Category: News

THE PEOPLE of Clare turned out in their droves to support Newmarketon-Fergus man Michael D Higgins on his way to becoming the ninth president of Ireland.

President Elect Higgins received a whopping 20,828 first-preference votes, or 44.3 per cent.

After Michael D came Sean Gallagher with 14,779, followed by Martin McGuinness on 4,950, Gay Mitchell with 2,545, David Norris with 1,707, Dana with 1,313 and Mary Davis with 890. Once inaugurated on November 11, President Higgins is expected to make an early official visit to his former hometown of Newmarket-on-Fergus.

A RETIRED fireman with strong family links to Clare is spearheading a campaign to honour victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Bill Whelan was among hundreds of firemen who took part in the rescue effort when hijacked planes were flown into the two towers of the World Trade Centre 10 years ago. Over 300 Fire Department of New York (FDNY) personnel were killed in the attacks, including a workmate of Bill’s.

Now living in Florida, Bill, whose brother Jack has lived in Ennis for almost 40 years, is pledging to hon our the sacrifices made by firemen on 9/11.

As a member of the Gulf Coast Retired Firefighters Association, Bill is involved in a drive to raise money for a memorial sculpture built using pieces of steel from the World Trade Centre towers.

He explains, “It’s an American flag blowing in the wind. It’s going to be all granite, 13ft high. It’s like a wave. It’s going to be set on a map of the US. Then we have a walkway around it, like the way the Pentagon is set up. We have bricks, if anybody wants to buy a brick to memorialise a family member who is a police officer or a fireman. Doesn’t really have to be that, it can be anybody. You can buy a brick for € 100 and it will be there forever.”

A regular visitor to Ennis and Sixmilebridge, where his sister lives, Bill was off duty when news broke of the unfolding disaster at the World Trade Centre. However, the then Brooklyn-based firefighter volunteered his services and arrived at the Ground Zero site around 15 minutes after the towers collapsed

He recalls, “We were just going through the buildings that surrounded the Trade Centre. We got into the centre as best we could. You did what you could. There was total silence.”

Bill says the awful memory of the day still lives with him. “It’s there every day. Every day you think of it, especially when we get together with other firefighters. That’s tough. A lot of people are still crying. You have fathers looking for sons, sons looking for fathers, brothers looking for brothers.”

Originally from Tullamore, Bill moved to New York in the 1970s, working in the retail business before joining the Army. He joined the Fire Service in March 1970, working in one of the busiest areas of the city for 25 years.

He says, “I hated to leave. I wish I could go back. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, I don’t know if you ever saw New York in those years – Brooklyn and the Bronx, it was horrible. They were burning houses and buildings down. You could almost pick your fire when you went out on the job. You could see the smoke on the horizon. And then on your way to a job, you’d pick up another job. So there was a lot of work, an awful lot of work. And we lost a lot of guys.”

Bill adds, “Since I went on in 1970 till I got out – of course 9/11 was the big one – but we lost, I think it was 144 guys before 9/11, just on my time, line-of-duty deaths. The injuries were absolutely horrendous also. But it was a great job.”

A LOCAL business is attempting to address the parking debate in Ennis by covering the one-hour cost of charges for customers.

Staff at Aveda C Spa, a beauty salon based in the Summerhill area of the town, say they are told by customers on a daily basis that it is a struggle to find parking spaces in the town.

Manager Amanda O’Shea decided to cover the cost of parking for one hour by cutting € 1.30 off all treatments and goods. She said, “A lot of people were coming in and asking how long they would be because of the parking. We were hearing it so much that we just decided to do something a little different.”

Ms O’Shea said parking is a particular issue for customers at the weekend. She explained, “People are in such a rush. They want to get in and finished as quick as they can and maybe go to Dunnes and do the shopping. They don’t want to spend the extra 10 to 15 minutes looking for parking…..Parking does seem to be a problem. We’re hearing it so much.”

Ms O’Shea said staff often have to run out during treatments to put a new parking ticket on customers’ cars. She added, “Yeah, if people are delayed, we’re getting their keys and running up and down the road looking for a blue car!”

A report prepared by Town Manager Ger Dollard said a review of car parking in Ennis commenced in autumn 2010 and resulted in the introduction of the 2011 on-street pay-and-display and car park byelaws on March 21.

The report, presented at the October meeting of Ennis Town Council, explained that a 2008 Ennis Car Parking Study had made a number of recommendations.

