Category: News

A SENIOR garda has voiced his concerns after a violent feud flared to life inside an Ennis courtroom last week. Three men from the Ennis area had been ordered to pay compensation to a victim of criminal damage when one of the men demanded to be sent to jail instead.

“You can send me to jail, Judge. I won’t give her 10 cents. You can put me in jail now,” he said.

“She’s only put fuel in the fire. The feud’s only starting now”, he told the female victim.

Judge William Earley was passing sentence at Ennis District Court on Thursday after finding three men guilty of attacking a car while a religious ceremony was underway in Drumcliffe graveyard in March.

Judge Earley said it seemed to be the case that the woman who owned the car was a “victim of one of these wretched family feuds that are all too common in the Traveller community”. The violent attack may have been sparked by an ongoing feud between two Traveller families. The woman was not involved in the dispute, the court was told. Insults and abuse were hurled at the mother of two at the end of the hearing. A 41-year-old woman was arrested and charged for allegedly provoking a breach of the peace. Gardaí also had to be called to deal with disturbances that erupted outside the Courthouse.

Inspector Michael Gallagher, the prosecutor in the case, said he had never witnessed such scenes in a courtroom. Speaking afterwards, he said, “In my 30 years with the gardaí, I’ve never seen anything or heard anything like that. ”

A VICIOUS stabbing that left an Ennis woman in a critical condition has caused “tremendous difficulties” for the young victim, a court has heard.

Nicole Keane (23) was stabbed 22 times by her then friend Charlene Sherlock (23) during a frenzied assault in the grounds of the Holy Family Primary School in Ennis on April 13.

Ms Sherlock, with an address at Dromard, Lahinch Road, Ennis, attacked Ms Keane because she believed Ms Keane had been unfaithful to her then boyfriend Brendan Sherlock (20), who is Ms Sherlock’s brother. Ms Keane suffered slash and stab wounds to her neck, face and torso. She was rushed to hospital and received life-saving treatment in Cork. The horrific attack carried out by Ms Sherlock was captured on CCTV shown at Ennis Circuit Criminal Court last Monday.

Ms Keane was not present in court and declined to give a victim impact statement. Two days later Ms Keane, with an address at Bridge View, Roslevan, appeared at Ennis District Court where her solicitor outlined some of the effect the assault has had.

Ennis-based solicitor William Cahir said, “She was the victim of an unprovoked attack and it has set her back. It has caused tremendous difficulties for her,” he added.

Mr Cahir was speaking in court after Ms Keane pleaded guilty to two public order offences at the Summerhill area of Ennis on September 16, 2013. Inspector Michael Gallagher told the court gardaí received a call to go Summerhill.

He said they found Ms Keane and another person sitting on the ground drunk. The court heard Ms Keane was verbally abusive to gardaí.

Mr Cahir explained his client has been “a very bad alcoholic” since she was a teenager.

“More often than not she has been unable to conquer her demons,” he added. Mr Cahir said he was not offering Ms Keane’s problems as an excuse for her behaviour on September 16. Mr Cahir said his client would be a suitable candidate for community work. Judge Patrick Durcan said he had sympathy for Ms Keane.

He added, “Well done, Ms Keane, that you did live and you didn’t die. That’s the reality, you now know how close it is, the step between living and dying.”

Imposing a 120-hour community service order, Judge Durcan said, “It is not acceptable for someone to sit on the ground and tell gardaí to get lost.”

A DIRECTOR of a Kerry-based bus company has been fined in relation to an oil spill that led to multiple accidents and major tailbacks on the Limerick to Galway motorway earlier this year.

At Ennis District Court on Thursday, Patrick Kennedy, a Director of Kennedy Coaches, Main Street, Annascaul, Kerry, recived a € 250 fine.

Mr Kennedy denied a charge of having his coach in such a condition that would have rendered the vehicle dangerous to the public.

The charge arose from an incident that occurred on the motorway on February 1, 2013.

The driver of a Mercedes Benz bus bringing students from Tralee to Galway pulled over near Hurler’s Cross after noticing the oil spill.

