Category: News

A DREAM come true is how a Barefield pre-third level student described his experience of an all-expenses trip to Hong Kong last year.

In the meantime, Dan Hassett of Trinaderry was also awarded the President of Ireland’s bronze medal.

That accolade was achieved through a multi-activity programme which included community involvement working with inter-cultural youth groups, personal skills development with a voluntary network, physical recreation programme and an ad- venture journey which took him to the summit of Croagh Patrick and a 40km two-day cycle in Mayo also.

Dan was the first ever learner in the Youthreach Programme delivered by County Clare Vocational Education Committee in its Adult & Community Education Centre in Ennis to undertake a Gaisce award attempt.

Not alone is he now going for the silver level of the Gaisce awards but, by virtue of his exemplary success, the entire group of Youthreach learners in Ennis has begun to take part in the elementary level of the Gaisce adventure. Example is everything, it shows.

The Youthreach learners will, among other things, be out to match the achievements of students of St John Bosco Community College, Kildysart, who can boast a remarkable series of successes in Gaisce awards for several years.

Dan Hassett, son of Winnie and Brendan and sibling of five sisters and four brothers, put in for the trip to China after Eddie Keane, co-ordinator of the Ennis Youthreach Programme, indicated to his students that EIL Ireland was seeking four Youthreach applicants to join with an equal number from mainstream schools to sample what was on offer.

“My jaw dropped when I got a reply saying my essay application had been short-listed,” recalls Dan.

He will be forever grateful for the opportunity afforded by EIL Ireland, the learning organisation based in Cork. This is a not-for-profit body promoting relations through a range of cultural, educational and voluntary activities. Dan’s particular project is run in association with Hong Kong Commission on Youth.

“A truly life-changing experience I will never forget began on 9 August,” recalls Dan. “I had never seen a place like Hong Kong whose buildings are to close that all seem to be high-rise, apparently reaching the sky and going on for miles and million.”

Eddie Keane looks on Dan’s experience as a great honour for the Youthreach Programme and all associated with it in Ennis. Undoubtedly, he adds, it was a wonderful experience for someone never outside Ireland before. “Dan had to be admired for taking the challenge on board by virtue of the mentoring system in place in the Youthreach Programme,” he adds.

A FINAL exhibition of work by Roma families living in Clare will take place next month at Ennis Community College.

Clare Family Learning Project will welcome its Turkish partners for the final meeting and exhibition of families participating in the EU Comenius Regio Project.

The project has been successful in engaging Czech and Slovak families living in Ennis in a number of classes. In total, 42 adults are currently attending a number of classes including family music, family cookery and health and exercise with the Clare Family Learning Project.

Some of the participants have now moved onto more formal learning with workplace education and English language classes. Schools who are partners have now moved onto more formal learning with workplace education and English language classes. According to those involved in the project, schools that are partners have mentioned improved attendance by children of those parents. The exhibition takes place at Ennis Community College on April 30 and May 1.

A new booklet aimed at helping Czech and Slovak children to adapt to the Irish education system was launched in Ennis last September.

‘Helping Children To Do Well in School’ is collaboration between the Clare Family Learning Project, Ennis Educate Together School, Ennis Community College and Clare Immigrant Support Centre.

The views of Czech and Slovak parents with children attending Ennis Community College and Ennis Educate Together were sought during the preparation of the booklet, which received funding from the European Union’s Comenius Regio Project.

The Ennis project is twinned with a similar EU initiative in Aydin, Turkey.

The Clare Family Learning Project was developed by Clare VEC’s, Clare Adult Basic Education Service. The project provides support to parents helping their children’s literacy and numeracy skills.

THE local community in North Clare will come together next month to undertake the biggest independent tourism launch in the history of the county. Six community-run festivals, which has a combined benefit to the local economy of more then € 10 million, will be launched at the Aillwee Caves on April 13.

The “Super Launch” which is being co-ordinated by the Ballyvaughan Community Development Group, will include six existing and new local festivals, which will bring thousands of tourist to the area this year.

Included in the launch will be the month-long Burren in Bloom Festival, which takes place in May; the Clare Burren Marathon; the Tour de Burren cycling event; the newly revived Ballyvaughan Races; The Burren Law School and the Féile Na Samhradh weekend, which will take place in June.

