Category: Uncategorized

AY LMER’S Rest bar and restaurant, together with the award-winning Rose Cottage Guest House, is on the market with Leyden Auctioneers at €2.5 million (negotiable).

Located at the top of the Turnpike, close to the Limerick Road, the bar has been recently renovated and modernised to a high standard. Fea- tures include stained glass windows, flag floors and solid oak counter. It also encompasses an off-licence and has a good trade, serving bar food seven days a week.

Upstairs is ‘O’Donaills Restaurant’, which has been newly renovated. It is

a 50-seater restaurant with bar facili- ties and comes fully furnished. It is an ideal venue for private parties and functions.”

The characterful Rose Cottage, which has its own entrance, 1s situat- ed next door to the bar and restaurant and it comprises nine en-suite bed- rooms. It is well designed and main- tained and is in constant demand, by its loyal and regular clientele, as well as those holidaying or visiting the area. Together with the nine en- suite bedrooms, Rose Cottage also includes a spacious breakfast room, reception area and two luxury bed- rooms with feature baths.

There is a garden to the rear of

Aylmer’s Rest, with decking and a patio area, plus a separate smoking area.

In addition, there is a car parking area to the front and side of Aylmer’s Rest and Rose Cottage.

Occupying a 1.2 acre site, selling agents Leyden Auctioneers believe ‘‘Aylmer’s Rest and the adjacent Rose Cottage guest house offer excellent development potential”.

For further information, telephone 065 6820555

Bonuses for council top brass may be scrapped

DON’T be fooled by the four goals.

True, there was plenty of goalmouth action and those four goals but you could easily draw a line under things Neuse

All because, this was a dreadfully poor spectacle — the bite you’d asso- ciate with a cup tie at this advanced stage of the competition was sadly missing. Instead it was a tepid affair served up by two teams that certainly didn’t show their best.

Not that Lifford really cared at the end of this excruciatingly boring 90 minutes — they were full value for the win and if anything should have won by more as they closed to within one more win of a first Clare Cup final appearance in 33 years.

Both sides were understrength, but the loss of Stephen Hickey and Shane Daniels to the Rock Rovers cause was more keenly felt than Declan McMahon and Gary McNaboe’s ab- sence for Lifford.

Daniels’ commanding presence was badly missed in the centre of the defence while their attack was some- thing akin to a blunt instrument in the absence of Hickey, who has been scoring goals for fun all season.

It rendered Rock a pale shadow of the team that won an historic first Clare Cup title last season and meant that Lifford didn’t have to over-ex- tend themselves to cruise into the ETS me celtie

They were on their way as early as the fifth minute when the combative Roberto Pinto bustled his way from the edge of the area to the byline before centering for Ryan Boyle to sidefoot home the lead goal from eight yards.

It was as if Lifford were expecting an easy day of it after that opening

strike, because they subsequently sat

back on the lead and let Rock Rovers

come at them for a lot of the half. They didn’t pay the price for this

lax attitude, but should have. Rock could have had two penalties before Roberto Pinto made it 2-0 in the 42nd minute. In the 20th minute a

Lifford handball in their own area was waved away by referee — ten minutes later Brian Fitzpatrick was clearly obstructed in the area.

This rough justice on Rock was compounded when a clever flick-on by David McCarthy put Roberto in the clear and he made no mistake when beating Leonard Keane from six yards.

Any hopes of a Rock comeback ended 13 seconds into the second half when Leonard Keane spilled David McCarthy 25-yard yard effort into his own net. Game over, but the champions did at least make it inter- esting when Ashley Glynn finally forced the ball over the Lifford line after a five double-save from Mike elerliy

That said in the closing 15 min- utes David McCarthy’s penalty was save by Keane, while Ryan Boyle sidefooted wide with the goal at his mercy.

The final whistle couldn’t come quick enough.

Flynn in the firing line over ‘take over’

PENALTY shoot-outs rarely have fa- vourites but even in the tension, there were little signs that this was going to be Shannon Olympic’s day.

After Ray Quigley saw his spot kick saved by Rhine goalkeeper Ro- nan Gallagher, referee David McCa- rthy ordered the strike re-taken, for Gallagher’s movement off the line.

