Category: News

LIFTING A car off the ground is little more than a dream for most people, but a Sixmilebridge man does it at ease.

37-year-old Tom Cusack is reflecting on his recent powerlifting world title, at his home at Ballylidane, Sixmilebridge, and demonstrates the skills that have propelled him to the top of the world.

Tom, who weighs in at 12 stone and four pounds – which is relatively modest for a powerlifter – lifts up a Volkswagen Golf which is parked in his driveway, before dropping it, all at relative ease. He puts it all down to a combination of his healthy lifestyle and tremendous willpower.

“I like to keep myself fit. You have to be fit and lean in powerlifting,” he says.

“I have great willpower. I never give in. I feel tired sometimes but I don’t give in. You get nothing from being lazy and not getting up off the couch,” he adds.

“When I make up my mind about something, that’s it,” he says.

His recent success did not come about overnight; rather it was through several years of dedication.

“I was always into weights. When I was 11 or 12 years of age, I was fierce strong. At 14 years of age, I was 13 stone. When I was about 17, I saw Gerry O’Connell from Crusheen, who is retired from powerlifting, in the paper. I got his number and got in contact with him,” he says.

“I didn’t play much sport when I was younger. All I liked was weights. I liked the Incredible Hulk. I was always interested in being strong and healthy. Arnold Schwarzenegger was always an inspiration to me,” he says.

“At 10 or 11, I started training by swinging a crowbar. I did it for a half hour in the morning before school and for another half hour in the evening. At the age of 14, I got my first 50 kilo dumbbell set. I was fierce strong. I was doing the weights on my own. I loved building up the strength and doing muscle exercises,” he says.

Over the years, he progressed from enjoying it as a hobby to taking part in competitive events, winning a hand ful of All-Irelands in recent years and a European title last year. The World Drug Free Powerlifting Association was set up about 10 years ago and Tom started taking part in some of their competitions, which culminated in him winning the title in the 82.5 kilo dead weight lift in Chicago last month.

Dedication is at the centre of his efforts and last year Tom set up his own gym on the grounds of his home at Ballylidane, Sixmilebridge, where he trains several times a week. His motivation is immense and he trains by himself.

He also credits his mum Ita with much of his success. “She is a very strong woman. She was my training partner for 10 years,” he says. While weightlifting forms a central part of his training – lifting up to 40 stone in weight on a regular basis – he also runs, clocking up around 13 miles every week.

“I am ambitious in everything that I do. Hopefully I will be world cham- pion when I am 90 years of age. A 65-year-old American came second to me in Chicago. There are lots of people in their 70s and 80s competing and breaking world records,” he says.

But it has not all been plain sailing for Tom. Five years ago he got ME and this set him back in his powerlifting ambitions.

“I got ME at 32. I lost my health. I put on two or three stone weight. I was burnt out. I couldn’t exercise. I used to work about 80 hours a week in my nursery (Hill View Nursery) for five to 10 years. That’s how I burnt myself out. Thankfully I got my health back a year ago and I came back better. Now I just work 40 hours a week and I relax,” he says.

Now that he is back to full fitness and with one world title under his belt, Tom is very much geared towards the future and has his eye on securing another world title in France next year.

“Hopefully I will defend my title next year,” he says.

Long-term plans are also on his mind and he has his sights set on taking part in strongman events next year, which he compares to “lifting a car”.

“I am going to compete for Ireland’s strongest man. I’m going to demonstrate you don’t have to be a 350 pound man to win it. I’ll demonstrate that a 170 pound man can do it. I can lift cars and carry 40 stone the length of a sports field on my back. I can lift a 200 pound steel log over my head. It’s all strong man events I will be doing after France,” he says.

“What motives me is I am going to demonstrate to the people of Clare how strong I am. I will never work 80 hours a week again. I am now more relaxed about life,” he says.

He believes that further successes will be achieved as long as he mingles his dedication and determination with his healthy lifestyle.

“The key to success is being natural, fit and healthy and having a high protein diet. Every day I eat a tonne of pasta and fish. That’s where I get my strength from. I don’t believe in supplements. I eat fresh fruit and vegetables every day. I drink six pints of water a day. I don’t drink or smoke. It stands to you in old age,” he says.

