Category: News

THE University of Limerick president, who extended the growing centre of education into Clare, has retired on health grounds. Professor Roger GH Downer decided to stand down as president and vice-chancellor last week following an 18-month battle with serious illness.

Under the forward-thinking professor’s leadership the university acquired 125 acres of land in Co Clare to allow expansion of the campus across the River Shannon. Building projects include the magnificent University Arena, MSSI Building, Millstream research complex, a bridge across the Shannon and three student villages. Prof Downer has also been credited with establishing the Office of the Dean of Teaching and Learning, which has introduced major initiatives in teaching, and learning.

During his presidency undergraduate student numbers increased substantially and he initiated the development of new programmes in various fields. He has also led the campaign to bring a graduate medical school to UL. In particular he focused on creating a researchintensive institution and achieved substantial increases in research income, research output, post-graduate student numbers, patent applications and spin-off companies.

Professor Downer nurtured relationships with local communities and was a champion of access programmes in socially disadvantaged areas of Limerick, established the access campus in Southill and arranged the building of the first crèche on a university campus in Ireland. Although he will stand down as president the professor will continue to undertake academic and related activities on behalf of the university until August, 2008, the date on which his tenure as President would have ended.

GARDAI say they are satisfied that serious head injuries sustained by a man in Lisdoonvarna last week were as a result of a fall.

Jim Kearney (56) was found in an unconscious state on a footpath close to the Square in the town, in the early hours of Monday last. He had been seen leaving a pub in the town a short time earlier.

Mr Kearney, a chef who hails from Wexford, was removed to hospital in Ennis.

He later underwent surgery at Cork University Hospital, where he remained in a critical condition yesterday.

It was initially unclear how he sustained his injuries.

A full garda investigation was conducted last week and a Detective Superintendent was deployed from Galway to work on the investigation.

Clare Chief Superintendent Liam Quinn said it appears Mr Kearney was not the victim of an assault.

“It seems there was nothing to indicate there was any assault. The indications are his injuries were as a result of a fall.

“Our investigations haven’t indicated there was anything suspicious,” he said.

A number of people have been interviewed by gardai, including those who found the Mr Kearney at around 2am, and people who were in his company earlier that night.

CLARE County Council is to proceed with plans to develop a further four permanent Traveller halting sites in Ennis and Liscannor this year. The sites will accommodate 20 families and the estimated cost is €6 million.

Last week the council announced that, after almost a decade, all Clare Travellers have been accommodated and there are no longer any Travellers living without water or sanitation on the roadside.

However, arising from new Traveller family formations and the need to accommodate those living in temporary emergency accommodation, the council has identified an accommodation need for 88 families, with 64 in immediate need.

According to an update provided to members of the Special Policy Committee (SPC), the council has identified sites at the Tulla Rd, Kilrush Rd and Ashline in Ennis and Laghcloon, Liscannor.

The update states, “Every effort will be made in 2006 to progress the construction of the permanent traveller accommodation sites as identified in the programme as a matter of urgency.”

Last year, the new Traveller Accommodation Programme was thrown into disarray after the council withdrew its Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) for its original site earmarked for the Kilrush Rd.

County manager, Alec Fleming made the rare move after councillors voiced their opposition to the CPO on the lands at Kilmorane on the outskirts of Ennis. In pursuing the CPO, the council had placed in jeopardy two €250,000 homes currently being built for two elderly settled couples on the site.

Outlining the progress on the plan, the council’s acting director for housing, Josephine Cotter-Coughlan said, “In recent weeks, five Traveller families have been allocated standard local authority housing by Ennis Town Council and they will be taking up accommodation in the coming weeks.

“One further family has accepted accommodation from a voluntary body in the Ennis area and will also be taking up residency in the coming weeks. Clare County Council are currently advancing plans for a number of Group Housing Schemes in the Ennis and Ennistymon areas.

“Sites have been identified and discussions are taking place with the landowners involved. Permanent accommodation must be provided for the families living in the temporary emergency sites.

“There are also a number of families living in private rented or sharing with family members that must be accommodated in the current programme.