“This shows you what can happen when small dedicated groups in a villages come together, instead of people going off and doing their own thing. When people work together it works out much better for the village and nobody is clashing,” said Patrick O’Donoghue of the Ballyvaughan Community Development Group.

“When you put all of these together it really is an impressive collection of events. This is about coming together for one big launch, and then each group is free to get down to the real business of organising their own event. This is a way for us to showcase the area in one big event. We want to create something different, something unique. There is a lot going on in Ballyvaughan and we want to show that to people.”

The Ballyvaughan Community Development Group would like to invite other local groups to become involved in the event.

“We want to make this launch into a really big event. This is our chance to showcase the village and what is has and to show that the village is working together. It is not about splinter groups. We want to show that we can work together and put on several events properly,” continued Patrick.

INJECTIONS, finger pricking, and measuring carbohydrate intake could be a thing of the past for 300 adults and children from Clare with type one diabetes, as progress in made on research into an artificial pancreas.

Latest developments in the area have given new hope to the 300 Clare people, and the findings of the latest research will be presented to those from the county with diabetes on Tuesday next, March 27.

While many Clare patients are still waiting to be fitted with the most up- to-date treatment form – an insulin pump, the new artificial pancreases, which would make life easier for those with diabetes, could be available within the next decade.

The long-sought system will be made up of insulin pumps and glucose sensors that deliver insulin to diabetics, mimicking the function of a real pancreas.

“While the current state of insulin replacement therapy is appreciated for its life-saving capability, the task of manually managing the blood sugar levels with insulin alone is arduous and inadequate. The goal of the artificial pancreas is to improve insu- lin replacement therapy so that blood glucose control is practically normal and to ease the burden of therapy for the patient with type 1 diabetes,” explained Gráinne Flynn, Secretary of the Diabetes Ireland Clare Branch.

Cambridge University researcher Janet Allen, who is working on the Artificial Pancreas Project, will be among the speakers. The Artificial Pancreas Project focuses on developing an artificial pancreas system, which hopes to solve one particular aspect of living with type 1 diabetes – controlling glucose levels overnight. The team at Cambridge are developing a system that would be able to take over managing insulin delivery at bedtime and will keep the glucose levels in check until the patient wakes up in the morning. They are also working towards getting a system ready for families to test out at home.

Organised by Diabetes Ireland Research Alliance (DIRA) in association with Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) the meeting will take place in The Greenhills Hotel next Tuesday at 7.30pm during which the public can hear from the experts on the latest cutting edge type 1 diabetes research and how to help find a cure.

UP TO 50 councillors past and present formed a guard of honour on Saturday night to bid farewell to one of the former first citizens of Clare.

Former chairman of Clare County Council Seán Hillery had passed away on Thursday morning following a short illness, and thousands gathered in Shannon over the weekend to pay tribute to the former Fianna Fáil councillor.

Born in Miltown Malbay, he took a number of odd jobs after graduating from St Flannan’s College in Ennis, before moving back to his native town to take up a position in the West Clare pharmacy.

After serving two years in the working pharmacy, Seán went to university in Dublin and qualified as a pharmacist in 1963.

He then moved to Sixmilebridge and opened a pharmacy there.

After a number of years he relocated with his family to Shannon where he opened two new pharmacies.

A community activist, Mr Hillery was elected to Clare County Council in 1985 and served as a councillor and as chairman at different intervals until 2004.

He served on Shannon Town Council from 1994 to 2009.

The 76-year-old was also the first Chairperson of the Clare County Development Board and was President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) between 1982 and 1984.

Mr Hillery was a first cousin of former President of Ireland Dr Patrick Hillery and serving Clare County Councillor Michael Hillery (FF). Cllr Michael Hillery described Seán as a man that was very active and full of energy.

“He had great foresight and vision. Years back in the council he was talking about Radon gas in houses and the dangers before anyone else was. He was ahead of his time.”

Cllr Michael Hillery also paid tribute to the late pharmacist’s love of his native Miltown Malbay. “He came back whenever he could,” he said.

Sean Hillery was a keen sportsman, having played football with Miltown and was involved in one of the team’s last county final wins.

A strong swimmer, he served as a lifeguard in Spanish Point in his early years, and continued to be involved with water, boating and swimming.

He was also a keen golfer and enjoyed the social interaction of the sport.

