Category: Uncategorized

A TEN-YEAR-OLD girl has sus- tained severe brain injury after she was hit by a car while crossing the road in Ennis.

The grave extent of the girl’s in- juries emerged last week, when the driver involved in the accident ap- peared in court.

The young girl had just waved to her friends, whilst crossing the road, when she was struck. She was flipped into the air and landed at a back wheel of the car and lost consciousness.

She sustained serious injuries and continues to receive medical treat- ment.

Sharon Shanahan (33), of Killura, Ennistymon, pleaded not guilty to driving without due care and atten- tion and at the end of the contested case at Ennis District Court, she was found not guilty by the judge.

The accident occurred close to the intersection between Circular Road and Childers Road, Ennis, at 5.50pm on February 25 last.

The girl’s 10-year-old friend re- called, in court, spending time with the young girl immediately before the accident. She had called to his house in that area to collect a mobile je) ateyaten

He said he, the 10-year-old girl and another friend, aged 12, walked across the road. “We stopped half way and she went forward. We went back. She turned around and waved back. I saw a car coming,’ he re- or Naeem

He said the 12-year-old girl called out the 10-year-old’s name. “She got hit. I think it was her head that hit the window. She slid across the car. She landed a foot away from the path. She was saying Oww and all that,” said the boy.

“She just got hit and the phone was on the grass. My dad said not to move her in case she had broken her neck,” he added.

The boy said the car was going “very fast.” “It went too fast. All I could see was a red car and a woman with blonde hair in it. If the car was going a little slower, I don’t think she would have gone into the air so high,” he explained.

He said he felt the driver probably thought the little girl would move, “but she didn’t.”

Under cross-examination from de- fending solicitor Stephen Nicholas, the boy said he was certain that the girl was waving at him. “She must have been on the footpath?” asked

Mr Nicholas, to which the boy re- plied, “No.”

“Why would she stand on the road and turn around and wave’? It is very dangerous to stop on the road and wave, said the solicitor. The boy said, “There were no cars coming.”

Mr Nicholas noted that the boy had said in court that the car had been travelling at speed. “It is a very 1m- portant fact but you never said to the guards anything about the car going fast,” he said. The boy replied, “But it did go fast.”

The 12-year-old girl who was also there that evening told the court the 10-year-old was about a step or two away from the edge of the footpath when she was hit. “She waved before she got to the footpath,” she said.

Lisa Russell (25) told the court she was driving behind Ms Shanahan’s

car that evening. Asked to recall the accident, she said, “There were two kids on the right hand side and as I looked at the left, I couldn’t see the child’s head. I could see her body. She was hovering as such. She was flung around. She ended up in a ball at the back tyre.”

Asked about the manner of driving, she said, “I didn’t take any notice to be honest.”

The court heard that Ms Shana- han’s Ford Focus car was damaged in the impact – the front bonnet was dented, while the lower part of the windscreen was cracked.

Garda Joseph Ryan, who attended the scene of the accident, said the little girl was unconscious. She was immediately taken to Ennis General eevee

A statement made by the driver,

Ms Shanahan, was read to the court. In it, she said she was driving to the Adult Education Centre on the Kil- rush Road, when she took a wrong turn and ended up in the Cloughleigh area. She said she was unfamiliar with the area. She saw children and the next thing she could recall was a child hitting her windscreen. She stopped and got out of her car. The girl was lying on the ground at the back passenger wheel. Ms Shanahan was in deep shock and started to col- lapse.

“T do not know how the girl came in contact with my car. I was driving normally and concentrating at the time,” she said.

Garda Ryan said that with her consent, he checked Ms Shanahan’s mobile phone and it showed that no phone calls had been made and no

text messages had been sent at the time of the accident.

Mr Nicholas put it to him that the public service vehicle (PSV) inspec- tor’s report would suggest the impact was at low speed and the garda ac- cepted this.

Gda Ryan said that the girl received serious injuries as a result of the ac- cident. A medical report said she has suffered severe brain injury.

She is alert, but disorientated and is currently undergoing physiotherapy and speech therapy.

Sharon Shanahan told the court she has been driving for nine years and was never in court before.

Asked did she see the little girl, she replied, “No.”

“T was going pretty slow. I wasn’t sure where I was,” she said. She said she could not explain how the acci- dent had happened.

Inspector Tom Kennedy, prosecut- ing, put it to her if she was taking ad- equate care and attention, she would have seen the girl. She replied, “I was driving with care and attention. I’ve no idea where she came from.”

Mr Nicholas noted that the girl sus- tained “horrific injuries, but that is not what the case is about. It’s about Whether the accused was driving without due care and attention.”

