Category: News

AT LEAST one major German tour operator has already signed up to bring a group of eco-tourists to north Clare following the launch of the Burren Eco-tourism Network last week.

The network, which was officially launched by celebrity chef Darina Allen last Thursday, aims to get the tourist community in north Clare working together to offer a more sustainable tourist product to visitors.

The Burren region is now just the second location in Ireland to be granted eco-tourism status by Ecotourism Ireland. Eco-tourism works by offering tourists a more personal and sustainable experience of a location, encouraging smaller scale tours to take more time in an area and in this way gives more benefit to the local economy while reducing any damage to the local environment.

“I’ve already had an enquiry from one major tourist operator in Germany who was looking to organise an eight-day tour around Ireland and to stay in four or five locations. After explaining the concept of eco-tourism and what we had to offer this operator was happy to spend that eightday tour around just two eco-tourism sites in Ireland,” said Edel Hayes of the Burren Connect Project.

“That means that people stay in the area for longer, they have a better experience and the contribute more to the local economy and the local tourist sector while they are here.”

At least one other location in Clare is currently working towards ecotourism status and hopes are high that the county could become the eco-tourism capital of Ireland.

“The people in the network have benefited greatly from getting to know each other and exchanging ideas about how each of them runs their operation but they have also benefited from the knowledge that they have learned from the process of gaining their eco-tourism certificates,” continued Edel.

“We already know of another network who are currently coming together in Clare and are hoping to follow in out footsteps and be accredited by Eco-tourism Ireland. So we are hoping that other networks can come together in Clare and indeed across Ireland and work together.”

More than 20 north Clare businesses have been awarded certificates from Eco-tourism Ireland. The Burren Eco-tourism Network has received support from Clare County Council, Clare Local Development Company, Shannon Development and Fáilte Ireland over the past two years.

COUNCILLORS in Ennis have delayed making a decision on new casual trading byelaws after opposition emerged to a proposal to tow away cars parked in trading bays in the market area of the town.

Under the draft byelaws, it had been proposed to introduce a tow away system for the removal of vehicles in trading bays on casual trading days.

However when the matter was raised at yesterday’s monthly meeting of Ennis Town Council, councillors warned that motorists would be unfairly penalised if the system was introduced.

Describing it as a “very extreme proposal”, Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said the system to tow away cars could discourage people from coming to Ennis.

Cllr Mary Howard (FG) said the council would be taking a “retrograde step” if it started to tow away cars, particularly in cases where pub-goers are choosing to leave their cars in the town centre overnight.

Cllr Peter Considine (FF) said he had “serious concerns” over the proposal and added that clear and visible signage would be essential if the amendment to the byelaws was enacted.

Mayor of Ennis Cllr Brennan (Ind) said that he was against towing with Cllr Flynn urging the council not to take a “sledgehammer approach” to enforcing byelaws.

Town clerk Eddie Power defended the proposal saying that the system would be used “sparingly”.

He said towing would be necessary to ensure that trading bays are available to traders on trading days, particularly when traders pay an annual license fee.

“Traders need reassurance that they can trade on the day and that bays will be available to them,” he added.

Mr Power, who also confirmed that towing would be carried out by a private company, said that if the council was serious about redevel- oping the market then a “regime had to be put in place that allows trading to take place”.

Town Manager Ger Dollard said that he understood concerns about the proposal but that cars would only be towed away as a “last resort”.

Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) supported the towing policy, saying it was necessary to effectively ensure trading in the market.

Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) strongly criticised the proposal, saying it sent out all the wrong signals about Ennis.

Councillors agreed to defer the matter until next month’s meeting.

Councillors also rejected a proposal to restrict the sale of Christ- mas trees to the Island car park in Cloughleigh.

The new byelaws provide for a new system of payment of the annual license fee and the change in orientation of the market’s 53 stalls. A special event license and fee will also be introduced.

Among the other main amendments proposed for the draft byelaws are setting trading hours from 7am to 7pm, setting the maximum height of stalls to 2.4 metres, prohibiting the sale of alcohol, the removal of three casual trading bays in Summerhill and the restriction of trading at market place car park (bays 43 to 53 inclusive) to 2pm on Saturdays.

OFFICIALS from Ennis Town Council are to hold a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce with the aim of resolving parking issues in Ennis “once and for all”, Town Manager Ger Dollard has said.

Speaking at yesterday’s monthly meeting of Ennis Town Council, Mr Dollard said the meeting was being organised to address “actual or perceived problems” with parking in Ennis.

He said it was necessary to resolve the matter as ongoing criticism of parking policy in Ennis is doing a “great disservice” to the town.

