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CONCERNS over possible injuries to birds in Lough Derg from a new seaplane service have prompted Clare County Council to seek a sci- entific assessment of the plan.

Last year, Harbourair Ireland Ltd announced plans for a _ seaplane service aimed at tourists for the west of Ireland. The company lodged ap- plications with planning authorities in Galway and Clare to allow it land a seaplane in Lough Derg, Galway city docks and the main harbour serving Inis Mor.

The Clare plan attracted wide- spread local opposition, prompting company director Ronan Connolly to comment, “We are not planning to land a jumbo jet here.”

The chances of the venture start- ing during the 2010 tourist season receded yesterday when the Clare Council sought a scientific assess- ment on the impact service will have on birds in Lough Derg, which is a Special Protection Area under the EU Habitats Directive.

According to a submission lodged by the Department of the Environ- ment, Lough Derg is of importance for both breeding and wintering birds and supports a nationally im- portant breeding colony of Common

Tern and is also home to Whooper Swans, Cormorants, Mallards. Coots, Lapwings and Goldeneyes.

Seeking the assessment, the Coun- cil stated it had regard to the site being adjacent to an Special Protec- tion Area on the shoreline of Lough Droge

“Concerns arise that birds are like- ly to be disturbed and possibly in- jured by the operation of seaplanes in Mounsthannon Bay.

“Under the EU Birds and Habitats Directive, there is an obligation to prevent significant disturbances of these and other species and of their habitats and breeding of resting places

“Concerns arise that the develop- ment may have a negative impact on fish species at this location and the assessment should comment on the effect — if any — that the develop- ment as proposed may have on ex- isting species and stock levels.”

Reacting to the council’s request Mr Connolly said the information requested was not too onerous and not the full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that the company had feared.

He admitted that the request for further information made starting up services this summer “a more distant prospect”.

A FIFTEEN-year driving ban has been handed down to a driver whose jeep dragged a man along as it moved.

John Corry, a builder in his 50s, with an address at Tullycrine, Kilmi- hil, was convicted of dangerous driv- ing, arising out of an incident on Feb- ruary 4, 2009.

Oliver Haugh, a haulier, told Kul- rush District Court that he had done work for John Corry’s son Fergus and was owed €17,300. He said he could not contact Fergus and called to the home of John Corry. He said that John Corry pulled up with a jeep and trailer. He said Mr Corry had to move in off the road so that traffic could pass as the road was narrow. Mr Haugh said Mr Corry was in the jeep and his son Cyril was at the oy: 1e) rey as Lm

“I explained I had been trying to get in contact with Fergus. The next thing someone shouted *Go, Go’ and the jeep took off. I was between the jeep and the trailer. The jeep was moving. I grabbed on to the towbar of the trailer. My feet were being dragged on the ground,” he told the

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He said that the jeep continued to move along the road and he was pulled along. He eventually managed to get off.

‘He slowed down. I was losing my erip. It was a combination of losing my grip and throwing myself off,” he said. He said he sustained “a few scratches and scrapes” to his leg, while his clothing was torn in the incident.

Under cross-examination by de- fending solicitor John Callinan, Mr Haugh said that he had done work for Fergus Corry a year prior to this incident. He had been owed €60,000 initially, but some of this had been paid and the balance was €17,300. The court heard that this was eventu- ally paid off.

Mr Callinan asked Mr Haugh did he feel he was getting the run around and he said he did. “I gave Fergus all the chances. It came out on the grapevine that he was doing a runner and going to Australia, that he was going to Australia with the money. He had a digger. He had a ‘05 Land Cruiser. There was more than me owed money,’ said Mr Haugh.

Mr Callinan put it to him, “It was

you who got nasty and it was you who started to misbehave, rather than John Corry.’ The witness denied this. Mr Callinan asked him, “Could it be that you jumped on to the trailer to stop them pulling away as they pulled away?” Mr Haugh denied this. He said, “All I could do was hold on as best I could and bang on the back cover and shout ‘Stop’.” However, Mr Callinan said to Mr Haugh, “It didn’t happen the way you describe it.”

Another witness, Kieran Kelly said he had also called to Mr Corry’s house that evening. “I was trying to collect money as well. I was owed a lot of money as well,” he said.

He said he saw Mr Haugh caught between the jeep and trailer and said he heard shouting.

John Corry told the court that his son Fergus had operated a civil eng1- neering business and had employed Mr Haugh for about three years prior to the incident before the court. On that evening, he said that Mr Haugh “went to go for Cyril, my son. We drove off.”

He said that when he pulled off, Mr Haugh was “well behind my trailer.”

‘I drove very, very slowly,’ he said. Asked had he dragged Mr Haugh, he

replied, “It never happened.”

Mr Callinan submitted that there was a “complete conflict of evidence. There is insufficient evidence of dan- gerous driving before the court.”

