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A DOOLIN woman died from hy- pothermia after her wellingtons got Stuck in mud in a field near her home, an inquest has heard.

Ann Doherty (51) was found dead outside her home at Ballyvara, Doo- lin, on December 12, 2006, after she had not been seen since the previous evening.

An inquest into her death heard from her brother John. He said he called to his family home – where Ann lived with another brother – on the evening of December 11.

At around 3.40pm he crossed to

the farmyard and saw Ann walk- ing towards the gate and going into the field. He said he presumed some clothes had fallen off the clothesline and she was going in to the field to retrieve them.

“When I saw her going into the field I presumed she was okay,” he said.

The following morning, his brother Tom telephoned him and asked him if he had seen Ann. He went straight to Ann’s house, where he met his brothers Tom and Martin.

In his deposition to the inquest, Tom Doherty said his brother Mar- tin had telephoned him on the morn- ing of December 12. He said there

was no-one at the house, which was unusual as Ann would normally be WeKer

He said he went to the house and they went into a field nearby and began to search around. There they found Ann’s body near a wall, some distance from the house.

Garda Andrew Monahan told the inquest he went to the Doherty’s home on the morning of December 12. There he met Tom Doherty, with who he was acquainted through his work with Doolin Coastguard.

He said he saw Ann Doherty’s body, part of which had been damaged by wildlife. Assistant State Pathologist

Dr Margaret Bolster carried out a post mortem examination on Ms Do- ates um YaecmoLere AA

She said there were multiple super- ficial injuries to the body, but they had not caused death.

“This is a difficult case,” she said. “It appeared her wellingtons had got stuck in mud. In my view, Ms Do- herty died from hypothermia, after getting stuck in muddy terrain,” she said.

Coroner Isobel O’Dea noted that the cause of death was hypothermia. “It seems most likely that Ann’s wel- lingtons got stuck in some mud and unfortunately she died,’ she said.

ALL roads lead to north Clare at the beginning of the New Year, for the seventh Annual Sponsored Burren Walk, which takes place on Sunday, AVE ha ae

All proceeds for the popular an- nual event, which begins and ends at O’Donoghues Pub in Fanore, go to the Clare branch of The Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland, who provide ex- tensive support to the sufferers and families of the estimated 980 cases affected with the disease in the coun- ty at present.

The event is organised by volun- teers, who first devised the idea in 2002 to aid the rapidly increasing

running costs of the Ennis-based branch.

“We thought of doing a fundraiser for the Clare branch and we decided on walking in the Burren as it is a breathtaking, inspirational place that is one of the main walking sites of Europe, not alone Clare,” explains Jerry Howard, one of the organisers of the walk.

“When you do things like this, they may be tough to organise but at the same time, you are pushing an open door with everybody because alzhe- imer’s and dementia has relevance to most houses and when you ask peo- ple to help you or get involved, they are very generous.

“All the money raised is sent to

the Clare branch. They provide two levels of care through day care and home care and it’s brilliant because normally, money raised goes on ad- ministration costs but they have the administration already set up at their office so everything we raise goes directly into the support of that day care or home care. I can genuinely say of all the things I have ever sup- ported or worked with, they are a re- ally, really great organisation.”

With alzheimer’s having an aston- ishing estimated growth of 9,000 per cent worldwide since 1979, Howard paid tribute to the ongoing voluntary work done by the Alzheimer’s Soci- ety in Ennis.

“People are living longer and it’s

becoming more of an issue. Years ago, there was only one person in a family working and there was one person left at home to mind a parent but now it’s a bigger issue because everybody is working.

“They are doing a great service with scarce resources because an aw- ful lot of the work they do in Ennis is all voluntary and they really are the unsung heroes.”

To get involved in the Burren Walk or find out more about alzheimer’s or the society’s services, contact the Clare branch of the Alzheimer’s So- ciety of Ireland at 065 6868621 or 065 6845835. Alternatively, call into the local office situated at Unit 17, Clonroad Business Park, Ennis.

THE level of personal information required from people applying for planning permission in Clare has been criticised as an “invasion of pri- vacy .

Residential policies contained in the Clare County Development Plan require applicants to prove that he/ she is local.

In that process, applicants are asked to submit bank statements, invoices or other forms of financial records in order, in part, to meet the qualifica- tions.

In one instance, according to one Quin councillor who has criticised the process, an applicant was asked

to provide 12 years of information.

“If policies require this type of detailed personal information then I do not consider them to be proper planning policies,’ said Cllr Sonny Scanlon (FG)

“You have planners looking for bank statements back 10 and 12 years. There is no one keeping bank statements that length of time today. I would like to know of there is any- one in Clare County Council that have bank statements kept this length of time,” he added.