Quigley made no mistake at the second time of asking. With the score 4-4, Paul O’Connor stepped up for Olympic’s first sudden death penalty.

Again Gallagher saved. Or so it seemed. In pushing the ball clear, Gallagher was dealt a massive stroke of bad luck when it rebounded off his foot and trickled back into the net.

Seconds later David Collins thumped home before Olympic goal- ie Kieran McCarthy guessed cor- rectly to save from Enda Malone. We

had our winners, a mightily jubilant Olympic.

As cup-ties go, you couldn’t have asked for much more. In an action packed first half, Rhine scored early on before Olympic struck twice to lead 2-1.

In first half of injury time, Noel Donnellan felled David O’Brien in- side the box. Johnny O’Brien con- verted from the spot for his second ON alomee NYA

From there on Olympic had more clear chances than their opponents to win it. Rhine too had their moments and even had a goal rubbed out for handball in the closing stages of ex- tra time.

Second Division Rhine set the ball rolling when Johnny O’Brien thumped home from the edge of the area in the 10th minute. It didn’t take long for Olympic to respond with O’Connor’s terrific strike restoring parity.

Gallagher’s booming free kicks regularly located Rhine’s _ lively frontmen and caused plenty of prob- lems for Olympic’s back four.

But with Jason Regan and Don- nacha Kelly pulling the strings for Olympic, it was the Shannon side who edged ahead. Wayne Regan whipped in a terrific corner and Kelly rose to head home in the 32nd minute.

Rhine persevered and were reward- ed with an equaliser through Johnny O’Brien’s penalty. David O’Brien’s half volley shaved the post just after half time. At the other end, Gallagher did well to keep out Jason Regan. Ol- ympic had a better chance moments later when O’Connor’s shot bounced to Gallagher.

The last chance of normal time fell to Rhine’s Caimin O’Connor who pulled his shot just wide. O’Connor again went close for Olympic in the first half of extra time as did Ray

Quigley.

It was time for penalties. Johnny O’Brien and Jason Regan both netted before the tie was eventually settled in Olympic’s favour.

Rhine go back to chasing promo- tion. Olympic, well placed near the summit of division one with a cup Semi-final to come, can still dream of the double.

O’Curry’s made the long trip to a rain-soaked North Clare over the weekend and almost came away with the two points. In the end, they might have settled for a draw but with time running rapidly out on their chal- lenge and having missed a couple of chances to reel in St Breckan’s, O’Curry’s were presented with the chance to win the game.

In the final minute, Sean Haugh latched onto a ball close to goal. His shot was somehow kept out by Daniel Collins and his defence but in the en- suing confusion, O’Curry’s felt that they were entitled to a penalty kick.

Overall, though, referee John Han- nah was in control of proceedings at a wet and slippery Lisdoonvarna.

The conditions provided one of the main talking points in the game and playing with those conditions, St

Breckan’s set about creating a lead that would stand to them for the sec- ond-half.By the time they went in at the break, they had forged ahead into a three-point lead at O-5 to 0-2 and had done most of the running for the previous half hour.

O’Curry’s — who were missing influential midfielder Ger Quinlan — didn’t take that deficit lying down, however.

Thanks to some good work around

the middle of the field, they played themselves back into the game with Ollie Quinlan providing another di- mension going forward.

They had managed to limit St Bre- ckan’s to just two points over the sec- ond-half and had got back to within one point when Haugh had that shot on goal.

It didn’t ripple the net and O’Curry’s left North Clare without anything to show for the journey.

BOTH went into battle searching for their opening points of the campaign — in that regard both went home rela- tively happy as honours were shared in this Sunday afternoon encounter that saw the initiative ebb and flow both ways.

It was Kilrush who held all the aces in the first half when playing with the wind and at one stage they built up a commanding five-point lead, but a goal before half time and then an 1m- pressive second half display moved the Ennis side to win touching dis- tance of the two points.

They led by two points entering the final five minutes, but Kilrush de- served something from the game and hit back with late frees from man- of-the-match Alan Daly to secure a share of the spouls.

A point after three minutes of play from midfielder Donal O’Sullivan got the Shams off the mark — thereaf- ter they dominated and pinned Eire Og back into their own half for most of the 30 minutes.

