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SIX Clare solicitors, between them, received more than €650,000 through the criminal free legal aid scheme last year – and now a mem- ber of Clare County Council says the possibility of abolishing the scheme should be considered.

The six solicitors received €656,/58 in payments under the scheme in 2008. This was more than double the figure for the previous 12-month period, which was €295,859 for the same six solicitors who carry out a lot of work in the area of free legal aid.

However, Fine Gael councillor Tony Mulcahy said he feels very “strong- ly” about the scheme, through which more than €33 million was paid out to solicitors nationally last year.

He said that those who commit criminal offences should not be au- tomatically entitled to free legal aid.

“Tt should be stopped for once and for all. I think that by abolishing it, it may deter people from engaging in crime,’ said Cllr Mulcahy.

He said one possibility that could be considered is abolishing the scheme for courts higher than the district.

“We have people going to the dis- trict court, challenging it in the cir- cuit court and going all the way to the high court, all because they are on free legal aid,” he said.

“T’d have the free legal aid system limited to the district court and no access to the higher courts,’ he add-

ed.

However, he did accept that in some cases, criminal free legal aid was necessary. “You have to allow it for some form of justice to take place, but we have to call a halt. We have to stop this,’ he added.

Yet, he says that where huge amounts of evidence are available and a defendant is caught “red-hand- ed’, they should be denied free legal aid.

He said that where people are caught committing crime on CCTV cameras or where DNA has been proved, their cases should be dealt with by a means other than in court.

‘Some people are indefensible and

evidence is stacked against them. Going to court is costing the State millions. If there is massive evidence against a perpetrator but the case still has to go to court, why are we wasting so much time in court?” he asked.

“There could be a panel of judges to review a file, rather than waste so much time and balls of money and instead put the money into the reform of the prison system,” he added.

aE Kom or-Du eter Mm nares since the start of the year, five people have been arrested in the town, on suspicion of the possession of a knife or implement.

Superintendent John Scanlan said gardai are “taking a very strong view in relation to people caught carrying knives.

He said that while gardai have not encountered many such incidents, nevertheless they treat any case they come across very seriously.

“Young people should not be carry- ing knives for whatever reason what- soever. People inadvertently have knives for innocent reasons like work but they should not find their way into a social circle,’ said Supt Scanlan.

“Vd hope that people would not get into a situation where they have knives at their disposal. It is a crimi- nal offence to carry a knife or weap- on of any description without lawful ep. CON oma OLomnsy2 BLOM

‘They need to be left at home. We are going to take a very strong line on people carrying weapons in pub- lic places,” he said.

Speaking after John McGovern was jailed for six years last week for the manslaughter of 14-year-old Mr Doherty, the victim’s uncle Tom Sherlock said there was “no need for” knife crime.

“The only thing we hope would come from this is that no-one goes around the streets carrying a knife. There’s no need for it. Life is too pre- cious,’ said Mr Sherlock.

As he handed down the sentence,

the trial judge Mr Justice Paul Car- ney said that it was the experience of his court that those who carried knives ended up using them, with fa- tal consequences.

‘Possession of the knife in this case was not sinister in itself. It was a gift from his grandparents, which would have been useful on a farm, and which had been used innocently earlier to open bottles,” he said.

However, he said there was delib- eration, however brief, in McGovern taking it out of his pocket, open- ing it and using it to inflict the fatal ZO) UN NTC E

ALREADY 100 people have signed up to take a stroll in aid of the first of two very good causes in east Clare on Easter Monday.

The second sponsored outing, this time around the Kilkishen area in May, will give participants a chance to walk, jog, run or cycle also in aid of a cancer charity.

The second annual Broadford 10k, planned for Easter Monday, will start from Broadford Community Hall and tour the beautiful scenic route through Kilbane and back to the valley, with musical entertain- ment en-route.

The proceeds of the day will be split between the Mid Western Can- cer Foundation and the Broadford Parish Funds.

On Saturday night, a draw in Vaughan’s Bar for a jersey signed by the Munster Team and a pair of tick- ets for the match on Saturday gave a further boost to the parish funds.

“We have given out all 100 sponsor- ship cards now, so that’s an improve- ment on our first walk last year.

“Even then we had eighty people but this time, we’ve gone all out and put up posters all over east Clare so that is paying off,’ said Joanne Moloney, one of the organisers of the event.

