Category: News

A FUNDRAISING concert to support four local women who will volunteer at a children’s orphanage in Belarus will take place in Ennis on Friday.

Hazel O’Connor, Karen Dunne, Breda Browne and Bridget Punch will spend a week providing support and assistance at the Gorodische orphanage, which is located two hours from the capital, Minsk.

The group are travelling to Belarus as part of the Burren Chernobyl Project, a north Clare-based group that provides support to victims of the Chernobyl disaster.

The group have organised a number of fundraisers over the past couple of months, the latest of which takes place at All Bar One, Ennis, on Friday night at 9.30pm.

For Ennis woman Hazel, this is her third trip to Belarus. She explained that money raised would go towards helping kids at the orphanage.

She said, “We will be spending a week there, helping out as much as we can. I haven’t been there since 2008. The conditions aren’t so great but because the Burren Chernobyl Project are so involved, they have improved.”

Hazel, who works at Lifford Child- care Créche, added, “The one thing they really need out there are nappies. They don’t have them and, without nappies, the children can’t really learn to walk properly. The Pampers are really important. And having the extra staff is really important as well. They need extra staff to help give the children one-on-one attention and support.”

The group are hoping for good support on Friday night. Gorodishche is home to 220 children and young adults who are aged between four and 25. Gorodishche is a remote village a little over a two-hour drive south west of Minsk. Since the project’s first visit in the late ‘90s, the place has been transformed. A new building which was 13 years under construction has finally been finished and most of the groups have moved in there. The Burren Chernobyl Project has three programmes running annually in Gorodishche.

The Burren Chernobyl Project (BCP) was established in 1993 to help with the child victims of the fallout from the Chernobyl reactor explosion. Many projects have been carried out to assist the children and their families who are enduring the effects of exposure to radiation and the other social and economic problems facing them in Belarus.

CLARE has been held up as a model for how the nationwide Rural Transport Programme can be a lifeblood to a community.

The success story of the Clare Accessible Transport (CAT) initiative that is operated in east Clare was hailed by the junior minister for transport Alan Kelly during a visit to its Feakle base on Wednesday.

“It was a great opportunity to show Minister Kelly the integrated transport model that has been developed in Clare since 2003 as part of the Rural Transport Programme,” a spokesperson for CAT revealed.

“The Minister saw one of CAT’s low floor buses which are essential to the delivery of a fully integrated service. The vehicle design maximises resources, particularly for rural areas by enabling everyone from the same locality to board the bus easily, avoiding the need for different types of buses to serve the same areas.

“CAT’s collaborative approach to investment in the service was emphasised as a means of providing excellent value for money while meeting the transport needs of people living in isolated parts of the county,” the spokesperson added.

The CAT schedule offers responsive and flexibly-routed public transport that is open to everyone. The number of people registering with the service since the first bus went out in 2003 is approaching 4,000, with passengers making up to 4,000 trips per month.

“The dispatchers who operate the travel centre are noticing an increase in bookings to connect with national transport services to Limerick, Cork, Dublin and Galway as well as calls for shopping, work and training. More and more people are calling in to find out about their local bus service and the annual Driver CPC training that CAT provides,” the spokesperson added.

AROUND 60 people attended a meeting at Barefield Community Hall on Thursday night to highlight concerns over recent Traveller encampments in the area.

The meeting was called after a number of caravans and vehicles moved into a section of road leading to the M18, near Barefield village, over the past two weeks.

Residents and landowners have raised concerns over allegations of rubbish dumping and the presence of dogs on popular walking routes.

There was a feeling of “anger” at the meeting, according to one man who attended. Sean Corcoran, Chairman of Barefield Tidy Villages, said locals are frustrated that action was not taken to force caravans to move from the side of the road.

The meeting was also attended by local councillors and members of the gardaí. Mr Corcoran said some local people have been “heckled” and feel “intimated”.

“People are losing patience with the whole lot of it. We are no farther down the road than we were 20 years ago. € 20 million has been spent in the past 10 years (on Traveller accommodation). It seems that whatever they want, they get.”

Mr Corcoran said the community have sought a meeting with Clare County Council. The issue was raised at yesterday’s meeting of the Ennis Joint Policing Committee.

Town Manager Ger Dollard said council staff are working on a daily basis, with all parties to try and resolve the situation.

He said, “The council is aware of issues regarding illegal encampments in Ennis town and environs. It is also noticeable that there has been some movement in recent days between encampments. The council has had daily contact with the gardaí in relation to issues arising and will continue to work with the gardaí and other parties to try and resolve the situation.”

