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CAR-PARKING charges at Shannon Airport are now more than double those at Dublin Airport.

Local county councillor, Cllr Patri- cia McCarthy (Ind) has called on the Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) to review its charges. She made her call after it emerged that the Dublin Aiur- OLeummaUe Nee e AAO D.0n0 eel mB Lie OU (eer in response to a private competitor at Dublin Airport.

Last month, the SAA – which op- erates a monopoly at Shannon on car-parking – increased its long-term parking charges from €9 to €9.50.

However, in the past week, the DAA, which operates about 21,000 parking spaces at Dublin Airport, cut the price of long-term parking in half after private operator Quick-Park re- duced its charges.

Passengers who pre-book their spaces online can now park in the DAA’s long-term facilities for just €4.50 a day — the offer is open to a limited number of spaces. This com- pares with the normal rate of €9 a day at Dublin.

Short-term spaces can be booked for as little as €10 a day in Dublin, compared with a normal rate of €40 a day. In Shannon, the cost of car-

parking is €20 per day.

A spokeswoman for the SAA said yesterday that the authority has re- cently spent €800,000 on a new car-parking management system at Shannon to allow passengers to pre- book online. However, she said there is no timescale in which passengers will be able to book online.

Car park revenues have been a cash cow for the SAA over the past num- bers of years as passenger numbers soared in line with economic growth and charges to airlines dropped to at- tract new carriers.

The spokeswoman said there are no plans to reduce the car-parking charg-

es at Shannon. She pointed out that the long-term car-park at Shannon Airport is the most adjacent car-park at any of the three main airports.

Cllr McCarthy said yesterday, ‘People are finding the cost of park- ing at Shannon Airport prohibitive and some are parking in Shannon town rather than at the airport. The authority should review the charges because we don’t want them to be- come prohibitive.”

Last year, it emerged that the DAA earned €52 million in 2007 from its car parks in Dublin, Cork and Shan- non. This was roughly eight per cent of DAA’s overall turnover.

ENNIS Town Council have a big push on to get people on board to buy homes in an affordable housing scheme just weeks after it opened.

The three-bedroom affordable homes are for sale in the Westbourne Estate, Watery Road, Ennis, at €175,000.

The council is hoping to get would- be property owners to take up the offer for the knock-down price as quickly as possible.

“What makes these houses afforda- ble is that they are available at prices that are much lower than the market

value — that is what makes it an ‘af- fordable home’,” a release from the town council said.

It is possible to borrow up to 97 per cent of the purchase price of an af- fordable home, leaving the buyer to make up just the remaining three per cent.

The council is even advising which financial institutions are lending for the properties.

To qualify for an affordable home, buyers need to earn roughly from €30,000 for a single applicant and up to €60,000 on a joint application.

“These are the approximate limits only – lower and higher income lim-

its may apply,” the release said.

The properties ae being sold through Frank Cullinan at Paddy Browne and Co Real Estate Alliance at Woodquay, Ennis.

The latest official figures show that Clare County Council acquired 35 units of affordable housing in the period from January | to September 30.

In the same period, the local au- thority were in the process of acquir- ing 24 more units and were looking at proposals for four more.

During that time also, the council rented 133 homes under the social rental housing scheme and bought

12 more for rental. They were in the process of acquiring 250 more.

There were four homes completed under the voluntary and co-operative housing scheme, while 54 more were in progress at that time.

There was no housing processed under the voluntary and co-opera- tive housing capital loan and subsidy scheme in that period but the capital assistance scheme saw four homes aquired in Clare, 54 in progress and a start being made on 44 more.

The local authority completed 133 housing units in that time, aquired 12 more, started on 181 further units and were making progress on 252.

Concern over coaching

CLARE people from all over the county, and the country, gathered in Dublin’s City West at the week- end for the 72nd Fianna Fail Ard Witahe

One man with more than a passing interest in proceedings was former security garda to the late Taoiseach

Charles Haughey and Miltown Mal- bay man, Martin Vaughan.

The retired Garda is now the driver for Charles Haughey’s son and jun- ior Minister Sean Haughey.

A keen tug-of-war man and boxer, Mr Vaughan began working for the late Taoiseach in 1979, providing se- curity outside his family home.