In the report, Mr Dollard stated that the council had implemented seven short-term measures aimed at improving parking in Ennis, including discouraging long-stay parking within 100m of Abbey Street; re-designation of 39 long-stay spaces in Friars Walk for use as short-stay parking only and reviewing the use of Bindon Street and the extension of two-hour maximum stay zone to Market Place and Friars Walk.

According to the report, “Significant progress has been made on the implementation of the recommendations of the Parking Report. The town council is committed to ongoing review of parking provision, usage and revenue. The introduction of the 2011 byelaws is a step in the process as is engagement with Ennis Chamber and other stakeholders. All practical suggestions to stimulate parking activity will be carefully considered.”

BILL Whelan was at home in Brooklyn on September 11, 2001, when he received a phone call from his wife.

She worked in a bankruptcy court in lower Manhattan and, along with a few colleagues, had witnessed the United Airlines and American Airlines planes crash into the two towers of the World Trade Centre.

She immediately phoned her husband and told him to put on the television.

Bill takes up the story. “So I put it on and watched for about a half a minute and said, I have to go. She said, where you going? I said, I’m going to work. She said, you can’t, you’re off duty. I said, no, we’re never really off duty. It doesn’t work that way. So I got into my Fire House in Brooklyn.”

He added, “My company was already working at the Trade Centre or on their way there. Then we got word just before the towers fell down – one of the first firefighters to die that day was from my company. One of the jumpers (from the Trade Centre) landed on him before they even got into the building. So he was critically injured. Another company got together and packaged him up, got him into the EMT bus.”

Bill and a group of around 100 firefighters were sent to an assembly area about half a mile away from the World Trade Centre.

Speaking in Ennis last week during a family holiday, Bill recalled the events of the day.

He said, “We walked about half a mile away and we came across this bus driver on his normal tour. We said, are you heading anywhere hear the Brooklyn Bridge? He said, yeah, are you guys going to New York? I said absolutely we’re going there. He discharged all of his passengers, put us on the bus and drove us across the Brooklyn Bridge.”

He continued, “And that was some sight. The towers had just come down. It was absolutely horrendous. Tens of thousands people coming across the bridge just to get out of New York and the look on their fac- es was just unbelievable.”

Bill retired from the Fire Department a year later. He said the impact of the attacks is still being felt by families throughout New York.

He explained, “There are three places you’ll find firefighters: one is when you go back to work in your own firehouse, the other is down at the pit at the Trade Centre. They either spend their time there or going to funerals.

“That was it. Three or four funerals a day. The hardest part of that was watching the kids – five, six, seven [years old] – coming out of church not knowing what was going on around them. The young widows. It would break your heart.”

SHANNON Development has been challenged to play its part in revitalising the economic fortunes of Kilrush by helping create hundreds of new jobs as the west Clare capital looks “to itself for its own salvation”.

Kilrush Chamber of Commerce has launched its action plan for the development of the town, which it says “if implemented in the Kilrush Creek Marina and landbank areas would result in new and increased commercial activities and the provision of new skilled jobs in greater Kilrush”.

The blueprint has been sent to Shannon Development chief executive, Dr Vincent Cunnane for consideration and identifies a range of commercial opportunities that could boost the town’s flagging economic fortunes.

“Kilrush Chamber of Commerce reluctantly recognises that Kilrush town, because of its size and geographical location is unlikely to be a prominent forerunner in the garnering of new international or national based industries,” the plan secured by The Clare Peopl e says.

“Kilrush must therefore look into itself for its own salvation. Kilrush Chamber of Commerce has identified, the Shannon Development owned and operated Kilrush Creek Marina facility as presenting an excellent location for the creation of a mixed commercial, tourism, educational and social development.

“The facility contains large areas of land which are currently vacant green field sites, a boatyard which presents huge potential for further development and exploitation and a Marina which is not being exploited to anything like its full potential,” the plan adds.

Included in the comprehensive report are proposals for the extension of the West Clare Railway to Kilrush, the development of a Kilrush Historical and Remembrance Park, a Community and Youth Theatre, Craft Village, the development of interpretative centre facilities for Scattery Island as well as opening of a year-round West Clare Tourism Promotion Centre.

The Shannon Development-owned landbank on Merchant’s Quay has emerged as a key component of the Chamber of Commerce’s plan to kick-start economic activity in the town.

“The Merchants Quay grassed area is not currently for sale by Shannon Development,” the action plan states and argues that “only upon its full development will it attain any real value. “Shannon Development can therefore provide land areas to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, The West Clare Railway, Kilrush Local History Group, the Brothers of Charity, the Royal Western Yacht Club at no financial outlay to Shannon Development itself. “Kilrush Chamber of Commerce has identified the overall Kilrush Creek Marina Facility as holding out the real possibility for the creation of new revenue streams and new skilled jobs. “Kilrush is presenting this submission to Shannon Developments the current owners for their consideration of the contents contained therein and would request that Shannon Development give serious thought to the development of the facility,” the action plan concludes.