“If you life a healthy life you can break records at the age of 80. That’s what I will be doing hopefully,” he says.

TWO young people had a lucky escape on Sunday evening when both ended up in the water in Killaloe.

The Killaloe Coast Guard and the Shannon-based coast guard helicopter were put on high alert after a report that a man in his early twenties was in difficulty in the water south of Killaloe Bridge on Sunday. The young adult was fully clothed and his girlfriend was also in the water, having gone in to try to help him.

When Killaloe Coast Guard arrived at Ballina slip, the two young adults had made their way to safety. The two were taken home and the Killaloe Coast Guard rescue boat ‘Dalton’ returned to base. The Shannon-based coast guard helicopter was also stood down.

The coast guard has had a run of busy weekends as the holiday season gets in full swing and with the August bank holiday promised to be hot, they are expecting large crowds to come to enjoy the lakeside sports and amenities.

A spokesman for the coast guard reminded people planning a weekend of water sports to be responsible and take precautions.

“If you’re taking a boat out, always tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to be back and make sure everyone on board is wearing a lifejacket.”

THERE has been a positive response to a new countywide volunteer discount card with 160 Clare businesses so far signing up to support the scheme.

The Clare Volunteer Centre launched their volunteer discount card in January 2011 with the support of the Ennis Chamber of Commerce, Clare County Council, Ennis Town Council and the Clare Local Development Company.

The card has been created to allow volunteers access to a range of discounts and special offers from businesses around the county for 2011, The European Year of the Volunteer. 160 businesses around Clare are taking part in the scheme with 2,000 cards being issued so far.

Businesses who are involved are listed on the booklet accompanying the card and also on the website.

The Clare Volunteer Centre launched the scheme in partnership with Clare businesses in order to recognize the work of the county’s voluntary sector.

Last year, 256 people registered with the centre, an increase of 25 per cent from 2009, bringing the total number of volunteers registered at the centre to 496.

Sharon Meaney, CVC Development Co-ordinator, explained. “Acknowledging volunteers is just one method among many for businesses to become involved in their communities. Community involvement benefits not only the local community but can boost business itself.”

She continued, “The discount amount is at the discretion of the business with most giving 10 per cent. Kilrush, in particular, have seen an immense positive reaction to the card. It is seen to be building a great relationship between the community and businesses.”

Ms Meaney said, “Volunteers, now more than ever, are the backbone of many communities throughout the county. It is an ideal time, being European Year of the Volunteer, for your business to join with the community and say thank you to the volunteers who work tirelessly, giving their time, skills, experience and energy freely.”

The Clare Volunteer Centre is part of the national network of volunteer centres, supported by Volunteer Centres Ireland.

The Clare Volunteer Centre opened its doors in Ennis in 2008. Businesses interested in taking part in the scheme can contact Ennis Chamber of Commerce.

CLARE small businesses and sole traders are jumping at a chance to get their services and products on the web for next to nothing.

A course in getting a business website up and running, which the Clare County Enterprise Board intended to run for one session, has exploded in popularity with the board having had to put on eight courses and counting.

The course, sponsored by Google, web hosts Black Knight and the Enterprise Boards gets a business or any self-employed person online with their own website in just three hours of intensive work. And it costs just € 25, a fraction of the amount that a struggling business would normally have to shell out.

The scheme was set up in the wake of a study which showed that only about half of small Irish businesses have their own websites. And the chance to have a presence online is proving far more popular in Clare than in other counties involved in the nationwde scheme, according to CCEB business advisor, Lucy Reidy.

“It has really taken off. We thought we might have had interest from seven or eight small businesses or individuals but instead we’ve had 80 sign up so far and requests for places on the course are still coming in, and that’s without even adverstising it,” Lucy told The Clare People .

“From our contact with other Enterprise Boards who are running the scheme, the takeup elsewhere isn’t anything like we’ve seen in Clare.”