Mr Dollard added, “Council staff have also been involved on a daily basis in managing the situation. We are fully aware of the difficulties that such illegal encampments cause for both the settled and Travelling community and our aim is to secure their removal as quickly as possible.”

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) told the meeting that Traveller encampments are causing stress to communities around Clare.

According to a council report prepared by Bernadette Kinsella, Director Of Housing, Social and Cultural Services, 201 statutory notices instructing the removal of temporary dwellings from unauthorised encampments were issued in the past two years.

UP TO 50 new jobs are to be created in the retail sector by a Clare company over the next 12 months, which will bring to 150 the number of people employed in the region.

Zest, a food hall that opened in Ennis’ Market area in June 2010, has announced they have purchased the old Avoca site at Bunratty, which will be developed in the next year as part of the expansion plans of the company.

“This fulfils a long-held wish to see the site resurrected and vibrant again in such a historic heritage area, since it burnt down four years ago when owned by Avoca,” a spokesperson for Zest, the retail arm of EFG Inflight Ltd based in Shannon told The Clare People .

Zest has also announced that they successfully won the tender to operate a café as part of the newly restored Limerick City Gallery of Art at The People’s Park, Pery Square, due for completion before Christmas this year.

The café, located in the beautifully restored Carnegie Building will afford an opportunity to Limerick residents to enjoy the range of Zest foods, handmade breads, cakes, pastries and meals.

“Our retail brand Zest! has enjoyed tremendous success since opening in Ennis last year, and we are keen to develop the brand further. The acquisition of the old Avoca site at Bunratty, together with our new presence in Limerick at the LCGA, will allow us to serve more of our customers who have been very loyal and supportive to us,” Ean Malone, Managing Director of EFG Inflight Ltd, stated.

“Our success is testament to our wonderful staff and chefs who have worked hard to build this brand, and developing further units will afford us an opportunity to create new lines and products,” he added

It is envisaged that the two new developments will produce another 50 jobs for Clare and Limerick over the next 12 months, adding to the 100 staff currently employed full-time by the company in Clare. Financial Director Fiona Barry stated, “The purchase of the Bunratty site is an indication of our long-term commitment to the area, and our desire to create much-needed employment in the locality.”

EFG Inflight Ltd is a wholly owned independent company, and has been in operation for four years based at Knockbeg Point, Shannon Airport. It primarily services the international inflight catering and private jet requirements, corporate catering and related services.

NEW figures indicate that the number of assaults, drug seizures and incidents of arson are down in Ennis for the year so far.

There were 23 incidents of assault causing harm in the first nine months of the year, compared to 25 for the same period in 2010.

Minor assaults are down from 81 in 2010 to 63 in 2011.

The number of on-street drug searches that took place in the first nine months of 2011 stood at 278, compared to 316 for the same period last year.

The figures were presented at yesterday’s public meeting of the Ennis Joint Policing Committee.

Supt Peter Duff of the Ennis Garda District told the meeting that criminal damage caused by fire had fallen from 27 (2010) to 13 (2011).

The report compared recorded incidents of crime in Ennis from January to September (2011) with the same period in 2010.

Arrests for drugs for sale or supply are down from 46 (2010) to 35 (2011) while the number of people caught in possession of drugs has reduced by almost 50 per cent (131 to 66).

Public order offences have fallen from 406 (2010) to 395 (2011) while robbery of persons fell from 10 (2010) to two (2011).

In relation to drug searches carried out under warrant, the figures show a reduction from 151 to 84.

Supt Duff told the meeting that a cannabis growhouse had been de- tected on the outskirts of Ennis during the summer.

He said a quantity of mephedrone had also been seized in Ennis earlier this year, a discovery that led gardai to conduct a follow-up search of premises in Lissycasey.

He said that both matters are now before the courts.

There was also a small reduction in the number of incidents of sexual offences recorded by gardaí (27 to 21).

Supt Duff said many of the cases are historic in nature and relate to alleged offences that took place in the 1960s and ‘70s.

He said people are now more confident about reporting sexual offences that occurred in family or institutional settings.

The meeting was attended by local councillors, council officials and community representatives.

Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) expressed concern that apart from representatives of Ennis Chamber, no members of the public were in attendance.

A WOMAN yesterday told a court that getting caught with drugs was the best thing to happen to her brother, as it forced him to make changes in his life.

The man’s sister told a judge that her brother’s involvement in drugs devastated his parents, but that his family was fully supporting him every step of the way in his efforts to get his life back on track.

Carpenter Ian Kelly (41), of Capparoe, Scarriff, pleaded guilty to cultivation and supply of drugs.