The Townies did manage two breakaway points from __left-half- back Marty Whelan and corner for-

ward Darren O’Meara, but further Kilrush points from Alan Daly (2), Jim Young, Eoghan O’Kelly, Patrick Clancy and David Moran moved them 0-7 to 0-2 clear on the stroke of half-time.

There matters should have rested, but before half-time Tony Burke’s decision to play a ball that seemed to be going wide ended up with the concession of a penalty that Stephen Hickey, in his seasonal debut, ham-

mered to the net.

It gave the Townies a huge boost, something they built on in the second half as Darren O’Meara goal 13 min- utes into the second half to give them the lead. Alan Daly did knock over a

free for the Shams but two pointed frees from Stephen Hickey seemed to seal the points for the Townies en- tering the last five minutes.

That was until Alan Daly stepped up to get something for the Shams with two late frees, the second of which was the last kick of the game.

A 64-YEAR-OLD man has appeared in court, accused of eight alleged of- fences of a sexual nature.

The accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of six charges of indecently assaulting a fe- male in the 1980s. He is also facing one charge of sexually assaulting the female in 1991.

He is also charged with indecently assaulting a male in the 1980s.

Garda Donna Egan told Ennis Dis- trict Court last Friday that she arrested the accused that morning and charged him with the alleged offences.

Defending solicitor Gearoid Howard was granted free legal aid. Inspector Michael Gallagher said there would be no objection to bail for the accused and sought an adjournment until May, for preparation of the book of evi- dence. A number of conditions were attached to the bail, including that the accused surrender his passport and re- side at his current address. He was or- dered to notify the State if he changes address in the interim.

Mr Howard said that as his client was an elderly man, it was important that the matter be advanced as early as possible. Judge Joseph Mangan re- manded the accused on bail, to re-ap- pear in court in May.

Building hope and homes in Africa

SHERRY FitzGerald McMahon, have three superb family homes on their books in sought after residen- tial areas in Ennis, all priced under €210,000. These three properties have been greatly reduced in price, and represent exceptional value for money.

First up is No 36, An tSean Dun, this four bedroom property had been reduced in price by €62,000 and is now on the market at just €208,000.

An tSean Dun is located just off the Tulla Road, less than a few hundred metres from the Roslevan Shopping Centre, it is also very close to the En- nis By-Pass.

No 361s well situated within the de- velopment and is tastefully decorated to a good standard. The property of- fers very spacious, bright, well-pro- portioned family accommodation.

Features in this semi-detached home, include wooden _ floors throughout, red deal doors, skirting and architraves, a secure, walled-in, private rear garden with side access.

The accommodation comprises an entrance hall, living room, kitchen/

dining room, utility room, guest WC, all at ground floor level. Up- Stairs there are four bedrooms, one of which 1s en-suite, and there is also a well-fitted family bathroom.

No 15 Fergus Manor, on the market at €205,000, is a fantastic bargain. Fergus Manor is exceptionally well located just off Clonroad, approxi- mately 200 metres from Ennis Town Centre with generous open green ar- Cre

This low-density development is convenient to shops, schools, church- es and it is just a stone’s throw from Tesco, Dunnes Stores and Aldi. This is a three bedroomed semi-detached house, not overlooked to the rear that offers bright spacious family accom- modation and is in excellent condi- tion throughout.

There is a deck area to the rear, a walled-in garden, with a shed, and there 1s side access.

The house is extremely well main- tained. The bright,and the well-pre- sented accommodation consists of an entrance hall, guest WC, living room, kitchen/dining room, family bathroom and three bedrooms, one of which 1s en-suite.

Finally, located in Cappahard, off the Tulla Road, No 34 Fergus View, is a three-bedroomed (all en-suite) semi-detached property overlooking a large green area which fronts onto the River Fergus. The interior of this house has been finished to a high standard.

This property is presented for sale in excellent condition throughout. The accommodation is bright and well laid-out with modern internal finishes. It has gas fired central heat- ing, wooden flooring in the reception areas, a modern fitted kitchen and an attractive feature fireplace in the liv- ing room.

Within close proximity of the By- Pass, primary and secondary schools, shops and recreational facilities, this would make an ideal starter home or investment property.