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CITYJET is to double its capac- ity on the Shannon to Paris-Charles de Gaulle route. Transport Minister Noel Dempsey was in Shannon yes- terday to announce the new capacity and new departure times, linking up with 841 destinations.

Parent company, Air France will base its modern AVRO RJ85 aircraft in Shannon to serve the route. The aircraft will cater for 95 passengers in two classes.

Basing the aircraft in Shannon

means that the first flight will depart from Shannon earlier in the morning and the last flight will return to Shan- non later in the evening, offering a wider choice of connecting flights.

The Shannon to Paris-Charles De Gaulle flights will depart at 06.30 and 14.50 every day, arriving in Paris at 09.30 and 17.55, local time, while the Paris to Shannon flights will leave CDG at 11.00 and 18.45 local time, arriving in Shannon at 12.05 and 19.50.

Minister Dempsey said he very much welcomed the entrepreneurial approach

that CityJet and Air France have taken to ensure that the mid-west continues to have easy access to key European and international destinations.

Mr Geoffrey O’Byrne White, Cit- yJet’s chief executive, said that while this was a resounding vote of confi- dence on the part of Air France and CityJet for the hard-hit mid-west re- gion, the support of the community for this service was “vital for its sur- vival”.

Shannon Airport Director, Martin Moroney described the announce- ment as a major vote of confidence

and he called on industry and tour- ism in the mid-west to fully support it. “This is excellent news for the region as it significantly enhances one-stop connectivity options out of Shannon. We now have better access than ever to international markets from Shannon and, having fought so hard for this, we would call on the industry and tourism sectors here to take full advantage of it,” he said. Deputy Timmy Dooley said it will ‘be a boost to business in the region, providing excellent connection for business customers, despite the on- going global economic downturn. “It also shows that other interna- tional airlines view Shannon as a strategically important airport hub that is not just a destination in itself but that can also serve as a link to other flights travelling across the At- lantic and to other destinations.” Fine Gael’s Deputy Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Clare, TD Pat Breen has welcomed the news. He said, “This news 1s a vote of con- fidence in Shannon Airport and I am delighted that Cityjet has decided to follow up on their commitment to ex- pand and increase their services.” Vincent Cunnane, Chief Executive of Shannon Development, said the “development will bring significant opportunities to grow tourism and industrial business for the Shannon region and the west of Ireland.”

HISTORY in the making as St Caimin’s finally overcame Ard Scoil Ris at the second attempt to reach their first ever Harty Cup final. A ti- gerish display throughout ensured it was the Shannon side who advanced in Meelick on Sunday in a game that was low on scores but high on ten- sion.

In attempting to sum up Sunday’s game, one phrase said it all about St Caimin’s. As the players emerged for the second half, St Caimin’s cen- tre-back Kevin Lynch urged his side that ““Now is the time” and that apt philosophy was the main difference between the sides on Sunday. St Caimin’s appetite for the battle and refusal to allow Ard Scoil Ris any room to manoeuvre rather unnerved the Limerick side and it was obvious that St Caimin’s had done a lot of ex- tra homework since the drawn game.

As aresult, Ard Scoil Ris never re- motely reached the heights of their last three tough encounters against St Flannan’s and St Caimin’s and for long periods, this game somewhat passed them by. The majority of 50- SO balls were won by St Caimin’s who made up for their obvious physi- cal disadvantage by blocking, hook- ing and making life generally dif- ficult for the Limerick side and that perseverence is why St Caimin’s de- servedly prevailed.

In the first meeting between this pair, the Shannon side got off to a blistering start and again that was the formula for success here. In fact, within the first minute, they were awarded a penalty after Alan Mul- ready picked out the unmarked Sean Hynan in front of goal and goalkeep- er PJ Hall had no choice but to bring him down though Patrick Sheehan’s penalty was stopped by Shane Dowl- ing.

That frentic start set the tone for the afternoon but it was to take six min- utes for the opening score through Alan Mulready and the Sixmileb- ridge man was also involved in the second score as he set up fellow club- mate Timmy Crowe to double their lead by the 10th minute.