Mr Dollard was speaking during a lengthy debate on new parking byelaws for Ennis, which heard calls for parking concessions to be given to Health Services Executive (HSE) workers in Ennis.

HSE staff have requested parking permits from the council, claiming the reduction in maximum stay car parks from three hours to two hours “would greatly inconvenience staff and patients accessing services at Francis Street and Bindon Street clinics.

Mr Dollard said that any decision to grant preferential treatment to one particular group in Ennis would, in his view, “be inappropriate and pos- sibly illegal”.

Mr Dollard said members of the executive would “strongly advise” against councillors amending the council’s draft parking byelaws to allow for the granting of parking permits to HSE workers.

Mr Dollard said that councillors had been informed of proposed changes to the council’s parking permits policy last November.

This was disputed by councillors who claimed that they had not been made aware that the changes would affect frontline HSE workers.

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said that a concession for HSE workers had been in place since 1996.

Cllr Paul O’Shea (Lab) said the council should be working to support people who are working with the most vulnerable people in society.

The Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind), told the meeting that it would be easy for councillors to act in what he called a “populist” fashion to try and secure parking concession for different groups in Ennis.

Cllr Brennan said the issue of parking concessions had been discussed last year during the council’s discussions on the preparation of the 2011 budget.

He asked that if concessions are introduced, “where do we get the money to balance the budget”.

However Cllr Brennan said that solution could be found if council officials entered discussions with the HSE.

Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) said the workers are not “looking for a free pass” and are willing to pay for parking.

He urged the council to deal with cars owned by HSE workers in the same way they deal with ambulances and cars owned by doctors.

Mr Dollard said he would meet with the HSE prior to next month’s council meeting. The byelaws were subsequently passed.

THE Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Tommy Brennan, has called on the incoming Government to make good on promises to upgrade the sewage treatment network in Ennis.

Plans to upgrade wastewater treatment plants in Ennis were first announced in 1995 but the project suffered a major setback in 2001 when the Department of the Environment refused funding.

Gerry O’Donnell of Clare County Council’s water services section, told the meeting that the council is currently working on an overall strategy for the waste water treatment infrastructure in Ennis.

He said that while previous plans had been drawn up, the new strategy had to take into account the “raft of environmental legislation” that has been published in recent years.

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said that the Clondroadmore project opens up the potential for commercial and residential development in Ennis.

Cllr Brennan (Ind) said that Clondroadmore formed part of the overall strategy and that the incoming Government had given funding commitments to the council.

In supporting the upgrade to Clonroadmore, Cllr Brennan called on the council to seek funding for the overall wastewater network scheme.

Cllr Neylon was skeptical about the project, describing it as a sticking plaster and claiming councillors will still be talking about in “30 years time”.

“We might never get the chance again. The plug was pulled in 2001. We’ve said it before, but if an industrialist were to come to town we would have to refuse planning because we don’t have capacity,” he added.

The council intends to upgrade the existing waste water treatment facility at Clonroadmore. The current design capacity of the treatment plant is 17,000 pe. According to Town Manager Ger Dollard, the proposal will allow for a design capacity of 30,150 pe. The project will improve stormwater capacity and treatment at the plant as well as increasing the plant’s hydraulic capacity.

AROUND 50 groups are expected to participate in this year’s St Patrick’s Day parade in Ennis.

The announcement was made yesterday by town clerk Eddie Power who said that currently 30 groups had registered to take part in the parade on Thursday, March 17.

Mr Power told yesterday’s Ennis Municipal Policy Committee (MPC) meeting that more community groups and associations are expected to sign up in the coming days.

Mr Power said the parade offered the perfect opportunity to promote the vibrant and active community that existed in Ennis.

The parade will commence at 11am on March 17 from the Courthouse in Ennis and follow a route along Newbridge Road, to Abbey Street, O’Connell Square, O’Connell Street and to terminate in the Market.

The organising of the parade is well underway at this stage. Community groups and associations are preparing for what has become a significant community event in the local calen- dar.

Mr Power added that the parade would last for roughly an hour.

MPC chairman Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said that St Patrick’s had assumed greater significance for many famillies due to the high number of young people being forced to emigrate to look for employment.

He described the multicultural aspect of the Ennis parade as “extraordinary”.

Cllr Paul O’Shea (Lab) praised the work of the Ennis St Patrick’s Day committee but added that there was “room for improvement”.

He urged the council to consider inviting groups from England, Australia and American to perform at next year’s parade.

Mr Power said that a delegation from the German town of Langenfeld had attended last year’s parade in Ennis.

Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) said there was a cost factor associated with inviting groups from abroad to perform at the event.

“They don’t come on a volountary basis,” he added.

