Category: News

MUHAMMAD Ali was overwhelmed by the reaction to his ‘homecoming’ and now Ennis should seek to position itself as Ireland’s greatest town of Cead Míle Fáilte.

Thousands lined the streets for the former world champion’s visit in 2009.

A year later, Lonnie Ali said she had never experienced anything like the large crowds that turned out to welcome her husband to Ennis.

Speaking at the time, she said, “All the people in Ennis that came out and welcomed us, all the people that came out and supported us. There were so many people there and Muhammad was so excited, he’s still excited when he thinks back to that day.”

Now there are calls for Ennis to cap- italise on its reputation as a welcoming town. Councillor Johnny Flynn (FG) told last week’s meeting of Ennis Town Council that Ali’s family had remarked that the welcome he received in Ennis “meant more to him than his Olympic medals”.

He said this image should be used to promote Ennis abroad.

Cllr Flynn was speaking as members backed a proposed to make Ali the first recipient of a County Clare passport.

The proposal was made by Cllr Paul O’Shea (Lab) to conincide with Ali’s 70th birthday this Tuesday In a motion submitted to the meeting, Cllr O’Shea called on the council to offer a Clare passport to visitors.

He said holders would be entitled to discounts at major tourism attractions, shops and restaurants.

In his response, Town Clerk Leonard Cleary, stated that the council works closely with the tourism industry on initiatives to promote Ennis.

He added, “The development of an incentivised pricing discount structure for visitor attractions would need to be led by the tourism industry and supported based on available resources by the local authority.”

Mr Cleary said the proposal could be further discussed at the next meeting of the Ennis Municipal Policy Committee (MPC)

THE voluntary spirit is alive and well in Clare as new figures show that more than 239 people registered with the Clare Volunteer Centre (CVC) in 2011.

According to the centre, volunteers worked over 9,342 hours in 2011. Using the average industrial wage, the centre estimates that this work equates to a value of more than € 204,000.

Of the volunteers who signed up in 2011, the most popular areas of interest were health and disability and youth/children. The most popular reasons for wanting to volunteer were free time and a desire to give something back. Sixty per cent of the volunteers who signed up with the volunteer centre last year had never volunteered before. Over 100 organisations are now registered with Clare Volunteer Centre. Last year, 34 new organisations registered with the centre.

Commenting on the success of 2011, Sharon Meaney said, “2011 was the European Year of Volunteering so we were delighted to help 239 Clare residents to start volunteering. It’s remarkable to see that the work of Clare volunteers in 2011 amounted to a value of over € 204,000 but, really, the difference volunteers make to our community is immeasurable.”

She continued, “The Volunteer Discount Card, which was launched in conjunction with the Ennis Chamber, Clare County Council and Clare Lo- cal Development Company to celebrate the European Year of Volunteering, was very well received with over 2,000 cards being distributed county-wide. We were delighted to work with many organisations across the county during 2011, supporting them in developing practices to ensure that volunteers are recognised and valued for their contribution.”

Clare Volunteer Centre is a free service aimed at encouraging more people to become involved in volunteering across the county.

ONE OF the world’s all time favourite Christmas songs ‘The Fairytale of New York’ was actually written about County Clare – according to Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan.

According to the mercurial Mr MacGowan, the 1987 classic was originally written from the perspective of a West Clare sailor looking out across the Atlantic and dreaming of life in New York. The Clare People has also learned that the song, which was made world famous as a duet performed by MacGowan and the late great Kirsty MacColl, was also written with a Clare woman in mind.

Instead of MacColl, early versions of the song were performed by formed Pogues singer Cait O’Riordan, who father hailed from Lahinch and who used to spend much of her summer time as a girl in North and West Clare.

The Clare connection with ‘The Fairytale of New York’ was revealed as part of an hour-long interview with Shane MacGowan conducted by the BBC over Christmas. This change of emphasis from West Clare to New York was also confirmed by Pogues banjo player Jem Finer, who admitted the song took nearly two years of hard work to perfect after the decision to move the song to New York was made.

According to Pogues guitarist Philip Chevron, the song developed well in its orioginal format but the band was never able to quite finish the ‘Fairytale of West Clare’.

“In the earliest incarnation it took place not in New York, but in the west coast of Clare. If you listen to the early demos we did of that song at a certain point, in each case, they kind of just stop developing. They just fall into a hole where they can go no further,” he said.

According to Finer, it was the record producer Steve Lillywhite who persuaded his then wife, Kirsty MacColl, to perform the song as a duet with MacGowan.