He said the boy was mistaken in saying there was speed involved, adding, “Maybe the children are mistaken when they say where she was on the road.”

Judge Joseph Mangan said the ac- cident was “very unfortunate” and he sympathised with the little girl’s family. He said that Ms Russell was to be commended, but “nothing she has said will enlighten us to the de- fendant’s manner of driving.”

He said that while the boy suggest- ed the car was moving fast, he had not referred to this in his statement at the time of the accident. “It’s too vague,’ Said the judge.

He said, crucially, the little girl was not in court “for obvious rea- sons” and said her injuries were not relevant as to whether the defendant was culpable.

“In all the circumstances, I have to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt before I convict somebody. On no ac- count can I say I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt,’ he said and dis- missed the charge.

AS IT prepares to celebrate its 10th birthday next year, a basketball club in Shannon is planning to expand and attract new members.

Phoenix Shannon basketball club was set up in 1999 by local ladies Carmel Howard, Karen O’Callaghan and Bella Boyle and has participat- ed in the Limerick league, over the years.

It was narrowly pipped for over- all league honours last year, but its members are hopeful that silverware will be won this year.

PRO Majella Lillis said the club has enjoyed phenomenal success, but the ultimate aim is league honours.

“We were beaten in the play-offs

the last two years. Mary Immaculate College, Limerick beat us last year and University of Limerick were the victors the previous year. The aim 1s to win this year. We were just pipped last year in the play-offs. It went down to points,” she said.

The first match of the season, two weeks ago, saw Phoenix defeat St Colm’s Saints, also from Shannon. Tonight they will play University of Limerick, away, and are hopeful of Panne

“It will be a massive game for us, as the league has been between Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick and ourselves over the past couple of years,” she said.

A lot has changed since the club was initially set up and hopes are

high that it will continue to make good progress.

“When the club started off origi- nally in 1999, the players were from Shannon. Now, we have players trav- elling from Ennis to Shannon,’ she PALO

To cater for the Ennis players, the training 1s split into two locations – St Flannan’s College, Ennis and St Caimin’’s in Shannon.

“This year, it is the same group of players that have been there for the past few years,” she said.

“Up until recently our club had been the only basketball club representing Clare in the Limerick League. Last year the club played 14 games. We won 12 and only lost two. This is a fantastic record by any standards,”

she added.

There is a close-knit aspect to the club – which is sponsored by Maid- enform – as the girls who play also run the club. Mike Hickey, who trains the girls, is also the chairman; Karen Moclair and Grainne Lynch are the treasurers, while Majella is the PRO.

New members and_ supporters should contact Mike Hickey on (086) 6030250.

GARDAI in north Clare are follow- ing a definite line of enquiry, after an elderly man was targeted three times by conmen. The man, who lives alone in the Turlough area, was visited by men pretending they were workmen, over the past few weeks.

On one occasion, the callers claimed they were television repair men and they fraudulently obtained more than a €1,000 from the man. On the second occasion they claimed they would clean the eaveshoots on

his house, but he did not part with any money on that occasion.

On the third visit, a week ago, the callers claimed they were carrying out work on tarmacadam. However, the owner of the house was not at home at the time and his sister re- fused entry to the men. She made a note of the car registration and im- mediately contacted gardai.

Gardai believe all of the men were part of the same gang. “We are fol- lowing a definite line of enquiry,” said a garda source. Locals are con- cerned about this, given that it is not

an isolated incident.

Another man has also been robbed of thousands of euro, while several homes in north Clare have been bro- ken into over the summer.

Gardai have pledged to put re- sources in place to stall the activities of travelling criminals, while the lo- cal Turlough/Belharbour/Newquay community alert programme has raised its profile.

Secretary of the group, Margaret Healy said locals are very concerned about the latest visit on the same vic- mbeee

“Locally, everybody is disgusted and frightened, more than ever be- fore. It is important for people not to let strange people into your house,” she said.

She is encouraging residents in the Turlough, Belharbour and Newquay areas to liaise with the community alert programme and report any suspicious activity to gardai or to a member of the scheme.

Meanwhile, Ennis town and sub- urbs has been hit by a spate of day- time burglaries over the past week. Several houses have been broken into

and valuables, including jewellery and plasma televisions, taken.

Ennis Superintendent John Scan- lan is advising people to take care of their premises.

‘People need to be more careful locking up their houses. We are ask- ing people to ensure their windows and doors are locked, when they are leaving their homes,” he said.

“We are concerned about the level of domestic burglaries during the daytime. We are asking people to be vigilant and take an inventory of their valuables,’ he added.