CLARE can become the nationwide leader in fighting the recession, thanks to a new initiative being launched this week to make the county capital Ennis the friendliest town in Ireland.

The Ennis Development Forum and Ennis Chamber of Commerce is launching its ‘Create the Magic’ campaign this week, by bringing in international consultant Kathleen Sullivan, whose company KT Sullivan & Associates is based in Charleston, South Carolina that was voted America’s favourite city in 2010.

“Ms Sullivan lives between Charleston and Ennis,” says Aoife Madden of the Ennis Development Forum “and she has gladly come on board to give a seminar to Clare businesses this Thursday,” he adds.

“Her company focuses on inspired leadership and customer service excellence and we want to draft up a customer charter for Ennis business that can help them going forward and make Ennis the friendlies town in Ireland,” says Cllr Johnny Flynn, who is also one of the driving forces behind the forum.

“This is Ennis refusing to sit back,” says Aoife Madden. “We are watching other towns fall down around them and we’re not the worst in Ireland, because with the recession we’re six to 12 months behind other towns and a determined to fight the recession and the goal of the forum is that Clare will become the first county to come out of recession. We are determined to do that.”

Thursday’s seminar, which takes place in The Old Ground Hotel at 6.15pm follows on from the Business Forum held with the General Election candidates last month with the aim of retaining and creating jobs.

And, this interaction with public represenatives will be taken to the next stage when members of the Ennis Deveopment Forum meet with Clare’s newly elected TDs.

“The business community want to meet with them every three months that they are in office during the lifetime of the new government,” says Cllr Flynn, “to see what they’re doing for the town and the county.

The first meeting with Deputies Pat Breen, Joe Carey, Michael McNamara and Timmy Dooley is scheduled to take place on March 28.

AN ENNIS man has been brought before a special sitting of the district court on Sunday, charged with threatening to kill his ex-partner.

Michael McDonagh (20), of Ashline, Kilrush Road, Ennis, is facing three charges of threatening to kill or cause serious harm to his former girlfriend Amanda Malone.

It is alleged that he telephoned her last Friday, March 4, and that he sent her two text messages, containing threats, the following day.

Garda Marie Burke told the court that she charged the accused on Saturday evening. Free legal aid was granted by Judge Joseph Mangan, on foot of a request from defence solici- tor Daragh Hassett.

Mr Hassett told the court that his client “denies fully the allegations in this matter”.

Inspector Tom Kennedy said that gardaí were opposing bail and said gardaí were concerned for the safety of Ms Malone. “She was in a relationship with the defendant which has now broken down,” said Inspector Kennedy.

Gda Burke told the court: “According to her [Ms Malone], she received a phone call from Michael McDonagh in which he threatened to kill her, at 18.54 hours on March 4. Ms Malone alleged he asked her where she was and that he was going to kill her.”

Gda Burke said that Ms Malone made a complaint about this to gardaí. While the complainant was at Ennis Garda Station on Saturday, she received a text message which she said was from the accused.

The garda said that she spoke to the accused on Saturday afternoon in relation to the allegations. “When I alerted him to the allegations; once I told him I was arresting him, he took a mobile phone out of his pocket, snapped it in two and smashed it into a number of pieces,” said Gda Burke. She said that gardaí were unable to retrieve information from the broken phone.

Amanda Malone told the court that she had a child with the accused, but that the relationship has ended. She said the defendant phoned her last Friday evening and was “roaring” at her. She said he told her he was “going to get me”.

Mr Hassett put it to her: “You are not happy this relationship is over.” She replied: “I’m very happy.” The solicitor said: “You pleaded with Mr McDonagh to take you back into his life.” She denied this, adding: “I’m afraid of him.” Mr Hassett said: “You have been jilted and you have made all of this up.” She denied this.

Michael McDonagh told Judge Mangan that he did not phone or text Ms Malone, as had been claimed. He said that he met her on Friday and she asked him to get back with her, but he declined. The judge remanded the accused in custody to appear in court again later this week.

CLARE parents of all babies, from birth to 12 months, are being advised this week to give infants a daily vitamin D supplement to protect their growing bones.

This advice from the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and the Department of Health and Children is for both breastfed and formula fed children and should be given 5 micrograms of Vitamin D daily.

The health organisations have said that Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, is essential for healthy bones, but is present in very few foods.

Ireland’s northerly latitude and lack of winter sunlight means that Irish people can no longer make enough vitamin D in this way, according to the groups, so they are advising that it is added to infants food intake instead.

Severe and prolonged vitamin D deficiency can cause softening of the bones or bone deformities, known as rickets in children or osteomalacia in adults.