In contrast, Ard Scoil Ris hit four wides in the same period and in fact, took sixteen minutes to finally grab

their first score through a Kevin Downes free. St Caimin’s however, were backed by a strong breeze and made that advantage count in the final ten minutes of the half, with Patrick Sheehan assuredly convert- ing four frees, with the only reply a similar Downes effort that left the half-time score 0-6 to 0-2.

Ard Scoil Ris had yet to settle but aided by the wind, they threw the game wide open after the restart with a Superb opportunist goal from Kevin Downes. A lofty Conor Ryan lineball from just inside the St Caimin’s half was gathered by Downes who made half a yard for himself before strik-

ing a pin-point shot into the right corner of the net.

Momentum was now firmly with the Limerick side but credit St Caimin’s for digging in and refusing to lie down. They did ride their luck a little as Ard Scoil Ris piled on the pressure in search of an equalising point but four successive wides from the Limerick side including a near miss for goal after James O’Brien got a deft flick to a Declan Hannon long ball, kept St Caimin’s in front.

They weathered the storm though and with Lynch’s words perhaps still ringing in their ears, they did seize the moment, hitting three successive

points to restore their four point lead. Two well-worked scores from Padra- ic Collins and a John Guilfoyle point put the Clare side 0-9 to 1-2 ahead by the 49th minute but Ard Scoil Ris were not finished yet and after Dec- lan Hannon converted a 65, substi- tute Jamie Shanahan burst through on goal but had his shot tipped over the bar by goalkeeper Tommy Grit- neon

Now only trailing by two, Ard Scoil Ris upped the ante and St Caimin’s had Griffin again to thank for keeping out a Brendan O’Connor pull in the 52nd minute. Some great defending from Enda Byoce in par-

ticular kept St Caimin’s heads above water and as Ard Scoil Ris became more desperate and pushed players forward, the Shannon side cleverly picked them off on the break.

In the 54th minute, the ball broke inside the Ard Scoil Ris half where Timmy Crowe and his marker To- mas Nolan were isolated and when Crowe won the race to the ball, No- lan had no option but to pull him down, receiving his second yellow as Sheehan easily converted the free. A similar incident only minutes later involving Padraic Collins and goal- keeper PJ Hall saw Sheehan hit the insurance point for St Caimin’s and create history for the emerging side to reach their first ever Harty decider. The reward for the Shannon school is a clash with Thurles CBS in Nenagh on March 8, a repeat of their first round clash in which the Tipperary side came out on top. However, after coming through these two bruising encounters St Caimin’s won’t fear their more illustrious opponents in their determined charge for success.

DESPITE the ever increasing scourge of drugs among young peo- ple, the Killaloe area has just one addiction counsellor who is paid to spend just one hour with one client a week.

The Killaloe/Ballina Family Re- source Centre gets funding for the hour of counselling but it is totally inadequate to deal with the problem, Tracey Doyle, a community worker FMW Oet tA KoMESY- BLOM

The resource centre offers counc- selling services from a voluntary councillor and a student counsellor but their paid counsellor is funded for just one hour per week by the Department of Family Affairs.

‘Addiction is affecting young peo- ple of about 15 upwards but we have to rely on the counsellors’ good will to give us hours for free. Otherwise we would not be able to offer any level of service,” said Tracey.

Other counsellors offer their time voluntarily, but don’t have the spe- cific qualification needed to counsel addicts.

“We don’t have figures for the number of people who are suffering addiction in the area but the numbers who are caught in possession are high, so considering the number who

aren’t caught, that’s a big figure.”

In her work with the Family Re- source Centre, Tracey makes contact with families when youngsters fall foul of the law because of drugs.

“We also talk to the probation and welfare officer in the court and we had considered putting it out to the judges that this service is avail- able but we couldn’t do it. We’d be swamped.”

Other areas that are not covered by counsellors with the specific quali- fications are domestic violence and child abuse.

“We’re hoping to make a very strong case for increased funding for the service for next year but, in the meantime, we have to play on the goodwill of our counsellors, who give a lot,” said Tracey.

And the need extends beyond Kil- laloe, the community worker pointed out.