Mayor of Clare Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) paid tribute to his dedication to elected politics and said, “Sean was well known and respected throughout Shannon and the wider county. He also was held in high esteem by colleagues as evidenced by his election as President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland.”

Clare County Manager Tom Coughlan added, “Sean was a very popular public representative who will be remembered by those who knew him for his work ethic, humility and sense of humour. The fact that he held the office of Mayor in both Shannon Town Council and Clare County Council is something I know both he and his family were very proud of.”

Sean was predeceased by his wife Paula, and is survived by his sons Barry, Feidlim and Shane and his daughter Majella.

THERE are more Clare people attending the private Galway Clinic in the last year than ever before, despite six per cent of Irish people giving up health insurance.

The Banner county has surpassed Mayo in providing the clinic’s second largest number of patients, now making up 16 per cent of the hospital population. In 2008, at the peak of health insurance ownership, just 12 per cent of the hospital’s patients were from Clare.

Asked why 4,426 Clare people opted for the services of the Galway Clinic in 2011, Business Development Manager Mark Sheehan said the main reason was its locality but the reduction of health services in the area also played a major factor.

“Many of the 4,426 patients were seen at our Emergency Department which has extended its hours of service now daily from 10am to 7pm,” he said. 24-hour accident and emergency services at Ennis General Hospital closed in April 2009, and acute services were later moved to the Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick.

Mr Sheehan said that demand for cancer services in the west also far outstrips supply, so when the hospital opened its new unit, beds filled up immediately. “In 2009, we expended the range of cancer care services available at the Galway Clinic. This expansion comprised of a new linear accelerator for the provision of radiotherapy, a new oncology day unit and two new inpatients wings comprising of 46 beds. The new floors were im mediately full.”

People are also staying longer at the private hospital, with the average stay increased from 3.6 days to 4.3 days. The extended stay is due to an increase in the range of treatments and diagnosis.

The numbers of surgical cases performed in the Galway Clinic has seen a slight decrease, which can be attributed to the cessation of the NTPF (National Treatment Purchase Fund), according to Mr Sheehan.

“With occupancy levels of 91 per cent last year, the fall off in surgery has not impacted the demand for services. We are currently developing a new multi-storey car park, which will be complete by December 2012. We are also considering building a whole new accommodation wing comprising of approximately 70 single rooms and a new 20-bed ICU department,” said Mr Sheehan.

And while the Galway clinic is looking to expand, Irish health insurers are slow to reveal a county-bycounty break down of the number of people cancelling their insurance.

George Field from VHI told The Clare People that the state-supported health insurer could not reveal the exact number of people from Clare that discontinued their insurance due to commercial sensitivities, but the number was down.

CLARE faces an uphill battle if it is to regain the international tourists that have been lost to the county over the last 10 years. According to the Lahinch hotelier Michael Vaughan, who was elected national president of the Irish Hotel Federation last week, a new cooperative approach to tourism in Clare will need to take place before we start winning back the international tourists. “Tourism has been declining in Clare for seven or eight years now. This decline has been masked a bit by the buoyant domestic market but the flight situation has really made the situation worse,” said Michael. “We need to link our walkways, our cycling routes, our surfing holidays and package them more so that when people come into the county, they can get a real sense of the different touring loops that offer the tourists a whole package for the area.” Fáilte Ireland is currently piloting a project entitled ‘The Wild Atlantic Ways’, which Michael Vaughan hopes could be a major benefit to Clare once it is rolled out. “This is a series of iconic road-trips all along the west coast that will tie into festivals and other things happening in a locality. “The idea is to map out a few iconic routes through the county and provide people with a plan that tourists could follow. “So if a tourist was to base himself in Doolin, let’s say, he could see very quickly that there were two more days of activities for him to do in the area and plan like that,” continued Michael. “It is that type of awareness of product that we need to get better at in Clare. This is about tying together what we already have in the county. It’s about looking at things and packaging them in a different way. “Tourists in Germany plan in this way but they won’t go to a place until they know that there is an experience to be had in that area. We need to give them that information about Clare. “Fáilte Ireland are rolling this plan out on a pilot basis in Connemara next year but I know that Clare is being looked at very closely by them and is prime for this sort of investment.”

NO PAIN. No gain. That was certainly the case for one Ennis schoolboy who was the centre of attention yesterday as he proudly showed off a rugby ball signed by Irish international Ronan O’Gara. The ball was an unexpected souvenir from eight-yearold Oliver Cassidy’s first visit to an Ireland rugby match.

