Category: News

A 17-YEAR-OLD youth who has been waiting several months to have a case against him heard in the District Court has opted to stay in jail for three weeks, rather than agree to strict bail terms.

The terms offered to the boy have led his solicitor to claim that Judge Joseph Mangan has attempted to limit “an individual’s behaviour under the guise the the Bail Act”.

The boy’s bail became an issue again last Wednesday after delays in other cases at Lisdoonvarna District Court meant the boy’s case was put back for another month. One prosecution took four hours.

The defendant’s solicitor and prosecuting Inspector Tom Kennedy agreed that the contested matter would take at least two and a half hours more.

They concurred that it would be too late in the day to begin the case last Wednesday.

When the youth reaappeared in court in Ennis earlier this month to have his case heard, the matter was further adjourned after other cases overran on the day.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was remanded in custody at Kilrush District Court on February 13 after he appeared on charges of breaching bail conditions, which included a 10pm curfew.

He faces five charges in all including assault and breaches of the Public Order Act.

At that hearing in Kilrush, the youth’s solicitor expressed concern that the court was engaging in a policy of “regulating an individual’s behaviour under the guise of the Bail Act” by imposing strict curfews on defendants. Mr Pat Enright, of Lees Solicitors Listowel, told Judge Joseph Mangan “I fail to see the point of making such orders”.

Mr Enright said he had no doubt that the court was entitled to impose such conditions, but asked that it reflect on the effects of such conditions.

Last Wednesday, Mr Enright applied to the court to have his client released on bail and to have previous bail conditions relaxed.

Inspector Tom Kennedy said if the State was to consent to bail, it would be under the same terms as previously imposed.

After consulting with his client, Mr Enright informed the court that the teenager would not accept those terms and would prefer to remain in custody.

Judge Mangan remanded the accused in custody to appear again in court next month.

THE Health Service Executive, Mid West Area has denied that anyone has suffered food poisoning as a result of eating meals from the catering department of an Ennis hospital.

The statement was in response to shocking revelations in last week’s edition of The Clare People about standards of catering at St. Joseph’s Geriatric Hospital.

An independent inspection of the hospital’s catering department uncovered a major food poisoning risk, caused by a service, which “falls short of the level of quality control desired”.

The report highlighted poor work practices including food being prepared far in advance, the primary cause of food poisoning. The HSE claims that the catering department is compliant with requirements.

“Over the last five years, over €560,000 has been expended on the upgrading of the main kitchen and ward kitchenettes at St. Joseph’s Hospital. This has included electrical upgrade works, a cooling system, general refurbishment and purchase of equipment”

The HSE spokesperson said that a review of policies, processes, and procedures in the catering department was conducted recently, in order to streamline the catering operation and create further efficiencies.

“This review was carried out with a view to preparing for the final phase of rationalisation of HSE catering services in Clare, which will involve the transfer of catering from Ennis General Hospital.”

IT is totally unacceptable that Clare County Council is proposing to increase development contributions on the builders of one-off homes in the county.

That is the view of the chair of the Council’s Special Policy Committee (SPC), Councillor Richard Nagle (FF).

He said that it already cost €10,000 alone for individuals to lodge planning applications arising from architecture fees and environmental specialists.

Cllr Nagle made his comment in response to a council document which stated that the development contributions to the council must be reviewed due to the increasing demand for projects such as road improvements, footpaths and lighting.

Currently, the council charges €3,570 per house in rural areas in the county and €4,330 per home in urban areas.

In the document circulated by the council, the Planning Authority is proposing a range of charges for houses with various square metres, rather than calculation by square metre over 200 square metres.

The council is also seeking to increase the rates for commercial and industrial developments “as the amount sought for funding of projects that road improvements, footpaths and public lighting are creating a greater demand than the present level of charge will provide.”

Cllr Nagle said, “It is totally unacceptable that charges on one-off homes would be further increased as those home-owners don’t have the benefit of footpaths or lighting.”

Cllr Nagle also said that the document including the proposed revisions should be circulated to all councillors to allow a debate to take place in the full council on the issue.

AN TAISCE has withdrawn its opposition to €1 million plans to transform the cottage of GAA founder Michael Cusack into a visitor attraction.

A spokeswoman for the Clare Association of An Taisce confirmed to The Clare People that An Taisce had now withdrawn its objection to the proposal after the developers made changes to the plan.

