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THE second Building of Hope project being organised from Clare is already bearing fruit in Kenya, where twelve sewing machines have been bought so women can make a living.

The organisers of the building project have just returned from a planning mission to Migombani in Mombasa where Cranny priest, Fr Martin Keane, is working with the

poorest of families to provide basic education and training.

At a meeting of volunteers from the first Building of Hope Project in Missionvale, enough money was raised in a raffle to buy twelve sew- ing machines, which have been given to local women who will use them to make souvenirs which can be sold to help support their families.

Architect with the project, Jim Lynch was with the party and de- scribed the conditions in Mombassa

as “devastating. The people have nothing – they have little or no way to make a living and there is no social welfare support so they are barely SUrVIVINg. ”

Jim was also the architect on the last Building of Hope project, when almost 200 volunteers went to South Africa to build a hospice at Mission- vale run by Clare nun Sr Ethel Nor- moyle.

“Even the poverty there would not prepare you for this. But as far as the

work 1s concerned, we learned a lot in South Africa and we will be ready for some of the pitfalls this time,” he told

PLANS to build a €60 million retail development in Shannon could bring up to 430 jobs with as many as 200 more opening up as spin-offs from the project.

A proposal by Greenband Invest- ments would see 150 jobs created in the building phase, while 250 jobs would be created directly and 200 indirectly from the planned retail warehouse park and centre. The de- velopers are applying to Clare Coun- ty Council to site the park beside the Oakwood Arms Hotel.

The proposal includes the park, which would be an outlet for large household goods, a discount food- store and a neighbourhood centre which would include a convenience shop, hairdressers, chemist and a bookies shop.

If the planning application is suc- cessful, it 1s planned to start build- ing next June. The project will take about 15 months to complete and would open for business in 2010.

It is believed that of the two anchor tenants needed for the warehouse re- tail section, one has secured pending planning permission and discussions have begun with a second.

The development company believes that Shannon is under-serviced in terms of retail for the town’s resident population of 9,000 and the addition-

al 7,000 who work for the companies in the Shannon Free Zone.

The total retail space in Shannon is 3,000 meters squared, in comparison with Ennis, which has twice Shan- non’s population but twelve times it’s retail space. The imbalance makes Shannon a prime location for further development of stores and shops, the developers say.

Already the developers have been in consultation with the county coun- cil to ensure that there is no clash between this proposed development and the existing Shannon Town Mas- ter plan. The park is designed by award-winning architects, Thomp- sons of Limerick.

While the Shannon Town Centre enjoys a variety of supermarkets, large shops and boutique stores, for white goods and other large house- hold items, shoppers have to travel to Ennis, Limerick or further afield.

Statistics also show that more than 23 per cent of all convenience goods bought by Shannon residents are bought outside of the town, while 42 per cent of purchases of goods such as clothing footwear and large items are bought elsewhere.

One of the arguments in favour of the new development., Greenband, says would be to help halt the stream of shoppers who leave the area for large centres in Limerick, Cork and AV IMOrUANe Ne

AN east Clare councillor was among 47 landowners who received letters from the county council warning them that they have to cut back over- grown trees and hedges bordering their land or else run the risk of fac- ing prosecution.

But Fianna Fail councillor, Pat Hayes it transpired was sent the letter “in error’, it was confirmed by senior council staff.

The warning letters sent last month are getting a “positive response” with farmers rushing to get their hedge- rows cut, senior executive council engineer, Sean Lenihan said.

The council has now sent up to 50 more letters to landowners in the re- gion, he told a meeting last week of the Scarriff area committee of the

council.

The engineer started sending out the letters after councillors made nu- merous requests for hedgerows to be cut in the interests of traffic safety.

But the local authority does not have the resources to cut hedges everywhere in the county and it 1s proving to be a particularly expen- sive job in east Clare, as this part of the county has the largest number of roads and road frontage, Mr Lenihan explained.

“Landowners may not realise that they have an obligation in law to keep their own hedgerows trimmed. We want to get the message out there that wherever hedgerows are beside a public road, the landowners have an obligation to keep them cut back,” said Mr Lenihan.

Council workers in each area have

been asked to report any growth which is not cut back, Mr Lenihan said.

The senior engineer told councul- lors that there has been “ a very posi- tive response to our first letters, with people ringing us for names of com- panies who do the cutting and a big flurry of activity”.