“Go down the road to Scariff and there is no addiction counsellor at all. Yes, people have the option of going private but what happens to people when families can’t afford a private counsellor?”

The Killaloe/Ballina Family Re- source Centre is now up and running in its new premises on Main Street in Killaloe and counselling and other activities are going ahead again.

A TWO-YEAR Clare bid to ensure seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong travels to Ireland paid off yesterday when it was offi- cially confirmed that the Texan will take part in the Tour of Ireland in PaUUaU ee

It comes on the back of a long cam- paign by Clare hurler Tony Griffin to entice Armstrong, one of the most recognisable faces in global sports, to the country.

Almost two-years to the day that Griffin firet visited Armstrong at his home outside Austin, Texas, and first suggested the trip to Ireland, the cy- clist has confirmed that it will hap- pen later this year.

It’s also highly likely that Griffin will play a major part in Armstrong’s visit as at present, Griffin is in the final stages of establishing a unique Irish company that will cater for the training and logistical requirements for amateur and elite athletes and teams visiting Ireland.

“It’s highly possible that Lance

Armstrong will be one of the first clients of the company and we will have a professional attachment to his visit” Griffin said yesterday, “but at the moment, we’re just apprecia- tive that he’s coming to Ireland in the summer. It’s a huge coup for the country in general.

“T have been in regular contact with him since we first met in 2007 and over a series of emails, it was be- coming ever more clear to me that he was, at last, going to come to Ireland. Not only will it raise the profile of cycling in this country, it will help in this country’s fight against cancer.”

Griffin’s relationship with Arm- strong goes back to his cycle across Canada, which raised funds for can- cer research, €400,000 of which go- ing to Livestrong, Armstrong’s own charity which also seeks to battle cancer.

Four weeks ago, Griffin met with the Livestrong Chief of Staff, Mor- gan Binswanger, at a private meeting in Dublin and at that stage, it was be- coming clear Armstrong would take part in the Tour of Ireland.

“Lance is going to use the Tour of Ireland as a launching pad for a ma- jor event, the first Livestrong Global Cancer Summit, which takes place in Dublin. Ireland overcame a strong bid from France to secure Dublin as the location for this and I remember speaking to Lance on the first day we met and him saying he was delighted we had led the way in fighting can- cer by banning smoking in public places.”

€19,000 award for toddlers tumble

AS both sets of players warmed down on Cusack Park on Sunday, Clare manager Mike McNamara and selector Alan Cunningham stood in a huddle in front of the dug-outs. There were no visible signs of head- scratching but there was no doubt that they were picking through the bones of their second successive league defeat.

Clare were puzzlingly sluggish and were made to look distinctly average against a Somewhat expermental Wa- terford side. It was a weariness akin to a veteran boxer on the ropes and as Mike McNamara embraced the wait- ing media, he didn’t pull any punches either.

“What can you say after watching that? Waterford were much sharper and much hungrier and obviously had a bit of homework done. I sup- pose they really caught us napping. There are no excuses for a perform- ance like that, it was below par and not what you’d expect in your own home grounds.”

Neither was he willing to fall back on any alibis for his side’s display.

“IT suppose we lost a lot of last week’s team. We lost Carmody, Con- lon, and Gerry Quinn yesterday in a training ground accident so if we were looking for excuses, maybe that would be it. But we are not looking for excuses and we have to knuckle down now and have a look at the

rest of the league and make sure that we get some points fast. We go to Thurles next and it is not the easiest place in the world to get them (Tip- perary) but we will go there looking for a win and see can we lift our sea- son. Realistically there is no excuse for it – it was a bad performance, a poor performance all-round.”

Murmurs of a stringent two hour training the day before were also dis- missed by McNamara as justification for the seven point defeat.

“We did a two hour session yes- terday as well as Thursday and Wednesday. But that really wouldn’t have been an excuse for a lacklustre performance like that in front of your own crowd.

“It would be something that every team is doing so I’m aware that we have to look a bit further ahead. | suppose if there is some brightness from today it’s that the full-back line were solid all the way through. Our middle eight struggled to make any headway but you must remember that Waterford were in last year’s All-Ire- land final and while they may not have acquitted themselves as they would have liked, they are still All- Ireland finalists, although we looked a bit light as well.”