During his long service, he got to

know the family well, later attend- ing family weddings and becoming a driver to a TD he knew since he was a Schoolboy.

The west Clare man also met his current boss’s grandfather, Sean Le- mass, while he was on duty during the official opening of the Tayto fac- tory in Coolock.

He recalled pleasant memories of

working for the Haughey family, particularly during Charles Haugh- ey’s time as Taoiseach.

“He was a friendly man. He would walk up and down the avenue talk- ing to us. You had to be on the ball though. A few people tried to come in, even the press,” he said with a smile.

The west Clare man is also well

known in tug-of-war circles in OE Iccr

He set up the first Comhairle team in Dublin, which won five All Ire- land Men’s titles.

He also coached the women’s team to 11 All Ireland Titles.

He was also the anchor on the garda team that won the world champion- ship in 1989.

CLARE soccer saw red on Sunday when referee Padraig Sutton refused to play the Premier Division tie be- tween Burren United and Lifford in Doolin, because both sides togged out wearing the same colour socks.

Red was the offending colour, as Sutton who is a League of Ireland referee called time on the game just before the tip off, much to the dismay of both sides. It brought to an end a strange week for the ever-eventful Clare League — a week that saw Tulla Utd allowed back into the Clare Cup after they had inadvertently fielded an illegal player in their second round win over Shannon Olympic.

Sutton was adhering to Football Association of Ireland rules when refusing to play the game with both sides wearing the same colour socks, but it provoked much disappointment from within the ranks of both Lifford and Burren United.

“It’s a new thing to me,” Burren United manager Donie Garrihy told

ROWAN ‘Tree Hostel located in the heart of Ennis will open its doors on the March 17, following an extensive two year re-development project.

The work involved a major resto- ration of the 17th century Georgian building; including preservation of the original hand carved wooden staircase, entrance pillars and main fireplace. In addition, an extension featuring 28 purpose-built rooms with ensuite facilities has been built.

The original building overlooking the River Fergus is one of the oldest buildings in Ennis and is of histori- cal significance. Built around 1740 it was the County Club for the lords and gentry of the land and the Bull Hall was used for lavish balls and occasions. In the 1940s it was used by the military as barracks. It then became the Club House Hotel and most recently operated as the Abbey Tourist Hostel.

Under the management of experi- enced hostellers, Brian O’Neill and Marianne Maurer, the hostel has a capacity for 140. With a variety of rooms including double, twin and multi-bedded dorms sleeping up to 14, Rowan Tree will appeal to both groups and individuals.

Guest facilities are brand new and include a fully equipped self-cater- ing kitchen, coffee shop, outdoor pa- tio, recreational lounges, television

and free WIFI and Internet access.

A licensed café bar on the premises will provide a relaxed setting for so- cialising and meeting guests.

“We are excited to be reopening a hostel in Ennis with all new modern facilities’, says Brian O’ Neill, Man- aging Director of Rowan Tree Hos- tel. “There is a real need for quality budget accommodation in Ennis and we are filling that gap by providing a friendly hostel that will appeal to a wide range of people including;

international backpackers, groups, families and the younger business person. Additionally, we will be cre- ating up to 20 jobs for people in the local area.”

Welcoming the new venture, Siob- han King, Shannon Development Tourism Officer for County Clare said, “Shannon Development is de- lighted to see the reopening of this much needed hostel accommoda- tion in Ennis, the gateway to County Clare. The new hostel will comple-

ment the existing variety of accom- modation in the county”

Beds start at €16 per night and include a free light breakfast. For more information visit www.row- antreehostel.ie.

SCOIL Mhuire Secondary School in Ennistymon was valued at just under €1 million when it was transferred to the state as part of the church sex abuse scandal in 2002, it was re- vealed last week.

While the transfer of a number of properties is yet to take place, it has now been revealed that the Sisters of Mercy struck a deal with the Depart- ment of Education to value the north Clare property at £980,000.

The school was one of a number of properties transferred to state control as part of a controversial deal with the 18 Irish religious orders involved in child sex-abuse scandals.

This agreement, which was one of the last pieces of legislation signed by former Minister of Education Michael Woods (FF), limited the li- ability of the religious orders to vic- tims of abuse to just €128 million.

