Category: Uncategorized

A FATHER has allowed his teenage son go into voluntary residential care because he felt he could not cope, a court has heard.

The revelation emerged in the Ennis Children’s Court last Friday where a 17-year-old boy was charged with olen gcd bb ayoar- Im OURS loxtcB U0 wy IDONTS

The boy pleaded guilty to the of- fence at Altered Images hair salon on

the Turnpike Road in Ennis on July 7 last. Inspector John Galvin told the court that €150 was taken from cash register in the premises while money was also taken from a charity box. Insp Galvin said CCTV foot- age shows the accused entering the premises and that when questioned by the gardai, the accused had ad- mitted to the burglary and had been “very CO-operative’”’.

The court was told that the boy 1s

currently under the care of the Health Service Executive.

Defending solicitor Tara Godfrey told the court that her client’s mother had died last year and that this had had a “huge impact on his life’.

Ms Godfrey said that attempts were ongoing to secure her client a place in St Michael’s House, a residential care facility in Dublin.

“My client’s circumstances are very difficult, but there might be light at

the end of the tunnel,’ she said.

Ms Godfrey added that her client was not in receipt of any income or social welfare payment. “He doesn’t get anything,” she said, “And I think that is perhaps at the root of this burglary. His father voluntarily al- lowed him to go into care because he couldn’t cope,” said the solicitor.

Judge Joseph Mangan adjourned the case for preparation of a proba- Woe Ke) oO) um

THE number of people signing on the live register in Clare is up by al- most half on the same time last year, the latest shock figures have shown.

The latest Central Statistics Office figures show that numbers signing on are up by 1,940, bringing the unem- ployment total from 4,074 last Sep- tember to 6,014 this September.

The confirmation of the jobs crisis emerged as staff at Aer Lingus in Shannon were living under threat of 300 further jobs being axed.

No area of the county escaped the slump. Unemployment in Ennis was

up by 43.7 per cent with an additional 1,069 people signing on. In Ennisty- mon an extra 317 people have signed on since last year, bringing the job- less total there to 906 while in Kil- rush, 226 extra people are now on dole payments, bringing the unem- ployment figure for the area to 799. Tulla has seen the largest percentage unemployment increase, at 70.7 per cent and extra 328 unemployed mak- ing a total of 792 people without jobs and signing on.

The latest figures for Clare were re- leased as the latest quarterly ESRI re- port yesterday predicted that 14,000 jobs will have gone by the end of this

year and next year will see the loss of 33,000 more. “The rate of unem- ployment is expected to average 6.1 percent in 2008 and to jump further in 2009, averaging 8 percent. The net migratory outflow in 2009 is now expected to be 30,000,” the report predicts.

Fine Gael TD Pat Breen, comment- ing on the release of the CSO Live Register Figures for 2008, said that the rate of increase in the Under 25 Category is particularly worrying with a 65.1 per cent increase over the same 12-month period.

“Every year, the September Live Register figures reflect the fact than

students and others return to full- time education so we must look at the latest figures is this context. How- ever, when we compare September 2007 to September 2008 the figures tell a very different story. What is particularly worrying is the number of under 25s on the Live Register for that same 12-month period. 65.1% increase from 762 in September 2007 to 1,258 this month.’

“T am now calling on the Govern- ment to show the same urgency in dealing with this crisis as they have shown in dealing with the bank- ing crisis over the past few days’, he Cr HLee

SECONDS after the final whis- tle sounds, Tommy Curtin springs from the dugout and is enveloped in a small ocean of Liscannor bod- ies. Between the thick mist that has cloaked the field and the celebrations going on around him, he’s difficult to pinpoint but suddenly he shuffles off to the side of the festive group where you catch him and ask for two min- utes of his time.

Face beaming, he says he’ll give you ten.

You ask him was he concerned in that extraordinary second-half when it looked like Doonbeg had sucked the momentum from Liscannor.

He pauses for a minute, gathers his breath and tells you that yes, there’s no point saying other otherwise, he was anxi0us.

“I’d have to say I was worried al- right. They got the goal, they went ahead then by two points, got it up to three and there wasn’t a whole load of time left.

“But deep down I still had faith. At half-time, I knew we hadn’t got go- ing. We’d only kicked a couple of points and I sat the lads down and said that we hadn’t brought the inten- sity that a semi-final of a champion- ship deserved. It was put up to them that they had to come back out and improve.”