“There will also be new families formed in the coming years and their accommodation needs must be met,” she said.

WITH promises of tax cuts and more public spending, the Progressive Democrats were in election mode at their conference in Limerick this weekend.

While the party’s strategists may be planning the campaign for the next election, they have yet to put forward a candidate to contest the election in Clare.

The PD’s most high-profile politician, former Clare County Councillor Mary Mannion, is unable to represent the county due to a change in the constituency boundary.

The PD area representative for Clare has vowed, however, to support and assist whatever candidate the party puts forward in the Banner County.

The Parteen woman, who spent 13 years as a councillor in Clare and also sat on the Mid-Western Health Board, is now within the Limerick East constituency, but has no plan to run for the neighbouring county.

It is believed the party is in negotiations with a number of candidates, but no definite decision will be made on a possible Clare candidate until after the party convention.

During the weekend’s conference, the PDs did not discourage voters from giving a second preference vote to Fianna Fáil, but issued a strong health warning against any pre-election policy pact.

Party delegates voted against any decision to enter a pact with their government pact with their party colleagues having suffered due to pre election deals in the past with both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

The party agreed to wait until the election campaign to decide whether to ask PD voters to pass their second preference to Fianna Fáil.

While the rest of the country concentrated on the party’s plans to cut income tax to 40 per cent and reducing the tax bill of the middle and lower income workers, Clare delegates paid special attention to one of the party’s guest speakers.

HSE chief executive Professor Brendan Drumm told delegates that he hoped the health issue would cease to be a political issue and not be used as a political football.

Following the conference, Ms Mannion told The Clare People that she felt secure about the future of Ennis General Hospital having heard Prof Drumm speak.

A CLARECASTLE man with 21 previous convictions has been jailed for 20 months, after pleading guilty to a string of offences last year.

Alan Kerin (22), a father-of-one, of Church Drive, Clarecastle, pleaded guilty to a variety of offences, including theft, possession of cannabis and drink driving, between May and October 2005.

Ennis District Court heard that gardaí received a call that the parochial house in Clarecastle had been broken into, on October 26, 2005. Up to €400 in notes and some coins were missing.

Det Gda Kevin Kennedy approached the accused and as he did so, Kerin dropped a bag of coins. A struggle ensued and the garda received a number of blows. Kerin was so drunk he couldn’t be questioned when brought to Ennis Garda Station.

In August 2005, he was arrested for a public order offence and brought to Ennistymon Garda Station for questioning. He was searched there and a stolen gold ring – which belonged to an Italian tourist – was found on him, which he said was given to him by someone he knew.

In May, he was caught drink driving and gave a false name and address to a garda. He also pleaded guilty to being drunk in public in Lahinch in August, and he shouted insults at two gardaí at Steele’s Terrace in Ennis on October 23 last, referring to them as “muppets”.

On another occasion, he was found in possession of a small amount of cannabis. Kerin also admitted stealing alcohol from two supermarkets, all of which was recovered.

Defending solicitor Tara Godfrey said all of the offences centred around alcohol.

“I believe Alan Kerin has a dangerous relationship with drink, but Alan Kerin is not a no-hoper,” said the solicitor.

The court was told he has 21 previous convictions, including for assault, theft and criminal damage, and is currently serving a 16-month sentence. Judge Joseph Mangan imposed sentences totalling 20 months. He disqualified him from driving for three years.

“I can find very little in the way of mitigating circumstances, expect for the fact that a plea was entered,” said the judge.

SHAREHOLDERS in Clare FM have been given the opportunity to make a profit of 50 per cent on their original investment in the company 14 years ago. The company is proposing to pay €2 per share to the over 500 shareholders, who purchased shares at €1.27 each.

The shareholders are to hold an extraordinary general meeting of Clare Community Radio Holdings plc at the Temple Gate Hotel, Ennis, on May 9.

In correspondence circulated by the board, shareholders are given the option of retaining their investment, or securing the return on their investment. The board has told the shareholders that the funds available for share buy-back purposes are limited.