“But we still want to raise as much money as we can, so people can come on the day and pay the €20 registra- tion fee or just make a donation if they don’t want to do the walk.”

Registration will take place from lpm in the community hall with the VCO ea ev mB0 brome 14 O00 8

The Mid Western Cancer Founda- tion was established to streamline donations to the Mid Western Cancer Centre. The money received helps to Support and improve services and facilities for patients suffering from cancer and their families.

It also endorses research which ul- timately will help future treatments for patients with cancer in the mid- west.

Meanwhile, plans are going ahead for the East Clare 12k in aid of the Irish Cancer Society, which partici- pants can enjoy on-foot or astride a saddle.

The East Clare 12k starts at noon on May 4 from Kilkishen GAA Club and wends its way to Craggaunowen, Cullane Wood, Cullane House, by Cullane Lake and back to the club- house in Kilkishen via the Tulla INCer: Tee

There will be prizes for the first four four men and women in the run- ners section plus lots of spot prizes.

The main sponsors of the event, the first East Clare 12k, are Lenmac Services.

For sponsorship cards and further

queries call 087 9691415.

Entry Fee is €10 or €5 for students. Family entry is €20, plus there’s a free ride back for tired limbs.

THE determined youngsters in the under 10s Mountshannon Celtic Soc- cer Team are back on track, having got themselves a mentor.

The club were delighted with the team, but were concerned that the mentor of another team was looking after the youngsters as well as his

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“We had a great bunch of lads playing at under 10 last season. Ow- ing to the dedication of Gary Dear, we managed to enter them in a few blitzes last season, but this was not entirely satisfactory as Gary has his own team to look after,’ a spokes- man for the club said.

But with the new season just start-

ed, the club sent out an appeal for help in the Scariff Newsletter and got a good response.

Now they are concentrating on the club’s ethos of player development above results, and are kicking off with a new season.

The under 11s and under 13s train on Tuesday while the under 15s take to the field on Wednesday, all ses-

sions at 6pm at the Scariff show- grounds.

The club is “delighted to have won the Fair Play Award for the behav- iour of our players and for the first time now we have four teams in the schoolboy soccer league,’ the spokesman said.

Last season, the club got to the fi- nals of the under 13s and under 14s

cup and came in as runners-up in the under 14 league.

They also now have several players with county teams.

Anyone who would like to know more or who thinks they might fan- cy a shot at ‘the beautiful game’ is welcome to come along and speak to mentors at the club training ses- sions.

PLANS by the Health Services Ex- ecutive to downgrade services at Ennis General Hospital will cut pa- tient safety “to the bone and perhaps cut safety beyond”, according to the Chairman of the Clare branch of the Irish College of General Practition- use

Dr Michael Harty was speaking in Ennis last Saturday at a protest against the planned removal of serv- ices from Ennis General Hospital.

Dr Harty told an estimated crowd of 3000 people that the argument for the provision of medical services in TRAE MICRO oKcemO IM stom IEC m ie ices should be centralised or whether most acute services should be pro- vided in “peripheral hospitals like Ennis and Nenagh”.

Dr Harty said, “This tiered system has worked very well in the past. But over the years Ennis and Nenagh have been systematically downgraded and undermined by a failure to develop the hospital in terms of staff and equipment, while at the same time concentrating development services in Limerick almost exclusively.”

“To minimise errors and mistakes, one has to practice safe and sensible medicine. And systems would be in place where there is sufficient safety to allow as complete safe and sensible care as possible. What is being pro- posed, by the transformation team, 1s to cut safety to the bone and perhaps cut safety beyond”, he said.

Consultant geriatrician at Nenagh General Hospital Dr Christine O’Malley said the HSE was going to “lock” Ennis General Hospital at night, after 24 accident and emer- gency services are withdrawn.

She said the HSE had deliberately deceived the public on the issue of patient numbers. Dr O’Malley told the crowd that the real night time attendance of patients at Ennis Gen- eral Hospital is 5,500 and at Nenagh General Hospital is 4000.

She said, “I know it is not going

to work, it can’t work. They haven’t got the ambulances they don’t have the beds in Limerick. They are go- ing to take your doctors away and leave nothing behind here and they don’t want you in Limerick. I’m sor- ry; I don’t know what to say to you. It can’t work, its not going to work, they are going to do it anyway”. Gerry Byrnes, a retired surgeon who worked at Ennis General Hos- pital for 27 years also doubted the capacity of the Midwestern Regional Hospital, Limerick to cope with in-

creased numbers of patients.

