to list a litany of complaints that include intimadation, theft, noise, fighting and certain female family members using a back garden ‘as a toilet’.

The letter, which stunned many listeners at an Ennis Town Council meeting yesterday, claimed that two other families were forced to move from the estate as a result of the antisocial behaviour.

It also alleged that pubic urination on the estate’s footpaths and gardens is commonplace, while bad language is also an everyday occurence.

Sections of the letter were read out to councillors at the meeting.

The letter, which has been seen by The Clare People, states;

“A Brazilian family has moved out of the estate as a direct result of continuous noise, intimidation and the theft of their flicker scooter bike. Another lady and her children have moved also because of intimidation.” The letter highlights incidents of “continuous fighting”, “disgraceful bad language”, drunken verbal abuse and public urination.

It also states that parents no longer feel it is safe for them to allow their children to play outside their own homes.

As a result of the intimidation the letter writes states that residents in the estate keep clinds and curtains closed throughout the day. It also alleges that alcohol is being openly consumed during daylight hours in the estate, leading to instances of loud, verbal abuse directed at neighbours.

Residents’ associations recently met with councillors over the anti-social behaviour.

Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) told the meeting that he wants legislation to make landlords more accountable. He says the Health Services Executive (HSE) should be instructed to view any tenancy agreement prior to sanctioning a rent subsidy. He said some members of the Traveller community are causing “major concern” in Ennis. He claimed that, in some instances, residents are “afraid to call the guards because they will be identified”. He said, “I’ve had people crying in front of me because they are so afraid. People are living in fear and something has to be done.”

Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) said the situation in Ennis has “deteriorated”. He said, “They fight in our streets, our banks. They are taking on society.”

The council is to seek a meeting with the HSE and the Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter.

According to Town Clerk, Leonard Cleary, “The community (residents and landlords) have a key stakehold in addressing the issues raised.”

The Ennis housing estate at the centre of the latest allegations is not one previously associated with such instances of anti-social behaviour.

THE new committee structure put in place by the Government that has responsibility for implementing Shannon’s independence and the break-up of Shannon Development’s old responsibilities will produce results by the end of the year.

That’s according to Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar, who has rejected that the appointment of 28 different people to three separate government committees was too unwieldy to put concrete plans for the airport in place.

“It’s the nature of everything really that you want to include people and bring them along with you with as much as possible and at the same time you need to keep things tight. You need to strike that balance,” said Minister Varadkar.

“The steering committee is very tight. There are only five or six people. The task forces are all made up of people with particular expertise, or the particular agencies involved,” he added.

The committee structure for the airport was blasted on the first day of the aviation conference on Wednesday when aviation entrepreneur Domhnal Slattery said “committees are a useful forum, but don’t start businesses and are very rarely effective”.

In continuing his broadside against the blueprint for Shannon, chief executive of Avolon aircraft leasing company said the Government “has pretended to do something by putting Shannon into an interregnum, but has only kicked the can down the road, made it someone else’s problem and put off the ultimate decision”.

However, in defending government policy on Shannon, Minister Varadkar has told The Clare People that the roll out of Shannon’s new independent structure will take place in the coming months, ahead of the final deliberations of the two task forces and steering committees that have been given the job of formulating the new airport blueprint.

“The airport is still in decline and this year things haven’t really picked up and what’s important for everyone is to have certainty and to have decisions made and concluded this year,” he said.

“What I’m trying to do is add a sense of urgency to things. We are in a very difficult environment for aviation at the moment, but the job of government is to put in place the environment and the tools to be suc- cessful.

“The timeframe that has been given to the task force is to report to the government with detailed plans by November, but I don’t necessarily think we should wait that long. I would like to see things happen as they can be done and have everything concluded by the end of the year because uncertainty not helpful,” he added.

Minister Vardarkar said he couldn’t “say for certain” when the new Shannon structure will be up and running. “That involves other people and other bodies and potentially primary legislation, but we need a clear roadmap, clear decisions and a clear picture this year and implementation after that.”

AN estimated 28,000 Clare households can expect unwelcome mail this week as the Local Government Management Agency begins writing to home-owners that still have not paid the contentious household charge.

According to the agency, as many as 27,762 Clare households registered for the charge last month, 354 of which received waivers.

However, the CSO’s preliminary figures puts the number of houses in Clare at more than 55,800.

Not all of those who have not paid will get letters immediately, as an example will be made of just a percentage.

Chair of the Household Charge Project Board, Jackie Maguire said the first batch of homeowners who have not yet paid the charge has been taken from a sample set “following an initial data comparison between the Household Charge database and other databases as set out in the Act”.

Meanwhile, householders with a septic tank will be asked to pay up again within the next three months.

From now until September 26, owners of domestic wastewater treatment systems are required to register their systems with Clare County Council.

A once-off registration fee will apply, starting at € 5.

After September 26, however, the free will increase to € 50. Owners will then need to renew their registration every five years, at no cost.

Homeowners can register online at www.protectourwater.ie, in person at any local authority office in the county or by post to Protect our Water, PO Box 12204, Dublin 7.

Inspections of septic tanks will by carried out by the EPA from next year. Householders have been warned however that all inspectors will carry identification and should not be allowed on to any property without it.

Meanwhile the Chairman of ICMSA’s Farm Services and Environment Committee, Pat Rohan, said that the Minister for the Environment must now ensure that provisions are put in place to assist rural-dwellers that may have to incur significant costs in upgrading their sewerage systems.

