Category: News

AN inquest has heard how a man, who had been abused as a child by a priest, wrote ‘goodbye’ notes to his family before he took his own life at his west Clare home.

Peter McCloskey (37), a separated father-of-three, died at Moveen West, Kilkee, on Sunday, April 2 last.

Dr Deirdre Curtin, a counsellor, recalled, in her deposition, that Peter had been referred to her through the Rape Crisis Centre in January of this year. She met him weekly for counselling, over 11 weeks.

She received two text messages from Peter on the evening of April 1, 2006. One of those said, “Thanks for trying to help me. I have to leave you of our contract now. There is nothing more 2 do or say.”

The other message said, “Goodbye millie go Hopper. I have 2 endi.”

Dr Curtin was at a funeral and when she got the messages – which were sent within 100 minutes of each other – she rang Peter’s mobile and left voice messages for him.

“I was concerned for Peter’s safety. The two text messages had alarmed me,” she said.

She rang the psychiatric services in Limerick and then she recalled Peter saying that he liked Kilkee and maybe he was there.

She rang Kilkee garda station and was put through to Kilrush. She was told that two gardaí who were to liaise with Peter were both off duty.

She later spoke to a garda and asked him to check that Peter was okay, given his previous psychiatric history.

Dr Curtin received a phone call later from that garda, to say that Peter had died tragically while he was at home.

The inquest was told he had lived alone in the dormer style two storey house. He was found dead on his couch and a number of goodbye notes, addressed to various family members, were found near his body.

Coroner Isobel O’Dea said, “I’m mindful of the text messages sent by Mr McCloskey. I’m satisfied there was an intent by Mr McCloskey to end his life,” and returned a verdict of suicide.

SHANNON-based company Avocent International last year recorded a 20 per cent increase in profits according to its latest returns to the Companies Office.

According to the accounts, the US-owned company recorded an increase in profits from $29 million in 2004 to $35 million in 2005.

This is based on a turnover of $150 million, compared to $139 million in 2004 – an increase of 8.3 per cent.

Last year, the company paid a dividend of $92 million from accumulated profits with the dividend now leaving retained profits at $29 million.

The company stated that a further dividend of $4.9 million for 2005, “will be paid in September 2006”.

The company occupies the flagship Shannon Free Zone property formerly occupied by Tellabs.

The accounts show that a total of 210 Avocent employees were paid $13.16 million in wages in 2005. Eighty 80 are employed in sales, 55 in manufacturing, 36 to general and administration and 39 in research and development (R&D).

The accounts show that $19 million was spent on R&D – an increase of $5 million on the 2004 figure.

According to a statement with the company accounts, “the group’s performance during the year was very strong compared to the previous year.

“The group is principally engaged in the manufacture, distribution, sales and marketing and research and development of IT Solution products for the European, Middle/East, African and Asian markets.

“In 2005, the group continued to focus on research and development and to this end, it centralised the European R&D function in Shannon. The group’s function continues to concentrate on high growth opportunities, continually investing in product enhancement and improving manufacturing efficiencies.

According to Senior Vice-President Avocent Corporation and Managing Director of Avocent International, Kieran McSweeney, “Our reported revenue and profits for 2005 reflect the continuing success of our international business out of Shannon, which we are very pleased with. Avocent International employs 160 people in R&D, finance, HR, customer care, technical support, supply chain and sales and marketing functions.

THE country’s first ‘priest-less parish’ once more has its own parish priest after a gap of eight years.

The Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh has appointed Fr Michael Hogan as parish priest for KillanenaFlagmount.

Fr Hogan has been parish priest at Feakle and will now operate as parish priest to both parishes.

In July 1998, Dr Walsh came under fire from a number of parishioners after he announced that the outgoing parish priest, Fr John Slattery would not be replaced.

However, the ‘priestless parish’ of Killanena-Flagmount was soon touted as a model for Catholic Church structures in the new millennium.

Now, Dr Walsh has announced the return of a parish priest for Killanena-Flagmount, though he pointed out that Fr Hogan will not be living in the parish.

“Since the departure of the resident priest, the parish council at Killanena-Flagmount effectively took control of the running of the parish and that will continue.

“Fr Hogan will take responsibility for the direct pastoral care of the parishes and the parish council will retain responsibility for finance, buildings and so on.”

On Flagmount-Killanena becoming a priest-less parish in 1998, the old parish council, whose membership had remained unchanged since 1981, was dissolved.

In response, 102, or a fifth of the parish, applied for membership to the new 16-member Council.

“I am very keen that the parish council would continue in its work. The people of the area over the past number of years have responded very generously to the challenge.”

Dr Walsh said that the re-appointment of a parish priest “should not be seen as a step-backwards” in the Church identifying a new model in parish structures.

“Rather, it should be seen as how best the needs of both parishes can be met. The model in FlagmountKillanena allows Fr Hogan to focus completely on providing direct pastoral care.”

Pastoral council member, Mary McMahon told The Clare People yesterday: “We are delighted to have a parish priest once more. Fr Hogan is most welcome.

