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THE NORTH Clare tourism sector will receive a boost this week with the news of a €1 million investment by Cliffs of Moher Cruises, which will create four new jobs in the lo- cality. The company is set to for- mally launch the Doolin Discovery which will allow for the creation of two new routes to and from the Aran Island.

According to Eugene Garrihy of the Cliffs of Moher tours, the new expansions will help attract more tourists to the Doolin area and help all businesses 1n north Clare.

‘The boat is called the Doolin Dis- covery and it is the sister ship to the boat we already operate, the Jack B. The boat will be used on the Aran Island’s routes as well as the Cliffs of Moher cruises. We are develop- ing the business; we have not gone to Inis Mor and Inis Meain before now, so these are two new routes that we are putting on because of the new boats,” he said .

‘As everyone knows all businesses in Clare, and north Clare in particu- lar, are going through a difficult time because of this recession. So I think that this is a welcome addition to the facilities that are on offer in north Clare for tourists. As well as that,

it is a substantial investment on our behalf so it shows that we are confi- dent that we can develop the business there more in the future.

“It’s a very difficult time for the tourism sector at the moment, espe- cially for the people who run hotels and bed and breakfasts. So it is all about an area being able to offer dif- ferent services to tourists. One of the big problems traditionally with tourism in north Clare is that a lot of people have traditionally gone from Kerry to Galway and bypassed a lot of north Clare.

“The Cliffs of Moher has done a lot to tackle that over the last number of years through the centre that they have build up there and the area is starting to hold more people over night. That is what we are hoping to do – even if it’s just a case of hold- ing people for one extra night in the area.

“Tt will also see the creation of four extra jobs in the area which is an ex- tra boost. The tourism businesses in north Clare are all linked together. We think that this will help other businesses in the area and we would be hopeful of getting support from the business community in the area as well.”

THREE prison officers ended up in hospital after a prisoner lashed out and attacked them, during a court sitting in Ennis on Thursday.

One sustained a broken arm and was bitten, another received head and shoulder injuries and was detained overnight in hospital, while a third sustained a badly swollen wrist.

The incident occurred after a pris- oner – in custody at Limerick prison – became irate when his solicitor was not present in court.

Daniel Darcy (30), of Tannery Wharf, Rathangan, Kildare, ap- peared in court on foot of a bench warrant that had been issued for his arrest on July 17 last year.

He is accused of assaulting Berna- dette Phiri, at Tullyvarraga, Shannon, on June 13 last. He is also charged with stealing a jeep at Ballymore Road, Naas, Co Kildare, on June 12.

He initially appeared before a spe-

cial court sitting in June last year but failed to appear the following month and a bench warrant was issued.

Solicitor Daragh Hassett told the court that the accused is represented by Limerick-based solicitor Chris Lynch. However he was not available to appear in court last Thursday and Mr Hassett was acting as agent.

As he was telling the court that the accused wanted to see a copy of statements in relation to the alleged offences, Darcy interrupted and de- manded that he be represented by Mr yee

“Don’t say any more. I’m waiting for my solicitor,” he shouted to the court. He told Judge Joseph Mangan that Mr Lynch was in the corridor and was on his way into the court- room.

The judge replied that it would take Mr Lynch about 15 seconds to get to the courtroom as the corridor was not a long one. He then moved on to the next case and Darcy was taken

from the packed courtroom by prison officers, amid commotion.

It took several prison officers and gardai to control Darcy, who was handcuffed, as he shouted outside the courtroom and later in the hold- ing cell downstairs.

At one stage, the roars on the corri- dor were so loud that Inspector Tom Kennedy suggested adjourning the court sitting until the noise abated, but Judge Mangan continued with the sitting.

This occurred around noon and the court was addressed by a prison of- ficer after the lunchbreak. Melissa Kiely told the court that the prisoner had become “extremely volatile” while being escorted from the court- room by three prison staff.

She said that one of the staff was bitten twice, another sustained an arm injury, while another received a wrist injury, when Darcy resisted be- ing removed from the courtroom.

She said she had contacted the pris-

on chief officer Pat Desmond, who instructed that the prisoner be held IMA NROOER

A specially trained control restraint team was dispatched to the court- house and transported him back to the jail.

‘He has a well-documented psychi- atric history and is currently receiv- ing treatment at Limerick prison,” she said.