He told the crowd “If this planned change of the A&E in Ennis goes through, followed in July by taking acute surgery out of the hospital, I’m not sure that the infrastructure is there for Limerick to cope.”

GONE easier meee

CLARE tourism and development company Atlantis Developments Ltd racked up over €400,000 in losses for the year to the end of April last.

According to abridged accounts lodged with the Companies Office, Atlantis recorded a loss of €411,179 but as the information provided in abridged accounts do not show if this was an operating loss or as a result of an ongoing investment programme.

Managing Director, John Flana- gan declined to respond to emailed queries on the accounts preferring instead to arrange a meeting later this week to discuss the company’s operations. The other director named in the accounts is Gerard Lillis.

The accounts show that the com- pany has tangible assets valed at €2.68 million with net assets valed at £101,400.

There were accumulated profits of €512,577 in the company’s accounts in April 2007 and this dropped by over €400,000 to €101,398 by last April.

Since then, the economy has nose- dived, though it 1s not yet known what impact the onset of the recession has had on the company’s activities.

In recent years, Atlantis Develop- ment Ltd has been to the forefront of new tourism related developments in

north Clare and has run into opposi- tion from local residents for its plans in Liscannor and Doolin.

Next month, Clare County Council is due to rule on the company’s lat- est plan to construct five homes at Doolin along with outline planning permission for a supermarket, créche and medical centre.

A decision is also due shortly by An Bord Pleanala for plans for a park n’ ride facility to serve the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre at Liscannor and Doolin. Clare County Council granted planning permission to the developments last September but lo- cal residents have since lodged an ap-

peal to An Bord Pleanala.

The company is also awaiting a decision from An Bord Pleandala con- cerning the redevelopment of Joseph McHugh’s pub and Egan’s pub on Liscannor’s Main Street, which also ran into local opposition.

Atlantis was refused planning per- mission last August for a retirement home in Doolin, but was granted planning permission for a 20-bed- room extension to the Tirganean ho- oe

Elsewhere in north Clare, the com- pany is awaiting planning permission on a 55 home development in En- nistymon and a decision in relation

to the development of four homes in Doolin.

It is not known how much the ac- counts relate to existing businesses within the Atlantis Holiday Group such as the Smerwick Harbour Hotel in Dingle, County Kerry, the Cliffs of Moher Hotel in Liscannor and Ballyvara House in Doolin.

John Flanagan has also recently secured planning permission for the redevelopment of Ballykilty Manor near Quin to construct a hotel on the site.

THREE Clare-based organisations claimed three of the top prizes at the National Glor na nGael awards in Donegal at the weekend.

The Ennis-based An Clar as Gaeilge was awarded third place at the ceremony in Gaoth Dobhair.

The Shannon-based Club na Sionna Irish language group won the Herit- age Council Award while local sta- tion Clare FM won the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland award for the local commercial radio station that best promoted Irish in its broadcast- ing schedule.

Speaking after the presenta- tion, Breandan MacFhionnghaile, Oifigeach Forbartha An Clar as Gaeilge Teo, which co-ordinates the competition in Ennis, said that the award was a reflection of the work that was being done to promote Irish as part of everyday life.

“The response from so many com- munity groups and statutory organi- sation has been so positive and this reflects in the success we have had in the national competition in recent years” he said. “It 1s a tribute to the hard work of the many groups that are affiliated to and support the En- nis Glor na nGael Committee, this is a true community award,’ he con- LiKe (ere

The award for An Clar as Gaeilge caps a busy month for the organisa- tion and comes two years after it won the overall Glor na nGael national AMEN KOE

Seachtain na Gaeilge, which was launched back on March 2, was ex- tended to the end of the month to take in the Féile na hInse prizewin- ners concert, which was held in Cois na hAbhna on Sunday night last.

Club na Sionna won a Heritage Council Award worth €1,500 in recognition of the committee’s work on place-names and its publication ‘Know Your Place’, which has been so popular that it is now on its third print run.

The awards were presented jointly by Liam O Maolmhichil and Liam O Cuinneagain, Cathaoirligh of Foras na Gaeilge and Udaras na Gaeltachta respectively.

Speaking at the event, Glor na nGael director, Lorcan Mac Gabhann said, “I want to congratulate Club na Sion- na on receiving their award tonight –

a great recognition for the committee and for Shannon.”

