Category: Uncategorized

THE picturesque twin towns of Kil- laloe and Ballina are getting ready to look their best ahead of the Fashion Weekend, which takes place from May 22-25.

In the inaugural hosting of what will be an annual event, the Killaloe- Ballina Fashion Week will showcase the sister towns as ideal shopping destinations.

Event organizers Ruth Vaughan, Lorraine Hassett and Grainne Cum- mins explained the aim of the fash- ion week is to showcase Killaloe and Ballina as “one-stop shopping and pampering destinations”’.

Ruth Vaughan explained, “This is a really special place and that’s very much recognised by the population explosion here over recent years, with so many people wanting to live

in and visit Killaloe-Ballina.”

“We are happy to say that not alone are we able to satisfy local fashion needs but so many people from out- side the towns are also now flocking here and availing of what’s on offer,” commented Lorraine Hassett.

Grainne Cummins said, “We just felt that considering we now have so much for people to come here and enjoy, not least in the fashion stakes, it was time to put structure around this by showcasing it all properly so that we maximise the potential of the eda oh

The Fashion Weekend will see participating businesses offering 1n- store promotions, discounts, beauty consultations and free draws, while there will also be face-painting for children (on Friday afternoon from 3- Spm). Participating businesses will display their involvement with

purple and pink balloons outside their premises.

Friday night will also play host to the Fashion and Fun event at The Lakeside Hotel, Killaloe. The evening, which will be built around a fashion show, commences with a champagne and canapés reception, with ladies getting the opportunity to visit the many stands.

Models from the Hilary Thompson Model Agency will display clothing and footwear from local boutiques. There will be prizes for best shoes – sponsored by Rockin Reptile – and also for the best dressed lady.

Ladies will also be treated to wine and finger food during the fashion show, followed by entertainment by Atomic Chicken. Tickets are €30, with raffle proceeds to Killaloe Playground. Champagne has been sponsored by Super Valu, the “Diva’

cocktails by The Lakeside Hotel and wines for the night are kindly spon- sored by Heaney’s Costcutter, Goos- ers Bar and Restaurant and Wines Direct.

Participating business in the Fash- ion Weekend are Lorbees Boutique, Cerise Shoe Boutique, Spirit, Kel – C – Kidz, Forme, Hotspot, Sweetie P’s, The Beauty Boutique, Greene Room, Fine Rags, Shoes 2 Choose, ML’s Hair Studio, Joanne’s Fashion House, Catwalk, Collins Pharmacy and Country Chic.

Anyone wishing to find out more about the event can contact organ- ising committee members Ruth Vaughan of Cerise Shoe Boutique on O61 374384 or 087 9386622; Lor- raine Hassett of Lorbees Boutique on 061 622966 or 087 8513867; or Grainne Commins of Kel – C – Kidz on 061 374429.

Bishop looks at controlling Communion expense

www.clarepeople.com

IRISH farmers are now firmly on election footing following the launch of the IFA’s election manifesto by Padraig Walshe last week. Mean- while, following the closing date for entering the EU Parliament race last Monday, candidates in the EU North Western area have also begun to court the farming vote in earnest.

The IFA will host a series of pub- lic meetings this week in each of the constituencies for the European Par- liament elections.

“The IFA Manifesto outlines the key policy issues on the IFA’s agenda for the European elections,” said Walshe.

“In the three constituencies, the IFA will be meeting candidates to discuss this agenda. Farmers and their families will make their judg- ment on polling day based on the re- sponses we get from the candidates and the political parties.

“For the dairy industry, price and market supports are necessary to sta- bilise dairy market prices and provide a viable income for milk producers. In the wider context, family farming must be protected by creating a floor under commodity markets and main- taining prices at sustainable levels.”

The IFA president said the Govern- ment must deliver immediately on its commitment to sheep farmers that the €29 million in unused CAP Sin-

gle Payment funds will be allocated to alleviate the sheep sector.

“The annual cost of the CAP is equivalent to less than €100 for each European citizen. This is a real value return to EU taxpayers,” said the IFA president.

Meanwhile, Fianna Fail’s Pat “The Cope” Gallagher has outlined his at- tention to protect the Common Agri- cultural Policy.

“If I am elected to the European Parliament, I will seek to protect EU financial transfers to Irish farm- ers under the Common Agricultural Policy,’ he said.

“As a result of the CAP Health check 2008 negotiations which were concluded last November, Irish

farmers, rural communities and the Irish food sector are receiving €1.8 billion a year under the CAP for each year between now and 2013.”