AN ENNIS chet is flying the flag for Clare at an international foodie gath- CHureea rele vA

Clare Slow Food movement rep- resentative, Sean O’Connor of Bia na Dia in Ennis, will be setting out plans for Clare to be one of just a few centres nationally to get involved in a pilot project aimed at turning teens from a diet of fast-food.

Sean is this week attending the four-day Terra Madre conference in Turin, the bi-annual gathering of the Slow Food movement which is attended by 10,000 delegates from every continent.

The Slow Food movement has grown apace in Clare in recent years and with Brigette Curtin of the Bur- ren Smokehouse chairing the Clare contingent, now has more than two

dozen members.

Brigette is discussing a Slow Food pilot project with a local secondary school. “The emphasis in this year’s conference is educating teenagers about the joys of real food and I will be attending workshops to hear what various country’s are going to do”, said Sean.

Sean explained that Clare will be one of just a few centres in Ireland to take up the challenge.

“It’s a bit like the Jamie Oliver school dinners campaign. The de- tails are being worked out at the mo- ment and I will be bringing informa- tion back from the conference about it’, said Sean.

The conference will be a chance for Sean, a firm supporter in his restau- rant of the Slow Food ethos, to show- case Irish produce and to see what is going on with producers worldwide.

“Tt will be a very busy and very en- joyable few days and I’m delighted to be able to go and represent Clare”, said Sean. “We have such excellent producers in this county but by their nature, organic and artisan producers tend to be small and it can be hard to get any time off to attend events like Wee

One event the producers will be out in force at will be the Slow Food weekend planned for Lisdoonvarna from May 15 to 17 next.

“Tt will be a fabulous weekend with a market and lots of stalls where people can sample produce. We have such variety in Clare. There’s one woman who grows 20 varieties of native spuds and varieties of native apples. We have cheese producers and the Burren Smokehouse has won a huge number of awards. And it’s erowing al the time.”

FIVE Leaving Certificate students at St John Bosco Community Col- lege, Kildysart received their bronze Gaisce Awards and certificates on behalf of the President at an informal ceremony in the college last week. President McAleese was _ repre- sented by Clare hurler Tony Griffin

who said the recipients had achieved a lot to deserve the award and would be a great sample of more to come in their lives. He congratulated the students on taking on and complet- ing the challenges required to merit bronze and encouraged them to go on undertaking challenges through their lives.

College principal Marion Cough-

lan Flynn said she and all in the col- lege were very proud of the five for their achievements. Gaisce stood for heroism, courage, valour and great tribute was due to teachers Deirdre Convey, deputy principal, and Car- mel Moroney for their input.

Student spokesperson Laura Mc- Carthy explained how they attained GPT erom ir Abts

The President’s Award works on the basis of personal challenges in four activity areas.

First, participants take on a per- sonal skill for an hour a week over 26 weeks. Next they select a commu- nity activity for an hour a week for RR (2

ONE of Clare’s leading Construction and Civil Engineering companies is this week launching a development close to its geographically origins.

L and M Keating Ltd was estab- lished in 1987 by Kilmihil couple Louis and Mary Keating, and on Wednesday the company will unveil its Kilrush development to the busi- ness and political community.

Over the years the company’s work has included major Civil Engineer- ing and Building works covering all sectors of the industry, with some of its major projects including the living bridge at the University of Limerick and the River Shannon Crossing En- abling Works.

Many of the company’s previous wok can also be seen around the west Clare capital, including the Shana- kyle Community Housing, the Garda Station, Hector Street apartments and the Moanmore Windfarm.

Tomorrow evening (Wednesday) Jim Power, Chief Economist Friends First will officially open the Busi- ness Quarter of the Landmark Office Development at the Merchant’s Quay Business Quarter.

The development includes two fa- miliar landmarks on Francis Street – Kelly’s Mill and Foley’s Store.

A glazed atrium which will extend the full height of the building links the two buildings and offers excep- tional views over the Shannon Estu- ary and the Marina.

According to Pat Quinlivan, Com- mercial Director of LandM Keating Ltd, the location of these two impos- ing six storey buildings is as relevant today as it was when they were built over 150 years ago.

“By retaining the original 19th cen- tury structure and combining it with State-of-the-art internal fit-out, an ideal working environment has been created,” he said.

“The versatile layout design ena- bles effective subdivision of units to provide quality office accommo- dation of 500 square feet to 20,000 square feet.

‘Anchor occupants will include the Civil Service as well as Medical and Professional businesses.