He immediately contacted the owner who contacted Shannon gardaí, the court heard. The two-mile long slick shut the motorway and forced Gardaí to close a 10km stretch of road resulting in massive tailbacks.

There were five accidents as a result with one person injured. The oil slick occurred on the day of the Waterford Crystal hurling match between Clare and Cork. Many of the Cork players were delayed getting to the game in Sixmilebridge. Throw in was delayed by an hour for the match that Clare won.

Judge Earley convicted Mr Kennedy after PSV Inspector Garda Brendan Condon said the coach was not in good overall condition prior to the incident because of a serious defect in relation to its fuel tank that would have rendered the vehicle dangerous to the public.

Garda Condon told the court a bracket used to hold up the one of the fuel tanks had been fractured.

Judge Earley said that he accepts that Mr Kennedy “is a conscientious businessman and did his best to mitigate the difficulties that the defect in his coach caused”.

The judge said that he accepted there were substantial mitigating factors. The court heard the bus passed a safety test nine weeks prior to the incident.

The defect in the fuel tank was also subject of a recall by Mercedes Benz. In evidence Mr Kennedy told the court that he never received the letter informing him of the recall in September 2010.

A PLAY by campaigning Clare author Patricia Burke Brogan received it American’s premier last week.

Burke Brogan has been a leading campaigner in the movement to expose the hidden truth behind the Magdalene Laundries for more than two decades.

The Kildysart native’s 1992 play ‘Eclipse’ is one of the first major times in which the story of the women housed in the Magdalene Laundries was brought to light.

Her 2002 play, ‘Stained Glass at Samhain’, which also deal with the Magdalene Laundries received its American premier at the University of Colorado in Denver last week.

Burke Brogan was a novice, or a trainee nun, at the Galway’s Mercy convent before she decided to leave the Church. During her time at the convent she witnessed first hand the plight of the women housed in the laundries and dedicated much of her life to highlighting their struggle – long before it was common to do so.

‘Stained Glass at Samhain’, which premiered in Ireland in 2002, also deals with the Magdalene Laundries but, in contrast to ‘Eclipse’, it takes the view point of an elderly, compas- sionate nun.

This nun, Sr Luke returns from the dead to visit the site of a former convent and laundry during the Celtic feast of Samhain as the buildings are being demolished to make way for the ‘Celtic Tiger’ boom.

She shares her life story with the audience via a series of monologues, while also interacting with

the Church authorities, the

penitent women and the

young, progressive convent

chaplain.

Over the last 20 years,

‘Eclipsed’ has become

the definitive work on the

Magdelene Laundries and

was a major infleunce for

the 2002 feature film, ‘The

Magdalene Sisters’.

The play has been trans

lated into many languages

from French to Japanese,

and been performed all

over the world, with a new

production scheduled for

Peru next year.

SERIOUS concerns have been expressed over safety measures along the River Fergus.

At yesterday’s monthly meeting of Ennis Town Council, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) said she had been made aware that there was no way for a person who falls into the river to get out.

Cllr Howard said the issue had been highlighted to her on the night of a major search operation around the river earlier this month.

“It was brought to my attention that night, if you fall into the river by accident, you won’t get out of it”, she said.

Cllr Howard raised the issue of safe access in a motion tabled at the meeting. She asked if a health and safety report had been done in relation to current improvement works being carried out on the river between the Maid of Erin and Knox’s Bridge.

“Did this report refer to the safe ac- cess to and from the river at Woodquay / Parnell Street?” queried Cllr Howard. Ennis Town Engineer, Eamon O’Dea said the lower Fergus drainage scheme is an Office of Public Works Project.

Mr O’Dea continued, “An audit was carried out by Irish Water Safety on behalf of Ennis Town Council and this report was forwarded to the OPW in January 2013. Ennis Town Council dealt with all matters raised regarding lifebuoys and items within out control. The OPW design team are assessing the IWS audit.”

“The matter has been raised with the Lower Fergus Certified Drainage Scheme Steering Group in meetings with the Office of Public Works, Ennis Town Council and Clare County Council. I expect that the review of the IWS Audit and recommendations will be forwarded to the Office of Public Works for their consideration early next year,” added Mr O’Dea.