The course involves three hours of intensive tuition and work with train- ers. The instructors contact course particpants in advance to have them gather up pictures, prepare descriptions of the business and any other relevant information which might be needed for the site.

“After the three-hour course, people go home with their website up and running and enough tuition to make changes to it themselves. The course is open to all professionals, whether they are in retail engineering, solicitors, catering, all fields. The only restriction is that to have a ‘.ie’ site you have to be a registered company, but people don’t have to be registered to have a ‘.eu’ or ‘.com’ site,” Lucy explained.

She added that the CCEB will continue to provide the courses for “as long as people want to do them and all partcipants have to pay is the € 25 to cover things like hiring costs.”

The next course is being run on August 31 and there are still some places available.

Anyone interested can apply online through the Enterprise Board’s website or ring for information on 065 6841922.

A CLARE company has secured two extremely lucrative new outlets for its products, one being Berlin’s answer to Harrods and the other the flagship store and mail-order lists of a top US speciality foodstore, worldwide.

The Burren Smokehouse secured a listing and got their first order this week for a selection of 11 different products with KaDeWe, one of mainland Europe’s largest department store.

The Clare company is now supplying the only Irish food products in the store.

Meanwhile, the final touches are being put to having the company’s products on sale through the mailing list and in the main New York store of a major US speciality food supplier.

“We’re delighted with both of the listings, I can’t say yet who the US supplier is yet, but there are 35,000 customers a week through their store alone and that’s not even taking account of the mail order opportunity. We are hoping to get our first order from them in September,” said Smokehouse founder, Birgitta Hedin-Curtin.

Bord Bia offices in Germany and in Dublin and the Bord Bia / Smurfit Business School Fellowship students in Germany were all involved in getting the Clare fish products on the shelves in Berlin.

“KaDeWe is a historical department store and is in existance for over 100 years. It first opened 1907. Each day up to 180,000 customers from around the world are welcomed in by the 2,000 KaDeWe staff.

Now our products will feature in its world-famous gourmet department on the sixth floor. This is Berlin’s premium department store,” said Birgitta.

Burren Smokehouse attended and exhibited at the the US listing company after they exhibited at the Fancy Food Fair in Washington DC last week. The event showcased 180,000 speciality products, with 2,400 exhibitors, with more than 80 countries represented.

“The wide and varied ethnic diversity of the US means that food culture and taste trends are very dynamic in this, the largest grocery market in the world,” said Birgitta.

Helping the smokhouse products get through the door of the US deli was the Bord Bia New York office headed by Karen Coyle.

The Burren Smokehouse exhibited with their importer and distributor, Food Ireland Inc owned by Irishman Pat Coleman.

“Pat has Clare family connections so it was great to have him with us,” said Birgitta.

It is too early, Birgitta said, to assess what will come of the company’s exposure in the new market, but, she added, the Burren company will be making the most of the opportunity.

JUDGEMENT day for the Burren’s bid to become one of Europe’s official Geoparks arrives next week as two Geopark evaluators visit the area.

The evaluators, who represents Geoparks in Germany and Sicily, will spends three days in the Burren judging how tourism is operated in the area before coming to a decision on whether the area will be granted membership to the European Geopark Network. Geopark membership would mean a substantial increase in the number of tourists visiting the Burren each year and it is hope that it could provide a kick-start to a number of new eco-tourism ventures which have been launched in North Clare over the past two years.

It is hoped that an increase in ecotourism, prompted by gaining Geopark status, would lead to a sharp increase in the revenue gained by local people, with eco-tourists likely to spend a number of days in the area, rather than bussing through and staying in Galway or Limerick.

While a final decision on the Burren’s bid will not be announced until September of this year, next weeks visit will go a long way to deciding what that decision will be.

“At the moment there are 45 different Geoparks around Europe and the vast majority of them are in places that we are targeting for tourists. People recognise the Geopark name in Europe and this will help attract more tourist to the Burren,” said Ronan Hennessy of the Burren Connect Project.

“It is about the type of tourists that we are going to attract; when people see the Geopark symbol it will let them know that there is more here to explore. It’s about adding value for the local people and encouraging people to stay in the area for a number of days and not move on to Galway or Limerick.”

