Category: News

THE Health Service Executive MidWestern Area has confirmed that there are no plans to proceed with a controversial renaming of three Limerick City hospitals.

It was feared that the move would serve to disenfranchise Ennis and Nenagh General Hospitals. However, a HSE spokesperson has stated that, “There are currently no plans to proceed with the name change at present.”

Early last year, it was announced that three Limerick facilities – the Mid Western Regional Hospital, the Mid Western Regional Maternity Hospital and the Mid Western Regional Orthopaedic Hospital in Croom – would be renamed University Hospital Limerick. Some months beforehand, the facilities had been tagged under the umbrella term, ‘Mid Western Regional’.

So opposed were staff, management, politicians and hospital groups to the proposed renaming to University Hospital, that the HSE’s Programme Manager for Acute Hospital Services offered to resign from two key HSE committees in protest.

North Clare Councillor and Ennis hospital Committee member, Joe Arkins (FG), has welcomed the decision of the HSE not to proceed with the name changes. Councillor Arkins had raised serious concerns regarding the matter when it first arose over 12 months ago.

“The hospitals at Ennis and Nenagh would have been out on limb completely and further relegated for training purposes if the singular link with the Limerick hospitals and UL had gone ahead.

“It is time to end the smoke and mirrors act, and do something tangible about moving forward the refurbishment of Ennis General, which is drastically overdue,” he said.

US AMBASSADOR to Ireland, James Kenny made a nationwide appeal at the weekend to allow the Poor Clare nuns in Ennis to see the AllIreland hurling final.

Ambassador Kenny made a private visit to the Poor Clares on Francis Street last week and he told RTE radio at the weekend, “The nuns are very, very special people and remind me what Ireland is about.

“They knew who I was because one of the treats in life they do get is to watch the news and see what is going on in the world and, secondly, on All-Ireland final day, they are allowed to listen to the match.

“But the nuns got very perturbed because the GAA changed the starting time from 3.30pm to 4pm and they have to leave and go into prayers before half-time. They are very upset because they want to be able to listen to the All-Ireland final.

“They wanted me to relay this to the GAA and I said I would. These are wonderful, wonderful people that are praying for everyone around Ireland. “

Sunday’s final, however, started at the traditional time of 3.30pm – allowing the Poor Clares to enjoy the entire game.

The Abbess of the enclosed order, Sister Bernadine, told The Clare People that the nuns jokingly asked Mr Kenny during his visit to raise the issue, as the nuns’ rosary starts at 5pm every day.

“We said it as a bit of fun and we didn’t take it too seriously. There were only a few of us who wanted to see the match. We have some nuns from Cork and they didn’t wish to see it and we were able to tell them the result.”

Sister Bernadine said that Mr Kenny, “is a lovely person. It was a private visit”.

There are 17 Poor Clares based in Ennis and they come from various parts of Ireland. Their monastery was founded on October 7, 1958 with Joseph Rodgers, the then Bishop of Killaloe, laying the foundation stone in 1957.

THE principal of Scariff National School said yesterday that pupils have coped extremely well in their response to the death of 26-year-old circus performer, Vitaly Kharapavitski, last Monday night.

At the Royal Russian Circus performance last Monday, an audience of more than 300 people, with more than half young children, witnessed the Russian man dying instantly during a mid-air routine with his wife Sasha after a steel ball and metal cage collapsed on top of him.

Many of the 152 pupils that attend Scariff National School witnessed the tragedy and school principal, Martin Scanlan, said they coped extremely well and there was no serious need for the counselling services.

“I have three names of children that may avail of counselling, but I believe that it is unlikely that they will do so.”

In the aftermath of the tragedy, the HSE confirmed that its psychologist services have been made available to local primary schools as well as Scariff Community College.

A HSE spokeswoman said, “The Senior Clinical Psychologist has spoken to school principals and parish priest to outline the services which can be provided to the children if a need emerges. He has been in contact with the National Educational Psychology Service (NEPS), who will also be in a position to provide services if the need emerges.”

The father of two young children who witnessed last Monday night’s tragedy, Patrick Doyle, welcomed the services being made available by the HSE.