Some of the Clare’s best known personalities are small shareholders in the station. They include Fr Harry Bohan, Junior Ministers, Sile de Valera and Tony Killeen; Ennis Town Mayor, Frankie Neylon; Cllr Madeleine Taylor Quinn (FG), Cllr Christy Curtin (Ind) and former Labour TD, Dr Moosajee Bhamjee.

The Diocese of Killaloe, Clare County Council and the Clare GAA also contributed to the 1992 fundraising drive.

The Galvin family that own the Clare Champion newspaper have a significant shareholding, with Flan Galvin sitting on the board.

In all, the 530 small shareholders who bought into the company in 1992, make up a minority 15 per cent of the total 391,792 shares.

The returns show that Chairman, Michael Evans, has 17,500 shares with Managing Director, Liam O’Shea holding 20,365 shares.

However, one of the small shareholders concerned, Dr Bhamjee, confirmed to The Clare People that he would not be selling his shares.

“I believe that the price of €2 is too low. Also, I haven’t been provided with up-to-date financial accounts of the company.

“A number of local radio stations have been bought out in the recent past and Clare FM itself could become a target in the near future, so I believe that it would be better to hold out where a much higher price would be secured in the event of a take over.”

Last year, Clare FM experienced a drop in profits due, in part, to rising staff costs at the station.

The figures show that to the end of 2004, Clare FM secured a profit on €92,000, down 18.5 per cent on the €113,000 profit for 2003.

THE founding chief executive of Clare FM has described as “much too low” an offer by the company’s board to shareholders to make a profit of 50 per cent on their original investment in the station 14 years ago.

Caimin Jones, also a small shareholder, dismissed the €2 offer as “much too low”.

“The offer by the board of Clare FM to buy back shares at €2 each is at least some recognition of the role played by those who responded so positively to the 1992 share drive,” said Mr Jones, CEO from 1989 to 1994.

“As a minority shareholder to whom this offer has also been made, the issue for me is whether or not the share price of €2 is reasonable.

“Given the buoyancy of the radio station market currently and even allowing for Clare FM’s relatively low profit levels, my strong feeling is that the €2 offer is much too low.

“I am surprised that the accompanying documentation contains no independent analysis as to the reasonableness of the Board’s offer.

“Neither does it contain any opinion on the offer from Clare FM’s own auditors, Deloitte and Touche. Their view would have assisted me in arriving at a decision.

“Taking what I know into consideration and speculating on what I don’t know, I intend to retain my shares in Clare FM.

“This should not be interpreted in any way as advice to other shareholders.

“Each person will make their own evaluation and arrive at a decision best suited to his or her needs.”

In 1992, Caimin Jones was involved in the fundraising drive that attracted 530 shareholders from all walks of Clare life to invest in Clare FM.

THE plight of Travellers living on the roadside without sanitation is a thing of the past in Clare with council officials this week confirming that all of the county’s indigenous Travellers have been provided with living accommodation.

Over the past decade, Travellers have been forced to live without running water or toilet facilities as the Council failed to provide adequate accommodation after the closure of its main halting site at Drumcliffe outside Ennis in 1997.

The absence of any serviced accommodation forced Travellers to park illegally in urban areas, resulting in tensions between the Traveller and settled communities.

Bishop Willie Walsh intervened in a bid to resolve the issues and former County Manager, Willie Moloney had his car tyres slashed in a move believed to be connected with the Council seeking to provide emergency accommodation in 2001.

The fall-out from the Council’s failure to accommodate all the families resulted in a number of court battles financed by the taxpayer. Clare was also the first county where Travellers were sentenced to jail terms for contravening trespass legislation.

At the start of the Council’s Traveller Accommodation Programme, in 2000, there were 33 Traveller families living on the roadside. By the end of the plan in 2004, the Council reduced the numbers living on the roadside to 14 at a cost of over €12million.

Now with the provision of emergency accommodation outside Ennis and Ennistymon, the Council claims it has eliminated the problem.

In its latest Traveller accommodation plan to deal with new family formations, the Council has identified accommodation need for 88 families with 64 Traveller families in immediate need and a projected need for an additional 22 families.