He confirmed that one of the mem- bers of the area committee, Cllr Pat Hayes, had been sent a letter “in er- ror”.

Asked for clarification by the mem- bers about the same legislation ap- plying to dangerous trees overhang- ing the road, Mr Lenihan said that he would “back anyone who has to cut a limb of a tree which is a danger on the road but this is not a licence for people to go out and fell whole trees without a felling licence”.

WITH a very ill wind being one that blows no good, the rise in unemploy- ment has in turn created the need for more staff in the dole offices.

Four new staff are being allocated to the Ennis office of the Depart- ment of Social and Family Affairs to assist job seekers and those sign- ing on.

Ennis is one of 48 local offices countrywide which will get a total of 115 additional staff, a spokesman for the department confirmed.

The number of people signing on in Clare has climbed by 57 per cent in the last year.

According to CSO figures, the number of people signing on in Clare has gone up by more than 2,000.

Ennis saw a rise of 52 per cent, with jobless numbers going from 2,426 to 3,705 last month.

Ennistymon had a jump of 6/7 per cent in unemployment figures, from 600 to 1,005 in the last twelve months.

In Kilrush there was a 46 per cent increase with 859 people now sign-

ing on there in comparison to 586 in October last year.

But the largest increase was in east Clare where there was an increase last month of 80 per cent in the num- bers of people signing on, bringing the jobless total in the area covered by that office to 859.

The total number of people now claiming either Jobseekers benefit or allowance in Clare has risen to OR PAee

As well as allocating extra staff to local offices, the department has also extended temporary staff contracts

and allocated additional overtime to try to beat the back-log of benefit and allowance applications which have to be processed as additional people come into the system.

One of the largest sector increases among those joining the dole queues is in the building trade, where the market for new homes has all but collapsed and major building projects are being shelved for lack of funding.

The CIF has warned that up to 4,000 jobs could go in the mid-west before the downturn bottoms out.

THE Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) has confirmed that the air- port’s overall traffic for the first nine months of 2008 is down 13% on the corresponding period for last year with transatlantic traffic down 24% and London traffic down 16%.

The downturn in these sectors is due to the ending of the Shannon stop-over with the advent of ‘open skies’ in May and the ending of the Shannon-Heathrow route in January.

For the first nine months Shannon had a throughput of just under 2.5 million passengers.

Terminal traffic at 2.2 million is down 11% while traffic for the full year will be down about 400,000 – a decrease of 14% on 2007”.

Announcing its half-yearly results, Ryanair re-iterated its threat to dras- tically reduce its services at Shannon from next November because of the Government’s €10 air travel tax.

In recent days, CityJet boss Geof- frey O’Byrne-White said that the air

travel tax move could result in his airline scrapping plans to begin a service between Shannon and Lon- don City Airport.

CityJet has been examining the fea- sibility of this route for some time, but was constrained by a lack of available aircraft.

Mr O’Byrne-White said the move upset Midwest interests as a number of international flights from Dublin to places such as Manchester and Liverpool will qualify for the lesser €2 exit tax for flights under 300km,

but none from Shannon meet the cri- our

Aer Arann chief executive Pad- raig O Céidigh has also launched a fresh attack on Ryanair’s influence at Shannon in a press interview at the weekend. “They’re in Shannon for around three years now and in that time Shannon has lost seven or eight different airlines. Ryanair are now doing roughly two out of every three flights in and out of Shannon so it’s become a Ryanair airport, while oth- er airlines are being squeezed out.”

AN IRISH rugby player and two En- nis-based gardai are being celebrated as heroes today for their bravery in saving people from drowning.

Mr. Michael Kitt, Minister of State at the Department of the Environ- ment, Heritage and Local Govern- ment, will present the “SEIKO Just In Time” Rescue Awards and various Recognition Awards to members of Irish Water Safety and the Public at Dublin Castle.

Rescuers from fourteen dramatic near-death incidents will receive rec- ognition at Irish Water Safety’s Na- tional Awards Ceremony for saving eighteen lives.

On April 4 2008, Garda Niall Doo- dy and Garda Edel Convey were on patrol when they observed a woman in difficulty in the fast flowing and cold waters of the River Fergus.

Garda Doody dashed into the wa- ter to grab her while Garda Convey got a ringbuoy and threw it to her colleague who used it to keep the woman afloat.