“We are happy that the plan is now more in keeping with the Burren and we have withdrawn our objection,” she said.

Last year, plans were lodged by Michael Cusack Development Co Ltd to develop an interpretative centre, including a multi-media interactive facility, a café, reception area and a resource room in the environs of the cottage.

However, An Taisce lodged a a strident objection against the plan.

“The locals have clearly shown that they do not want any obtrusive tourist development in the Burren Complex and the National Park and, as this lies in the middle of this unique landscape of the Burren, this would not be a welcome development”.

The National Trust pointed out that “no commercial development, including tourist development, is allowed under the zoning of this unique landscape, particularly land adjacent to the National Park and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) protected landscape.

Project leader, Martin O’Loghlen said that the promoters of the cottage were able to meet the concerns of An Taisce.

They are now racing to have the development in place for November of this year – the centenary of Michael Cusack’s death.

Carron man and chair of the Burren IFA, Michael Davoren said, “The people of Carron are 100 per cent behind the project.

“The design is not intrusive in any way and Michael Cusack is part of the heritage of Carron.”

Mr O’Loghlen said that the object of the plan was “to commemorate and celebrate a dynamic force in Irish society, create a unique and memorable participant experience for all and ensure a project that is distinct, sustainable and viable.”

Already, the bid to renovate the cottage has had a number of false starts over the years.

In 1976, Clare County Council adopted a motion to provide for the restoration of the Cusack homestead.

In association with the GAA and the Clare County Board, the council purchased the property for the purpose of commemorating the founder of the GAA in 1984.

THE number of arrests for public order offences in Clare over the St. Patrick’s bank holiday weekend was on a par with most other weekends, according to the gardaí.

Sixteen people were arrested for public order offences in the Clare Garda Division over the weekend, while gardaí also dealt with several other incidents.

In Ennis, a 14-year-old boy was left terrified after he was approached by two young men who demanded his wallet and money, in the Market area of the town, in the early hours of St. Patrick’s Day.

Two men were arrested and questioned, before being released without charge. A file is being prepared for the DPP.

On the same morning, the home of an elderly woman in the Hermitage area of Ennis was targeted by intruders.

The woman in her 80s was asleep at the time when entry was gained to her home.

“This was the most serious incident that happened over the weekend. Thankfully the woman wasn’t harmed. We are looking for anyone who saw anything suspicious between 1am and 10am to contact us,” said Superintendent John Kerin.

A pregnant woman was left in a distressed state when four windows and the front door of her home were smashed in the early hours of Saturday.

Paint was also thrown at the house, in the incident which happened at Cloughleigh, Ennis. Gardaí say they are following a number of lines of enquiry. However, no arrests have yet been made.

Meanwhile, four youngsters were arrested on suspicion of carrying out criminal damage to the gym at St. Flannan’s College, Ennis, early on Saturday morning. All four are due in court later this month.

Rocks were thrown through the windows of a car in the Waterpark Heights area of Ennis in the early hours of Sunday.

Nothing was taken.

A camera, binoculars, a sum of cash and tickets for the Munster’s Heineken Cup Quarter-Final next month were stolen from an office at Bunratty Folk Park on Sunday.

Investigating gardaí are viewing CCTV footage in an effort to solve the crime.

Meanwhile, gardaí are investigating a spate of vandalism in Miltown Malbay on Saturday evening.

Rocks were thrown through the windows of two cars that were parked on the town’s main street, while the window of a house on Flag Road was broken.

“There were big crowds around for St. Patrick’s Day and for the rugby, but around the county, people were generally well behaved,” said Supt Kerin.

UNIONS at Shannon Airport and Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) management are to meet for talks at the Labour Court this week over the Authority’s €30 million “survival plan” for the airport.

The DAA’s Director for Change, John Horgan confirmed to The Clare People that the two sides were to meet at the Labour Court next Friday.

“I would not expect the talks to last more than one day and the Labour Court would be expected to issue its recommendation in a number of weeks, so I’m hopeful that the workers at Shannon will be able to vote on the deal sometime in April,” said Mr Horgan.

All Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) workers are to benefit in the deal. Those workers who opt not to take voluntary redundancy and remain with the company are to also receive “substantial payments” from the DAA.

