Category: News

KILRUSH Town Council are set to press ahead with developing the € 1.3m sports facility earmarked for the Cooraclare Road in the West Clare capital – whether they get government funding for the ambitious project or not.

That was the message delivered at the January meeting of the local authority in Kilrush Town Hall on Thursday night last as councillors gave their unanimous approval for a proposal to press ahead with the project regardless of whether the 90 per cent funding they missed out on in 2011 is forthcoming this year.

“If we don’t get the government funding, we should have an alternative plan that will kick in straight away,” said Mayor of Kilrush, Cllr Ian Lynch (FG) in kickstarting a move for work on the project to begin in 2011.

“The ten per cent that Clare County Council and Kilrush Town Council have to invest between them, we can match that with Leader funding to provided some of the facilities, not all of them, but some of them. That’s what we should do. If we don’t get the 90 per cent, we should go with the ten per cent and then get as much as we can from Leader,” Mayor Lynch added.

Last October the council made an application for funding from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport for the first phase of the integrated sports facility on lands owned by the ESB and Department of Education.

The first phase of the development will include an artificial surface facility, a full-size playing pitch and two full-size training pitches, fencing, lighting and associated works at the cost of € 500,000. The second phase of the project will include the development of dressing rooms, car parking, footpaths and associated works.

“The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has advised that it hopes to announce a Sports Capital Programme in the first quarter of 2012,” revealed town clerk John Corry.

“In anticipation of the announcement of a grant scheme in 2012, Kilrush Town Council together with Clare County Council will be in a position to make an early application for grant assistance and if approved, would be hopeful of receiving grant approval of 90 per cent of the cost of the scheme,” he added.

The matter was raised before the council by Cllr Liam Williams (FG), who called on the council to “prioritise the sports complex and make sure that funding is accessed for it”.

“It is a community effort,” responded town manager Nora Kaye. “It is a community project and if Kilrush Town Council is the vehicle through which we can make it happen, we’re all singing from the same hymn sheet and we will work hard to bring it about,” she added.

CLARE County Library have launched a new competition to highlight the crucial role played by family carers.

Following the success of last year’s poetry competition as part of a partnership involving Caring for Carers, Clare County Library and the Ennis Book Club Festival, a new nationwide poetry competition for 2012 has recently been launched.

The theme of this year’s competition is ‘Springtime’, which organisers hope will inspire the many family carers around the country to put pen to paper. Poems should be no longer than three verses and entries should be submitted by Friday, February 17, to Brigid Barron, Caring for Carers Ireland, National Office, 2 Carmody Street Business Park, Ennis. Email bbarron@caringforcarers.org.

The winner will receive a weekend stay for two in an Ennis Hotel during this year’s Ennis Book Club Festival, which takes place from March 2 to 4, with a weekend pass to all of the festival events. Four runners-up will receive two tickets to the Joseph Woods and Paula Meehan poetry event as well as two tickets to the Maureen Gaffney reading. Both of these events will take place at the Ennis Book Club Festival on Saturday, March 3. Further details on the festival are at www.ennisbookclubfestival.com.

Speaking at the launch, Helen Walsh, County Librarian, said “The library is delighted to be involved in this poetry competition. I see it as a very worthwhile community project. Caring for Carers carry out invaluable work throughout the country and the library has a particular interest in socially inclusive events such as this.”

According to Brigid Barron, Research and Program Manager with Caring for Carers Ireland, recognising the role of family carers in the home is crucial. She said, “This form of care is the foundation of formal health and social care systems. Family carers are a distinct group who provide care and also, very importantly, require care themselves. We hope they will get involved in this poetry competition and we greatly look forward to receiving their entries.”

ADOVCATES for ethnic minorities say that the recession is leading to an increase in the incidents of racist abuse. The Clare Intercultural Network (CIN) have called for greater awareness of race related issues.

CIN co-ordinator Alphonse Basogomba said, “The economy is going down and people are more abusive. We have to make sure that people who can contribute can be allowed to work properly.”

He said that politicians and people in positions of authority should undergo equality training.

“This has to be embedded in our value as human beings,” he added.

Mr Basogomba was speaking after a man was convicted for assaulting Nigerian taxi driver Batholomew Omoifo in Ennis in June 2010.

At Ennis District Court last week, Azriel Higgins (26) of Cregaun, Tobertascáin, Ennis, received a prison sentence for an unprovoked assault on Mr Omoifo.