The plucky garda stayed in the freezing water with the woman un- til emergency services arrived at the Neo Noe

Both Niall and the woman were transferred to Ennis General Hospi- tal where they were treated for hypo- Weounene-R

Modestly, Niall says he relied on his training at Templemore to deal with the situation. “I can swim and they teach you in training about go- ing into water fully dressed.”

Meanwhile, Rugby hero, Paul O’Connell will have an award con- ferred on his in his absence, as will Garda Convey, who is on leave.

On July 25, Paul was catching some waves surfing at Lahinch when he noticed a fellow surfer in difficulty and immediately went to the 22- year-old’s rescue, battling waves and surf to bring her to safety.

“Tragically 156 drownings oc- curred in Ireland last year’, a spokes- man for the Department said. “This figure would be even higher but for the efforts of individuals who saved others from drowning in 2007.

The Service Awards also being presented recognise 1,545 years of personal service of eighty-four Irish Water Safety volunteers in the teach- ing of swimming, lifesaving, rescue skills and the promotion of water safety awareness.

Included will be the inaugural pres- entation of Irish Water Safety’s Vol- unteer of the Year Award. Six Inter- national Awards are being presented to persons from Inshore Rescue Organisations nationwide and three individuals will also be made “Life Governors” of Irish Water Safety for their efforts to reduce drownings.

20 OF the 500 projects that have qualified for next January’s BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition have been submitted by secondary school students from Clare.

The 500 qualifiers were selected from a record entry of 1,616 projects submitted by 3,712 students from all 32 counties – including a 25 per cent increase in entries from Northern Ireland.

The exhibition has evolved through- out its 45 year history to become one of the largest events of its kind in the

world. Year on year there has been a steady surge in the number of en- tries; from 669 in 2001 to an over- whelming 1,616 this year marking an overall increase of 240 per cent.

The Clare entries are across all four categories and in all age groups. There are eleven from Mary Im- maculate Secondary School in Lis- doonvarna; two each from Kilrush Community School and St Anne’s Community College in Killaloe and one each from Ennis Community College, St Caimin’s Community School in Shannon, Scariff Commu- nity College; Meanscoil Na mBrai-

thre and Scoil Mhuire, Ennistymon.

The overall winner(s) will receive a Waterford Crystal trophy together with a cheque for €5,000.

The winner will also have the op- portunity to represent Ireland in the European Union Contest for Young Scientists in September 2009.

The BT Young Scientist and Tech- nology Exhibition aims to build in- genuity, creativity and excitement amongst students and to help them to understand the importance and rel- evance of the sciences in their eve- ryday lives, while fostering the very skills that are essential for building

a knowledge economy and the future prosperity of the island.

Speaking at the announcement, Minister for Education and Science Batt O’Keeffe TD, said it was vitally important that second level students are encouraged to study science sub- jects for the future development of the Irish economy and society as a whole.

“The BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition provided the perfect opportunity for students to demonstrate their skills in a competi- tive environment and to become the innovators, researchers and entrepre-

neurs of tomorrow,” he said.

Commenting on the record number of entries, Chris Clark, CEO, BT said the event was providing a plat- form for students to express their in- genuity and build their skills through science, technology, engineering and mathematics as well as interacting with their peers and foster better re- lations through science

The BT Young Scientist & Tech- nology Exhibition will be held in the RDS, Dublin from January 6-10.

For more information on the exhi- bition, log onto www.btyoungscien- tist.com

CLARE building firms are having to let staff go as the industry grinds toa halt, it has been revealed.

Building workers are seeing the writing on the wall and heading for Dubai, Australia and even Iran in preference to staying here and join- ing the dole queues.

“There is no house building going on here at the moment and compa- nies have no option but to let people go,’ said Tony O’Shea, Chairman of the mid-western branch of the Con- struction Industry Federation.

One of the county’s most success- ful firms, Tom Hayes Ltd of Killa- loe, which has been in business since 1955 has been forced to let more than 35 staff go in the last few weeks.

The company worked on some of the largest building projects in the region, including the Jim Kemmy Business School in the University of Limerick campus.

‘There are no big projects at the moment and we have no alternative but to let people go,” a company spokesman said in a newspaper in- terview. “There is huge need for investment in the building industry here. Hopefully, the Limerick regen- eration project will help to stop the decline,” he added.