“I believe that the majority of workers will vote in favour of the deal. It is a very attractive offer,” said Mr Horgan.

“This has been the most frustrating industrial relations issue that I have ever been involved in.

“The unions know and we know that most of the workers will vote in favour of the deal and we have had many employees come to us directly to say that they are in favour of the package,” he said.

In a recent letter to union members, SIPTU’s National Industrial secretary, Mick Halpenny criticised the company’s plans to outsource.

“We have already advised the company that we will not be party to such an Irish Ferries type fiasco, and our steadfast opposition to the company’s outsourcing/displacement programme should come as no surprise to anyone and we offer no apologies for that.”

THE Fine Gael party has seen a 2,000 per cent increase in its membership in Shannon town in the past year, while membership has increased three-fold across the county.

The Shannon town branch has swollen to 21 and a half times its original size, from 24 to 516 in the run up to its election convention, which is pencilled in for mid-May.

Across the county, the party has increased to more than 2,400 members as the preparations continue for the one-member one-vote general election candidate selection process.

The new branch of Ennis Central, set up after the last General Election, has increased its figures by almost 600 per cent, growing from 23 members to 161. The second Fine Gael branch in the county town, Marie Connolly branch, increased its figures from 16 to 90, an increase of 460 per cent.

The membership in Kilrush town stood at 24 in 2005 and is now at 47, while Balynacally who had just over a dozen members in 2005 now has 124.

With the membership growing, the selection convention is estimated to attract at least 1,800 delegates.

It is now expected that sitting Fine Gael TD Pat Breen along with councillors Joe Carey, John Crowe, Tony Mulcahy and Madeleine Taylor Quinn will learn their fate on May 14, the weekend after the Fine Gael Ard Fhéis.

This date has not yet been confirmed officially, but all indications are that the convention will take place then.

There are currently 2,126 Clare adults registered with the Fine Gael party in Clare with approximately 300 young Fine Gael members also having a vote at the selection convention.

Last year, the party registered just 793 members in the Banner county.

The increase has been attributed to the party’s selection process.

Cllr John Crowe, who put his name forward for consideration in the run up to the 2002 election, said he was looking forward to the convention and just wanted a date to be set at this stage.

Cllr Joe Carey is also looking to the selection convention, saying the country needs a change in government.

“We need a new direction and new team for the Clare. I represent that new energetic, youthful approach,” said the youngest candidate in the running.

Cllr Mulcahy agreed new blood was welcome.

LITTLE Alanna Fox stands up on her seat. The two-year-old looks around her and smiles. She receives a cuddle from a relative. But Alanna is oblivious as to why she is in St. Mary’s Church, Feakle.

Alanna is surrounded by hundreds of people, who have turned out to mourn her four-year-old brother, Karl. While her parents Noel and Linda, her sister Claire and brothers Gavin and Philip mourn ‘playful’ Karl at the front of the church, little Alanna is cared for by relatives at the back of the church.

Karl’s little white coffin is placed to the front of the altar where Fr Michael Hogan is saying Mass of the Angels, in memory of a little boy who was taken from his family all too suddenly.

Mourners gaze at Karl’s smiling pose in the photograph which stands on his coffin and hear Fr Hogan speaking about the tragedy.

Fr Hogan speaks of Karl’s shortlived, but happy life. The sleepy village of Feakle became his home when his parents moved, under the Rural Resettlement programme, from Tallaght four years ago.

“All of us, gathered here in Feakle this March morning, have been brought together by young Karl. We too feel the pain and the darkness of your pain and intense grief,” he tells the Fox family.

“We are present here to acknowledge, honour and celebrate the short, but vibrant life of a young, smiling, adventurous, curious, loving and lovely boy, Karl Fox. Karl was a light who brought life and light to his parents, family and school friends. We are grateful to him for his warm, affectionate ways, his winning, trusting and mischievous smile which made him popular in and out of the school,” adds the priest.

“Karl loved life, loved cars, loved his tractor, his bike and his hurley and, dare I say, Karl loved his soothers! . . . He would ask questions of teachers and, even if the answers were not satisfactory, would continue to ask another question, or two, or three. He brought light and life wherever he was,” he adds.

Karl’s siblings play their role in the special mass. His sister Claire reads a prayer while his brothers Gavin and Philip bring the bread and wine to the altar.