“These prestigious offices will pro-

vide outstanding modern tax efficient accommodation for existing busi- nesses operating in the Kilrush area and for those seeking to establish a Kilrush base, as well as catering for new start ups” he said.

“Anchor occupants already con- firmed include the Civil Service as well as Medical and Professional businesses,” said Mr Quinlivan.

On Wednesday local business peo- ple, potential business people and members and officials from Clare County Council and Kilrush Town Council can avail of an opportunity to see the building at its best and hear from a well known economist who will review the budget and national and international financial maters for those present.

THERE were just eight races down for decision at Galway Track on Fri- day last with a 9pm start time due to the Connacht v London Irish Euro- pean Challange Cup Game.

| XerHAUOuoMea'(o) 11 MRO)OMMAOL om DUIS LMM ce Kom Ole Al graded seventh contest over 525 yards in which Mine Direct (T3) and Rob The Five (T4) both came away well and matched strides to the open- ing bend where the Frank Browne of Quin owned Mine Direct took a length out of his rival to lead turn- ing down the back. Racing down the back the son of Honcho Classic and Belindas Hill despite running a luit- tle wide extended his advanatage as

he raced to his eighth career success by one and three quarter lengths over the gallant Rob The Five in 28.99.

As the traps rose in race four an- other Frank Browne runner Mine Direct headed straight for the in- side crowding those on his inner but this manouvre only allowed the striped jacketed Beaney Baby to en- joy aclear passage to the bend on the wide outside. Despite running wide again at the second bend the Charlie Wheeler trained daughter of Black Shaw and Ballygur Ivy extended her advantage down the back straight to one of four lengths as she eventually raced to her second career victory by two and three quarter lengths over Mine Direct in 29.12.

The Thursday night programme at the Stadium was the rescheduled card from the previous Thursday night which was abandoned due to weather damage of the Hare system,

Race Two was a S6 graded sprint over the extended sprint trip of 350 yards where the John Quinn of Gort owned Fast Fit Wok (Knockabout Wok-Fast Fit Nikita) readily made all to defeat Cracking Star (T5) by three quarters of a length in 19.37.

The winner showed good pace to the bend and although the runner up threw down a determined challange off the home bend the result was never in doubt.

The bumper was an A5 graded af- fair in which the trap three runner

Rushaun Dasher owned by Helen O’Brien of Miltown Malbay looked set to score his sixth career success for most of the journey as having seen off the challanges of Dark Eyed Major (T5) and Guaire Motion (T4) he loked home for all money turning for home until the Tony Fahy trained Cllonlish Lisa (T6) came from the clouds in the final fifty yards to gain a neck success for owners the T-J Med Syndicate in 29.70.

Saturday night’s card was a gala benefit meeting in aid of Solerno Girls Secondary School. A huge at- tendance was present on the night which was the culmination of a mas- sive fund-raising drive by the schools parents association which saw the

€100,000 target passed on the night.

The feature contest of the night was the AO graded seventh contest over the testing 575 yard trip as the traps rose Mi Fastinfurious (T1) was very smartky away but he moved towards the middle of the track on the run up as Swintford Mylo (T5) showed good pace on the outside to lead at the opening corner. Turning down the back the Pauline McDonnell owned Swinford Mylo led by three lengths from Summerfield Gift (T4) and the pair began to draw clear approaching the penultimate bend.

Turning for home Swinford Mylo led by a length as Summerfiled Gift launched one last effort but *’Mylo”’ lasted it out by half a length in 31.39.

CLARE County Council has claimed that it had no option but to apply for the committal of a Crusheen pen- sioner, when he continued to deny it access to his land for necessary works.

In a statement the local authority said that at all times it “endeavoured to reach agreement” with Oliver Clune on the purchase price of land it was to acquire under a compulsive purchase order.

It said it “commenced the arbitra- tion process to resolve this issue which will result in an independent assessment of the property value.

The access issue is now within the control of the Court.”

The council came into contact with the Crusheen farmer as part of its proposal to provide a road link be- tween the Gort Road and the Tulla Road in Ennis.

The purpose of this road is to 1m- prove significantly traffic flows in the Northern area of the town and also provide “safe and proper access to the Shannon Development Informa- tion Age Park” located at the Gort Neyer

To carry out this project that council said it had to acquire approximately 1.7 acres of land from Mr Clune.

“Negotiations took place with Mr.

Clune regarding purchase price and other matters. Unfortunately, agree- ment could not be reached on the purchase price. In addition to the disagreement on purchase price Mr Clune also disagreed in principle with the provision of his land as detailed for the purpose of Phase I of the road network,’ the council spokesperson said.

The council then moved to Com- pulsory Purchase powers to acquire the necessary lands from the land- owner in June 2005.