“He is very with it and very positive in his thinking.

“We have learned an awful lot over the past eight years. The many new things that we had to do without a priest were no big deal in the end and we got on with things.”

THE family of Peter McCloskey says it is still suffering as a result of his death, at his west Clare home eight months ago. In the aftermath of the inquest into his death, Peter’s brother Joseph said, “We are still suffering and are grieving at Peter’s loss. It is very difficult to come to terms with it.”

Mr McCloskey had started a course in Liberal Arts at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, just months before he took his own life.

He had recorded top marks during the first Semester of his course and his family were thrilled with this.

Just weeks before his death, Peter received a letter from Roger Downer, President of University of Limerick, congratulating him on his outstanding academic success in the autumn semester. Peter was awarded a QCA of 3.56 – the maximum is 4 – and he achieved A1 and A2 grades throughout.

He was poet of the week at The White House, Limerick on March 3 2006, with his poem, ‘Would You Like To Be At Sea Tonight?’.He was featured twice on the RTE Radio 1 Sunday morning programme, ‘Sunday Miscellany.’ He read ‘The Walking Machine’ and ‘Corner Boys’, on air.

His brother Joseph said the family was very proud of his achievements.

“We were enormously proud when Peter got a mature students place in Mary Immaculate College,” he added.

Joseph told The Clare People his parents Mary and Aidan are “devastated and grieving at Peter’s loss.”

Mr McCloskey separated from his wife Cathy and moved to west Clare in 2000. He lived there by himself until his death in April.

TRIGGS got her 15 minutes of fame in June of 2002. It was during that time that the golden retriever became the world’s most photographed dog as she walked beside her master, Roy Keane, himself recently returned from the World Cup in Japan.

Roy Keane’s long-standing commitment to the Irish Guidedogs for the Blind (IGDB) was continued on Monday when he featured in the launch of a new book alongside Ballyvaughan woman Emma StewartLiberty.

Written by Irish Examiner journalist, Caroline O’Doherty, Independence features 100 pen pictures of people involved in every aspect of the organisation.

From famous volunteers such as Keane, Sonia O’Sullivan and Ministers Mary Harney and Micheal Martin, to staff and volunteers such as Emma, Independence marks IGDB’s thirtieth anniversary with a unique insight into how the organisation works at every level.

After starting out breeding dogs for IGDB, Emma and her husband now help prepare young dogs through the process of dog walking.

“It is such a huge operation. There is so much more in it than most people would realise. The book has taken all aspects of guide dogs and written a small piece on each of these people,” she said.

“It is a huge thing. For the six weeks that we have the puppies, they are your life – end of story. You are with them 24/7.”

The dog-walking stage allows the dog to acclimatise to every possible situation that a seeing impaired or blind person might encounter. It helps to give the dog confidence before they start their intensive training in Cork.

“It’s a way of socialising the dogs, so that nothing surprises them,” continued Emma. “They need to be used to traffic, trains, public transport, everything. It is only when you start walking the dogs that you realise the breadth of what you have to do.”

Having lived in Ballyvaughan for the last nine years, Emma has adopted the tradition of naming one puppy in every litter after a place in Clare.

“In 2000, I got my puppy, who was a lovely dog called Quin, and he passed with flying colours. Each litter is assigned a letter of the alphabet and all the dogs names begin with that letter,” said Emma. “Normally I like to name one pup of the litter after a place in Clare, like Quin and Quilty, and another after a place in Donegal.

“You are totally heartbroken when they go but all you have to see is one working guide dog in action and it is all worth it.”

Independence is the central part of the IGDB’s fundraising efforts this Christmas and is available to buy online at www.guidedogs.ie or in bookshops nationwide.

THE Health Service Executive expects the first phase of the renovation project at the MidWestern Regional Hospital, Ennis to cost at least double the €20.8 million approved by the Government.

Consultants who carried out the cost benefit analysis on behalf of the HSE have estimated that the long awaited Phase 1A will cost up to €40 million.

The HSE called for the analysis of the cost of the project last August after it emerged that the first phase would cost in excess of €30 million. The increase in cost was a result of changes to hygiene and other requirements in hospitals.

Phase 1A of the project was also extended, adding to the expense, to include extra medical and surgical beds.

Minister Micheál Martin announced the funding for the hospital development as far back as 2002 when he was Minister for Health.

In 2004, Minister Mary Harney approved the funding and a design team was put in place. It was hoped that the hospital project would be at planning stage by last summer. One election on and the project has finally got the approval of the HSE to go to planning stage.

Minister for State Tony Killeen said the HSE approval was an obvious indication that there will be no scaling down of services at the General Hospital.

“Clearly the fact that the project has passed this analysis is very positive and it addresses many of the concerns raised in recent months. An expenditure of this level shows there is commitment to services additional to what are currently available,” he said.

THE death of Peter McCloskey took place just days after a mediation meeting between himself, representatives of the Clerical sex victims support group One In Four and church representatives.