Town Manager Gerard Dollard told the meeting the Council would pursue the issue with the OPW.

Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) said while there was some merit to the proposal he said safety ladders and chains could be open to abuse and vandalism.

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said the proposal was very timely. “The river is moving at a greater speed since being corralled so there is a risk.”

Cllr Howard said there are serious concerns over safety along the river. “If a child falls in and you go in to save them then you can’t get out,” she said.

LIBRARIAN Seamus Ryan (Lab) has been chosen to contest the Ennis Electoral Area for the Labour party at next year’s local election.

Ryan, who was also re-elected to the National Executive of the Labour party over the weekend saw off the challenge on well-known disability rights campaigner Dermot Hayes to secure the nomination. Ryan, who works at the De Valera Library in Ennis, has identified the conversion of unused local authority properties to community use and funding alcohol-free locations for youth in Ennis as two of his key campaign elements.

“I intend to start campaigning this week,” he said.

“I will be focusing on a number of issues that will impact on familes.

“A number of local authorities properties will soon become available and I would like to see these premises to be put to good use and made available to not-for-profit organisations such as community childcare providers. Seamus secured his second election success of the week on Saturday when he was re-elected to the National Executive of the Labour party during at the Labour National Conference.

A CLARE company is set for a € 50 million global expansion next year, which could lead to an increase in production and employment at its Shannon headquarters.

Mincon Ltd, which was founded in Clare by Patrick and Mary Purcell in 1977, was valued at almost € 200 million after a successful floatation on the Irish stock market last week.

This floatation, which brought in € 50 million through new shareholders, launched the company at € 180 million – with the value of shares reaching € 197 million at one point.

A company spokesperson told The Clare People yesterday that the planned international acquisition will bring extra job security and possibly extra employment for it Shannon headquarters.

“The money raised has been earmarked for acquisitions outside of Ireland. What this will do is bring extra security to the manufacturing which is taking place in Shannon,” said the spokesperson.

“Everything that is manufactured in Shannon is used for the operations around the world so there is certainly potential that we will be more busy in Shannon.”

The Purcell family owned almost 80 per cent of the company prior the floatation. They have retained 57.7 per cent stake through their Kingsbell Company investment vehicle, which enables them to maintain control of the future direction of Mincon.

The family of the company’s chief executive, Kevin Barry, owned just under 20 per cent of Mincon through a company called Ballybell prior to the sale. Following the stockmarket entry, they now own 14.4 per cent of the company. Based on the new stock price, the Purcells’ stake is now valued in the region of € 110 million while the Barry family stake is worth more then € 28 million.

Mincon hit the headlines in 2010 when its drills played a crucial role in the successful rescue of 33 Chilean miners who became trapped nearly one kilometre underground.

A supplier of specialised drilling equipment, Mincon’s products have been used in some of the most remote regions of the world by firms engaged in mining, oil and gas exploration, as well as construction.

Before establishing Mincon, Patrick Purcell (77) worked as a fitter for the Air Corps and for De Beers [now Element Six], in Shannon.

A DISGRUNTLED Fianna Fáil met last evening (Monday) to select its candidates for the Ennis Municipal Area of the Clare County Council election.

After a weekend of threats to cancel the convention, withdraw local party support and even the nominees to withdraw their names, the vote went ahead with members still not informed as to how many candidates would be selected on the night.

Even the chairman of the party in Clare and the local director of elections were kept in the dark, as they cast their vote.

“All the talk about openness and transparency in a new era for the party, with the grass roots having their say must have been all forgotten; the first time it is tested it fails,” said one annoyed paid-up party members.

“It is like the bad old days, a dictatorship of some kind, with the members being denied their say,” added another.

At the 11th hour Fianna Fáil headquarters rescinded a threat to divide the Ennis area selection into smaller areas, after a backlash from senior members of the party executive in Clare.

Just two and a half hours prior to the start of voting, the local members of the party were in the dark as to which of the nine candidates they could vote for and indeed how many.

There were also talks of the Comhairle Dáil Cheantair (CDC) – the most senior members of the party in Clare – withdrawing from the process, and the possibility of candidates withdrawing their names still looming.