The Compulsory Purchase Order was confirmed on August 26, 2005.

The council was still seeking to agree a purchase price with Mr

Clune.

The council requested that the mat- ter be referred to arbitration and the arbitration process in relation to the purchase price is still underway as far as Clare County Council is con- Ou iere

“In pursuance of the councils statu- tory duty as Road Authority the council decided to enter on the lands in December 2007 for the purpose of measurement and survey. Council employees were prevented from car- rying out the work by the landown- er,’ said the spokesperson.

The council tried to enter the land in January this year and again in March.

‘As this was resulting in consider- able time delay and unnecessary ex- penditure of public funds the council had no option but to seek a Court Order preventing Mr Clune, his serv- ants or agents from interfering with the legitimate work of the council. This order was duly granted by the Circuit Court on April 24, 2008,” said the local authority.

The council again sought to en- ter the lands in May 2008 but were again prevented from doing so.

“At this point the council, and in ac- cordance with due legal process had no option but to apply to the Circuit Court for an Order of Committal for Mr Clune,’ the council said.

ENNIS Community College has launched an innovative teaching project that could have a major influ- ence on the Irish education system.

Outdoor Resources Brought into Teaching (ORBITAL) was adapted from a programme initiated by Kerry VEC but developed in Clare by the Ennis college in association with the Burren Outdoor Education Centre.

A pilot programme was tested in Ennis on just one class of the new student intake and so successful as to be broadened to the entire school enrolment this year.

Aine Meehan, co-ordinator of En- nis Schools Completion Programme operating from the Community Col- lege, said the project makes use of local resources to supplement what is going on in the classroom.

That way learning becomes more real, especially for students who have special needs or are second- language learners.

She gives the example of how his- tory is taught in the new scheme. Students learning about castles,

monks and knights are taken to the ancient buildings and the milieu of the people they are studying. Anoth- er instance is going to a goat cheese farm to mark Organic Food Week.

Doing time and distance on ULs running track back up maths studies. The completion programme aims to retain students at college through in- ter-agency working.

College principal Matt Power said students are offered the opportunity to experience the curriculum in ac- tion. Archaeological digs in the Bur- ren, visits to UL science week and to the flaggy shores of the Burren are other learning experiences through the academic year. He is so im- pressed by the project as to be hope- ful of expanding it to the rest of the college.

“A wonderful collaboration has emerged between the college and the outside agencies. Basically, it is an extension of the old idea of learning by doing. What may have seemed less interesting and abstract in the classroom becomes exciting and alive when experienced for real during the day trips.

WOMEN are renowned for their ability to multi-task but the ladies that make up the Kilmihil Football team are taking this skill to a whole new level.

A number of years ago when the club needed a new committee, the team members decided it was time the sisters did it for themselves.

So on Sunday when Fiona O’Neill led her team to victory at the clubs first ever Munster Intermediate Championship Final on Sunday, she was not just the centre back, or the captain, she was also the club’s chair- person. Her fellow Ulster Bank col- league Rosemary Currane was not just a forward for the team, but also

club secretary.

These women like so many of the others who are dedicated to club and team have eaten, drank and slept football since last February.

Training began for the team nine months ago and since then the ladies have met three times a week to train.

Many of the dedicated team travel from Limerick, Cork and Dublin to ensure they are at training.

This year the squad of 26, along with management team Damien De- vine and Thomas McMahon were determined to win the county inter- mediate championship, having come so close in the last two years.

Kilmihil Ladies Football Club was re-established in its current format in Re

It started out as an underage club that grew with its members.

In its first year it won an under 14 B and C final. From there its teams went on to win competitions at all ages including Under 16 B and C finals and Minor As and B titles, as well as numerous national school ti- Coxe

At the turn of the century – just eight years ago – a junior team was formed in the club and in the same year they won the junior title.

In 2000 Kilmihil fielded a senior team with Crusheen, called Kilero- nan and reached the county final.

In 2001 Kilmihil won the All Ire- land seven aside and two years later joined Doonebeg to form the senior team Kildoon Gaels that won the

county final.

Next year Kilmihil will reach the senior grade in their own right.

Despite not fielding a team for three years the Ladies club came back to win a Junior League title in 2006.

Despite winning the Intermediate League title too, the championship evaded the team until this year when it beat Shannon Gaels.

Now the Ladies Team are looking forward to next season at senior lev- el, and even more local support.

“Before people were not that in- terested in Ladies Club, but new we have a lot of support. Local spon- sors played a big part this year as we wouldn’t have a lot and would have been scrapping through,” said Rose- nerve