He said, “The kids might say ‘I’m okay’ to me, but at least with a counsellor, they may be more willing to talk about what happened.

“After it happened, I told my two children that ‘it’s a bad part of the act’ and left the tent…Everyone was stunned. There were kids crying leaving the tent and they were obviously traumatised.

“I never saw anything like it before. It was the suddenness of it. Everything came crashing down and I would say that the poor man died instantly from the impact. Everyone was in shock and I saw people coming out of the tent pure pale, with the blood drained from their faces.”

Local county councillor Joe Cooney said, “Scariff is a small rural parish and nothing like this has ever happened here. It is an awful tragedy and is very distressing for the children who witnessed the man’s death.”

A RADIO consortium headed by Clare FM boss Liam O’Shea and Killaloe rugby star, Keith Wood, has been awarded a licence for the new south west regional youth radio service by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. The new service will broadcast to 15-34 year olds in Clare, Limerick, Kerry, North Tipperary and South West Laois. SPIN South West will initially employ 43 people from the region.

“We are delighted to have been awarded this licence by the BCI. I would like to thank the team and the shareholders for their commitment and hard work. We believe the SPIN youth brand will be very successful in this region. SPIN South West will be regional, relevant and revolutionary in everything we do. We will encourage creativity and provide opportunities and training for new young local talent,” said Mr O’Shea.

Keith Wood said that he was “absolutely delighted to be a shareholder in SPIN South West and was looking forward to the project.”

SPIN South West plan to launch in June 2007.

CLARE County Council has issued planning enforcement notices against four landowners living along the route of the West Clare railway for excavating part of the route of the line at Quilty.

In separate actions, the Council has served enforcement notices against PJ Murnane, Martin McGannon, Henry Molohan and John Daly all of Quilty.

The four landowners were told by the Council to cease excavations immediately and submit a schedule of re-instatement works prepared by an engineer.

The four have also been told to reinstate the embankment in accordance with the schedule of re-instatement work agreed with the Council.

They were also directed to refund to the Council costs and expenses of €271 incurred in investigating and detecting the alleged unauthorised development.

The Council stated that in the event of non-compliance, the four men may be liable to additional costs.

The Enforcement Notice issued stated that the West Clare railway is protected under a number of headings in the West Clare Area Local Plan and the Council has warned that if steps aren’t taken, the four may be guilty of an offence and may be liable to a €1905 fine.

One of the four, Martin McGannon said yesterday that he has written to the Council to explain his point of view which was shared by the other three landowners.

He said, “We are all in the same situation.”

He declined to state what he has told the Council on the issue.

One of the other landowners contacted, Henry Molohan declined to comment.

The Council is shortly to publish a feasibility study which has assessed the potential of the West Clare railline as a recreational facility and/or walking route for the west Clare area.

The 27-mile railway line from Ennis to Miltown Malbay was the last narrow gauge line to be closed by Government in 1961 as it was suffering annual losses of £23,000.

This followed an earlier decision not to press ahead with a £700,000 plan to convert the line to a standard gauge.

The line operated between 1892 and 1961 with the first sod turned on the project by by Charles Stewart Parnell in 1885.

Immortalized in song by Percy French, the railway has become part of Co Clare folklore and in recent years, tourists have travelled to Moyasta where 1.5 miles of the track has been restored.

NOT a single fine was imposed on people flouting Clare County Council’s new dogs ban over the summer months, it was confirmed yesterday.

The afternoon ban on dogs at beaches over the summer came to an end last Thursday and a council spokeswoman confirmed yesterday that, over the three months it was in place, not one fine was imposed on any individual with their dog on the beach.

She did confirm that one fine was imposed on an individual having his horse on Lahinch beach between 11am and 6pm each day.

She said, “The emphasis in the first year of the beach bye-laws was on awareness rather than enforcement. It was mainly tourists who would have been found with their dogs on the beach and, when they were told of the new law, they left the beach without any problem.”

