Category: News

TAOISEACH Enda Kenny has pledged to return to the Loophead Lighthouse visitor experience with his family for a holiday, a commitment he made to the people of West Clare last Friday when officially opening the facility for the 2012 season.

Mr Kenny made his comments after he described the visiting the peninsula for the first time in glowing terms, calling it “a special day for me and my family” because “I feel I have come home here to Loophead”.

The Taoiseach’s grandfather, James McGinley, was a lighthouse keeper at Loophead from January 1933 until October the following year, a family link recalled by Mr Kenny during his three-hour stay in West Clare.

“I feel a very strong spiritual connection here because my grandfather served here as a light-keeper but my late mother ran around this patch of grass and my uncle was born here so there is a very strong family connec- tion in that sense,” he said.

“I remember him very well. Lightkeepers were meticulous people. They had to be — if that light wasn’t shining properly, well then sailors and mariners in distress could have suffered fatal consequences.

“This was the last light that people saw when leaving Ireland and the first they saw when they returned. They endured gales, storms, long weeks, the cold, loneliness, isolation, but these were men were sanguine, resilient, adaptable, resourceful, self possessed and who knew their job,” he added.

The lighthouse was opened to the public for the first time last year – an initiative sparked by a motion tabled to Clare County Council by local councillor Gabriel Keating (FG) in 2009 and taken on the local authority, Shannon Development, Loop Head Tourism and the Commissioners of Irish Lights.

A 11-week trial opening was a huge success and resulted in an estimated 17,000 people visiting the landmark building, which was worth an esti- mated € 400,000 to the local economy.

Earlier this year, Shannon Images was appointed to produce an interpretation plan that would further enhance the overall visitor experience at the lighthouse.

An exhibition focusing on the history of Irish lighthouses and the people who have operated them since the 17th century has been installed for the 2012 tourist season.

“The collaborative approach adopted by regional development agencies and the local community to enhancing the visitor experience at Loop Head is a model that could and should be replicated elsewhere throughout County Clare and, indeed, the rest of Ireland,” said Mayor of Clare, Cllr Pat Hayes (FF).

“Heritage tourism is becoming increasingly popular throughout the world and therefore, we should consider the possibility of opening up and promoting some of other many existing heritage sites and structures that currently remain inaccessible to the public,” he added.

WHEN Taoiseach Enda Kenny stopped on the road from Kilrush to Ennis for a cup of tea on Saturday last, his host was one of Clare’s oldest citizens.

A life-long supporter of Fine Gael, Timmy Ryan was happy to welcome the leader of the country into his home in Knockalough.

And so good was the welcome, that the man from Mayo was in no hurry to leave the home of the 102-year-old and continue his journey on to Ennis.

He stayed for over an hour, enjoying the hospitality and entertainment.

In this area of West Clare, Timmy Ryan is as well known as any Taoiseach or world leader and 50 to 60 of his family, friends and neighbours were also happy to drop in on the visit.

While the crowd enjoyed a cup of tea, and maybe something a little stronger, Deputy Joe Carey (FG) began the festivities with a song.

Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG) was then happy to represent the west with his own song, followed by Timmy’s grandson Keenan Ryan and neighbour Mary O’Connor who welcomed the Taoiseach with a song about Mayo.

Not to be outdone in his own home, Timmy recited ‘The Village Blacksmith’. The recital came as easy as walking to Knockalough’s oldest resident.

The former champion athlete still goes for regular walks and enjoys the odd drink in local watering holes The Crossroads, Murty Brown’s and even in Ballynacally.

It was Ballynacally native and Clare Fine Gael TD Pat Breen (FG) that organised the visit to the home of what is likely to be one of the longest supporters of Fine Gael today.

CRANNY Cross on the main Kilrush to Ennis road was the scene of two separate road traffic accidents within three days, one of which has left a young West Clare man seriously injured, while the other involved a minibus which was carrying a group of special needs children.

A young man was seriously injured as a result of the first accident during the early hours of Thursday morning last.

The 24-year-old from Kilmurry McMahon man was the sole occupant of a car that crashed at approximately 5am.

The young driver was still in a critical but stable condition in the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick last evening (Monday).