Next Tuesday, August 2, a group of local stakeholders will meet with the delegation to try and convince them of the Burren’s suitability.

“We have organised an event at the Burren Outdoor Education Centre which will see more that 30 people from the local tourism sector and other relevant parties meet the delegation from the two Geoparks,” continued Ronan. “The European Geopark Network is a self governing body and it’s up to its own member to decide whether a new area should be given Geopark status and whether existing members deserve to keep their status.”

THE success of the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) was again evident when another Ennis batch of mature students and graduates from the county capital’s Adult and Community Education Centre received certificates.

While adult education plays a key role in learners’ self-development, it also has another strong tradition, pointed out speakers from County Clare Vocational Education Committee at the celebratory event in Cois na hAbhna. The presentations were made by Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG), standing in for the committee chair- man, Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind).

Through the VTOS learning process students are enabled to create their own knowledge which in turn brings about change not just in the lives of the learners but also the communities in which they live and the wider society, it was pointed out.

The chief executive officer of the committee, George O’Callaghan, said that once students became critically aware of certain aspects of the education system they could take action to bring about change. It was no coincidence, therefore, that many former and current students of VTOS throughout the county were engaged in such activities as after-school homework clubs, voluntary tutoring in literacy and numeracy and in community groups. The Further Education and Training Awards Council of Ireland (FETAC), which certifies VTOS courses, is now an integrated part of the qualifications framework recognised in most other countries. One of the things it facilitates is starting at any point of the programme to obtain other certificates.

The most recent course participants in Ennis, in all 71 of them, were complimented by the programme co-ordinator, Helen O’Sullivan, on managing time away from their other responsibilities to devote to further study and learning. She praised them for their dedication and hard work under a brilliant set of teachers who in turn were greatly assisted by the administrative staff of the vocational education committee and the support staff in the centre.

“Those who are receiving certificates today can face the future with greater confidence,” she added. “Many of you returned to formal education after a long break, often spanning decades, and through hard work and perseverance you have achieved success. Many of you have continued with your studies, more have gone on to employment while others are still searching.

“Participation in the VTOS pro- gramme means embracing much more than vocational training. Students of this programme have commented that it is not just about certification; it is about the lifelong friendships that are made and fostered; it is also about the confidencebuilding and bringing out of skills and talent that have lain dormant for years or never tapped into before. In truth, for many it is a programme of discovery.

“We are pleased to acknowledge the achievements of all who are involved in today’s ceremony and wish all our students and graduates continued success on their path of lifelong learning,” she concluded.

A BARRISTER yesterday told a court that a 22-year-old Kilrush man developed an addiction to heroin while in prison, having been drug-free prior to his admission.

The statement was made at Ennis Circuit Court, in the case of Eamon Hall (22), of Wood Road, Kilrush. He admitted burgling a house in Kilrush in May 2010 and a shop in the town in October 2010.

Garda Donal Corkery told Ennis Circuit Court yesterday that in the October incident, property and cash valued at more than € 10,000 was taken (including cigarettes, clothing and cash), while € 750 damage was caused to the premises.

The court heard the shop was ransacked.

In the other incident, two people were seen running away after a man heard noise in the bathroom of his home in the early hours of the morning. The other individual, a juvenile, has since been dealt with by the courts, the court was told.

The keys to the man’s premises were stolen from his home, which the defendant told gardaí he threw away. He told gardaí he was looking for money in the house.

The court heard at the time, Hall, who has more than 20 previous convictions, had a “chronic drug problem”.

His barrister Yvonne Quinn (instruct- ed by Eugene O’Kelly solicitor) said that he made “full and frank admissions” to gardaí. She said he had been drinking and was on drugs at the time.

She told the court that her client was jailed in 2009 and while in prison he developed an addiction to heroin.

“Prior to going to prison he was drug free. When he was released he was a heroin addict,” she said.

Gda Corkery replied, “He became addicted to heroin in the past two years.”

However, he added that he was not aware of where the addiction was born.

Ms Quinn added, “Drink and an addiction to drugs were the sole motivation behind these crimes. . .

