Category: News

FULL-TIME farming in Clare could soon be a thing of the past with unstable commodity prices, crippling debt an aging farming population driving farmers from the land.

The average prices of farm land in Clare fell almost 24 per cent last year, as the county’s farmers reeled from the effects of the fodder crisis. The average price of land in Clare fell from € 8,500 per acre in 2012, to just under € 6, 500 last year – a drop of 23.5 per cent – compared to national average price drop, which was less than 6 per cent.

More and more Clare land, especially poorer land, is now being planted for forestry as uncertainty about the future of milk prices ahead of the end of milk quotas in 2015 and continued uncertainly about crucial such as the Single Farm Payment, is prompting farmers to call it day.

Last year’s fodder crisis also created a large amount of debt amongst Clare farmers, who could yet face a second fodder crisis this year if the weather does not improve soon.

“The uncertainty that is out there at the moment is the biggest problem. We are after an expensive year last year because of the fodder crisis; people are in debt, are are still trying to recover,” said Clare chairperson for the ICMSA, Martin McMahon.

“There is massive uncertainty about the Single Farm Payment (SFP); everyone is wondering how much is going to be cut. The price of cattle on the floor, it’s as low as it has been in 30 year compared to costs.

“The only think going well at the moment is milk and no-one knows what is going to happen when quotas going on in 2015. We have a lot of Clare farmers who are shoving on in age and there is no generation coming through to replace them because of the uncertainty that is there at the moment.

“Then climate change is also taking it’s toll. We had no spring last year and things are no much better in 2014.

“Fodder is starting to get low again and unless things straighten out early in April we will be in big trouble. You will see farmers broke in Clare if we see another fodder crisis this year.”

New figures released by the Irish Farmer’s Journal also show there was also a marked increase in the amount of Clare land being offered for sale in 2013, with more than 30 per cent more land sold last year compared to 2012.

THE ESB have not ruled out the possibility of constructing a nuclear power plant at Moneypoint, once the current coal burning plant is decommissioned in 2025.

The company also say they are aware of Small Modular Reactors ultra safe mini-reactors based on the technology used in nuclear submarines – but have not yet investigated the technology in detail.

With nuclear energy prohibited by law in Ireland, the company say that their current focus for Moneypoint post-2025 involves the investigation of a coal of gas site.

However, any coal plant would require the integration of carbon capture technology, which has yet to be developed, as well as the expensive exportation of the captured carbon waste, as the storage of carbon is also currently prohibited by Irish law.

The creation of a gas burning plants is also likely to bring about a large increase in costs, unless a cheap source of gas is made available, possible through hydraulic fracturing in the Clare Basin.

“Since nuclear generation in Ireland in prohibited by law, ESB’s focus on future low-carbon generation options for Ireland does not currently include nuclear generation,” said a spokesperson.

“ESB is aware of Small Modular Reactors, but has not examined their suitability for Moneypoint.”

The ESB says it has also investigated the possibility of building a giant pipe-line from Moneypoint to the old Kinsale field off Cork, should carbon capture technology become viable and carbon storage become legal in Ireland. It is understood that such a scheme would be prohibitively expensive. “Such data is commercially sensitive but it is widely acknowledged within the industry that the cost of carbon capture and storage is high at present and that the industry is attempting to reduce these costs,” said the ESB spokesperson. According to Denis Duff of pronuclear group Better Environment with Nuclear Energy, (BENE), the ESB faces a difficult decision when the existing Moneypoint facility is decommissioned. “For environmental reasons, coal or gas fired replacements would need to have carbon capture facilities attached. ESB acknowledge that this would be a very expensive option and this is exacerbated by the costs of having to export the captured gases,” he said. “I believe that replacing coal at Moneypoint with these small reactors would be very beneficial to County Clare. The reactors are due out in 2021 and will supply affordable, clean, safe and reliable energy. For reasons of climate change, energy security and the economy in general, it is entirely likely that Ireland will install a number of these within 20 years. This will be the safest energy technology ever built and will be able to produce electricity significantly cheaper than any similar alternative.”

WHILE there maybe an increase in the number of burglaries reported around the county, some hungry thieves are now being sought by gardaí following a break-in at a house in Sixmilebridge during which the only items reported stolen were taken from the fridge.

Gardaí were called to investigate the crime in Cluain Droichead Sixmilebridge last Wednesday night and discovered the house in question had been broken into via a forced rear window.

“When we searched the house with the owner we discovered that the only items taken were from the fridge.

“There was nothing else taken, although the fridge was cleaned out,” a garda source told us.

The robbery occured between 6pm and 9pm on that Wednesday, March 19th, and the house was searched completely by the thief or thieves, who then only helped themselves to some food from the kitchen.