Cllr Scanlon says there have been other instances where inconsistency has been applied to the planning ROS

“There are two planning appli-

cations 50 metres apart – one was granted by one planner and the other was refused by a different planner and both applications were facing forestry with the same surroundings. The planning applicant who was re- fused owned 15 acres of land for 20 years.”

He continued, “A son wanted to build a house on his father’s land which was over 100 acres. This in- cluded a particular piece of wooded land. The planner informed him to clear out of that particular area in the wood where the house would not be seen and he also carried out a per- colation test, which passed. He had spent €6,000 carrying out work and was refused planning permission by

the planner.”

Cllr Scanlon said he was concerned that sensitive financial information maybe contained in planning files. “Tt is an invasion of privacy to have bank statements in a planning appli- cation file. Anyone can come in and see them on file. Revenue keep files for six years only. The council keep files for seven years. Most people today use mobile phone on credit so they don’t have phone bills.”

He has called for the County Man- ager Alec Flemming to comment on this particular aspect of the County Development. Cllr Scanlon (FG) has also called for the requirement of “substantial personal information to be terminated”’.

THE body of a Whitegate man, who had been missing for 32 days, was recovered following a major search operation, an inquest has heard.

23-year-old James Burke went missing after a night out with friends in Killaloe on December 9, 2007.

His body was eventually seen float- ing in the water near the canal bank in Killaloe, on January 11, 2008.

A jury recorded an open verdict at the inquest into Mr Burke’s death.

County Coroner Isobel O’Dea said there was no evidence to indicate that Mr Burke had died as a result of an altercation nor was there any evidence to suggest that he had taken his own life.

State Pathologist Dr Marie Cas- sidy said Mr Burke died as a result of drowning with alcohol intoxication a contributory factor. Tests carried out during the post mortem revealed high levels of alcohol in his blood.

Tests also revealed the deceased had taken cocaine, but not to exces- sive quantities. Dr Cassidy said that

among the items recovered from the deceased’s clothing was a “small packet of white powder”.

Dr Cassidy also told the court she found no evidence to indicate that Mr Burke had been involved in a

struggle or an assault.

Shane Malone, who had _ been drinking with Mr Burke on the day he disappeared, said, “I’d seen no one taking drugs on that day. I’m sure of that.”

Adrian Dooley, a friend of the de- ceased, said he had met Mr Burke in Mountshannon at 1.30pm before the two had gone to Killaloe.

Mr Dooley said they were with a large group of friends and they vis- ited a number of different pubs. He said that most of the group had gone home around 10.30pm but he wasn’t sure what time Mr Burke left. Mr Burke, he said, had wanted to visit another pub, The Anchor. “I tried to ring James, but there was no reply,” said Mr Dooley.

Shane Malone recalled that a bar- man in the Seannachai bar had asked Mr Burke to leave.

Barry Boland told the inquest, ‘James Burke was a lot quieter that night than [’d seen him on other nights in Whitegate and places.” Elaine Burke, the deceased’s cous- in, contacted Gardai on December 10 after Mr Burke failed to return home.

THERE are some questions in life that one never thought of asking, and for a very good reason. No one really wanted to know the answer.

Then there are those questions that one never thought of asking, but once asked stirred a certain amount of cu- riosity and an answer was necessary to avoid sleepless nights.

Such as — how hairy are Fianna Fail TD Timmy Dooley’s legs and does he wax, shave or go au naturel?

Is Fine Gael councillor Joe Arkins really in touch with his feminine side and if so could he make a Christmas cake covered in delicate icing and pretty decorations?

And who in north Clare has a stom- ach strong enough, not just to eat Cllr

Arkin’s cake and have full view of a Clare TDs legs, but to drink a pint glass of raw eggs?

The answers to all of these thought provoking questions and many more will be available in Nagle’s Lounge Bar on November | at 10pm.

The event is not just a social scien- tific experiment but a fundraiser for the Kilfenora Residents Association so that it can put its best foot forward for next year’s tidy estate awards.

Treasurer and acting secretary Margaret Keane said the association has entered the village’s two estates — An Tronach and John Paul Estate — in the competition for the last two years.

This year the association was highly commended for its work and received a nominal prize from Clare

Seria Greltiere

“We are entering again next year and we want to get some shrubberies and rockeries done. We also prom- ised the teenagers goal posts if we raised enough,” she said.

The whole community has got be- hind the event. Deputy Dooley is having his legs waxed on the night, although rumour has it that it may be his chest, and Cllr Arkins is baking a Christmas cake that will be auc- tioned on the night.

Also up for auction on the night are the services of the areas county councillors.

Cllr Martin Lafferty (Ind) is offer- ing a day in the bog; Cllr Richard Nagel (FF) is offering a day saving hay, while Cllr Martin Conway (FG) is also offering his services — which

has yet to be revealed.

Adding to the mystery of the night local matchmaker Willie Daly is also supplying a surprise.