County Manager, Alec Fleming said the council was very happy with what has been achieved and are working closely with the other state agencies and the Travelling Community to improve outcomes in a number of areas affecting Travellers.

Spokesman for Traveller rights group, Pavee Point, Martin Collins said that while he welcomed the news, there was a price to pay for Travellers as much of the accommodation didn’t accommodate their way of life, such as keeping horses.

“I don’t think that is inevitable and more should be done by the Council to accommodate Travellers in that way,” he said.

KILRUSH Town Councillors may decide to ban HGVs from entering the town when the traffic management plan comes before them next month.

That was the warning from Kilrush Town and County Councillor Tom Prenderville who said Dublin took a similar decision after 19 people were killed by HGVs in the capital last year. He was speaking at a meeting where members of the HGV Action Group and Clare County Council disputed the number of heavy goods vehicles going through the town.

A special in-depth traffic management study by council officials showed that 30 HGVs with non-compliant loads passed through the town since February to the €350 million retrofit project in Moneypoint.

In total, there were 158 deliveries to the ESB plant in the two-month period, three more than planned. According to the report, the majority of the heavy loads accessed the town by the Killimer Ferry. Of the 113 that used the west Clare ferry, 23 came across the estuary during the week beginning April 4.

As many as 1,200 deliveries are expected to the ESB multi-million euro building project, the majority of the deliveries currently going to the site.

A total of 244 deliveries were made to the site during the first three months of this year, with 286 forecast for the second three months.

The second half of the year should see a marked reduction in deliveries to the site according to the report, with the traffic decreasing further in the remaining 18 months of the project.

Barry Copley, chairman of the local residents’ group, The HGV Action Group, said, however, that not all lorries are following the traffic management plan set out as part of the Retrofits planning permission conditions.

“I can categorically state that they are not taking the route you say they are taking,” he told council officials, adding that children’s lives are being put at risk as the lorries speed through residential areas.

The Senior Executive Engineer reassured the residents that any driver not complying with the guidelines set down by the council and the ESB are held on site for 24 hours without their vehicle being unloaded. This penalises the haulage company and sends a clear message, he said.

He also told the meeting that all vehicles leaving the project are required to go right when they go out the gate.

THE lease for the decentralisation offices due to open in Kilrush in November has finally been signed, but the Office of Public Works is remaining tight-lipped as to its exact location.

It is, however, believed that the new offices are to be located in Cappa.

A third of the 50 Revenue Commission staff destined for the west Clare town are believed to be coming from Ennis, another third from Limerick and one third from Dublin.

So popular a location is Kilrush for Irish civil servants, the 50 positions could be filled twice over, according to west Clare politicians.

Welcoming the successful negotiation of the lease, Kilrush Senator Brendan Daly said, “The fact the assigned building is already there means decentralisation will take place quicker than anticipated and ahead of schedule.”

While other towns across the country, including Shannon have been struggling to encourage civil servants to relocate, Kilrush has never had a problem enticing the government staff west.

Shannon Development’s John Quinlivan said that he influx of civil servants to the town would encourage further service industries in the town.

“It will create a vibrancy in the town,” he told The Clare People .

Mr Quinlivan along with Kilrush Town Council’s Marketing Manager Siobhan Curran are members of the Integrated Shannon Decentralisation Network (ISDN) which was established in November 2000 to promote a joint approach to decentralisation by the towns of Kilrush, Listowel and Newcastle West.

The ISDN is a partnership between Shannon Development, Town Councils in Kilrush and Listowel and the Community Council in Newcastle West together with the area representatives of Limerick County Council and supported by the Chamber of Commerce in each town.

The group met with the Minister of State at the Department of Finance Tom Parlon last week to discuss the next step in the decentralisation programme.

The ISDN also facilitated a familiarisation trip for senior Revenue Staff and produced a guidebook on the services in each of the three towns, which was distributed to Revenue staff that expressed an interest in the towns.

The Minister and his officials confirmed that property solutions were complete in Kilrush and Listowel and leases had been signed on premises. A total of 50 staff would be operating from each of these offices in November 2006. A property had been purchased in Newcastle West and a contractor would be on site by autumn 2006.