“We tried to record it twice before it finally got it nailed with Steve Lillywhite,” he said.

“So it went through a lot of revisions. There were always things that didn’t quite work and Shane did a lot of editing of the lyrics, coming back to it again and again over a period of about two years, and we played about with the arrangement until it sort of sat properly.”

Despite being more than 24 years old the song continues to beguile listeners and reached an impressive Number 7 in the Irish singles charts this year.

FUNDING for small local arts festivals in Clare has been slashed by more than 50 per cent for the first half of 2012, with similar cuts also expected for the second half of the year.

According to figures obtained by The Clare People , the total investment by the Arts Council in Clare festivals for the first half of 2012 has been cut to € 20,500 – down from € 41,500 for the same period of 2010. Funding for two traditional music festivals in North Clare have been cut completely with a number of adjustments taking place in the funding for other events. Both the Corofin Traditional Music Festival, which was last year granted € 8,000 in funding, and the Russell Memorial Weekend, which was granted € 2,000 in 2011, have not recived any funding this year.

According to records received from the Irish Arts Council, Clare County Council was also granted € 14,000 in 2011 for Scoil Cheoil an Earraigh – which is not funded as part of the 2012 budget. The Iniscealtra Arts Festival also saw a reduction in its Arts Council budget from € 11,000 in 2011 to € 9,000 this year.

Despite the overall reduction however, the growing popularity of the Ennis Book Club Festival was recog- nised with a funding increase from € 6,500 last year to € 8, 500 in 2011. The Doran Tionol Festival was also granted € 3,000 in funding, having not received any funding for 2011.

“While it’s always disappointing when funding in decreased. I think that the strength that we have here in Clare with our festivals means that they will continue and will grow,” said Clare Arts Offices, Siobhan Mulcahy. “It was encouraging to see that some of our festivals received more than the average amount and some even received a small increase which I think goes to vindicate the quality of the programmes which take place at festivals in Clare.”

The Arts Council releases it funding for small local festivals in two tranches – each covering a six month period of the year.

The second allocation of funding is due to be announced early next month with festivals such as the Clare Festival of Traditional Singing, the Ellen ‘Nell’ Galvin Traditional Music Weekend, the Feakle International Traditional Music Festival, the Music in the Glen Festival, the Willie Keane Memorial Weekend and the Winter Music Weekend Festival all hoping to retain some level of funding.

An announcement for larger years grants schemes – including the annual Arts Council Investment in Glór – will also be made in mid-February.

MORE than 50 West Clare residents and members of the Clare Fracking Concerned group packed the public gallery of Clare County Council last night to express their support for moves by the elected members of the local authority to ban fracking in Clare.

Despite a number of procedural objects from the executive of Clare County Council, the councillors voted unanimously to amend the County Development Plan to specifically ban fracking – making Clare the first county in Ire;and to take such a step.

Councillors also voted unanimously to write to the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbittee (LAB) asking that the process of fracking be banned in Clare. This follows a motion put forward by West Clare councillor Gabriel Keating (FF) – calling for a ban to fracking in Clare.

This follows as address by fracking export, Aedín McLoughlin, at last nights January meeting of Clare County Council. Ms McLoughlin restated a number of potential problems concerning fracking, such as the pollution of water supplies and the possibility of localised earthquakes but also identified a number of less publicised difficulties – such as the destruction of a natural barrier from radon and the production of radio active uranium during the drilling process.

Speak on the proposal Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) said that fracking was “raping the natural environment for the benefit of “gamblers” in the petroleum industry. “I say this as a land owner but in reality we don’t own the land, we hold it in trust for the next generation. It is bad enough that we have managed to bankrupt the next generation never mind poisoning the land as well,” he said. Meanwhile, in a separate motion, Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) criticised what he described as a lack of support from the executive of Clare County Council to change the County Development Plan to include a specific ban on fracking. “We need to put into action the words that we have said today. I completely reject the directions coming from the executive of Clare County Council regarding the change of the County Development Plan – I reject this out of hand,” said . “This actions bring Clare into the spotlight of the petroleum industry’s attempts to scrape the bottom of the barrel. Clare is the bottom of the barrel for these people. We have an opportunity to send a clear signal that we are not willing to participate and sit idly by.” A spokesperson from Clare County Development Plan said that because Clare County Council does not have a role in granting planning permission for fracking developments that it would be meaningless to change the 2011 to 2017 plan to include a ban on fracking. Despite these objections councillors voted unanimously to amend the county development plan.