Many younger craftsmen have headed off abroad to destinations

as far flung as Australia, Dubai and Iran, the spokesman said and the company is doing its best to hold on to staff who have families and com- mitments here.

Another mid-west firm which had employed 200 people at the height of the boom has now been reduced to just two workers.

The Construction Industry Federa- tion nationally is expecting that job Kesocta WU oom NIM He CoMKsre le sMOeCLOROeLe if the downturn continues. Up to 4,000 jobs are expected to go in the mid-west alone, the CIF says.

The building trade has taken a hammering with the rise in interest rates, a clamp-down on lending and international economic slowdown.

Auctioneers are reporting a mas- sive slowdown in house sales and many builders have been caught out with homes which they constructed in anticipation of buyers who have not materialised.

Despite massive amounts being slashed off the price of both new and second-hand homes, buyers are still slow to come to the fore, with many unable to get mortgages large enough and many more sitting tight for the market to bottom out.

One prominent Clare mortgage broker said that his business has dwindled “to the point where you’d be lucky to get a couple of business queries a week now”.

OBK Equator European Architects, which has a number of Clare projects in the planning process, have ex- panded their practice by opening a dedicated office in Galway.

The office will be lead by Eugene Mulcaire, former director of OKM Architects whose projects include the Crown Plaza, Mervue and the Galway City Webworks and Bus Sta- tion. Clare projects on-the-boards include a mixed-used development, a

neighbourhood centre and a primary CHIR ee NIB KSe

Planning permission for these de- velopments will be granted in early 2009 with construction commencing later next year

Stating that he was looking forward

to the challenges that lay ahead in the construction and development indus- try at large, Eugene Mulcaire said OBK’s current strength and tie-in to Equator European Architects would allow him offer extensive develop- ment support to those who “venture abroad and bring opportunities to those who may be new to the idea.”

OBK Equator European Architects have forged a unique, pan-European reputation as one of Ireland’s leading architectural design firms. OBK is the Irish office of Equator European Architects (EEA). Equator has for over 15 years built a European wide network of architectural practices. This interactive group of over 300 architects provides support to local and international clients from offices throughout Europe.

“The opening of OBK’’s Galway office demonstrates our commit- ment to the Irish market and our cli- ent’s needs locally and abroad.” said Arthur O’Brien, Managing Director, OBK Architects. “Although we have completed projects in Galway such as the Courtyard by Marriott, having the calibre of Eugene Mulcaire will allow us to fully support our client’s from our new premises.”

CLARE’S former mayor, Cllr Patri- cia McCarthy (Ind) last night hit out at what she called a vindictive and malicious campaign that sought to discredit her as a public representa- tive. She was commenting after an independent commission ruled that she has no case to answer in rela- tion to the allocation of €50,000 by Shannon Town Council to the local OU Comer NB Ken

The investigation by the Standards in Public Office Commission was in response to a complaint by Wolfe Tones Camogie Club over the alloca- tion of funding to Shannon Leisure Centre for a skateboard park and ten-

nis court.

Cllr McCarthy is a director of the leisure centre and grant allocations from a number of local authorities have been on hold pending the out- come of the investigation.

However, the Standards in Public Office Commission has stated that there was no basis on which to initi- ate an investigation under the Ethics Act as none of the alleged contraven- tions was “a specified act”.

Last night Cllr McCarthy said she was delighted the process was com- plete and that there was no case to answer.

“T have maintained my silence for over 10 months in the face of inac- curate statements, accusations and

innuendo circulating freely about me because I knew I had done nothing wrong and to allow the process prove exactly that.

“Knowing I was innocent of all charges levelled against me did not lessen the anxiety and stress that my family and I have been placed under in recent months. For those who did not know me, it must have seemed strange that I should elect to remain silent and unresponsive to each base- less charge levelled publicly against me but I hope that they would now see that justice has been done, and my stand vindicated.

Cllr McCarthy stated that for the past 30 years she had at all times sought to represent the people of

Shannon openly and honestly.

“My involvement in the leisure centre, is part of that commitment, and one from which I do not seek or gain personal benefit, as has been confirmed by the Standards in Pub- lic Office Commission. This it would appear is an alien concept for certain politicians whose only objective ap- pears to be self advancement and have no hesitation in using character assassination as a means of self-pro- motion.”

She said it was an unfortunate con- sequence that this baseless accusa- tion had put in jeopardy the ability of every local authority to deal with applications for financial assistance under various schemes.