That they did. The vigour and force they applied for 25 minutes after the break was almost tangible. They scavenged for breaks, closed space and defended from the front but most of all, they didn’t once show any signs of panic.

Even after Doonbeg shook the net, Liscannor held their nerve and be- lieved that the football they played to bring them into contention would allow them breast the finishing tape ahead of Doonbeg.

Though Doonbeg continued to push every central Liscannor attack out wide towards the sidelines, Lis- cannor, contrary to the belief before the game, kicked well in front of the posts to claw back the deficit and

spring the win.

“We looked on the second-half as the time to step up. We said, look, were in a decent position to go back out and face the elements. In the group game, it was a different

situation at half-time and maybe we showed some complacency that day.

“That wasn’t going to happen here. We said we’d leave everything we had on the fields and in fairness to these lads, that’s exactly what they did.”

As he travelled to Miltown in the early afternoon rain of Saturday, Cur- tin’s confidence was rising. It wasn’t an arrogance or conceit, just a sense of contentment that the work logged since the summer began would tip the balance.

‘“We’ve put in an amount of train- ing and I just felt wed step it up today. So I did feel a certain con- fidence and that’s nothing against Doonbeg. They’re a fantastic side as they showed, but I had faith in these lads. We’ve had a couple of lads out injured and they were in the mind of the 15 lads who started as well.

“It’s an amazing feeling to get toa county final. It’s such a small parish, it must be one of the smallest foot- balling parishes in the country and it’s great for everybody involved to have that crack at the title.

“But look. We’ve still won nothing. We’re back to basics again in a couple of days, back training and we’re go- ing to be focused on the final. That’s the one we’ve got to get over now.”

One mountain scaled, another peak in the distance. With Curtin ready for this final ascent, Liscannor should have the energy and enthusiasm to reach the top.

PREPARATIONS are nearing com- pletion for this year’s Cooley-Collins Traditional Music Festival which take place in Gort later this month. This year is the 24th staging of the festival, which commemorates the lives of local musicians Joe Cooley and Ciaran Collins.

Festivities will be officially opened by Ciaran Hanrahan of RTE in Cooley’s Lodge in Peterswell on the evening of October 24.

Saturday will see improver music classes from Joe Burke, Nuala Hehir, Mary Bergin, Denis Liddy, Ciaran Hanrahan, Eamon Cotter and Jack

Talty at the Gort Community Centre, comhra Gaeilge and children’s work- shops at Coole Park.

The Cooley-Collins Festival is one of the final traditional music festivals of the year and attracts large num- bers to the area to soak up the last of WeComciUbO Sb OSTo) MEAUDOToCE

“There is a feat of music going on at this years festival. We will have music by Mary McNamara at the opening along with the Tulla Young Ceili group and a ceili with the Four Courts at the end of the night,” said organiser Mary Coen.

“The highlight of the festival is the gala concert which takes place on Saturday evening. This year we will

have Joe Burke and Ann Conroy- Burke, Nuala Hehir, Jodie Moran and the Shaskeen Band as well the local musicians. The Tulla Ceili band will also have a ceili that evening and we will have music in the square on Sunday. The last ceilis will come on Sunday and Monday with Matt Cun- ningham and Donie Nolan.”

As soon as this years festival is finished, thoughts will turn to next years 25th anniversary festival.

“Tt has changed a lot since the early days of the festival. I have been in- volved for more than 18 years now but it has changed a lot,’ continued Mary.

“It’s been growing year on year and

there are so many festivals out there now that you have to keep up the standards. We will be pulling out all the stops for next year.

“We will be inviting back al the people who formed the first festival and we are really hoping to get the people who took part in the first ever gala concert. It would be great if anyone who knew Cooley or Collins to get in touch. It should be a great year.”

The festival takes place from October 24 to 27. Anyone inter- ested in sponsoring the festival or pre-book a class should contact Mary on 086 3623765 or e-mail maryteresacoen @eircom.net.

A BIRTHDAY celebration led to a group of people being in a Lahinch hotel long after closing time, a court has heard.

Arising out of the incident, Alan Logue pleaded guilty to five sum- monses, under the Intoxicating Liq- uor Act, relating to the Atlantic Ho- oe

Superintendent Gabriel O’Gara told Ennistymon District Court that 25 people were on the premises at the hotel in Lahinch, after 3am on Sunday, March 2 last.