Cheryl and Patrick McCormack are offering afternoon tea for four at “Fr Ted’s house” for auction, while Rick- ie Healy will cook a three-course dinner for two 1n his own home.

Head shaving, moustache shaving and more auctioned prizes will make up the night.

Finger food will also be served and music supplied by the bar.

PARENTS and teachers from across the county are planing to march on the Dail tomorrow as Clare’s primary schools face losing up to 50 teachers, and every post primary school likely to lose at least one teacher.

For many of the county’s secondary schools the loss 1s much higher, as primary schools in Ennis report that under the current budget cuts they will loose 12 teachers. The figure was provided by the Ennis Education Forum – a group that represents pri- mary schools in the Ennis parish.

Secondary schools in the county capital are also set to suffer. A pub-

lic meeting in Colaiste Muire, Ennis last Friday heard that the reduction in English language teachers would result in the loss of four teachers at the school.

That meeting also heard from Fi- anna Fail TD, Timmy Dooley. He said the government would attempt to minimize the effect of the cuts, but added, “Neither do I want to give you false hope and say that I can change or redress the budget provisions that are there. We have to work to the best of our ability to minimize the impact. I do not see that the provisions will not be overturned as announced”.

Angered parents from Tulla Pri- mary School, who face losing one

teacher next year despite an increase in pupil numbers, have organised a bus to travel to Dublin to join the pro- test. Buses organised by the INTO will also leave Ennis at 1.30pm to- morrow.

Margaret Cooney, principal of Holy Family senior school encouraged parents to voice their concerns on the streets of the Dail. However Ms Cooney said, “There is no evidence to suggest that they will go back on them but I hope that sanity will prevail. We had the second highest teachers pupil ratio in Europe and now we’re on our way to having the highest. That’s extremely serious”.

INTO President Declan Kelleher

has this morning welcomed the for- mation of the Alliance for Primary Education, made up of teachers, management bodies and the parent’s etree e

Protest marches against the educa- tion cuts have also been organised for every Saturday until Christmas, starting on November 8 in Galway. The second march will be held in Tullamore and is scheduled to end at the Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s office. This will be followed in by marches in Cork, Donegal and Dublin.

“We picked Saturday as we did not want to sacrifice school hours. What- ever has to be done will be done,” said Mr. Kelleher.

CLONLARA and Jim Gully have shared some great days down the past 12 months, but nothing like Sunday.

The roar at the full time whis- tle. The goodwill pouring from the stands. The fireworks. The sound- track to a remarkable day and a re- markable team. Jim Gully stood on Cusack Park wearing a look of al- most stunned disbelief as his team sang and the world got used to Clon- lara as county champions.

He always knew his team were good and honest and capable of great things. He never doubted their poten- EE

But still, even back in January, in the aftermath of their defeat in the semi-final of the All Ireland inter- mediate championship when Gully said he would swap a day in Croke Park for a County Final in Cusack Park, he surely couldn’t have fore- seen an achievement of such stun- ning magnitude. A first county title in 89 years. A day of history and celebration. Clonlara’s greatest day.

And Jim Gully in the middle of it. Hugged, pulled and congratulated.

The man who gets Clonlara fired up. The man who has become the most engaging character in Clare GAA. And now the man who has delivered a senior county champion- ship to Clonlara.

“Ah sure look, what can I say. Tis only a dream like”, said the Clonlara manager afterwards,

“A team coming from Intermedi- ate that hadn’t won in such a long time, it’s fantastic. They are a fantas- tic group of players. It took a lot of determination and heart, it’s all out there. To go out and play in those conditions, it was going to men to go out there. I knew damn well we had 15 or 16 of them going out there”

He’s asked to sum up the game. “You wouldn’t be able to print it”, says Gully before zeroing on the one characteristic that has defined so much Clonlara’s odyssey to the promised land, “Sure look, it was going to come down to the hungrier team. They came out at the start of the second half with a gale behind

them and banged over three or four points and we fell behind. I said, one more score and we’ll get going again and once we took the lead I knew by Jesus it was going to take some team to stop us. I’ve seen these guys in op- eration. Once we get the scent of vic- tory, its hard to bring us back”’.

It took a while for Clonlara to get their bearings as Newmarket blitzed them early in the second and first half. But Gully wasn’t panicking.

“Tt didn’t look great but all our team needed was one score, that’s all’’, he said, “I knew we’d get going. We hit over the next score into the wind and I said, by Jesus, if Newmarket want it now they’re going have to fight harder than us.

‘There isn’t 15 fellas that will fight harder than us”’.

There isn’t. There hasn’t been ei- ther for the past 12 months. But now its official. The fighters are the champions. The world now knows what Gully long suspected. Clonlara are the best team in Clare. And the future stretches out gloriously ahead Om tetoeee

TULLA schoolgirl, Louise McCagh may seem shy and retiring but she’s a young lady muggers would be wiser not to cross.