Paul Moriarty, Controller of Pro- grammes in Clare FM, said he was proud to accept the BCI Award on behalf of the radio station.

“All the staff, in both management and presentation, worked hard togeth- er to achieve this award and it shows how a co-ordinated approach can be so successful and this is something we will continue to develop within Clare FM,” he said.

CLARE’S impressive start to the year finally reaped the deserved re- wards on Sunday but they had to dig deep before finally claiming their first points of the campaign. Admi- rable displays against Tipperary and Kilkenny yielded only moral victo- ries but this time, their hard work and perseverance paid off with a confidence-boosting win ahead of their senior championship return.

Far from being comfortable though, Clare’s good work in build- ing up a five point advantage by the 49th minute was almost undone in the final moments but a combina- tion of stubborn defending and some inspired goalkeeping from Denise Lynch meant that Clare held on for the narrowest of victories.

With neither side picking up any points in their opening two games, both sides would have fancied their chances of taking all the points here and it was Dublin who started bet- ter with Sarah Ryan having the ball in Clare’s net as early as the second minute.

It took six minutes for Clare to fi- nally get off the mark when the lively Carina Roseingrave palmed a point but it was cancelled out almost im- mediately by Alison Maguire and despite playing into the conditions, Dublin appeared sharper.

Clare though, true to recent form, finally settled and holding their op- ponents scoreless for the next 22 minutes, they hit 1-3 without reply with Claire Commane grabbing the

goal and Shonagh Enright, Carina Roseingrave and Sharon O’Loughlin adding points. It could have been more only for Dublin goalkeeper Eimear Butler, who produced an ex- cellent save to deny Deirdre Murphy in the 16th minute as Clare led by 1-4

to 1-2 at the break.

GENK cicoms re) asrureUhaptiMss(omelu hie ing seat but on the restart, three wides in aS many minutes frustrated them and gave Dublin hope, espe- cially when Joeleen Hoary pointed for in the 32nd minute. In a see-saw

period, a brace of points from Sha- ron McMahon sandwiched another Hoary score and goalkeeper Butler also denied Carina Roseingrave be- fore Shonagh Enright pushed Clare three points clear with a free at the turn of the final quarter.

Debutant Rachel Costelloe did reply with a point but Clare got a signifi- cant shot in the arm when a defensive lapse saw Carina Roseingrave pick up the break and grab a goal and now five clear with only eleven minutes remaining, Clare looked to be head- ing for a comfortable victory.

Instead, Clare failed to register an- other score as Dublin hit them with everything in their armory for the remainder. In the 54th minute, Clare had to twice clear off the line after a Niamh Taylor long free was dropped into the square but the Dubs finally made the breakthrough when Anne Griffin offloaded to Alison Maguire who made no mistake with a shot to the Clare net.

Clare were beginning to creak for the first time and Amy Murphy al- most took full advantage but Den- ise Lynch stood up to the effort to maintain Clare’s slender two point lead. Unperturbed by that set-back, Dublin continued to lay siege on the Clare goal and it almost earned them a full reprieve when Alison Maguire was brought down for an injury time penalty but Ciara Lucey’s effort was saved for a “45. Lucey did point in the 63rd minute but time was against them and a thoroughly relieved Clare held on for the one point victory.

While there were no knock-out

places at stake, it was still a signifi- cant result as a third successive defeat could have been a real set-back for Bertie Sherlock’s side. However, hav- ing ground out a much needed win, Clare can now approach the champi- onship with optimism and won’t be overawed by the tough challenges of last year’s All-Ireland senior finalists Galway, Limerick and Wexford.

KILMALEY are back in the final for the second successive year after finally seeing off the challenge of Whitegate on Saturday. However, in what was a repeat of last year’s semi- final, Kilmaley never had it easy and indeed were four points down mid- way through the second half after Michael Dooley had goaled for the east Clare side.

That Kilmaley finally prevailed was down to the contribution of Daire Keane, who for the second consecutive game, was inspirational for his side and managed to notch up 2-6 over the hour. With White- gate having the aid of the breeze in the first half, it took a spectacular Keane goal to pull his side level at 1- 3 to 0-6 at the break and again when things were looking bleak for Kilma- ley in the second half, he was there

again to flick to the net after getting on the end of a sideline cut into the area. That goal pushed Kilmaley two points ahead and further points from Eoin O’Malley and Michael O’Neill cemented the win and earned them a place in this year’s decider.