The court previously heard that Higgins assaulted a taxi driver after not paying a fare. The court heard that Higgins headbutted the driver causing € 2,400 worth of damage to his teeth. The court was also told that damage totaling € 761 was caused to the taxi.

The incident has provoked a flurry of comments on social networking sites and discussion groups.

One poster on boards.ie pappyodaniel stated, “It just happens that this incident happened in Ennis. Racism is a very common problem for black taxi drivers all over the country. This incident went to court and because Mr Omoifo spoke up against racism when given the opportunity to do so in front of the media it has been highlighted nationwide. I don’t believe this incident highlights Ennis to be a hotspot for racial inequality, it’s the country as a whole.”

Another poster Dr Fuzzenstein stated, “Abusing someone on the basis of what they look like is wrong and sick in the head, but sadly it’s everywhere on this planet…And I also believe that Ennis is no worse than anywhere else.”

THE number clothes being dropped to the Enable Ireland shop in Ennis dropped by 50 per cent – the largest drop recorded at any Enable Ireland outlet in the country. The charity, which works with people with physical disabilities, blamed the recession for the drop in donations but could not explain why donations were so much lower in Clare than in the rest of the country.

Clare spokesperson for Enable Ireland Ann Kelly said that there was no danger that the Enable Ireland shop in Ennis would be closed and confirmed that the shop came in just marginally below its budgeted amount of profit for 2011. Any drop in profit for the organisation is likely to hit local services however, as all money raised by the organisation in Clare, remains in Clare.

“The donations that were dropped into the shop in Ennis were reduced dramatically last year. I don’t think that the people of Clare are in any way less generous than they were in 2010 but I think the recession is hitting people hard and people are holding on to clothes for longer than the would in the past,” she said.

“At the moment there really is an urgent appeal for anyone who can donate clothing. There has been a reduction everywhere but for some reason last year the donations to the show in Ennis were drastically reduced. The shop overall was not that much below the targets that were set out for the year. We did the best we could with what we had but the more donations that we get the more we can make for the charity.

“It all goes locally. Everything that is raised in Clare gets spent locally helping people in the county. So by not having as many donations it is impacting on the local people in the county.”

While the organisation recorded a reduction in the amount of donations in every shop, the most drastic drop was recorded in Ennis. The percentage reduction was just 16 per cent in both Louth and Westmeath.

The organisation is also to examine the possibility of getting their drivers to go door to door to collect donations instead of leaving them outside to avoid bags being collected by bogus collectors.

Enable Ireland to enable people with physical disabilities to achieve maximum independence, choice and inclusion in their communities.

PRESIDENT Michael D Higgins returned to the Banner County for the first time since his election to office last week to attend funerals in North Clare and South Galway.

President Higgins, who grew up in Ballycar, Newmarket on Fergus, attended the funeral of Josie O’Donoghue, mother of late poet and former priest John O’Donohue. Dr O’Donohue died four years ago today at age 53 after collapsing in France. His mother Josie, née Dunleavy, died peacefully on New Year’s Eve – also the eve of Dr O’Donohue’s birthday – at her home near Ballyvaughan.

Mrs O’Donohue’s funeral Mass was held in St Patrick’s Church in Fanore. Her remains were buried in a windswept Craggagh cemetery alongside those of Dr O’Donohue and her husband, Paddy.

Mr Higgins was a friend of Dr O’Donohue. The latter’s poem ‘Beannacht’, which he wrote for his mother, was performed at the presidential inauguration last November.

A message on Dr O’Donohue’s website said: “On December 31, 2011, John’s dear mother, Josie O’Donohue, passed away. She was surrounded by her family when she slipped peacefully across that threshold to John’s waiting arms.”

A Clare native, Dr O’Donohue studied for the priesthood in Maynooth, where he was ordained in 1982. He served in a number of parishes before completing a doctorate on the philosophy of GWF Hegel in Germany.

His first book, Anam Cara , was published in 1997.

President Higgins attended St Colman’s Church, Kinvara, on Tuesday night to sympathise with Attorney General Maire Whelan on the death of her mother.

Ms Whelan’s mother Katie died peacefully on New Year’s Day. Mr Higgins is a longtime associate of Ms Whelan’s, and was one of her lecturers at the then UCG where she studied sociology and politics.