The Council’s Director for the Environment, Ger Dollard, said, “In almost all cases where a breach of the bye-laws occurred, the matter was regularised when the individual involved was spoken to by council personnel.

“Where extreme circumstances required it, the council did resort to the fine issue. Generally the council is exceptionally pleased with the positive response of the public during the summer. There are areas for improvement, such as ensuring that the designated areas for surfing are fully adhered to, and we will be addressing these issues as part of the overall review.”

According to the bye-laws, those found on Clare’s beaches walking their dogs – even those on a lead – between 11am and 6pm – face onthe-spot fines of €125 and fines of €1,270 if cases go to court.

Member of the council’s Special Policy Committee (SPC) for the Environment, Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) said, “I welcomed the introduction and I hope that, next year, we will have the resources for the proper enforcement of the laws.”

One of the councillors opposed to the ban, Cllr Colm Wiley (FF) said, “The fact that not one fine was imposed shows that the new laws have not been enforced. The council have had no-one policing the ban on dogs and I was up in Lahinch six or seven times over the past three weeks and, on different days, I saw five, three and two dogs on the beach for upwards of half an hour at a time and no one approached the people concerned.”

A NUMBER of well-known Clare musicians have expressed concern over Clare County Council’s plans to expel buskers from the Cliffs of Moher and hold subsequent auditions for musicians at the tourist attraction.

A letter signed by 43 performers from the Irish traditional music world states that they are concerned, “at the intentions of the Clare County council in relation to the performance of traditional music at the Cliffs and urge the council to establish dialogue with the musicians”.

Currently, 19 musicians and traders at the Cliffs are facing injunction proceedings in the Circuit Court which are due to be heard next month.

Those from Clare to have signed the letter include Martin Hayes, Tola Custy, Tony McMahon and author and broadcaster, PJ Curtis.

Other well-known musicians offering support to the buskers include Christy Moore, Liam O’Maonlai, Mary Black, Donal Lunny and Frankie Gavin.

Under the name of ‘Fili Amhranaithe Ceoltoiri na hEireann’ (FACE) or ‘Musicians, Singers and Poets of the Irish Tradition’, they state that the proposed injunction against buskers at the Cliffs “has serious implications for present and future members of our organisation”.

“The council will not communicate with the musicians involved. Communication with the musicians is vital to establish a coherent agreement.

“They are best placed to advise the council how to manage music at the Cliffs in the most appropriate way.”

PJ Curtis told The Clare People , “The council is engaging in bullyboy tactics by seeking to evict the buskers and its actions are anti-freedom of artistic expression.”

The council’s project leader, Ger Dollard, confirmed that the council may hold auditions as part of the expressions of interest process to license buskers at the Cliffs when the new centre becomes operational.

He said, “I recognise that there are genuine concerns amongst individuals regarding the overall situation.

On the one hand, the council is in a difficult position trying to rid the site of indiscriminate substandard busking which does nothing to add to the visitors experience or image of Irish tourism.

“On the other hand, meanwhile, the council respects those buskers who have engaged in a positive activity respecting the best traditions of the site.

“I would hope that people will bear with us as we work our way through this necessary process, which is in the best interests of all those genuinely interested in maintaining the required standard at our famous tourist attraction.”

A CLARE County Councillor has called for the inclusion of a railway station in Crusheen when the Government reopens the Western Rail Corridor.

Green Party Councillor Brian Meaney says, “There has been considerable development in Crusheen over the last number of years and further potential of the village could be realised in a sustainable manner, if a train stop is included in the rail improvement works.

“Latest Census figures show that Crusheen has had one of the largest increases in population in the county since the 2002 Census, with a massive 37.5 per cent increase in population.

“The 37.5 percent increase is on top of the increase in population in Crusheen since 1997.

“I believe the predicted usage of the Western Rail Corridor has been underestimated. A train stop in Crusheen would benefit all of the north east and north west of Clare and, with the development of a park and ride facility, this would reduce the pressure on the train station in Ennis,” Councillor Meaney said.

“Despite much media coverage and Government spin announcing funding for the upgrading of the train line, the decision to actually proceed is still pending.