Judge Mangan remanded him in custody for a week and said he ex- pects Mr Lynch to be in court on the adjourned date.

The judge later returned to the issue and asked why Mr Lynch was not in court. He was told he had commit- ments in Limerick. The judge stated, “I don’t for a moment want to con- done what happened but if Mr Lynch was here, things might have taken a CHS Rosle) Uso

Mr Hassett replied that Mr Lynch had arranged for consultations with his clients.

SOME of Clare’s leading business lights were in New Quay last week for a meeting of the Clare branch of Network Ireland.

The meeting, which allows local businesswomen to network and trade ideas, was hosted by Brid Fahy of Linnalla Ice Cream. Linnalla will be celebrating it’s third year in opera- tion in north Clare later this month, and to mark the celebrations it will be hosting its third annual free ice- cream day.

“We started making ice-cream here in July of 2006 so we are nearly three years there now. We decided to diversify from the farming. We still milk cows, most of the milk goes to the creamery but we keep some of it here for the ice-cream,” said Brid.

“We started off with about five fla- vours and now we are up to about 25. We use real fresh milk and cream and that is the basic ingredient – without them we would have nothing.”

The ice-cream is 100 per cent home made using milk from the Fahy’s own cows and local fruit and berries as flavouring whenever possible.

The ice-cream 1s available from the Linnalla shop in New Quay as well as being on a number of local restau- rant and hotel menus.

Recently Linnalla have also reached an agreement to be distribut- ed throughout the western seaboard with Keane’s Distributors in Ennis.

This year free ice-cream day in support of the Jack and Jill Founda- tion and takes place on June 14.

“When we started planning it last year the Burma Cyclone was af-

ter happening so we decided that it would be a very worthy cause. We contacted Trocaire who gave us a lot of information and on the day we had more than 1,000 people here and raised more than €2,000,”’ continued Brid.

“This year we will have some ab- seiling with the help of the Burren Outdoor Education Centre. Down here we had a ‘digging for gold com- petition’ for younger kids who can dig in our sandpit for some gold nug- gets and whoever finds a nugget gets a free tub of ice-cream.

“We will have donkey rides and other water games, milking the cow, bouncy castles – it’s all about having some fun. And having some free ice- cream of course.”

To learn more about Linnalla check out www.linnalla.com.

AN APPLICATION for free legal aid for an unemployed Ennis man has been deferred, to allow him to produce his unemployment card to a judge.

Bernie McDonagh, of Ashline, Kilrush Road, Ennis, is accused of engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour in Ennis last NW islel @

Garda Albert Hardiman told Shan- non District Court last Thursday that he arrested the accused at 3.30pm WereLmereh VA

Defending solicitor Daragh Hassett applied for free legal aid for his cli- ent, who is unemployed.

Judge Joseph Mangan then asked the accused if he owns a vehicle.

He told him that he owns a Volkswa- gen Polo, registered in 2000.

The judge then asked him for his unemployment card, but the accused told him he didn’t have it on him.

He was ordered to bring it to court on the next occasion and the applica- tion was deferred.

Bail was granted, with conditions attached, including that the accused abide by acurfew and stay away from the Waterpark area of Ennis.

He was also ordered to sign on at Ennis Garda Station every evening, except for tomorrow (Wednesday) evening, when he is due to attend his son’s wedding in Northern Ireland.

THIS east Clare derby failed to reach the heights one would have expect- ed and experienced had this been a straight knockout contest.

However, the pros and cons of the whole round robin system are for an- other day – this day was about Scar- iff’s three goals that simply tore the life out of O’Callaghan’s Mills’ spir- ited, but largely limited endeavours.

The first two came inside the open- ing 15 minutes and were as soft as the 2009 championship is likely to see, while the third 17 minutes into the second half finally killed off the Mills challenge.

Those goals hang over what was otherwise a tepid enough champi- onship affair that was punctuated far too often by Seanie McMahon’s whistle.

Rules are rules and very much part of the game, but at what price to the spectacle? In short, this 60 minutes was so stop-start in nature that a good game was rendered impossible.

It didn’t bother Scariff though – they got off to a flier thanks to Kenny McNamara’s goal inside 45 seconds and never really looked back.