The President was accompanied to the service by his aide-de-camp, Commandant Murt Larkin, as he offered his sympathies to the Whelan family.

Ms Whelan’s funeral was celebrated last Wednesday. Members of the Government, led by Taoiseach Enda Kenny, were present to join the Whelan family in mourning. Her husband John died some years ago.

Labour Party leader and Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore was accompanied by Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte, while Health Minister James Reilly and junior minister Ciaran Cannon were also present. President Michael D Higgins was represented at the funeral by his aide de camp, Commandant Michael Walsh.

The chairman of the Bar Council, Paul O’Higgins, led members of the legal profession in offering their sympathy to the Attorney General.

IN THE week that Aer Lingus transatlantic services out of Shannon Airport were suspended until the end of March, a new target of having 500,000 passengers a year on the North American route has been set by marketing gurus at Clare’s international airport.

Moves to target an increase in transatlantic traffic – once the jewel in Shannon’s crown – will be made over the next four years as passen- gers numbers on the lucrative North American route have been halved in the last decade.

The latest available figures for Shannon contained in the 2010 Dublin Airport Authority annual report showed there were 349,381 passengers out that year, which represents a decline of almost 50 per cent from the figure of 682,715 in 2000.

Shannon Airport Authority marketing director Declan Power has said the aim is to increase this figure to 500,000 by 2015. “That is what is sustainable for this region,” he said. “Anything over and above that isn’t going to be sustainable, services will come and go,” he added.

Figures secured by The Clare People show that transatlantic traffic through Shannon reached a record 20-year low in 2010 – the worst figures on the North American route since the compulsory stopover was abolished by then Minister for Transport Brian Cowen in 1993.

Figures on the transatlantic route stood at 372,000 in 1992, a figure that rose to 682,715 by the end of the decade, while the historic high for transatlantic business in Shannon came in 2006 when passenger numbers of 780,917 were recorded.

In setting out new goals for Shannon’s transatlantic operation, Mr Power has said “there is too much negative publicity about Shannon Airport in the media. It is a global village now and that’s picked up by all our customers. We need to talk up our region and our airport. If we talk negative about it, we’ll start believing the negativity ourselves and we might as well close up and go home,” he added.

THE Cliffs of Moher recorded a massive return to form last year with the number visiting Clare foremost tourist attract jumping by a massive 12 per cent from the 2010 numbers.

The total number of people to visit the Cliffs of Moher in 2011 was 809,474 – which almost returns the landmark tourist attraction to its prerecession visitor numbers. These figures will cements the Cliffs position as Ireland’s third most popular tourist attraction and should also should also give it a chance of passing out the Guinness Store House in second place.

The news was welcomed by Director of the Cliffs of Moher Visitors Experience, Katherine Webster, who also said that tourism in Ireland has a number of challenges still facing it for 2012 – including Ireland qualifications for Euro 2012 in Poland and the Ukraine.

“We are taking a cautious outlook for 2012 due to the global economic turmoil. Improvements in exchange rates for the US dollar and sterling are the only positives for tourism in the difficulties that the Eurozone is currently experiencing,” she said.

“However, economic uncertainty in major tourist markets like the UK, France, Spain, Italy and even the US will impact tourism numbers from these countries.

“In June Ireland’s qualification for Euro 2012, while great news for the country, is less positive for domestic and European tourism as typically visitors whose countries are competing in major championships like the European Cup or the World Cup tend to stay home to watch the matches unless they are travelling to support their teams.

“We are hoping for some positive spin off from the London Olympics at end of July as tourists may stay away from London during this period and Ireland may benefit especially if exchange rates remain low.”

According to the preliminary 2011 visitors figures for the Cliffs of Moher, visitor number broke the 800,000 on December before finishing on 809,474. This figure represent a 12 per cent year-on-year increase on the 2010 figures and a six per cent increase on the 2009.

The majority of the recovery was recorded during the summer and late autumn and was driven largely by an increase in Irish people deciding to holiday at home.

OFFICAL passenger numbers through Shannon Airport in 2011 are set for another drop, but the drastic fall-off experienced in 2010 has been stabilized with figures of over 1.6m recorded for the year.

Shannon Airport Authority marketing director Declan Power has revealed that passenger numbers in Shannon have now bottomed out, with early projections saying that figures for 2012 will be along 2011 lines.