A SURVEY on the demand for second-level education through Irish states that an “admissions crisis currently exists in Ennis”. The report, which looks at the public’s preference for the future of Gaelcholáiste an Chláir, was carried out on behalf of Clare VEC. It includes interviews with school educators from all secondary schools in Ennis.

The report states, “All spoke of their love for the Irish language and wished to encourage Irish-medium education at primary and secondlevel throughout the county.”

It goes on to say that “One educator emphasised that, in his/her view, an independent Gaelcholáiste an Chláir will help the admissions crisis that currently exists in Ennis, and create more choice for pupils.”

The report states that there “is well documented demand for school places in Ennis”.

It adds, “Both St Flannan’s and Rice College are oversubscribed and Scoil Mhuire for girls is full. The Department of Education has stated that the demand for primary education in the county will increase by 10 per cent over the next five years and secondlevel education by 3.8 per cent. This means the demand for places in Ennis schools will continue to increase. The majority of the educators interviewed were in favour of Gaelcholáiste an Chláir’s expansion.”

The report states that, according to two other secondary school principals, “There is likely to be a significant demand for places at Gaelcholáiste an Chláir if it has space to expand and develop its own ethos and identity.” Another said that there is likely to be “much demand” for an independent school.

Primary school educators also contributed to the report. Gaelscoil Michíl Cíosóg estimates that at least 140 students will transfer to Gaelcholáiste an Chláir over the next six years. “Between 2016 and 2021, it is estimated that approximately 250 pupils will transfer from this one school,” the report states.

Ennis National School reported that the majority of pupils transfer either to St Flannans or Coláiste Mhuire and very few transfer either to Ennis Community College or Gaelcholáiste an Chláir. The report continues, “However, it was emphasised that a significant number of parents are interested in Irish-medium schooling and with the planned expansion of the Ennis National School to 960 pupils, there will be a significant need for another second-level school.”

A stand-alone Gaelcholáiste was described as an excellent idea.

HE WAS known as the exterminator of Clare and, 160 years after the height of his reign, notorious landlord Marcus Keane hasn’t been forgiven or forgotten.

This fact of life that the evils of the Great Famine in Clare may be out of sight but are still not out of mind has been hammered home this week with the desecration of a plaque bearing Marcus Keane’s name.

The plaque was erected a number of years ago as part of an Ennis Town Council initiative which was designed to give formal recognition to some of the town’s famous inhabitants or to people associated with the county capital.

Keane lived in Beechpark, Ennis, and by the 1870s his estate had grown to 4,784 acres across the county. But it was his role as an agent for some of Clare’s biggest landlords that earned him the infamous moniker of “the Clare exterminator”.

The plaque bearing his name doesn’t detail any of his exploits, but has now been scarred with the word “evictor” by someone, as a reminder to others as to Keane’s lead role during the Great Famine in Clare.

This dark period of Irish history has just been the subject of a new

book written by ac

claimed Ennis histo

rian Ciaran Ó Mur

chadha called Grea t

Fa mine: Irela nd’s

Agony 1845-1852 . In

it, Ó Murchadha re

veals, “In Clare, Mar

cus Keane tells us that

he employed about 40

wreckers, who other

accounts characterise

as youths or young

men, furtive, uneasy starvelings taken off the streets of Ennis.”

He also says that “in the Kilrush union alone, exterminating landlords led by Crofton Vandeleur and Marcus Keane evicted 20,000 persons between 1847 and 1854”.

TEENAGERS under the age of 18 have no difficulty getting their hands on alcohol in Shannon, as older people are buying it for them.

That’s according to Independent Councillor Patricia McCarthy, who told a meeting of the town’s Joint Policing Committee (JPC) last week that the issue is of concern.

“There is a certain amount of underage drinking. We can’t just close our eyes to it,” she told The Clare People .

“Some of them are getting older people to buy it for them and give them a few extra pounds for doing it,” she said.

“The gardaí and the suppliers have to be very careful about who is buying regular quantities and if there is a pattern they should be vigilant,” said Cllr McCarthy.

The meeting heard concerns about anti-social behaviour in several parts of Shannon, including Ballycasey, Rineanna View and De Lacey Park.

The chairman of the JPC, Councillor Tony McMahon (Labour) said that a joint approach is required, in an effort to deal with this.