However, it is now estimated that the total compensation to the victims of child abuse could run as high as €1.1 billion, leaving the tax payers to foot the bill for almost 90 per cent of the compensation.

The church organisations has com- mitted to handing over €66 million worth of properties, €52 million in cash and €10 million in counselling services under the €128 million in- demnity deal. To date however only 21 properties out of a total of 64 have been given transferred to the state.

Mantfacturing facility to change hands

THE world-famous London Sym- phony Chorus will make it first ever Irish appearance this year when they perform as special guests of the Lis- morahaun Singers in Ennistymon.

More than 200 singers and musi- cians from the London Symphony Chorus, the Lismorahaun Singers and the City of Dublin Concert Orchestra will perform Mozart’s ‘Great Mass in C Minor’ in honour of north Clare author and poet John O’ Donohue.

The author, who passed away in early 2008, was born just beside the townland of Lismourahaun in Lis- doonvarna and was the man respon- sible for naming the choir.

The concert also marks the tenth anniversary of the Lismorahaun NTIS ESE

“This is the London Symphony Chorus’ first ever visit to Ireland and they are not going to Dublin or Bel- fast or Cork or Limerick – they are coming to north Clare,” said Archie Simpson, founder of the Lismoura- haun Singers.

“They are so excited about the prospect of singing with us – about the prospect of performing with real people and in front of a real commu- nity. I think the fact that they have decided to make Ennistymon their first ever port of call says a lot about both choirs.”

The London Symphony Chorus is one of the world’s premier choral en- sembles and already has more than

100 recordings to its name.

The Lismorahaun Singers will wel- come back some of its most high- profile exports for this concert, in- cluding Naomi O’Connell who is currently studying at the Juilliard School of Music in New York and Peter O’Donohue, nephew of the late John O’Donohue.

“John has meant a lot to the choir personally over the years. He was al- ways So supportive of us and indeed it was him who first gave us our name,” continued Archie. “When we sang in the early days, we didn’t have a name but John invited us to sing at one of his Masses and introduced us as the Lismorahaun Singers. The name just stuck after that.”

The concert will take place on April 17 in the Church of Saint Michael in Ennistymon.

Tickets, at a cost of €40, will be available from March 6 at Scéal Eile in Ennis, Crosbies in Ennistymon, Jordans in Lisdoonvarna and Moon- eys in Ballyvaughan. For credit card bookings, contact the Burren Col- lege of Art in Ballyvaughan on 065 7077200.

THERE has been a wide welcome in Clare for the announcement that In- tel will create 134 new jobs over the next four years.

Junior Minister Tony Killeen TD has described Intel’s decision to in- vest €50 million in a major expan- sion at its Shannon Free Zone op- eration as a “major boost” for the mid-west region’s information and communication technology sector.

““Intel’s decision to invest further in its Shannon operations confirms the Free Zone’s position as the flagship location for international industry in this region,” he said.

The Clare TD noted that knowl- edge was now the key to competitive advantage in smart economies.

“Growing the level of Research and Development investment by new and existing multinationals in Ireland is a key Government priority. Intel’s investment gives very real meaning to our ambition to develop Ireland’s smart economy, and is a wonder- ful testament to the highly talented skills base at Intel Shannon.”

Deputy Joe Carey(FG) TD said, “This 1s a welcome announcement, following a series of difficult closures in the region over the past twelve months. These are the types of jobs which will sustain our economy in

the future. The announcement today hints at the region’s potential for fu- ture development.”

Deputy Pat Breen (FG) said that “it is now very important for the Government to refocus their atten- tion on investing in R&D projects”. Deputy Breen went on to say that “if we invest today, we will reap the benefits tomorrow” and he is urging the Government to provide the nec- essary resources to the Third Level Institutions in this region so that they can “continue the production line of science graduates”.

Attending the formal announce- ment, IBEC Director for the mid- west region Chris O’Donovan com-

mented,

‘This is a significant investment by a successful and ambitious company, which is among Ireland’s most 1m- portant business sectors.

“The announcement today, gives a clear signal that Ireland continues to have the skills and strengths re- quired to support global technology businesses.”

He added: “The expansion was secured by Shannon Development and I want to commend the agency for their efforts in this regard. Over 7,000 people are employed in over 100 companies at the Shannon Free Zone, which is managed by the De- velopment Agency.”