He said that at the time, no explana- tion was given as to why they were on the premises. He said that clos- ing time was 12.30am and said Mr Logue was not on the premises at the mneeten

Defending solicitor William Cahir said that a staff member celebrated

a birthday that night and a number of family members and friends were there for that occasion. He said his client had not given permission for people to be on the premises at that hour and had since apologised to eNO Ne

‘There have been no further breach- es. He runs a very good house. He is not somebody who would have come before the court 1n relation to public order matters on his premises,’ said the solicitor.

The court heard that there were four previous convictions under the Intoxicating Liquor Act, between June 2005 and September 2007. Su- perintendent O’Gara told the court however, “Things have improved since my meeting with him.”

Judge Joseph Mangan imposed fines of €500 in respect of three of the summonses and the other two were struck out.

A PROPOSAL to cut 300 Aer Lin- gus jobs in Shannon Airport, has left staff worried for their future and also led a local TD to suggest that the distinguishable green uniform is “a thing of the past” in Shannon.

Shocked staff were told by union representatives that the airline was proposing to out-source all jobs in Shannon Airport with the exception of maintenance. This would include cabin crew, ground handling and cargo staff.

In a two and a half hour meeting with management in Dublin, staff union reps were told the cuts were a result of oil costs, the economy and softening bookings. Up to 300 pen- sionable jobs are proposed to go in Shannon.

“2009 is predicted to be a bad year. The Americans are not travelling. We see that ourselves,’ said one staff member.

“We have seen this before in 2001 and 2004,” said another.

The company will be offering vol- untary redundancies and crews will

be out-sourced and supported by bas- es in New York, Boston and Dublin.

In total 1,500 jobs are proposed to be out-sourced and inevitably lost to Aer Lingus. Jobs will also go in Cork and Dublin.

Aer Lingus management set a dead- line of November for the implemen- tation of the ©74 million cost-cutting programme including a €©50 million cut from staff costs.

They also said €14 million would have to come from a reduction in ad- vertising and distribution costs, air- port costs and professional fees, and

€10m from reducing the airline’s long haul aircraft fleet from nine to eight.

“We are going to continue fighting. Even to save 100 jobs,” said one up- set worker.

Before the official announcement was made, the union’s general presi- dent, Jack O’Connor had appealed to the Government to establish a “threshold of decency” in the avia- tion business where, he said workers wages were being driven through the ground.

Speaking at the union’s regional

conference in Tralee, he predicted the union would mount “the siffest resistance possible” to any attempt to outsource the 1,500 Aer LIngus jobs.

He added that what is happening in Aer Lingus could no longer be isolated from what is happening in aviation in Ireland in general and it would feel the pinch.

“It is ironic that against a back- ground of billions being spent to bail out the bankers…that people who are paying taxes are being fed to the wolves,” he told the conference.

THE mist was down in Miltown, but football folk from Liscannor could see as far as the promised land of a county final. Six weeks previously at the same ground when they were beaten by 3-10 to 0-9 by Doonbeg, it was very hard to see it happening.

But, Liscannor’s spirit was willing. Back then and in subsequent games against Lissycasey and Eire Og and in this second crack at mighty Doon- beg. Kieran Considine admitted as much afterwards.

“It came from a bit of honesty,” he revealed. “We asked for fellas to stand up and be counted and they did that. We went a goal down against the run of play today. Doonbeg were cheering and felt they were half way there, but this group of players are

very strong mentally. We’ve been around a very long time.

“People were probably saying that with all the wides in the first half we were back to the Liscannor of old. We got refocused at half-time and tried to work the ball into scoring po- sitions. We got good scores. I think we showed today what we’re capable of. People write us off. We’re a small parish and we have a lot of heart,’ he added.

Selector Pat Murphy touched on this same spirit and the fact that they were written off before the champi- onship started and before this game. “There were four teams left in the competition before today and we were still 10 to 1 to win the champi- onship. That drove on the boys.

““T think they were on about a wed- ding in Doonbeg and they wanted

the county final brought forward. I was sitting below at a meeting in Ennis when I heard about it. I came back and told the lads that all they were talking about in Doonbeg was the wedding and that everyone was saying that we wouldn’t be involved in the county final, that we were in- terfering with a wedding. They gave their answer to that out there.”