It is thought this is not the first ‘food crime’ in Clare over the past number of years as economic circumstances have driven some to stealing food in desperation.

“Strange as it sounds this is not the first time we have encountered this, the only thing taken in a burglary being food,” a garda told The Clare People.

AN 11-year-old Clare girl will cut off her Rapunzel-like locks later this week, as part of her bid to raise money for charity.

Zoe O’Donoghue, who is a fifth class student at Broadford National School, has been growing her hair for more than five years and her flowing locks now reach all the way to her ankle. Zoe’s hair will go under the knife this Friday – with the hair itself going to make wigs for people who have lost their own hair through illness, and sponsorship money going to Milford hospice.

Her hair is currently well over 30 inches long and it is hoped that a number of ill people will receive human-hair wigs from Zoe’s donation.

TRAGEDY has turned into triumph at the Cliffs of Moher, as more than 200 sick or injured people benefited from the facilities at Nicholas’ Room at the North Clare tourist attraction last year.

Usage of the first aid room increased dramatically last year, with poor weather conditions and a general increase in visitors understood to drive the increase.

The facility was established in the memory of baby Nicholas Kelly, who was born prematurely at the Cliffs of Moher in 2006, before passing away on route to hospital.

Nicholas’ parents Delia GarciaStokes and her husband Kelly Stokes, raised the money to fund the first aid room at the cliffs in memory of their son.

“The hurt never goes away but we have had an opportunity to make something very positive from those circumstance, and that’s been our miracle. It didn’t work out the way we prayed [when we became pregnant], but in a way our prayers have been answered,” said Delia last week.

A total of 87 people received first aid in Nicholas’ Room last year – up from 55 in 2012 – and more than 150 people borrowed a wheelchair from the room for the duration of their visit to the Cliffs of Moher.

“This was an increase on the volumes in the last year which is due to both the increased volume of visitors to the centre and the higher incident of extreme weather events, usually wind, during the year,” said Katherine Webster of the Cliffs of Moher Visitors Experience.

“The majority of first aid incidents are minor cuts, bumps and scrapes but we have also treated visitors for broken bones, sprains and allergic reactions. It’s not just visitors who benefit from the facilities provided in Nicholas Room but staff also.

“Visitors from as far field as India, Russia and Israeli were treated on site. On top of providing valuable services to those in need the story of Nicholas Room also continues to provide inspiration to both staff and visitors alike.”

SENIOR HSE management has admitted that there are less home help hours available to the elderly in Clare compared to other counties, but it has already begun work to address the historical deficit.

HSE area manager Bernard Gloster said the HSE delivered more home help hours in Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary last year than were funded or set out in projections at the end of the year.

In 2012 the HSE was ordered to cut home help hours and meet new targets.

“There is a significant challenge about the distribution of home help hours across the country and here within the mid-west across the counties,” Mr Gloster said during a special meeting to unveil the costings and general plans for community health services in the region this year.

“I have been the first to recognise there is a difference per head of population in Clare compared to the other two counties,” he added.

However he said that the HSE was addressing the disparity by providing 20,000 more hours last year.

In 2013 in Limerick the HSE midwest provided 17,000 less hours than the previous year, but above the year’s target, and 12,000 hours less in North Tipperary but again above target. In Clare it delivered 20,000 more hours.

“I hope that is indicative to our commitment to fair and equitable balance, while not allowing you to think at the same time we can go and turn the tap off in another county and correct an historical balance,” he said. “You can not look at home help in isolation however. You must also look at the available bed profile. The public bed profile in County Clare is 224, in Limerick it is 192, in North Tipperary it is 114 so you have to balance other emphasis that were based historically.”

AMONG those lining up to have their heads shaved or their hair dyed in Cooraclare at the weekend is local man Noel Morrissey who has agreed to lose hair that has been years in the growing, if he gets 1,000 likes on the charity’s facebook page.

The brainchild of local men Declan Meaney, Fergus Conway and Seamus Hehir this one-off event – ‘West Clare Shave or Dye’ – features up to 26 heads from Cree, Cooraclare, Kilmihill, Kilrush, Kilkee, Doonbeg and Quilty that will go under the blade or the hair dryer on Saturday night, March 29, from 9.30pm at the Danganelly Tavern.

A dozen of those signed up are having their hair dyed by stylists from Lover Your Hair, while Jimi’s Barbers in Kilrush will take charge of the razors.

People can also donate on the night for the chance of shaving part of some of the charity raisers’ heads.

All money raised will do to the Shave or Dye Irish Cancer Society Campaign.