Meanwhile, on Sunday afternoon, a van with a trailer attached collided with a minibus on the same part of the busy thoroughfare on the Kilrush to Ennis road.

It is believed that the trailer jackknifed on the road and crashed into the bus.

The minibus is understood to have been carrying a group of special needs children of varying ages at the time of the accident.

The injured were taken to hospitals in Ennis and Limerick.

The road was closed for almost three hours while a forensic examination was completed.

Weather conditions at the time of both accidents are not thought to be a factor.

As many as nine people were taken to hospital, and while no one was seriously injured, the driver of the bus had minor injuries which needed treatment.

Gardaí in Kilrush are investigating both accidents.

MORE than two years after the opening of the Western Rail Corridor between Ennis and Galway, passengers will soon be able to purchase tickets online.

Iarnród Éireann confirmed last week that the much anticipated rollout of online booking should be in place by this September.

The inability to purchase tickets online has been pinpointed by rail campaigners, including West on Track, as one of the reasons why passenger numbers on the line have not met initial expectations.

In a letter to Clare TD Joe Carey (FG) last week, the Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann, Richard Fearn, confirmed that online booking would soon be coming but also confirmed that no plans were currently in place to introduce catering on the line.

“It is Iarnród Éireann’s intention to offer online booking for all Intercity and regional services. I anticipate that tickets for journeys between Ennis and Galway will be bookable on- line by September of 2012. By then, changes to the software controlling our online booking service will be made,” said Mr Fearn.

“On-board catering services are provided for Iarnród Éireann by Rail Gourmet Ltd, on our services where the level of patronage justifies the cost of provision of a trolley service. Rail Gourmet have considered the Western Rail Corridor route, but to provide a catering trolley on the line would require further subsidies, which Iarnród Éireann is not in a position to fund at present.”

Deputy Carey last week urged Iarnród Éireann to reconsider the provision of a trolley service, once the online booking situation had been resolved.

“I was also concerned that commuters couldn’t even get a cup of tea on the service at present, as no onboard catering services are available. I note that this aspect of Irish Rail’s business is handled by a third party but would encourage the company, following the availability of online fares, to look again at this aspect of the business,” said Deputy Carey.

“In terms of scheduling, I note that the fastest trains currently available on the route both leave mid-afternoon, and would not be relevant to the vast majority of commuters in terms of getting to work or college. If we could get an early morning train, with a running time of less than 1 hour 15 minutes, and this was advertised locally, it would in my opinion receive support. The Ennis to Limerick service has performed well since it returned and I believe there is potential to increase business on the Ennis to Athenry line.”

IT WAS an unavoidable, freak accident that shocked the parish. That was the consensus in Cree yesterday as the West Clare village tried to come to terms with the death of local man Michael O’Dea (74) following a farming accident on Saturday.

Mr O’Dea had been dosing a new- born calf with his son Eddie on the family farm in Clonina when the cow turned on the younger farmer.

It is understood that Mr O’Dea then moved to save his son and was fatally injured by the cow.

Eddie, whose ankle was broken in the attack, managed to raise the alarm, but his father was pronounced dead at the scene.

Local County Councillor Bill Chambers (FF) described the late farmer as “a grand man and a great man for the dogs”.

As well as farming, Mr O’Dea’s biggest interest was his greyhounds and he spent many a St Stephen’s Day at the Cooraclare Coursing Festival.

Chairman of Clare ICMSA, Martin McMahon said that the farming community was in shock and sympathised with Mr O’Dea’s family.

“Losing someone like that is a big shock and a big tragedy,” he said.

“At the best of times, no matter how careful you are, you can get caught. You could have the quietest cow in the world and after calving she could become the crossest cow on the farm. A lot of cases are unavoidable,” said the farming expert.

“Loading animals and things like that, there is a risk no matter how careful you are. Sometimes it is just outside your control.”

Gardaí from Kilrush and inspectors from the Health and Safety Authority are investigating the tragic incident.

Mr O’Dea is survived by his wife Maisie, four daughters and two sons.

The details of Mr O’Dea’s funeral were not announced at time of press last night (Monday).

THE piers and harbours in Doolin, Lahinch and Liscannor are to receive a facelift before the end of the year as the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have granted assistance for some upgrade work.