Sinn Féin EU candidate Padraig Mac Lochlainn met dairy farmers last week and called for urgent ac- tion to be taken to address the “scan- dal” of low prices paid to dairy farm- ers. “The farm gate price of milk is now just 22c which is around the same as it was 20 years ago,” said MacLochlainn.

“That is absolutely scandalous and clearly unsustainable. I have met with farmers throughout the North West constituency and they are quite rightly demanding a fair price for their product.”

THERE was a time when the Pope, JFK and De Valera graced the walls of Irish homes.

For Fianna Fail supporter Ethna Cleary her wall will soon be adorned with photos of more modern day politicians.

The native of Darragh has already a photo of herself and former Tainiste and current Minister for Health Mary Harney on the wall of her home close to the Kilmaley Daycare Centre.

This will soon include a picture with Taoiseach Brian Cowen who dropped into say hello during his visit to Kilmaley.

Ms Cleary, who had spent 40 years living in Dublin before returning to the assisted living houses in Kil- maley four years ago, was delighted with her visitor.

“T think I will put the picture of Brian Cowen above Mary Harney,” she said pointing to the wall.

“Although she was lovely too.”

Brian Cowen got a rousing wel- come to Kilmaley and the Daycare centre, which he admitted made a nice change to his week.

With the clients singing as he ap- proached, the Offaly man was in good spirits.

“When the contest 1s over after June 5 and we are all out trying to get our votes, when it is all over and you have made your decision, the job

for us all will be to work together and come behind whatever priority you have identified and make sure we make further progress in the months and years ahead,” he said.

‘And it is that spirit, that type of ap- proach and that positivity that may I say 1S a great antidote to what I have to listen to a lot of the time within the belt way. In the beltway, which is within the two mile radius of Dail Eireann, where everyone starts talking to each other and talking to themselves, and media people and they are all around and everyone is saying everything is very bad and we will never get out of this and we will all be in terrible trouble.”

‘I think really we need to see a bit of balance into the argument, and the balance in the argument is when you come down to communities like this that are getting on with their lives, getting on with building up their communities, getting on of course with contributing and quite rightly with critiquing us and having a go if necessary but doing it in the right spirit because at the end of the day even though I am an Offaly man we are on the same team.”

The Taoiseach also received a posi- tive reception in Shannon, at St Ca- main’s School.

The Leaving Cert Applied class, who were studying IT and spread sheets, were gracious enough not to offer any words of advice when it

came to accounting and the econo- my, despite the Taoiseach broaching the subject.

In Leaving Cert physics the topic quickly turned to hurling, as council

candidate and minor selector Eamon Fennessy spotted young hurler Kevin Lynch in the front seat.

All in all, press conferences aside, Brian Cowen’s visit to Clare was

sportingly positive.

Two councillors bow out of race

has learned that one last meeting of the current incar- nation of Clare County Council has been scheduled to take pace on June 8, three days after polling will take place for local election.

Counting for the local elections will take place on June 6 with a decision likely late on Saturday evening, June 6 or early on Sunday, June 7.

However, it 1s understood that all current member of Clare County

Council will be invited to attend the full council meeting scheduled for Monday, June 8.

Barring the unlikely situation that each sitting councillor going for re- election is returned, this will mean that some councillors will have the opportunity to make decisions, de- spite losing their mandate from the people.

Meanwhile, the May meeting of the local authority ended in a whimper last night as a host of motions were moved as several of councillors were not present to discuss their own mo- tions. At one stage it appeared that the meeting would not be able to maintain its quorum of nine coun- cillors and would have to be aban-

doned.

“It was the dying sting of an old council. The meeting was finished up early because all of the remaining motions had to be moved because the people who proposed were not there to discuss them,” said Cllr Christy Curtin (Ind) after proceedings were completed.

‘‘T suppose you would have to ques- tion the wisdom of having a meeting so close to election time. Most of the councillors had their main focus on the elections and were more inter- ested in getting out and canvassing,” he said.

The meeting was completed after just over an hour, with a large number of motions still up for discussion.

LAHINCH banker turned artist Michael Hanrahan will have the hon- our of being one of the first artists to exhibit paintings in the newly re- stored O’Brien’s Tower at the Cliffs of Moher.

Michael, along with Lisdoonvarna painter Doreen Drennan will pro- vide all the artwork for the official reopening of the historic building which takes place later this month. After holding a senior position with AIB for a number of years, Michael retired three years ago to explore a career in painting.

