Category: News

A MAN who was “caught red handed” with ten Rohypnol tablets claimed in court that he took them to come down off another drug.

Josef Duna (39), of Pineview Estate, Killarney, and who is originally from the Czech Republic, admitted possessing the Rohypnol tablets – commonly known as the date rape drug – and three wraps of speed, in Ennis, in July 2005.

The court was told the street value of the drugs was €110.

Defending solicitor, Tara Godfrey, said her client paid over money to the alleged supplier when gardaí arrived on the scene.

She said her client, a father-ofthree and a kitchen porter, moved to Ireland six years ago. He hadn’t taken drugs for five years before this incident and was not a regular drug user, she said. The solicitor pointed out that one of the uses for Rohypnol was for an acute sleep disorder.

“The speed he was found with is a particularly potent form of speed. The Rohypnol tablets were to come down off the speed,” she said.

She said her client was in a position to offer money to the court poorbox and that he was at a low risk of reoffending.

Judge Joseph Mangan adjourned the case, to allow for a professional report on drug and alcohol abuse to be carried out.

LONG serving Fianna Fáil politician Senator Brendan Daly has warned his Government colleagues that unless they address some of the ongoing contentious issues in the county, they can firmly rule out a third seat for the party in the next general election.

“I am concerned that issues not being dealt with by the Government would exacerbate an already contentious situation,” he said.

The west Clare Senator referred to the ongoing delays in securing an adequate sewerage scheme for Mullagh, Quilty and other smaller villages in west Clare, local concerns about the future of the accident and emergency department in Ennis General Hospital and the future of Shannon Airport.

“Unless there are serious commitments given on these issues the possibility of three seats in Clare is remote in the extreme,” he said.

The former minister, who did not make it onto the party ticket at last week’s convention, said he was now considering his future in politics.

He consulted with his local Comhairle Cheantar in Kilrush last evening on the issue. He is to take a few more days before announcing if he is available for the next election.

A spokesperson for the Fianna Fáil Party admitted that the four times minister and junior minister was the favourite to be added to the Clare ticket, along with Senator Timmy Dooley and Junior Minister Tony Killeen.

When asked by The Clare People if a contingency plan had been put in place to find a candidate should Senator Daly retire, the spokesperson said “it hasn’t been thought that far through”.

Just days before the Fianna Fáil convention, the party’s headquarters directed that the Clare delegates select just two candidates to represent the county in the General Election. The party would later add a third candidate.

Speaking following the convention, Junior Minister Tony Killeen reminded delegates that he was defeated at the last convention and was later added to the ticket by headquarters. He then went on to top the poll for the party in Clare.

Minister Killeen also admitted that a candidate was needed in West Clare. Having been selected on to the ticket on the first count, Senator Timmy Dooley told the convention delegates that “we have lost out in the last four years since Minister de Valera was taken from the cabinet table.”

He said it was critical for the party to return three seats if Clare was to have a representative in cabinet.

THE first phase of the new Cliffs of Moher Visitors’ Experience was officially opened by Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Tony Kileen last Friday. The €31.5 million project represents the biggest capital expenditure on a single tourism project ever in the history the county.

Phase one on the project incorporates some 300 metres of cliff edge pathways, viewing platforms and seating areas looking out over the cliffs facade and is now open to the public.

Opening the first phase, Minister Killeen was highly complementary of the work that has been done.

“I think it is fair to say that the project fully respects the natural environment of the Cliffs and is in keeping with the overall integrity of the site,” said the Minister.

The new viewing platform provides views from the Cliffs of Moher to Hags Head in the south, as well as the vista over Liscannor Bay. The platform, which is paved with Liscannor stone and faced with limestone, has been specially designed with multiple seating terraces to allow for visitor seating.

The existing cliff pathways have been extended to the south and a new raised platform allows views to the north towards O’Brien’s Tower and the Aran Islands. This platform also provides a vantage point to view Goat Island, the low grassy promontory below the tower, which is home to one of the largest puffin colonies in Ireland.

The cliff’s famous Liscannor slab walls have been restored and extended and the grassy areas outside the walls have been made into an ecological reconstruction. The cliff edge has been sanctioned a Special Area of Protection (SAP) under the European Union Birds and Habitats directives.

Ealls have been designed to make it more difficult for visitors to go out on the extreme cliff edge.

A SLIGHT rise in the levels of the parasite cryptosporidium present in the Ennis water supply has prompted Ennis Town Council to re-issue a warning over water usage.

The council has reissued the notice after tests revealed increased levels of cryptosporidium in the water supply servicing Ennis and its surrounding environs. A period of heavy rainfall is being blamed for the rise.

The council took the precautionary measure to remind members of the public that infants, pre-school children and immuno-compromised patients, should not drink the water.