Declan has already had his hair dyed for the last three weeks, green, blond and blue, which has proven to be a less than appropriate look as he has had to attend funerals and other more sombre occasions.

“Sure it is all for a good cause,” said the man who will have his head shaved on the night.

Three women are among those lined up to lose their lovely locks.

Tickets for the event are € 5, which includes a raffle and music by In Tune. Masters of Ceremonies on the night are Joe Garry and Bernie Kelly.

NINE schools that cater for 1,600 students in Clare will get a face lift this year as the Government announced its first round of the Summer Works Scheme for 2014.

The seven primary schools and two post-primary schools include Cratloe NS, Scariff Central NS, Killaloe Boys NS, Cooraclare NS, Scoil Mhichil Cahermurphy, Connolly NS, Kilnaboy NS, Ennis Commu- nity College and St Michael’s Community College, Kilmihil.

The nine Clare schools are among 387 schools nationwide to receive funding under this year’s scheme, which covers projects such as electrical, gas and mechanical works.

A second round of the scheme is expected to be announced in coming weeks. This round will cover other types of improvement works, with applications still being assessed.

The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn (Lab), said, “These works will be carried out in schools over the summer months, when the pupils are on holidays, so the disruption to schooling will be kept to a minimum.

“In this Year of Jobs, I and the department are committed to doing everything we can to ensure as many people as possible get back to work. These projects will stimulate economic activity by supporting 2,160 direct and 430 indirect construction jobs in the local economy,” he concluded.

NEARLY a quarter of million euros worth of funding announced on Friday for the repairs of four Clare piers is part of the € 16.8 million previously announced by the Government, despite reports to the contrary.

The funding – which amounts to € 130,950 for Liscannor Pier, € 65,700 for Ballyvaughan Pier and € 18,000 for Seafield Pier and Kilbaha Pier in West Clare – will not come from fresh government funding.

Councillors at yesterday’s North Clare Meeting of called for an end to the Government “spin” in relation to the Government funding for the storms, which they say is creating confusion amongst the public.

“We should not have any further announcements of this kind, this is very misleading. The very least that could be done is that we should know where we stand. This sort of confusion is not acceptable,” said Cllr Richard Nagle.

A spokesperson from Clare County Council said that the most recent announcement was supposed to indicate the exact locations where the funding would be spent and not to indicate that new funding was being made available.

Cllr Michael Kelly (FF), said that the most recent statement represent “spin” from the Government.

“There should be clarity, this is all spin. We would all be as well off to get a clear statement and leave it at that,” he said.

“This is the second time that there has been a misunderstanding like this. There is a lot of misinformation coming out about this funding.”

The four piers were severely damaged by the successive storms which rocked the Clare coast in January and February.

“This is no extra money, it is just clarification of where that money is going. My understanding is that this money has already been included in the general fund and that is that,” said a council spokesperson.

THE famous Lahinch ‘loo with a view’ – a tiny plot of land on the promenade which was sold for more than € 400,000 at the height of the property bubble – could soon revert to previous function as a public toilet.

The tiny property, which was sold by Clare County Council in June of 2008, could yet be purchased back by the local authority and redeveloped as toilets, using the same € 400,000 which the council received from the sale of the property more than five years ago.

Plans to develop a new state of the art public toilet facility at Lahinch have been shelved for a number of years. The money raised from the sale of the old toilets has been ringfensed for the project but Clare County Council has been waiting for matching funding from Fáilte Ireland before gong forward with the project.

Council officials at yesterday’s North Clare Area meeting of Clare County Council said that the possibility of purchasing back the “loo with a view” would be examined. The property has not been developed since it was purchased at auction in 2008.

“Surely to God we could buy back that block at the top of the prom- enade and put in place a state of the art toilet. How much do you want to spend on these toilets?” said Cllr Bill Slattery (FG) yesterday.

“I am very frusratrated with the situation. Nothing has been done by Clare County Council or Fáilte Ireland. The criticism that we are getting in Lahinch because of the lack of toilets is unreal. We can’t walk down the promenade without being criticised. We have no public toilets in Lahinch and I think that is an absolute disgrace.”

At present the public is provide with access to toilets at Lahinch Seaworld, which councillors yesterday said were not adequate to deal with the crowds who descend on Lahinch beach each summer.

Cllr Richard Nagle (FF) also said that the council should not spend any more money on consultants reports.

“There were no less than three different consultants involved in producing the report and since the report was produce nothing has been done,” he said.

“Every year, every councillor in inundated with complaints about the toilets in Lahinch because they are not fit for purpose.”

The possibility of using the € 400,000 to extend and develop the current toilets at the Lahinch Seaworld will also be examined.