The Kilkishen girl has just returned from Italy where she took the World Taekwon-do Cup title in the 15 to 18 black belt category as well as gold and silver medals and the Top Junior Competitor ranking.

The wins were no mean achieve- ment as Louise was just one of 1,200 competitors representing 55 coun- Woe

Louise travelled to Riva del Garda

in Northern Italy as one of fifteen Clare competitors who were part of the Irish team.

Competitors from clubs in Shan- non, Quin and Ballyea were involved in the world class competition which saw the Irish team as a whole ranked erere) NOR

“What Louise did was absolutely amazing,’ said Stephen Ryan, one of the coaching team for the competi- tion.

Stephen was also a competitor and he teaches PE and Geography at Tulla Secondary School as well as running Taekwan-do classes after school.

“We are all so proud of Louise –

she’s incredibly talented and she has worked very hard. We knew she was on form this year, winning gold in all her competitions but to take the world title is something else,’ said Stephen.

Louise has been practising her martial art for the last eight years and has been in intensive training for the world competition since last July. “She was training every day and eve- ry spare minute,” said Stephen.

Shy of her new status in the lime- light, she would say only that she is “delighted” to have won and added that it was an honour to have the op- portunity to represent Ireland on the

world stage.

Louise was given a heroine’s wel- come when she returned to Tulla Secondary School after her win.

CODES Lom Ns UDMMCCODeleKo Nee: IKommO)I mm Nloe studies as a fourth year student and will also be looking to defending her world title in two years time at the next world championships in Las Moree he

INSTITUTIONAL — respite care could be a thing of the past for peo- ple with disabilities as Home Share Clare grows in popularity.

The Brothers of Charity Services initiative encourages friendships that see people with disabilities spend time with new friends and families, giving their own family a break from a full time caring role.

Developed in 2007 by the Broth- ers of Charity Services in Clare, the service offers people the opportunity

to live within a family home, experi- ence the local community and at the same time build new relationships and friendships.

To date nine people have availed of the Home Share service while six more individuals and families are being assessed.

‘The person we place can enjoy a break or a holiday in a homely at- mosphere and their parents and sib- lings will have a break from their full time caring role. In return, families and the person get the opportunity to learn more about disability while

caring and sharing in their own home,’ explained Nicola Garrehy, Children’s Co-ordinator.

The Brothers of Charity main- tain that the new service leads to a more lasting and unique relationship, which can be nurtured for many years to come.

“Tt is more natural for the individ- ual involved. This is evident in the strong bonds and attachments that have been developed over the year,” said Ms Garrehy.

“Tt instils confidence in the indi- vidual. They know it is a friend-

ship because it is not someone from school or someone that’s being paid that they are spending time with,” she said.

Ms Garrehy explained that experi- ence working with disabilities is not necessary to take on the role of home Stee

Personal qualities are more impor- tant than qualifications or experi- ence, she said.

Careful consideration goes into matching individuals, with personal- ities, interests and availability taken into consideration.

Training and support is provided before Home Sharing even starts and throughout the experience.

Those that sign up are asked to commit to five breaks a year. This can range for a day out to a week’s Tey eCer-Nie

Ms Garrehy said that in the experi- ence of the initiative people meet up far more often that the required five times as friendships form.

Those interested in getting involved with Home Share are asked to con- tact Patricia O’Meara by calling 087 6680081.

WHEN Martin Murphy fired in an early goal for Newmarket, Paul Col- lins had a bad feeling it was going to a long day. Just over an hour later he stood on the turf of Cusack Park, the captain of the county champions. The day could go on for as long as it liked. Sree l elem sere imconoilee

“Its great. Who’d have thought it? Jesus its unreal” said Collins, “Who would have thought it this time last year. Its beyond our wildest eee beeline

It was a tough day but in the end

Clonlara’s spirit and sense of to- getherness shone through a chilly October afternoon. The bond estab- lished between the Conlara players was tested over 60 minutes of hard hurling. But the bond never broke. Collins and Clonlara never stopped believing.

“T was kind of worried alright”, said Collins of Newmarket’s fast start, “I thought they were going to be pump- ing balls into us like that all night.

“But they didn’t. I knew we’d settle into it again. We kind of got caught, they were switching over and back and we settled into it again after erie

“The wind kind of picked up. The ball just kept coming our way. They got two or three quick points there. I thought they were going to keep steamrolling but lucky enough, thank God, we got areply and we held them back a bit”.

Collins praised the never say die at- titude of his teammates.

“T think it’s my 12th year playing with the senior team. This team they are never beaten.

“They just keep coming and coming and coming. The confidence within the team is unreal and they are just able to carry it through. They’re bril- bevel Mae