Garda Aidan Sweeney told Ennis Circuit Court that on foot of confidential information, he obtained a search warrant and carried out a raid on the accused’s house, on the evening of June 21, 2010.

He said that the accused lived there with his partner and partner’s two children. “He was very forthcoming. He showed me the garden shed he was using to grow cannabis,” said the garda.

He said that the end of the timber shed was concealed into compartments and 23 cannabis plants were growing. 17 of the plants were small, he said. There was a number of shelving units and aerators in the shed.

Cannabis leaf, valued at more than € 4,700, was seized by gardaí during the search, along with 10 grammes of amphetamines and a small quantity of ecstasy. The total value of the seizure of the cannabis and the plants amounted to € 8,000, said the garda.

“He took full responsibility. He said he was addicted to drugs. It was for self-medication mostly. From his phone records, he was selling the drugs to approximately three peo- ple,” said the garda.

Defence Counsel Elaine Houlihan, BL, said that her client’s partner was not aware of his actions.

She said there was no cash seized during the search, adding, “He doesn’t have any of the trappings of wealth. He had an addiction to cannabis, amphetamines and alcohol at the time. He wasn’t a street dealer. He was dealing to a small group of friends,” said Ms Houlihan.

She said that two days after the discovery of the drugs, her client went for treatment and has not come to the attention of gardaí since. She said her client wouldn’t fit the “usual profile of a person who comes before the court in terms of previous convictions” and the garda agreed with this.

Ms Houlihan said that her client came from a respected family and that his father is a former school principal. “He has brought a degree of shame and hurt to his family,” she said.

The accused’s sister, Ruth Minogue, took the stand and said that “for years, he was a mess” but that her brother is now determined to get his life back on track.

“As a family, we tried but he was the only person who could help himself. His life was a complicated mess. Being caught was the best thing that happened to him because it forced changes in his life,” she said.

She said that her parents were “absolutely devastated, but we are behind him all the way”. She added, “He is trying as hard as any individual can try to get their life back on track.”

Judge Carroll Moran said, “This is a very serious matter and in the normal course of events would warrant a prison sentence.” However, he said the circumstances in this case were extraordinary. He said that the accused “made serious efforts to address his drug addiction” after he was caught, adding, “and he is now clean of illicit drugs”.

“I accept he wasn’t a street dealer. He was dealing to a small number of friends,” said the judge. He said he accepted Ms Minogue’s evidence and said he was taking into account the fact that the accused was making a serious effort to turn his life around. “He is going to have to abstain from drugs for a substantial period of time,” said the judge.

He imposed a four-year jail sentence, suspended for four years, on condition that the defendant does not commit any crime during the next four years; that he obey the directions from the Probation service and abstain from drugs.

IRISH language groups are hoping the use of cuplá focal will boost business and encourage cultural tourism in Ennis. The objectives have been set out as part of Inis Dom, a new marketing and promotion campaign that will be launched in the Temple Gate hotel on Thursday night (8pm).

The initiative has been organised by An Clár as Gaeilge Teo, Glor na nGael Inis and Conradh na Gaeilge with the assistance of Foras na Gaeilge, Comhairle Baile na hInse, Ennis Chamber and Ennis Town Council.

As part of the campaign, businesses will receive information on the advantages of marketing through Irish along with Irish in-house promotional and advertising material. Local groups involved in the promotion of Irish will also provide support and ongoing advice while helping businesses identify promotional opportunities.

Inis Dom will build on Gnó Means Business, a special branding campaign that aims to facilitate the practical use of Irish within the business sector.

Research on the links between Irish and business promotion was carried out over the past 12 months while 1,000 leaflets outlining the initiative were delivered to businesses in the past seven days

Domhnall O Loinsigh, secretary of An Clár as Gaeilge Teo, explained, “We are focusing on traders to show how Irish can be attractive as a mar- keting tool and it will cost businesses nothing to take part”.

He added, “We’re trying to raise the profile of the town as a cultural shopping destination. If we can do that, this will raise the profile of Ennis as a centre of excellence in promotion of traditional culture.”

Mr O Loinsigh said, “Hopefully traders will benefit from the increased focus on Ennis as a shopping destination”.

The new marketing campaign follows the work of An Clár as Gaeilge Teo. Established in 2002, the group has promoted Irish in Ennis and throughout the county.

Ennis has won the Glór an nGael National award on four occasions and the ‘Tidy Towns le Gaeilge’ twice. According to Mr O Loinsigh, the long-term aim is to introduce the Inis Dom concept across all sectors of the local economy.