The goal came via a long Barry Mc- Namara free that Damian O’Connell failed to control in the Mills goal, a failure that allowed Kenny McNa- mara scramble the sliotar over the

an sTen

The Mills never really recovered from this setback, while their task was made more mountainous in the 15th minute when Ross Horan’s 50-metre free against the breeze that hadn’t enough on it to clear the crossbar for a point was allowed drop tamely into the net on O’Connell’s near post.

This was the real hammer blow to the Mills’ challenge, especially after they had battled back from the open- ing goal to trail by only 1-4 to 0-4

prior to Horan’s strike.

Three Alan Duggan frees and a fine point from play by Adrian Flaherty had given them a real foothold only for them to surrender the initiative with that second soft goal.

When Jim Minogue added a point in the 17th minute to give Scariff a seven-point lead things suddenly looked very bleak for the Mills, but they rallied once more before half- time thanks to three more Alan Dug- gan frees and a brilliant solo effort from Patrick Donnellan to leave

themselves only 2-6 to O-8 in ar- rears.

With the wind to come the Mills certainly had a cause, especially when points by Alan Duggan and Adrian Flaherty inside five minutes of the re-start reduced the margin to two points.

It was a case of game on again, but it was also a real case of Scariff’s full-forward Kenny McNamara step- ping up to put in a virtuoso second half performance that helped Scariff nail the two points long before the finish of the hour.

It was McNamara who setttled Scar- iff nerves in the 40th minute with a fine point from play. His brother Bar- ry landed two long range frees by the 46th minute, while Patrick Moroney crowned his impressive contribution of 1-2 from play when he goaled in Noma OO

His points came in the first half – the goal came after he ghosted forward from the half-forward line to field a crossfield ball from Alfie Rodgers on the edge of the square and slam the sliotar to the net from 13 metres.

It was a procession from there on – in the closing ten minutes Kenny McNamara turned the screw with three great points from play, while Ross Horan chipped in with a couple of frees.

O’Callaghan’s Mills did raise a rip- ple of applause from their support-

ers in the 58th minute when Declan Donovan goaled, but it was nothing more than a consolation score as Scariff cruised to a very comfortable eight-point win.

Scariff can now look forward to a bye in the second round, while O’Callaghan’s Mills have a crunch tie against fellow first round losers Tulla.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL Protec- tion Agency (EPA) is to prosecute Clare county council for allowing water untreated for the parasite, cryptospordium into the Ennis water system over a five month period.

The council 1s accused of breaching an EPA directive preventing it from allowing water by-pass the new tem- porary treatment for cryptosporid- ium from May 1 to October 21 last year. The case is due to be heard at Ennis District Court on June 25.

Three young children fell il from cryptosporidium in February of last year prompting the EPA to issue the directive that all water going through the system be treated for cryptosporidium — a diarrheal dis- ease, which has symptoms including abdominal cramps, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and low grade fever.

A partial boil notice has remained in place for 30,000 residents since the initial outbreak in June 2005. Despite spending €3 million on a temporary treatment plant, the council was un- able to comply with the directive and up to 30 per cent of water in the public water supply continued to be untreat- ed for the bug last summer.

The council’s new €9 million treat- ment plant has failed initial tests de- laying the lifting of the partial boil notice until July at the earliest.

When the council adhered to the di- rective last July, the reservoirs were almost empty with some areas hav- ing water cut off to ensure supplies to the local hospital and water for the fire service was severely curtailed.

In a letter to the EPA last year, Council engineer, Tom Tiernan said the move to restore a proper supply by partially by-passing the filtration plant for crytosporidium was done in consultation with the EPA and HSE.

REMEDIAL works are underway at an aviation fuel farm at Shannon Airport, a court has heard.

This revelation emerged in the case where the operator of Shannon Air- port has admitted failing to take all necessary measures to limit the con- sequences of any major accident at the airport.

In January, lawyers for the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) entered a plea in the case taken by the Health and Safety Authority.

On that occasion, Stephen Cough- lan, BL, for the HSA told the court the charge arose from an inspection by HSA officers of the aviation fuel

farm at Shannon Airport on October PAUL ONE

“A bund was to be in place around the fuel tank but was not in place,’ he said. He said this was in breach of regulations.