CLARE County Council’s headquarters in Ennis have been described as looking more like “a latter day Fawlty Towers” than the state of the art facility € 27m facility that was opened in 2008.

The claim was made of former Mayor of Clare, Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) after it was revealed that over € 130,000 worth of repairs are needed on the headquarters that was constructed by Michael McNamara & Co, formerly one of Ireland’s leading building contractors that went into receivership in November 2010.

And, during a debate that was sparked by Cllr Kelly’s motion calling on council chiefs to give a breakdown on the Áras an Chláir works, it emerged that Clare County Council could yet be forced to foot the bill for improvements.

This is because, despite a guarantees received by Michael McNamara & Co that it would pay for improvement works for a 12-year period, the appointed

Receiver Farrell Grant Sparks has so given “no commitment” that it will cover the costs.

In his motion Cllr Kelly asked that “a report be made available with regard to repairs” which covered the “cost of repairs to date”, the estimated cost of future repairs” and “who pays the costs”.

In response, senior executive officer Michael McNamara said “work is nearing completion on the rectification of defective parapet capping on the roof at Corporate Headquarters and the contractor will then be attending to the rectifying the cause of the staining to the external wall near the Chamber”.

Mr McNamara also revealed that “payments in respect of their works total € 51,640 and the estimated further cost of completing the works is € 80,000”.

Áras an Chláir was officially opened four years ago this month.

The development, the largest building project in the county since the construction of Moneypoint Power Station, was built to provide accommodation for 300 staff, as well as meeting rooms, a staff canteen, a laboratory, a Mayor’s office, a council chamber, three party rooms for the elected members and 320 car parking spaces.

“Was a commitment got from the receiver that the costs of the work would be met,” asked Cllr Kelly during Monday’s January monthly meeting of the council.

“We have no commitment from the receiver,” admitted

Mr McNamara. “The council has been in correspondence with the receiver with a view to getting money for the works.

“The contractor provided a collateral agreement to meet the cost of remedial works for a period of 12 years from the date of completion of the building – this agreement remains in place until 2020,” he told the meeting.

“There is a legal contract in place and the money can be recouped,” said County Manager, Tom Coughlan.

Former Mayor of Clare, Patricia McCarthy criticised the use of ‘Fawlty Towers’ to describe the council headquarters, saying “with all due respects to Cllr Kelly,

you have to be very careful to describe it in the way he does. We have a fine building and a modern building”.

“People are every impressed with this building,” said County Manager, Tom Coughlan.

“None of them have told me that t looks like Fawlty Towers.

“None of them have said that the place is falling down,” he added.

Cllr Kelly was a Fianna Fáil council colleague of former Michael McNamara & co chief, Bernard McNamara, who served on Clare County Council from 1974 to 1985.

HARDPRESSED ratepayers around the county that go out of business won’t have to pay their dues to Clare County Council for the whole year.

That will the mission statement of Clare County Council going forward if they get the sanction from the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Phil Hogan.

The new move comes after a motion by Cllr Joe Cooney (FG) that the council would not pursue businesses that cease trading during the year for 12 months of rates payments.

“The reason that I put down this motion,” said Cllr Cooney, “is that in the current climate with so many businesses closing down, the council shouldn’t be looking to charge businesses for the whole year and then refund them money at the end of the year. Businesses should just be charged for the rates due for as long as they are in business. At the start of the rates year they are told that they have to pay rates for the entire year, but it should be a case where that if they cease trading during the year, they only have to pay up for as long as they were in business,” he added.

“The council have to spend time collected the rates and following people up looking for their rates contributions. I think it should be put to the minister that this should change.

“Some businesses that cease trading might start up again to maintain jobs, so it would be a big help if they didn’t have to pay rates for the full year on the first business,” continued Cllr Cooney.

The Fine Gael representative’s mo- tion was backed by Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) who said he knew “several business who were in severe financial difficulty and if they go out of business, they won’t be able to pay rates for the whole year and won’t be able to get credit to pay the rates from financial institutions to pay their rates, even though they would get a refund at the end of the year.

“In view of the current economic climate it makes common sense to change this, because people would stand some chance if the amount of rates that was due for the time they were in business was collected,” continued Cllr Kelly. “We are bound and governed by legislation on this,” said County Manager, Tom Coughlan. “It can be debated in the council, but at the end of the day we are bound by the legislation that’s there.”