“The painting has really started to

take off in the last number of months. Jam now based full time at the Court- house Studio in Ennistymon which has been a great help and I have also developed my own web-page which is attracting a lot of people from abroad, America in particular, to my work,” said Michael.

‘“T have just finished a three months long exhibition with Doreen Dren- nan at the Cliffs of Moher and now that O’Brien’s Tower is reopening we were asked to put together a number of painting particularly to do with the Cliffs of Moher.

“It is a huge honour and I am ab- solutely thrilled. It 1s such an iconic building and it is very exciting to

be one of the first artists to exhibit in there. I have been working on a number of painting specifically for it over the last few months so I can’t wait.”

Michael first made his name as an artist by a number of successful ex- hibits in local art auctions.

“Painting is a tougher business than it was three or four years ago and people are looking for good value and things like art auctions are becoming more and more popular. Dolan’s Art Auction in Galway have been fantastic, they have sold more than 30 of my paintings over the last few months so it’s been a great suc- cess,” he said.

‘Also I have recently taken a real interest 1n painting scenes from the horse fair in Ennistymon. The horse fair takes place twice a year in En- nistymon and I have come across some great scenes from the fair including local people like Willie Daly.

“I have also been invited to take up a position as artist in resident in Roundstone in Galway, as well as an- other similar position in Kerry later in the year, which is a great honour for me.”

For more information check out www.imichaelhanrahan.net.

NO APPLICATION has been made for a taxi licence in County Clare WTA ore

According to the Commission for Taxi Regulation, the number of l- censed taxi plates remained at 196 at the end of April — the same as at the end of last December.

But there has been a decrease in the

number of hackney licences which dropped to 226 at the end of April from 237 at the end of 2008. There has also been a drop in the number of limousine plates from 46 at the end of 2008 to 41 at the end of April.

The only sector of the public li- censed vehicle business to show an increase was wheelchair accessible taxis which rose by one from 14 to 15 over the same period.

In all, the number of licences from public service vehicles has dropped from 503 to 488.

The figures show that while now having reached a plateau of 196, the number of taxi plates increased ten- fold since deregulation.

Prior to deregulation, the Ennis taxi market was one of the most re- stricted in the country resulting in exorbitant prices for one of the 20

taxi plates available. In a couple of instances, plates were sold for sums in excess of €100,000. It now costs only €6,250 to purchase a plate.

Director of Ennis-based firm, Bur- ren Taxis, Brendan Tuohy said yes- terday that the current situation is “a CN Riko uae

“If you are not a member of a com- pany like Burren Taxis and you are out on your own, it 1s very hard to

make a living. If a survey was taken of the 196 existing taxi licence hold- ers “you would find maybe a quar- ter that are not working, because the business isn’t there”.

He said that taxi drivers in Burren Taxis — which has 40 drivers — are working 70 hours a week.

Mr Tuohy added that vehicle stand- ards must be increased “as anyone can come in and be a taxi-driver”.

THE unique geology of the Burren will form the centre piece for a new festival which takes place in north Clare later this month. The Burren Rocks! festival, organised by the Ennistymon-based Burren Connect Project, will take place from May 25 to 31 in a variety of locations around north Clare.

Some highlights of the festival will include a rock identification day at the Burren Outdoor Education Cen- tre in Bellharbour on May 28 and a

caving trip, due to take place on Sat- urday, May 30,

A number of family focussed events are also taking place including a range of themed walks and illustrat- ed lectures. Many of the walks and lectures are crossover events linking the Burren’s geology to its flora, ar- chaeology and culture.

A landscape-themed art competi- tion for children and teens will also take place, culminating with the winning entries being displayed at the Burren Centre in Kilfenora. Chil- dren are also invited to help make a

sandcastle city on Fanore beach on Saturday, May 30.

“There 1s an amazing wealth of geology in the Burren but it is often hidden or overlooked,’ said geologist Dr Maria McNamara.

“The Burren Rocks! festival is a really fun way of celebrating and raising awareness of the Burren’s fantastic geology, and will hopefully become a major annual event in the Burren calendar.”

All events are free of charge and most do not require booking. For full programme details, see www.bur-

renconnect.ie/geopark/events.html. The programme is also available lo- cally at libraries, visitor centres and selected public noticeboards or for more information ring 065 7072295 or email info@burrenconnect.ie.

The Burren Connect Project was established in December 2007 with funding from the Failte Ireland De- velopment Scheme Fund, in part- nership with Clare County Council, Shannon Development, National Parks and Wildlife Service, National Monuments Service, Geological Sur- vey of Ireland and Burrenbeo.