As the little coffin is brought from the church to the hearse for his final journey to Dublin for cremation, you could hear a pin drop. Shock is mingled with anguish as the people of Feakle try to come to grips with the death of an innocent child. Parents try to explain to their little ones that Karl will not be back in school again. Schoolfriends of the Fox children line the streets of the village in a guard of honour. Mothers, fathers and children hold back the tears, before a chapter in the life of a little boy who will forever remain in the hearts of the people of Feakle is closed.

AN Ennis electrical services installation company has reached the latest international standard for quality management and quality assurance systems. Managing Director of RSEL, Ray Staunton and his team at the Clonroadmore Business Park have been presented with the ISO9001:2000 Quality Management System Certificate by Minister for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen.

“To reach this quality standard was tough – and at times even gruelling – but really worth it,” said Staunton.

“We are very proud here at RSEL as the award is indicative of the commitment and professionalism of the dedicated team that made it possible. At a practical level, it puts RSEL at the forefront of the electrical services industry and I am confident that it will tip the balance in our favour for future installation contracts,” he added.

Presenting the award Minister Killeen said, “ISO 9000 certification is rapidly becoming a must for any company as it is a harmonised European and international standard which opens up the international market through the identification of a quality registered company.”

Ray Staunton Electrical Ltd was established in 1991 and currently employs over 140 people throughout Munster and Connaught. Their head office is located at Clonroadmore Business Park in Ennis with another office at Dominick St in Galway.

Many of RSEL’s employees work in skilled positions ranging from commercial, financial, marketing and contract management, electrical services installation and apprenticeship.

Although the company’s primary geographic areas of operation are in Munster and Connaught, they have recently completed and are currently contracted to carry out a number of projects in Leinster.

RSEL has completed a range of electrical installation projects in education, health, office and residential sectors as well as in the hotel and leisure, industrial and retail areas. They also have completed contracts for the public sector.

CLARE writer Mary O’Donoghue has been shortlisted for the prestigious Francis MacManus Short Story for Radio Award, on RTÉ Radio One. The Boston-based author hails from Tubber and received the nomination for her radio play ‘Bumpwoman’.

She is one of 20 writers shortlisted for the prestigious award which carries with it a prize fund of €6,000 and is in its 20th year. In ‘Bumpwoman’, O’Donoghue takes an unusual slant on the notion of pregnancy.

“It deals with maternity but with a twist,” said Ms O’Donoghue. “It is a contemporary Irish work and its main protagonist is a woman. It is a light-hearted story and takes an unusual slant on the experience surrounding expectancy.”

While ‘Bumpwoman’ is set in rural Ireland, it is not based in Clare. Indeed, Mary admits that very little of her work is autobiographical and she prefers to look elsewhere when looking for inspiration.

“None of my stories are autobiographical. Many of them are rural, but they could be set anywhere in Ireland. In fact, I try to write as far away from my own experiences as possible,” said Mary.

“The tendency now is to read a lot of fiction as if it is autobiographical and, to be honest, I don’t find myself that interesting. In fact, in a lot of my writing, the main protagonist is a man.”

Mary attended NUI, Galway where she achieved a BA and Masters in Irish Studies. She later settled in Galway where she racked up a string of achievements in a very short space of time.

In 1998, she was awarded the Brendán Ui hEithir Bursary and in 2000 she was awarded the Sean Dunne Young Writer Award for her poetry and also won the Salmon Publication Prize, which led to the publication of her critically-acclaimed debut poetry collection ‘Tulle’ in 2001.

Also in 2001, she crossed over from poetry to fiction and won the Hennessy/Sunday Tribune First Fiction Award as well as the overall New Irish Writing Award for her short story ‘The Byre’.

That same year, Mary moved to Boston where she took up a teaching role in Babson College. Since then, she has continued to write and be published in various anthologies and journals across America.

In recent years, she has read all over America, including an appearance at the inaugural Boston Voices series in 2005 where she read with the likes of Dennis Lehane and Sue Miller.

In 2003, she received the Tyrone Guthrie/Virginia Centre for Creative Arts Fellowship.

While living in the US, Mary maintains strong links with home. She participated in the Cuirt International Festival in Galway and worked closely with Irish language poet Louis De Paor in translating his work.

The winners of this year’s Francis MacManus Award will be announced by RTÉ next Monday.