However, Judge Joseph Mangan convicted Mr Corry. The court was told he had three previous convic- tions, the most recent of which was for a motoring offence in 2008. Mr Callinan said his client is a self-em- ployed builder who had been in good circumstances a number of years ago but had been hit by the recession.

He said that a driving ban would have a huge impact on him. “I don’t know what he would do if he was disqualified from driving. It would have a massive impact on him and his family. Some of the previous con- victions are ancient,’ he said.

Judge Mangan imposed a Six- month jail term and disqualified Mr Corry from driving for 15 years. He fixed a bond in the event of an appeal — his own surety of €3,000; €1,000 of which was to be lodged and an in- dependent surety of €3,000; €1,000 of which was to be lodged.

ALL is quiet in the defending cham- pions camp at the moment. The pro- longed winter recess has seemingly done little to rebuild their confidence as this game ultimately proved. Put simply, this was the sort of game that last year Bunratty would have etched out a 1-O win. However, their current fragile state ensured that this was not the case on Sunday as from a po- tentially winning position, the home side were hit for three goals inside the last 20 minutes.

A lack of confidence is something that Bridge Utd are certainly not af- flicted with as they maintained their title challenge at the other end of the table. They won this game because realistically they just wanted it more and while the scoreline perhaps flat- tered them slightly, their hunger epitomised by the likes of Adrian Whyte, Jonathon Downes, Derek Fahy and Trevor Maxwell deservedly extended their current unbeaten run to seven games.

In saying that, they certainly had to ride their luck before finally get-

ting on top in this encounter. The first-half, while slow to start, was predominantly controlled by the home side but they were unable to convert that dominance into goals. It took 22 minutes for the first real opportunity of the game but when it arrived, it almost opened the flood- gates. Iwo slick one-two’s between Shane Purcell and Ryan Kelly down the right wing finished with a teasing cross from the winger that had to be dealt with by the Sixmilebridge de- fence and subsequent efforts from Pa Twomey and Daithi O’Connell were all somehow scrambled away.

Bridge United did have two glori- ous chances of their own late in the half through Jonathon Downes and Greg Deegan but in the main, it was Bunratty who looked the most likely to open the scoring, empitomised in the 40th minute when a Pat Twomey effort agonisingly went the wrong side of the post.

The holders did finally break the deadlock after the break but ironi- cally it came during Bridge United’s most productive period of the game. A free from the left wing broke to

Daithi O’Connell whose shot was parried by goalkeeper Paul Tuohy and Ryan Kelly was the first to react to slip the rebound to the net.

The tithe winning Bunratty would have used that advantage to tighten their grip on the game and secure the points but such an eventuality did not materialise this time around. Instead, once a momentary lapse of concentration allowed Greg Deegan to waltz through the centre of the defence and chip goalkeeper Enda McNamara in the 72nd minute, Bun- ratty switched to vulnerable mode and were subsequently punished for their fragility.

Only five minutes later, Mark Cul- bert slipped in Trevor Maxwell to flick over McNamara for the lead and the final blow came in the 8lst minute when Derek Fahy shrugged off a tackle before rifling to the top corner of the net from outside the box.

Those hammer blows sent shock- waves through the champions and it would only get worse for the home side when Terry Duggan was dis- missed for two yellow cards inside a

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In the space of nine minutes, Bun- ratty’s world had completely turned and as Avenue Utd continue to set the pace at the top, it is Bridge Unit- ed and not the defending champions who look the most likely to make a meaningful stab at halting the runa- way leaders on current form.

A MAN who repeatedly shouted across a courtroom has been jailed for seven days for contempt.

The ruling was made in the case of Derek Malone after he failed to de- sist from shouting at Ennis District Court on Friday.

Malone (46), of Millstream Court, Mill Road, Ennis, was charged with public order offences, but did not appear in the courtroom when his case was called. However, it was then brought to the attention of his solicitor Tara Godfrey that he was outside. He was then brought into the courtroom, where he was asked why he had not been present earlier. He said he was told, by a garda, that he was not due in court and was told to go home as his name was not on the court list.

‘He told me to go home,” he said repeatedly.

He was given the chance to apolo- gise to the court, which he did, but continued to shout aloud. When he was warned about his conduct, he said, “Send me to jail then because I’m homeless and I want to go to jail because I can sleep.

“Tm an alcoholic. From my heart I apologise,’ he said. The packed courtroom erupted in laughter at Malone’s comments and Judge Joseph Mangan told him, “You can entertain them all in Limerick.”

He jailed him for seven days for contempt.

Gort nun recalls Haitian friends

A MAN who was involved in a hit and run accident near his home has loLerolsMEUNLecO MUO eCO) U0 am

Joseph White (53), of Ballagh- fadda, Clarecastle, pleaded guilty to careless driving at Kildysart Cross, Clarecastle, and also admitted four other charges in relation to the inci- elle

Inspector Michael Gallagher told Ennis District Court on Friday that a hit and run accident took place at the Kildysart Road, Clarecastle, on August 2, 2009.