He said a properly funded grant scheme must be introduced for rural dwellers to ensure compliance with the new regulations.

AN ENNIS man who wanted to bring the stars of European football to Thomond Park says he is considering legal action against the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).

Damien O’Brien claims the FAI blocked his plans to stage a soccer tournament at the well-known Limerick venue at end of July.

Mr O’Brien’s Iconic Company in association with Endemol sports last year staged a tournament involving Inter Milan, Celtic and Manchester City at the Aviva stadium.

The Ennis native says the FAI scuppered his plans to host a similar event this year because they say it clashed with their plans for a tournament in Dublin.

He says, “I don’t know any tournament that’s taking place in Dublin in four weeks time. Madonna is playing alright but I don’t think she’s played for any team.

“I’d been in touch with the likes of Celtic, Chelsea, Lazio, Spurs, clubs like that about coming to Limerick. It was estimated that this would have been worth € 80 million to the local economy. Those aren’t my figures. Those are the figures from Thomond Park. Think of all the hotels and bars and restaurants and how well they could have done from something like this. I think its crazy what has happened.”

Mr O’Brien, who is originally from McNamara Park in the Turnpike area of Ennis, adds, “I’m looking at my options legally. They don’t have the authority to do this.”

The 38-year-old former Turnpike Rovers player says he has also pulled his sponsorship from the FAI’S flagship Emerging Talent Programme.

An FAI spokesman yesterday said the association had “no comment” to make on the matter.

Six years ago Mr O’Brien devised the format for Football’s Next Star a reality TV show that offers young footballers the chance to earn a professional contract with clubs such as Inter Milan and Chelsea. In 2009, Tulla United teenager Sunny Jay qualified for the final 40 of the competition.

The show will be screened on Irish television in September.

A MAN was rescued off a tiny island just off the Doolin coast in the early hours of Saturday morning after spending the night camping on the rocky, uninhabited mound. The man, who lives in the North Clare area, spent the night on Crab Island before he was spotted by the Doolin Harbour Master who contacted the Doolin Unit of the Irish Coast Guard to assisted the man back to the mainland.

Concerns were raised over the man’s safety as weather conditions in the area at the time were described as “extreme”. The local unit of the coast guard managed to reach the man and ferried him and his equipment back to the mainland. The man had used a small kayak to reach the island in calmer waters on Friday evening.

Crab Island is a designated bird sanctuary and members of the public are not allowed to disturb the birds nesting on it. The island also has a long and often tragic maritime history.

In July of 1983, eight young men, including three brothers, drowned while swimming nearby when a strong current caught the men by surprise and dragged them out to sea. Crab Island is also the site where a German spy came ashore during World War 1. The man, who came ashore on an April evening in 1918, surrendered to locals because he believed that he had landed on the mainland and had destroyed his boat.

“We were on out way to provide cover for the Volvo Ocean Race in Galway when we got the call from the harbour master. We sailed to Crab Island and spoke to the man and we had to call out a smaller ves sel to get close enough to the island to bring him ashore,” said Mattie Shannon of the Doolin Unit of the Irish Coast Guard. “The sea was rough but the man was not in any immediate danger. We had to make three journeys back and forth to the mainland to ferry the man and al of his equipment back from the island.”

Meanwhile, on Friday, the Doolin Coast Guard unit was tasked to assist in the search for a number of walkers who had become separated from their companion near Blackhead in Fanore. The walkers had descended back onto the Green Road track but had come down on the steeper side and had suddenly lost contact with each other in the heavy mist. The walkers were found safely and reunited with their companions.

LOCAL hellraisers are turning to God in their droves with the foundation of Ireland’s first ever Bikers Church in Gort. The church, which is located in an industrial building on the Kinincha Road in the town, attracts more then 50 motorcyclists to service which takes place on the last Sunday of each month.

The service is run by the Christian Motorcyclists Association of Ireland, who were invited to base the Biker Church in Gort by local man John Joe Finn.

According to the Pastor, motorcyclist Graham Stephens, many bikers can feel uncomfortable entering more traditional churches.

“We invite everyone to come as they are. It doesn’t matter who they are of what they have done, we invite everyone to come and join in God’s love,” he says.

“Some churches wouldn’t be very biker friendly, they would see bikers coming in with tattoos and piercing and they might hold back and not really show true love to them.”

The church does not belong to any particular denomination of Christianity but instead bases their religious views on the words in the bible.

“If you are looking for something that is very traditional, this is not the right place for you. People [Christian bikers] have been hurt by things that have happened in the past and they are fed up with it. We just want a place where we can be ourselves,” continued Graham.

“We have a music team in the service on Sunday, so we have contemporary music with some heavy guitar and drums. We would start off with some Christian songs and worship music. We would start off with some Christian songs, some worship music, so the same thing that you would find in any other church. We also get people standing up and sharing their own stories so it is very relaxed and very easy going.

“A lot of bikers would not feel comfortable going into a traditional church but there is nothing in this church that would frighten anybody off. It’s just about the person themselves and God and we are trying to facilitate people getting to know God.

“We have people coming along to the services and some of them have very colourful backgrounds. But at the end of the day they are people just like us, they might not have made all the right decisions in their life but they are no different. We all screw up, it’s just that some of us do it more publicly than others.

“That is the thing about God, he forgives no matter what. That gift of forgiveness is one of the biggest gifts that mankind has ever gotten.”

For more information on the Christian Motorcycle Association and the Bikers Church visit www.cmaireland.ie.