In 2010 passenger numbers through Shannon dropped by one million over the previous year. This drop represented a 37 percent decline in passenger traffic, a 12-year low at Shannon.

Only 1,755,885 passengers used Shannon in 2010. The drastic fall-off in numbers, from 2,794,563 in 2009 represented the fourth year in a row that Shannon’s passenger count when into sharp decline.

Between 2004 and 2006 passenger numbers increased by a record 37.9 per cent as Shannon’s numbers grew to a record 3,639,046 from 2,395,116 over a two-year period.

The drop in traffic was attributed to Ryanair’s decision to drastically cut its Shannon operation – from having 53 routes that accounted for 1.9m passengers in early 2009 the lowcost carrier now only has 300,000 passengers in Shannon.

“That traffic was there during the boom time in the economy, it is not there now,” said Declan Power in arguing the case that it’s good for Shannon that it no longer has a dominant carrier like Ryanair.

“Before we had the Ryanair base, we had five or six different foreign carriers in Shannon and they were all driven out. Now we have to get back to the start again and go back to what we were good at and get other airlines to fly in.

“Politicians state that Shannon should give everything away for free so that we get the business in, but we have an airport to run. We have to pay for a € 6 million overlay on the runway, basic facilities have to be paid for, the lighting and the heating and security,” he added.

Mr Power also pointed out that 80 per cent of the passenger numbers provided by Ryanair were Irish people travelling abroad.

Stephen McCOY
of Loughash, Newmarket-on-Fergus. Late of The Strand,Walshestown, Mullingar, Co.Westmeath. Tragically. Laid to rest in Lemanagh Cemetery. Date of death: Saturday, December 31, 2011. May he rest in peace.

Tess McMAHON,
(née McGuane) of Greygrove, Kilmihil. Late of Coore. Laid to rest in Kilmihil cemetery. May she rest in peace.

Bridie KAYE
, (née O’Gorman) of Ballycotton Liscannor. At St.Theresa’s nursing home Kilrush, relict of the late Percy, (Manchester). Laid to rest at St Brigid’s Well cemetery. Date of death:Tuesday, January 03. May she rest in peace.

Mary WARD
of 13 Fergus Road, Shannon. Buried in Lemenagh Cemetery. May she rest in peace.

Michael (Buddy) PURCELL
of Ballyduff, Barefield, Ennis. Suddenly. Donations, if desired, to the ICU, University Hospital Galway. Date of death:Tuesday, January 03, 2012. Laid to rest inTemplemaley Cemetery. May he rest in peace.

Teresa MULHERN,
(née Hehir) of Main Street, Kildysart. laid to rest in the local cemetery in Kildysart. Date of death:Wednesday, January 04, 2012. May she rest in peace.

Mrs Bridget (Bridg) Keating,
(née Moloney) of Oughterard, Cross, Kilrush. Peacefully at home in the loving care of her family. Laid to rest in Kilballyowen Cemetery Cross. Date of death:Thursday, January 05. May she rest in peace.

Nancy CRAWFORD
of Connolly. Laid to rest in Mount Temple Cemetery, Kilmaley. May she rest in peace.

Lena BROWNE,
(née Culligan) of Kilmurry McMahon, Kilrush. Laid to rest in the Kilmurry McMahon cemetery. Family flowers only, please. Donations, if desired, to Unit 1, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Ennis. Date of death:Thursday, January 05, 2012. May she rest in peace.

Doris BERND
of Mahonbourgh, Inch, Ennis. Cremated privately on Saturday, January 7. May she rest in peace.

Mary WALSH,
(néeTuttle) of TLCNursing Home Santry, Dublin and late of Quin and Ennis, Clare. Peacefully, after a short illness. Laid to rest in Drumcliff Cemetery. Date of death: Saturday, January 07, 2012. May she rest in peace.

Vida SANCHEZ
of Elton Court, Meelick. Deeply regretted by her husband Fernando, son Jaden, daughter Caitlin, mother, brothers and sisters, other relatives, neighbours and friends. Laid to rest in Ballycannon Cemetery, Meelick. May she rest in peace.

Jake Marcus O’TOOLE
of Kilrush. Formerly of Lucan Co. Dublin. Peacefully, in the loving care of the staff at St.Vincent’s Hospital, ElmPark, Dublin.A Service of Remembrance will be celebrated onTuesday afternoon in Newlands Cross Crematoriumat 2pm. Family flowers only, Please. RequiemMass will be celebrated in St. Senan’s, Church, Kilrush. Date of death: Friday, January 06, 2012. May he rest in peace.