Early last week, a meeting between representatives of the party nationally and officers of the CDC had agreed the strategy for the selection conventions. It was agreed four candidates would be selected on the night with one to be added later, and each of the 184 Clare members getting a vote.

However, hours after the close of nominations on Friday, a new directive was sent to the Clare officers from the party’s head quarters stating that just three candidates were to be selected from the nine nominees on the night, and the selection process would possibly be divided into sub regions.

An emergency meeting was called with the conventions nominees, who include current member of the county council, and an agreement was reached that if this directive were forced through they too would withdraw.

By yesterday afternoon negotiations were ongoing between Clare’s CDC and Fianna Fáil head office as to how the convention would proceed.

One angered member of the party told The Clare People , “The ‘one person one vote’ format introduced by the party was just a way to keep us fundraising. By the looks of things we are back to the bad old days when we don’t get a say.”

Disgruntled members of the CDC had also agreed to withdraw from the selection process if the 11th hour new format was forced upon the Clare delegates and party members.

The nine candidates contesting the convention were Cllr Tom McNamara, Cllr Pat Daly, Cllr Brian Meaney, former Cllr Bernard “Bomber” Hanrahan, former mayor of Ennis Joe Reidy, former Sinn Fein member Joe Corbett, Clare Colleran Molloy, Eoin Neylon and Alan Considine.

Voting in the Fianna Fáil Selection convention for the Ennis Municipal area was not completed at time of going to press. The result will be available on www.clarepeople.com with a full report in next week’s edition.

TWO passenger planes had to delay landing in Shannon Airport after anti-war protestors made their way onto the main jet runway last year, a court has heard.

Margaretta D’Arcy (79) was lying down on the runway and Niall Farrell (60) was standing up when Shannon Airport police officers arrived to the runway at around 4pm on October 7, 2012. The pair were holding placards protesting against the alleged transport of US military drone aircraft through Shannon Airport.

Ms D’Arcy, with an address at St Bridget’s Place, Woodquay, Galway, and Mr Farrell, with an address at Ballynacloghy, Maree, Galway, denied the charge of interfering with the proper use of Shannon Airport by going on the runway without permission. The alleged offences are contrary to the Air Navigation and Transport Act. Both wore orange Guantanamo Bay style prison jumpsuits for the hearing.

Officer Joe Noonan told the court Airport Police received a call from supporters of the peace activists that Ms D’Arcy and Mr Farrell had made their way onto the runway.

Under cross-examination from Ms D’Arcy, airport police officer Richard Moloney said, “It was dangerous. It was a very dangerous situation. You were putting the lives of those people in the airplanes in danger.”

Air traffic controller Damien Egan told the court an Aer Lingus flight was held in the air for 17 minutes while a Ryanair flight was held for 12 minutes to allow gardaí and airport security time to escort the accused from the runway.

Ger O’Shea, Duty Sergeant with the Airport Police, said, “At no stage would I have given them authorization to enter the airfield.”

Ms D’Arcy and Mr Farrell admit being on the runway but denied interfering with the proper use of the airport.

Ms D’Arcy said she felt “compelled as an Irish citizen” to protest against the use of Shannon Airport by the US Military “I did not interfere with the proper use of the airport because it is not a proper airport,” she said

“My inner being, my soul is being destroyed by what is going on in Shannon” she said to a round of applause from a large group supporters in court who included Dáil TDs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly, who both gave evidence on behalf of Ms D’Arcy

On several occasions, Judge Patrick Durcan warned the accused they would not be allowed to use the court for political speeches.

Reading from a prepared statement, Mr Farrell said, “The Irish State is in denial concerning the US military’s activities in Shannon.”

The case was adjourned to tomorrow to Ennis District Court to fix a date for sentence.

CLARE Labour TD, Michael McNamara, has started bizarre war words with Clare County Council – accusing the local authority of specialising in threatening letters and bullying landowners.

Speaking in the Dáil last Wednesday, the East Clare TD even went as far as to suggest that Clare County Council were incapable of sending a letter which was not threatening. Deputy McNamara was speaking on the local authorities enforcement of the 1993 Roads Acts, law which was introduced by the last Labour government.

In a statement to