“The sole motivation was a desire to obtain money to feed his drug addiction and his alcohol addiction. He realises they are the root of his difficulties.”

She said that her client’s life began to “spiral out of control” when his addiction developed, but added that he is now drug free, having undergone counselling.

Judge Carroll Moran said he accepted that the offences were committed to feed an addiction and that the accused is now off drugs.

He added, “He pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. Without his admissions there would not be any case against him as a matter of probability.”

He imposed a three-year jail sentence suspended for four years and bound him to the peace.

A TEENAGE boy falsely imprisoned his mother and sister and assaulted his mother in their own home, a court has heard.

Counsel for the State, Stephen Coughlan told Ennis Circuit Court yesterday that gardaí were called to the accused’s home in Ennis at 10.30pm on July 29, 2009.

He said that the boy – who was then aged 15 – was being restrained by his mother in a bedroom of the house. Five knives were removed from the scene, which, he said the accused had discarded during the incident.

“The accused came into the bedroom of his mother while she and her daughter were getting ready for bed. He produced five knives and threatened to kill his mother and subjected his sister to urinate into a rubbish bin,” said Mr Coughlan.

Arising out of the incident, the boy’s mother sustained a laceration to her finger and received treatment in hospital.

He said that earlier that day, the mother had disapproved of her son visiting patients in the acute unit of a hospital and had also refused to al- low him to use the internet.

“He admitted threatening to kill his mother and intimidating his mother and sister and causing his sister to urinate in a rubbish bin and cutting his mother’s hand with a knife,” said Mr Coughlan.

He told the court that the boy did not have contact with his father for some years and had a “good relationship with his mother”.

The court heard that the boy’s mother and sister did not wish to give evidence.

Defence Counsel Pat Whyms said that the boy has since undertaken an intensive programme which included counselling. The facilitator of the programme he has engaged in told the court that the accused was admitted towards the end of 2009. “He would have presented quite a fragile young man, quite distressed in himself, quite guarded,” she said.

She said he has fully co-operated with the programme and contact has been rebuilt between the boy and his mother.

Judge Carroll Moran ordered that the boy committed to keeping the peace and be of good behaviour for a period of three years.

WORK ON A 22-unit housing development in Shannon which has raised concerns among locals is to resume this week, after a new contractor was appointed.

Clare County Council has entered into an agreement with Atlantic Developments Ltd. to complete the affordable homes at Glaisse na Rinne.

The scheme started in 2009 and came to a standstill in August 2010. The council terminated the contract with the original builders and the work has been at a standstill since then. The work is expected to be completed within 16 weeks.

While it is expected to assist in reducing housing waiting lists in Shannon, residents living in the nearby Cluain Airne estate say they want a number of issues clarified.

“While it is great that we can get it finished, we are still unclear about the new legislation by Minister Willie Penrose that the affordable scheme is gone. When these 22 are finished as affordable, our problem is if the next phase goes ahead, will they be social? Do they still go ahead as affordable or do they have to reapply under social?” said the secretary of the Concerned Residents of Cluain Airne group, Nicole Murphy.

“Do they still go ahead or do they have to reapply under social? We were objecting completely to the houses from day one because of where they were built and if they were social houses we were objecting. We were promised it was going to be affordable,” said Ms Murphy.

“There may be a start date but what is the actual story on these houses?” she asked.

“We want to know if parking has been allocated for the residents of Cluain Airne as parking was promised. Also the last bit of the green area needs to be restored. We want it done as soon as possible. We want a guarantee. We don’t want social housing down there, not when affordable were agreed to,” she added.

Since the concerned residents group was set up in 2007, they repeatedly stated that they did not want the houses built in the area and argued that there was inadequate infrastructure in the area to cope with the new houses. Residents also expressed concerns over the closure of the right of way.

Meanwhile, Shannon councillor Patricia McCarthy (Independent), paid tribute to the existing residents of the area who she said “have had to endure living beside a development site and the consequent inconvenience for much longer than they had ever anticipated”.

Cllr McCarthy is one of a number of elected representatives in the town who raised the issue since the project came to a standstill last year.