The Government Department will supply up to 75 per cent of the cost of each project to Clare County Council calculated at € 97,500. As much as € 45,000 has been provided to make safe different areas of Lahinch beach.

The planned installation of protective railings at various locations including along ramped and stepped ac- cess from promenade to beach areas, along interfaces between promenade, shore and parking areas is estimated to cost € 60,000.

A further € 30,000 is to be provided for the € 40,000 harbour dredging works and the implementation of repairs in respect of the existing quay walls in Liscannor.

Up to € 22,500 has been provided for the € 30,000 work at Doolin Pier which includes the installation of appropriately located safety railings in the vicinity of the pier and on the steps used to facilitate access to ferries which used the pier to provide linkage with the Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher. Other works will in- clude installation of parking control measures to ensure free movement of traffic including rescue craft to and from the pier area.

Fine Gael TD Pat Breen said, “It is envisaged that the local authority projects will bring much needed employment to local communities as well as providing improved infrastructure at the various piers and harbours. Initial estimates from the local authorities suggest that in excess of 1,200 man weeks of employment could be created from the approval of this programme.”

According to the Department of Agriculture, “Applications were received from 14 local authorities for 121 projects. The total value of the applications received was € 18,234,200. A shortlist of projects for consideration was compiled based on the prioritisation assigned by the local authorities with the aim of achieving a fair spread of the funding around the coastline. Local authorities were then requested to complete a more detailed application for the short listed projects.”

All works must now be completed by December 2012, and the total cost of individual projects must be less than € 150,000. All expenditure must be incurred in 2012 and all claims fully submitted by December 1.

A NORTH Clare hotelier travelled to China over the weekend for a toplevel meeting with members of the Chinese government, in an effort to open a door for thousands of tourists from China to visit Clare in the coming year.

Lisdoonvarna businessman Marcus White flew out to Beijing last Thursday, just days after returning from a similar trade meeting in Russia. It is as yet unclear whether either of these trade meetings will yield a major tourism breakthrough for the county, but the growing middle-classes in both Russia and China are considered to be one of the major future growth markets for world tourism.

In 2010, Mr White succeeded in forging a relationship with a major German tour operator which has brought more than 15,000 German tourists to North Clare in the past two years.

“This could be a big help to Shannon Airport. The publicity that was gained when Xi Jinping was here was really encouraging and was a big help for what I’m going. It is very important that we can find a way to deliver on this market,” said Mr White.

“I met with Ramazan Akpinar from Pegas earlier in the month. Currently, they bring more than 600,000 Russians on tours to Thailand every year, so if we can get even a small slice of that market, it will be massive for Clare and Ireland.

“We were in Russia trying to encourage him to work with us to bring more Russian tourists into Ireland. It was a positive meeting but it will probably take another year to develop this into something real.

“Russia is very much an up-andcoming country and now is the right time for the Irish tourism board to target that market.

“I think the only way to do this is to go over there and meet the people who make the big decisions. The Irish embassy [in Russia] have been very good to me but more needs to be done to make this a reality.”

White’s Hotel Group operates the Burren Castle Hotel, the Hydro Hotel, the Imperial Hotel and the King Thomand Hotel in Lisdoonvarna, as well as a number of hotels in Donegal.

A WELL-ESTABLISHED small Bunratty business has been commended at the annual Small Firms Association (SFA) Awards.

Eoin Gavin Transport is the Clare member for The Pallet Network (TPN) which received a certificate of commendation from Minister of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton (FG) at the weekend.

The Pallet Network (TPN) is one of Ireland’s leading freight, transport and logistics services providers.

Eoin Gavin Transport was founded by its namesake, Eoin Gavin, more than 30 years ago, serving numerous sectors such as agriculture, environment, waste, food and construction.

“Despite the continuing economic downturn, we have focused on becoming as lean as possible, cutting costs while maintaining services. Being part of TPN, a multi-million euro network, enabled the company to grow because of the support and encouragement from the other network members. This year we are going to focus on staying lean and providing the best overnight service and the best customer service. These are the initiatives that helped us thrive in 2011. We are looking ahead to a suc- cessful 2012 and hoping to be short listed again next year in the SFA awards,” said Mr Gavin.