He was abused while serving as an altar boy at the age of 10 in the Diocese of Limerick by Fr Denis Daly, a priest who had been run out of a parish in Sydney for a ‘moral lapse.’ He had served as a priest in Sydney in the 1950s and 1960s and was a supply priest in Caherdavin in 1981.

Following Peter’s death, a meeting between members of his family and representatives of the Limerick Diocese, including Bishop of Limerick Donal Murray, took place on April 23. The sides later issued a joint statement. It was agreed that the sides would “work together” on the issue. However, no further statements have been issued since then.

In the April statement, the Bishop acknowledged that he accepted the truth of Mr McCloskey’s experience of clerical child sexual abuse. He also acknowledged that there was a failure on the part of the diocese to inform itself as to Fr Daly’s suitability for the ministry.

The diocese accepted that the information available at that time should have prevented Fr Daly from taking up ministry in Limerick.

Peter’s mother Mary called on Dr Murray to resign as Bishop of Limerick over the way in which he and the diocese handled the case.

Peter had been locked in a four-year battle with the Diocese after responding to church calls in 2002 for priests’ victims to come forward and tell their stories. His search for the truth saw him visit Sydney in February 2004, where he demanded to see Fr Daly’s file.

OVER the next month, passers-by will notice a change at Lillis Travel in Kilrush. The long established travel agency will become a Falcon Travel partner and will be rebranded over the coming weeks to reflect this.

One of the longest established agents in the country, Lillis Travel was founded in 1917. Directors Brian Comerford and Marie Nolan lead a team of six experienced staff and will combine with the strength of Falcon Travel’s outstanding brand to continue to provide excellent quality of service and value for money.

Award-winning Lillis Travel has featured in the Travel Agent of the Year Awards and its co-Manager Lisa Walsh has also won a Travel Consultant of the Year Award. Affiliating with Falcon Travel increases the range of holiday destinations Lillis can offer from Shannon, and other Irish and UK airports.

Commenting on the link-up, Brian Comerford of Lillis Travel said they were delighted with the affiliation to Falcon and were proud to have the Falcon Travel sign at their premises.

“We feel that this move will consolidate our position and look forward to welcoming many more potential customers over the years.”

Falcon Managing Director Damien Mooney said they were delighted to sign up Lillis Travel as a Falcon affiliate and he looked forward to working with the Lillis team in delivering a top quality service to the Clare travelling public.

There are now 38 travel outlets around the country under the Falcon umbrella.

A CLARE businessman has told a conference on Radon that six out of eight houses that had been fitted with a radon barrier showed that the barrier had ruptured.

Anthony McLaughlin of the Clarecastlebased Radon Aware Group told the Galway conference that his company had developed a system to check for leaks after construction.

He was speaking just days after it was revealed that internationally, between six and 15 per cent of deaths from lung cancer could be attributed to exposure to Radon, with Ireland coming in at 13 per cent, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“Builders kindly let us survey eight homes post construction and leaks were found in six,” said McLaughlin.

“This is not surprising as there has never been a physical system to help the builder.”

McLaughlin’s company can arrange “tests of the indoor radon level using the Landauer laboratories in the US an they can also test the membrane for leaks, using specially adapted equipment that I brought in from the UK, and undertake remediation work if necessary.”

The leak detection equipment uses a long flexible hose, which is inserted into the cavity under the house. It pumps in gas and smoke, and if smoke appears, it confirms the presence of a leak or leaks. Membranes can then be repaired.” Radon is a colourless, odourless gas which is harmless in the open air but can build up to dangerous concentrations when trapped in a house.

FATIGUE played a part in an incident in which an off-duty Ryanair pilot crashed a helicopter while taking a family on a pleasure trip, an official investigation has found.

The pilot had already flown the chopper on a return trip from Dublin to West Cork earlier in the day and was due to report for duty in Shannon at 6.15am the next morning.

The Irish Aviation Authority made the findings after an investigation into the crash-landing of the Bell 206B helicopter in a cornfield near Inniskeen, County Monaghan on June 13 2004. On the day, the pilot had expected to go home, but had agreed to fly trips for the sports day at Kilanny because there were so many people queuing for the flights.

A female passenger described how she saw warning lights come in the helicopter before two loud siren sounds and then the engine went quiet. The chopper started wobbling and her children became upset.

The craft was badly damaged in the emergency landing but passengers and the pilot escaped injury. The authority heard that the pilot was just short of his annual flying limit of 900 hours at the time of the accident.

“The wisdom of getting involved with further commercial operations is therefore dubious, particularly when this is done without notifying his prime employer,” the report stated.

The accident report found that the amount of fuel in the helicopter during its final flight was below the minimum required level, a fact the pilot could have established if he had made a calculation based on the number of previous flights carried out.

“The investigation is of the opinion that fatigue may well have blurred the pilot’s judgement and airmanship towards the end of the day,” the report continued.

The pilot, who was not named in the official investigation report, has been identified by a media source as being employed by Ryanair at the time of the accident, although the crash-flight itself had nothing to do with the no-frills airline.