After the council resolved to write to Minister Hogan on the issue, the County Manager backed the move as a positive development. “It’s wasting our time as a council collecting rates and then having to refund them,” he said, “and I appreciate what the councillors are trying to do.”

NEARLY half of households throughout Clare don’t pay for household refuse collection from a registered operator, raising fears that a new ‘black economy’ has emerged around the whole area of waste disposal because of these harsh economic climate.

Ennis area councillor Johnny Flynn (FG) made the claim during a debate on a report on the findings of the Special Policy Committee on the Environment during the January meeting of Clare County Council on Monday.

“I know that 48 per cent of householders don’t have a contract for waste collection,” revealed Cllr Flynn, “and there seems to be a black economy developing, with a lot of people paying people who are not registered operators to remove their waste,” he added.

And, his figures were backed up by Betty Devanney from the environment section of the local authority, while a number of councillors said that the figure of 48 per cent was brought about by virtue of the fact that a growing numbers of house- holders are pooling together to cover their refuse costs.

“Some householders are sharing bin costs,” revealed former Mayor of Clare, Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind). “That’s one of the reasons for the 48 per cent. I share a bin and I think it’s good that if people can come to some sort of agreement like that,” she added. “Because of the town we live in, we should encourage more people to share bin costs,” said Cllr John Crowe (FG).

However, Cllr Flynn pressed for the council to put the onus on householders to prove that their refuse is being collected by a registered operator and that their waste isn’t being disposed of illegally.

“In Limerick and Louth they have waste by-laws in place, whereby people have to prove to the council that they have a contract with a registered operator to remove their waste,” said Cllr Flynn. “That should be brought in by Clare County Council,” he added.

“We are aware of Limerick and Louth and the by-laws that are in place,” said council official Betty Devanney, “and we will be discussing that as an SPC meeting to have them in place in Clare,” she added.

KILRUSH Town Council has finally resolved to flush away the public toilet in the town centre that costs over € 200,000 to operate over a fiveyear period, while netting less that € 10,000 in income for the local authority over the same period.

The Council has issued formal notice that it is to extricate itself from a 20-year agreement for the public toilet on Martyr’s Square in the town.

The toilet will still be in operation in 2012 at a rental cost of € 35,910, but to terminate the contract later in the year must pay € 60,382 to Street Furniture Limited.

At the September meeting of Kil- rush Town Council it was revealed that the town authorities were tied to a 20-year contract for provision of the toilet that was signed in 1999 and doesn’t run out until 2019.

At that meeting Independent councillor Paul Moroney had described Kilrush’s public toilet as “the most expensive piece of retail property in Ireland”.

EIRGRID have admitted that a number of renewable energy projects that will “realistically never see the light of day” have been offered a connection to the national grid while other live development, such as the West Clare Renewable Energy Project in Mount Callan, will have to wait for as much as a decade to be given the green light.

EirGrid’s Transmission Access Planning Manager, Simon Grimes, was invited to address last night‘s meeting of Clare County Council and admitted that some projects could face a prolonged wait to be granted a connection.

Miltown Malbay councillor Michael Hillery questioned the EirGrid spokesperson about the reasons for delaying viable projects which have already been granted planning permission.

“We are under the impression that it could take between five or ten years for connection to come for the project in Mount Callan. Between Moneypoint to Dublin we have one of the biggest power-lines in the country and I don’t see why thhis cannot be used to facilitate the con nection in Mount Callan,” he said.

According to Mr Grimes, EirGrid have used the length of time that a application has been made and not whether the projects has received planing permission of is financially viable as the main criteria for agreeing to grid connections.

“The Commission for Energy Regulation ultimately decide who gets connected but they do consult with EirGrid and the ESB. Currently they do decided on connections without taking planning permission into account but my feeling is that this will probably change and,” said Mr Grimes.

“There are a lot of projects that have connection offers that will never see the light of day because of planning permission. At the same time there are other projects who have planning permission but no not a grid connection.

“There are projects that do have a grid offer but do not have planning permission – that is a fact. Some developers try and get the grid connection first – some took to get the planning first. I do think there will be a preference given to projects that have planning permission in the future.”

County Manager, Tom Coughlan, said that given the delays in the connections to the grid it is unlikely that Clare will be able to reach the targets set out in the County Development Plan.

“We have a wind energy strategy which has been developed by ourselves and that means we want to have 515 units developed by 2017. If it is going to take a decade for them to get connected it will be extremely difficult for us to reach the targets which have been set.”