Can he pinpoint the reason for the lethargy and lack of spark currently enveloping his side?

“As I say, I’ve never been into the excuses game. When you are beat- en, you are beaten. I mean you can

have an excuse for everything but it’s something we have to look at and address. We have a large panel of 37 people and we are trying to figure out which are the 20 that can assault the championship. Along the way, we might take some players back as maybe we will find out that some may or may not be good enough for it. We have about ten players who have not featured yet and you know, they have to feature and get a chance. Some of them came through the underage ranks and look good so we have to look and see what our best 20 or 21 players for June 21. But before we get there, we have to straighten the camp and get it right. It’s not right and we are ragged. Look at the six forwards out there in the second half and there was none of them playing in the post- tion they were supposed to be play- ing in. They were being dragged and pulled and sucked all over the place so there is an anxiety in their play that shouldn’t be there. You are talking about experienced players and even the younger players, there is a nervousness and excitement with them that shouldn’t be there. That isn’t part of modern sport.” The head scratching continues.

HUNDREDS of Clare farmers are facing into a large cut in their income following the decision last week by Kerry Group to slash the price they pay for milk.

Farm leaders have reacted with an- ger to the decision by Kerry Group PLC to cut its milk price by four cents per litre to just 25 cents per litre. This cut now means that the overall price paid to farmers for their milk has now fallen by 14 cents per litre since January of 2008.

According to Clare farmer and IC-

SMA Cattle and Sheep chairperson Martin McMahon, an average Kerry supplier of 250,000 litres (55,000 gallons) will now loose €35,000 ona full year’s milk production and over €1,000 on January milk alone.

The Clare ICMSA spokesman not- ed that farmers are now very close to producing milk below the actual costs of production for the first time.

‘Based on this price, dairy farming is facing a disastrous year and our milk processors and Government have a major responsibility to avert a crisis situation,’ he said.

“It is also important to note that

Kerry Group – like other input sup- pliers – have failed miserably to pass back the benefits of reduced input costs to farmers, particularly ferti- liser and feed costs.

“It is clear that the wholesale price of fertiliser and feed has fallen dra- matically but farmers have not seen the benefit of this and now, as a result of the board’s decision to cut milk price again, they are also receiving a disastrous price for their milk. This is a catastrophic double-whammy.”

Kerry Group had an annual profit in excess of €300 million last year and the ICMSA believe that this puts

them in a strong position to support farmers during this difficult period.

“Simply cutting milk price cannot be the solution and Kerry must now use its vast resources to support milk price as well as passing back the ben- efits of reduced input costs to farm- ers,’ continued McMahon.

“The challenges facing dairy farm- ers at this time are extremely serious with mounting financial and other problems and Kerry’s suppliers have a right to expect some support from the Kerry Group whose prosperity has been founded on the efforts and work of their milk suppliers.”

AT LEAST 2,000 new jobs could be created in the western region in the creative sector, a new report has re- vealed.

That’s according to a report by the Western Development Commission on the creative sector, which refers to those businesses which rely most on human creativity to generate eco- nomic value, ranging from TV pro- duction, music, theatre, architecture, graphic design to the running of art galleries. When international com- parisons are factored in, this sector could create 2,000 extra jobs, ac- cording to Gillian Buckley, Chief Executive of the Western Develop- ment Commission. Ms. Buckley was speaking at the launch yesterday of the WDC’s report ‘Creative West: The Creative Sector in the Western Region’, the first study of its kind conducted in Ireland.