“We’re very much thinking of the future with this. The better response we get, the more we’ll provide,” he added.

A NEW people’s think-tank has been set up in north Clare with the purpose of pooling ideas and reinventing a future for the people of the Burren.

The first Mind Meitheal, as it is known, will take place at the Kilnaboy X-PO this Wednesday, with local people invited to come and share ideas or to simply listen.

Unlike other think-tanks, the Mind Meitheal is open to all local people and a particular emphasis has been placed on attracting young people and Burren farmers.

The think-tank has been set up by local artist Deirdre O’Mahony, who reopened the Kilnaboy Post Office as a community space known as the X-PO in 2007.

“We have such a mixed group of people using the X-PO, because of all the different groups involved, so we have already been hearing the mixing of ideas here.

“There are lots of different ways of generating ideas. Obviously, places like universities are good for things like that but I feel that somewhere like the X-PO is an ideal place for people who might not always feel comfortable sharing their ideas to get involved,” said Deirdre.

“It is a small and informal place and I think there won’t be as much of a reluctance for people to put forward some strange and unusual ideas. We are really looking for people like farmers, for blow-ins and locals, but I suppose the one group who we really want to come are the young people of the Burren.

“Common Agriculture Funding (CAP) is going to change in 2013 – how are we going to be able to imagine the future of the Burren, its people and its landscape after that?

“How are we going to find these young people with a future? Because it is not going to be like the farming that we have in the Burren now.”

The first Burren Mind Meitheal will take place at the X-PO in Kilnaboy this Wednesday, October 19, from 8pm and will continue on a monthly basis after that.

The Mind Meitheal is one of a number of new events which have been launched at the X-PO this October.

“The X-PO is open to absolutely everybody and we are very interested in anyone coming along and getting involved.

“We have a number of different clubs here already and more people are always welcome to the clubs or to set up something for themselves,” continued Deirdre.

For more information, email xpo. community@gmail.com

A FUNDRAISER to help pay the remaining costs for the renovation and extension of Quin Community Centre will take place on Saturday night.

A traditional music concert, featuring a blend of local and national musicians, will take centre stage at Quin Community Centre at 8pm on Saturday.

Among those due to perform include Mary Liddy’s Music School, Karen McMahon, Fergal Breen, the Maher School of Dancing, Frank Custy, Flan Murtagh and Pat O’Loughlin, along with Quin’s Young Talent.

The major renovation and extension project of the community hall has been completed, to the tune of around € 500,000. While around two-thirds of this was provided in funding, local fundraising was required for the remainder. Most of this has been raised and the debt has been reduced to single digit thousands, according to the treasurer Daire Ó Criodain. “The operational revenue should run ahead of the operational outgoings, but just to accelerate it, this is being organised,” he said. “It is a combination of local talent and Munster and All-Ireland traditional musicians.”

Since the work on the project was completed, the centre has been a hive of activity with several groups holding meetings both during the day and in the evenings. “As a physical space, it is top class,” he added.

Admission for Saturday’s concert is € 7.

INCIDENTS of anti-social behaviour at an Ennis playground have “settled down considerably” since the introduction of CCTV, a meeting has heard.

There was praise for the set of measures implemented this year at a € 240,000 children’s playground in Tim Smythe Park at yesterday’s meeting of the Ennis Joint Policing Committee.

The playground was the focus of incidents of anti-social behaviour when it opened earlier this year.

Reports of vandalism, bullying and intimidation led to calls for improved security measures including CCTV and fencing.

Residents in the area also expressed concern over the high number of cars parking in the area when the playground opened.

Town Manager Ger Dollard told yesterday’s meeting at Waterpark House, Ennis, that the playground is now “operating to a standard that we would accept”.

Praising the impact of the new CCTV system, double yellow lines and pedestrian crossing, Mr Dollard described the overall development of the playground as a “success story”.

Welcoming the report, Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said the playground at Tim Smythe Park is a “world-class facility”.

He said that he acknowledged that initial concerns have now been addressed. He said that anti-social behaviour had “settled down considerably”.

Cllr Mary Coote Ryan (FG) said residents had been “very concerned in the early days” but are now happy that the problems had been addressed.

Mr Dollard told the meeting that good progress had been made over the past 12 months in the area of pedestrian crossings.

He said crossings are now in place at the Maid of Eireann, Tim Smythe Park and Ennis Golf Club while further work is expected at a number of sites around the town.

He also appealed for people using the Western Relief Road in Ennis to jog on the footpath. Mr Dollard said there had been reports of joggers jogging on the road at night.

He said that in the interests of safety, people should use the footpath and also wear appropriate clothing.