“There have been positive announcements but, with the ongoing delay in starting the work, these are meaningless.

“The setting of false expectations such as these is part of the distrust in other promises made by this Government,” he added.

“It appears to me that the delay in announcing the start of the work on the rail line north of Ennis is being caused by political opportunism, again compromising delivery on infrastructure in the west,” Councillor Meaney said.

Councillor Meaney believes that opening up rail stops along the line from Limerick to Claremorris and Sligo will be key to full usage of the railway and will in time greatly meet Ireland’s obligation under the Kyoto Protocol.

TOUR operators have put a number of alternatives to charging €60 per coach when the Council’s new €31.5 million visitor centre at the Cliffs of Moher becomes operational to Clare County council.

The Irish Tour Operators Association (ITOA) is opposed to the new pricing structure and in a bid to have the Council reverse its plan met with the offfical leading the project, Ger Dollard in Dublin last Friday.

President of the ITOA, Brian Murray said that the ITOA executive “put forward some interesting suggestions in terms of what we would propose for alternatives to generating revenues at the site”.

Mr Murray described the meeting as ‘positive’, stating that a “frank and open discussion” had taken place.

He said, “We explained that we couldn’t work at the proposed €60 charge. Mr Dollard said that he would hold a meeting with his colleagues and revert back to us.”

The ITOA has also expressed concern over a new booking system at the Cliffs and Mr Murray said: “We agreed that ITOA members would talk to officials at the Cliffs site in order to try to agree upon a system.

Mr Murray said that the ITOA has a Council meeting on Wednesday and was anxious that the Council’s response to the ITOA’s alternatives would be in place by then.

Commenting on the meeting to The Clare People yesterday, Mr Dollard said, “The Council had a very useful meeting with the ITOA on Friday last.

He said, “At the end of the day we are both in the tourism business and it is in all our interests that the Cliffs of Moher New Visitor Experience operates to the highest standards to give an exceptional visitor experience for every visitor as well as putting forward a very positive image for Irish tourism.

“I am confident that the Council and the ITOA can work positively together in a collaborative fashion to develop the full potential of the Cliffs of Moher New Visitor Experience.

CLARE General Election Candidate, Madeleine Taylor-Quinn (FG) has described as “highly suspicious”, the Government’s delay in reopening the railway line linking Ennis to Galway. She wants the Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, to immediately clarify whether work on the line will commence in November, in line with a commitment given to her by Irish Rail, earlier this year.

“Barry Kenny, Irish Rail spokesman, made a commitment to me and to the people of Clare during a live radio debate on Clare FM, that work to reopen the railway line would commence ‘no later than the end of November 2006’. We are now in the first week of September and still the Government remains silent. It has not even sanctioned basic preparatory work on the track. What is behind the Government’s suspicious silence?

“On the 13th of August last, Minister Martin Cullen made an announcement that €360 million was to be spent upgrading the Kildare line to improve commuter services. He had an obvious opportunity on that occasion to confirm the reopening of the Ennis to Athenry stage of the Western Rail Corridor, but he chose not to. The people of Clare deserve to know why he chose not to.”

Cllr Taylor-Quinn said that the minister’s ability to effectively manage the introduction of Clare’s new rail service was in doubt, because of the ‘mess’ he was making of the Kildare expansion. Minister Cullen had prevented it from being extended a few miles, to service some of the country’s largest commuter towns.

“How can we trust the commitment of this Minister to the Western Rail Corridor, or his ability to deliver it? The Minister, who is presiding over a transport catastrophe on what is potentially the busiest commuter line in the country, is the minister we must depend on.

“It may be that in November, which happens to be the first anniversary of its farcical Transport 21 initiative, the Government will try to put a respectable shine on matters by giving the go-ahead to our railway line. The proper way to mark that anniversary would be to have work on the line well underway. It would also be to commit to examining the case for other railway stations serving new population centres on the Limerick – Ennis – Athenry line, like Sixmilebridge, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Crusheen and Gort. I strongly believe that there is a case for these new stations, as there is an absolutely critical case for the “spur” providing a rail service to and from Shannon Airport.”