Less severe vitamin D deficiency also affects bone health, may increase the risk of osteoporosis, and some studies have also linked it to conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and diabetes.

“Babies need a daily supplement of vitamin D because their delicate skin cannot be safely exposed to the sun, and because their feeds or diet alone do not provide enough of this important vitamin to ensure healthy bone growth,” a HSE spokesperson said.

Rickets in children was known as a problem in Ireland up to the mid20th century, but due to better nutrition in our population over recent decades, it was thought to have been eradicated.

However, a number of cases of rickets have been seen in the country in recent years.

According to Dr Mary Flynn, Chief Specialist in Public Health Nutrition, FSAI, “the cases of rickets that we have seen are likely to be the tip of the iceberg, and indicate that there is a wider, undetected level of vitamin D deficiency in our population. There is growing evidence that this can increase the risk of conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis or diabetes.”

BRIAN Meaney is in line to become the next leader of the Green Party, following the party’s disastrous result in last week’s General Election.

The Clare county councillor, who was an unsuccessful candidate in Friday’s election, says that while he has no desire to be party leader it was the “likely outcome” following the collapse of the party.

Cllr Meaney was speaking after being eliminated following the seventh county of last week’s General Election.

“I am delighted to be a town councillor, I’m delighted to be a county councillor the only thing that I don’t want to be is the next leader of the Green Party – which a lot of people [in the Green Party] are saying is the likely outcome,” he said.

“There is going to be significant restructuring of the Greens. We need to rebuild the party right across the country but the future can only be brighter when you are down at the bottom.”

Cllr Meaney says that the Green Party has to regroup, both in Clare and nationally.

“The Greens have not gone away. This has not been a good day for the Greens but we need to dust ourselves off and start again,” he said.

“The Greens in Clare will have to regroup, as we will nationally. There are significant questions that we have to answer on an organisational level that we will have to address if we are to rebuild.

“I knew we were facing a significant challenge to hold onto any seat nationally. I knew I faced a difficult challenge locally here in Clare – the wind was blowing against the party and I don’t make populist decisions. Maybe there is an amount of political naivety there but that is how I do my business,” he said.

“I’m happy that I ran. I’m happy that I faced the people after being part of a very unpopular party in government who had to take some very difficult but necessary decisions.

“I have to make one thing clear, and that is the depth of sincerity that I have for the people who did vote for me and the people who gave me second and third preference, and the people who came out and canvassed with me. It was not an easy thing to do under the current circumstances.”

EAST Clare county councillor John Crowe (FG) is quietly confident that he will get the nomination to contest a seat in the Seanad later today (Tuesday).

The Fine Gael councillor said he was very interested in running again for the upper house of the Oireachtas as he came very close to success the last time around. With more Fine Gael elected representatives in the country than in 2007 and the wind at the party’s back following its most successful general election ever, the Sixmilebridge man is even more confident of success. The county councillor contested a seat in the Industrial and Commercial Panel in July 2007. His party colleague north Clare councillor Martin Conway has already secured a nomination to run for the Administrative panel, having dipped his feet in the Seanad election pool the last time around. Mayor of Shannon and General Election candidate Tony Mulcahy (FG) said he would take some time to consider his options. The county councillor, who received 6,829 first preference votes in Friday’s General Election, was among the highest Fine Gael pollers not to be elected in the country.

He told The Clare People that he would spend this week concentrating on his business, and then consider all of his political options next week.

Fianna Fáil councillor Pat Daly, who also contested the Seanad election in 2007, has firmly ruled himself out of the running. “If you want to go into the Seanad you are either a defeated TD or an outgoing senator to join that exclusive club,” he said.

Meanwhile as one Corofin man – Tony Killeen – comes to the end of his political career, this week another is now hoping to take part in national politics. Former INTO President and Corofin National School principal Declan Kelleher has announced his intention to run as an Independent candidate on the NUI University Panel for Seanad Eireann.

The principal of Scoil Mhuire Náisiúnta, Corofin, and INTO national executive council representative was well known for leading protests against large class sizes during his term as head of the teachers’ union. The school teacher will now begin a campaign in a bid to win the seat currently held by outgoing senator Joe O’Toole, a former general secretary of the INTO.

Mr Kelleher is well aware however of many political party policies to dissolve the Seanad, but he believes it needs serious reform.

“Nobody could be blamed for calling for the abolition of the Seanad in its present form as it has been hijacked by the political parties and used as a retirement home by them for many politicians down through the years. I believe that the entire political system needs to be examined, radically overhauled and slimmed down,” he said.

There are almost 2,000 registered NUI voters in Clare out of a national total of 133,000.