Rebecca KELLY
of Kincora Park, Ennis. Formerly of Bealnalicka, Ruan. Laid to rest in Dysart Cemetery. May she rest in peace.

Frank (Francis) HALPIN
of 82Tullyvarragh Crescent, Shannon. Late of Knockainey, Co Limerick and Customs and Excise and Shannon Estuary Port. Funeral Mass onTuesday at 11am. Burial afterwards in Knockainey Hill Cemetery. Date of death: Saturday, January 07, 2012. May he rest in peace.

Robert WATCHORN,
Kildimo, Miltown Malbay. Funeral Mass onTuesday at 11 o’clock with burial after in Ballard cemetery. May he rest in peace.

Mattie FENNEL,
43 Moore Street Kilrush – Peacefully at Ennis General Hospital. May he rest in peace. Funeral arriving at St Senans Church, Kilrush, on Tuesday for 11 o’clock Mass with burial in new Shanakyle cemetery. May he rest in peace.

Paul KEANE,
Ballymaconna Barefield. Funeral mass onTuesday at 11. Burial after in Kilraghtis cemetery. May he rest in peace.

A SERIES of public consultation meetings are set to take place next week as part of the process of putting together an historic first ever stand alone plan for the development of Shannon.

Public meetings are seen as a crucial part of finalising the Draft Shannon Town and Environs Local Area Plan 2012-2018 will provide a framework for the future development and enhancement of Clare’s second largest town and its environs for the next six years.

In announced details of the consultation process, Gordon Daly, Senior Planner, Clare County Council, said, “‘It is an objective of Clare County Council to ensure that Shannon, as a linked gateway with Limerick in the National Spatial Strategy is a driver of county and regional prosperity.”

He said this could be done by “harnessing its strategic location and access on the atlantic corridor, in addition to its employment base, international airport and other competitive advantages.”

According to Cllr Gerry Flynn, “The public consultation process presents members of the public with a valuable opportunity to have their say on the future development of their local community.

“I would encourage people from Shannon and its environs areas to inspect the Draft Local Area Plan before the submission deadline of February 1. They will not get a better opportunity than over the next few weeks to influence the future economic and social development of their town and community.”

The public consultation has also been welcomed by the Mayor of Shannon, Cllr Mary Brennan. “The preparation of a new plan for Shannon and environs is very positive news and I would encourage the people of Shannon to engage with the process. If you have any queries, the Council officials will be on hand to deal to answer any questions.”

The public consultations will take place at Unit A16 (Shaney Macs) in Shannon’s Skycourt January 16 to 18 from 2pm to 5.30pm and January 19 from 3pm to 7.30pm. A further public consultation will be held at Rineanna House, Shannon Free Zone, on January 20 from 12.30pm to 3:30pm.

NEWLY released figures show that the Clare Motor Tax Office issued a total of 126,600 tax discs during 2011. The figures represent a seven per cent decrease in the total number (135,800) of tax discs issued during 2010.

While the figure looks excessively high, particularly when considering that the most recent census population figures for Clare have the entire population of the county at 116,000, the high number of tax discs for the county is explained by the incidence of two-car families. It has also been noted by motor tax officials that more and more people are now taxing their cars for short periods of time, with three-month and six-month discs proving very popular.

The Clare Motor Tax Office, which moved from Francis Street in Ennis to Aras Contae an Chláir in late 2011, is responsible for the issue of all vehicle licences and driver licences for County Clare.

Clare County Council has also issued an appeal this week to motorists to consider using alternative payment methods, including the postal and online tax services. The Clare Motor Tax Office this week witnessed an increase in the number of customers and phone calls, leading to longer queues and waiting times.

Pauline Keane of the Clare Motor Tax Office praised staff who had successfully managed to keep waiting times at local area offices down to a minimum during 2011.

“Waiting times could be further reduced by members of the public choosing to use alternative payment methods including our online tax service which is operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week at www.motortax.ie. Customers may also avail of the Motor Tax Department’s postal service,” she explained.

The service was the first Motor Tax Office in the country to receive a Quality Service Management Award (Q-Mark) in 2004. In late 2009, the service was named overall winner of the Government Health and Social Services category at the National Quality Excellence Awards.