The aim of the SFA National Small Business Awards is to celebrate the achievements of small businesses (with up to 50 employees) in Ireland, and to recognise the vital contribution of the small business sector to the Irish economy and to showcase Ireland’s entrepreneurial talent like TPN and its members.

Seamus McGowan, Managing Director, TPN said, “TPN and its 23 members are delighted to have been highly commended in the SFA’s Environmental Sustainability category. As concern for the environment rises, TPN has taken into account the external costs of logistics associated with climate change, air pollution, noise, vibration and accidents and has put in place a number of systems and new, greener, more fuel efficient equipment to help combat these growing concerns. Our continuing success is down to the 23 committed members that we have around the country. The efforts of members like Eoin Gavin Transport have meant that we are meeting the needs of both small and large enterprises and keeping our services levels as high as ever. We hope to continue this success throughout 2012.”

CLARE big-wave surfer Ollie O’Flaherty will be one of the main attractions at the first ever Wavemasters Surf and Music Festival, which takes place in Spanish Point over the June Bank Holiday weekend.

The Lahinch man has become the hottest prospect in Irish and Euro- pean surfing following his thirdplace finish at the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards earlier this month. Ollie will be joined at the festival by current Irish champion Stephen Kilfeather, as well as a number of leading Irish surfers.

In total, six surfers, each of whom are current members of the Irish surf team, will take part in an ‘Expression Session’ on Spanish Point beach from 2pm on Sunday, June 3. Prizes will be awarded for best move, best wave and best overall performance.

The festival will also include a number of live music performances taking pace at the Bellbridge Hotel in Spanish Point. The organisers are hopeful that the Wavemasters Surf and Music Festival could become a regular event in the county’s annual festival calendar.

The music portion of the festival will be headlined by Irish funk-rock band Republic of Loose. The music line-up will also feature Bellharbour musician Jim McKee and his band.

Over the last number of weeks, Jim has been travelling the world promoting his role in the new film, Songs for Amy , alongside Kinvara singer-songwriter Ultan Conlan. The pair wrote and recorded much of the soundtrack for the film. In recent weeks, the film has received a good reaction, winning an award at the Newport Film Festival in Los Angeles and also appearing at the Cannes Film Festival.

It will receive its official Irish premier at the Galway Film Fleadh next month.

Tickets for the Wavemasters Surf and Music Festival are currently available from 087 1841555.

MAGIC mushrooms located in the Burren could hold the key to tackling world hunger in the coming years. Scientists have discovered that networks of microscopic fungi play a key role in aiding plants to extract and process nutrients from the soil.

According to Dr Ray Woods of the British organisation Plantlife, intensive farming, fertiliser and human intrusion have destroyed these fungal networks across Europe, with the Burren’s wild grasslands now considered as a fungal “arc” for the future of European farming.

Recent studies have also shown that these tiny fungi can help plants to fight off disease and can even allow for the flow of nutrients from one plant to another over large distances.

“We are just starting to learn how vital these fungi are for growing crops. They are intimately connecting with well-known plants such as hazel, using 50 or 60 different types of fungi to grow,” said Dr Woods.

“The wild flowers of the Burren are a perfect example of this. There are so many different plants and flowers there and none of them ever seem to dominate. In the Burren, you have one of the last unimpacted areas of grassland anywhere in the world. It is really one of the very few places in the world where research into fungal networks can still be done. It is an arc for these fungi.”

One of the most important abilities of these fungal networks is helping plants to extract nitrogen from the soil. At present, virtually all world agriculture is built on the use of large amounts of industrialised nitrogen fertiliser, which is made using large amount of oil.

As global oil supplies continue to dwindle, the use of oil in producing fertiliser is considered by many to be the biggest challenge facing world agriculture in the next 50 years. This has prompted many people to exam- ine the role that the intact Burren fungal networks could have on world agriculture.

“People are already coming to the Burren [to study the fungi] but it is difficult at times to know who is coming and what they are doing. You come across people from universities in Germany, Holland, Ireland and the UK in the Burren,” said Stephen Ward of the BurrenBeo Trust.

“If they are doing original research, then chances are they would contact an organisation like the BurrenBeo Trust because we can be helpful.”

For more information on the BurrenBeo Trust, visit www.burrenbeo. com.