“The notice is only a reminder there has been absolutely no change in the status,” said Ennis Town Engineer Tom Tiernan.

No cases of human crytosporidiosis have been notified to Ennis Town Council, or to the Health Services Executive. In July 2005, a notice was issued to all households stating Ennis Public Water Supply was considered a high-risk supply for Cryptosporidium presence.

A temporary water treatment plant for the town is expected to be completed by May, while tender documents for a permanent €13 million water treatment facility for Ennis recently received Departmental approval.

THE official leading the Cliffs of Moher visitor centre project has confirmed that the council is in talks with US-based business people in order to secure corporate sponsorship.

Ger Dollard expressed confidence that the talks, involving business people with Irish links and aimed at bridging the €4 million shortfall in the €31.5 million project, would bear fruit.

In spite of the shortfall, Mr Dollard expressed confidence that the centre would be completed on time and within budget.

However, the costs of visiting one of Ireland’s best known attractions is set to soar under a new pricing regime.

It will cost €8 per car and €60 per standard coach from next year when the centre becomes operational. Currently, it costs individuals €4 to park any vehicle.

Tourists face an additional charge of €4 per adult, for visiting the interpretative centre, while concession rates for groups, families, children and others will also apply.

When the centre opens next year, 94 people will be employed at peak season, including a team of 16 rangers to provide guided tours to visitors.

Last Friday, Junior Enterprise and Employment Minister, Tony Killeen, officially opened the the first phase of the project, consisting viewing platforms, 300 metres of cliff edge pathways and seating areas at the cliffs.

Mr Dollard also revealed that the council would accommodate buskers at the Cliffs.

“This must be a managed controlled way and we will be going through a process later in the year to seek expressions of interest to progress this,” he said.

According to Mr Dollard, the new charges would “reflect the vastly enhanced facilities both in and out of doors.” He described the new prices as “excellent value”.

“The original charging philosophy in which a single charge of €7 per head for access to all aspects of the visitor experience has been replaced with an alternative, more flexible approach.

“A visitor could spend up to two hours in the interpretative centre if they wished to do so, as well as an unlimited amount of time on the cliff edge and in the public areas of the visitor centre, plus the support of the rangers”.

Mr Dollard said that the new rates were comparable to other visitor attractions in the area, including Ailwee Cave, Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, the Burren Centre and Blarney Castle.

FOUR out of every five people arrested on suspicion of drink driving in Clare last year were convicted and put off the road.

The revelation that there was an 83 per cent conviction rate in Clare last year comes amid Garda warnings that people who drink and drive over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend will pay the price.

The number of people arrested on suspicion of drink driving in the county is continuing to rise.

Ninety people were arrested between January 1 and yesterday (Monday), which is a 23 per cent increase on the same period in 2005.

The head of the Traffic Corps in Clare, Inspector Kevin Moynihan said drink drivers were “likely to get caught and as likely to get convicted in court. An 83 per cent conviction rate is certainly one of the highest in the country.”

He said people appear to have slowed down behind the wheel in the past week, with the introduction of the additional 31 penalty points offences.

The Bank Holiday clampdown will kick off on Thursday night and will run through to Tuesday morning.

“There has been a marked decrease in speeding in the past week, but we are still warning drivers to take care this weekend. Don’t drink and drive and observe your speed,” he said.

“Towns, villages and licensed premises will be monitored,” he added.

A new unmarked vehicle, allocated to the Divisional Traffic Corps at the end of March, will be used to target drink drivers and those who are driving in an erratic manner.

Meanwhile, the Garda Traffic Corps in Ennis should be extended by June, while the new Traffic Corps, to be based in Killaloe, is also expected to be up and running by then.

Interviews for the positions will be held next week.

LAST week’s opening marks the first step towards the completion of the €31.5 million Cliffs of Moher Visitors’ Experience. The remaining phase, which includes a subterranean visitor centre building and further cliff edge works in the area of O’Brien’s Tower, is expected to be open early in 2007.

Along with the development of a new visitor centre, Clare County Council also envision the development of a comprehensive programme of visitor and education activities at the site.

A team of rangers will be employed to operate on the cliff edge and within the visitor centre building providing information, guiding and first aid, as well as providing a safety role.

Plans for a visitor centre at the Cliffs of Moher have been muted for many years. These plans were originally held up due to concerns over the environmental impact that a centre might have on the surrounding area.

With this resolved, an international competition was launched to design the new visitors centre. This was won by Cork based company Reddy/ O’Riordan/Staehli Architects. The contract to build the new centre was awarded to Rohcon Ltd.

However, the projects was further delayed due to a disagreement between Shannon Development and Clare County Council over what role each organisation would have with the development and management of the visitors centre. In more recent times the Cliffs of Moher Visitors’ Experience has met with controversy over attempts to prevent buskers and traders from operating at the cliffs. This situation is ongoing with Clare County Council stating their intention to go to the High Court to seek injunctions against traders.