And they hope to provide more an- swers in the county final. “We a have a few weeks now to get the injuries right, put our heads back down again. There’s more in us. We’ve improved with every game and we can improve again,’ said Kieran Considine.

No one doubts him.

IT’S been two years in the planning but this week, the contractors will fi- nally get to work on a playground for youngsters in O’Brien’s Bridge.

Fund-raising, grants and a lot of hard work went into the scheme which will allow parents and children enjoy fun in the fresh air without having to get in the car and drive into Ballina or CRISTO

The local community got stuck in to support fund-raisers including a race night, a quiz night and a chilly St Stephen’s Day swim in the river.

“We’ve raised more than €20,000

to date and we still have €10,000 to raise but it’s great to see work start- ing,’ said playground committee member, Caroline Whelan.

A €71,000 grant from Clare County Council’s playground grants scheme has brought the cash in the kitty to €102,000. There is another St Stephen’s Day swim, a duck race and a country and western night in the offing to raise more cash. The playground was needed for the area to service the twin villages of O’Brien’s Bridge and Montpelier and also Bridgetown.

“Last year we counted over 261 children in the above areas. In recent

years we have had a increase in traffic passing through the village and need- ed somewhere safe for our children to play,’ said Caroline.

“There was an episode last year when two young children wandered off. If there had been play facilities in the area things like this would not happen.”

Included in the playground equip- ment will be toddler and older chil- dren’s swings, a spring seesaw, a spe- cial needs roundabout, a bird’s nest swing, a three-tower toddler multi play unit and a five-tower senior play unit. The playground will be fenced in with bow top fencing. The ten-

der was awarded to Cavanagh Play- ground Equipment who are based in Roscrea.

“We still need to fundraise so if an- yone is willing to take the plunge on St Stephen’s Day, we would like them to contact any member of the play- ground committee,’ said Caroline. She added that the O’Brien’s Bridge Community Group and Playground Committee “would like to express thanks to all the support we have re- ceived from the local community and various business’s in the area and if anyone wishes to make a donation to the fund please contact any of the committee or community group.”

A WOMAN had her kneecap broken when she was struck with a four foot piece of timber by a man who was under the impression that he was be- IN OVSMM EWU

A TOTAL of eight people have died in drowning incidents on the River Fergus since 2004, according to the figures revealed by the water safety officer with Clare County Council.

Liam Griffin addressed members at yesterday’s meeting of Ennis Town Council along with the Chief Fire Officer for Clare, Adrian Kelly. Mr Griffin told the council that in some cases, the drownings were as a result of suicide.

He said, “I don’t think it’s possi- ble to rescue a person when they are

drowning. Unless, you had someone on the scene when it is happening, who is a top class swimmer. People drown in seconds, maybe minutes. When you hear of people getting rescued from rivers, it’s usually be- cause they have hung onto a branch or climbed up onto a bank.”

Mr Griffin outlined to the council the training methods employed to equip volounteers working with the Clare Civil Defence.

He also pledged his support to any review of existing procedures for water safety in Ennis.

“If the council feels there should

be a review, maybe replacing or up- grading water safety equipment, we would support that.”

Mr Griffin also called for people to respect life rings placed on the Fer- gus, saying that abuse and vandalism was a bigger issue in Ennis than any- where else in Clare.

Mr Griffin and Mr Kelly spoke at the council in order to clarify the specific roles of the different ele- ments that make up the rescue serv- ices in Clare.

Their appearance was prompted by comments made by Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) at the September meet-

ing of Ennis Town Council.

At the time Cllr Neylon, told the chamber that he had received a phone call from a member of the Fire serv- ices in Clare, alleging that the chief fire officer threatened to fire staff that entered a river to rescue a person from drowning.

Mr Kelly has since strongly reject- ed making the statement and re-iter- ated his stance in no-uncertain terms MK KOr Ne

“T never said anything like that and I never would,” the chief fire officer Cr ALOR

He said that members of the fire

services are provided with water awareness training and co-ordinate closely with other agencies on oc- casions when a body is reported to have entered the water.

“It is my responsibility to make sure firemen don’t get injured and get home to their wives,’ said Mr th

He added, “We are a fire and res- cue service not a water rescue serv- ice.’ Mayor of Ennis Peter Considine (FF) led tributes to Clare’s rescue services, with Independent council- lor Taiwoo Matthew calling their vo- lounteer work a “noble campaign”’.