She added, “There are 4,779 crea- tive businesses operating in the west- ern region, directly employing over 11,000 people or three per cent of all employment in the region. This gen- erates an annual turnover of €534m and directly contributes €270m to the gross value added of the regional economy. It is therefore a major eco- nomic contributor to the region that we believe can be grown significant- ly, even in these difficult economic abe plone

Ms Buckley added, “With an av- erage annual growth rate of 8.7 per cent in world trade of creative goods

and services, the creative sector will be to the forefront in building Ire- land’s smart economy in that it offers the opportunity to develop thriving indigenous enterprises. If we are to fully realise this potential we must begin by understanding the cur- rent situation in the region and the challenges facing the sector’s future erowth. This is why the WDC com- missioned this research to investigate the size of the region’s creative sector and to identify the key issues which people working in the sector face.” Speaking at the launch, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht

Affairs, Mr Eamon O Cuiv, TD said, “The Western Development Com- mission is keen to promote the crea- tive sector in this part of the coun- try, not just because of the inherent importance of the arts in our nation’s psyche and identity, but because it also has the potential to contribute to the sustainable long-term develop- ment of this predominantly rural re- gion. Simply put, it makes economic sense to support creativity”.

NEW home completions in Clare were down on the national average, with almost 1,000 fewer homes fin- ished in 2008 than in 2007.

Home completions were down 39.1 per cent, while the average national drop was 33.7 per cent.

Last year saw 1,393 new homes fin- ished in Clare while there were 2,286 finished in the county in 2007. There were 2,/27 house completion’s in the county in 2006.

The drop appears to be mainly in the development of estates in Clare with 650 individual houses being fin- ished as against 604 homes in devel- opments and 139 apartments.

Noel Moore of Costello’s auction- eers said that the decision by many developers not to build more houses in estates until they have sold the ones already built has had an impact.

“Developers were building stock and it remained unsold. So many of them called a halt to construction until the existing stock has sold,” he explained.

But there may be some small im- provement in the situation at present, the auctioneer said.

“Developers have dropped their prices and that has had a positive ef- fect. There have been sales agreed on four of fourteen properties in one development and there has been a healthy interest since prices were reduced in another development last

week, so there is Some movement.”

Also helping interest in house sales are the drop in interest rates and re- lief for first time-buyers, Noel said.

In the second-hand market there “has been a levelling off of prices and there has been some _ pick up there as a result”, said Noel.

But the Clare auctioneers said that it is still a great time for prospective buyers to hunt for bargains.

The slow down in the house build-

ing market has caused major head- aches for Clare County Council who are down millions in development levy funds which would normally be used for infrastructure and mainte- nN aleee

The figures from the Department of Environment Heritage and Local Government show that Dublin had the most new homes built last year, with 5,348 going up in the city coun- cil area.

The capital was closely followed by Cork county, where 5,091 new homes were completed last year.

Nationally, there was a 33.7 per cent drop in house construction and in Dublin this figure was 36 per cent.

In neighbouring Limerick, house construction in the county area was down 35.6 per cent but construction in Limerick City bucked the trend, rising by 9.3 per cent.

JOHN McGovern took out a knife to ‘scare’ Michael Doherty, but didn’t put any thought into what he did and didn’t remember making contact, he told gardai, hours after the stabbing.

Detective Sergeant Eamon O’Neill told the trial that he and two col- leagues from Henry Street Garda Station in Limerick travelled to En- nis Garda Station in the early hours of June 24, 2007 to assist in the in- vestigation into a stabbing.

He was involved in conducting three interviews with John McGov- ern – the first of which commenced at 3.45am that morning.

The young man told the gardai that he had been dropped into town by his mother at 3.30pm the previous day. He had attended a music gig at the youth centre in the town, where he met some friends.

He and some of his friends left the youth centre at around 7.30pm. They went to an off-licence where they bought alcohol and drank it at the Fair Green. Between the five of them, he said they purchased 16 cans of Dutch Gold and four bottles of cheap lager. He said he himself drank four cans of Dutch Gold and they left the park at around 9.30pm.

They then went to Brandon’s Bar at the top of O’Connell Street. He did not have any alcohol there and left a short time after. He walked to O’Connell Square, where he met some friends.

He said they then walked to Super- mac’s, where four young men were standing outside, including Michael Doherty – who he referred to during the garda interviews as ‘Martin Do- uaa

He said that one of the men said something to him but he did not pass much remark. “Then he threatened me again,” he said.

“IT was kind of surprised he would take on somebody as big as me. He hit me. I think he hit me four times altogether. At that point I took out a knife and I just swung at him,” he said.