THE world’s best Irish dancers have descended on Ennis for the annual All-Ireland and International Irish Dance Championships.

This is the fourth year that the championships organised by An Chomhdhail have visited Ennis and as usual the venue is the West County Hotel.

Ennis had previously been the venue in 2002, 2003 and 2004 with Dublin being the venue in 2005. Hundreds of competitors, parents and interested spectators have been circulating the Ennis venue since the competition kicked of in style on Sunday (April 9).

The seven day festival runs from April 9-16 with the concluding event taking place on Easter Sunday night. The event is a huge boost to the local economy with most local accommodation taken up.

This year there is a truly international field with competitors Ireland, England, Scotland, USA and Slovakia taking part. Mattew Donoghue, Chairperson of An Comhdhail said the event has been a major success do far.

“It been pretty hectic alright. There’s been dancers, parents, uncles, friends, cousins, aunts, granparents, everybody you could think of, has been around”

“Over 200 competitors will compete in the event. The people are really enjoying it and everybody is settling in after Sunday’s opening ceremony.

“Everything is going according to plan and as usual Ennis has been an excellent venue. So far we have had the five solo championships and the competition will finish with the senior championships next Sunday,” he added.

The event willl return to Ennis for 2007.

A 20-year-old carpenter from Whitegate was killed when he lost control of his car and hit a ditch on his way home from a night out in Scariff.

Ennis Coroner’s Court heard that Colin Worrall, of Knockbrack, Whitegate, died in the single car crash close to his home in the early hours of December 4 last.

A statement from Mr Worrall’s friend, Gearóid Treacy, who was travelling in the car with him at the time, was read out during his inquest at Ennis Coroner’s Court last week.

He said that he met the dead man in a pub in Whitegate at around 9.30pm, where they had a few drinks.

They later went to Scariff, via taxi, and ended up in a nightclub there. Afterwards they went to get a takeaway.

They waited for an hour for a taxi to Whitegate and then started walking out the Mountshannon road, where they got a lift.

The man who gave them the lift drove them to the pub where Colin had parked his car earlier.

The inquest was told that Colin wanted to get his car, a black Mitsubishi Lancer.

According to Gearóid, they got into the car and Colin was to drop Gearóid home, after 4am.

He said Colin was not driving fast. He hit a ditch and the car flipped over. He couldn’t see anything and called out Colin’s name.

According to the man who had given the two a lift, he offered to drive them home, but they “wouldn’t hear of it.”

Garda Joe McGlynn, who investigated the accident, said when he went to the scene, Colin was lying on his back and the car was on its roof. He said there was no sign of the deceased wearing a seatbelt.

He said the car hit a ditch and ended up 20 metres into the driveway of a newly constructed house.

The doctor who carried out the autopsy on Colin’s body in hospital told the inquest that he sustained multiple fractures of the skull, which contributed to his death.

Coroner Isobel O’Dea suggested a verdict of accidental death and the jury agreed.

“It was a very sad and unfortunate accident . . . two young men returning from a night out,” she said.

She extended her sympathy with the family of the deceased.

“It is a terrible shame. You were expecting Colin home from a night out and he tragically died,” said Ms O’Dea.

AS family and friends of murdered Ennistymon woman, Emer O’Loughlin, gathered for her first anniversary mass on Sunday, gardaí were continuing to investigate whether her killer was in the UK.

The 23-year-old art student was discovered burnt to death, close to Tubber, on the Clare/Galway border one year ago, last Saturday.

Despite an intensive Garda investigation, no-one has been charged for the Emer’s horrific death, in the caravan she shared with her boyfriend.

As he mourned his youngest daughter, Emer’s father Johnny said he had been through hell during the past 12 months.

“Emer was a lovely young girl. The man that did this – what sort of man would he have to be, I ask myself?” he said, in a weekend interview.

The young woman had studied art in Galway and just days before she was killed, was overjoyed to learn that she had been accepted into the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) in Dublin.

But Emer didn’t live to realise her lifelong dream. Instead her distraught family and friends have been left to try and come to terms with her brutal killing.

The chief suspect in the case, a Galway man in his 40s, disappeared some time after the murder.

His clothes and some personal belongings were found on the Aran Islands last April. But he hasn’t been seen since.

Detectives continue to suspect that he faked his own suicide by leaving his clothes on Dun Aengus cliff, in an effort to throw the them off the scent.

The team investigating the case have liaised with UK police, amid reports that the suspect was seen there.

A garda close to the investigation said while there was a possibility that the suspect was overseas, there was nothing to prove this.

“There is no evidence that he is dead or alive. The fact that his clothes were found close to the cliff edge suggests he fell over, or threw himself in. However there are suggestions that he is alive and well, living in the UK,” he said.