He said a woman complained that a red Peugeot van had hit her vehicle and had failed to remain at the scene. He said it was claimed that the Peu- geot had crossed to the incorrect side of the road and this caused evasive action to be taken.

Judge Joseph Mangan asked would there be allegations of speed and was told there would not.

Defending solicitor John Casey said his client was fully insured and he said it was accepted that the accused had failed to remain at the scene, which, he said, was due to “onset of migraine.” He said that his client had been to visit his daughter, had felt unwell and set about driving home. ‘He has a vague recollection of the accident. He should have stopped,” he said.

White, who had no previous con- victions, was fined €500 for care- less driving and €100 on each of the other four summonses.

IT NOW lies in ruins on the streets of Port-au-Prince, a concrete grave for countless nameless souls, but three years ago it was a happy home for a group of Burren travellers on a mission from Ireland to Haiti.

In July of 2006, Sr De Lourdes Fahy and four students from Gort

Community School were the guests of Concern in Haiti. While there they made friends, and saw firsthand the work done in one of the poorest countries in the world.

They were joined in Port-au-Prince by a group of Haitian teenagers, or their “twins” as they were called. Since the earthquake, Sr Fahy has spent much of her time trying to

track down her lost Haitian friends.

“My own twin’s name was Cas- sandra, and all she wanted to be was a lawyer so she could help her poor people. I’d love to know where she is right now. We haven’t heard what has happened to any of the twins who became our friends when we visited over there. We don’t know if they were killed or not,’ she said.

‘‘T haven’t been able to contact any- one over there. I have been searching for information on the internet and I was able to get some information on some of the people that we knew.

“The students really enjoyed their time over there. They had great fun and slept on the roof of the hostel where we were staying. That hostel is now rubble.”

Even before the earthquake, most people in Haiti lived in poverty.

“The conditions that we saw over there were atrocious even then. There was terrible, terrible poverty. We vis- ited all of the poorest parts, especial- ly one area of Port-au-Prince which was called San Martin. The whole area was terribly poor but the people were So nice,’ continued Sr Fahy.

‘That whole area of the city was to- tally neglected. To me, it seemed that the government over there was very inept, useless really. It was also a dangerous place, gangs would roam the streets every night but most of the crime over there was fuelled by pov- erty, aS well as corruption and bad government.

“Concern have done excellent work over there. They set up a lot of water purification projects and run a clinic which looks after HIV patients and a school which they set up.” To donate to Haiti, visit www.concern.net.

A TEENAGER who threw a brick through his mother’s window has asked a judge to let her stand bail for him. The 16-year old was before Judge Joseph Mangan having plead- ed guilty to a number of charges, including criminal damage to his mother’s house.

A probation officer told the court that a psychological report would be advisable. “ADD is suspected” the boy’s solicitor, Tara Godfrey said.

The teenager was accompanied by his mother during the hearing and in setting bail for six months at an in- dependent surety of €200, the judge asked the accused if he wanted his mother or some other person to stand or DU Koy muDOOE

When he replied that he wanted his mother, the judge warned him, “If your mother feels you might breach your bail, she can come in here and withdraw her bond and then you will go to jail.”

The 16-year-old had pleaded guilty to criminal damage and breaching the peace in December at his moth- er’s home in Shannon.

He also admitted stealing a hat and gloves – valued at €4 – from Dunnes Stores, SkyCourt, on December 18.

Flannans students get into the fast lane

ANYONE interested in joining one of Ireland’s largest voluntary organi- sations is being urged to attend two upcoming Samaritans information evenings in Ennis.

The Ennis branch of the Samaritans are holding two information and se- lections evenings at the Old Ground Hotel on Thursday, January 28, and Monday, February 1, at 8pm.

The events will give potential vol- unteers an opportunity to learn about the service provided by the Samari- tans. The organisation is looking for

open-minded, non-judgmental peo- ple to get involved.

The Samaritans provide confiden- tial, non-judgmental emotional sup- port for members of the public who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including feelings that may lead to suicide. The service is provided by telephone and email, as well as through face-to-face con- tacts.

A Samaritans spokesperson said the branch are looking for people to commit a few hours a week to the Service.

“Our volunteers come from a wide

variety of age groups and _ back- grounds. What’s important is that people would be able to commit a few hours each week to help provide the service,” said the spokesperson.

All volunteers who join the Sa- maritans will take part in a compre- hensive training programme and are also shown how to develop listening skills.

A spokesperson explained, “It’s very important that volunteers would be able to give that commitment and that they would be able to listen to people without being judgemental. All those who do go on to join the

organisation will take part in a very comprehensive training programme which will equip them to offer emo- tional support to callers.”

The Samaritans vision is for a soci- ety where fewer people die by suicide and its core values include confiden- tiality and being non-judgemental. For further information on volunteer- ing please call 065 6829777 or come along to one of information/selection evenings.

In 2009, the Samaritans received more than 375,000 calls from the Republic of Ireland alone.