Asked did he have the knife in his hand when he swung at Mr Doherty, he said, “Ya.” He said it was in his left hand. He had taken it from his pocket and had opened it.

He told gardai that he saw Mr Do- herty stumbling backwards and fall- ing and he then left the scene, say- ing he was afraid to be out on the Street, as two members of the other group were bigger than he was. “I just needed to get away from them. I felt if I didn’t, I’’d be beaten up pretty bad,” he said.

Asked in that interview did he stab Mr Doherty, he replied, “I presume so. Ya,” adding, “I can’t remember making contact.”

He said he checked the two knife blades to see if there was any blood on them, before dropping the knife near Brandon’s. “I couldn’t say where exactly,” he said. He then went in to Brandon’s where he cleaned his ear

and nose and spoke to some of his friends. He said he phoned a friend, who told him to go home as there were ‘Travellers outside the pubs looking for him.

He phoned his mother and then went home. He told the gardai that he had brought the knife from his home that day, but did not always carry it. Asked why he had taken it out of his pocket that night, he told gardai, “I really don’t know. . . to scare him or Sreyeeteis evn eroaa

He said the adrenaline had been high and he had been dazed after the blows he had received. “I didn’t put any thought or feeling into what I did,” he said.

He told gardai that he could not de- fend his face as his hands were being held back and Mr Doherty was com- ing at him again and he feared he would get a “cheap shot” at his face.

Asked what was going through his mind when he checked the blades of the knife for blood, he said, “I wasn’t sure if I had made contact or not so I checked the blades.”

He was asked how had he intended to scare the boy with the knife and replied, “Wouldn’t you feel threat- ened or scared if someone took a knife out on you? I didn’t mean to make contact with him. I wanted them to leave. That was the only rea- son I took out the knife.”

It was suggested to him that it would have been easier to walk away at that stage and he agreed. He later said, “There were four of them. They

would catch me. They would hit me from behind and I would be on the ground.”

Asked had some of his friends been in trouble with Mr Doherty previ- ously, he said that one of them had fought with him.

The issue of the knife was again raised by gardai during the second interview, which commenced at 1.25pm on Sunday, June 24, 2007. He told gardai that after he left the scene at Supermac’s, he put the knife back into his pocket. He later took it out, up the street, and looked for blood, before dropping it out of his hand, possibly on the footpath near flower beds by the Cathedral, or in the flower beds. He said the trip be- tween Supermac’s and Brandon’s was ‘hazy.’

“*T threw it (the knife) over my shoul- der. . . I barely remember dropping it.” Asked had he wanted to get rid of the knife because he had stabbed Mr Doherty, he said, “No. I didn’t think I had stabbed Michael Doherty. There was no blood on the knife. When I was outside the Cathedral I didn’t think I had stabbed him.”

He was shown a knife that had been retrieved by gardai in the flower bed earlier that day and asked did he rec- ognise it. He said it was the same col- our as his and a distinctive cross was faded on it.

He told gardai he was shocked he had pulled the knife on somebody and had never harmed anybody with a knife previously. He said he did not

know why he had put the knife in his pocket that day.

He told gardai that one of the other lads had been egging Mr Doherty on. Asked had he been knocked to the ground, he said, “Ya. I stumbled backwards but I don’t know if I fell.”

During the third interview – which commenced shortly before 8pm on the evening of June 24, 2007 – McGovern told gardai that the Swiss pen knife had been a present from his grandparents the previous Christmas or for his birthday in January. There were two blades on the knife.

He was then asked about comments his friend Kate McDaid had told gardai he had made, that Mr Doherty was a “knacker” and had “deserved ra

“No. I didn’t say that,” was his ini- tial response to this. He then said, “I don’t think I said that. I can’t deny it either.” Later during the interview, he said he found the comment “re- volting” and didn’t understand how he would have said it.

Asked had he taken drugs the pre- vious night, he said he had not. He said he had been offered cannabis in the past, but had never tried it.

Under cross-examination by Mark Nicholas, BL for the accused, Dt Sgt O’Neill agreed that McGovern had no previous convictions.