“There was a lot of anti-social behaviour in Finan and Aidan Parks in the past and co-operation between community gardaí and residents’ associations virtually eliminated it there.

“One of the problems, in my opinion, with anti-social behaviour is that a number of people who are engaged in it are of an age where gardaí can’t bring prosecutions. They are too young,” Cllr McMahon told The Clare People .

“It takes a while to take action, but programmes like community alert and neighbourhood watch are helping,” he said.

The meeting heard that incidents of public order have reduced in Shannon.

During the first nine months of last year, there were 133 incidents of public order and this has reduced to 88 this year.

Criminal damage offences have also reduced, from 128 in 2010 to 70 this year.

“That’s a good drop,” Superintendent Peter Duff said.

Referring to the decrease in public order offences, he said, “One of the biggest reductions we had was for public order offences… The stark reality is people don’t have as much disposable income. There is a reduction in the number of people out on the streets.”

Drug searches on the streets have also reduced in Shannon – from 263 during the first nine months of last year to 217 this year – which, according to gardaí is down to the fact that there are less people out on the streets at night.

JUST under € 300,000 has been allocated by the Office of Public Works (OPW) to Clare County Council for the construction of a pipe connecting a turlough in Ballyvaughan to the Atlantic Ocean.

The funding has been made available under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works Scheme which was set up in August of 2009, just before the unprecedented flooding which took place in October and November of that year.

This latest allocation brings the total amount of Clare funding received under the scheme since 2009 to € 1 million.

Clare still lags behind other flood hit counties in allocations received from this scheme with both Galway and Cork County Councils receiving in excess of € 2 million each from the Minor Flood Mitigation Works Scheme.

This is the second allocation of funding to be made to a Clare flooding scheme this year following a grant of € 99,000 for flood relief works to be carried out at Roughan in Kilnaboy in April of this year.

The Ballyvaughan flood works follow extensive flooding of the area during November of 2009. The main road between Ballyvaughan and Kin- vara was impassable for a number of days during the flood, while a large number of smaller local roads were also submerged.

The € 270,000 allocated by the Office of Public Works represents 90 per cent of the total costs of the work with Clare County Council required to invest the remaining 10 per cent, or € 30,000.

“This is welcome news for the people of Ballyvaughan. Severe flooding was experienced on the outskirts of Ballyvaughan during the winter of 2009 and the works proposed will help to alleviate flooding on affected roads,” said Clare TD Pat Breen (FG).

“This funding is allocated to Clare County Council under the Minor Flood Works Scheme and represents 90% of the monies sought by the Council so it is a sizable investment in reducing future flood risks in Ballyvaughan.

“This funding allocation confirms this Government’s support for the implementation of flood prevention measures even in these tightening budgetary times.”

The scheme is still open for local authorities to put forward local projects for funding and Clare County Council is understood to have a number of projects currently working their way towards securing funding.

A REVOLUTIONARY new radar system will dramatically increase the speed at which emergency services can find people lost off the coast of north Clare.

The coastal radar system, which is the first of its kind anywhere on the European Atlantic coast, will give minute-by-minute analysis of the speed and direction of currents off the north Clare coast.

The radar, which was officially launched last week by the Ryan Institute at NUI, Galway, covers a large area of sea from Fanore to Ballyvaughan and up along the Clare and Galway coastline to Galway City.

“The new radar can give us accurate current speeds and direction every 300 metres along the coast of north Clare,” said Dr Mike Hartnett of the Modelling and Informatics Group in the Ryan Institute.

“Over the years we have helped the Gardaí and the Doolin Coastguard with different computer models of the area. If they can give us a place and time where someone fell into the water we can now give them a very accurate assessment as to where they might have gone.”

The information from the new ra- dar scheme will be available live online so the emergency services will be able to access it in an emergency situation and can use it to determine where best to look.

“This will give us actual real-time date which can be used for a lot of things like sailing, ferry services and other waters users but when we feed that data into a computer model we will be able to predict the future movements of objects in the water very accurately,” continued Dr Harnett.

“One of the main things that our computer model does in to predict flooding events and this radar will be able to improve how we forecast flooding events. We are in the process now of creating a new computer model for Galway Bay which will predict coastal flooding.

“This is the only radar of it’s kind in this part of the world. There are some radar installations like this in Spain and in parts of the Mediterranean but in a first of its kind for this part of the world.”

The new radar installations and the computer models have been created by The Martin Ryan Institute in NUI, Galway in collaboration with IBM Smarter Cities Technology Centre in Dublin.