An undertaking was given on that occasion that the issue would be ad- Cl eeKioeb

Paul Anthony McDermott, BL for the defendant, told Shannon District Court last Thursday that a contractor entered the site on April 20 last and the remedial works commenced sev- en days later. He said it is anticipated that the works will be completed by September.

The case was adjourned until Feb- ruary 2010.

The evolution of Clooney/Quin con- tinued on Friday evening, adding a new ruthless streak to their rapidly erowing arsenal to open the new campaign with a comprehensive vic- re ays

Learning from past mistakes has been a feature of Clooney/Quin’s de- velopment this year and with the ex- pected fire and brimstone from Smith O’Briens, who had lofty notions of their own this year, Clooney/Quin played this tie to perfection, soaking up the early pressure before gaining a decisive stranglehold on the game that they would never relinquish.

Granted, there was a large ele- ment of fortune to the two late first half goals that essentially turned this tie on it’s head and broke Smith O’Brien’s spirit but as Clooney/Quin learned the hard way last year, you make your own luck at this level and it’s just about grasping those op- portunities when they present them- selves.

All that was in sharp contrast to Smith O’Brien’s who seem to have learned very little from their two full seasons at the top level. The same old failings were evident and ship- ping their biggest defeat at this level couldn’t have come at a worse time for their confidence.

Peel back the skin of the thirteen

point winning margin and you will find that the game fundamentally hinged on the ten minute period before half-time. After a slow start, Clooney/Quin led by O-7 to 0-4 on the 20 minute mark but could have been pegged back when Shane O’Brien earned Smith O’Brien’s a penalty.

However, Liam Walsh’s 23rd minute effort was saved by a combination of Cillian Duggan and crossbar and while that setback wasn’t detrimen- tal, it was magnified soon afterwards as two injury time gifts of goals left them trailing by nine points at the usr e

They came in almost identical fash- ion, stemming from Cillian Duggan long frees, the first of which appeared to travel straight to the net while the latter got the deftest of flicks from Cathal Egan.

Half time couldn’t come soon enough for Smith O’Brien’s but if those goals signalled the beginning of the end, Martin Duggan’s 34th minute goal may as well have had the Grim Reaper operating the umpire’s green flag as it totally sucked the life out of the Killaloe side’s challenge. With only Seamus Gleeson, Liam Walsh and John Cusack willing to stand up, Smith O’Brien’s heads be- gan to drop and to compound mat- ters, they also found goalkeeper Ca- thal Hannon in defiant mood.

Clooney/Quin had no such lead- ership issues with Cillian Duggan, Enda Harrison, Fergal Lynch, and the unplayable Martin Duggan who had an impressive haul of 1-7 to his name, controlling matters.

It meant that they eased up to vic- tory, one which will give them a huge boost ahead of their long break until round three while on the flip side, nothing but a win against Corofin in round two will be good enough to save Smith O’Brien’s season.

DURING his first ever visit to Clare as Taoiseach yesterday (Monday), Brian Cowan received a vote of con- fidence from an unlikely quarter.

Fine Gael councillor and mayor of Clare, Clir Madeleine Taylor Quinn welcomed the political leader to Clare saying, “May I, on behalf of the people of Clare, welcome the Taoiseach Brian Cowan, whom I know is in a very difficult situation at the moment, but I have every con- fidence that he has the ability to do what is required to bring the nation and the country back on its feet.”

Despite opinion polls and Green Party calls for a redrawing of the programme for Government, a defi- ant Mr Cowan was rallying the party troops and speaking of winning con- trol of Clare County Council.

, and sponsored by Microsoft. Prizes were presented by the Taot-

seach and TG4 star Sile Ni Bhraon- ne

“The competition is open to all Leaving Cert students during the school year and there was a very good response last year. We are de- lighted with the interest being shown in the Irish language by students and the very high quality of the entries,” a spokeswoman for the competition said.

Speaking at the event, the Taoi- seach said he was very encouraged by the standard of Irish-writing tal- ent among young people.

Naming Eimear and the other con- testants individually he said their talents “give great hope for the lan-

guage in the future”’.

The annual overall prize went to Eibhlin Ni Fhionnlaoigh from the Brigidine Secondary School, Moun- trath, County Laois.

A spokeswoman said that staff and fellow-pupils of Eimear’s are “de- lighted for her and very proud of her achievement”.