The Clarecastle National School student was with his father David, cousin Damien Reidy and uncle Peter Reidy for Ireland’s victory over Scotland in the Six Nations Championship in Dublin on Saturday.

The group were sitting behind the goals at the Aviva Stadium watching the teams go through their pre-match warm-up when Oliver was struck in the nose by a ball kicked by Irish flyhalf O’Gara. Oliver was brought across the pitch to the medical centre for treatment. His nose was bloodied but not broken.

Afterwards, as Oliver and his family celebrated Ireland’s 18-point victory, they were informed by a match stew ard that Oliver would be receiving the match ball signed by Munster legend O’Gara.

Oliver was presented with the ball after the game. It was signed ‘To Ollie, Best Wishes, Ronan O’Gara’. Dad David said Oliver, who plays for Ennis Rugby Club’s under-9s team, was over the moon with the gift.

“He brought it up to rugby training and soccer training. He brought it into school today to show it off. It was his first International game. He’s been to a few Munster games.”

Oliver’s brush with kicking king O’Gara was even recognised by the visiting Scottish fans as he walked to the medical centre at the Aviva Stadium. Mum Edel explained, “He was walking across the pitch after he was hit and one of the Scottish fans spotted him with the blood on his face. He said to him, ‘Here’s a fiver for being so brave’.”

A sports enthusiast, Oliver plays for Ennis Rugby Club and Ennis Town Soccer Club.

BRITAIN’S newest GAA club is looking for Clare footballers who are emigrating to London this year to join the growing list of Banner players at Éire Óg in London.

The club, which was founded last year, has become a haven for the Banner abroad, with Ballyvaughan man Martin Nilan now in service as club chairman and assistant manag- er while Kilnaboy man Paul Maher is coaching the team this year.

Éire Óg London will this year field a Junior B team but they are hoping that an influx of Clare talent may help them to gain promotion.

“The club was just set up last year and it is going very well so far. We train in Finsbury up in North London and we will be fielding a Junior B team once the competitions get started over here in two weeks time,” said Martin Nilan.

“There are a lot of jobs going in London at the moment so we are seeing lots of lads from Clare coming over. We are trying to catch them and to let them know that there is a club for them over here.

“We get people from all over Ireland joining up to the club – there are lads from Sligo, lads from Dublin, everywhere – but there is a big Clare focus to the club.

“We have been really getting going over the last 12 months. We have been training for a few weeks now and we think we are ahead of most of the clubs in the area.”

With the Olympics coming up this summer, London has become the destination of choice for many Clare people leaving Ireland to work.

“There has been a big influx of Irish people over the last 12 months so the club teams are getting more and more competitive. Once people arrive, there is a rush to sign them up to a club and, once they are signed, it is very difficult to move. We like to let people come and have a look around, and to train with us before they commit to anything.

“I’ve been here 28 years now and Paul has been here for 10. There’s never been so much interest in playing football in London as there is now.”

Anyone interesting in becoming part of the Banner brigade at Éire Óg London can contact Martin on 07541374766 or email him on mjnilan@hotmail.co.uk.

A POPULAR car mechanic, who lost his life in a work place accident, was laid to rest on Friday, after one of the largest funerals Sixmilebridge has ever seen. Jim Millane from Corlea, Sixmilebridge, died from severe injuries he received while he was working on a car at his garage near his home on Tuesday morning last. It is understood that the father of four was working under a car when the vehicle collapsed, trapping him underneath.

His wife Jacqueline called emergency services, but the father of four was pronounced dead at the scene.

His body was removed to the MidWestern Regional Hospital Limerick for a post-mortem.

While the 54-year-old was originally from Sixmilebridge, he had lived in the Doora area of Ennis until five years ago. A keen motorcycle and rally enthusiast, he was described locally as a “decent and kind man”.

Hundreds of moaners turned out for his funeral service at St Finnachta’s Church, Sixmilebridge, and up to 50 members of the Banner and West Coast Motorcycle Clubs provided an escort for the funeral cortège.

He was laid to rest in Lemanagh Cemetry, Newmarket-on-Fergus.

Mr Millane is survived by his wife Jacqueline, his daughters Dawn, Laura, Caitriona and Joanna and his mother Jo.